Overview of Last Looks: The Big Hit
In this Last Looks installment, Paul Scheer revisits The Big Hit with listener-submitted corrections and omissions, then sits down with Jason Mantzoukas for a spoiler-light catch-up on current TV obsessions, British panel/game shows, and what they’re both watching lately. The episode is equal parts fact-check, movie nerdery, and enthusiastic recommendations, ending with the reveal of next week’s film: Drop Zone.
Corrections and Omissions on The Big Hit
Clarifying a key plot point
- Paul admits June was technically corrected on the Keiko college debate: the movie does include a line from her father saying, “I need to pick up my daughter at college.”
- Even so, he agrees the line feels like a likely ADR fix and still comes off weird.
Character and casting oddities
- A listener points out the bizarre coincidence of naming Lou Diamond Phillips’ character Sisko, which echoes Avery Brooks’ Star Trek: Deep Space Nine character.
- Paul agrees it’s an odd choice, though Brooks’ performance is so distinct in the film that he can mentally separate it.
The chicken fire scene
- Several listeners question the movie’s infamous burning chicken moment.
- The consensus: it makes no sense. A whole chicken would not realistically burst into flames that quickly on a stovetop.
Deleted drag subplot for Antonio Sabato Jr.
- A former video store clerk reports that deleted scenes reveal a full subplot where Antonio Sabato Jr.’s character Vince moonlights as a drag performer.
- The episode jokes that this is exactly the kind of absurd, inexplicable swing that makes the movie both awful and fascinating.
Bokeem Woodbine’s grip-strengthening gadget
- A listener asks about the oversized finger/palm grip strengthener used by Bokeem Woodbine’s character, Crunch.
- Paul and the crew are amused by how huge and oddly specific it is, and how much the character seems to cherish it.
The locker room question
- One of the best listener notes asks why a group of freelance hitmen would have a fully functional locker room and shower setup like a sports team.
- Paul partially defends it as a “benefit” from working for Avery Brooks’ character, but mostly agrees it’s a strange worldbuilding choice.
People-pleaser behavior in the movie
- A listener compares Mark Wahlberg’s cheating, people-pleasing character to an old Murder, She Wrote episode where a deputy slept with a different woman every day of the week for the same reason.
- Paul loves the comparison and awards this submission the week’s winner.
Prize for the winning correction
- The winning submitter gets a bottle of premium hand lotion “purchased by Crunch,” with the joke that the movie’s Trace Buster technology could locate them easily.
Jason Mantzoukas Check-In: What They’re Watching
Widow’s Bay
- Paul is ecstatic about Katie Dippold’s new horror-comedy series Widow’s Bay.
- He praises:
- the long-form improv feel of the dialogue,
- the way background quirks and reactions feel like stage tags,
- and the show’s ability to be both funny and genuinely scary.
- Jason hasn’t watched it yet, but Paul strongly recommends putting it at the top of the list.
Katie Dippold appreciation
- Paul and Jason revisit the iconic internet image of Katie Dippold dressed as the Babadook at a Halloween party.
- They use it as shorthand for her being a perfect fit for horror-comedy.
Taskmaster and Last One Laughing
- Jason highlights:
- Taskmaster Season 21, featuring Kumail Nanjiani and a strong cast,
- and Last One Laughing UK Season 2, which he calls especially hilarious.
- He praises the chemistry of David Mitchell and Sam Campbell and says the show makes him want to host the American version.
The Traitors
- Jason and Paul discuss the move toward celebrity editions of The Traitors.
- They note the appeal of a more “normie” version too, where contestants don’t come in with preexisting reality-TV baggage.
- Jason mentions that Claudia Winkleman is a standout host and that future casting may become even more high-profile.
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins
- Paul says this show is one of the funniest and joke-densest things on TV.
- He singles out a deli joke about “slices of animals” as one of the hardest laughs he’s had in a while.
- Jason agrees the show has that same kind of loose, lived-in comedy rhythm that feels almost improvised.
The Comeback
- Paul praises the new season of The Comeback, saying it’s another example of a show that can vanish and return years later.
- He says Lisa Kudrow remains unreal in the role and teases that the season feels like a farewell to Valerie Cherish.
Dark Winds and Darth Maul
- Jason calls Dark Winds one of the most underrated shows on TV.
- They also rave about the animated Darth Maul material in Star Wars, especially how the character has become far more compelling in animation than he was in the prequels.
Other recommendations
- Paul thanks a listener who sent him Film Club starring Amy Lou Wood, calling it heartfelt, funny, and emotionally resonant.
- He also asks listeners for help finding The Gold Season 2 and mentions a mystery title called Soviet Dinosaur.
Next Week’s Movie: Drop Zone
- Paul announces the next film: Drop Zone (1994).
- Starring:
- Wesley Snipes
- Gary Busey
- Yancy Butler
- Premise:
- A tough cop teams up with a professional skydiver to catch a renegade hacker.
- Paul notes it’s available to stream for free on Hoopla or rent elsewhere.
- The episode closes with a trailer and the usual HDTGM sign-off.