Overview of The Watch (The Ringer) — Episode with Chris Ryan & Andy Greenwald
This episode of The Watch (hosts Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald) opens with a brief, earnest acknowledgement of recent violent events in Minneapolis and political unease in 2026, then shifts into TV coverage and recommendations. The bulk of the conversation covers three shows: the new NBC comedy The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, Episode 2 of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (the Game of Thrones spinoff), and Industry Season 4 Episode 3. The hosts offer recaps, scene-level reactions, casting praise, and larger thoughts about tone, storytelling choices, and cultural appetite for different kinds of prestige TV.
Key takeaways
- The hosts strongly recommend The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins — a fast, joke-dense comedy from 30 Rock veterans that felt like a tonic.
- A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Episode 2 earns praise for being accessible to newcomers, lighter in dread than past Thrones content, and for solid ensemble casting.
- Industry S4E3 is described as a “soft reboot” with risky storytelling choices; the hosts are intrigued but split about whether Episode 3 is the show’s strongest work so far.
- Side conversations: the usefulness of subtitles (for dense fantasy dialogue), how shows can be both escapism and relevant during fraught times, and some comic-book reading notes (Jonathan Hickman’s House of X / Powers of X, and DC’s Absolute line).
The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins — overview & verdict
- Creators/roots: Co-created by Robert Carlock (30 Rock, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) and Sam Means; very much in the 30 Rock joke-construction lineage.
- Premise: Tracy Morgan stars as Reggie Dinkins, a disgraced ex-New York Jet trying to rehabilitate his public image via a puff-piece documentary directed by Daniel Radcliffe’s character, Arthur Tobin.
- Notable cast: Tracy Morgan, Daniel Radcliffe (funny and seemingly delighted to be there), Erika Alexander (Reggie’s ex-wife/agent), Bobby Moynihan (as Dusty).
- Tone & style: Rapid-fire, multilayered jokes, 21-minute broadcast rhythm, meta/parked-in-90s nostalgic recreations (e.g., old McDonald’s ads), high joke density — the hosts call it “happy pills” and praise its comic precision.
- Availability: NBC premiered a sneak preview after a playoff game; it returns as a midseason replacement starting March 2 (Mondays at 8:30 PM).
- Recommendation: Strongly recommended — watch it (hosts found it genuinely restorative and funny).
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms — Episode 2 (notes & impressions)
- Format/tone: 33-minute episode, brisk and surprisingly accessible; less of the doom-and-dread signature of earlier Thrones shows, more of a character-driven adventure.
- Plot beats: Focus on Duncan (a low-born knight figure) trying to make his name via tourney/jousting, encounters with various players, and the arrival of notable nobles.
- Casting/characters called out: Finn Bennett (as a Targaryen-like character, described as a high-cheekboned antagonist), Sam Spruell (Makar), Bertie Carvel (Baelor), Daniel Ings (Lionel Baratheon) — hosts praise the ensemble and performances.
- Strengths: Accessible to newcomers, good tonal balance (menace, tenderness, humor), effective staging (tug-of-war/jousting scenes) and character beats that don’t require deep franchise knowledge.
- Small production notes: Subtitles helped clarify dense Westerosi nomenclature; no dragons are present (acknowledged in-episode).
- Verdict: A welcome, character-forward chapter in the franchise — enjoyable, efficient storytelling that feels like Game of Thrones with more breathing room.
Industry — Season 4, Episode 3 (analysis & reactions)
- High-level: Season 4 is functioning as a soft reboot: Harper and Eric are back together, a new company (with ties to political/financial power) is central, and Henry (Kit Harington) is now in a CEO role with Yasmin at his side.
- Tone/approach: The show double-downs on its risky, showy instincts — fast-moving, extra, and often unconcerned with exhaustive exposition. The hosts admire that boldness even when it creates jagged moments.
- Plot/characters discussed:
- Tender/Siren subplot: Tender’s corruption is presented plainly so far; one puzzle for the season is whether the show will complicate that reading.
- Rishi subplot: After last season’s traumatic climax (bookie violence and its aftermath), the show smartly investigates consequences by staging scenes (e.g., Rishi with Sweepy) rather than lengthy backfill.
- Harper & Eric: Central relationship of the show; hosts want more connective tissue and emotional ballast to make big gestures (e.g., Eric's large financial sacrifices) feel fully earned.
- Yasmin: A “heel turn” and power play this episode felt true to character to one host and sudden/for-shock-value to the other.
- Criticisms: One host called this possibly the weakest episode in several seasons — some character moments felt declarative rather than earned; Rob’s absence was felt as a missing emotional center.
- Praises: Thrilling staging (the Austrian/business-coup scenes), sharply observed details (visual gags, staging of the daughter visit), and the show’s willingness to not sentimentalize its characters.
- Overall view: Still a show to trust — ambitious, sometimes messy on purpose, and intent on carving its own, risky path. Listeners are encouraged to stick with it to see how the season rethreads the plotlines.
Notable quotes & lines
- “Books are brain movies.” — Andy Greenwald (offhand compliment about reading/fiction).
- “You can do both” — on watching entertainment while also being aware/engaged with real-world trauma and news.
- “None of that matters unless you have the winning story.” — paraphrase of Eric’s argument in Industry about narrative/PR power over facts.
- “My trauma was traumatizing.” — line from Industry that the hosts flagged as effective and true to character.
Recommendations / action items
- Watch The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins — the hosts say: start with the preview and catch the series when it resumes March 2 (Mondays, 8:30 PM on NBC).
- For A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms viewers: consider turning on subtitles if you find Westerosi names/jargon slippery; it helps catch the worldbuilding.
- Stick with Industry this season even if Episode 3 felt uneven — it’s a deliberate rebuild and the show thrives on risk and character friction.
- If you’re interested in comics: Andy recommended Jonathan Hickman’s House of X / Powers of X (dense, timeline-heavy) and noted DC’s Absolute line as a recent publishing success worth exploring.
Final notes
- The hosts begin with a sober recognition of current events and stress the idea that entertainment can coexist with political and social awareness.
- The episode mixes quick reactions and deep affection for craft — from precision comedy writing (Carlock/30 Rock lineage) to character-first fantasy storytelling and ambitious serialized drama.