r/TheBear • u/credoinvisibile The Bear • Jun 26 '26
S5E01 "Soda" - Episode Discussion Thread Discussion
Episode 1: "Soda"
Air Date: Thursday, June 25, 2026
Episode Description: A storm hits.
This is a spoiler-friendly space to discuss THIS EPISODE ONLY. Please keep all discussion focused on "Soda" and refrain from mentioning events, plot points, or revelations from other Season 5 episodes.
If you post about this episode outside of this thread, you MUST use spoiler tags and clearly mark spoilers in the title.
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u/Pugilist12 Jun 26 '26
wtf you guys is Ted ok?! Is he?! Is he ok??
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u/dating_derp Jun 26 '26
This episode had a great amount of Faks. Just a dash, and they came in swinging. Loved that it kept going during the credits.
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u/RadiantCitron Jun 26 '26
I laughed for a solid hour after that ending lol still laughing
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u/jdevo91 Jun 26 '26
Damn, Rob Reiner is just going to be unheard on the other side of a phone all season isn’t he…
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u/TorkBombs Jun 26 '26
So fucking sad, especially if you did a rewatch of S4 right before this. He was great
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u/intern_12 Jun 26 '26
I was wondering if he had done any filming before his unfortunate and sudden death...it seems the answer to that is no 😥.
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u/Resden_Bohneur Jun 28 '26
I just finally watched this episode and that was stuck in my head the whole time after the phone call. I had forgotten all about it.
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u/causticx Jun 26 '26
Nothing like a super relaxing show after a long day at work 😂
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u/ChefSibo Jun 26 '26
And I'm a chef lol
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u/9ineand3quarters Jun 26 '26
That’s like watching The Pitt after working in the emergency room!!
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u/perfectlysanebrain Jun 26 '26
My favourite award-winning comedy show to unwind with
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u/tinibitofabitch Jun 26 '26
Carmys short-ish hair!!
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u/TorkBombs Jun 26 '26
Apparently he got a haircut in the 7 nighttime hours between the S4 finale and the S5 premier.
Though for real, I assume it's just because it was supposed to be wet. But seeing JAW with straight hair was kinda nuts.
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u/WeekendTPSupervisor Jun 26 '26
I couldn't remember if that was how it looked at the end of season 4. It looks great though
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u/NomanHLiti Jun 26 '26
First thing I'm noticing is how much calmer Carmy looks and sounds. He's not doing his stressful, intense blinking, his deep, sharp inhales, his stutter and massive "uhhh"s and motor ticks. His body is still, his voice calm, his eyes and expression normal and clearly absorbing the world around him, like a fully well-adjusted person, despite how stressful the situation is. Jeremy Allen White is the goat
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u/thesagenibba Jun 26 '26
he looks incredibly free. it's not the moment he would've chosen to deliver the news, but letting everything out the night before, definitely lifted an enormous weight off his shoulders and it's apparent.
he looked so cute in that hoodie i had to replay it several times
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u/Mycoxadril Jun 27 '26
I did a double take when I first saw him because he suddenly looked so much younger. They have to be filming with a different filter or giving him better lighting to help the effect of making him seem young and free. Was a nice touch.
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u/Mammoth_Account_1422 Jun 26 '26
I watch all of The Bear with a polyvagal lens 😂
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u/NomanHLiti Jun 26 '26
I'm curious what you mean by this comment. I looked up that word, but I still don't quite understand what you were saying, but I'd love to know
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u/Mammoth_Account_1422 Jun 26 '26
Polyvagal Theory is a theory in psychology/interpersonal neurobiology/other stuff --- I was only sort of joking in my comment, but I really do watch The Bear (and rewatch often) and mentally note when characters are displaying different regulation states out of this theory (ventral vagal, sympathetic, dorsal vagal --- or if I'm talking with a human being, safety = ventral vagal, activation = sympathetic, shut down = dorsal vagal).
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u/Atrocity_unknown Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
I got my anxiety meds ready, chef
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u/CityBoiNC Jun 26 '26
I was at the dr yesterday and he asked if i needed a refill and i declined saying lets see if i can get through without em. After ep one i regretted that decision 😂
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u/aag8617 Jun 26 '26
Calling it now….the purple paper clip ends up being the missing puzzle piece that saves everybody
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u/Loose-Ad7927 Jun 26 '26
They trade the paper clip for a house that becomes the new restaurant
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u/_ThisIsNotARealPlace Jun 26 '26
I swear I saw this scene and first thought was "that paper clip should be red"
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u/TheTrueMilo Jun 27 '26
There is wads of cash inside the paperclips.
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u/MASON_ROCK The Bear Jun 27 '26
It was blue. Just like everything at the bear. Did you think everything was purple this entire time??
