The Story Behind the Story Season 2 Episodes

Episode 1

A Boy and His Dog

Wed, Jan 25, 2023

After selling his beloved dog for enough money to eat, the boy is motivated to award-winning efforts to be able to buy the dog back.

Episode 2

The Cherry Pie Is to Die For

Wed, Dec 14, 2022

Mike Rowe and Matt discuss love, murder, a postal worker named Ted, and one very famous cherry pie.

Episode 3

Armed for Love

Sat, Nov 5, 2022

Episode 4

Standing Ovation

Wed, Feb 15, 2023

From a deprived war-time existence in an occupied country, this young girl becomes a celebrated star and humanitarian.

Episode 5

Breaking the Silence

Wed, Dec 7, 2022

This story starts out in a classroom and ends up traveling to a galaxy far, far away. Donald Crouch is an 8th grade teacher who encountered Jim who has a very bad stuttering problem except when he quotes poetry. When Donald asks his class to write a poem about something they are passionate about, well Jim writes about something new in his life that he falls in love with. During the Depression rickets and scurvy were a public health issue in Michigan and the government sent tons of vitamin C up from Florida to combat the problem. Earlier that week a welfare worker had delivered a case of grapefruit to Jim's home. With Jim's new found love he writes an outstanding poem titled "Ode to a Grapefruit". When his teacher, Donald, reads how good it is and knowing how bad Jim stutters except when quoting poetry he accuses Jim of plaguerism putting Jim on the spot. Jim was so angry with Mr. Crouch thinking that he sprung from his seat and recited "Ode to a Grapefruit" just as he had written it. Although angry Jim's voice was clear, and big and booming. Jim became a master at memorization, which lead to Jim joining the debate class that lead to the theater where eventually he ended up playing the lead in the cast of Othello on Broadway. A Tony award followed, then an Emmy, then an honorary Oscar. Eventually, Jim would find himself in a galaxy far, far away as the voice of Darth Vader.

Episode 6

Rose Garden Rubbish

Wed, Dec 21, 2022

Mike Rowe and Matt discuss a speech writer who just couldn't catch a break.

Episode 7

Oh Brother!

Wed, Nov 23, 2022

This episode is the only one where Mike does not mention the name of the person he is referring to. But, it is about two brothers, Ed is a staunch Republican while his younger brother is a Democrat. Both brothers were actors, although Ed was the more famous having performed around the world. During their Thanksgiving dinner the brothers bickered over everything, the economy, immigration taxes, race relations, the future of the Supreme Court and the border. With the upcoming presidential election coming up Ed's little brother went on and on about how the Democrat would win in a landslide. Even the pundits said so. So did the pollsters and media. At the Thanksgiving dinner Ed was trying not to gloat over the fact that the Republican candidate won. His little brother bemoaned the future of the 1st Amendment and the faith of the Supreme Court. He continued to declare an end to America's democracy and that the baffoon in the White House was a dictator. At the end of the heated discussion Ed's little brother stormed out of the room and out of the house. Ed sat there wondering how many other Thanksgiving dinners had been spoiled by political bickering. Five months later Ed's little brother would have a cameo performance that would leave Ed forever forgotten. Only three words were spoken: "Sic semper tyrannis". These three words were spoken after Ed's little brother shot President Abraham Lincoln in the back of the head and jumped down onto the stage. Ed's little brother, well his name does not bear mentioning, but for anyone who doesn't know who he is, he is John Wilkes Booth.

Episode 8

Donnie's Secret

Wed, Dec 28, 2022

Mike starts us off in an empty cinema, except for a Marine watching the movie Bambi with tears in his eyes. And here is where someone flubbed it. The Marine has the enlisted rank of Sergeant Major (E-9) and the office rank of Captain (O-3). (This is the only time I've seen a mistake like this on the show.) The Marine's name is Donnie. Donnie serves as a drill instructor right out of boot camp and also ends up with distinguish service in Vietnam. He retires after 13 promotions as a major (O-4). But Donnie has a pre-Corp secret.

Episode 9

A Patient Man

Wed, Jul 12, 2023

This story centers around John and his true love Peggy who live in Atlanta. John has proposed to Peggy, but she doesn't say Yes. She also doesn't say No. Instead, five other eligible bachelors propose to Peggy, one being John's best friend, Rhett. Rhett and Peggy married, but the two were too different and shortly the marriage fell apart. Soon John swooped in and he and Peggy were married. With John's dabbling in journalism he encouraged Peggy to follow her dreams of writing and Peggy did write, and write, and write about what many thought was a biographical novel of Peggy's life. But, she never admitted it to be so. When Peggy presented the 1037 page historical novel to her publisher he had but only one change. The leading lady who has had all of the experiences could not have a name of Pansy. That would never do. So, John and Peggy put their minds together and came up with a new name for the leading lady of this epic novel ... Scarlett.

Episode 10

A Disaster in the Kitchen

Wed, Jan 4, 2023

Mike Rowe and Matt review the world's worst cake and the baker that made it.

Episode 11

Clean Up on Aisle 4!

Sat, Jan 21, 2023

Mike introduces us to a story about the employees at Randall's Grocery Store on September 16th, 1989. On this day a bigwig was visiting the nearby space center and wanted to see the store. The store was fully stocked and the aisles were spotlessly cleaned. The visitor was impressed with the store, but the sight of frozen Pudding Popsicles left the visitor in utter disbelief. The visitor's world had been turned upside down in an instant from his visit to this store. The man who visited Randall's had just been elected to the highest office in the land. He returned home, resigned from his party and started making reforms. Just two years later, under his presidency, the Soviet Union would dissolve. The man's name was Boris Yeltsin. Mike and Matt discuss this, along with reiterating that President Ronald Reagan told Mikail Gorbachev to tear down the wall. Matt relates that he was in Mikael Gorbachev's office working on another project and was told that the things that Boris Yeltsin had seen indicated that the Soviet Union was destined to collapse. In this 2018 meeting Gorbachev admits that he feels God intervened to bring Presidents Reagan and Gorbachev together.

Episode 12

A Potty Mouth with a Secret

Sat, Jan 21, 2023

A man with a checkered past and a penchant for foul language survives a gun battle in a turf war before becoming a household name in the food industry.

Episode 13

An Incredible Reinvention

Wed, Jan 25, 2023

Mike and Matt discuss the story of a wallpaper cleaning product invented by Cleo that gains new customers after Joe convinces Bob to advertise it on his TV show for children.