Onscreen Offscreen
Josh Dietrich and Konlin Gappmayer discuss their media consumption, new and old. They discuss the good, the bad, and the impact it has on their lives
Onscreen Offscreen
The Newsroom - Week 27: Episode 2
The Newsroom - Week 27: Episode 2
Suits L.A., Dangers of the Heart, The Newsroom
00:00 - FLOW
02:41 - Dangers of the Heart
14:41 - Suits L.A.
28:07 - The Newsroom
Hey everybody. It is onscreen offscreen with an episode two for this week. I wanted to start with just a quick thing that I thought was really cool. I talked about Flow. Um, it's a movie that won animated movie of the year last year, which is a really good movie. It's very unique. It's very thought provoking. It's just good. I found out that the whole thing was made with Blender by one dude, which is really cool. It's really cool. And I talked about how parts of the animation are fantastic and parts of it are kind of less so, but the parts that are fantastic, I was amazed that this guy was able to create with Blender, like he made the whole movie. That's amazing. And it actually, it made me want to get back into Blender again'cause I really, I haven't touched it in months, um, because I, I find that project and the fact that this guy was able to do that, so impressive. It's really cool. Have you seen it yet? Have you watched it? Have you watched any trailers or anything for it?
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:I think I did when you told me to watch, but I don't think I've seen anything on it since. I haven't watched it.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:I would still recommend it. It's really good. And the fact that you like Blender two, I think might make you make even more into it
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Probably I'm really into the Blender Studios animations.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:they're amazing. They're so good. Have they released more since you
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:No,
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:that's too bad.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:they're still, they just released an episode about what their next project is gonna be, but not their next project.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Okay.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:if you wanna spend an hour and a half following an artist, work on a character, you can watch that. But
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Did you do that? Have you done that?
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:no,
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Okay. I weirdly could see myself enjoying that. I.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:I could if it was more of a theoretical, uh, what do you call it, lecture. if they were talking about the art styles and the purposes of them and like why they decided to do specific things. Sure.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Or even like talking through what they're doing or do they do that or are you just literally watching somebody work on Blender and that's it.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:They talk about more of like a technical side and it's a little bit more boring, and then they show kind of some stuff on the side. You could try it. It just wasn't really my thing.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Okay. I would try it. If you guys haven't seen the shorts that they do, they're really good. They're really good. Anyway, that was kind of my first little thing. Um, let's get into your, the dangers of the heart.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:So this is another anime I started watching. So basically I've been watching Eminence and Shadow. I decided last night or yesterday like, Hey, I'm more, I'm not really in the mood for something as serious. I kind of want like another, uh, what is it called? Love is war. Another teora, another, uh, kind of like, uh, more than a married couple, uh, that kind of anime. So I, I looked it up. I was like, Hey, if you like, love is war, what should I watch? And this is the number one option. They, I found a ranking of 25 of them. Number two has always been like Tora. Um, uh, so like I've seen some of'em, but I'd never heard of this one before and I was like, okay, I'm just gonna fall asleep to this anyway. Right.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Okay,
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Maybe I'll get a few episodes into it, maybe. I, it was like seven o'clock last night. I was like, I'm gonna eat some food. I'll start watching it. Maybe I'll get into it, but I'll either fall asleep to it or I'll just turn it off, get some sleep. But spoiler warning, I'm operating off of two hours of sleep. So this is just like a really good innocent fun time rom-com,
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Okay.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:right? There's no anime garbage in it. There's the writing. Honestly, not the best. I would put it like slightly better than sort art online, which I would rank as pretty cheesy and pretty bad, honestly. So this is slightly better than that. In this one you're following. This goth guy who is a short king, who's, uh, really into like murder psychology stuff, which if he, he was in America, in today's day and age, he would be the most popular kid.'cause all the girls are into that kind of stuff. But like, so he's really into this and he is kind of this loner guy and he kind, he doesn't really talk to anybody. And the main girl is a model who's like a ditzy weird girl who likes to eat. That's her big thing is she just loves to snack on things.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:She's that anime trope like the always but skinny girl.