Most Rewatchable Scene · 21:14
Eduardo discovering his diluted shares
The opening breakup is nominated, and later becomes one participant’s initial personal choice.
Stopwatch timing of the dialogue and 99 takes of the opening are discussed.
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21:14
32:05
40:17
43:18
45:59
47:18
49:48
56:32
57:20
1:01:34
1:03:41
1:06:10
1:09:05
1:10:19
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Who won the movie
Aaron Sorkin
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Dion Waiters Award
Rooney Mara
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Overacting Award
Justin Timberlake
The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie · 1:01:34
“If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you’d have invented Facebook”
The line ending there are two of me is recalled in best quote.
Cast
Selected cast credits · Film reference
Jesse Eisenberg
Mark Zuckerberg
Andrew Garfield
Eduardo Saverin
Justin Timberlake
Sean Parker
Armie Hammer
Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss
Max Minghella
Divya Narendra
Brenda Song
Christy Lee
Rashida Jones
Marylin Delpy
John Getz
Sy
David Selby
Gage
Denise Grayson
Gretchen
Everything from the episode
In the order the hosts got to it. Open a row for the discussion.
21:14
Most Rewatchable Scene
Eduardo discovering his diluted shares
Eduardo discovering his diluted shares
In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:14Read transcript
- The opening breakup is nominated, and later becomes one participant’s initial personal choice.
- Stopwatch timing of the dialogue and 99 takes of the opening are discussed.
- The Henley Royal Regatta sequence is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- Sean Parker meeting the Stanford student is nominated.
- Eduardo discovering his diluted shares and breaking the computer is nominated; the closing decision defers to that group preference.
- Larry Summers dismissing the Winklevoss complaint is nominated. — Sean Fennessey
- The final-club party intercut with coding Facebook is nominated.
- The confrontation gains emotional force from the score and Garfield’s movement through the glass doors and hallway. — Chris Ryan
- The coding montage contrasts access to power with creating power, making work at computers feel like a bank heist. — Sean Fennessey
- The Parker introduction turns exposition into a star-making scene, with added irony from a major-label pop star playing the Napster figure.
32:05
What’s Aged the Best?
The opening, depositions, twin effects, score, and Peter Thiel foreshadowing
The opening, depositions, twin effects, score, and Peter Thiel foreshadowing
In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 00:32:05Read transcript
- The opening scene flowing into Zuckerberg’s walk and credits is praised.
- The deposition structure works better than expected. — Bill Simmons
- The lawyer’s facial expressions are praised. — Bill Simmons
- Rashida Jones is praised within an underwritten part. — Bill Simmons
- The twin CGI is praised as groundbreaking and initially undetectable. — Bill Simmons
- Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s score is selected as the standout aged-best element.
- The score’s combination of anxiety, melody, and forward pressure is praised.
- The panel trusts Reznor not to license the score carelessly. — Bill Simmons
- The Winklevoss effect is again selected for technical longevity.
- The Peter Thiel character’s arrival is treated as predictive of Silicon Valley’s future.
- A reported filming workaround used a mime carrying a light so an archway shot could be captured despite Harvard’s resistance. — Chris Ryan
- A reported silent black-and-white Raiders cut uses this score to demonstrate the strength of its visual storytelling. — Chris Ryan
40:17
What’s Aged the Worst?
The Zuckerberg portrayal, Facemash, Christy plot, and Kevin Spacey credit
The Zuckerberg portrayal, Facemash, Christy plot, and Kevin Spacey credit
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 00:40:17Read transcript
- Eisenberg’s Zuckerberg is compared with the real Zuckerberg’s public persona.
- Ranking girls with a hot-or-not app has aged badly and was objectionable at the time. — Bill Simmons
- The Christy relationship and bed-fire plot are criticized as poorly motivated.
- The panel ties the Christy problem to Sorkin’s thin female characters.
- Executive producer Kevin Spacey’s credit is singled out. — Chris Ryan
- Christy is defended as showing the founders newfound glamour and introducing Parker, though that does not justify the bed-fire episode. — Sean Fennessey
43:18
Casting What-Ifs
Shia LaBeouf declined Zuckerberg; Jonathan Groff nearly played Sean Parker; Aziz Ansari also auditioned; Eisenberg an...
