Does LOST *STILL* Measure Up to LOST IN SPACE?

Some years ago, we asked the question: “Does LOST Measure Up to LOST IN SPACE?” -- and answered the question (in the strictest sense it could be answered) HERE.

I’ve had occasion to revisit that thought of late, and have (alas) found another way that LOST has become a runner-up… in successful syndication.

 

Remarkably, I am presently watching LOST IN SPACE weekly on the “ME TV” cable network in PRIME TIME (every Saturday at 8 PM).

That’s over 47 YEARS after its network debut on CBS, in September, 1965. Yes, even *I* would not have believed its incredible longevity!

Just a week and a half (or so) ago on "ME TV", I saw THIS ONE!

 

LOST, despite being (IMHO) the single greatest experience one could have in contemporary television, (equally as remarkable) has little or no presence in broadcast syndication a mere TWO YEARS after its network run?

Why is that?

Yeah!  Why *IS* that?!

Is it because it is impossible to casually watch a single episode in isolation, due to its ultra-heavy continuity, as one might casually watch an episode of THE SIMPSONS or THE BIG BANG THEORY?

Hey!  I only said: What about FAMILY GUY?

Or, is it because the late afternoon / early evening hour-long spots (that shows like LOST IN SPACE, STAR TREK, VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, etc. once called home) are now occupied by expanded local news or trashy talk shows?
 
 

 Either way, LOST (for all of its – pardon the word – “awesomeness”) has gotten the short end of the syndication stick… and that’s a shame for future generations of viewers.

DVD Review: The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season.

The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season.

(Released 2011 by Anchor Bay Entertainment)

Another Looong DVD Review by Joe Torcivia

After the events of 2010, I solemnly vowed to never again become involved with one of today’s ongoing, continuity- heavy, fantasy/ sci-fi/ adventure TV series. The unexpectedly abrupt ending of HEROES, the non-ending of FLASH FORWARD, and the short (un-happy?) run of HAPPY TOWN very likely cured me for life.

Alas, poor HEROES!

The only way I would ever take the plunge again would be if a series became a proven winner, and would “stick around” long enough to make any involvement on my part worth my while.

The already dim (if not outright forgotten) impressions of such series as THE CAPE, THE EVENT, TERRA NOVA (not even worth the effort of doing LINKS!), and more cancelled carrion continue to prove the wisdom of such a course.

If such a series emerged that delivered both the “goods” and reasonable longevity, thought I, DVD could “catch me up” and then become the medium through which I would follow it to its conclusion. FRINGE has proved to be such a series – and I will follow and enjoy it to its end, which will come in just one more DVD set.
 

Another such series, into which I’ve just taken the plunge, is AMC’s THE WALKING DEAD!

The AMC brand has already firmly established a reputation for quality, thanks to MAD MEN (a series I very much enjoy) and others, and said quality is fully realized in THE WALKING DEAD.

Did someone mention MAD MEN?

THE WALKING DEAD began life as a comic series by a creator named Robert Kirkman. I can’t say I gave it a spin, simply because of my general disenchantment with the state of the comics industry – and, for reasons best discussed in other forums, its publisher Image Comics in particular.

But, Kirkman clearly produced something special with his flesh-eating zombie tale, that caught the eye of producer Frank Darabont (“The Shawshank Redemption”) and the studios of cable giant AMC.

And, so… On Black Friday 2012, for the palrty sum of EIGHT DOLLARS (!), I ventured into the world of THE WALKING DEAD with this DVD set – and am I ever glad I did!

The set contains all six episodes of the inaugural season – a 90 minute pilot and five 60 minute episodes – with loads of Extra Features, for what would be the smallest fraction of the price of actually watching them on cable. (If it weren’t for my spouse and sports, I wouldn’t even have cable – but that, too, is best discussed in other forums).

THE WALKING DEAD is the story of King County, GA Sheriff’s Deputy “Rick Grimes” (played by Andrew Lincoln), who is hospitalized and in a coma after a car chase shoot out, and wakes up to find the world has changed.

Meet Rick Grimes

 The hospital is abandoned and is in complete disarray, as is the rest of the outside world – which just happens to be overrun with walking zombies and dead bodies all over! …Eeeek!

What was left of the Hospital!

