On some level, the best thing I can say about it is that at least it probably didn't make things worse. But I thought it emphasized the show's occasional weaknesses (pedantry and sanctimony) and didn't make use of its frequent strengths (provocative dialogue, good plot, consistent character development, illustrating the concept that good people can disagree profoundly), and fell into a number of predictable traps surrounding issues of terrorism, racism, religious extremism, and American foreign policy -- the very things it attempts to take on. Research was done poorly, if at all, and I have taken the trouble to point out a few of the major places in which this is the case; by no means did I pick every nit. In the interest of trying to be as fair as possible I let a lot of things go. As I said elsewhere, I wish this episode was better; I honestly wanted to be moved and challenged and to be able to heap praise on it. I think this was an opportunity that was blown because it was rushed, and unlike a lot of people, I don't see what the rush was. I don't think it would have been "impossible" to start the season as planned, with "Manchester." Yes, it might have been a little weird and awkward at first, as we got back into the fictional administration's problems; I don't think it's going to be all that much less weird and awkward following this unsuccessful episode that stands outside the timeline. It simply did not have to be done. I think it would have been so much better to wait, if the episode had to be done at all. It certainly shouldn't have been done as a (by turns) trite, glib, superficial, condescending, and smug Civics lesson that was literally presented as if we were all in high school. ["Sing it!" -- Wing Chun]