The third season of highest-rated comedy last season, and this season, Dwayne Johnson shares stories about his challenging path to the WWE, as well as some funny flashbacks.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is one of the most recognized professional wrestlers, as well as one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood. While some may think he has things all figured out now, the funniest quotes from the first two seasons of Young Rock poke fun at his WWE persona, his infamous fanny pack, and how his size gave off major 21 Jump Street vibes as a teenager and young adult.
"Can You Tell-ell-ell-ell That The Rock Is Hungry?"
Dwayne Johnson (S1E1)
One of the lines that The Rock was most known for in the WWE was, "Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?" This line would get his fans hyped up at matches, and sell tons of merchandise. Even though The Rock is retired from wrestling, he thinks about that period of his life fondly and is able to make light of his once-intimidating catchphrase.
In a future interview set in 2032, Dwayne Johnson its to Randall Park that he says this quote to himself whenever he peeks in his fridge. Park confesses he also says the phrase when he's craving a snack, and it's likely The Rock's biggest fans do the same thing.
"Cam Loves You, Sarah's Kinda Into You, Bethany Likes You, & Emily Wants You."
Emily (S2E9)
There are several other shows like Young Rock that explore the confusing experience of first crushes. When Dewey was 10, he had a crush on a girl named Debbie Rose. Although she didn't "like-like" him, he respected her feelings, which caught the attention of other girls at school, and before Dewey knew it, he had four girlfriends.
Dewey bragged to his dad's friends about secretly dating four girls, and gave Cam, Sarah, Bethany, and Emily t-shirts from a big wrestling match called the Brawl-B-Q. Dewey was confident his plan was working until all four girls wore the t-shirts for picture day.
"I Thought For Sure Dwayne Was An Undercover Cop ... "
Dwayne's High School Principal (S1E5)
The growth spurt Dwayne experienced between ages 10 and 15 made all of his classmates, and even his principal, suspicious that he was actually an undercover cop, like Johnny Depp's character in a 21 Jump Street episode. His height, stature, and mustache made almost everyone at his new school steer clear of him.
This running joke gets funnier throughout his high school years, and even the school bus driver refuses to let Dwayne on because of how old he looks, explaining, "You have to be a student to ride this bus... you've got some stones on you, pervert!"
"I'm Hanz, And I'm Franz, And We Want To Pump - You Up!"
Dwayne Johnson, 15 Years Old (S1E2)
Dwayne has always been a fan of Saturday Night Live, and he's one of the few celebrities who have hosted the show five times, according to People. So it's not surprising that he would use his Hanz and Franz impression from SNL to flirt with a popular girl named Karen in high school. His impersonation was cute and unique enough to set Dwayne apart from the boring rich guys Karen usually dated.
While most people appreciated Dwayne's muscles, Karen also appreciated his sense of humor and genuine personality. Although their romance didn't last long, Dwayne was able to find humor in the little things, which helped him throughout his wrestling and acting careers.
"Damn, Son - You've Got A Body Like A Filet Mignon - Rare."
Freedom High School Assistant Football Coach (S1E8)
As a teenager, Dwayne didn't know if he was destined to be a professional wrestler, or if he would end up in a television show about football. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do, but the more the assistant football coaches badgered him to their team, the less interested he was in playing.
Dwayne actively avoided a certain path to school, because he knew the assistant coaches were going to call him through the fence to coax him into playing football. As he walked along with his friend Gabe, the coach's comments became more outlandish, with one coach comparing him to a piece of meat. The wildly inappropriate comments were some of the funniest quotes from the series so far.
"Not Again! Why Are All The Beautiful Men 15?"
Lady In Grocery Store (S2E4)
Dwayne Johnson has released several songs throughout his career, but his angelic voice also unintentionally won over a 40-year-old woman in a grocery store. She complimented his singing and tried to ask him out before he stopped her and broke the news that he was only 15 years old. Her immediate response creates a cringe-worthy comedic moment.
The woman later reappears in a Nashville bar, and discreetly warns Ata to "keep her money in her purse," before declaring to every woman that Dwayne was a "15-year-old honeypot." Even though she was incredibly off-base about Ata and Dwayne's mother-son relationship, her apparent history of falling for underage guys added levity to an otherwise emotional scene.
"You Need This Job For Football ..." "... And You Need That Sega Genesis."
Hopkins & Dwayne Johnson, 19 Years Old (S1E7)
After Dwayne nearly flunks out of The University of Miami, Coach Orgeron asks him to take a job with campus security to show his gratitude for staying on the team. He quickly bonds with his work partner, Hopkins, over their mutual love of action films, which they watch instead of servicing phones around campus.
When a woman from Quality Control shows up, Johnson and Hopkins have to race across campus to check if the phones are working. Hopkins gets hit by two cyclists and busts his ankle. He tells Dwayne to go on without him, but he can't leave a man behind, because they both have so much riding on their jobs. This humorous quote pokes fun at the strange priorities of college students.
"Can You Do The Eyebrow? Are You Doing It? Do You Have Botox?"
Dwayne Johnson 2032 To Randall Park (S2E11)
Part of Young Rock takes place in the future, with Randall Park and Dwayne Johnson playing fictionalized versions of themselves. Over the course of the first two seasons, Randall interviews Dwayne for a documentary about his Presidential Campaign in 2032, and they form a close friendship.
When Randall and Dwayne finally say the famous catchphrase, "Can you smell-ell-ell-ell what The Rock is cooking?" Randall tries to imitate The Rock's signature eyebrow raise, but he's only able to push his two eyebrows together. Dwayne then correctly assumes Randall has had Botox on his forehead, which would prevent him from mimicking the look.
"It Was My Workshop, And I Was Its Build-A-Bear."
Dwayne Johnson Talking About The College Gym (S1E10)
Dwayne Johnson has always been a fan of the gym, ever since he trained with his dad as a little kid. But after he rehabilitated his shoulder, he continued to push himself to the limits. During the summer between his sophomore and junior years at the University of Miami, Dwayne considered the gym his sanctuary.
The 2032 version of Dwayne narrated this college story, and described the gym as his "workshop" before hilariously adding that he was "its Build-A-Bear." He certainly wasn't made of stuffing, but the image of someone filling Dwayne with lots of heart and motivational sound bites is quite amusing.
"What's In The Fanny Pack?"
Dwayne's College Roommate (S1E4)
In 2014, Dwayne Johnson shared a throwback photo of himself on Instagram. As his 18-year-old self says in Young Rock, the look featured: "turtleneck, fanny pack, chain, Dwayne." The iconic outfit was reimagined as a mock balloon for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in an ad to promote the NBC series, according to People.
In the show, Dwayne dons this ensemble for a party at Uncle Luke's house. Before he leaves his dorm, his college roommate asks him what's in his fanny pack, and Dwayne proudly states, "Pop-Tarts and condoms." At the party, a few women think Dwayne is much older, and he casually replies, "I'm 18, but I make love like I'm 30," followed by a painfully awkward but hilarious robot dance.