In PATTERNS, engineer-turned-executive Fred Staples is excited to start his new job at the big firm that acquired his factory. But before long, he realizes he’s being groomed to replace Bill Briggs, a friendly long-timer who’s lost favor with the cruel CEO, Walter Ramsey. Rather than fire Briggs, Ramsey sabotages and humiliates him in an effort to force his resignation — and make the reticent Staples his new right-hand man.
Here, we discuss the psychological dynamics of postwar workplace dramas, the headtrip stylings of Rod “The Twilight Zone” Serling’s script, the shifting balance of power in 20th century American labor, and what kind of person our protagonist becomes — and who he THINKS he’s become — by the time the credits roll. Then, our friends and former guests write in with their burning questions about the podcast!
References:
#TwoStarkRealitiesWrittenbyRodSerling #DCP
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Show art by Emily Csuy. Theme: "Raindrops" by Huma-Huma/"No Smoking" PSA by John Waters. Outro ambience from PATTERNS.
Timestamps
0:00 - Episode 346: PATTERNS (1956)
2:51 - The episode actually starts
5:27 - The Patented Aaron Grossman Summary
7:07 - The origins of PATTERNS
16:01 - How the movie sets up a really uncomfortable social and professional situation
24:12 - Where the psychology comes in
29:15 - How the Briggs/Staples situation plays out in the office
36:34 - Who Fred Staples is — and who he becomes
47:30 - How the ending changes our opinion of Staples
1:02:58 - White collar power plays and alienation from labor
1:10:09 - The ending and who Staples thinks he is now
1:17:11 - The Junk Drawer
1:21:26 - To All the Loves We’ve Tried Before: 1956
1:24:28 - Cody’s Noteys: The Trylove Mailbag (questions from previous Trylove guests)
