Ebert is quoted calling The Perfect Storm a well-crafted example of a film of pure sensation.
The hosts joke that Ebert is all about the story, a point they say came up in the Fletch episode, and note the review shouts out Wolfgang Petersen.

Casting What-Ifs

Ben Affleck and Nick Cage as Bobby; Clooney as Bobby; Harrison Ford and Mel Gibson as Billy

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 00:48:52Read transcript

The segment says Ben Affleck was originally sought to play Wahlberg's character and said no, and Nick Cage signed on but backed out because of other commitments.
Cage is suggested as a good Billy or a Captain Ahab, or as the old guy at the bar.
The segment says Clooney also wanted to play Bobby, but Wolfgang wanted him as Billy, and Harrison Ford and Mel Gibson turned down Billy.
Gibson is said to have wanted "$25 billion" (as spoken) to play Billy.

Recasting Couch

Ben Affleck in William Fichtner's role

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 00:51:39Read transcript

The proposal replaces William Fickner's part with Ben Affleck, letting him use his accent.
An objection says it would turn Affleck into a character actor; the reply is that he was already a movie star after Armageddon.
If Affleck is in a Boston movie, he has to die saving someone, so he dies saving John C. Riley.
Affleck is said to have needed a fourth-lead part like this during his 97 to 03 run, agreed with a Kevin Bacon in Apollo 13 comparison.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Animatronic fish; the real Linda Greenlaw; the families' lawsuit; discrepancies with the real events; Beau Goldman writing credit; Clooney's practical jokes

In the discussion (8)

Approx. transcript time · 00:52:46Read transcript

The research says none of the fish were real; they were rubber or animatronic, and no fish were harmed.
The research says the real Linda Greenlaw, Mastrantonio's character, turned to swordfishing in 2008 as part of a Discovery Channel series.
The research says family members of Billy Tyne and Dale Murphy did not like the movie and sued Time Warner in 2000, and the case did not go anywhere.
The discrepancies cited are that Linda never placed a distress call and that there was no romance between the Clooney and Mastrantonio characters.
The hosts suggest the Tyne family objected because, as they describe it, the boat was already heading back when the storm hit, and they say Greenlaw did not see it as arrogance; they note that version is less dramatic.
A triumphant score contrasts with an on-screen Billy Tyne portrayed as a captain driven to oblivion.
The research says Beau Goldman received an on-screen co-writing credit.
The research says Clooney played practical jokes on set that Hawks, Wahlberg and Diane Lane called funny without specifics; water movies are said to be miserable to film.

Picking Nits

John Hawks and the woman at the crow's nest; Clooney's plan to drive through the storm; the Coast Guard and sailboat plot; no 1991 Red Sox on TV

In the discussion (5)

Approx. transcript time · 00:56:39Read transcript

John Hawks picking the bitter, chain-smoking woman at the crow's nest is inexplicable, especially her appearance at the funeral after one bar conversation.
Clooney's plan to drive through the storm is likened to Mike D'Antoony in a playoff series and later to a late-period Philly coach; the hosts say that in the movie, the captains on both boats are basically dooming them.
The Coast Guard plot with Cherry Jones, Bob Gutten and Karen Allen has no setup and pulls away from the boat; it is called the biggest flaw, as if from a version about the whole storm.
The first 45 minutes invest in the Andrea Gale crew, so the shift to the rescue story is surprising; the movie is about the six guys on the boat, not the Coast Guard.
The film is thought to be set in 1991, but no Red Sox, Clemens or a Patriots preseason game appears on the bar televisions, which bothers a Massachusetts viewer.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Dying in the storm or missing Boston's titles; what each would do under the waves

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:02:28Read transcript

The one question: is dying in the perfect storm a bigger bummer than missing the 12 Boston titles and the end of the Red Sox curse.
Billy is joked to be a possible early Marlins fan because he calls Sarasota home, and a 2017 epilogue at the bar is proposed.
Asked what they would do, one says the ocean calls the shots, and dumping the fish to live gets an immediate yes; in real life, per the discussion, the crew had no idea the storm was coming.