This episode seems to have answered one question about Ms. Hilton, that being, "Is it all an act?" -- answer, apparently not.

I find myself reconsidering corporal punishment and wondering if it's too late for her to be redeemed by Frances Hodgson Burnett's "The Little Princess" and "Secret Garden", not to mention, "Little Women" -- hell, even Nancy Drew... and/or the

American Girls doll series.

To say I view her hystrionics and lack of control COLDLY is an understatement, however the gawker/carwreck portion of her celebrity may be undiminished ... much as some of Anna Nichole's obviously-seriously-impaired (and recently David Hasselhoff's) videos bizarrely received attention of the truely-sick-gawker variety.

Like some giagantic Ponzi scheme, I can't quite figure out where and/or how anyone is making any real money off of Ms. Hilton's celebrity.

She had her chances to avoid jail ... which she used and then abused... she's jailed because that's what happens to public scofflaws -- celebrities or not.

The day after Lindsey Lohan' last car crash, the gossip columns ran fluff pieces about her birthday party ... even as, apparently, arrangements were being made to get her BACK in rehab, and her father's reports of her OxyContin addiction were being prepared to be posted.

Driving while impaired and substance abuse and genuine narcotic addiction should not be treated as "another day in the life" fluff. It's not surprising that so many people believe they are entitled to endless "get out of jail free" cards ...

Chilling.

and their apparent desperate willingness to prostitute themselves in a pathetic attempt at rejuvenation ...

Yesterday's NYT reported that the major clothing labels are facing breakneck competition from celebrity labels, which is reminiscent of the complaints of the major modeling houses for the last decade or more that celebrities are taking more and more of the fashion covers and pages and the "grand tradition" of elite models was being swept into the dustbin ... (this is true ... consider Elizabeth Hurley, seemingly one of the last top models, being replaced by Gwenyth Paltrow ... Catherine Deneuve being in a whole other class).

It's not something to keep one awake nights. When I first saw Hilton I thought she was a faux-Hilton, like that faux-Rothchilds flim-flam man, and that she would quickly be revealed to be both a "con" and a transvestite/transexual (the hardness of her sheen is so unfeminine) ... too bad Paris has zero sense of humor. She might have found both a niche and some affection ... she's a shrewish racist ... and her sponsors don't care.

The problem with cable television and ALL the myriad media outlets is that they DESPERATE to find CONTENT to frame with advertising revenue.

500 channels and nothing's on.

quite willing to settle for faux news ...

at my supermarkets (even my very small mountain market), there are close to a dozen celebrity/gossip rags, and that's just the glossies... there are also a half-dozen "fashion/style" mags, heavy on the celebrities (Vanity Fair, Vogue, O, etc.... Then there's the expanding half-dozen or so, old-fashionednewprint scandal sheets ...

Are they all loss-leaders?

I read a couple of years ago that many cable TV stations actually make almost no money ... but regardless, those hard-to-get licenses like that "fixer-upper" down the road might turn to gold one of these days in right market ... even if the cache and status previously associated with being a medial mogul produces less revenue than anticipated at time of purchase.

Another story, un-developed.

and Tony sees it about to happen and knows there's nothing he can do... it's already too late.

I will be interested to hear Chase's rationale for this last episode (I've heard so often that it was added on "after")... the only real movement of the story was the hit on Phil and that confusing half-assed "peace" conference (which made very little sense to me).

All in all, I felt rather insulted by the various contrivances and devices (the cat, the yellow SUV fire, even by Jun's sudden descent into profound memory loss wrt Tony, but not with Janice). The cinematography was outstanding as were the production values ... and the number of unique set/locations impressive -- but, I felt my chain being pulled. I laughed out loud probably 6 or 7 times and more than half of those times it was due to the absurdity of moment or dialog. AJ announcing he wants to join the army, become an Arab language specialist and an airplane pilot and work for rich people ... or something like that ... as-if AJ had such an imagination, as-if the Army would take him, fresh out of the psych ward ... as-if.

There were brilliant priceless moments, don't mistake me. Tony hogging the attention with AJ's therapist was one. The moment in the yellow SUV just before the fire was one.

Buying AJ off with a BMW and a crappy production assistant/go-fer gig was a cheap shot. There were several. I was glad crazy Janice was not one of them. I was glad the visit to Sil's bedside was not one of them. The cat and Paulie's

vision of Mary confession were borderline but, imho, like the burning SUV, were largely superfluous padding, pandering, wasted air time.

If all the cited incidents of Chase allegedly disrespecting his audience are true or gain traction, I think Chase has shot himself in the foot. Nobody really "loves" a wise-ass.

He and Aaron Sorkin can get a room and literally pipe dream their way out of what were once promising careers. IMHO, Chase should have left that original ending alone if he wasn't prepared to "move the story along" in the next.

Me, I'm waiting for the magnifying glass/DVR crowd over at TWOP to tell me which mob(s) the wise guys in the diner hailed from ....