The "Buy the Dip" mentality was put to the test this week. Host Mark Longo is joined by Dr. Russell Rhoads (the "Once, Future, and Present Dr. VIX") and Andrew Giovinazzi (The Rock Lobster) to break down a wild week that saw the VIX touch the 22 handle before a massive intraday reversal.

In this episode, the crew dives into:

• The Volatility Review: Analyzing the impact of the rare midweek non-farm payrolls and the latest CPI data on market sentiment.

• AI Narrative Shift: Is the "AI is good for everything" bubble finally bursting? A look at multiple compression in the Mag Seven and the "Grizzly Adams" view of the market.

• Russell's Weekly Rundown: Dr. Russell Rhoads breaks down the "clown show" trades in the weeklies, the impact of the VIX bid-ask spread on morning spikes, and why the current correlation data suggests 2026 is behaving like a different beast.

• Crystal Ball: The team places their bets on where the VIX will settle next week as we head into a holiday-shortened trading session.

Plus: A massive announcement regarding Vol Death Match 2.0: The Flow Master vs. Scott Nations. Find out how you can submit topics and judge the victor at TheOptionsInsider.com/pro .

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The market witnessed a wild week of price action, shifting from a tech-led "bloodletting" to a massive Friday reversal. In this episode, Mark Longo, Russell Rhoads (Dr. VIX), and Mark Sebastian (The Greasy Meatball) break down the carnage in the Mag Seven, the "memification" of Bitcoin assets like MSTR, and why the VIX is struggling to hold onto its gains despite the chaos.

Inside This Episode:

• Volatility Review: A deep dive into the mid-week route and the "mother of all reversals." Why the Dow and equal-weight S&P (RSP) hit all-time highs while big tech bled.

• The "Memification" of Everything: Mark Sebastian explains why Bitcoin and MicroStrategy (MSTR) are following the GameStop blueprint.

• VIX Term Structure: Analyzing the "hunched" curve and why front-month futures remain subdued.

• Russell's Weekly Rundown: A look at "unusual" weekly trades, including a massive $5 call buy on the 15 strike.

• The New 0DTE Frontier: First impressions of the new Tuesday/Thursday expirations for single-name equities like Tesla and Nvidia.

• Crystal Ball: The crew places their bets on where the VIX cash will land by next Friday's close.

Contact/Links:

• Check out tastytrade.com/podcasts

A historic rout in the precious metals markets steals the spotlight this week on Volatility Views. From silver's massive 25% intraday drop to the naming of a new (and hawkish) Fed Chair nominee, the panel breaks down why the "Metals Apocalypse" might be a canary in the coal mine for the broader equity markets.

Join Mark Longo, Dr. Russell Rhoads, and Mark Sebastian as they navigate a high-velocity week of volatility, earnings, and unusual institutional positioning in the VIX.

The Silver Slump

The "Meme-ification" of silver reached a breaking point this week. After months of triple-digit volatility levels, silver prices cratered 25% in a single session. The panel discusses whether this 46-year historic event suggests a broader 20% retracement for the S&P 500 is on the horizon.

Fed Chair Shakeup

The market reacted negatively to the news of Kevin Warsh potentially taking the helm at the Fed. While he has campaigned for lower rates, his history as an inflation hawk has traders worried about a return to a strict "dual mandate" focus that might not be as market-friendly as the Powell era.

Unusual VIX Activity

Despite the market sell-off, we aren't seeing "panic" buying in near-term VIX options. Instead, institutional paper is flowing into March and April, including a massive 80,000-contract diagonal spread involving June 47.5 calls. Is it a hedge, or just a sophisticated carry trade?

"When gold and silver catch a cold, the miners catch every single disease you could possibly catch from the Oregon Trail. They're getting dysentery, typhoid, and malaria all at once." — Mark Sebastian

"If you blink, you miss a move up in VIX futures. That's the only opportunity to make money being long them, and it leads to massive upside fatigue." — Dr. Russell Rhoads

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• Social Media: Follow the crew on X: @Options, @OptionPit , @Rhoads_Russell .