What The Frock

If you have ever wondered what it sounds like when a nervous Rabbi and a sleep-deprived Friar wrestle with time zones, broken technology, and the logic of cable news while drinking too much coffee, this new episode of What The Frock answers that question. It is pure, caffeinated chaos in all the best ways.

Rabbi Dave begins distracted and surrounded by trouble. His insulin pump is on the fritz, his son is trying to make dinner that might end in flames, and his phone is buzzing like a wasp’s nest. Friar Rod is barely conscious after a Vegas conference on cybersecurity for the electric grid. Together they stumble into conversation like two weary prophets of modern absurdity, finding humor in their exhaustion and frustration.

The first topic is time itself. Dave launches a full theological argument against the “mythical” Eastern Time Zone, which he insists is a power play by New Yorkers to pretend the sun rises for them first. It is a perfect start to a show that moves from cosmic nonsense to personal confession. We learn that Dave’s upcoming shoulder surgery has him practicing daily tasks left-handed. Even making coffee becomes a tragicomedy. Rod offers sympathy and, with trademark timing, a sarcastic “thoughts and prayers.”

What follows is a familiar rhythm. The pair slip into history, culture, and commentary with no map but plenty of laughter. There is a lively argument over Columbus Day, a jab at modern political correctness, and an observation that every generation rewrites its myths to feel better about itself. Then the conversation drifts into current events. CNN’s take on mortgage fraud gets the treatment only Rabbi Dave can give. By the end of it, he has turned a 30-second clip into a philosophical trial about truth, hypocrisy, and the American tendency to normalize nonsense.

The show keeps moving, jumping from the serious to the silly without warning. Dave’s love of baseball becomes a sermon on the difference between Hollywood endings and the real ones that leave scars. He revisits The Natural, praises Bernard Malamud’s darker truth, and ties it to a Phillies game that ended on an error so painful that even Dodger fans felt sorry. In true What The Frock fashion, it is funny, a little bitter, and completely honest.

Then comes reflection. Five years have passed since Rabbi Dave and Friar Rod were ordained and since What The Frock replaced their old show, DNR. They remember how it started as a joke, grew into a habit, and became a small community of loyal listeners. They even name the four who keep the show afloat by donating enough to pay for the website. The gratitude is real, the jokes still sharp.

As the episode winds down, the mood softens. Both men are older now, facing surgeries, retirements, and the ticking clock. Yet their friendship carries the same spark it had five years ago. They talk about family, faith, and the quiet pride of showing up every Sunday to talk about life. The laughs come easier, even through the worry.

If this is the last episode for a while, it is a fitting one. It is funny, flawed, and full of heart. It feels like two old friends talking through the noise of the world, still curious, still irreverent, still grateful. What The Frock may pause for a time, but the spirit of the show lives on wherever sarcasm, coffee, and honesty meet.

New episode streaming now at WhatTheFrock.org.