Rick heads for his home, and finds that his wife “Lori” and young son “Carl” appear to have escaped whatever has happened. Along the way he takes refuge in a boarded-up house occupied by Morgan Jones and his young son Duane. Morgan tends to Rick’s wounds as best he can, fills him in on what little is known about the “Zombie Apocalypse” (very little), and the two part company.

See Rick walk!  Walk, Rick, walk!

On Morgan’s (inaccurate) advice of a safe haven, Rick heads for Atlanta – on horseback (!) after his automobile fuel runs out – only to find the city is completely taken over by the “flesh-eating fellas” that have come to be referred to as “walkers”. There is clear evidence that even the military has been overcome and run out of downtown Atlanta. Rick hides himself in an abandoned Army tank, as the “walkers” savagely devour his horse – leaving him in an episode-ending cliffhanger of classic proportions!

Visit Beautiful Atlanta with Rick Grimes!

The “walkers” appear to only eat living flesh (the Living SMELL differently from the Dead – so the “walkers’ get olfactory-alerts as to their quarry). But, if the Living are in such short supply, what DO the Dead EAT to keep themselves alive… OH, WAIT! Check that! They’re DEAD! Perhaps food is not required for sustenance – but is more like a physical addiction.

Also, as incongruous as this may sound, the “walking dead” can be “killed” by a gunshot (or other blunt or piercing blow) to the head.  If you are attacked by a “walker” just forcibly shove a screwdriver through their eye-socket (or sumpthin’) to get free! 

Oh, and a BITE from a "walker" will not only kill you -- but, eventually, cause you to become one of them, too! 
   

Rick and Friend.   Pass the screwdriver!

 Over the course of the next five episodes, Rick meets up with other “Living” survivors, joins a small survivor camp outside Atlanta – led by his former cop-partner “Shane”, who has temporarily taken up with Rick’s wife and son (Can you say “awkward?!”), and leads a band of survivors to The Center for Disease Control for one heck of a season finale!

Each episode ends with that same type of gut-kicking, “Gotta-See-The-Next-Episode-NOW!” type of moment that one routinely experienced when watching LOST!

Indeed, THE WALKING DEAD gives me that same overall feeling I got from LOST. The struggle for survival, the shifting character dynamics and interactions. There are even near-exact character parallels with LOST and THE WALKING DEAD:

Do those guys down there seem familiar?

 

Do those guys up there seem familiar?

Jack = Rick. Kate = Lori. Sawyer = Shane. (Forming something of a replication of LOST’s famous Jack/Kate/Sawyer Triangle). Locke = Dale or Daryl. Juliet = Andrea. Claire = Amy.
   
There’s even a correspondence with LOST’s “Desmond and The Hatch” in the CDC episode. Apologies to those reading this who have not seen LOST, or are unfamiliar with the characters of one or both shows – but, trust me, there ARE parallels aplenty. I can't wait until THE WALKING DEAD unleashes its version of Ben Linus!


Oddly, I get ANOTHER classic-TV vibe while watching THE WALKING DEAD… and that would be that it is also strangely akin to Irwin Allen’s LAND OF THE GIANTS!

Marooned and isolated survivors in a hidden camp, that could be attacked and invaded at any moment by an enemy that surrounds them – and occupies all of the rest of the known world. The ever-oppressing knowledge that you are NEVER TRULY SAFE! And, the intrepid human spirit that keeps them alive, despite the perils. That ability to have brief moments of joy before the next surprise danger leaps out at you -- be it a zombie or a giant. THE WALKING DEAD actually gives us an indication of how a property like LAND OF THE GIANTS could be reimagined for today’s audience. I hope someone gives it a try someday.

Make no mistake, THE WALKING DEAD features lots of explicitly graphic (and, frankly, GROSS) zombie action! That’s WHY most of us are here, after all. But it also offers a surprising amount of compelling, character-driven story to go along with it.

The iconic "Bicycle Girl" - You'll never forget her!

And, like LOST before it, we are left with many more questions than answers – not the least of which is the story of the “Zombie Apocalypse”. NO SPOILERS, PLEASE! I’m enjoying this well “behind the curve” and want to remain surprised at whatever may follow!

