Podcasts · TV & Film

Shrink The Box

Sony Music Entertainment

51 episodes · Explicit

Ever wondered why Frasier Crane is such a snob? How Tyrion Lannister’s bawdy humour saves him in Game of Thrones? What makes Schitts Creek’s Moira Rose a narcissist?

More about the show

‘Shrink the Box’ is where actor comedian Ben Bailey Smith and psychotherapist Nemone Metaxas put their favourite fictional characters such Tommy from Peaky Blinders and Sydney from The Bear on the couch - to analyse why their behaviour causes them so much drama.

Nemone and Ben explore why these characters make certain decisions, what would happen if they made different ones and what we can learn from their mistakes. The perfect combination of psychology, self-help and the best TV since the birth of the box-set.

We would love to hear your theories: shrinkthebox@sonymusic.com

A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us at @sonypodcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com

Episodes page 1 of 2

  1. Introducing: How to Date

    · 10 min · Trailer

    Looking for love or navigating the modern dating world? We've got just the thing! How to Date is your ultimate guide to the highs, lows, and everything in between of modern romance. Hosted by broadcaster and author…

  2. Do you have a critical inner voice? Plus forgotten actors enjoying a renaissance and your questions answered - SHRINK THE INBOX

    · 49 min · S2 E20

    For the last episode of this season, team STB gets real with those pesky inner monologues (as promised in the Carrie: Sex and the City episode). Plus, what's the connection between 80s comedy-thriller Lovejoy and The…

  3. CARRIE BRADSHAW – How to fight the patriarchy and stop obsessing over relationships – SHRINK THE BOX

    · 50 min · S2 E19

    In our final character episode of this season, we put Carrie from Sex and the City on the couch. Nemone looks at why Sex and the City hasn’t aged well, and Ben talks about diversity in the privileged, white world of…

  4. JACKSON LAMB in SLOW HORSES: Do spies make the best therapists? – SHRINK THE BOX

    · 48 min · S2 E18

    Ben and Nemone put Jackson Lamb from Slow Horses on the couch. Gary Oldman’s version of Mick Herron’s character has become household name, and you can see why. A man with many layers, a million secrets, and a lightning…

  5. CAPTAIN HOLT of BROOKLYN 99: Neurodiverse, gay and battling racism – SHRINK THE BOX

    · 46 min · S2 E17

    Ben and Nemone put Raymond Holt on the couch. We look at how this trailblazing policeman (the first black, gay police captain in the force) stands out from the rest of the precinct. We learn how family dynamics inform…

  6. SCHITT’S CREEK and Moira Rose: this is narcissism – SHRINK THE BOX

    · 48 min · S2 E16

    Ben and Nemone put Moira Rose on the couch and take a deep dive into her narcissistic tendencies, and what effect that has on the rest of the Schitts. Nemone explains how narcissism is not as easy to spot as its…

  7. Explaining addicts' behaviour, ‘trapped’ dramas (Handmaid’s Tale) and your questions - SHRINK THE INBOX

    · 49 min · S2 E15

    If characters in ‘trapped’ dramas escape, is that the end of the show? Ben and Nemone explore The Handmaid’s Tale and Severance as examples. Plus, Ben reacts to a listener’s ‘constructive’ feedback and Nemone explores…

  8. THE WIRE’S Bubbles: How do you help an addict? – SHRINK THE BOX

    · 50 min · S2 E14

    Ben and Nemone discuss The Wire’s ‘Bubbles’ aka Reginald Collins. An informant and heroin user, a man with a fragile support network who finds himself stranded while trying to forge closer bonds with those around him.…

  9. PEAKY BLINDERS’ Polly Shelby: the silent observer in all of us – SHRINK THE BOX

    · 47 min · S2 E13

    Ben and Nemone discuss Helen McCrory’s iconic Poly Shelby from Peaky Blinders. She’s a devout Catholic, but up to her neck in the murky world of bootlegging and murder. Nemone gets into the thorny question of how she…

  10. ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK’S “Taystee”: Adoption, Child States and Attachment Theory – SHRINK THE BOX

