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The White Shadow Rewatch: “The Links,” “The Stripper,” and “Gonna Fly Now”

Joe and Carlos recap three Season 2 episodes of The White Shadow focused on Coach Ken Reeves and the Carver High team. In “The Links,” Reeves golfs with his brother-in-law’s country club crowd, brings Coolidge, Thorpe, and Salami, and the players face overt racism when they can’t be served at the 19th hole; the episode also includes Reeves dating a club member’s daughter, Salami’s awkward double date at a drive-in, and pop-culture references (Chico Escuela, EF Hutton), plus notes like Alan Alda’s father appearing. In “The Stripper,” Reeves dates chemistry teacher Sybil Buchanan, who performs as a dancer; the team sees her at Papillon, gossip spreads (including via New York), Salami’s father leads a book-banning effort, and Buchanan resigns. In “Gonna Fly Now,” a PCP talk leads into Phil’s drug flashback/party incident, a rooftop suicide, and Reeves helping his police-officer girlfriend bust a drug lab.

00:00 Three Episodes Tease

00:59 Links Setup Golf Invite

03:59 Reeves Double Date Chaos

07:26 Pop Culture Bits

08:16 Country Club Racism

11:17 Links Wrap and Trivia

12:47 The Stripper Begins

14:00 Salami Dad Book Ban

15:55 Strip Club Discomfort

17:27 Art vs Porn Debate

18:20 Reeves Ultimatum Disaster

18:54 Students Spot Teacher

21:06 School Board Fallout

22:32 PCP Warning Assembly

23:27 Big Game Celebration

24:36 Phil Gets Dosed

28:03 Rooftop Jump Shock

30:33 Questionable Probable Cause

31:53 Wrap Up and Next Week