The group considers the opening hospital material, proposal, commercial, Mickey scenes, Apollo and Duke, the coma awakening, both training montages, the run, and the fight; final preferences favor round fifteen, Apollo and Duke, and the awakening-to-training turn.

A long scene discussion runs from the opening credits through the final round, ending with distinct personal favorites.

In the discussion (28)

Approx. transcript time · 00:24:33Read transcript

The repeated ending of the first film is questioned for marathons, though the opening fight supplies action before a long stretch without boxing.
The opening credits and remastered Rocky theme are nominated.
Rocky wheeling over to Apollo and asking whether Apollo gave his best is nominated as a short scene.
Rocky’s zoo marriage proposal, including his awkward phrasing and invitation to the tiger, is nominated.
Rocky struggling to film the Beast aftershave commercial is nominated and described as painful to watch.
The group digresses on period aftershave advertising and the appeal of the Beast campaign.
Mickey testing Rocky’s injured eye and warning that another fight could hurt him permanently is nominated.
Rocky returning to work in the gym and Mickey challenging his dignity is separately praised for Stallone’s acting.
Rocky’s quiet job loss and request to finish the workday are praised as understated setbacks.
Duke warning Apollo that Rocky kept coming and is wrong for them is praised as a great sports-movie monologue.
Apollo calling Rocky out on television through Mickey deciding they should fight again is nominated.
Paulie’s behavior at the press conference prompts an extended objection to the harm he causes Adrian and Rocky.
The eleven-minute coma stretch is criticized for its length.
Adrian waking, telling Rocky to win, and Mickey asking what they are waiting for is selected as a favorite sports-movie turn.
The one-arm exercise against the sun, chicken-catching, and jump-rope work announce the energized training montage.
The montage is praised for establishing the heightened training template of later Rocky films.
Rocky beating up scrap metal is singled out as a standout training-montage image.
The hosts estimate roughly six weeks of serious training before the fight.
Rocky dropping the heavy log and choosing to pick it up again is praised as a perseverance moment.
The scrapyard hammering prompts a joke about a spinoff following the scrapyard owner.
Mickey’s largely silent assistant receives praise for the medicine-ball training and stomach punches.
The montage’s contrast between neighborhood-supported Rocky and ego-driven Apollo is praised.
Rocky’s run through Philadelphia with the children is nominated, while its estimated distance and finishing sprint are questioned.
The fight’s escalation into “World War III” and Rocky refusing to go down are nominated.
Rounds three through fourteen and especially the fifteenth-round double knockout are nominated.
Rocky’s victory speech produces a debate over ranking the day against marriage and his child’s birth.
One final choice is round fifteen, with the Apollo-and-Duke conversation as a secondary favorite.
Another final choice is Adrian waking followed by “What are we waiting for?” and the training montage.

The most "year the movie came out" thing

A 9.5% mortgage, fifteen-round fights, paper hate mail, and major fights on regular television in Philadelphia are offered as period markers.

In the discussion (5)

Approx. transcript time · 00:44:17Read transcript

A 9.5% mortgage on a $16,000 Philadelphia house is nominated.
Roberto Duran appearing as a sparring partner leads to an extended period-boxing discussion.
Fifteen-round championship fights are nominated.
Receiving and reading physical hate mail is nominated.
Major fights airing on regular television and being held in Philadelphia are nominated.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Affordable housing, Paulie, weight training, Adrian missing the fight, stickball, domestic expectations, background boxing, and Rocky’s exaggerated impairment are criticized.

In the discussion (8)

Approx. transcript time · 00:44:30Read transcript

A young couple being able to afford the house is identified as having aged worst.
Paulie is selected as having aged worst.
The claim that boxers should never lift weights is questioned.
Adrian not attending the fight is criticized.
Stickball and children playing outside are nominated as dated images.
Rocky telling Adrian to start dinner after she returns to work is criticized as dated.
A background boxer’s technique and hairline are mocked.
Stallone is criticized for making Rocky seem too cognitively impaired in this installment.

