Blank Plate: A Podcast for Swifties with an Appetite

We’ve had to put the rest of TTPD on hold yet again because of Showgirl … so today we’re diving into the first track of the Encore: Patient Zero. We discuss all the little ways Taylor has callbacks to previous songs and relationships (since she has quite a bit of experience with narcissists), Laura explains her personal connection to this song, and we break down the music video. At the beginning of the episode we also get into some of the negative discourse surrounding these new tracks.
Chapters
(0:00) intro
(0:58) what’s on our plates
(6:55) thoughts on the Encore criticism
(11:48) Taylor updates
(15:22) introducing the song
(18:51) personal associations
(22:37) folk’lore’ of the song
(25:58) chorus 1: devils and poison
(30:01) verse 1: give me a call
(32:16) pre-chorus and chorus 2: it’s so wholesome
(34:23) verse 2: love bombing
(38:42) pre-chorus 2: the fallout of love bombing
(40:27) chorus 3: she was patient
(41:40) bridge: just two gals yappin’
(53:51) outro: reeling, healing, curses, prayers, fevers, dreaming and pathetic ghosts
(1:04:20) music theory analysis
(1:07:07) music video analysis
(1:27:42) favorite lyrics and ratings
(1:30:11) this song as a recipe
(1:32:17) signing off
SUPPORT US ON PATREON! Show us some love and get monthly bonus episodes and first dibs on upcoming episode ideas. We’d be enchanted to have you join our Swiftie community!
Links Referenced
Hannah’s tweet about the outro lyrics
Brigid Kaelin’s TikTok about the music theory of Patient Zero
The Kitchn ranks 6 icebox cake recipes
Please make sure to subscribe and leave a review. If you’d like to reach out to send in a question or comment, please do so via any of these platforms:
email blankplatepod@gmail.com
leave a voicemail at (717) 382-831
Patreon (get bonus episodes and first dibs on episode ideas)
YouTube
Instagram
TikTok
You can also follow Sara and Laura individually:
• Laura: Instagram and Tiktok
• Sara: Instagram
Listen to our previous podcast: Passports & Pizza

Join us as we live react to the four brand new tracks for The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore. If you want the full experience and to see our facial expressions, you’ll want to check out this episode on YouTube. But since it is roughly 75% discussion, we decided to also release it on our podcast feed as an audio-only reaction. Time will tell where these tracks land for us in the greater landscape of the Taylor Swift discography, but we certainly had a blast listening to them for the first time. Enjoy!
Chapters
(0:00) intro
(1:37) Patient Zero (theories)
(4:42) Patient Zero (listening)
(8:15) Patient Zero (discussion)
(14:41) Cleveland! (theories)
(15:58) Cleveland! (listening)
(18:58) Cleveland! (discussion)
(25:06) Pink Clouding (theories)
(27:20) Pink Clouding (listening)
(30:28) Pink Clouding (discussion)
(35:44) speculation about more tracks
(39:54) Babylon (theories)
(42:02) Babylon (listening)
(45:43) Babylon (discussion)
(54:22) sister songs
(55:39) personal rankings and final thoughts
SUPPORT US ON PATREON! Show us some love and get monthly bonus episodes and first dibs on upcoming episode ideas. We’d be enchanted to have you join our Swiftie community!
Please make sure to subscribe and leave a review. If you’d like to reach out to send in a question or comment, please do so via any of these platforms:
email blankplatepod@gmail.com
leave a voicemail at (717) 382-831
Patreon (get bonus episodes and first dibs on episode ideas)
YouTube
Instagram
TikTok
You can also follow Sara and Laura individually:
• Laura: Instagram and Tiktok
• Sara: Instagram
Listen to our previous podcast: Passports & Pizza

**Correction about the SNL theory: there IS a musical guest already scheduled for Dakota Johnson’s appearance on SNL on Oct 3, so …. take that theory we mentioned with a huge grain of salt.
Today we’re covering My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys, one of the only true bangers from TTPD. Did Taylor have Toy Story on the brain while she was writing this one? Maybe … In personal updates we recap our annual Feast of St. Pizza and discuss some new music we’ve been listening to, and then in Taylor Updates we chat about her Emmys sketch and all of the Easter eggs she left for us. Then at the end we get a bonus recommendation from Sara for boxed mac and cheese. Enjoy!
Note for those viewing on YouTube: Sara’s video cuts out a few times due to technical difficulties, but there is no effect on the audio.
Chapters
(0:00) intro
(0:44) what’s on our plates
(15:19) Taylor updates
(26:46) introducing the song
(29:01) personal associations
(30:43) folk’lore’ of the song
(35:36) verse 1: rain + rivulets
(44:46) chorus 1: queen of sand castles
(51:36) verse 2: pull my string
(55:55) chorus 2: smashing up forever
(58:30) bridge and outro: once I fix me, he’s gonna miss me
(1:07:11) music theory analysis
(1:08:53) favorite lyrics and ratings
(1:10:27) this song as a recipe
(1:14:24) signing off
SUPPORT US ON PATREON! Show us some love and get monthly bonus episodes and first dibs on upcoming episode ideas. We’d be enchanted to have you join our Swiftie community!
Links Referenced
Sara Bareilles performs “Forever” Live at SiriusXM
Emmys Producers Dish On Taylor Swift ‘SVU’ Sketch
Taylor Swift's First Draft of 'My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys' Has a Heartbreaking Lyric Left Out of Final Version
Please make sure to subscribe and leave a review. If you’d like to reach out to send in a question or comment, please do so via any of these platforms:
email blankplatepod@gmail.com
leave a voicemail at (717) 382-831
Patreon (get bonus episodes and first dibs on episode ideas)
YouTube
Instagram
TikTok
You can also follow Sara and Laura individually:
• Laura: Instagram and Tiktok
• Sara: Instagram
Listen to our previous podcast: Passports & Pizza