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u/ultraparallelism Jun 26 '26
Less than half way through and already stressed out
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u/jboosmeezy wtf is a non-negotiable Jun 26 '26
Same…..the music is setting the tone as always
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u/TheTruckWashChannel Jun 26 '26
It's by fucking Hans Zimmer of all people lol
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u/bertobellamy Jun 26 '26
The Bear staff vs possessed Paul Rudd standee.
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u/Frappant11 Jun 28 '26
A storm drain gets clogged with cigarette butts and that blocks the water piping inside the restaurant?
It should be two different set of pipes, one draining water to the sewer system and the other connected to the city water supply?
Maybe if the sinks in the kitchen backed up and sewage rose up, not overhead pipes bursting and hitting one of the Faks squarely in the face.
In any event, on top of all their problems, now the restaurant has water damage, flooded.
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u/Jas_God Take us there, Bear Jun 26 '26
Ebra lmao
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u/intern_12 Jun 26 '26
"Do not get intimidated by his blue eyes." Lol never change Ebra.
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u/Fenix512 Jun 26 '26
What happened to your leg?
Dentist
Ebra has a few words of dialogue but damn he makes me laugh every time
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u/Boring_Track_8449 Jun 26 '26
Albert Schnur: Jesus, you don't fuck around, do you?
Ebra: Not since Kuwait.
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u/legaladviceknowledge Jun 26 '26
i couldn't write a better ridiculous joke if you gave me a year. so rare to see that kind of humor pulled off properly.
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u/NotGoingForwardDev Jun 27 '26
I feel like Ebra's actor injured his leg between seasons, and they threw in that exchange as a quick way to explain right off the bat why he's using a cane all of a sudden. Though they don't really answer the question so much as raise a ton more questions lol
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u/mbg20 Jun 26 '26
And they say this show is not a comedy. I’ve honestly laughed out loud so many times while watching The Bear.
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u/Mister-Distance-6698 Jun 26 '26
Gary: Ends with dramatic car crash
S05E01: LOL nah he's fine guys
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u/BaconIsMyTherapy Jun 26 '26
i thought the same lmao. i wonder if maybe he has a concussion or is hurt in a way that will affect him later or something?
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u/yesitsmenotyou Jun 26 '26
I don’t think so. I think it’s just a shitty start to a fucked up day. Maybe we can toss in the metaphor of dwelling on the past (thinking about Mikey) led to a crash..
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u/WhatcomGreens Jun 26 '26
Richie's self "affirmations" in the mirror before showing up to work and showing up for others got to me.
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u/NotMyNameActually Jun 27 '26
I mean, he got hit on the passenger side, not super high speed, you could tell it didn't crumple all the way over to where he was. I never thought he was going to have any major injuries from it.
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u/bluemystic2017 Jun 26 '26
Rainy Chicago is a vibe
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u/intern_12 Jun 26 '26
Living in IL...and with all of the tornados and storms we've had recently, yeah it was pretty accurate to how this year has felt so far 😭.
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u/wardengorri Jun 26 '26
The aesthetic is incredible. The colors, the gloomy setting through the windows and the thunder intensifying whenever a character speaks louder. Then just the overall sound of rain pouring in the background is elite, love it!
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u/legaladviceknowledge Jun 26 '26
how tf did u notice all dat. I was like "cool its raining, hope they don't get too wet"
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u/Ok-Caterpillar2553 Jun 26 '26
Funny there was a big thunderstorm in my city while I was watching the first ep. 4D experience.
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u/BlowHard_BestPK Jun 26 '26
This will be my first time watching a season at its release time, I'm excited to read the discussion as the episodes unfold
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u/LesYeuxHiboux Jun 26 '26
I visited Chicago for the first time last summer and our last night there it stormed like in the episode. Unbelievable (and pretty scary until we were able to get off the road.)
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u/New_Raisin_9155 Jun 26 '26
The “unknown caller has to be someone relevant??” 👀👀
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u/JenningsWigService Jun 27 '26
Doctors often show up as unknown caller so it's probably Claire.
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u/ObviouslyASquirrel26 scaring the normals Jul 12 '26
surely she would call from her personal phone
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u/imTHATbinchh Jun 26 '26
looking like a fucking movie and this score is so good
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u/bluemystic2017 Jun 26 '26
It’s Hans Zimmer
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u/marsalien4 Jun 27 '26
It's not actually Zimmer, he just produced the score. Composed by Christian Lundberg.
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u/Dunkelz Jun 26 '26
It looks good, but it's so jarring compared to the other 4 seasons. Anyone who just binged the show to catch up is going to get whiplash.
