The Last Mayor Of Philadelphia | Defector

"The understanding that we have reached when we've talked about it, to the extent we've talked about it at all, is that The Distraction should try to be a good hang even in bad times. This is dependent, of course, on the extent to which Drew and I are capable of managing that, and also relative to how bad the times in question are."

"There is no small amount of grief and grieving in every episode we've done this year, but this week's episode is pretty much nothing but. Drew and I talked about our friend, and what made his work so singular and what him so great; we talked about what we'll miss about him and how we're missing him already. We do get on the record with our stupid Super Bowl picks at the end,"

The Distraction aims to remain a good hang even during bad times, depending on the capacity of its leaders and the severity of circumstances. Much of the staff traveled to Philadelphia for the funeral of friend and co-founder Dan McQuade, with a large team remembrance and in-person storytelling while "November Rain" played on a jukebox. Recent episodes have contained persistent grief; the latest episode is primarily a tribute, recounting McQuade's distinctive work and personality and expressing what will be missed. The episode closes with light-hearted Super Bowl picks, but ongoing mourning and unpredictable grieving will continue in coming weeks and months.

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