Best AV With JB Podcasts (2025)

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317: Go *avs 1:36:52

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12d ago1:36:52

1:36:52

Episode 317 found us on the first night of free agency (you know, BEFORE the Shamsbombs about Lillard's buyout and Myles Turner becoming Buck). To start it off, Late bemoaned the Cavs' decision to keep Sam Merrill over Ty Jerome (or both), a decision that was originally about money, that became less so when we figured out that Merrill got four 4/38…

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316: Amateur Hour 1:27:07

28d ago1:27:07

1:27:07

Hope you all had a happy Father's Day, Cavalier fans. With the NBA finals in full swing, last week, Nate, Eli, and Chris Francis constructed an impromptu podcast booth in an abandoned culvert underneath I-80, and exorcised the demons of the Cavs' 2025 playoff exit. Full warning, this one might have the worst audio engineering in the history of CtB,…

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315: Awards Season 1:25:00

3M ago1:25:00

1:25:00

The Cavs and their fans find themselves in unfamiliar territory. Up 2-0 on the Heat, the Wine and Gold appear to be on the best side of the talent gap between themselves and the Miami Heat. Not to jinx anyone, but Cleveland has dominated at times against Miami and has pulled out just enough to win at other times. The've looked in complete control a…

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314: Bored with Success 59:06

4M ago59:06

59:06

Let's face it. The Cleveland Cavaliers were due for a stinker. After flirting with losses to the likes of Portland, Charlotte, and Brookly, the Cavs finally dropped one to the Magic. Donovan Mitchell had a bad game with too much hero ball, Okoro had an horrible eight minutes, Sam Merrill couldn't shoot, Ty Jerome effed around and found out, and no …

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313: Possessions in the Aggregate 1:40:32

4M ago1:40:32

1:40:32

The title of this podcast comes from the way the Cavs have been winning lately: the possession game. In their 12 game win streak, the Cavs have outrebounded their opponents in every game, and won the turnover battle in most of them. Rather than having one or two great rebounders (though Jarrett Allen is very good), with the addition of De'Andre Hun…

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312: Big Game Hunter 1:16:12

5M ago1:16:12

1:16:12

The CtB hunting party piled into the Canadian Goose Blind to discuss one stalwart in particular, newly acquired forward, De'Andre Hunter. Hunter's upgrade to the backup power forward position was palpable against Toronto as he dropped 18/5/0 and went 4-9 from deep in just 27 minutes. His J was high, quick, and feathery, while his D was long and imp…

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311: Slop Slingin' Trebuchet 1:08:40

5M ago1:08:40

1:08:40

Tough loss, Cavs fans. Cleveland overcame a 20 point first quarter deficit to cut the Boston lead to four about halfway through the fourth quarter, and then after a miraculous four point play by Darius Garland to cut the diff to five, Spida Mitchell pounced on a steal and roared up the court. With a wide open Garland waiting on the right side of th…

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310: J.B. vs Georges 1:30:06

6M ago1:30:06

1:30:06

J.B. Bickerstaff returned to the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse Monday night to take on Georges Niang and the Cleveland Cavaliers who were coming of a three game losing streak. After the wine and gold broke their losing streak,, Cavs the Braintrust joined their hive mind to podcast about the Cavs recent woes, what they need to do to get back on track, …

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309: Godspeed, You Clutch Emperor 1:57:16

6M ago1:57:16

1:57:16

After a way too long hiatus, Nate Smith and Chris Francis made a pilgrimage to the CtB broadcast booth to bend the knee to North America's incoming emperor, Darius Garland. The slicer of defenses, the scimitar of the pick and roll, conqueror of crunch time, the fracture jaw gladiator, facial contusion magnet, driller of stepbacks, lob wizard, vibes…

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308: Everybody Eats 1:31:53

8M ago1:31:53

1:31:53

Hope you're hungry for more podcast, because Nate Smith, Chris Francis, and Elijah Kim give you an awful lot to chew on in this one. The CtB crew slid into the podcast buffet line to celebrate the Cavs' 13 game winning streak and their assault on the NBA history books. A big topic: the selflessness of this team and how the teams' stars have sacrifi…

