What s/he said.

Or. . . the author was trying not to spoil an early reveal for folks who hadn’t read the book.

PULP FICTION. Mayonnaise on french fries. My cholesterol says “please, no” but my tastebuds say “hell, yeah.”

Stop trying to make ‘felch’ a thing.

“If it addresses the fact that he could be a little cranky when there technical issues on set. . . “

My other question about the episode: wouldn’t Claudia burn Philip and Elizabeth with the KGB? Shouldn’t there have been a discussion about whether Russia is even safe for them under these circumstances, or conversely mention of a race to get word to the Gorbachev loyalist before Claudia can have them killed?

I also wonder what exactly is Oleg being charged with? Is it espionage for any visiting Russian to be carrying a coded note, absent any other crimes? I could see if he had stolen US secrets or microfilm or somesuch. But how does a prosecution work for him having only a scrap of paper that, presumably, is either…

Good point. Most transit systems have failed their cities.

Ah, thanks. I thought Philip’s drop was just to arrange a meeting between Elizabeth and Oleg (I recalled her as saying, “I need to talk to your guy” - that she wanted to meet face-to-face and vet what Oleg was saying). I hadn’t realized she was fully on board and that’s what was in the message.

One bit confused me - when Elizabeth tells Claudia that she told Gorbachev’s people about the plot. Are we meant to believe (a) Elizabeth means her planned meeting with Oleg (that now won’t happen), (b) she’s lying to Claudia, or (c) this happened off camera. Or am I missing something?

Redford would have been perfect in 1990. Cruise would have been interesting before the couch-jumping dinged his public persona. But you really need someone who just NEVER plays villains to pull it off - I had half a notion they should have done a colorblind casting and used Will Smith.

He didn’t pass - CBS greenlit the MAGNUM pilot at least partially because of the interest Lucas and Spielberg had in Selleck for RAIDERS. (Much as REMINGTON STEELE was renewed due the “heat” Pierce Brosnan received as a Bond-to-be).

Always glad to see John Hiatt get some love, but at a bare minumum both BRING THE FAMILY and CROSSING MUDDY WATERS are A-territory albums.

Right. But that’s my whole quibble with folks asking for a blanket policy like this. Should, say, Angelina Jolie and Bard Pitt have gotten get the same money for something like MR AND MRS SMITH? Sure (sorry I can’t think of a better example offhand of a movie with male-female leads of similar-size roles). But should…

as the idea of being in a theater filled to the gills with hardcore fanboys makes me want to wander the Alaska wilderness until I die of exposure.

Understanding the reluctance to publicize the relationship, I still think there’s a bit in there somewhere about Leslie only allowing the relationship exist because she’s scared of super-assassin Black Widow. . .

“He’s still skinny.” Slays me every time.

Have there been accusations of Louis’ behaviour continuing post-2005? Because the original articles detail events up until then, and even mention apologies after that. It does seem like he may have been trying to stop and atone, even if he didn’t want his past misdeeds revealed.

I’m unfamiliar with Mullaney’s work (other than knowing he was a former SNL writer who had a sitcom I didn’t watch) - is his delivery always so mannered? The material was strong and I mostly enjoyed him, but his rhythms threw me - like Sean Hayes channeling Christine Baranski.