    · 47 min · S2 E12

    Ben and Nemone discuss Tasha Jefferson, aka Taystee, from Orange is the New Black. We get fascinating insights into child states and how difficult they are to escape; attachment theory and why prison can be a better…

  11. REESE WITHERSPOON and JENNIFER ANISTON’s Alex and Bradley tackle sexism and false selves on The Morning Show - SHRINK THE BOX

    · 46 min · S2 E11

    Ben and Nemone put Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s The Morning Show characters, Alex and Bradley, on the couch. We ask how a person creates a false self at work, what makes Bradley break the mould and find out…

  12. Addiction in “Euphoria”, Analysis vs. Therapy and Sir Salman Rushdie! - SHRINK THE INBOX

    · 42 min · S2 E10

    Ben and Nemone answer your questions and explore your suggestions. They talk about whether they have any friends who are spies and explore some brilliant female led comedies you've either missed or forgotten. We want…

  13. TYRION LANNISTER knows how to play the Game...of Thrones SHRINK THE BOX

    · 44 min · S2 E9

    Ben and Nemone put Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones on the couch. Tyrion doesn’t conform to society’s norms. How does he use that to his advantage? He’s booksmart, cunning and the most open-minded man in Westeros.…

  14. SYDNEY from THE BEAR: when will she reach her boiling point? SHRINK THE BOX

    · 48 min · S2 E8

    Ben and Nemone put sous-chef Sydney Adamu from The Bear into therapy. She helps whip the team at the restaurant into shape, she’s nurturing but anxious and riddled with self-doubt, not to mention a person of colour…

  15. CHANDLER BING: could it BE any more complicated? SHRINK THE BOX

    · 48 min · S2 E7

    Ben and Nemone put Chandler from Friends on the famous Central Perk couch to talk about his phobia of commitment, his attachment patterns and how he feels about mum AND dad putting on a black dress and trying to seduce…

  16. MICHAEL SCOTT invites you into The Office: SHRINK THE BOX

    · 46 min · S2 E6

    Ben and Nemone stroll into The Office (USA). They consider the differences between Michael Scott and David Brent, explore ego and ask why some people think they’re funny (when they’re just not). We want to hear about…

  17. SHRINK THE INBOX

    · 32 min · S2 E5

    Ben and Nemone answer your questions and explore your suggestions. They talk about whether they have any friends who are spies and explore some brilliant female led comedies you've either missed or forgotten. We want…

  18. LARRY DAVID: Curb star who falls out with everyone in SHRINK THE BOX

    · 47 min · S2 E4

    He’s grumpy, belligerent, stubborn, filterless and has to win every single argument. We ask how Larry David has any friends left and why he is so concerned with manners, yet is rude to virtually everyone he meets.…

  19. TOMMY SHELBY: We Peek Behind the Blinders in SHRINK THE BOX

    · 49 min · S2 E3

    Gang dynamics, whether you can escape a criminal heritage and the physiological cause and effect of PTSD. Plus, race rigging, opium smoking and casual violence - all in a day's work for The Peaky Blinders. Here’s the…

  20. CERSEI LANNISTER’s Power Behind the Throne: SHRINK THE BOX

    · 46 min · S2 E2

    As Cersei says: ‘power is power’ and she’s got it in spades. We investigate how she becomes a master manipulator, and we take an honest objective look at her over-familiar relations with her brother Jaime. We want to…

  21. FRASIER CRANE: Inside the mind of the Seattle psychiatrist on this week’s SHRINK THE BOX

    · 49 min · S2 E1

    Where does Frasier’s snobbery originate from? Why does he revert to his ‘child state’ when around his father? And... the hidden story behind Frasier being a Freudian analyst and Niles (his brother) being a Jungian…

  22. Introducing...Shrink The Box Series 2

    · 1:12 · Trailer

    Ever wondered why Frasier Crane is such a snob? How Tyrion Lannister’s bawdy humour saves him in Game of Thrones? What makes Schitts Creek’s Moira Rose a narcissist? ‘Shrink the Box’ is where actor comedian Ben Bailey…

