@avclub-14e4cee178d88fb9aa346dbcc11f2873:disqus I think there can be a mistake in equating "character development" with piling on more and more conflicts for the character to react to or twists in their backstories. That leads to a very mechanistic conception of character. I don't think it's true that dynamic…

@avclub-14e4cee178d88fb9aa346dbcc11f2873:disqus I think there can be a mistake in equating "character development" with piling on more and more conflicts for the character to react to or twists in their backstories. That leads to a very mechanistic conception of character. I don't think it's true that dynamic…

I second this. I love a Davison commentary track. And although I like Tom Baker's episodes quite a bit more, I've kind of reached a point where I prefer the commentary tracks on those to be with companions or writers or directors. He's not awful on his commentary tracks, but he doesn't add all that much and I kind of…

I second this. I love a Davison commentary track. And although I like Tom Baker's episodes quite a bit more, I've kind of reached a point where I prefer the commentary tracks on those to be with companions or writers or directors. He's not awful on his commentary tracks, but he doesn't add all that much and I kind of…

Joel!

Joel!

So I'll go ahead and start one of the great ongoing internet battles, enshrined next to Joel vs. Mike. I, personally, think that the X-Files lives and dies on its Monster of the Week episodes. That's where the show excels (especially in retrospect, now that we're more acclimated to even more strongly serialized shows…

So I'll go ahead and start one of the great ongoing internet battles, enshrined next to Joel vs. Mike. I, personally, think that the X-Files lives and dies on its Monster of the Week episodes. That's where the show excels (especially in retrospect, now that we're more acclimated to even more strongly serialized shows…

I certainly would have swapped in "Jose Chung" for "Postmodern Prometheus." The latter's plenty of fun, but I think it's actually such a stylistic detour that it's barely an X-Files episode. I also find it to be mostly style over substance. "Jose Chung" has plenty of style and is definitely "off-model" for standard…

But for all the detail, I just don't think they are very good likenesses. Maybe there's too much detail — maybe they'd work better if they were more caricatured.

But for all the detail, I just don't think they are very good likenesses. Maybe there's too much detail — maybe they'd work better if they were more caricatured.

@avclub-f06283e88eb8240594aa620b2fdac0e7:disqus  Hmm. Do you think Rush's advertisers are trying to reach all those liberals who tune in to Rush solely to get angry at him? Is getting liberals angry really Rush's business? Or is it helping his actual listeners cultivate feelings of contempt for liberals (and the sense…

@avclub-f06283e88eb8240594aa620b2fdac0e7:disqus  Hmm. Do you think Rush's advertisers are trying to reach all those liberals who tune in to Rush solely to get angry at him? Is getting liberals angry really Rush's business? Or is it helping his actual listeners cultivate feelings of contempt for liberals (and the sense…

Do the Bunnicula books count as mysteries? The second one, at least, is a straight send-up of an Agatha Christie-style parlour whodunnit.

Do the Bunnicula books count as mysteries? The second one, at least, is a straight send-up of an Agatha Christie-style parlour whodunnit.

Is it not fundamentally another "dirty job" reality show? We have Swamp People, Billy the Exterminator, all the various trucking shows, the tattoo shows, etc. It seems to distinguish itself somewhat by inverting the proportion of time spent showing "the job" vs. the workplace "family" drama, but it seems like there's…

Is it not fundamentally another "dirty job" reality show? We have Swamp People, Billy the Exterminator, all the various trucking shows, the tattoo shows, etc. It seems to distinguish itself somewhat by inverting the proportion of time spent showing "the job" vs. the workplace "family" drama, but it seems like there's…

I concur. I like her Mrs. Parker performance, and I don't mind that it's the same voice (just slowed down) from Hudsucker — which I also love. I have a harder time defending her voice in "Kansas City." I don't hate it, but I do think it comes across as too artificial, even for a character who's trying to put up a…

I concur. I like her Mrs. Parker performance, and I don't mind that it's the same voice (just slowed down) from Hudsucker — which I also love. I have a harder time defending her voice in "Kansas City." I don't hate it, but I do think it comes across as too artificial, even for a character who's trying to put up a…

You know, I've often wanted to tease you a bit over your persistent use of "Yea" (as in "Yea, though I walk through the valley of death") instead of "yeah." But not I wonder if maybe there isn't a legitimate, accent-related reason for it…