This episode, the other dream episodes, and the symbolism and thematic elements of 5-6-7 are, IMO, evidence of this show finding another gear, elevating above all the other fantastic HBO dramas of the 2000s, and becoming something really, really special.

SPOILERS

There's a difference between disliking a book for its lack of merit and dismissing an entire genre of literature because it's about about boring upper middle class domestic problems or social trends.  Read the thread http://www.avclub.com/artic…  to see what I mean.  And isn't Franzen Delillo-esque in any event?

Someone in the comments thread for "Freedom" last year said about people who don't like Franzen and Franzenesque books: "They want literature to be about robots and laws governing robots and maybe gritty superheroes who have issues."  It was a good line and still true (see above).

Liam Neeson, he's from right on the border.

The Paris trip would almost be worth it just for the shot of Carmela with the Eiffel Tower and its light looming in the background.

Most of the objections to enjoyment of the royal wedding, at least that I read, were less like a Republic position paper and more like "eww, lolz, girls just want to be a pretty, pretty princess."  It wasn't a political thing, in the United States.

Oh, and also I have to call bullshit on the "it normalizes stalker behavior" objections to "Twilight" (to be fair, I've never read one page of the books or seen a minute of of the movies).  Maybe it does or it doesn't (let's even stipulate that it does), but there's a hell of a lot more misogyny, viciousness, and…

Word.  How much shit did women get for watching the royal wedding earlier this year, vs. that directed at men for watching the Super Bowl?  The future king of England getting married is a more significant historical event than Aaron Rodgers zipping a bunch of touchdown passes.  There is a double standard for this…

Seconded to the max.

Right, but those choices were not so venal as to be unsympathetic, nor so outlandish as to be implausible.  Plus, there's no drama if the characters don't have flaws.

Finn and Will Janowitz get a fair amount of criticism around here, similar to how AJ is dismissed as merely a petulant brat, and Robert Iler is called out for having limited range.  But I think Finn's essential to the show, for being such an innocent.

The hat had one day 'til retirement.

J. Edgar: wasn't paid like a regular cop.

SPOILERS

In the "good news for people who love bad news and David Gregory" category, "The Pulse of Events" by John Williams, which is the "Meet the Press" / NBC News Special Report theme.  15 seconds of gut punches right there.

"Matty Groves" is an awesome song.  It's the hypnotic, driving beat wot does it.

I dunno, that's sort of harsh.  The guy just wanted some tasty Mexican food.

The shot with the shadow of Santa Claus moving across a sleeping Big Bird as Santa's walking by was enough to get me near hysterical with fear.  But this year will be different.

What, so everyone is just going to pretend they weren't terrified of the ghost train episode of Shining Time Station / Thomas the Tank Engine?  With the Psycho strings as the ghost train crosses the moonlit bridge?  Ohhhkay then, tough guys.