Liars and Saints

 I fired the behavioral therapist. Here was the craziest moment in this chapter--the moment that made me think of Amanda Seyfried in the upcoming psychological thriller, "The Housemaid." After the "termination text," I had visions of this therapist arriving at my front door, wielding an axe. Job termination is like a breakup, at least for me. In the ensuing minutes, I felt giddy. I had taken action! I never had to see this person again. But then regret set in. Had she really been that bad? She was--she is!--a human being. It was I--I!--who seemed to be monstrous. This made me recall that great scene in Disney's "Tangled" when Rapunzel detaches from Gothel; one minute, Rapunzel is euphoric, and the next, she is despondent. And so on. (For the next five to seven years, all of my allusions will include a moment or two from Rapunzel's story in "Tangled.") Now, I'm in my Cardi B phase. Said, lil bitch, you can't fuck with me if you wan...

 Thieves fall out. There is no honor among thieves. I'm writing in praise of my old classmate, Liz Meriwether, who oversaw "The Dropout," and who wrote its terrific final hour. I wasn't always a fan of this series--especially toward the beginning--because I found Ms. Holmes so tiresome. Also, I'm sure I envy Liz Meriwether. Some of my college classmates have surprised me with their achievements; Meriwether's career is *not* a surprise to me. She seemed sort of otherworldly and impressive as a college freshman--and she has remained dazzling from her undergraduate "Hedda Gabler" onward to the present. The end of "The Dropout" is an exploration of subtext. Elizabeth Holmes and Sunny Balwani have imploded; they're trying to escape from their mess. They are like the Witch and the Baker toward the end of "Into the Woods." ( It's your father's fault that the curse got placed and the place got cursed in the first place.... )  ...