As a DVD package “THE WALKING DEAD The Complete First Season” offers many Extra Features. Among them:

“The Making of THE WALKING DEAD”. (Runs 29:53) includes contributions from Producers Frank Darabont, Gale Anne Hurd, and Greg Nicotero (who is also responsible for the show’s incredible make-up work), Creator Robert Kirkman, and Andrew Lincoln (Rick), Sarah Wayne Callies (Lori), Jon Bernthal (Shane), Laurie Holden (Andrea), Steven Yeun (Glenn), Jeffrey DeMunn (Dale), Lennie James (Morgan), and other cast members.

The cast!

 Darabont describes the classic film “Night of the Living Dead” by George Romero as “The Book of Genesis” for the whole idea.
        
Nicotero calls it “The TWILIGHT ZONE of our generation!”
  
There are 5-6 minute featurettes dedicated to looking behind each of the six episodes, with participation from producers and cast.

No episode commentaries are included in the particular set I discuss here – but there has been a subsequent, more deluxe version that does include commentaries.

Other features and a commercial trailer round out the set.

There's even an eleven and a half minute distillation of a 2010 Comic-Con International San Diego "Walking Dead" panel with creators, producers, and cast members, that took place during the shooting of Episode 4. 

The familiar sights, sounds, and overall feel of those huge packed San Diego Convention Center meeting halls brings back memories of my being at similar panels for things like the Batman and Superman Animated Series!  Ah... Those were the days!  Needless to say, creator Robert Kirkman is loved by all of the fans of his comic that make up the crowd. 

One major “CON”:  There is NO LISTING OF EPISODES on or inside the package.  You can only get this information off of the disc menus!   With only SIX episodes contained herein, why should this be the case?

 THE WALKING DEAD has been very enjoyable (…indeed, unexpectedly so!) thus far, and I look forward to Seasons Two and beyond.

Unlucky Seven!

Seven days. That’s how long we’ve been without power, due to “Franken-Sandy-Storm”.


You may recognize our “Seven” illustration as being from the opening sequence of the great Third Season of LOST IN SPACE.

But, for the last week, life’s been more like the early First Season cold, grey, “struggle-for-survival” episodes of that series – or like the First Season of LOST… with cold temps substituted for the tropical island atmosphere. But, like the Robinsons and the “Losties”, we’re okay!

Esther and I persevere (emphasis on “…severe”), and Blogging, like life continues.

See you when the power resumes…

The Simpsons: To Infinity (or 500) and Beyond!

How many of you saw the 500th (!) episode of THE SIMPSONS last Sunday evening, February 19, 2012?


First, WHAT AN ACHIEVEMENT! 500 episodes!!! That’ll make for a LOT of DVDs!

The series began in late 1989 (!) and still runs new today! There are ADULTS that have never known life without THE SIMPSONS!

But, more to my point…

Not far short of TWO DECADES AGO (!) – I just can’t help the parenthetical exclamation points – I can recall a discussion with Friend of This Blog Chris Barat on what the final episode of THE SIMPSONS might be like!

One of us – by now, I can’t recall who – suggested that The Simpsons’ hometown of Springfield be blown-up, or otherwise destroyed as a suitable finale – or some such thing that will leave a lasting impression, and will forever change your perception of the series.

…Yeah, I’m talking to YOU, “St. Elsewhere”! And, maybe YOU, “Lost”! (But, I digress!)

NO SPOILERS: But *that* didn’t exactly happen in the vaunted Episode 500, but something close enough DID (with echoes of a particularly bizarre episode of PINKY AND THE BRAIN for good measure), to remind me of that long-ago fannish conversation.

Indeed, this would have actually made a fine “Series Finale”, considering the events of the last 2-3 minutes.

Given this, I can’t help but wonder what they actually DO have in store for us when the series finally concludes. I CAN WAIT a while (preferably, a LONG while) before finding out, though!

DVD Review: Alfred Hitchcock’s Lifeboat (1944)

Alfred Hitchcock’s Lifeboat (1944)

(Released: 2005 by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)

Another Looong DVD Review by Joe Torcivia

“Some of my best friends are… [Fill in the blank].” Tallulah Bankhead, as Constance Porter in “Alfred Hitchcock’s Lifeboat”.