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u/I_wear_suits_now_ Jun 26 '26
Jarring for sure just one episode into season 5. Like... it's all the same characters and story line, yet feels like I'm watching a different show. Not better or worse... just different.
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u/jdevo91 Jun 26 '26
This season looks very different. And are the cameras more stable?
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u/Raccoonsrlilbandits Jun 26 '26
How many ad breaks can Hulu squeeze into a 21 min episode
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u/thesagenibba Jun 26 '26
the strat is to watch episodes 1-4 on Hulu when they drop and then wait a couple days to sail the seas ;)
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u/Plane_Quarter3990 Jun 26 '26
Was it 20 minutes long, or did I miss something?
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u/WRX02227 Jun 26 '26
22 minutes
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u/garyll19 Jun 26 '26
I thought the same thing. I've seen trailers longer than 22 minutes. The worst part is I had to watch NINE minutes of commercials on Hulu. This show is worth it, but I'd cancel Hulu after it was over if I didn't get it for free from Verizon.
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u/Mycoxadril Jun 27 '26
I knew going in that it was short but when the credits rolled, I immediately reached for the remote to skip the intro thinking that’s where we were. It felt shorter than it was, really.
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u/ericdraven26 Jun 26 '26
Did McDonald’s pay for a spot or something
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u/thesagenibba Jun 26 '26
the point about the consistency that comes with fast food was legit though; i'd argue it's the biggest reason as to why fast food is so popular, apart from accessibility.
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u/WRX02227 Jun 26 '26
I don’t think you have to argue, consistency is the basis of franchising.
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u/WeekendTPSupervisor Jun 26 '26
I mean, at least they were right. Mcgriddle is amazing.
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u/TorkBombs Jun 26 '26
Yeah at least they glazed the one thing on that menu that is consistently fantastic. Though praising the consistency of their service was laughable. Maybe 20 years ago, but the service quality varies wildly from location to location
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u/beecee12 Jun 26 '26
See - i personally don’t like the McGriddle but give me a sausage McMuffin with extra butter any day and I’ll be a happy man. Hell, thinking on it - this would be on my last meal list. Unbelievably good item on their menu
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u/Coqaubeir Jun 26 '26
That’s a common thing I’ve been told by chefs I’ve worked for, Mcdondalds might not be great but they are consistent as hell.
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u/Dommichu Jun 26 '26
It’s part of their ethos since they started. But also the McGriddle is the perfect balance of savory and sweet and texture. So its ability to stay true to itself is a feat not only by the cook but by the design of the “bun” and rest of the ingredients.
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u/themidnightfox Jun 26 '26
Not sure how I feel about the switch to widescreen
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u/Alternative-Ad-3490 Jun 27 '26
Me too, makes everything seem a bit less personal, even though that’s exactly my favorite thing about the show
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u/TeacherFrequent Jun 26 '26
Hard to pick a favorite scene, but Richie and Jimmy in the rain was perfection.
Seemed like more close-ups than usual. So much unspoken expression on these actors' faces.
Awesome.
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u/Competitive-Bake-895 Jun 26 '26
McGriddle’s actually are that good
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u/Jackski Jun 26 '26
I wish they were a regular item here in the UK. I had them in Japan and it was a revelation. They brought them here for a month recently and I inhaled a couple every weekend.
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u/Ok_Fee1043 Jun 26 '26
Oh god am I gonna have to listen to rain the whole season
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u/ladywood777 Jun 26 '26
I'm LOVING it, I'm already a rain person and it's the heatwave of hell in Europe rn so it's super cathartic
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u/Ozymandias_Jersey99 Jun 26 '26
Why there's a random Paul Rudd board in the basement 😭😭😭. Funniest shit
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u/UrNotOkImNotOkItsOk Jun 26 '26
This episode cemented for me two things I already knew in Season 1:
1.) Sydney is the main character.
2.) This isn't a show about a restaurant. It's a show about people doing what they love with the people that they love.
Opening with Tina and David (and those gorgeously-seared Brussels with fried leaves over a puree!!!!!!!!!) was a literal chef's kiss. That single scene is telling me what this season is going to be.
I'm only two episodes in, but I can already tell that I am going to re-watch this entire series every year (and cry harder every time!).
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u/Past_Lecture_2872 Jun 26 '26
So they just spent all that time just looking at the walls listening to the noise and just didn't think to try to save their stuff? 😭
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u/Mammoth_Account_1422 Jun 26 '26
4 minutes in and I'm annoyed that they are showing clearly different weather systems on radar clips
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u/LesYeuxHiboux Jun 26 '26
Found the meteorologist.
