I also recall him mentioning something about staying up all night learning a programming language when he was 14. I like that (unlike Steve Jobs, from what I understand) Erlich is actually a capable programmer — an alpha nerd, but a nerd all the same.

Definitely, and I think The Thick of It satirizes that mindset more directly. I re-watched the first few episodes recently, and from the very beginning it's clear that the British media is vicious, shortsighted, impossible to please, etc. The Social Affairs team is called out for having no real policy objectives other…

Great points. Whether the micro-device works is immaterial; all that matters is that consumers would be too scared to try it. Even beyond that, what really matters is that judges assume that people would be too irrationally scared by microwaves, the classic "will it play in Peoria?" condescension.

1. I think he'll stick around on staff in some capacity

Is Dan fired completely, or just as campaign manager? It would hurt his ego to work for Amy, but I can't imagine his brief and disastrous stint in charge will lead to many job offers.

It would be nice to see Selina credibly winning over an audience at some point. I realize that failure is much better as a comedy engine, but the inability of a high-profile politician to engage with anyone is hard to swallow sometimes.

I think one of the themes of the show is how badly political staff react to the slightest, most ephemeral media obsessions. Amy engendered some mild embarrassment in order to rid the campaign of both Ray (idiotic/toxic) and Dan (shown to be wildly unprepared), which is likely better for Selina in the long run in a…

I could have sworn there was an episode where it was implied that the show took place in Maine or Massachusetts. Seems to fit their vibe better, but I'm from the Midwest so what do I know…

I was thinking that the character of Gregory would die and Monica would take over his investments. I'd imagine they want to keep her as a regular, and that would finally allow for a bigger role for a female character.

I also love that they've established Erlich as this force of nature who is immune from mortal consequences. If anyone else had slapped a kid, there might be fear of comeuppance, but Erlich has already kidnapped and grown drugs with impunity.

I think Quentyn's chapters in ADwD are much more extraneous. I reread the book a few months ago, and I remember being struck by how much less of Dany there was than I thought – if anything, the infrequency of her chapters is highlighted by all of the newer POVs encroaching (e.g. Quentyn, Victarion, Barristan).

That's what I was thinking as well. I think when we meet the rest of the Vale nobility, they'll just assume that "niece" is a euphemism for "illegitimate daughter."

I think a lot of that is the age difference between Dormer (32) and the character of Margaery (16).

I feel like the half the scenes this week were basically job interviews.

Yeah, the Wire passes in the first episode. I think that's an example where the creators smartly made a point include female voices in male-dominated fields (law enforcement, drug dealing).

Plus Where the Red Fern Grows

I think Hooli was presented as a bad guy of sorts, in the sense that they wouldn't let Richard retain ownership of what could be a billion-dollar idea.

The burrito wasn't as painful for me as Jonah totally crapping the bed on MSNBC. As former White House liaison to the VP, the president making a controversial statement that Selina is forced to respond to is like the one thing Jonah's even semi-qualified to speculate about. I was kind of hoping he would gain a little…

I'm convinced that Tran doesn't speak of word of English

Having been in a somewhat similar position as Nick… I think unidirectional fights are actually worse. To me it's realistic that a (overly) nice put-together girl like Jess falls for a somewhat schlubby guy like Nick, and eventually they both grow tired of rehashing his shortcomings, both perceived and real. Jess has…