Dead Eyes

This was a weird year to tune into comedic podcasts, particularly those featuring conversations between celebrities largely untouched by the  economic consequences of the pandemic .  Dead Eyes  is a funny podcast grounded in pettiness that somehow manages to be relatable rather than obnoxious—in part, perhaps, because of its host’s underdog status. Almost two decades ago, comedian Connor Ratliff was about to begin filming a small role in the Tom Hanks-produced miniseries  Band of Brothers , when he lost the part, allegedly because Hanks thought Ratliff had “dead eyes.” The rejection has haunted Ratliff his entire adult life. Poking fun at investigative podcasts, Ratliff sets out to figure out what, exactly, happened when he was fired. Apparently Ratliff’s obsession is common among even the most successful in his industry. Ratliff gets Jon Hamm, Rian Johnson and others to talk about their own experiences losing coveted jobs, offering rare insight into the arbitrary and often brutal world of Hollywood ladder-climbing. But where similar conversations devolve into “man shouting at cloud” status, Ratliff’s knack for self-parody saves, and elevates, his show.