There were a lot of House homages in this episode: Like House, Barnes is described as being a genius, most at home when he has a puzzle to solve; he subverts the rules to get what he wants; he does all his own lab work, like characters on the show; even their names are related.

SNL is fine as long as it stays away from sketches whose only premise is "A Character Is Annoying."

The train is an excellent illustration of why video games can be so addictive: difficulty increases gradually, never so easy as to be boring, never so hard as to be impossible; plus, high ratio of reward to effort; they're stimulating in exactly the way that real life isn't.

We know Kanna (Gran-Gran) left the North for the South, and Tonraq as well; it may have been stated explicitly only in peripheral media that the South as a whole split from the older North, but I think you still get that sense from the show: the North is less progressive (more ossified gender roles and marriage…

The overall message of Legend of Korra seems to be "Waterbenders are A-holes."  Yakone, both his kids, Tahno, and now this new guy…

Notice how, when Sportsmaster tells Cheshire they're Not So Different, it's as both of them are putting on their masks?

I can't help but read an additional meaning into this, as a gentle or not-so-gentle dig at elements in the viewership, the fandom, the shippers, the fanfic'ers.  "He should be with her!" "Wouldn't these two be super cute together?" "Ah, but what if these two…"  It's like the writers telling the NSFW Deviant-Art crowd,…

I can't help but read an additional meaning into this, as a gentle or not-so-gentle dig at elements in the viewership, the fandom, the shippers, the fanfic'ers.  "He should be with her!" "Wouldn't these two be super cute together?" "Ah, but what if these two…"  It's like the writers telling the NSFW Deviant-Art crowd,…

Half the voices in this episode sounded like they were done by noted god Jim Cummings (voice of Tigger*, and half your childhood). His very gentle voice contributed, I feel, to the nostalgia-inducing quality of this one.

Half the voices in this episode sounded like they were done by noted god Jim Cummings (voice of Tigger*, and half your childhood). His very gentle voice contributed, I feel, to the nostalgia-inducing quality of this one.

No Professor Dementor?  No Remy?

No Professor Dementor?  No Remy?

Exciting secret! Examination of the newspaper clip of Simon Petrikov reveals…he discovered the Enchiridion! The text of the article has a offbeat tone typical of the show: "Silly man returns from expedition with a marginally interesting discovery" "turns out it was just a book."  The show really seems to be building…

Exciting secret! Examination of the newspaper clip of Simon Petrikov reveals…he discovered the Enchiridion! The text of the article has a offbeat tone typical of the show: "Silly man returns from expedition with a marginally interesting discovery" "turns out it was just a book."  The show really seems to be building…