"James Franco: The Douchebag is Present"

I assume you're referring to Kyle Dunnigan when you say "that guy was genuinely uncomfortable with the whole poly thing." And yeah, I'd agree, Kyle sounds like he could never be poly-anything, but I'm always glad to hear a voice of dissent on that show that isn't David Huntsberger. The episode that comes to mind is…

When the singer is Otis Redding.

While I kind of hate using the word perfect to describe any art (give me the messy flawed masterpiece any day over the expertly executed safe bet), I'll throw out Marilynne Robinson's "Housekeeping" and Hella's "Hold Your Horse Is"

It's the Talking Dead promos.

Paul's leave (when he returns to his hometown) devastated me when I read it as a teen. I don't think I will ever be as moved to anger and grief by a novel as I was when I read the part when a higher ranking officer (I think?) tells Paul to salute, and chastises him and the rest of the soldiers at the front for getting…

Would the CMJ Music Marathon qualify? Have never been myself, but it seems like something exciting comes out of that festival every few years. (I think Sleigh Bells got their first big gig there, though I know that band is divisive round these parts.)

That scene was an excellent payoff in so many ways. I wish that Szidon would have hit or otherwise physically interacted with Amy so that she could sue his ass. He seemed so close to slapping her. James Rebhorn played it well.

I've always wondered why this word is considered so awful while "twat" gets a pass.

If you tweet HBO about renewing it, we'll call it even.

"I can't wait to see where everyone winds up in season 3." Well, Brandon Nowalk, if it does get renewed, you can tell your mother, "I think I manifested it!"

I agree with your general point: Most TV goes on for too long. (This is my main excuse for not even trying most dramatic series; I need to know that the show's creators are telling a larger story that has a definite end in order for me to not feel like I'm wasting my time watching it.)

SatelliteInternetIsSkynet I hope you get the chance to try it someday! And sorry about using the phrase "handle himself." Sometimes euphemisms lead to even more cringe-inducing language.

I'm sure this sort of thing is an all too common story, so apologies if you've heard this one before…
Had a buddy in college who insisted we go to this place in Santa Fe called Horseman's Haven, a little non-descript place beside a gas station on the edge of town that you'd never notice if a local didn't tell you to go…

I used to hate Stephen until I heard him mispronounce one of his five-dollar words. Juu-lee-ah corrected him and his bumbling response revealed to me the inner picked-on fourth grader that drives him to his many pretensions. Feel kind of sorry for him, and I still listen cause I do like Dana and Julia.

The end of Maron's interview with Mike White might be the best end to any WTF episode I've ever heard. Kind of frightening too since it almost sounds like a dictated suicide note.

Picking your favorite poem (if you read poems with any regularity) would be like trying to pick your favorite glass of water. While some were more refreshing than others, I've had way too many at this point to feel like even narrowing them down could be fair.

Agreed on Sparkle & Fade! And yeah, Art was always trying a little too hard, wasn't he? I vaguely recall having seen a Behind the Music or something where he talked about his circumstances growing up, and how that one line in Heroin Girl, "Just another overdose," was what a cop actually said when they came to take…

This is the first time I've ever gone to the trouble of catching up on a series that is still airing but facing cancellation, and it's largely thanks to exhortations like the article above. And I have to say, I'm glad I binge-watched this show so that I'll get to enjoy the (series?) finale with everybody else.

"They have never been poor, they have never had the joy of a welfare Christmas…"