Thanks, I'll correct.

What's saddest about that is how the cycle continues. There are too many comments here writing off pre-'90s TV to address them all, but it's a worrisome trend when even fans are happy to ignore classic, enduring stuff for one reason or another. Therefore we can't keep keep the torch burning and the audience dwindles…

I completely agree, yet I can't help but point out (not that you're implying otherwise, just taking my own tangent) that authenticity is overrated and impossible. Breaking Bad and The Wire aren't real life, and they don't pretend to be, either. They just have real-looking production values, but there's artifice…

Agreed, though the Hecks seem like a notch or two above the Chances (or Conners) financially. That said, no show has such palpable financial strain. The Chances are relatively comfortable with the life they have. The Hecks are decidedly not.

Pajamaralls were yet another 30 Rock joke. "I can't wear these pajamas fishing!" But I think on this they called them something different…Pajamovers?

Taken aback how? I just wanted to point out the weirdness of the grading system. How can you deny the world your reactions to Ms. Evans?

I completely agree about the cast, especially the ones you singled out. And Dallas, Dalia, and Lisa are in that sweet spot where they can ably carry a whole subplot or just rock a line here and there.

That's what I figured, but I was confused because Dallas was treating them like they were gigantic…which of course she would…carry on.

Of course. Didn't mean to give the impression that I was trying to convince you. I repeat: To each his own!

Weirdly I do understand what you're saying even though it sounds like you just said the year's best American film wasn't enough for you? But seriously, just because a movie is consciously about the movies doesn't make its aesthetic choices any deeper, i.e. there was art before postmodernism. Meek's Cutoff, like all…

That's a pretty weak argument, though. The Artist's, not yours, which I'm prepared to buy pending more evidence (and totally apart from the question of how well it achieves that). But cinema found its voice in the early '30s? Are you (The Artist) kidding me? Over half of Sarris' pantheon come from silents: Griffith,…

This is total speculation, but based on how this episode ended, it looks to me like we're about to deal with what happened in the pilot. Considering we're on Episode 12 of what was originally a 13-episode order, next time has the perfect set-up to be a turning point.

Thanks for the info! Corrected.

Thank you so much!

That's a lot of words you're putting my mouth.

It's not a future potential grade, and I don't want MPK to go away. I'm just saying he likes his puns, and maybe the show would be funnier fewer. That said, funny is even more subjective than grades.

Agreed. If I were grading purely on laughs, we'd be looking at the D-range. But there is more to it than that, and all it takes to fix that is some punching up and someone to distract MPK.

I like Breaking Bad a lot, it's just not in my top 15 (and I gave a measly point each to my #16-20 just to show some love for the promise—yes, even for Glee which rightfully scored 247 fewer points than Breaking Bad). There's so much great television out there you could make a strong top ten with shows that I had to…

First of all, what a wrenching episode, and one full of great ideas. And here I thought Claire Danes was amazing just watching monitors. More David Marciano, please! I have one quibble, and just because I spent more words on it doesn't mean it comes close to outweighing the rest.

Next week is New York!