Shia LaBeouf declined Zuckerberg; Jonathan Groff nearly played Sean Parker; Aziz Ansari also auditioned; Eisenberg and Timberlake preferred
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 00:43:18Read transcript
- Shia LaBeouf turned down Zuckerberg. — Bill Simmons
- The panel believes Fincher’s take-heavy method would have made LaBeouf a poor fit. — Bill Simmons
- Jonathan Groff nearly played Sean Parker. — Bill Simmons
- Groff’s later Fincher work on Mindhunter is connected to the audition history. — Bill Simmons
- Timberlake’s existing stardom is credited with helping the movie reach a wider audience. — Bill Simmons
- Ansari reportedly auditioned unsuccessfully for the role played by Minghella; the response is that he was not ready at that stage. — Bill Simmons
45:59
The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance
Rooney Mara
In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 00:45:59Read transcript
- Justin Timberlake is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- Rooney Mara is nominated and selected. — Bill Simmons
- Armie Hammer is nominated and receives a dissenting case.
- Dakota Johnson is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- Brenda Song is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- The Larry Summers performance is nominated.
- Max Minghella is nominated.
47:18
Half-Assed Internet Research
Substitute campuses, the referenced movie star, the second twin performer, weight loss, the opening scene’s takes and...
Substitute campuses, the referenced movie star, the second twin performer, weight loss, the opening scene’s takes and an unidentified Gates impersonator
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 00:47:18Read transcript
- Harvard scenes were filmed at multiple other schools. — Bill Simmons
- Natalie Portman is identified as the movie star referenced by a deposition line. — Bill Simmons
- Josh Pence played the body double for the second Winklevoss and appears visibly in another scene. — Bill Simmons
- Timberlake lost roughly fifteen to seventeen pounds to appear younger. — Bill Simmons
- The opening breakup reportedly required 99 takes across eight script pages. — Bill Simmons
- The Gates performer is described as an unidentified impersonator; the following aside does not establish the actor’s identity. — Bill Simmons
49:48
Apex Mountain
Jesse Eisenberg: yes; Zuckerberg’s likability: around this film or 2015
Jesse Eisenberg: yes; Zuckerberg’s likability: around this film or 2015
In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 00:49:48Read transcript
- Jesse Eisenberg is judged at his apex. — Bill Simmons
- Fincher is rejected by two speakers, who suggest a future peak or prefer Seven; another makes the case for this movie. — Bill Simmons
- Aaron Sorkin is judged below his West Wing apex despite winning an Oscar here.
- Andrew Garfield’s apex remains unresolved.
- Justin Timberlake’s musical and comedy peaks are favored over this film. — Bill Simmons
- Zuckerberg’s likability apex is placed around the film or 2015. — Bill Simmons
- Armie Hammer’s Call Me by Your Name period is proposed as his apex. — Sean Fennessey
- Zodiac is called Fincher’s masterpiece, while Gone Girl is also admired and the difficulty of locating a career dip is discussed. — Chris Ryan
- Fincher reportedly insisted on a forty-one-million-dollar budget despite lower studio counteroffers. — Chris Ryan
56:32
Is This Movie Better With…?
No Danny Trejo addition
No Danny Trejo addition
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:56:32Read transcript
- The panel runs Better With Danny Trejo as its own named question.
- Trejo as Peter Thiel is proposed jokingly.
- Trejo as a security guard is proposed.
- Trejo as Eduardo is imagined and rejected because it changes the threat level. — Bill Simmons
- Trejo is jokingly proposed for the Stanford student’s role or the arresting cop.
57:20
Picking Nits
Accuracy, diversity, casting, college life, and the roles of Dustin Moskovitz and Eduardo Saverin drive the nitpicks.
Accuracy, diversity, casting, college life, and the roles of Dustin Moskovitz and Eduardo Saverin drive the nitpicks.