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307: Tips From the Track 1:30:05

9M ago1:30:05

1:30:05

Welcome to the 2024-2025 regular season, Cavs fans! Nate Smith, Chris Francis squeezed into the dusty ole podcast studio and blew the dust off the gear, while Eli Kim joined the guys from Northfield Park to recap the pre-season, preview the regular season, and go around the NBA for some over/unders. The guys went through the Cavs rotation, wondered…

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306: Kenny and Kel'El 1:18:47

1y ago1:18:47

1:18:47

The Cavs' coaching search saga is over! Exactly one month after the wine and gold fired J.B. Bickerstaff. In his place: Kenny Atkinson, who was primarily hired over James Borrego so that Cleveland wouldn't have a second coach with the same initials. The 57 year old Atkinson brings four seasons of head coaching experience in Brooklyn from 2016-2020,…

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305: Slop Season 1:39:18

1y ago1:39:18

1:39:18

Whelp. It's time to put a coda on the 2024 Cavalier post-season, and all in all, your favorite Cavs: the Blog bloggers were at peace with it. Without Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Caris LeVert, the Cavs dropped games 3, 4, and 5 to the Celtics, but I think all of us here at Cavs: the Blog felt proud of the way the Cavs fought to the end and …

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304: "We'll do it Live!" 1:03:33

1y ago1:03:33

1:03:33

After a truly epic series against Orlando, we can all thank Elijah Kim for the Cavs winning this series. Eli's live presence for three games of this series clearly tipped the scales for the wine and gold. Eli and Chris Francis got "live" in the podcast booth to break down the series and to look ahead to the Boston series. Advertising Inquiries: htt…

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303: Do the Collapse 1:10:07

1y ago1:10:07

1:10:07

Forgive me as I channel one of Ohio's greatest bands: the venerable Guided By Voices, to name this podcast. 1999's Do the Collapse was likely the Band's most commercially appealing album, which for many of their critics and fans, made it not their best, as Rick Ocasek's "glossy production was a departure from the band's lo fi roots. Meanwhile, the …

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302: Pod Juries and Injuries 1:16:03

1+ y ago1:16:03

1:16:03

To recap a tumultuous couple weeks in Cavsdom, Nate Smith, Chris Francis, and Elijah Kim donned their best jurists suits and shuffled into the podcast booth. First up? Breaking down the Cavs worst loss of the season, a 121-84 debacle Sunday against the Miami Heat. Then the guys adjudicated the 115-92 get-right victory against the Charlotte Hornets,…

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301: Out of Hibernation 53:28

1+ y ago53:28

53:28

Chris Francis and Elijah Kim traversed to the CtB Podcast resort studios to touch base after a long winter slumber that saw the Cavs wrap up their best stretch of basketball in the post-LeBron era. The Cavs finally get out of their post-All-Star Break slump to collect an ugly win against the Washington Wizards 114-105, which saw the Cavs come thru …

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300: Sam, I Am 57:32

1+ y ago57:32

57:32

Our 300th Cavs: the Podcast episode celebrates the exploits of unexpected star of the last two Cavs games, Sam Merrill, who has posted 48 points across the last two games on blistering 13-24 shooting from deep. Wednesday's game against the Jazz proved that Monday's was no fluke, as the Cavs' bench mob swarmed the Jazz, led by Caris LeVert and Sam M…

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299: The Cookies Crumbl 1:26:25

1+ y ago1:26:25

1:26:25

Full of righteous indignation, Nate Smith and Chris Francis trudged into the podcast booth to write a sternly worded letter (podcast) to the Cavalier organization with one conclusion: this team isn't going anywhere with J.B. Bickerstaff as its head coach. The gents detailed their list of grievances: a near decade long inability to coach NBA offense…

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298: Turning the Corners 1:07:03

1+ y ago1:07:03

1:07:03

What a difference a week makes. After a moribund loss to the Kings last Sunday, the Cavs bounced back in a big way, winning three straight. To be fair, two of those wins were against two of the worst teams in the Association: Portland and Detroit, but it all becomes moot when you win against the defending Champions without killing the poor soul doi…

