Josh and Matt kick off this episode talking about the failures of the Cincinnati Bengals, the outlet sports fandom gives for some of our worst emotional states, and Primal Living content that serves as gateways to OnlyFans.

They then move into discussing a recent episode of SubwayTakes, the incredible sanity of Ethan Hawke, and doing what's right right now.

Then, they start their thoughts on Stranger Things Season 5 Part 1, including Matt's ambivalence stemming from not having been invested in the show from the beginning, Vecna slander, and some of the effects of "Second Screen" viewing on shows like this. They also dive into the show's developing tendency to tell and not show (or in some cases, tell right before they show), the point at which the show developed a nostalgia for itself, and the feedback loop that the longer production times and social media probably had on the writing of the show.

They wrap up the show by scratching the surface of the phenomena of the ConformityGate conspiracy theories around the show, and Josh's fascination with the way fandoms move, and considering it as a microcosm study of how cults form. 

Want to send us deranged hate mail? Have a burning question you want us to weigh in on (questionable decision)? 

Send something to us at [email protected] , or find us on bluesky: @sillybsfactory.bsky.social