In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:20Read transcript
- The film’s invented emotional origin for Facebook is questioned. — Bill Simmons
- The debate asks whether a dishonest relationship origin holds the movie back. — Bill Simmons
- Harvard is depicted as whiter and less international than reality. — Bill Simmons
- Andrew Garfield plays Brazilian Eduardo Saverin. — Sean Fennessey
- Minghella’s casting as an Indian character is questioned. — Sean Fennessey
- Ansari reportedly tried out for the role played by Minghella. — Bill Simmons
- A reported Oprah interview describes a less dramatic life focused on working hard and coding Facebook. — Bill Simmons
- Dustin Moskovitz’s role is minimized while Eduardo’s is enlarged. — Bill Simmons
1:01:34
The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie
“If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you’d have invented Facebook”
“If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you’d have invented Facebook”
In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:01:34Read transcript
- The line ending there are two of me is recalled in best quote.
- The obsessed-versus-motivated line is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- The StairMaster dating line is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- Erica’s nerd-versus-asshole line is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- “If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you’d have invented Facebook” is selected. — Sean Fennessey
- Eduardo’s coming-back-for-everything threat is nominated. — Chris Ryan
- Sean Parker’s Napster monologue is nominated. — Sean Fennessey
1:03:41
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Did Zuckerberg steal the idea? Was the movie too harsh? Is it the decade’s best film?
Did Zuckerberg steal the idea? Was the movie too harsh? Is it the decade’s best film?
In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 01:03:41Read transcript
- Did Zuckerberg steal Harvard Connection?
- Some argue execution matters more than ownership of the idea, while another objects on grounds of honor.
- Was the movie too harsh on Zuckerberg?
- The panel answers no and argues it could have been harder on the consequences.
- Is The Social Network the best movie of the 2010s? — Sean Fennessey
- Get Out emerges as the strongest rival.
- The panel also considers Gravity as a different kind of contender.
- Boyhood, Mad Max Fury Road, 12 Years a Slave, Django Unchained and Whiplash are offered and rejected as superior decade choices. — Sean Fennessey
- The Tree of Life, Black Swan, Before Midnight, Arrival and Looper are rejected; Moonlight gets more attention but is also declined. — Sean Fennessey
- Birdman is rejected, and The Master is considered too narrowly appealing for this comparison. — Bill Simmons
- Get Out is treated as a genuine contender; Sicario is dismissed and Miami Vice belongs to the previous decade.
- Spotlight is acknowledged as a possible choice for others, The Martian is uncertain and Skyfall is rejected. — Sean Fennessey
1:06:10
The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award
Justin Timberlake
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:06:10Read transcript
- Andrew Garfield is nominated. — Chris Ryan
- Timberlake’s sushi-restaurant delivery is nominated. — Bill Simmons
- The panel argues Timberlake remains visibly Timberlake rather than disappearing into Parker. — Bill Simmons
- Earlier versions of Leo, Pacino and Hoffman are imagined in the roles. — Bill Simmons
- Timberlake is selected. — Bill Simmons
- The real Parker is defended as slick, cheesy and performative, making Timberlake a fitting choice despite criticism of his acting. — Bill Simmons
1:09:05
Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake
The contained film preferred over a modern Netflix or HBO series
The contained film preferred over a modern Netflix or HBO series
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:09:05Read transcript
- The movie is used as an example of a studio drama that might now become a streaming series.
- The panel prefers the contained movie form. — Chris Ryan
- Fincher’s move toward television is discussed. — Sean Fennessey
1:10:19
Who Won the Movie?
Aaron Sorkin
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:19Read transcript
- Fincher, Sorkin, Eisenberg, Garfield and Timberlake are the opening nominees. — Chris Ryan
- The dialogue is described as the hero and architecture of the film, with conversations mirroring its interwoven depositions. — Chris Ryan
- Exposition and quotability sustain rewatchability throughout, leading to the first Sorkin choice. — Chris Ryan
- The screenplay, editing and score work together, supporting a second explicit Sorkin choice. — Sean Fennessey
- A third speaker also chooses Sorkin, while emphasizing how essential Eisenberg is to the movie.
- Eisenberg makes a difficult, unlikable character compelling without resorting to cartoon villainy.
Podcast choices
- Speaker not identified
- Aaron Sorkin
- Speaker not identified
- Aaron Sorkin
- Speaker not identified
- Aaron Sorkin
More from the conversation
An archive preface identifies this as one of six classic episodes, followed by the original twenty-episode-season introduction. Platform availability is a historical notice.
Approx. transcript time · 00:00:00Read transcript
Rewatching amid the 2018 privacy controversy changes the film’s meaning: trolling, advertising ambitions and the misogynistic rating-site origin become central, even while literal historical accuracy is disputed.