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297: Rolling Donuts, Launching Rocks 1:31:39

1+ y ago1:31:39

1:31:39

After a listless performance against the Knicks in Cleveland on Tuesday, the Cavs went into MSG with a bit of a cloud hanging over their heads Wednesday. What ensued was some of the ugliest basketball since the late 90s, and one of the most anachronistic games you'll see all year. The Cavs and Knicks traded rocks all night, with both teams struggli…

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296: Spida and His Amazing Friends 53:07

1+ y ago53:07

53:07

In the early 80s, NBC and Marvel dropped a Saturday morning series called "Spider Man and his Amazing Friends," which added obscure mutant "Firestar" and less obscure but no less conventional "Ice Man" to Peter Parker's retinue. Similarly, our own Spida Mitchell was helped by some unexpected friends, "Ice Man" Okoro, and Max "Firestarter" Strus. Sa…

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295: The Keys to Success 1:56:03

2y ago1:56:03

1:56:03

The Cavs lost a squeaker, Tuesday, 107-108 to the Hawks. To review, Nate, Chris, Eli, and Eli's bespoke keyboard made a trip to the podcast both. They broke down the game, and what went wrong (the first half and the starters' minutes) what went right (the Cavs' developmental players and the second half), and what improvements we're hoping to see in…

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Baby Dame & David Wood 1:25:57

2y ago1:25:57

1:25:57

David Wood makes his return the CtB podcast studios, as he joins Nate Smith to give insta-reactions to the Damian Lillard/Bucks trade. The good news? Both guys come out on the side of "this helps the Cavs." The guys break down the impacts for Portland, Phoenix, Milwaukee, and Cleveland and then rank the East in oh so casual fashion. After, they mus…

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293: Kimchi and Pesto 1:51:23

2y ago1:51:23

1:51:23

Chris Francis and Nate Smith hop back in the podcast booth to cover some much needed business for the Cavs. First up? Breaking down Darius Garland's recent interview with Chris Fedor. Then we embarked on yet another review of free agency. Are the Cavs done? Or are they holding out a roster spot or two for an end of the summer free agent? Nate and C…

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292: Free Agency Isn't Free 1:48:04

2y ago1:48:04

1:48:04

Eli Kim and Chris Francis analyze the off-season so far for the Cleveland Cavaliers including the draft and free agency. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacyBy Cavs: The Podcast

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291: Cavilyear in Review 1:27:49

2y ago1:27:49

1:27:49

Our silent mourning for the 2023 Cavalier Season over, Nate Smith, Elijah Kim, and Chris Francis broke our vow and shuffled into the the podcast booth to break down this wild ride that was the Cavs' season. The guys look over the year everyone had and try to figure out who's going to stay, who's going to go, and who the Cavs should bring in. Who wo…

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290: Don't Worry About a Thing 1:23:41

2y ago1:23:41

1:23:41

Nate and Chris (unsuccessfully?) channel their inner Bob Marleys as they break down a Game 4 and preview Game 5. What do the Cavs need to do to win? Who is coming up short, and who needs to keep doing what they're doing? The guys try not to delve into negativity or the blame game, but don't succeed too well as they discuss lineups, substitution pat…

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289: Lookin New York City, Feelin Northeast Ohio 2:09:44

2+ y ago2:09:44

2:09:44

Chris, Eli, and I cracked the seal on the podcast booth - dusty from almost two months of disuse - and talked Cavs and the Association till we were loooong in the tooth. First we reviewed our (very prescient) pre-season predictions about the Cavs' win/loss record, then took our victory laps about things we were right about and things that surprised…

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288: CtBGPT 2:06:41

2+ y ago2:06:41

2:06:41

"What are you doing, Dave?" With three weeks since our last podcast and a trade deadline, an All-Star weekend, and a franchise legend's exodus to discuss, Nate, Eli, and Chris had had a lot to cover. To help us out Tom Pestak joined us int the podcast booth from cold storage. The CtB neural net leveraged machine learning to create based hot takes t…

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287: When Gravity Fails & Negativity Don't Pull You Through 2:11:53

