The crew rings in the New Year the only way they know how: deep nerd debates, Houston energy, and conversations that spiral beautifully out of control. The episode kicks off with a surprisingly calm reset—better sleep, less screen time, and rediscovering the joy of reading—before diving headfirst into Neal Shusterman's Scythe, a dystopian series where death is government-assigned, "killing" is politely called gleaning, and morality is very much up for debate. From there, nostalgia hits hard as the guys unpack why books like Harry Potter still hit deeper than their movie counterparts, and why the upcoming HBO reboot might finally do the source material justice. Things turn up once Stranger Things enters the chat. The crew dissects the final season vibes, questionable emotional timing, Vecna's manipulation tactics, Callie's suspicious abilities, Will's arc, and bold predictions about who's not making it out alive. Expect hot takes, side-eye, and zero fear of spoilers. From there, the episode bounces effortlessly between Lego investing, Gundams, Bionicles, and childhood builds, before pivoting into current watches like Fallout, House of the Dragon / House of Ashur, Korean action series Cash Hero, and why anime-inspired live-action can work when done right. Gaming gets real with passionate breakdowns of Ark Raiders (high-risk extraction chaos), nostalgic love for Legend of Dragoon, Warzone strategy debates, and why losing your loot hurts more as an adult. Houston sports get their shine with Texans playoff positioning, Rockets defensive growth, and cautious optimism all around. The back half of the episode leans into classic 3rd Coast chaos: barbers charging $100 "for the experience," mall nostalgia, cookie power rankings (Crumbl slander included), canceled gigs, New Year reflections, and one of the wildest off-the-cuff discussions you'll ever hear about whether dogs have wrists or ankles. It's funny, it's thoughtful, it's very Houston—and it's the perfect way to close the year and step into the new. New episodes every Thursday — pull up, laugh with us, yell at us, argue with your screen… whatever works. 💬 NOW TAKING SUBMISSIONS/GUESTS! Got a wild story? A cursed meme? A burning question? DM us on Instagram @the3rdpod_ and you might make it into the next episode! 📲 FOLLOW US EVERYWHERE: Twitter: @the3rdpod Instagram: @the3rdpod_ TikTok: @3rd.coast.podcast Twitch: 🎮 Ray: cuznrayray 🎮 Ryan: kloudy4kast 🎮 Daniel: nonotesnelson