As a comment both pretentious and flip, Ms. Bankhead responds to different situations throughout the film in this way. The meanings and origins of so many past pop-cultural references are lost to history. Just watch some old Looney Tunes to see what I mean! For all I know, the old chestnut “Some of my best friends are… [Fill in the blank]” COULD very well have begun with this film. After all, if you were a phrase both tributed and parodied for decades, you could do much worse than originating from within an Alfred Hitchcock film.

And what a film for Hitchcock! From its beginnings as a novella, commissioned by no less an author than John Steinbeck, to its conclusion as a tightly directed survival drama, “Alfred Hitchcock’s Lifeboat” explodes across the screen with its initial image of a rapidly sinking ship.

No character setup and no “B-story” to slow things down, a New York to London freighter, in 1944, has ALREADY been torpedoed and sunk as the opening credits sequence plays over the boat’s last smokestack gasp. Distant Allied fire has, in turn, sunk the predatory U-Boat. Tallulah Bankhead’s Constance Porter is alone in a lifeboat, with as many luxuries and necessities as she could pack on board.

One by one, other survivors climb aboard until there are six men and three women… and then one more survivor is pulled out of the drink. He thanks his rescuers… in German! Not just any German citizen, but a German officer. And not just any German officer, but the captain of the very sub that sunk the freighter – the killer of so many friends and crewmates of the survivors.

Um, anyone for TENSION?

Bankhead is amazingly over-the-top for a woman’s role in a film of this type and of this period. She is at once capable, cynical, a diva (or the 1940s equivalent of one), a romantic, and most important of all – a strong survivor. You quickly get the impression that she could master (or, at least, negotiate) the toughest of situations.

FOX contract player John Hodiak, as “Kovac” of the ship’s engine room crew – and the first survivor to join Bankead in the lifeboat – is a “poor man’s Humphrey Bogart” in the way he plays the role. Indeed, Bankhead and Hodiak conjure up images of the dynamic between Bogart and Katherine Hepburn in “The African Queen”.

William Bendix is a standout as sailor “Gus Smith” (formerly “Schmidt” but renounces his German heritage over the war), as is Hume Cronin as “Stanley Garrett” as a merchant mariner. Black actor Canada Lee, as “Joe”, is also given an unusually important and positive role for the times, despite a less than stellar introductory sequence. Lee’s character might be the least flawed of all the lifeboat’s occupants – and that was certainly (and unfortunately) unusual in filmmaking of the period.

But Walter Slezak, as the German Commander, steals the picture! To discuss his role in any more detail would take us into “Spoiler Territory” – but let’s just say “WOW!” and leave it at that!

Hitchcock does something amazing in his direction of the film. There is only ONE SET… The Lifeboat! From the moment we shift from the brief image of the sinking ship, and we first join Tallulah Bankhead in the lifeboat, we never cut away from it for the entire picture! No digressions, no cutaways, no other ships, search planes, or worried folks left behind. It’s the boat and ONLY the boat for the entirety of the picture.

…And you never once tire of it! In fact, you can’t look away from it! Something of interest or intrigue is going on AT ALL TIMES in this small craft! That, folks, is GREAT direction!

And direction that literally stands the test of time, as many of the same character dynamics would manifest themselves DECADES LATER in the television series LOST (2004-2010). (…At least before “time travel” and the ultimate manifestations of “Good and Evil” became hallmarks of the series!) The power struggles within the Lifeboat reflect those of The Island, and most characters have similar – if not outright direct – counterparts on the J.J. Abrams teledrama. One could only imagine the glories of a LOST feature film, directed by Hitchcock in his prime!

As is our custom in these reviews, we’ll break it into CONS and PROS.

The CONS:

There is one definite “CON”. Though the Extra Features are otherwise adequate, there is NO Theatrical Trailer included for “Alfred Hitchcock’s Lifeboat”.

In films of this vintage, I’ve come to appreciate the Theatrical Trailer as a unique art form all its own. I will watch it immediately before the film, and once again immediately after. The former to build the anticipation, and the latter to see just how well (or poorly) the film has been covered in its most impactful form of advertising.

Besides, a Theatrical Trailer is a standard extra for films on DVD, and its omission here is quite puzzling.

My personal baseline for “Extra Features” on a movie DVD would be a Theatrical Trailer, commentary track, and a short “making-of” featurette. The lack of any one of these components leaves me wanting. You’d think the Theatrical Trailer would be the easiest and least costly of these three components to include.

