I haven't looked it up, but I would guess it's not the first time that the movie that won the most awards didn't win best picture.

Yeah, Madeline seems like one of the few people who's neither totally stunned nor threatened by Celeste, probably because she's too busy with her various vendettas to spend much mental energy on those kind of unproductive emotions.

Good point. Everyone's smitten by Celeste. They just want to bask in her glamour.

What I find interesting is how much Renata seems to be longing for Madeline's approval. That scene where she walks over to their table, giving her speech about the veterans … she's so desperate to impress them.

I'm sick of the grey areas.

I've always been a bit of a teacher's pet; I feel I really get that particular kind of neediness, "Senpei noticed me!", hero-worship. I wouldn't have confused it for something sexual, but it's so easy to see how it happens - it can feel so intense. Exploiting that is like taking advantage of a drunk - senpai's…

I don't think you're paranoid. The kids notice and it's already messed them up. I haven't read the book - so please, no one who has tell me if I'm on the right track - but I've watched the second episode. I think it was one of the twins who chocked Renata's daughter.

Having the course of a narrative rely too strongly on the persuasive power of any kind of speech act is the greatest trap you can manoeuver yourself into as a writer.

Me too. I'm too lazy to get all the equipment, but I might memorize the banishing ritual for silent prayer occasions next Sunday. Gotta try and cancel out the pro-Trump-prayers at least.

Worth a try.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to that as well. I almost feel like I need a debriefing after an episode, and the a.v.club comment section is as good a place as any for that.

It's safely in the top-five of my favourite shows, but I couldn't binge watch it at all. I usually start watching the episode as they come out, but if I miss one because I don't find the time, it sometimes takes me weeks to get back to the show, because I just don't always have the stomach for it.

People who talk too much about work on social occasions tend to be dull anyway, no matter how glamorous the job. I imagine being an accountant might at least remove some of the temptation.

I have a soft spot for Aaron Eckhart, so I also found that surprisingly watchable.

You have to be doing something right.

I think we all need to take a page from the Hulk - the secret has to be that we are always angry.

I have a dim memory of rather liking Steinbeck's take on it (The Acts of King Arthur and His Noble Knights), but it's been a while, so I can't vouch for my impression. I thought it was interesting - I felt he kinda switched his style midway through. In the beginning it's all rather sparse, and archaic and larger than…

Not misspent, no. I'm sure there's no shortage of other worthwhile things you can do with yourself and your time. But maybe you fear there's some part of you uninvolved? Like with a job that doesn't use your full potential?

A sense of waste?

He already looks pretty finished to me.