I think you nailed it when you described the Boyd Crowder character in regards to the show's writers. He pulled a total Swearengen: the initially evil character is so fun to listen to (and write for, I imagine) that he becomes increasingly sympathetic.

I've been wondering the same thing. Did Jody manage to use her phone earlier or something? Maybe a scene or a line that explains it got cut.

I was wondering if the structure of this episode was trying to mimic that old show Love, American Style. For some reason.

And how about Brandon once again immediately becoming intimidated to the point of fixation by the cute girl?

As weird as I expect Scientology to be, I was still surprised reading this how little the "religion" concerns itself with the idea of god and/or spirituality. Someone in the book says outright that Scientologists don't pray. All the creation stuff comes off more as batshit ancient history than the usual religious…

It's his collaborators. My favorites are the early ones he wrote with Owen Wilson, and they haven't lived up to that standard since for me. Darjeeling, when Roman Coppola became his co-writer, is my least favorite, and I wanted to like Moonrise more than I really did. So I blame Roman Coppola.

I wondered if it was Topher Grace until I started reading recaps of the episode.

@avclub-5b8e4fd39d9786228649a8a8bec4e008:disqus I understand at one time he suffered from gold fever.

@avclub-5b8e4fd39d9786228649a8a8bec4e008:disqus I understand at one time he suffered from gold fever.