The PROS:

The Film: Story, cast, and (needless to say) direction are all first rate. Print quality is generally fine for a film of its age, though there are some brief spots that are rougher than others.

Menu Navigation: Menus are attractive, representative of the film, and are easy to navigate – with the slight exception of the “Still Gallery” that will be covered as part of “Extra Features”.

Extra Features:

Commentary Track:

FOX provides a commentary track that can be optionally played over the film, by Dr. Drew Casper – Hitchcock scholar, film historian, and instructor at USC.

Casper’s commentary, for the entire 1:37:20 length of the film, comes off as somewhat dry and professorial, when contrasted with other film commentaries – particularly the superb effort by Stephen Rebello for “Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho: 50th Anniversary Edition” (Blu-ray). See that review HERE!

In my opinion, too much time is spent on filmmaking style – and the influences of German and Soviet techniques – for a general audience more interested in detail on the “who, how, where, and when” aspects of the film.

Casper DOES let loose some valuable nuggets… just not nearly enough of them to satisfy non-film-school-attending me.

For instance Alfred Hitchcock lost 100 pounds around the time of “Lifeboat” – from about 300 down to about 200. And that he was very sensitive about talk of his weight.

“The Making of Lifeboat” (Runs 19:58).

This documentary nicely covers the film, the historic collaboration between Hitchcock and John Steinbeck, the casting dynamics, the requisite “Hitchcock Cameo” embedded somewhere in the film, and the special effects. The latter including a huge water tank on the FOX lot (upon which the Lifeboat would float), with an equally huge agitator, used for the special effects storm sequences.

Watching the storm sequence, with the knowledge of the massive agitating tank on the FOX back lot, makes me wonder if that same tank was used for the superb storm sequences for VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA’s “The Exile” (with Richard Basehart and Edward Asner stranded on a raft at sea) and the better-known early episode of LOST IN SPACE “The Hungry Sea”, where the Robinson family traverses a stormy “inland sea” in The Chariot. Both episodes were filmed at FOX, and both sequences had a very similar look and feel to the storm sequence in “Alfred Hitchcock’s Lifeboat”.

It is not impossible that the agitating tank, constructed in the ‘40s, could still exist at FOX 20 years later – and be repurposed for television use. And, personally, it’s kinda nice to know that there might very well be an Alfred Hitchcock / Irwin Allen connection!

Participants in the featurette include: Patricia Hitchcock (Alfred’s daughter), Dr. Drew Casper who provided the film commentary, and others.

Still Gallery:

Enjoyable, but comes with a few too many operating instructions for jockeying your remote in exchange for the interest and enjoyment it provides. There are two basic varieties of “still galleries” on DVD – those that allow you to control the pace with your remote, and those that auto-advance in “slideshow” fashion.

I am equally divided on which one I prefer.

The former insists that you never let loose of the remote for the duration of the presentation, and the pace you choose may not be compatible with others in the room – requiring you to call out: “OKAY?” before you advance to the next still.

The latter will most likely move at a pace “too fast” or “too slow” for optimum viewing. Again, especially if there are other viewers beside yourself. Too often, I will pause on a particular still to assimilate the detail, and then have to wait until it’s ready to advance on its own. And, if I don’t do that, it may advance before I’m ready to keep up.

That said, the material is quite interesting, and provides an informative “window” into the times of “Alfred Hitchcock’s Lifeboat”. Subsections consist of: “Advertising Lifeboat”, “Newspaper Ads”, “Newspaper Articles”, “Display Accessories” (used in movie theatre lobbies), and “Theatre Promotions and Contests” (to drum up publicity for the film).

When the text is “too small” on many of the images, a larger blow-up of the sections of text is provided. Nicely done.

Overall:

This is a great film with an almost-adequate slate of Extra Features. It is recommended for Hitchcock fans, general suspense drama fans, and enthusiasts of the wartime period. Give it extra points for the ingenious way Alfred Hitchcock pulls-off his cameo in a film that never once shifts its sea-bound setting or employs the use ancillary characters!

Can One “Spoil” the Future?

As I’ve noted in the past, listening to DVD Commentary Tracks for TV series DVD sets can be like negotiating treacherous waters. You never know when a Big Spoiler is going to rise up and bite you on the (shiny metal) “You Know What”.