  23. 28: Shrink the Inbox

    · 26 min · S1 E28 · Explicit

    BBC’s ‘Ghosts’ - we explore them further. We also ask if Homer Simpson is abusive and we answer your questions in this special bonus edition. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/shrink Try it risk-free now…

  24. 27: Shrink the Inbox

    · 28 min · S1 E27 · Explicit

    Ben’s close encounter with an obsessive fan. Plus we ask why writers create good-looking psychopaths and we explore your character suggestions in this special bonus edition. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼…

  25. 26: The Bear - Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto

    · 49 min · S1 E26

    As Season 2 hits our screens, we reflect on the recipe that had everyone crying into their dinner, how Carmy and Ritchie approach grief differently and how advice from a Vietnamese Buddist Monk can be applied to a…

  26. 25: Sex Education - Otis, Eric and Adam

    · 46 min · S1 E25

    You’d think someone with two therapist parents would be golden. Why Otis is scared of sex. Plus what’s worse, having a parent who is strict or a smotherer? We look at what it’s like for the rest of the boys such as…

  27. 24: Sex Education - Maeve Wiley

    · 45 min · S1 E24 · Explicit

    What it’s like being called a ‘cock-biter’ - how Maeve is misunderstood and underestimated. Plus revenge porn, toxic friendships and fears or fascination around sex. In this two parter: we look at the girls first and…

  28. 23: Jamie Tovell - Top Boy

    · 48 min · S1 E23 · Explicit

    Emotional contagion in gang culture is not the only issue driving this week's client. Does compartmentalising ruthless work and being a caregiver have ill effects? We delve into how grief can drive reckless…

  29. 22: Mitch and Cam - Modern Family

    · 46 min · S1 E22 · Explicit

    The difference between personality types: Feeler or Dealer. Plus why Mitch is so desperate to be one of the crowd and Cam wants to stand outside of it. We explore two of our favourite characters in more detail. If you…

  30. 21: Wendy Byrde - Ozark

    · 44 min · S1 E21 · Explicit

    What does infidelity say about a marriage? How can honesty in the face of money laundering keep a family together, and what sort of mother is Wendy? We learn how a wholesome American mum holds her nerve (and maybe even…

  31. 20: Ghosts - Mike Cooper

    · 43 min · S1 E20 · Explicit

    With special guest Kiell Smith-Bynoe who plays Mike in hit BBC comedy ‘Ghosts’. Ben and Sasha ask: is sharing your partner with a group of ghosts a metaphor for partnerships and what’s it like to act next to dead…

  32. 19: Seinfeld - George Costanza

    · 46 min · S1 E19 · Explicit

    What’s an anxious ruminator? What happens when self-blame is a way of life and how stationery can be lethal? We learn that there’s a little bit of George in all of us and how to keep it at bay. Our top ten George…

  33. 18: Happy Valley - Catherine Cawood

    · 47 min · S1 E18 · Explicit

    How anger can be a force for good, are we misusing the word ‘trigger’ and what happens when a birthday party turns into a domestic. We deep dive into the police sergeant’s life to see how she copes (or not). If you…

  34. 17: Schitt’s Creek - David and Alexis Rose

    · 52 min · S1 E17 · Explicit

    Ben and Sasha break down how the Schitt’s Creek siblings are fuelled differently, the different flavours of wine, and why quality time with the ones who love us most, trumps all. If you have been affected by any of…

  35. 16: The White Lotus - Tanya McQuoid

    · 48 min · S1 E16 · Explicit

    Ben and Sasha ask why do some people behave like big babies (and why is it more obvious in wealthy people); why can trying to hold on to someone mean you actually push them away, and how can we learn to spot terrible…

  36. 15: Better Call Saul - Jimmy McGill

    · 49 min · S1 E15 · Explicit

    Ben & Sash explore what makes a successful confidence trickster, and how Jimmy McGill is full of contradictions: criminal and yet kind. Plus, how it’s difficult not to slide back into old habits without the right…

