Naomi and Aaron discuss the TV show Breaker High (1997-98).

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Ahoy, Sweater Wearers! This week we sail back to the late 90s and into the Canadian teen sitcom Breaker High, a much requested topic for our show. Airing from 1997 to 1998 on YTV, Breaker High captured the imaginations of young viewers by setting high school on a cruise ship. We explore many of the characters, including the wacky Sean, played by a young Ryan Gosling showing off his comedic chops in the role. Maybe we're biased by future knowledge of baby Gosling's success, but he stands out as a real talent. We discuss Breaker High's filming location in Burnaby, BC, and we examine the sometimes dated depictions of other cultures, languages, and cuisines that make the show a bit cringey to watch today. We end by musing about how Breaker High portrays a fantasy where kids from different social groups—whether nerd, cool, jock, or joker—are all friends. In fact, little Naomi had an on-going fantasy similar to Breaker High, except it took place on a spaceship, a show idea we'll be pitching to YTV soon enough.

Naomi and Aaron discuss the TV show Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent (2023-).

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In this edition of Sweater Weather, we wade into the murky world of Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent. In total disregard of the law, in no particular order, we laugh about the unique Canadian spin on the Law & Order franchise, set in Toronto. We enjoy the show's fast-paced, clue-hopping style, we reminisce about watching the endless re-runs of the original Law & Order with good ole Jerry Orbach (aka Lenny), and we debate the origins of the exaggerated hoser accent of Detective Henry Graff, played by the series’ charismatic star, Aden Young.

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In this episode, we re-visit the controversial and classic Canadian novel Bear (1976) by Marian Engel. The winner of the Governor General's Award for fiction, Bear is known for its scandalous content and has sparked discussions for decades with its unconventional narrative about a woman's romantic relationship with a bear. We explore Engel's life, as well as the broader feminist and nationalist themes that permeate her book. We also touch on the cultural context of the 1970s, the power of ursine symbolism in Canadian culture, and our own (entirely chaste) encounters with bears in real life. Finally, we wonder if it would be possible to write a sequel to this wild novel.

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In this episode, we dive into the movie BlackBerry (2023), starring Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton and Matt Johnson (Johnson also directed the film). The film rides a wave of early 2000s nostalgia and explores a pre-smartphone era, and we reminisce about never having a BlackBerry ourselves while people around us did. We especially enjoyed a scene where an obnoxious businessman swizzles whiskey and chomps a cigar while showing off his new BlackBerry. We delve into the contrasting personalities of the Co-CEOs, Mike Lazaridis (played by Jay Baruchel) and Jim Balsillie (played by Glenn Howerton), drawing comparisons to the similiar tech-founder narrative of The Social Network. Finally, we talk about the film's portrayal of BlackBerry's changing workplace culture and Mike Lazaridis's dissolving ideals on the way to the BlackBerry's downfall.