[Andrei Bulba]

I would say it was right on the edge, and every time you thought he might drift and embarrass himself. He saved everything with a zappy punchline.

It was edgy, it was different, a tight rope act, but in the end he was great.

Much of the criticism plays into a pet peeve of mine- our society’s lack of respect for older people, who are a repository of wisdom, experience and talent.

[Will88]

Much of the criticism plays into a pet peeve of mine- our society’s lack of respect for older people, who are a repository of wisdom, experience and talent.

I agree, and it's amazing how many folks bypassed the first and most obvious explanation: Eastwood is an actor and he was, er, acting.

And maybe that empty chair was a prop for the actor. A definite clue as to what was going on.

[expat1000]

I would say it was right on the edge, and every time you thought he might drift and embarrass himself. He saved everything with a zappy punchline.

It was edgy, it was different, a tight rope act, but in the end he was great.

Much of the criticism plays into a pet peeve of mine- our society’s lack of respect for older people, who are a repository of wisdom, experience and talent.

Excellent observations and beautifully expressed.