2+ y ago2:11:53

2:11:53

Channeling a little Bob Dylan with this one. The Cavs' ability to manipulate gravitational parabolas led to a game that was way too close at the end, and we all know that managing close games is not John Blair Bickerstaff's specialty. There was a lot of teeth gnashing post-game about the Cavs' inability to close yet again, when they were lost in th…

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286: Wallowing in The Slop 1:49:00

2+ y ago1:49:00

1:49:00

Nate, Chris, and Eli jumped in the booth to commemorate the (roughly) halfway point of the season and to wade in the trough of trade of January trade slop. First, though, they had a couple games to recap: a solid, if (according to Nate) underwhelming win over the Pelicans. and a disappointing road loss to the Timberwolves. The gents held yet anothe…

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285: Stealing Wins & Immortality 1:39:18

2+ y ago1:39:18

1:39:18

Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers have stolen their last two wins. Most recently, an utter grindfest Wednesday against Phoenix where they were limited to just 33 points in the first half, Wednesday, but absolutely willed themselves back in a game they shot sub 40%, got out-rebounded, were outshot, and turned the ball over more than the S…

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284: John-Blair Blues 1:33:30

2+ y ago1:33:30

1:33:30

The three game losing streak the Cavs find themselves on heading into the new year led to a lot of soul searching by Nate Smith and Eli Kim. They piled into the broadcast booth with a steelbody guitar and sung the blues for John-Blair Bickerstaff. As they were singing, the boys wondered if all this bad luck and trouble was because of J.B., who seem…

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283: The Guy in the Gold Jacket 1:51:59

2+ y ago1:51:59

1:51:59

Sure the Cavs might have kicked butt in Philly Wednesday due to superior shooting, lockdown defense, and a sleepwalking Sixer squad, but we all know the real reason was the man in the building, our own Elijah Kim. At the quarter pole of the season, Eli joined Nate Smith and Chris Francis in the podcast booth to talk about the game, the last couple …

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282: Respect & Rec Specs 1:41:57

2+ y ago1:41:57

1:41:57

Nate Smith and Chris Francis dropped into the podcast booth and sussed the Hawks game and the Miami game out, dropping kudos to all the guys. In depth looks at the two game and the second overtime of the Hornets game fueled the discussion of this three game win streak. Chris and Nate puzzled over J.B. Bickerstaff's rotations (yet patience with Okor…

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281: Reputational Gravity 1:37:24

2+ y ago1:37:24

1:37:24

Chris Francis and Nate Smith jumped into the podcast booth, and then subbed in Elijah Kiim in the second quarter. Eli quickly coined the subtitle of this pod: "Reputational Gravity." The Cavs have a lot of it right now, getting respect from around the lead as they are now top three in net rating. The term also applies to the respect Cavs' shooters …

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280: Arise, Donovan Prime 1:03:43

2+ y ago1:03:43

1:03:43

This was a weird one. But Donovan Mitchell, "you got the touch! You got the power!" Donovan Prime arose and lit our darkish hour with a 37-point virtuoso performance, has already picked up the mantle as the on-the-court leader of the Wine and Gold. Running out of Energon, Mitchell got pretty tired late, coughed up the ball a few times, and let the …

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279: Over/Under NOAH's Rainbow 1:48:15

2+ y ago1:48:15

1:48:15

Nate, Chris Francis, and a scribbled cocktail napkin from the the Desk of David Wood, break down the latest development with the Cavs, the NOAH shot analysis system, Lament the Guardians' loss, and pick over/unders around the NBA. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy…

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278: The Body Issue 1:43:39

2+ y ago1:43:39

1:43:39

The Cavs won their first pre-season game of 2022, Wednesday. Despite a slow start, Donavan Mitchell, and Darius Garland combined for 47 points and 15 assists, off a prodigious 47 shots. Jarrett Allen added five blocks, Isaac Okoro got a start for a resting Caris LeVert, and put up a very solid 16 points and three steels with some nifty drives, and …

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277: Unfinnished Business 1:58:50

