I personally enjoy his cranky media persona. Though I haven't read as many of his interviews as some here (so there may be something genuinely shitty I haven't encountered) I don't find any of the criticisms that are always lobbed against him on these boards to be valid. In particular, I find it absurd to claim that…

I agree. The fact that there is someone out there that will turn down huge amounts of free money and publicity for the sake of artistic integrity restores my faith in humanity. And the overwhelming reaction to his decision is derision and ridicule? Seriously?

I strongly agree with your pushback against the "Us vs Them," "Anything it Takes to Win," "The Enemy is Literally Hitler" attitude that's becoming more and more prevalent. On the other hand, my approach to "kill yourself" comments is less that it is never okay, and more that you should go there only very carefully,…

Personally, I'd argue against it less because Watchmen had a definitive endpoint and more because it was a deconstruction of superhero storytelling. Just treating the characters as more heroes to fold into the broader continuity misses the point spectacularly.

Well who would possibly be interested in that without Spencer Dryden's sick beats?

I would say it was the best of the three largely BECAUSE Gotham wasn't on the brink of destruction. After decades of world-ending stakes audiences have become numb to them. Stakes on a level that can actually be conceived of hit much harder. If I could have the action/superhero/whatever movie industry focus on one…

Ugh, I hated Count Vertigo. The guy's performance was good enough, but the drug "Vertigo" seemed like it came from an 80s anti-drug PSA. Why were all these people spending money on a drug that just made you feel violently ill?

I know you're right, but "Asgardians" still jumps out at me like a wrong note when I'm watching the movies.

With all the silly shit in those movies, the use of the term "Asgardians" in place of "Aesir" always cracks me up the most. I know they're not the mythical Gods but rather space aliens inspired by them, but "Asgardians" has such a "I didn't do the reading and now I'm bullshitting" feel.

Sounds to me like they're just describing season 6.

I agree that Smith's much-lauded ability to project age while being young was impressive, but I still think that performance and and an actor that young were wrong for the Doctor.

I am breaking from consensus, but I don't think Davison, Tennant or Smith were good fits for the role, despite being skilled actors. I find any youthfulness in the Doctor jarring and out of character.

That does seem to be the consensus, but I've never agreed. For one, I'm not going to call someone an idiot for refusing to kidnap kids or tacitly allowing them to be murdered (which coming straight to Robert would have amounted to). Second, I would argue that Cersei is being just as stupid as Ned, albeit wrapped up in…

There's a debate to be had about the relative merits of the show and the books. But are you really giving the show the advantage on subtext of all things?

Specifically, not understanding Southern politics, something those two characters are particularly skilled at. In the show we see Tyrion make a similar mistake in Meereen by trying to use Westerosi-style political thinking there where it wasn't appropriate. The North still actually plays by the rules Ned was playing…

No she didn't. It suited Littlefinger better to back her than Ned. That's the only reason she won.

Unfortunately, given her "fully leveled-up villain" costume in this episode, and given what we know about D&D's writing style, this was probably all about setting up a Dany vs. Cersei dynamic when Dany invades.

I doubt we're really seeing much of Martin's storylines here. Everything this season has fallen into one of three categories:

I have not ridden myself, but I lived in a house that was a known stop-off point for travelers and I got to know quite a few. Any train hopping stories I have came second hand.

I have no response to your primary point, but I want to mention that "literally" has never been used to mean "figuratively." It has come to be used as an intensifier.