The show has been making a pretty decent argument that there's not much to choose from between the USSR and the US in terms of "making the world worse". It's not the USSR that's supporting death squads in Nicaragua, Apartheid South Africa, and murderous Afghan mujahadeen.

I'd have to guess that Norrell's family money probably came through trade a few generations back. So he's certainly gentry, but probably uncomfortably aware that his money came at some relatively recent point from somebody who actually worked.

Just to get back to the actual question, you're right about Ray, but Ani isn't the state's person. Ani works for the Ventura County sheriff's department, which is the one that's in on the case because they're claiming jurisdiction and wants in on the case. Paul, as a state police officer with CHP, is the one who's the…

I'm not sure it's a "fact" yet.

Erm, yes, he is kidding you.

I mean, maybe in the sense of a storyteller as "someone who makes their living literally telling stories out loud, not including stand up comics." Because in that sense I can't think of any other story-tellers of the late 20th century. Once we start including novelists and short story writers and playwrights and…

But Strange knows that Norrell keeps tons of the books at Hurtfew and doesn't let him look at them. And Norrell knows that Strange knows.

My Dad and I were commenting that W. Earl Brown is the only guy in the cast who looks like an actual detective. Perhaps he is the titular "True Detective."

I mean, it seemed like the kind of thing Ani's dad would do - he's a new age self-help guru, of course he's going to psychoanalyze his estranged daughter when she randomly comes by.

Maybe it's because I thought the first season was overrated, but I just don't get it. The first season had two great performances (but certainly not more than two great performances - Michelle Monaghan was a cypher, as usual, and I don't even remember any other characters), and excellent direction and, I mean, a plot…

I suppose, but it's surely much, much darker than Riggs and Murtaugh.

By what crazy standard does Season 1 qualify as a buddy cop story? Rust and Marty could barely stand each other most of the time.

But the Argentine magicians mostly couldn't actually do magic. I don't think there's any real change in the show, except of emphasis. You have the Aureates, during the time of the Raven King, who are adept at magic but don't write anything down, and then the Argentines, in the 16th century, who can't really do magic…

And Danny Blue on Hustle!

It's actually a bit indistinct in the book. The Raven King left around 1500, from what I recall, and then you have about 100 years where magic is fading, and then it's basically gone in the 17th century.

I think the thing about Martin is that he's not even actually a particularly slow writer. he put out Clash of Kings and Storm of Swords in like two years each. He's had writer's block, which is different and more worrying.

There's some pretty good bits in the book where Strange does all this ridiculous magic changing Spanish geography, promises the Spanish government that he'll change it back, and then forgets all about it. It felt like a nice skewering of self-absorbed British people.

Hmm…yeah, sure, I guess. Harrelson and McConaughey are both gifted comic actors, certainly. But as a whole it felt pretty leaden and humorless to me.

There were funny things in the first season?

He got fired from the Tonight Show because Leno didn't want to retire, his primetime show was a ratings disaster that was about to lead to full scale affiliate revolts, and he was threatening to go to ABC if they didn't give him the Tonight Show back.