Plus American Beauty.

There's a more adult version of this that I've seen floating around in stores from time to time (not just a book but several). Same format, but they're based more around choosing real-world life paths—go back to school or take a certain job offer, stay with a bf/gf or break up, etc. It looked mildly interesting but…

It's an odd combo but works splendidly. There's a lot of jumping around in time and place, but it never seemed confusing (to me at least). If you pat attention it's always clear enough where you are in the story and how the characters & events are connected with each other.

It's an odd combo but works splendidly. There's a lot of jumping around in time and place, but it never seemed confusing (to me at least). If you pat attention it's always clear enough where you are in the story and how the characters & events are connected with each other.

Have to give an honorable mention to Maria Semple's Where'd You Go, Bernadette? The 'vanishing' plot point is obviously farfetched and the epistolary format (or whatever the hell it's called) gets awkward in spots, but there are some good laughs and heart to it.

Have to give an honorable mention to Maria Semple's Where'd You Go, Bernadette? The 'vanishing' plot point is obviously farfetched and the epistolary format (or whatever the hell it's called) gets awkward in spots, but there are some good laughs and heart to it.

Oh well.

Oh well.

Replace "in small doses" with "not at all" and you'll nail it. Damn, but that guy can almost ruin any scene just by showing up—the one insufferable blotch on one of the most otherwise perfect programs out there.

Replace "in small doses" with "not at all" and you'll nail it. Damn, but that guy can almost ruin any scene just by showing up—the one insufferable blotch on one of the most otherwise perfect programs out there.

Well said. I kept forgetting that 'quintessential' was the criterion here more than 'strong' or 'favorite.' It's hard to argue against an episode designed around such a key plot event, although a similar case could possibly be made for Nanarchy for that reason. (And one could say that since the dirty-laundry twist was…

Well said. I kept forgetting that 'quintessential' was the criterion here more than 'strong' or 'favorite.' It's hard to argue against an episode designed around such a key plot event, although a similar case could possibly be made for Nanarchy for that reason. (And one could say that since the dirty-laundry twist was…

"I'm so hungry. I just have to eat."

"I'm so hungry. I just have to eat."

Exactly. And  I'm a big fan of Phil Manzanera, so that doesn't hurt either.

Exactly. And  I'm a big fan of Phil Manzanera, so that doesn't hurt either.

True, it's too different from the glory days. There's some comedy potential in having the gang subject to someone else's authority instead of being their own masters, but that turns the whole thing into more of…. I dunno, maybe a workplace comedy, with some obvious stretching of the term.

True, it's too different from the glory days. There's some comedy potential in having the gang subject to someone else's authority instead of being their own masters, but that turns the whole thing into more of…. I dunno, maybe a workplace comedy, with some obvious stretching of the term.

That's….. something no one should ever have to see.

That's….. something no one should ever have to see.