5.1: The Fast and the Furious

Published: June 6, 2019, 4 p.m.

We’re kicking off Season 5 of Not Playing by getting all speed and irascible with the first installment of the the storied automotive action franchise, 2001’s The Fast and the Furious. Hot topics include how bad a cop Brian O’Conner is, the disappointing treatment of female characters circa 2001, and why exactly this movie spawned an action franchise. Programming Note: In addition to this capsule episode, which contains our discussion before and after the film, members can watch along with Lex and Dan in a full-length commentary track, available in the members-only First Class feed. If you’re not already a member, why not sign up? And if you are, now’s a great time to update your membership allocations and maybe throw a little support in the direction of Not Playing. Thanks!