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Yeah. I've never really seen it done somewhere else, but like here, she's like. A model girl who really likes snacks and really likes candy and stuff, and like the way that these two people start interacting is she goes to the library after her lunch so that she can keep eating without people judging her.'cause she has this group of friend that's always like, you should eat less, you should stop eating so many snacks, blah, blah, blah, whatever. Right. And so she goes to the library so she can just eat food in peace, but you're not allowed to have food in the library. So she sneaks into the library to eat it, and he goes there because he's trying to plan his murder for her. Literally the first two episodes, she's like, I just want to kill her so bad. There's nobody I want to murder more than this girl. The whole episode, the first episode is like him. Lending her his box cutter. And he's like, is this my chance? Is this my chance to kill her? And you're like, what is this dude's problem? Go to therapy, dude. Holy crap, you need help. But he lends her this box cutter and then she steals it, but then gives it back. And he's like, she knew where my seat was and. Stupid cheesiness, right? But kind of the same thing. They're still kind of cold to each other. They don't really get to know each other or anything until one day in the library. Um, one of her chubby friends comes in to ask her for relationship advice while the guy who has a crush on her goes in to ask her out. And so. It's the three of them because our main guy is behind the bookshelf and he's just judging the main girl the entire time. He's like, why would you say that? What are you doing? Get out of the way. He's trying to ask her out. You're being a like egregiously, like why would you ask that question? And so he gets her to leave them alone and in the meantime. She like, gives him garbage from her snack. She's like, here, you can have this. And he's like, what am I supposed to do with this? Like, what the heck? Fast forward to the next time he, she gives, or he, she gives him a snack and he gives her the wrapper back and suddenly like she notices him. And then they become friends and then it's like completely obvious to everybody that these two like each other, but he's too insecure and kind of like I'm just the weird loser kid and she's a model and she's too like ditzy girl to like actually say anything and like. That's where I'm at. I'm like halfway through season two, and it's like this, like they're becoming more and more friends. I like genuinely love their relationship. Like they genuinely make each other just better people. Like he is, she, she is genuinely helping him out of his shell. Right. In a very like patient way. And she is genuinely thinking more clearly about things because of the way he is. And like, she's just like so respectful. Like you get to like the beginning of season two and for the very first time he's like, I just think this, I just feel this way. And she's like, well, thank you. And he's like, thank you. What are you talking about? And she's like, it's not very often that you talk about yourself, much less anything about the way you think or feel. So I appreciate you. Thank you. And you're just like, holy crap, look at that. That is wonderful. And there's all these other side characters that are just like so relatable. So like he has a nosy sister that is like. F teasing him until she realizes that she actually has, or he actually has a chance with this girl and like she freaks out about it and he's just doesn't know what how to handle it. And she has very strict, overbearing parents. So there's that kind of dynamic to it. There's all the other students in the, in the class with them doing all their stuff that they do, and it's an anime and it's romantic comedy, and there's no anime girl screaming or garbage scenes or stupidness added just for the sake of adding it. It is just genuinely like innocent and good and fun and enjoyable, and that's my kind of romance, the comedy thing, like I love, she's all that. I would put it very much along the same. It's like she's all that.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:All right. Is this one a little bit niche than the other two? Because it sounds a little bit more niche like I'm gonna give it a try. It sounds like something I have to try, whether I'm going to like or find out whether I'm going to like it or not. A little niche.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Uh, I'd say it's a lot more generic,
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Okay. Okay.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:So like in Love is war. You have the president and the vice president and they're at war with each other trying to like, they both know that they like each other. They just don't wanna be the first one to admit it. Right? So it's that niche, like specific kind of humor that they're going at with that Right. This one is generic, like base story girl has a crush on guy. He's kind of a loner guy. She gets a crush on him and is the popular girl, and like through happenstance and hijinks, they end up liking each other, right? Like it could not be like more generic rom-com topic
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:you have like the, I wanna her, I wanna
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:That goes away after the first two episodes.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Oh, okay, okay, okay.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:It's not a prominent thing. It's like, honestly, when you, when I first turned it on, I was like, should I turn this off? This is weird.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:It's not like she's in love with a psychopath the
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:No, no, no, no, no, no. He's like actually a normal guy. It's just like, like maybe even skip the first two episodes. Because like genuinely, if I had just watched the first two episodes, I would tell you that this show is weird and terrible and you shouldn't watch it. Because the first two episodes I was just like, is it my chance to kill her? And you're like, what is this dude's problem?