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:05Read transcript
The group debates whether a compelling dramatization can mislead as historical record, comparing All the President’s Men and acknowledging the screenwriter’s limited Facebook familiarity.
Approx. transcript time · 00:05:00Read transcript
High expectations for the writer-director partnership are remembered as fulfilled; a rapid script-to-greenlight process and a long screenplay are reported.
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:07Read transcript
The King’s Speech Oscar victories over this film remain frustrating. The discussion praises a rare ambitious mainstream studio drama and speculates about awards-campaign influence.
Approx. transcript time · 00:07:34Read transcript
A best-of-decade question leads to the idea that major films accumulate new meanings. The lonely-young-founder ending now seems inadequate to Facebook’s subsequent power.
Approx. transcript time · 00:09:37Read transcript
The contrast between a service promising connection and a protagonist portrayed as socially hostile is treated as a resonant parable, not a verified account of the company’s origin.
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:14Read transcript
Reported objections from Zuckerberg distinguish coding enthusiasm from the fictional breakup motive; the discussion contrasts those objections with his later efforts to present a friendly public persona.
Approx. transcript time · 00:13:24Read transcript
The film’s founders appear focused on owning a company rather than anticipating global power. The speakers question the relative prominence of the real collaborators and read the dispute as new technology meeting inherited Ivy League privilege.
Approx. transcript time · 00:14:49Read transcript
Personal memories of Facebook adoption and Grantland referral traffic trace a shift from social sharing to publishing distribution, accompanied by discomfort with political discourse and early viral-list tactics.
Approx. transcript time · 00:17:01Read transcript
Miami Vice prompts divided reactions to an earlier episode; Proof of Life and Blackhat are jokingly imagined as future choices.
Approx. transcript time · 00:20:33Read transcript
A wish for lighter roles for Rooney Mara becomes a hypothetical sisters drama, with Sex, Lies, and Videotape and the De Palma film Sisters offered as comparisons.
Approx. transcript time · 00:29:30Read transcript
The sympathetic portrayal of Eduardo is contrasted with the speakers’ reported impressions of his later wealth and residence abroad, while confidentiality agreements leave them uncertain about the underlying dispute.
Approx. transcript time · 00:30:47Read transcript
A colleague’s absence prompts banter before the score is described as useful for difficult late-night editing; a silent black-and-white Raiders experiment supplies another use.
Approx. transcript time · 00:36:10Read transcript
Convincing digital faces lead to speculation about recycling younger screen icons, with The Irishman and Rogue One discussed as related examples.
Approx. transcript time · 00:39:55Read transcript
Eisenberg’s reportedly submitted essay and admiration for the publication lead into a broader point about luck in casting.
Approx. transcript time · 00:43:34Read transcript
Timberlake’s album receives a tentative defense, turning into jokes about an old-fashioned miscellaneous newspaper column.
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:53Read transcript
A reported budgeting anecdote depicts Fincher insisting on an exact production cost rather than treating the estimate as a negotiation.
Approx. transcript time · 00:52:11Read transcript
Zuckerberg’s awkward television appearance leads to a speculative distinction between wealth and public likability, with later years offered as alternative peaks.
Approx. transcript time · 00:54:43Read transcript
One participant argues that an invented emotional wound weakens a film being evaluated for its historical insight, while another prioritizes dramatic freedom.
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:20Read transcript
The portrayal of Harvard’s diversity and partying is challenged through casting observations, reported contemporaries’ experiences and quoted objections to the protagonist’s angry characterization.
Approx. transcript time · 00:58:36Read transcript
Best-of-decade criteria include craft, changing resonance, career peaks and reach. The group contrasts studio-film financing with streaming series and treats Gravity as a distinctive theatrical experience.
Approx. transcript time · 01:08:02Read transcript
Eisenberg’s difficult balance of unlikability and charisma prompts wishes for stronger later roles, defense of American Ultra, and hypothetical collaborations or a Knicks-fan black comedy.
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:27Read transcript
An upcoming Jaws episode prompts appreciation of Roy Scheider’s seventies career, an All That Jazz impression and basketball comparisons before closing thanks to Evan and Zach Mack.
Approx. transcript time · 01:15:55Read transcript