Wonderful! 413: In Thickness and In Health

In this vibrant episode of Wonderful!, Rachel and Griffin McElroy dive into a mix of personal reflections, nostalgic pop culture, and heartfelt connections. They begin by riffing on their own podcasting habits, joking about the need to streamline their long-winded introductions, and celebrate the intimacy of their 'small wonders' segment. Rachel shares her joy in discovering a 'Welcome. Everything is fine.' sign from The Good Place, which resonated with her therapist, while Griffin recounts how a Pokemon-stickered mug helped ease his son Henry’s anxiety at the orthodontist—highlighting the deep, formative role Pokémon plays in their family life. The duo then pivot to a nostalgic deep dive into 1980s and 90s novelty landline phones, exploring their cultural roots in the deregulation of AT&T and the explosion of creative phone designs like the Garfield, Bart Simpson, and ALF models. They marvel at the whimsy and absurdity of these phones, imagining how they’d look in a modern Apple-style product reveal. The episode culminates in a passionate recommendation of Korean singer-songwriter Gina (J-E-E-N-A), whose new single 'Flood' blends grungy rock, 90s pop energy, and a powerful, brassy voice, drawing comparisons to Duncan Sheik and Shania Twain. The hosts also share listener-submitted small wonders—finishing a dip and its vehicle at once, and the magic of soaking a grimy dish—and reflect on how their podcast serves as a therapeutic space for their marriage, offering a rare moment of uninterrupted conversation amid the chaos of parenting. The episode closes with a playful, poetic sign-off: 'In thickness and in health,' a phrase that encapsulates both the physical weight of their final Adventure Zone graphic novel and the emotional depth of their journey together.