I don't think the use (or choice) of scoring has changed this season from previous ones. The difference is that the volume of it in the total sound mix is louder than it has usually been before. I noticed, in the credits, that there's a new sound utility guy (Jacob Falls) working on the show this season, so perhaps…

No, I think he's supposed to be a couple of years older - similar to the 3-year age gap that they have in real life - which, IMO, is how much older he actually looks.

I thought most playback devices (even devices that simply housed 2 loudspeakers) would have a way to adjust the surround sound balance (since everything I own does), but I have no idea.

Productive? It's simply a difference of opinion (i.e. not agreeing that it "ruined" or was "egregious"), and it appears I'm not alone.

I agree with your points (and have loved the season). But given the fact that the show uses a surround sound mix, I can understand how the scoring might come across as too loud for some people. But it is adjustable (assuming, of course, your playback device allows the adjustment), since the Front L&R channels contain…

I loved McKinnon's use of Nilsson and Lennon's "Many Rivers…" cover (first cover version recorded, I believe). It worked so well tonally in the scene.

There have been a number of complaints this season about the level of the scoring in certain scenes, but if you're watching with 5.1 surround sound, a slight decrease in the volume level for the front left and right (but not center) channels diminishes that effect immediately.

It worked perfectly fine for me.

Nope, it's not just TV. As I mentioned in the comments of a previous episode, according to an interview with McKinnon:

"No person in the world talks like her…"

Wow, I'm at odds with the reviewer over what makes this show good. This felt like a particularly clunky episode to me, with the William/Logan/Dolores scenes especially labored and unconvincing. The show is beginning to exhibit signs of expositional fatigue in an attempt at trying to prop up the unnecessary and…

I don't see her as a cynic; she's more of a pragmatist - which is closer to what Daniel needs at this point from a friend. While I wasn't previously much of a fan of FitzGerald (the actress), I think the role is very nicely (and subtly) written, and let's her do better work than I've seen from her before.

Pretentious? How so? Because she makes art or because she's not as repressed in general as the Holden/Talbot clan?

I've never known a security company to report back to the owner of the house when the alarm is triggered and the correct answer to the security question is given. Why would they? OTOH, if Tawney noticed something 'stolen' from the house and contacted them, then they would mention the incident.

"…than the rom-com fantasy it seemed like things might be headed for for a moment."

I understand your point, but I got the feeling (although I could be totally wrong - we have to wait and see) that his plan was to leave everything "as is" - i.e. so Tawney wouldn't notice that he'd been inside. The only things they showed us that he took were things that Tawney would never touch or even notice…

He's just further behind on the path than the other guys in the house. He'll get there… it's a learning curve.

Fair enough - although I remember similar comments about the actor playing Teddy at the start of the series. I think for many of those viewers, that feeling has shifted over time.

Just humming gently to myself… waiting for the usual, post-episode Chloe-hate to drop.

Interesting thoughts… and I think there's some truth in what you say about the writing, but I thought I would mention the following, which paints a different picture than you might expect about the development of the first season.