Surprised
I went into this episode thinking it wouldn't be particularly good. But I was pleasantly surprised - we get some back story AND some further plot development, something this show isn't always great at handling.

Meh.
I was really underwhelmed by this novel. And I say that as a big Anne Tyler fan.

Flashback
When Marshall was standing on that girl's porch with the guitar, I was really hoping he'd break out into "Lady L."

I guess it would be awesome…except for the part about having no money and student loans and moving back in with my parents after graduation…

True Story!
This has nothing to do with anything, but at my college graduation in May, John Cryer's dad, a Broadway star, was receiving an honorary degree when he got up on stage and began singing "The Impossible Dream" to us. The kid next to me, clearly recovering from a hangover, turned to me and said, "Is this…

Thanks for pointing that out. It IS hard to take Tolstoy's beliefs really seriously, being that he himself seemed so condescending and deluded at times. Not to mention the fact that he was kind of a dick to his wife. I'm dying to see this movie for myself, as I am personally conflicted about Tolstoy. I liked Anna…

I get that. I'm happy enough with the show just being Dean and Sam (and Bobby), with just some occasional side characters thrown in. And it's not that the show has to have a strong female character. It doesn't. It just frustrates me that when they do feel the need to put in such a character, the writer's version…

"Frightened Little Boy"
I was surprised they managed to kill off Jo and Ellen this episode, but I thought it was fairly well executed. But I think killing them off is just another in a long line of "ways to make Dean's life worse and more full of guilt." I wonder if this is just leading us closer to him having to…

I Wish You Were Interviewing His Wife…
Nicole Krauss is a much much better writer than Foer. Also, her work is a hell of a lot less pretentious. For example, she never shows up as her own character.

Here's the thing with I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant: It's kinda terrible, unintentionally funny, and can only provide later trauma for these poor kids when they see it years from now. But holy crap, when it's on, I cannot stop watching it. Soooo horribly entertaining.

Dexter mentioned in an NPR interview that the book was quite autobiographical. Apparently, he had a stepfather kind of like Calmer.

Oh, Show…
I love this show. The thing I loved best about the mower scene was how much was going on between characters in that couple minutes - Joan and Peggy talking, Joan taking charge, the boys in shock, the realization that things were going to go back, etc. And the kind of bizarre moment where Peggy faints and…

Books
I'm the opposite of Donna here. When I was young, I only read literary fiction, particularly the classics. Now, I wished someone had turned me on to the more genre stuff at an early age. As I've gotten older, I have more appreciation for sci-fi and fantasy. (When I was in elementary school, ironically, I…

Disappointed
As a big Supernatural fan, I was quite disappointed in last night's episode. I like when the show gets occasionally dark, but I'm getting a little tired of the Winchester brothers' emo angst. I hope seeing them separate on last night's episode means they will both chill out a little, give the viewers a…

Yay!
I am so happy the AV Club is covering this show now. It's my number one guilty pleasure.

Perfect Circle, "Gravity"
So I've heard this song a hundred times and I've never even paid attention to the lyrics. I had no idea it had anything to do with suicide. I just love how it sounds. I use that song to put me to sleep. And I mean that as a good thing.

Sally Draper
I agree with Keith that the Sally character feels really tragic. She's so hungry for attention, and with the time she's growing up and her parent's self-absorptions, she'll never get it. I really worry about her future.

Also, during the terrible minstrel show, Don isn't the only one who looks horrified. If you watch Pete's face, he isn't having it much either.

The first time I watched the episode, I was actually quite charmed by Pete and Trudy dancing and thought maybe they were actually being a real couple for once.

Conversely…
As a lifelong resident of an impoverished part of the Midwest, I've always called it the "East-fucking-Coast."