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:I was, it's a love with a psychopath and is slowly changing him to not be a psychopath anymore. Okay.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:no. They just, it feels like they completely abandoned that and instead he's just a guy, like, they don't even really bring it up till like halfway through season two. He's just like into psychology now. Yeah. So it's like the first few episodes are really just like weird and you're like. This is creepy. Why is this? This kid's inner dialogue? That's not normal at all. Like go get help. But now it's like
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:He got help.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:he got help. He had somebody, you know, step into his life and now he's being a better person. And like there's even like a. Like his parents and his sisters start to notice that, like he enjoys going to school now and, and all these like really good things for a person. So it's like, I know that that's true about the enemy, but that's not what it's about. It's a, it's honestly a really generic storyline that's just told really well with some good humor and just feel good, like it's just positive. You just feel good. Watch, but watching it, it's, it's just good.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Cool, cool. Cool.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Yeah.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Now with that, let's go to our next one. Suits LA episodes two through four. Me and Josh talked a little bit about this before. Uh, suits LA feels like an absolute parody of suits in all the wrong ways, and they're trying to make things come together, but it doesn't work. It just doesn't, and they try to do like the Buddy comedy thing. There's a couple times where it's a little funny, but mostly it just doesn't work. They make you want care about the characters. It doesn't work. Um, there, there it is. Just, it's just not very good. It's just not very good. What did, what did you think about la
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:I think it's terrible. That's right. Like I was pretty positive after episode one of like giving Steven Amal, Steven, whatever his name is,
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:think that's right.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:uh, a lot of like leeway.'cause my perspective was like he wasn't Harvey, but he really wanted to be because of whatever the secret was. But then in like episode two, you find out what the secret is and you're like, that's stupid. And now he has this like really connived stupid relationship with his ex and immediately they backpedal on the one guy just being the bad guy trying to take, get back at him because he called him the name now he actually feels bad for him, and it's like you have no good protagonist. You have no good antagonist anymore. Your stars of the show are, what's his bucket? Who betrays the one guy, uh, Steven Amal or whatever his name is, and your second best character is the girl who took his spot at the old law firm. And she's really more just irritating because she's a movie lawyer, entertainment lawyer, head of entertainment, who doesn't know movies. So now you have to introduce this really irritating character whose whole personality is explaining movies to the head of entertainment who doesn't know movies.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Movies? I, we disagreed on that one. I actually like the Asian girl character. She doesn't bug me like she bugs you. I, to me, the problem is you have the guy who portrays. The main guy who portrays the Stephen Amel character, Stephen Amel hasn't done anything to make us really like him. So I end up liking the guy who portrays him and the guy that left and their kind of buddy cop thing that they're trying to do, but not doing super well. I like both of those two characters more than I like my main character that I'm supposed to empathize with, and I would rather just watch a show about them because Steven is kind of a boring character who is trying to be Harvey but isn't Harvey, and it makes it even worse. It's just bad
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Oh, but don't forget, he also might be schizoid, but not really. Maybe.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:and he might be oid, but not really, but maybe also. And the main girl who takes over the show is actually probably my least favorite character. I don't like her at all. Um, and the only thing that makes me like her is actually the Asian girl. Otherwise, I wouldn't like her in any way. And the idea that you would make her, that she would even want to be head of. Of, of what she does. Um, head
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:of entertainment.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Yeah, head of entertainment. The idea she would even want to be head of entertainment when she'd gone to law school and planned out her career when she doesn't like movies is stupid. Like it's insane. Nope. She would, there's, there's a lot of different things you can do with a lot degree. She wouldn't go into something she doesn't even enjoy doing. No, it's stupid,
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:I, I, I disagree with that. She wouldn't go into anything she doesn't enjoy doing. I disagree that she wouldn't go into anything she wouldn't care about.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Yes.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Like she might not enjoy being a prosecutor, but you could still see her being a prosecutor.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:yes.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:You, she wouldn't necessarily enjoy being a public defender, but you could see her doing that too,
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Yes.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:right? She might not enjoy corporate law, but you could see her doing that. But like entertainment law is like such a niche topic. You wouldn't like dedicate your whole life to becoming the head of entertainment because quote unquote, they live in Hollywood. And if you wanna be a big name here, that's what you have to do.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:No. Ridiculous.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Yeah, no, tell stupid.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Had that whole scene with the, uh, Kevin character from the office. Like she doesn't know anything about this, and Kevin just acts like an absolute moron. You had that planned the whole time. Wow. You're an amazing lawyer. When she had no idea what she was doing, it was stupid. It
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:I disagree with the Kevin character comment. I agree with you about her.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Oh, really? I thought the Kevin thing was dumb. Like the whole, the whole thing, all of it.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:I just think you saw Kevin and not like the plot that they were trying to portray,
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:But I'm not even that big of a fan of the office, so like I don't feel like I'm seeing Kevin.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:I, that's what you's, how you're treating him.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Okay.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:whole plot was, I get treated like Kevin, like I'm a dummy. They introduce a character just so that he could. Play, Kevin, and then your response is, it was, well, he was just too dumb.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:But he did just act dumb. Like if he Absolutely you, you believe that she had this whole entire thing planned out like that. It was so corny.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:I, yeah, I agree with you about her. I don't think he was just dumb or just acting dumb. Does that make sense?
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:What do you think he was acting then? Because if he doesn't go along with
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:I think he acted it serious and I think he did a good job with the line he was given.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Okay. Okay. Okay.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Like he was like, this is a serious thing and I'm trying to be a serious actor and I'm not just Kevin, right? Like the line is terrible, the writing is terrible. His portrayal in that character was as good as it could have been.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:considering. Fair enough. Fair enough, fair enough. Um, yeah, it is just not a very good show and I am not planning on watching more.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:I am not gonna watch Martin. It's, it's bad. I is just bad. It's not entertaining. You don't love any of the characters. Uh, you're either mildly like it. Or you absolutely despise the character
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Yep. The only character that I'm kind of rooting for is the brother who apparently is dead.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:yeah, and like even the characters, you kind of like, it's totally forced. Like you have to come play d and d and you have to wear a wizard hat or you're fired. Nobody talks like that. What are you. Doing with this character like this is just stupid. No other way to say how terrible it is than that.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:I completely agree. Um, yeah. Anyway, we won't, we won't watch more of that show. We're not gonna rate more of it if it gets way, way better guys watching. Well let us know, but I doubt it. I don't think it'll last that long either. I give it two seasons. That's about
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:I don't think it'll get lit green lit for the second season.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:I would do because it's, I, I don't know. I don't know because it suits may maybe, but I don't
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:dad,
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:That's true.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:that one didn't even get past the pilot.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Like how I met your father, which honestly isn't very good. What, two season, three seasons? Something like that?