What’s Aged the Best?

The zoo callback, reckless spending spree, fuller arena, Tony’s pep talk, New Jersey gas service, Rocky lore inherited by Creed, and Carl Weathers are praised.

In the discussion (9)

Approx. transcript time · 00:49:46Read transcript

The zoo callback to the driver in the first film is praised.
Rocky rejecting condominiums and characters going on a visibly doomed spending spree are praised as period storytelling.
The arena being filled with actual extras improves on the first film’s cost-cutting.
Tony’s monotone locker-room encouragement of Apollo is praised.
Tony’s pep talk prompts a joking comparison to Ben Johnson coaching Caleb Williams.
The line about pumping gas in New Jersey still works because drivers there cannot pump their own gas.
A story about teasing Charlemagne for using full-service gas leads to discussion of regional gas-station customs and their argumentative friendship.
The Rocky lore and visual template inherited by Creed, especially the running and training material, are praised.
Carl Weathers’s athleticism, acting, and range are praised.

The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot

The children running with Rocky and fight footage projected over Mickey are considered.

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 00:56:04Read transcript

The little kids running with Rocky are nominated.
The first fight projected against Mickey while he studies the footage is nominated.

The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film

Rocky beating the prepared Apollo, the coma, Gazzo’s unused plot potential, and Adrian are distinct weak-link choices.

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:00:36Read transcript

One-eyed and impaired Rocky beating a prepared, motivated Apollo is selected.
The coma is selected.
Gazzo is selected because his appearances have little effect on the plot despite Joe Spinell’s performance.
Adrian is selected without elaboration.

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

The commercial director and Burgess Meredith are debated as overacting candidates.

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:08:16Read transcript

The commercial director is nominated.
Burgess as Mickey is nominated for shouting through his scenes.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

A Creed-centered version, swapped spouses, Apollo’s wife among 1970s beauties, and Stallone over Cruise as a movie runner are separate takes.

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:12:51Read transcript

The movie would be more interesting as Creed, centered on Apollo’s shame and rematch obsession.
Rocky and Apollo would both fare better if they swapped wives.
Apollo’s wife is placed among the best-looking Black women of the 1970s.
Stallone is judged a better and more natural movie runner than Tom Cruise.

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Frank McRae wins the That Guy discussion over Joe Spinell.

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 01:20:04Read transcript

Frank McCray wins over Joe Spinell.

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Brent Musburger wins over Frank Stallone, Rocky’s commercial agent, Stu Nahan, and Duke.

In the discussion (5)

Approx. transcript time · 01:20:19Read transcript

Brent Musburger is selected for making the fight feel like a nationally important sporting event.
Frank Stallone and the doo-wop group are nominated.
Rocky’s commercial agent is nominated for slinking away after the advertisement fails.
Stu Nahan is nominated.
Duke is considered, then challenged as ineligible because he is in four films.

Apex Mountain

Stallone is placed later in the mid-1980s; Bert Young, Brent Musburger, the zoo tiger, and the long coma are also considered.

In the discussion (5)

Approx. transcript time · 01:29:02Read transcript

Stallone is rejected here in favor of his mid-1980s Rocky IV and Rambo period.
Bert Young’s mid-1980s run is considered.
Brent Musburger’s peak is debated.
The Philadelphia Zoo tiger is nominated as being at its peak.
The eleven-minute coma is proposed as a peak for overlong coma scenes.

Cruise or Hanks?

Cruise is the choice to play Rocky.

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 01:33:40Read transcript

Cruise is selected to play Rocky because Hanks is not plausible as a boxer.

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

Existing franchise continuations are acknowledged, and a prestige television project in the Creed world is discussed.

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:39:50Read transcript

The group says sequel, prequel, and all-Black continuation ideas have already been done.
A reported television project set in the Creed world is discussed as the prestige-TV route.