Two best friends wrestle with the ghosts of their fathers. After the eerily parallel, tragic decline and deaths of their respective alpha dads, Maryll and Culley attempt to untangle a wide web of family dynamics – with the comfort and familiarity of a decades-long friendship as their only guide. They explore grief, growing up in broken homes, chasing their fathers (literally and metaphorically), separating dad myths from realities, elder decline, becoming a parent's parent, and multiple surprise siblings – and find themselves in the process.
Ep. 13: Golden Slumbers/ Carry That Weight/ The End
In this episode, Culley and Maryll let the dust settle to look back on their fathers’ final moments, examine the wake they left behind, and honor the unflappable bond that carried them through it all.
17 Aug 2026
Ep. 12: Man in the Mirror, Pt. 3
In this episode, Culley and Maryll try to wrap their brains around the age-old refrain: it was a different time. As old lives, unspoken truths, and unexpected additions converge to say goodbye, they reckon with what it means to be the final keepers of a father's legacy.
17 Aug 2026
Ep. 11: Man in the Mirror, Pt. 2
In this episode, Culley and Maryll prove that things have a way of finding you. Just as their fathers' health and minds began to slip away, they are hit with a wave of parallel revelation, startling discoveries from the past coming to light in rapid succession. With their fathers unable to clarify or answer for the sudden shifts in their timelines, the questions are left hanging in the air.
3 Jul 2026
Ep. 10: Man in the Mirror, Pt. 1
In this episode, Culley and Maryll reckon with their fathers’ curated personas as the iconoclasts lose their luster. Moving past the myth, they chart the parallel decline of their fathers' health and minds toward their eventual demises. It’s a candid look at what each adult child had to endure to shepherd them through their final lap of life while navigating their reality.
16 Apr 2026
Ep. 9: Two Stories Wide, Pt. 2
In this episode, Culley and Maryll continue their reckoning with their fathers’ beautifully curated bluster as the iconoclasts start to lose their luster. We examine the cost and complicated perks of witnessing both the peak and the fall of the idol, and the pressure of sustaining the "greatest hits" for a man who is the last to admit his own reality. It is a look at the loyalty required to hold up the pedestal even as the myth begins to crack.
16 Apr 2026
Ep. 8: Two Stories Wide, Pt. 1
In this episode, Culley and Maryll examine the foundational stories their fathers told—the ones that hardened into legend. We revisit the ‘greatest hits’ of their self-mythology, deconstructing the narratives that both created and fed the iconoclasts. In doing so, we recognize the essential role of the Greek chorus—be it a chorus of one or many—because a legend cannot exist in a vacuum, and every iconoclast requires an audience to sustain the myth.
12 Nov 2025
Ep. 7: Family Affair, Pt. 3
In this episode, Maryll & Culley take a quick but thoughtful look at what really makes someone family. Do you have to share DNA to belong—or is family defined by something deeper, like love, loyalty, and lived connection?
8 Nov 2025
Ep. 6: Family Affair, Pt. 2
Maryll & Culley unpack the layers of extended family—how relationships shift when you marry into a new one, and the surprises that come with it. They speculate on Spencer Gifts inventory and reflect on inherited family patterns: how easy it is to fall into them, and the awareness it takes to break free to build family on your own terms.
24 Sept 2025
Ep. 5: Family Affair, Pt. 1
Maryll & Culley reflect on what it meant to have their fathers return to their lives in grade school and beyond. They explore the responsibility of parents and stepparents—what was said, what wasn’t—and how those silences shaped them. The conversation also touches on Culley’s half-sister, the steady influence of their grandparents, and the complex emotions of welcoming fathers back into their worlds.
4 Aug 2025
Ep. 4: Mothership Connection, Pt. 2
In the second part of the "Mom" episode, Culley and Maryll continue their exploration of their mothers' lives, examining their ties to the men in their lives, including their ex-husbands through their children, their second marriages, and the lasting impact of divorce.
6 Jul 2025
Ep. 3: Mothership Connection, Pt. 1
In this episode, Culley and Maryll explore the lives of their mothers, examining the women who raised them. Despite coming from different backgrounds and either adhering to or rebelling against traditional roles for women in the 1960s, they discover commonalities in their mothers' experiences and the choices they had to make.
16 Mar 2025
Ep. 2: Hello Old Friend, Pt. 2
In this second episode, Maryll and Culley take a deeper dive into the lasting influence their fathers have had on their lives. As they continue their conversation, they unravel the complex emotions surrounding the men who shaped them, and the unresolved questions that linger in their minds. Through shared memories and candid reflections, this episode offers a raw and vulnerable look into how the absence of their fathers continues to shape their identities, relationships, and the path forward. With every story told and memory revisited, they lay the groundwork for a season that explores the power of legacy, the depth of grief, and the healing that comes from embracing the past.
This episode was edited by Juliua Fraser.
16 Mar 2025
Ep. 1: Hello Old Friend, Pt. 1
In this heartfelt episode, lock in with Maryll and Culley, two friends with nearly 30 years of history, as they begin to unpack the deep, emotional connection that has bound them together: their fathers. As they reflect on their pasts, they dive into the shared experiences and unresolved questions that their fathers left behind. This conversation sets the stage for a season filled with intimate discussions exploring grief, family dynamics, and the legacy of their fathers, as they continue to navigate the impact of their absence.
This episode was edited by Juliua Fraser.
4 Jul 2023
Trailer
Two best friends wrestle with the ghosts of their fathers. After the eerily parallel, tragic decline and deaths of their respective alpha dads, Maryll and Culley attempt to untangle a wide web of family dynamics – with the comfort and familiarity of a decades-long friendship as their only guide. They explore grief, growing up in broken homes, chasing their fathers (literally and metaphorically), separating dad myths from realities, elder decline, becoming a parent's parent, and multiple surprise siblings – and find themselves in the process.
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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
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