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Two, I think.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:But here's the problem with these shows, right? Like they try and be what the old show was
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:and it never works. It's always terrible. This is what I say about like the iCarly reboot is like. It tried so hard to be the old guy, Carly, that it was terrible. But then it kind of like started to find its footing and figure out what like it wanted to be on its own, and it just started to get good. But by that time it was too late and it was canceled.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Or if they just would've tried to do their own thing from the beginning, could have been something good maybe.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Well, I just, they just needed a better artistic idea at the beginning of it. Right. They, they needed to have a story. They actually wanted to tell and not just, Hey, let's revive Carly. I, Carly, because let's face it, we can't get cast in any other roles because we're thought of as Freddie and Carly and not as actual people with actual skills.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Can you think of a show that goes away and then comes back years later? That's actually good. I can't,
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Like a reboot or like a show that just like wasn't renewed but then did get renewed.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:yeah. That
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Wasn't renewed, but did get renewed.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:One of the greatest shows of all time Clone Wars was canceled four times.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Yeah, that's a good one. That's a good one.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:And then Cartoon Network was like, I'll, I'll, I'll do it again. And then Netflix was like, I'll do it again. And then Disney was like, I'll do it again.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:That's a good one. I didn't know. I don't know why I didn't think of that.'cause that is actually good.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Avatar of the last Bender.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:When does it come? What does it come
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Legend of Cora.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Does that count when it's a different, I'm talking like the same, same characters, I guess It does have some of that. It does have some of that
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:It's more of a sequel or a reboot to it. Kind of like the I Carly one. I'll give it to you. Yeah. Is it the best show ever? Is it even really that good? No. But is it enjoyable and worth watching? Yeah.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:first season. Yeah. First season is like, I actually, I enjoy the first season. I think first season was good.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Isn't the like whole flashback about the first bender? Not till like season three.'cause that's the best.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:That part's good too. I, it's, there's, there's good aspects. It's very, very well done. Uh, that part, there are parts of the later episodes that are good, but overall, the rest of the show I don't think is great. Uh, but I
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:three seasons are a copy and paste to the other
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:First season I really enjoyed. There's four Seasons. There's four
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:four seasons of,
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:of Cora?
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:oh, yeah. I, I think they're all equally the same. You have an introduction of a villain and you go, oh, this is interesting, and then you have some hijinks and kind of some filler episodes, and then you have the ultimate showdown and it's ultimately disappointing.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Okay.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:That's how Cora is in every single season.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:I, I agree. I just like the villain from the first season. The first season works for me. Maybe it's'cause I just saw repeats over and over again with. The other seasons don't work.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:I agree with you. I think it's done the best, but I also think it has the most disappointing ending for the villain.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:I honestly can't remember the endings of.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Uh, the same thing happens. Cora doesn't actually face them. The worst one is season four, where literally Cora doesn't face them and Cora kills all the past avatars.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Yeah, it sucks.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:that is the worst one. Plain and simple for sure, but Armand is the best, but it's still ultimately an a terrible ending for your villain.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Yeah. Yeah. That's fair. That is.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Yeah,
