Men at the Movies Podcast

"Is the ship out of danger?" Spock's first question to Kirk after sacrificing himself wasn't about his own survival—it was about whether his life counted for something. Part 1 forced Kirk to accept death is coming. Part 2 asks the harder question: What will you lose your life for?

Khan's superior genetics bought him nothing but wasted rage. Spock's sacrifice bought new life for everyone he loved. How we face death is as important as how we face life. You're going to lose your life anyway—will it be worth it?

This episode is dedicated to Jeremy Ross (1974-2025), who faced his Kobayashi Maru with the same strength and grace Spock faced that reactor core.

KEY THEMES:

• Sacrificial love as the answer to the no-win scenario
• Forgiveness vs. bitterness—releasing wounds before they destroy you
• Faith through pain—choosing God even when crushed
• Making your life count—what will you lose your life for?

When power slips away, what happens next reveals who we truly are. In Netflix’s Adolescence, both Jamie and Eddie face the collapse of control—one through domination, the other through despair. Jamie’s need to feel powerful drives him deeper into destruction, while Eddie breaks under the guilt of realizing he couldn’t rescue his son.

In this episode of Men at the Movies, we talk about what it means to live in that moment of powerlessness—when you can’t fix it, when the weight is too heavy, and when all that’s left is surrender. God doesn’t waste that weight; it’s where grace does its best work.

“I don’t know what I’m doing here.” Eddie whispers as his 13-year-old son sits in a police cell accused of murder. It’s a confession every father feels but rarely admits — standing in the chaos, with no way out and no guarantee you won’t make it better.

In this episode of Men at the Movies, Paul McDonald and Simon (host of the Restoring Authentic Men podcast) unpack Part 1 of Netflix’s Adolescence. We wrestle with the illusion of control, the silence between fathers and sons, the fragility of boyhood, and the courage it takes to stay present when everything is falling apart.

Chris Farley’s Tommy Boy isn’t just comedy gold—it’s a story every man can relate to. Underneath the chaos is a powerful message: how do you move from being the beloved son to stepping into your role as a king? In this episode of Men at the Movies, we explore how Tommy’s failures, friendships, and moments of courage point us to the truth about identity, responsibility, and what it takes to lead.