Nogulich also is a long-standing Mamet troupe member.

That Phil Hartman blank stare - used incredibly well in the Fire Marshal election, and here - is just an intensely awesome counter to his normal bursting enthusiasm.

Good call, actually.

Jemaine?

The Khan thing, when I found that out - THAT blew my mind.

Also, yeah!, it's ayahuasca-derivatives, not meth. Just so I don't get cast with no aspersions or nothing.

Technically, it was what's-his-name-from-Wayne's-World, the former station manager's system.

Didn't you think that the break in that union - Lisa's "Yeah, that's not true!" - doesn't just heighten that tension?

Bill's Autobiography
Just some fabulous Bill lines:
"No, I'm being incredibly sarcastic."
"Two words: the outline."
"[Pause] Drinking."
His 'baubles and trinkets' and 'Yeah, I have my slow days, too' to Matthew.
His slow burn "I think I've got a title", which is even funnier than the punchline, to me.
And the glorious…

Beth's great lines and others…
Beth really shines in Friends, as Donna says. She has an incredible large number of awesome lines (which, as always, Vicki delivers impeccably). Some of my faves:

Friends notes…
I think I like this more than Donna did, for a few reasons. One, there's a lot of structural establishment occurring here. We've got the first of Bill's explosive blackouts (to close the opener). We've got the first (I think) zen JJ-quote: "If that's not a metaphor for… something… I don't know what…

Interminably. Not a big deal, wrote this quick, but that's just nonsensical.

Shrink Quotes blah blah blah
One other thing on the direction: as opposed to Peter Bonerz' (and others') sure-handed approach, this episode attempted weird little stylistic quirks that were distracting and stupid (to me, anyway). Following them from the lobby to the main office. Odd-angle shots. That terrible early…

Shrink
I talked up there about how much I like Ritter. I do agree that he was so successful in this character for the first 90% of screen time. Donna, I absolutely love your analysis. Spot on.

Breakup Quotes and Miscellanea
This ep also has an extreme quotability value. Besides what's been mentioned, I'd submit:

The Breakup…
There's a LOT I like about The Breakup. I definitely feel you have some weird anti-prank bias going on here, Donna.

"Well, Same to you, PAL!"

Douglas Adams' HHG2TG for Infocom, baby!

And was TREMENDOUS in Sling Blade. He, and Dwight Yoakum, are the best things in that movie. He never got used properly as the star.

Preach it, sista.