Bucks County, USA

Evi and Vanessa kept their friendship alive across a divide that split their town in two. You might think, “they’re kids — what do they know.” But two teachers from opposite sides of that same divide are doing exactly the same thing — in fact, they became friends because of their opposing views. They had a curiosity about each other, and they acted on it.

The Challenge asks you to try what they did: find one person on the other side, and don’t let go of the conversation.

 

YOUR SIDE meets THEIR SIDE at the same TABLE

This isn’t a debate club, and it isn’t a book club. It’s a standing invitation to sit down — again and again — with someone whose politics, faith, or worldview runs against your own, and to use Bucks County, USA as motivation to finally do so.

Here’s how to start: who to call, how to structure the table, and how to keep it going after the credits roll.

This isn’t hypothetical — Kitty and Vonna are already doing it. The two began as unlikely friends who worked, delicately, toward a real connection — and now they want to inspire others to do the same. As seen in the series, they moderated a round table of ten students from both sides of the divide. And they didn’t stop when the cameras did: they’ve kept a table of their own running ever since, and they’re using their voice in the series to invite communities across the country to start one just like it. Their aim is to help hold their town together — building strength and respect that transcends national politics, right at the community level.

 

Nine Steps to Your Own Round Table

Work through these in order. The first four are setup — do them once. The rest repeat every time you meet.

1. Find Your Someone

Think of one person you already know and disagree with — a neighbor, a coworker, an in-law, an old friend you’ve gone quiet with. Someone you’d trust to argue fairly, not someone you’re trying to convert.

Reach out directly. A text or a call works better than a group invite: “I want to watch something and talk about it with someone who sees it differently than I do. Would that be you?”

2. Set Your Table

Decide the shape of the group. Start with two — a pair is the simplest version of the Challenge. From there, work up to a round table of four to eight people, evenly split across the divide you’re addressing, for a fuller conversation.

3. Pick Your Starting Point

Start with the first episode, “The Outbreak,” and continue in order through the last, “What Will Your Story Be?” The series is nuanced and follows an arc, so it’s best watched in order.

4. Choose Your Rhythm

Agree on a cadence before you watch a single minute — a standing rhythm is what turns one good conversation into a habit. Put every date on the calendar now, for the whole run of episodes.

• Weekly — 5 weeks, start to finish. Mirrors the show’s own release rhythm. Best for groups eager to move fast while each episode is fresh.
• Bi-Weekly — 10 weeks, start to finish. Gives everyone time to sit with an episode before the table meets — the most common choice for busy groups.
• Monthly — 5 months, start to finish. A slower burn for a standing group that wants this to become a lasting ritual, not a five-week project.

Once your rhythm is set, every session follows the same simple loop.

5. Watch on Your Own

Everyone watches that cycle’s episode separately, before the group meets — alone, with reactions unfiltered by anyone else in the room. If your group prefers to watch together, that works too; just build in quiet time afterward before talking begins.

6. Open with Ground Rules

Before the first conversation, agree on how you’ll talk with each other. The six ground rules below are a good place to start — revisit them briefly at the start of every session; they’re what make it safe to keep coming back.

 

Six Ground Rules for the Table

1. Establish the values you wish to hold toward each other, i.e. respect, grace, curiosity, etc.
2. One voice at a time. Listen generously and let each person finish before anyone responds.
3. Reflect back what you heard the other person say and show appreciation for it.
4. Argue with the idea, not the person sitting across from you.
5. You’re allowed to disagree and still come back next time — that’s the whole point.
6. What’s said at the table stays at the table, unless everyone agrees to share it.
7. If it gets too heated, pause, take a breath, don’t cancel the next session

7. Have the Conversation

Start with one question: what did you recognize from your own life in this episode? Give each person a full turn to answer, without interruption, before anyone responds. Let the disagreement show up — that’s the point — but keep it tied to the episode, not old arguments.

8. Keep the Table Going

Repeat this loop for each remaining episode, on the rhythm you set. Most groups find the conversation outlasts the series — there’s no reason to stop at Episode 5 if the table still wants to meet.

9. Share Your Story

Post about your table — a photo, a recap, a short video — and tag it #LiveTogetherChallenge. Inspire others with your story. Help us grow the community. Tables that keep a full-season log are eligible to be featured in the town hall archive and in our collection of dialogue from around the nation.