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Guys that is Suits la Let's go to our last one, and I want you to go first.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:I love this show. So we wanna talk about the newsroom. It's an HBO show. It went on for three seasons and then got canceled. Uh, follows the perspective of what happens in the background of like a cable news show.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Mm-hmm.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:I absolutely love this show. I think the writing in it is fantastic. I think the acting in is a, is a fantastic and. This show makes me think, I really wish news organizations were actually like this because then I might actually watch, what'd you think? This is my second time watching the show. So like this is your first show. Like what he.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:I knew that we were going to have vastly, vastly, vastly different opinions on this show. Massively different opinions on this show. Um, I think this show has the, maybe the greatest plot of any TV show ever made. I love the plot of this show, uh, the first like plot episode of this show where he gets up and he gives that grand speech. It's so good. It is one of my favorite pieces of writing and acting I have ever seen, and I'm watching the show and I'm thinking, you know, this is, this might be good. They might be able to pull off actually doing a balance act and really hitting both sides hard. Like I, that is what the show is based on. That's what they kind of prime it as, and I'm like, that is really cool. They're gonna do it. For anybody watching. I am more conservative in my leanings. I just am, and it's hard to talk about this show without talking about politics, but there's a show called The West Wing. Have you seen it, Josh? Okay. The West Wing is phenomenal. It's very good. And I was like, okay, cool. We're gonna have a West Wing type of a show, but West Wing doesn't pretend. It is not biased in any way, shape or form. It does not pretend. It is absolutely a left-leaning show. I don't agree with a vast majority of what is brought up in West Wing, but I like the show and I don't feel like they pretend that it is a non-biased show. This one, you have a person who claims to be Republican who believes literally no Republican beliefs at all. I I, I gave up on this show after episode six. Um. He doesn't believe any Republican ideas. The idea that he is Republican is bullshit. It's not true. Um, and so you have a person that staged is supposed to be this middle voice. They even have a, I think I wrote it down. Um. The studio is a courtroom and we only call expert Wi Witnesses. Will, who's the main character, is the judge and rules only, and brings out the facts like he's supposed to be this middle of the line guy. That is the way the show is, is staged. Great first episode. Love it. Second episode. Awesome. Really, really great. At the second episode, and I'm like, okay, they're, they're gonna do it. You have a Hollywood that is absolutely, definitely left leaning, but they're gonna do the research and actually bring up points from both sides because you know what? I think you should have your viewpoints challenged. Part of the reason I like West Wing is because it challenges some of my viewpoints because it's very well written. Um, the left and the right, both believe in stupid stuff. Without a doubt. You have the second episode and he comes up with three rules. This information we need is this information that we need in the bo uh, voting booth? Is this the best possible way to just present the argument? Is this story in a historical context? You have these three rules. I'm like, those are great rules, and I'm watching the acting and I'm like, that is some great acting, especially Emily Mortimer, who's the, the, uh, producer person. She's phenomenal. She's really, really good. The show goes on. You have some characters that are a little bit more Republican leaning. You have some that are middle, a little bit more left-leaning, and I'm getting more and more pumped, and I'm like, yes, it's a show that gets there. And then after episode two, it falls off a freaking cliff and there is. Every single right wing person in this show is told to shut up and may it look like a moron. They present no right wing arguments at all. The left wing agenda gets pushed in this show over and over and over again. And I'm sorry the left is not right on everything. The right is not right on everything. That's not an unbiased show. So what you sold me on with your first two episodes you felt to deliver abysmally like. So, so bad. Um, it gets worse and worse and worse. Every, like, they talk about Judge Alia and how he's so bad. They talk about guns and how they're so bad. He talks like, I, I believe I'm not, I am not complete Republican because I believe that tornadoes are caused by barometric pressure and not, uh, as vengeance against God for gaze. Like it literally says that in the show. Shut up. You stupid. Show shut up. Um, and it has things like that over and over and over again that are so patronizing and so stupid. And then I finally get to episode six and Will, who is supposed to be a Republican. And the only time that it shows any kind of measure of good for a Republican is when you have an old congressman who's about to retire. And, um. He's like working with the Democrats to get a bill through. He is good because he is working with the Democrats. That is literally the only time they show any kind of grace at all. Otherwise, they just make everyone look like morons. But in episode six, they have him getting death threats and he gets a bodyguard. And he is lecturing the bodyguard about having a gun inside of the studio to protect him. He is a professional bodyguard who has been trained for years, and you're gonna sit there and lecture you pompous prick. I hate this show. I do not like this show. I hate this show. It, it like built me up. So I, I'm turning red. This show pissed me off. Um. It built me up so much with the first two episodes with me being like really excited and genuinely surprised, and then I ge I actually felt betrayed by this show. This show can screw off and go to hell. Like I don't like it at all, and I won't watch it anymore.