We’re back in TTPD Land! While this is admittedly not one of our favorite tracks from the album, we still had a great time breaking down the fever dream that is this song, as well as the world Taylor has created for it. During the “Taylor Updates” section we get into the recent Grammys Museum interview and performance she did, and in our “What’s On Our Plates” section we go on a tangent about hormones and walkability. We hope you enjoy!
Chapters
(0:00) intro
(1:34) what’s on our plates
(17:55) Taylor updates
(29:54) introducing the song
(33:09) personal associations
(38:37) folk’lore’ of the song
(44:46) verse 1: they forgot to come and get me and what is “quite treason?”
(52:40) chorus 1: turned into good neighbors
(59:26) verse 2: the miracle move-on drug
(1:05:48) chorus 2: “come and tug my sweater”
(1:11:57) bridge + outro: take me to Flo-ri-da
(1:19:43) musical theory analysis
(1:21:52) favorite lyrics and ratings
(1:24:07) this song as a recipe
(1:26:15) signing off
SUPPORT US ON PATREON! Show us some love and get monthly bonus episodes and first dibs on upcoming episode ideas. We’d be enchanted to have you join our Swiftie community!
Links Referenced
Sylvia Plath Connections to “Fortnight”
Please make sure to subscribe and leave a review. If you’d like to reach out to send in a question or comment, please do so via any of these platforms:
email blankplatepod@gmail.com
leave a voicemail at (717) 382-831
Patreon (get bonus episodes and first dibs on episode ideas)
YouTube
Instagram
TikTok
You can also follow Sara and Laura individually:
• Laura: Instagram and Tiktok
• Sara: Instagram
Listen to our previous podcast: Passports & Pizza

Content warning: This episode touches on pregnancy, postpartum, infertility and pregnancy loss, mainly during the personal updates section between timestamps (0:55) and (38:15). If that is not something you’re in a place to hear about right now, please take care of yourself and skip this episode. We’ll see you in the next one (and send you virtual hugs).
WELCOME BACK, LAURA!! Laura’s back from maternity leave!! We have a lot of catching up to do so this episode is heavy on the personal updates, and the personal updates are also heavy. We also chat a little bit about recent new music and our go-to summer meals. Once all that is out of the way we get to dive into this joyful little number that Taylor wrote for Toy Story 5. We had a lot of fun dissecting this song and remarking on how well Taylor writes about the innocence of childhood. As usual, expect plenty of tears mixed with some laughter and an overall great time. It feels good to be back. Enjoy!
Chapters
(0:00) intro
(0:55) personal updates
(38:15) thoughts on new music lately
(47:14) our go-to summer meals
(48:52) quick Taylor updates
‍(50:55) introducing the song
(53:16) personal associations
(1:00:31) folk’lore’ of the song
(1:06:36) verse 1: the innocence of childhood
(1:15:07) chorus 1: a cozy kind of coming home
(1:18:44) verse 2: familiarity and bringing things back to life
(1:21:43) bridge: rivulets!
(1:23:29) chorus 3 and outro
(1:24:22) musical theory notes
(1:28:24) favorite lyrics and ratings
(1:30:10) this song as a recipe
(1:32:09) signing off
SUPPORT US ON PATREON! Show us some love and get monthly bonus episodes and first dibs on upcoming episode ideas. We’d be enchanted to have you join our Swiftie community!
Links Referenced
Instagram post with Taylor’s video about writing the song
‘Toy Story 5’ VFX Supervisor Has Been Keeping Taylor Swift Song a Secret Since February: ‘We Had to Create a Decoy Version of the Film’ Without It
TikTok video by Brigid Kaelin about the chord progression
Meadow Tea recipe
Please make sure to subscribe and leave a review. If you’d like to reach out to send in a question or comment, please do so via any of these platforms:
email blankplatepod@gmail.com
leave a voicemail at (717) 382-831
Patreon (get bonus episodes and first dibs on episode ideas)
YouTube
Instagram
TikTok
You can also follow Sara and Laura individually:
• Laura: Instagram and Tiktok
• Sara: Instagram
Listen to our previous podcast: Passports & Pizza