Airport, as I noted in its recap, is one of the few cases where isolating a couple of characters away from the others works like gangbusters.

Good pickup. Maybe that's a "Hey, It's 1998!" thing. Was hating on NPR in vogue back then among the intelligentsia (or among TV writers)?

I'm pleased with the turnout so far; comments are running not too far behind where they were last summer. My hope is that those who are inclined to dismiss Season 5 will show up to reassess it and discuss the merits and demerits. It's a bit of a different assignment than previous seasons, but it's one I think is…

Thanks, Matt. Yes, that site has been frequently referenced in the comments to these recaps over the years; some great analysis there.

Mean Dave was certainly not invented in season 5. It's not my favorite Dave mode; I've objected to it before (in "The Shrink," notably — see http://www.avclub.com/artic….

Noted on the backstory's first mention. "Arcade" does include it as a plot point as well.

Yes, very bad as noted in the Stray Observations, but redeemed by a couple of wonderful moments.

I read her demeanor when she came back from the hospital as "oh shit, I have to actually do it since there's no medical reason to bow out." Nothing against her, it's a natural reaction, but that wasn't relief I saw.

That's really a great question, and I'm glad you asked. I did volunteer to review this show for a second season in a row. But it's actually more fun to drop in on a reality show sometime in the middle and give a drive-by opinion on how it's going, rather than check in every week. You tend to repeat yourself a lot,…

You're saying that a late season 2 episode = Brady Bunch variety show?

Thanks, Leeharvey. And we're glad you're back, Miles — join us every Tuesday.

Thanks for the spelling correction. I was confusing it with my first-ever car, actually.

Tina, thanks so much. I'm also experiencing pre-grief for the end of Season 5 this summer. My hope is that everyone who has enjoyed or engaged with the series over its TV Club Classic run will return for this last summer of posts. Getting some new fans involved at this late date is unexpectedly wonderful.

Every time I Google Tyce's name to make sure I'm spelling it right, auto-complete suggests "tyce diorio married" for my search.

Middleman is a fabulous suggestion, Prole. I haven't seen Frank's Place or Molly Dodd, but I'm aware of their reputations.

But it does push that realization closer to the end of the episode, when it is even more powerful: Matthew telling Dave he knows Bill isn't coming back, but the others shouldn't be told because they're not ready for it.

I would really like to do SPORTSNIGHT, but hesitated a few years back because Alan Sepinwall had recently revisited it. Maybe we're far enough along that it wouldn't be seen as a total retread. It's exactly the kind of show I'm thinking of, though, in its attempts to move the comedy bar forward (frequently with…

Sometime toward the end of the summer, I'm going to pose the question to the group about where I might head next. It needs to be something with a limited run of only a few seasons, I think, and I'd like it to be less of a cultural juggernaut than CHEERS or FRIENDS (both of which I think have masterful comedic…

Surprisingly, that is not a bad idea.

I hope your awesome husband is reading along as well. We're glad you're with us from across the pond!