Somewhere in this show, coffee shop manager Javier (Ian Gomez) delivers what might be my all-time favorite weird-reference-throwaway-line: "You'll end up with a police record, and I'm not talking Zenyatta Mondatta!"

I think with Cary's testimony, they were elaborating on one of their pet themes—"the truth" versus "presenting facts in a particular way that makes your side seem truthy." (That was part of the Kurt-Diane conflict as well.) Cary was not only truthful, but truthful in such a way that his testimony (purposely, I think)…

One of my dad's favorite shows. And the episode that he never got tired of describing—"The Court-Martial," where they induct a chimp, mistakenly named Pvt. Harry Speakup. (A misunderstanding of the aide repeating, "Hurry, speak up" during the physicals). What never failed to crack Dad up (he'd spent some time in the…

Frankie Laine, well-known for his enthusiastic vocals on "Rawhide," among many others. The Oscar nomination for best song might have cheered him up a bit.

Wilder as the Waco Kid in "Saddles" is a real triumph. It shouldn't have worked—Brooks had the inspired idea of going with acclaimed character actor Gig Young and using Young's presence as part of the joke (similar to how Lloyd Bridges and Robert Stack later contribute to "Airplane!"). But Young was a…

Tim Gunn as Bailiwick. Plus, I give it points for using the term "bailiwick."

Sorry, but the only correct answer to G 40F6D8's query is, "Yes. Yes, they are."

Dad loved the show, so I always felt a little bad about not liking it more (although I did enjoy the movie). I feel about PHC the way the Simpsons did in the episode where they're staring blankly at the TV screen for a few moments while Keillor is rambling about something folksy to gentle bursts of warm audience…

My favorite "American Pie" pop culture moment—a "Peanuts" strip where Woodstock visits Snoopy to listen to his stereo. We see a few musical notes emanating from the doghouse, and Snoopy lies down with disgust, grousing, "'American Pie' over and over and over…"

Bierko did do very well in the role—a lot of his cadences were (perhaps wisely) almost note-for-note like Preston's. You can hear a bit of this on the cast recording, especially in the dialogue break in "Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little," when Bierko shows his support for the ladies in their disdain for old Miser Madison…

The best Mr. Magoo cartoons are valuable on their own, but even if they weren't, Tony Curtis in "Sweet Smell of Success" would justify their existence. After all, without the cartoons, he could never have said, "You're blind, Mr. Magoo! This is the crossroads for me. I won't get Kello. Not for a lifetime pass to…

So this series finale is for me—I'm the audience. Yes, x million people plus me will be the audience, but of all the shows with official "finales" I've watched, this one is mine.

The Mother's reply as Ted is standing still is just as important: "Come on." It amplifies the discussion we've seen them have in 2024—Ted is hung up on stories and memories; Mother encourages him that life moves forward. Beautiful writing.

Wow. Not since the "Abyssinia, Henry" episode of M*A*S*H have I been hit that hard.

I'm thinking Bates is in with the whole Underground of Dodgy People (UDP) throughout the U.K. and the Continent—he can contact people. Plus, don't underestimate his cane.

At first I was disappointed at the "Bates turns evil" stuff this season, but I actually rather like where the end of this season leaves him—sort of the go-to guy for the family whenever they need to do something "dodgy." (And in the long prison story arc, it was established that Bates knew how to do Sneaky Prison…

She's developed a very effective deadpan—it stands out in the Disney world of Extreme Enthusiasm.

Favorite bit—Backus trying to wake up (eyes still closed): "I cahn't see! I cahn't see!"
Mickey Rooney: "You cahn't see? He cahn't see!"

You're stinting a bit on the Madonna research—she was paying homage to Helen Kane of "I Wanna Be Loved By You" fame, who in turn inspired Betty Boop, a staple of anyone's top five sexy cartoon characters list. Like or dislike her version of the song (I'm definitely in the Kitt camp), but there's a wealth of…

Consisidering the heavy lifting the show is asking of Ms. Miloti, I think she's delivering more often than not. The Mother is required to be: