Sorkin’ In It
Hosted by Lex Friedman and Brian Warren
First, they watched all of Aaron Sorkin’s movies. Then they watched all of The Newsroom. Then they powered through Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Now cohosts Brian and Lex continue their journey through the works of Sorkin by watching every episode of Sports Night.
4.36 Dana Get Your Gun (Sports Night S2E13)
Dan wants to see Tom Waits, which is hard to explain. (Wait a sec. Lex, did you write this? I happen to like Tom Waits. Anyway…) Dana inherits a gun, which is also strange (OK, we both agree here). William H. Macy’s Sam gets a big storyline and a dramatic moment, and the substitute anchor filling in for Dan is so terrible that it — you guessed it! — beggars belief. We’re Sorkin’ In It all, though, so let’s discuss.
Previous Episodes
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October 16, 20254.35 The Sweet Smell of Air (Sports Night S2E12)
Lex and Brian are back, and certainly missed you, dear listener. Sam’s back too, and Dana’s a bit “psyched out”. Meanwhile, the team lands an interview with Michael Jordan, but turns out there are strings attached; and Casey has to figure out how to talk to a bunch of 5th graders. What could go wrong? We’ll let you know as we do what we do: Sorkin’ In It.
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October 2, 20254.34 The Cut Man Cometh (Sports Night S2E11)
Dan and Casey cover a boxing match. Or at least, they try to. There are a couple challenges, including The Cut Man, a fast TKO, and Dan’s dad being a jerk. Luckily, neither Brian nor Lex is a jerk, nor do they insist you call them Cut Man. They just want you to join them for another edition of Sorkin’ In It.
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September 12, 20254.33 The Giants Win the Pennant, the Giants Win the Pennant (Sports Night S2E10)
Cracks are forming in Dana’s dating plan while Dan is recruiting a reluctant Isaac for a special feature on, you guessed it, the Giants winning the pennant back in 1951. Sure, Lex and Brian are wondering how Sorkin continues to pick the strangest titles for his shows, but you, dear listener, need not worry. Just keep Sorkin’ In It.
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August 29, 20254.32 A Girl Named Pixley (Sports Night S2E9)
You know how Brian and Lex hate Dana’s dating plan for Casey? Boy oh boy, does it come to a head this week, in A Girl Named Pixley. On a podcast named Sorkin’ In It, two hosts named Lex and Brian are an emotion called annoyed. Also, Jeremy might win an award. (Spoiler: He doesn’t. Just ask Natalie.)
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August 14, 20254.31 The Reunion (Sports Night S2E8)
Fresh off his drug scandal, Dana’s brother is coming to visit. Casey tells her to be nice. Dan is TOO nice when reviewing Natalie’s audition tape — until he veers unnecessarily hard the other way. Casey is failing his audition for “best friend ever” with Brian and Lex, but no matter. We’re still Sorkin’ in it together.
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July 31, 20254.30 Kyle Whitaker’s Got Two Sacks (Sports Night S2E7)
Dana’s excited about a fresh NFL steroids scandal… until she realizes her own brother is caught up in the mix. Also, Jeremy eventually fires an intern who absolutely should be fired, even if maybe Jeremy’s motivation for the firing isn’t perfect. You know what IS perfect, though? Our analysis. Join Brian and Lex. Let’s Sorkin’ In It together.
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July 10, 20254.29 Shane (Sports Night S2E6)
How far would you go for a friend? Or, maybe an acquaintance who helped you that one time? Casey asks himself this same question as he considers re-editing an interview to make the guest look not terrible. Meanwhile Dan can’t seem to say the name “Kafelnikov”, and we roll our eyes at a very throwaway subplot about Natalie disagreeing with the pope.
Lex and Brian get into it with their patent-pending banter and always-good vibes so you can keep smiling while you Sorkin’ In It.
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July 3, 20254.28 Kafelnikov (Sports Night S2E5)
Good news, friends, this podcast is Y2K compliant, and so are Brian and Lex, as they break down the quite possibly mis-titled episode of Sports Night, “Kafelnikov”. Jeremy’s pretty sure he’s got everything prepped for the new millennium, but does he? Meanwhile, Dan meets a woman in bar who says he really should call her, but maybe for reasons he doesn’t suspect. Don’t hit that panic button, just stay tuned for Sorkin’ In It.
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June 22, 20254.27 Louise Revisited (Sports Night S2E4)
With a title like “Louise Revisited”, Sorkin fans may think this is another “Jeremy narrates the episode” trope, but Lex and Brian are relieved to find out that’s not the case. Instead we have a silly subplot about a “Who’s cooler, Dan or Casey” online poll and way too much time spent dwelling on undergarments. This may sound like a bit of a mess, but not to worry, Lex and Brian are here to help you Sorkin’ in It (and they’re both wearing underwear).
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June 13, 20254.26 Cliff Gardner (Sports Night S2E3)
Rumors abound: Is the network bringing in a ratings consultant? Not exactly—Isaac is. Dana’s enforcing her terrible dating rule, Dan is reckoning with it, and the new guy at the show is… intimidating. Especially his mustache. There’s a lot to process. That’s why Brian and Lex are here.