The lads are back from LA and on reflection it seems they had trips of wildly different fortunes, with Joe left feeling rejected (but not at all bitter) by the Hollywood elite, while Darren returned with tales of robot butlers and a suitcase bulging with the spoils of the soft drink wars. There's also a deep dive into the world of chewing gum and competitive chewing, and Joe is amazed by the cultural differences in different areas of Dublin when it comes to etiquette around shopping trolleys. A few miles can make a world of difference, it seems.

Darren and Joe struggle to decide how far into the future they would like to see and debate the likelihood of winning a dance off against Rihanna. Then, left up to their own devices, they hit the streets of LA and attempt to get the public's opinions.

Darren and Joe ventured outside of Dublin to see what LA has to offer. While there Darren’s childhood dream of re-enacting Little Nicky goes awry because of a chicken shortage and the true extent of Joe’s friendship with Barry Keoghan is revealed. They also get momentarily distracted by the arrival of an ice-cream van.

We wrestle with questions of great philosophical depth, and unmatched nonsensical reasoning, as the morality of injuring grass come to the fore, the pros and cons of life as a cruise ship are considered, and a Dacia Duster poses a potentially lethal question.

We pass through tales of kissing machines (and Joe’s dreams of them), Darren’s run ins with suburban witches, the mystery of friends with secret homes, much misunderstanding of evolution, and Darren’s memories of a childhood career on the milk rounds.

Darren and Joe explore the consequences of psychic abilities and dirty kitchens. Darren argues that a world of vampires would lead to a better social life and Joe insists that he does not lie - And is instantly caught out in his dishonesty.

We go on an odyssey this week, as Darren chases dreams of glory as the owner of Charlestown Athletic F.C, with a motley crew of locals lads and bus drivers setting out on the road to sporting immortality. What begins as an innocent dream soon descends into a tangled web of board room betrayal, wayward footballing geniuses, dodgy signings from Kimmage, extortion and allegations of kidnapping. Can Darren bring Champions League football to Charlestown, or will it all come crumbling down around him? And can Joe be trusted to not sabotage him at every turn?

Darren wrestles with impossible choices that will impact his ability to sit down for five years, while Joe realises just how much he wants to resurrect an iconic Irish venue. There's also calls for the rebirth of a kids TV classic.

We're joined by comedian Peter McGann this week. We look back at the most sinister and disturbing reality TV formats, from unsettling familial relationships to competitive car chases, and Peter predicts Darren & Joe will bring to life a film franchise set (largely) in a haunted house. Joe explains the concept of "the third man", and Darren reveals for the first time his secret past life as a wannabe DJ.

An unexpected visit from the Talking Bollox hosts. They manage to derail the lads from discussing which politician looks the most like a pack of rich tea biscuits, but also reveal Joe's dreams shared, in confidence, at the GoLoud Christmas party.

While Darren is fretting about the costs of a themed wedding, Joe is exploring the history of the sliced pan. There's a plan hatched to set a world record in a particularly Irish discipline, and the lads love of The Last of Us has them asking how the world would change without humans around for the upkeep. Plus there's the realisation that there is far more to the world of competitive Rubik's Cube solving than we anticipated.

Darren & Joe discuss Dublin's best pubs for visitors, a shrine to celebrity in the inner city, Darren's confusion over the finer details of how commerce works, how small moments can put you off a food forever, and their dreams careers in a Last of Us style apocalypse.

The lads are concerned with hereditary maladies and promises of eternal youth, or at least solutions to beat the cankles. Darren’s got Big Brother dreams and, simultaneously, nightmares that reality TV is going to catch up with him, and Joe takes a brief anthropological exploration into the world on app dating.

Your questions have Darren denying he is flexing his influencer status to secure big money discounts on luxury items, while the lads try to offer a listener their wise guidance on a big life problem, and inevitably end up suggesting Jenga.

Barry Keoghan's recent success has Darren questioning if Joe's currently unrequited friendship with Barry is a case of life imitating art, and if Joe might just be a bit dull. Joe counters the suggestion with a story about the daring and haphazard moving of a giant outdoor photo, in what was ultimately an act of (yet more) unrequited friendship. And the lads explore the world of cryptozoology, from the Loch Ness Monster to Bigfoot, and even an Irish beast that may live among us.

Bitter Oscar acceptance speeches and a life of luxury in the skies are on the agenda for this week's bonus episode. Darren argues blimps are commonplace, while Joe is drawing up a shortlist of targets for when the Academy finally recognises his genius.

Killer clowns, high priced feline artworks, and popcorn scented candles are the focus of the lads attention this week, with Joe bringing us back through the decades for some historical oddities and morbid curiosities, while Darren is brainstorming for a merchandising empire in the luxury interiors industry.

Darren & Joe have to weigh up which animal they would feel confident of beating in a foot race, and quickly come to an underwhelming conclusion. There's also ponderings on a career in a doorbell factory, and a literal million dollar question.

The lads take a journey through the world of international espionage, from the Cold War to mysterious code breaking, and they ask about the evolutionary origins of inexplicable body parts. And Darren plans a 5am carvery.

A listener offers the lads cold hard cash to swap accents, and Joe gets an unsolicited and very specific elocution lesson.