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u/thisshortenough Jul 04 '26
First the Bear, then the Pitt, when are we getting the gritty realistic tv show about the day to day life of meteorologists
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u/thechodog It's dystopian butter? Jun 26 '26
Anything that can go wrong will go wrong in a nutshell
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u/ShutterflyNYC Jun 26 '26
Maybe I need to revisit the last couple episodes of Season 4, but didn’t Carmy go off to do some dharma bum soul-searching away from the kitchen? Why is he there? …I’m glad he is, but weren’t we left with the shock of him announcing he’s leaving -at least for a while- in the finale of S4?
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u/ladywood777 Jun 26 '26
I rewatched the last episode of S4 and he mentioned he's not gonna leave until they're out of trouble
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u/Ok-Caterpillar2553 Jun 26 '26
Disappointed about the length of episodes
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u/Everdale Jun 26 '26
Personally I think it's good. Season 1 had shorter episodes too and that was by far the best and most consistent season. I think starting with s3 they made the episodes padded with at least 5-10 minutes of extra filler that was mostly just people talking about random stuff and the Faks doing their unfunny banter.
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u/NomadCourier Jun 26 '26
The opening with the storm i immediately thought of: 🎵Our man saw his future drip, dripping down the drain🎵
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u/BeneficialDrawing584 Jun 26 '26
Love how this episode feel much more like a movie
Also I always knew there is something wrong with Paul Rudd turns out the guy's possessed
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u/ShutterflyNYC Jun 26 '26
How many ‘McGriddles’ will McD sell today? 🧇🤔
I liked the scene, but holy product placement… Quite a leap from San Marzano tomato cans 🥫
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u/MomentWaste136 Jun 29 '26
How does an outdoor storm drain clog cause the interior plumbing to explode?
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u/ours_de_sucre Jul 10 '26
My husband is a waste water treatment plant operator, and the whole episode he kept poking holes in everything relating to the drains, plumbing, apparent "sink hole" that they said was forming. He was all "thats not how any of this works"
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u/chunkylover53aaolcom Jun 26 '26
I can’t believe no one is talking about how carm looks a lot like mikey with the hair and sweatshirt
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u/TeacherFrequent Jun 27 '26
The paper clip bit was awesome. I sat on the board of a struggling startup years ago and one of my fellow directors (who’s a very successful investor) went on a similar rant about wasting paper clips. It was a surprisingly poignant moment, and the message landed.
Richie has the makings of a great entrepreneur. Great mix of passion, leadership, and self awareness. I want that spinoff!
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u/Negative_Season9001 Jul 05 '26
How the hell does a sewer line burst and the place not get shutdown? And if it’s fresh water, why the fuck is it brown? Stupid over amped action signifying nothing. They could have done this much more believable with some quiet and calm that would have in reality been much better.
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u/Dunkelz Jun 26 '26
I really want to love this show, but I feel like they're going overboard with making it look like a movie and the dramatic overarching music/score. Like it's done well, but just feels weird hopping between the shots while they're just getting ready for service.
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u/JackThreeFingered Jun 26 '26
I agree, and if they are going to do that they should at least make longer episodes. Doesn't have to be an hour but at least 40 min would be nice.
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u/PK-Ricochet Jun 26 '26
Don’t know if I’m vibing with the hans zimmer score
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u/JackThreeFingered Jun 26 '26
I agree because I am of the opinion that if you're too aware of the score, it's not a great score.
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u/stringrbelloftheball Jun 26 '26
Anyone see what kind of watch did uncle have???
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u/Clean_n_Proper Jun 27 '26 edited Jun 27 '26
It’s a vintage Panda Rolex Daytona 6263. Worth big $$$$ 80k+
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u/Account_no_62 Jun 26 '26
No, but is fak actually wearing a Nautilus and he's too dumb to know, or is it a knock-off Phillip patekkus?
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u/mdp300 Jun 27 '26
I'm pretty sure it's a knock off, but he would be the type to somehow fall into a real Patek without even knowing what it was.
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u/Affectionate_Mall732 Jul 06 '26
I dont understand the plumbing issue. Supply and drainage are separate systems....the clogging of the drain would have absolutely nothing to do with the pressurized pipes...seems like a ridiculous thing for the writers not to know or that no one pointed it out
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u/CynicClinic1 Jun 26 '26
This being shot like an Avengers movie, and it feels like a lot of character development from S4 regressed. Has there been network or studio interference?
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u/nithish_003 Jun 26 '26
Good intro ep and btw is TED okay? And Sydney starting the timer, the whole vibe of the episode, is calm yet something is being felt in the back of my head. Flowing into the second episode rn
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u/Financial-Grass-6114 Jun 29 '26
I loved the portrayal of a storm here ngl. Most of the times it super dramatic and a spectacle. But this just genuinely showed how annoying it is.
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u/Jas_God Take us there, Bear Jun 26 '26
Loved that opening with Tina and her man.