  37. 14: Shrink the Inbox

    · 29 min · S1 E14 · Explicit

    Ben Bailey Smith and Sasha Bates delve into the Shrink the Box emails to answer questions, discuss new character suggestions and pick each other’s brains. This week: they muse on whether the Roy Family (Succession)…

  38. 13: Shrink the Inbox

    · 28 min · S1 E13 · Explicit

    Ben and Sasha delve into the Shrink the Box emails to answer questions, discuss new character suggestions and pick each other’s brains. This week: they wonder whether analysing a fictional character means you are…

  39. 12: Succession - Shiv Roy

    · 47 min · S1 E12 · Explicit

    Siobhan Roy has it all: a high flying career, a man who adores her, and a private jet at her disposal. And still it’s not enough. This week we explore the most dysfunctional of family dynamics, how power is mistaken…

  40. 11: Friends - Ross & Monica Geller

    · 46 min · S1 E11 · Explicit

    We look at the Geller siblings: Ross and Monica. We explore why Monica said “If I could choose my parents, I’d choose yours” to her brother and whether her obsessive neatness is a problem. Plus, we ask why Ross’…

  41. 10: Killing Eve - Eve Polastri

    · 48 min · S1 E10 · Explicit

    Thrills, state secrets, and international assassins. Eve Polastri has always been wanted to be a MI6 spy. When she stumbles across Villanelle, she gets just that. We explore what happens when a romantically charged…

  42. 9: Bloodlines - Danny Rayburn

    · 46 min · S1 E9 · Explicit

    Meet the Rayburn’s. They are upstanding pillars of the community, hugely admired, and entirely dysfunctional. We delve into why Danny is actually the scapegoat, what the sympathetic ghost signifies, and just how…

  43. 8: I May Destroy You - Arabella Essiedu

    · 46 min · S1 E8 · Explicit

    Black, British and kind of famous, Michaela Coel’s Arabella colours outside of the lines; misses deadlines, and, can’t *quite* remember what happened to her last night? One woman’s search for the truth raises…

  44. 7: Wandavision - Wanda Maximoff

    · 44 min · S1 E7 · Explicit

    Transporting viewers to the idyllic, suburban world of Westview, New Jersey, but all is not how it seems. Despite her otherworldly powers, Wanda experiences grief and loss, just like the rest of us. Plus a deep dive…

  45. 6: Mad Men - Don Draper

    · 44 min · S1 E6 · Explicit

    Advertising sells - and Don Draper knows how to sell it better than anyone: a product, the American dream, and even himself. We look at why the ad-men of the ‘60s were so terrified of therapy, how sex is power, and…

  46. 5: Fleabag - Fleabag

    · 45 min · S1 E5 · Explicit

    Falling in love with a priest - whilst being deathly afraid of intimacy? What’s that about? Join us as we delve into the world of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag and find out why she is so intent on being quite so…

  47. 4: The Wire - Omar Little

    · 46 min · S1 E4 · Explicit

    Omar is only Barack Obama's favourite fictional character of all time. And perhaps ours too? We find out why we're on the side of the gun-toting, duster-coat wearing stick-up badass who robs drug dealers for a living.…

  48. 3: The Queen's Gambit - Beth Harmon

    · 38 min · S1 E3 · Explicit

    The often enigmatic chess genius that is Beth Harmon - is the Queen of this week’s episode. Ben and Sasha explore why Beth feels so compelled to clean up after parties - and how her controlled prowess at the…

  49. 2: Breaking Bad - Walter White

    · 42 min · S1 E2 · Explicit

    Sliding on their gloves, and stepping into their Hazmat suits, Ben and Sasha distil one of TV’s most infamous characters: The mighty Heisenburg. On this week’s Shrink the Box we uncover why Walter White is often in…

  50. 1: The Sopranos - Tony Soprano

    · 42 min · S1 E1 · Explicit

    Unravelling the complex (and surprisingly endearing) layers of the OG mobster: Mr Tony Soprano, all roads lead to New Jersey on the first episode of Shrink the Box! We find out why talking to a therapist is a…

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