An explicit flex selects Sal for the Bam Adebayo unexpected-performance category, praising his smooth nightclub command.
Craig confirms that his earlier Sal Amato choice was the Bam Adebayo flex, explicitly connecting the category with the 83-point game.

Frank Ridgeway

Flex pick · Chris Ryan

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 00:55:31Read transcript

Chris’s Vincent Chase flex questions Frank’s lyrics, musicianship, betrayal of a bandmate and contribution to the disastrous artistic direction; his class affectation is also mocked.

1. Stillwater; 2. The Five Heartbeats; 3. Spinal Tap; 4. The Wonders; 5. Josie and the Pussycats

Flex pick · Van Lathan

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:04:45Read transcript

Van’s explicitly introduced top-five fictional bands are, from fifth to first: Josie and the Pussycats, the Wonders, Spinal Tap, the Five Heartbeats and Stillwater; Eddie and the Cruisers is intentionally excluded from this episode’s list.
A follow-up distinguishes best fictional band from best music: the Five Heartbeats, Wonders, Eddie and the Cruisers and Stillwater are compared, with Fever Dog considered a weaker signature than On the Dark Side or That Thing You Do!.
The Revolution and the Time are excluded as actual bands despite Purple Rain’s fictional framing; Sex Bob-omb is suggested as an additional candidate.
Additional fictional-band candidates include Sex Bob-omb, the EuroTrip band, Hey That’s My Bike, CB4 and Citizen Dick; the Dan Band is distinguished as real and Citizen Dick’s onscreen performance is disputed.