The 2025 Criterion Episode

Pop-ups (33 · 4 fan picks from YouTube comments)

1. Second Criterion Collection episode with new judges

   0:14

   This is the second Criterion Collection episode, following one with Mike Schur and Jake Tapper. Seth introduces Questlove and Lin-Manuel Miranda as the new judges.

   This is our second Criterion Collection episode.
   Criterion

2. Questlove's hidden geekiness

   0:57

   Questlove admits he has learned to hide how much of a fan he is, lest people run away. He also reveals this is the podcast he listens to most, per his algorithms.

   I'm such a geek for the guys that I've learned early if I show too much geek, then people will run away.
   Quaid Army

3. Quaid Army and righteous kill greeting

   1:24

   Questlove shouts 'Quaid Army' and gets the 'righteous kill' reply, the standard exchange among listeners.

   Quaid Army over here. Righteous kill.

   Goes back to righteous kill, Ep. 52, 38:17: Oh, Righteous Kill. Have we ever talked about Righteous Kill as a saying?

   Quaid Armyrighteous kill

4. Lin-Manuel's Quaid Army devotion

   2:41

   Questlove admits he told a white lie about a dentist appointment to make time for the podcast, showing his commitment to Quaid Army.

   i should be locking film today i i kind of told a white lie
   Quaid Army

5. Quaid Army is not what they assumed

   3:04

   A jokey aside disputing whether certain people count as Quaid Army, a bit of insider ribbing.

   John Kamen is not Quaid Army.
   Quaid Army

6. LaserCats as one Criterion entry

   5:57

   Lin-Manuel argues LaserCats should count as a single Criterion entry rather than separate installments, comparing it to a symphony divided into movements.

   I'll just say what the internet is already saying, which is laser cats should be one Criterion collection
   Criterion

7. Space Olympics as Kim's Video

   9:12

   Space Olympics is placed in Kim's Video: funny but not part of global culture. The category is named for the Kim's Video store.

   Space Olympics. I've got that in Kim's video.
   Kim's Video

8. Ross Trent becomes Criterion

   13:00

   Ross Trent is voted Criterion after the panel praises its references, including the Joanna Newsom backup vocal nugget.

   Oh my God. Okay. So here's one. I went in thinking this is Criterion.
   Criterion

9. Paul Rudd's painting in the basement

   18:35

   The panel talks about Paul Rudd's painting from the sketch, which he keeps in his basement closet. The painting was shown at a karaoke party.

   Rudd keeps it in a closet in his house.

10. Questlove on Toots and the Maytals

    19:07

    Seth asks whether Toots and the Maytals would enjoy Ross Trent, and the panel moves into Questlove's college-tour stories.

    Do you think Toots and the Maytals would enjoy Ross Trent?

11. Roots fill in for Wu-Tang at colleges

    19:43

    Questlove says the Roots often played colleges as a fill-in when Wu-Tang canceled last minute, and waited at home for the call.

    the reason is because Wu-Tang would cancel at the last minute, and we'd be at home waiting.

12. Chiz in My Pants grocery rap

    24:03

    A rhyme from a grocery-store rap in the shorts, cited by Lin-Manuel as one of his favorite Lonely Island rhymes.

    I have a collection of like my favorite Lonely Island rhymes and grocery mostly is near the top of that.

13. Doogie Howser theme as moving Criterion

    28:48

    Lin-Manuel calls the Doogie Howser theme one of the only truly moving Lonely Island sketches, with the whole cast playing and Neil Patrick Harris on piano.

    It's one of the only truly moving Lonely Island sketches because the whole cast gets to play.
    Criterion

14. Couple of Homies bumped to Kim's Video

    30:06

    The panel moves Couple of Homies to Kim's Video because it turns into a Will Forte showcase.

    I bumped this to Kim because it belongs in that category of it starts with that one thing and ends with being about Will Forte being amazing.

    Goes back to Kim's Video, Ep. 39, 23:35: Kim's videos. Ooh, like cool underground. Yeah. Like all Tim's videos was a video store in New York that like the cine files would go to.

    Kim's Video

15. I'm On a Boat as anthem

    31:30

    I'm On a Boat is nearly unanimous Criterion. The panel says it is the anthem you sing when you get on a boat, and it displaced Duran Duran's Rio in Lin's mind.

    everybody else said I'm on a boat is Criterion.
    Criterion

16. No full ranking planned

    32:17

    Seth says the group will sort the shorts into categories rather than do a full ranking.

    I think we're going to group them into criteria. I don't think we're ever going to do a full rank
    Criterion

17. I'm On a Boat at Andy's bachelor party

    33:11

    Seth recounts the DJ playing I'm On a Boat at Andy's Vegas bachelor party, and the DJ mistakenly called Andy 'Adam Sandberg.'

    we were at a club in Vegas for Andy's bachelor party and the DJ played it

18. Andy's New York Times Queen Bee streak

    33:47

    The panel jokes that Andy Samberg's frequent New York Times Spelling Bee Queen Bees are suspicious, and Questlove says Andy texts him the moment he gets one.