That’s why, most often, I’ll only listen to them if it’s a show I know very well, or I’ve already completed the entire set of episodes. My experience with LOST Season 2 has taught me that well. (Click HERE for details!)

So, I’d like to commend the producers of the FUTURAMA made-for-DVD epic “Bender’s Big Score” (2007), and series executive producer David X. Cohen in particular” for uttering the following on the commentary track:

“SPOILER ALERT: We’re gonna start discussing things that RUIN THE ENDING so, if you’ve not watched it without the commentary, turn it off now. Watch it, and then turn us on later!”

Considering the wonderfully confusing (and I mean that in a GOOD SENSE) nature of the story – and, especially, its wrap-up – that was very sound advice from Mr. Cohen.

Oh, and there will be more FUTURAMA in this Blog’s… uh, future!

Serialized vs. Episodic TV.

Blog reader and friend Ryan Wynns posted a comment on today’s “serialized” format for hour-long TV shows vs. the more classic “episodic” format of days gone by, to the post on the series finale of LOST. As this post is nearly a month old as I write this, perhaps you missed the exchange.

I don’t usually cheat like this, but I thought the subject was good enough for a Blog post of its own. So, here are my comments to Ryan, as they appeared in that comment thread. I invite comments of your own…
------------------------------------------

If ever I were “on the fence” between the episodic and serialized formats for TV series, 2010 would clearly place me on the episodic side!

People will debate the merits (and lack of same) of the finale of LOST for some time to come. And, it will be little more than just “people’s varying opinions”. One thing you CAN say for LOST, is that, regardless of your view of it, it HAD an ending after taking us on a six-year ride.

But, where I’ve recently determined that the serialized format does NOT work, is for series that do not have the luxury of choosing their own “end time”.

Just before NBC dropped everything for the Olympics, HEROES had just set up the storyline for its fifth season. Now, it’s not coming back! Perhaps, if one chooses to purge one’s memory of the final act of the final episode, one could say HEROES had an ending. But, the bad taste of being left unsatisfied after following it for four seasons remains.

ABC was once pushing FLASH FORWARD as the successor-in-interest to LOST. They aired half a season, took a break, released a DVD of that half season to hook people for the return… and wrapped up a great ongoing, weekly mystery series in a way that resolved nothing and made little or no sense – other than to arbitrarily fulfill the plot’s earlier prophesies. There is NO DOUBT that the producers of FLASH FORWARD intended to go into another season – and were forced to cut it off now.

On the other hand, when episodic TV ends with a poor, or at least “less worthy”, final episode, you don’t feel nearly as shortchanged for your investment. Of my pronounced favorites from “days of old”, I’d say STAR TREK (The Original 1960s Series), LOST IN SPACE, THE WILD WILD WEST, TIME TUNNEL, and THE INVADERS all had “average to poor” final episodes – compared to what each series did at its best.

But, on the whole, I don’t much care because the “ride as a whole” was great and (very important point) was NOT dependent on the quality of the final episode!

VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA had (what was for its time) a great closing episode, with even a hint of finality to it – or, at the very least, sufficient satisfaction at how it wrapped. They even titled it “No Way Back” for good measure! I’d say that might have been because they knew the show was going to be “retired” at the end of the 1967-1968 season.

THE FUGITIVE is said to have had the greatest such closing episode of the era, but (more’s the pity) I never saw it, and so cannot comment.
 

UPDATE for 2012: I have since seen the final episode of THE FUGITIVE – and was it ever great… especially for its time! 

The final two episodes of LAND OF THE GIANTS were actually two of the best of the series, but that was probably more a case of “luck of the draw” than design.
     Perhaps the best compromise would be a series like STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION, which walked a fine line between “episodic and serialized”, knew when it was going to end – and had a superb final episode ready for the occasion!

So, what say you all? Do you prefer the “Serialized” approach, with the crushing disappointment of a potentially poor final episode to show for your investment?Or, are you partial to “Old School Episodic”, with little in the way of week-to-week continuity and cliffhangers to intensify your interest?

Or, some sort of “hybrid” of the two? And, if a hybrid, how many successful ones have there been?

The Comment Section is open all night… Please stop by!