Listener sentiment
Blank Check remains a deeply beloved show for its devoted listener base, who continue to praise hosts Griffin Newman and David Sims for their encyclopedic film knowledge, infectious enthusiasm, and the rare ability to make even widely dismissed films worth unpacking — many longtime fans describe it as an irreplaceable weekly ritual. The structural criticisms that have dogged the show for months persist: episodes routinely spend 15 to 30 minutes on tangential banter before reaching the titular film, and both hosts' habit of talking over each other and especially over female guests continues to alienate listeners who find the chaos exhausting rather than charming. Mixed reactions to the on-air presence of Marie and to the Critical Darlings companion series also continue, with some welcoming the additional perspectives and others finding the dynamics off-putting. A notable new wrinkle in the most recent window is a cluster of politically motivated negative reviews centered on the appearance of recurring guest Jordan Hoffman, with several listeners citing his presence as grounds for unsubscribing — a shift from the usual format and pacing complaints toward more ideologically charged backlash. Meanwhile, a few longtime listeners continue to mourn the show's evolution toward more guarded, celebrity-driven conversations, missing the freewheeling intimacy that originally drew them in. For the core audience, Blank Check is still essential listening; for structure-oriented listeners and those put off by the recent guest controversies, the barriers are growing.
Apple4.3 · 746
Summary generated Sep 21, 2026