3y ago1:58:50

1:58:50

This pod finds Nate Smith and Chris Francis paraphrase the words of Kevin Love: "I've never been around a team this deep with young talent." Lamenting a Monday pod that blew up midstream, Nate and Chris managed to recapture the energy in the podcast booth and gush over Cavs' Media Day, all the young talent on the roster, and how much fun it's going…

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276: Spidaman Takes Over Tower City 1:34:31

3y ago1:34:31

1:34:31

Nate Smith, Eli Kim, and Chris Francis take an early Labor Day vacation to the Cavs: the Podcast resort studios to hash out the big news of the week, Donovan Mitchell is a Cavalier. CtB has you covered with every angle of the trade. Chris pushes his Donovan pills on Nate and Eli. Eli walks his dog mid-podcast. Nate regales the listeners with storie…

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275: Convalescent Jonesing 1:42:29

3y ago1:42:29

1:42:29

Chris Francis and Nate Smith dust off the podcast microphones after an almost two month absence. While they were convalescing from viral and life injuries, they've been jonesing for some Cavs Basketball. To slake the roundball thirst, the CtB faithful have been catching up on youtube videos, pro-am highlights, and international play of all your Cav…

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274: Draft Appetizer 1:28:28

3y ago1:28:28

1:28:28

It is the 2022 NBA Draft eve, and you know what that means, CtB's Draft Appetizer season! Nate Smith, Eli Kim, and Chris Francis serve up a mighty helping of draft and trade slop to satisfy the basketball hunger (h/t to friend of the podcast TrillBroDude of You Know Ball Podcast for the term "slop"). There's a quick rundown of biggest stories hitti…

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273: Running Up That Hill 1:47:01

3y ago1:47:01

1:47:01

Welcome to 1985. Nate Smith, Eli Kim, and Chris Francis have gathered again at the Cavs: The Podcast resort studios to serve the people another helping of offseason hooper content for the basketball-starved fans of Cavsland. The trio discuss the 2022 NBA Finals, John Hollinger's free agency guide regarding Collin Sexton, the NBA Draft now only a me…

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272: Celebrating Seniors 2:06:50

3y ago2:06:50

2:06:50

Cavs: the Podcast turns back the clock with Nate Smith, Tom Pestak, Elijah Kim, and Chris Francis to talk the latest in Cavs' rumors, draft musings, and a return of CtB's classic podcast bit "Lawn Mower Chat" featuring a homeowner's horror story 20 years in the making. First order of business was an extensive look at cleveland.com's Chris Fedor's c…

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271: Fortnite, NBA Playoff Edition 1:41:11

3y ago1:41:11

1:41:11

Nate Smith and the Chrises Mr. Lyden and Mr. Francis hopped into the Cavs: the Podcast studio resort to take the temperature of the NBA playoffs so far, the impending draft lottery, and the latest in Cavsworld. On the foremost of Mr. Francis' mind was the upcoming draft and how the Cavs' might approach it. Secondly, the trio dives into the Conferen…

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Group Chat+Save the School 2:10:52

3y ago2:10:52

2:10:52

Editor's Note: this Episode of Cavs: the Podcast is sponsored by Precious Ones Ministries, and our fundraising drive to "Save the School." It's simple. It's direct. See the details below, and give what you can. We're presenting this pod commercial free save our ask that you help us with this effort. One of the features of 21st century communication…

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269: No Sleep Post-Brooklyn 2:01:05

3y ago2:01:05

2:01:05

Postgame the CtB trio of Nate Smith, Chris Francis, and Chris Lyden hopped into the podcast resort studios to recap the Cavs' loss against the Brooklyn Nets 115-108. They break down the game from all angles, who stood out, who stepped up, who disappeared? The gang goes down every Cavs' rabbit hole. The boys also go into the Nets' playoff prospects,…

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268: The Longest March 2:01:08

3+ y ago2:01:08

2:01:08

Emerging from their winter hibernation, Nate Smith, Elijah Kim, Chris Francis, and Chris Lyden took a spring break trip to the Cavs: the Podcast resort studios to catch up on all the craziness of the Cavs' season post-All Star Break. In true CtB fashion, they push this episode as best as they could to the two hour mark. So don't worry, if it has an…