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Okay. Uh, that is a completely unique opinion. Even people that don't like this show and are right winged have not expressed that perspective. I've gotta be honest, I think you're taking it way personally. I think something in the show kind of struck you poorly, whatever it was. I. Disagree with your criticisms completely. Um, I don't think they've been patronizing at all. I think the perspective of he's a right wing guy who is challenging right wing guys because in the news world, left, won't challenge left, right, won't challenge, right? They're both wrong. Nobody's being called out for their stuff. But if I'm left wing and I challenge right wing, nobody's gonna listen to me. But if I'm right wing and I challenge right wing, people will listen and I will get the important information across. Um, I think that the criticisms of the show that I have come across are pretty valid in that they talk about it being, uh. Idealistic and unpractical and that they're talking down to you not actually portraying realistically what these news organizations would be like. And I think that that's absolutely true, right? Like the, the, the real events that, that happened in the show, right? They report on Bin Laden and they report on, um, the oil spill.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:or whatever it's
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:Yeah,
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:deep.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:deeper, uh, yeah. And so like, yeah, having the ability to look back on those moments critically, of course you're gonna have the right answers. The news organizations today didn't have, wouldn't have had those answers because hindsight is always 2020, right? So I think that that's a valid criticism. Uh, but I still think that the show's really good in that. I still believe it's idealistic in a good way and that, you know, if, if news organizations would watch this show and actually say, Hey, let's start, like every news organization I organization is clearly biased.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:they came out and said, Hey, we're gonna start calling you out for lies, and we're gonna start being forthcoming with our perspective and let you come to the truth. I think that's absolutely a good thing. It's never gonna happen, but like I think that news organizations have conversations where people say things like, people don't elect people. We do based on the news, we tell as stupid as that liner is and what it is. That's what I believe news organizations are like on both sides. Both sides are stupid to me. I'm not right leaning or left leaning. I'm not gonna get too into that, but like I don't think it ruins the show. And I think overall that perspective of trying to be the different cable news network is a good thing. And I found a lot of the side plots very enjoyable.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:But it's. That's my problem with it is it does it. I like the idea, the idea is so compelling and that's why I was so excited about it. But it becomes, not that it becomes A-C-N-N-I, it's, it's no different If it would've said something about the left that was negative one time. I would not be angry at it, would I love it? No, because you sell this thing that you're gonna be bipartisan and you're going to really approach the facts either way. But the problem is the facts only align to one side of the aisle in this show. There is no other aisle in this show. There is the one, and you have this guy who's supposed to be a Republican and he is not. Show me how he's Republican. He's not. Even old school
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:he explains it perfectly in his speech.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:He talks about it in the speech and then never brings it up again. Like he never brings up anything. Like I, I love the speech. The speech is great. It's so good. It's, it's so good that it
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:his first speech.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:me more mad.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:I don't know when it happens in the show, but he talks about, like, he's asked the question, are you a Republican? And he answers, well, that's a trick question because yes, I believe in some of the Republican beliefs that we need economic things. And we need economic answers in government, but I don't believe that we need to hate gay people. Right. That whole speech explains it. And like you say, they never say anything negative about Democrats. Left-wing Democrats, but he literally rants multiple times throughout all three seasons of the show about how they're losers and how they stu push stupid agendas and how they put their wheels behind the wrong wagon and they fail at leadership like they have all these criticisms of left-wing all throughout the show.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:And he's like, we don't, they people don't like you because you lose It's, it wasn't anything about their policies, nothing about their policies. It was that you lose, that you don't win. Like is that really a criticism? No, that's propaganda bullshit. There is more negative than just that. Even if you're. If you are more left-leaning, I've got, I've got a really good friend who's left-leaning. Um, we talk about this kind of stuff all the time. We disagree on a lot of things, but he can, he can say, you know what, I don't really agree with this about my party, but I also am more for this. And I try to do the exact same thing. I am more probably libertarian in my leanings, but there each side does some crappy things. And this show does not portray that I. It just doesn't.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:It's not trying to.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:It's trying to be an objective news platform that attacks all sides, like that is the