    I think it's absolutely diabolical when someone gets that many queen bees in a row.
    quibiQueen Bee

19. Mother Lover follows Dick in a Box

    37:49

    After Dick in a Box, the Lonely Island had to follow a hit with another hit. Seth praises that they ran the formula back and created a second platinum classic.

    the first time I feel like they had to follow a hit with another hit after Dick in a Box

20. Mother Lover's subliminal ad-libs

    38:18

    Questlove notes Mother Lover has the best subliminal ad-libs, rewarding repeated listening.

    I was gonna say, Mother Lover has probably the best subliminal ad libs.

21. Fans point here

    41:54

    1 YouTube comment timestamps this moment, 3 likes.

    For me personally, I would say, you know, it's in my top 10 rewatches because it's like all the weird turns that Forte makes. I would resoundingly choose to put it in Kim's video. Yeah. And you know what? The ending's… — Seth

22. Threw It On The Ground as an intro gateway

    44:37

    Questlove says he plays this short first to get people addicted to The Lonely Island, and Seth agrees it's the first thing he'd play someone.

    Like, if I want to get somebody addicted to The Lonely Island, that's what I play them.

23. Kids' broken toys from Threw It On The Ground

    45:42

    Lin-Manuel reports his kids know the podcast's Threw It On The Ground episode, and the song is a favorite among kids.

    we have more broken toys because of Threw It On The Ground.

24. Questlove's snare drum in the short

    48:29

    Questlove discovers two of his snare and clap sounds are used in Threw It On The Ground, taken from his work on D'Angelo's Voodoo album, Chicken Grease.

    two of my snare drums and claps are the drums for this song.

25. Two Worlds Collide: Seth's all-time favorite

    51:27

    Seth calls Two Worlds Collide his favorite of all time and declares it Criterion.

    this is my favorite of all time, which is Two Worlds Collide.

26. Lonely Island's writing fiefdom at SNL

    54:01

    Seth explains that the Lonely Island had their own fiefdom at SNL, so their shorts were often not finished until late in the week.

    They had their own little fiefdom inside of SNL. They really were.

27. Chironi and the audience laughter

    55:23

    Questlove notes Chironi must be watched with the audience laughing, which makes it hard to rank on Criterion without the laughter.

    when this is presented on Criterion, it has to have the audience laughter with it.

28. Saxman and The Roots' inside joke

    56:55

    Questlove reveals the Saxman character became an inside joke within The Roots, where the band yells 'Saxman' when a soloist is caught off guard.

    Saxman is probably the roots inside joke.

29. Shy Ronnie as the most beautiful person on camera

    58:02

    Seth says Shy Ronnie may be the most beautiful person ever on camera, a point he has made before.

    I truly think it might be the most beautiful person who's ever looked on camera.

30. Saxman inspiration from Lost Boys

    1:00:55

    Seth says the Saxman idea may have been inspired by a shirtless sax solo scene in the film Lost Boys that Jorma observed years ago.

    There's a band, there's a music scene in Lost Boys where there's a band playing

31. Fans point here

    1:01:07

    2 YouTube comments timestamp this moment, 2 likes.

    And they stay, they just kind of linger on it too long. And I guess this was something that Jorma had observed years ago and was the inspiration for this. Oh, okay. Because do you guys remember the Careless Whisper guy… — Seth

32. Fans point here

    1:05:22

    1 YouTube comment timestamps this moment, 11 likes.

    I mean, I put it in Kim's just because the Andonio Samderas voice, which is a term I'm coining that no one's going to ever use. I like it. Andonio Samderas. Oh, my God. It's really good. Andonio Samderas.

33. Fans point here

    1:06:42

    1 YouTube comment timestamps this moment, 19 likes.

    We have our expert panel. which is you guys, and then we have the actual Lonely Island. So if two out of three, but I bet Lonely Island is also not gonna push for Doogie to make it in. Gen Z, younger listeners, can I…

34. Daiquiri Girl and the hits-and-misses anthology

    1:08:13

    Questlove proposes a complete anthology of Lonely Island shorts, including misses like Daiquiri Girl, and defends its place in the canon.

    I believe that eventually one day I want a complete anthology of the Lonely Island.
    Criterion

35. Commissioned as Quaid Army officers

    1:11:34

    Seth tells the guests they are now commissioned officers in the Quaid Army, the podcast's listener collective.

    So you are now commissioned officers in Quaid Army.
    Quaid Army

36. Hit us in the titties

    1:11:42

    Seth tells listeners to 'hit us in the titties' with questions or comments, the podcast's signature call for feedback.

    Hit us in the titties if you have questions, comments, concerns.
    hit us in the tittus

37. Later, Arnold, Later Quaids

    1:12:00

    Lynn says goodbye with 'Later, Arnold,' a nod to Arnold Schwarzenegger's Total Recall, then Seth signs off with 'Later, Quaids.'

    Later, Arnold. Later, Quaids.
    later, Quaids