Agreed agreed - I think a lot of the run-up to the mid-season finale was about leading the audience into Sam's mindset. Basically nudging us in the direction that everything is pointing towards Sam's hunches about the visions being correct. That way, when they prove false, we're, at least partially, as shocked as Sam.

I also didn't like that part with Donna and Doug and the rabbit-head guy. You'd have noticed that I didn't really comment on it at all. Mostly, that was because I couldn't put my finger on why I didn't like it, and also because I was legit in a rush on this one (which I admit might have effected how deep I was willing to go into analysis)...

...but thinking about it more, I think it's because it plays into some sexist tropes about women, particularly feminists. While I know the writer meant it as another example of how Donna was giving Doug a particularly hard time - it also played into the anti-feminist rhetoric that men have where they believe that "there's just no pleasing a woman" or "damned if you do damned if you don't" or that women "want to have their cake and eat it too." That sort of thing where feminists are accused of wanting to be treated like an equal, but then get mad when men aren't "chivalrous".

I think that's why that scene didn't work for me, anyway.