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:it's trying to be a news platform that attacks its own side. Like I already
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:be a news platform that brings out the facts, but the facts only lean one way.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:he, he straight up says it in the show. Like, if, if I were to attack. Somebody who's left leaning, I'm not gonna go listen to somebody on the left side's, not gonna attack somebody on the right side. They're not gonna get listened to. The only way the truth is gonna come out is when the, their own parties attack their own agenda. So it's a Republican attacking the Tea Party Republicans specifically calling them the American Taliban and X, Y, Z, whatever. So yeah, it's anti-Republican by Republican, idealistic in an idealistic way. Right. Like, go ahead. Don't like the show. That's totally fine. And like I agree it has problems, but like news organizations should start doing that.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:I if that was what it's doing. But it's not.'cause he is not a Republican. He is not
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:is,
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:bull. No he's
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:yeah.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:He is not a Republican. Nope. And I, he, people should fight, should attack their own sides. I agree with that sentiment. It is not done well in this show. It's not. And then everyone that's good in the show happens to have leftwing agendas like the, the, the, the girl that you're following, who you really care for.'cause she has panic attacks. She's always bringing up leftwing stuff that you're supposed to agree with. This show is absolutely so formulated. It's not even funny. Like it's, and I don't want people watching to just think it's because they're attacking my side like that. That's the point that I'm trying to get across is I. I love the West Wing. The West Wing is openly left. It just is. This show just lies to you and that's all it does.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:And I'm saying I think it struck a chord with you and you're taking it more personally and you're not being objective with it.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:It's possible, man. I don't think so. I think it's subjectively lying to you.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:I think there's something about it that hit you the wrong way. And maybe it's because I don't associate with a certain side of the aisle'cause they're both stupid and them calling out the right side for being stupid isn't a problem for me. But
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:not a problem for me either. That's not the problem with the show.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:that's literally what you're saying. You're saying you're upset that they call out the right side and not the left side. But I wanna move
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:problem is that they don't call out the left at all, and it is unbiased and lies on the premise of the show that it's trying to create.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:And I already disagreed because my view of the show is it's the right side attacking the right side. It's not the right side. Being objective in the middle, trying to say, we're gonna present both sides of the argument. That's not what they're doing.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:It never does it, like it's not even presenting it just on the stage. Like when you talk to, um, when, when the coworkers are talking to each other and they're having political talks, there's like more extreme left. But there's no right side of the aisle arguments. There's not a discussion. There's not a debate. This isn't a show where you debate ideas. This is a show where you have 10 to tornadoes. Cause gay people, and
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:That Letterly is never shown in the show.
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:they literally bring that up. Um, it's literally in the, like that phrasing is in the show. Um, and. It's not fair to ask for people's identification when they go to voting tobo because it's not nice to the, to the illegals that we shouldn't even call illegals. And there's like nobody that argues against that in the show.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:He
konlin-gappmayer_2_04-09-2025_171357:I'm not, I'm not ask, I'm not asking for like.
josh-dietrich_2_04-09-2025_131400:I am gonna cut you off. I'm gonna stop this episode. We're getting way more political than I want to. We have a difference opinion. That's totally fine. I'm fine with you not liking the show. I just, I'm saying I disagree with you. Like I don't see it as them trying to be in the middle presenting both arguments. That's not what they're trying to portray. Because that's not what it is. It is idealistic. It does talk down to you sometimes. Yes. The characters in the show are far left landing more often than not, and it's plainly obvious, but that clearly struck a negative chord with you. That's totally fine. Whatever that is. I don't like That's, that's totally fine. I don't have a problem with you disliking the show. Dislike the show. It has its problem, so that's totally fine.
