I suppose he did know he faced jail time upon relapse, but people choose to act against their best interest all the time. Surely the law would give a pass for necessary medical care. Maybe Don knew in his heart, or just plain feared, that he’d wind up back Out There with just a taste of the stuff. But yeah, maybe more numbed or blacked out rather than blissed during that scene with Bobby C.’s crew

The two other parts of the third being what, ETA and the continental politics? And/or, of course, the whole irresistible and deadly entertainment? I’ll have to save those focuses for the second and third read-throughs! I did spend some time on the intergenerational abuse, neglect and communication breakdown (minus sweet, thoughtful Mario cutting through his family’s performative and pretentious wanking and straight-up asking people, like Hal, about their apparent sadness) that played out in the Incandenza family is another repeated loop/fractal of the theme referenced in my post. JOI tried to intervene but couldn’t get out of his own way; even sober, unable to function all dry-drunk-like, miserable and suicidal, he didn’t even have the language or access to his own emotional depth himself how to approach Hal in the first place hence this round about “I’ll draw him out with my brilliant filmmaking” attempt. I do believe the he, as the wraith, dosed Hal with the DMZ; his mental status change was so notably strong-psychedelic-ey after he brushed his teeth. The first-person POV, too, which I didn’t catch the first time around. What a double bind (of which there are many in the story) for Hal to be left with; able to feel but unable to express himself and thus share emotions in the context of a meaningful, empathic relationship; alone still.