Rachael Maddow on

[Qutzupalotl]

9. Not that I'm aware of, but last night there was a weird handoff.

Rachel said something like, same bat-time, same bat-channel. Lawrence gave her some shit about it, saying how old do you have to be to get that reference? Rachel seemed stunned for a few seconds, but replied that Batman was timeless (I’m paraphrasing all this). Then she lost Lawrence’s audio and couldn’t say much more. They cut to Lawrence and he chided his staff for cutting away from Rachel.

I am NOT saying this weirdness is the cause of Lawrence’s absence, but it would not surprise me if Rachel had had enough of Lawrence’s behavior. I’d be offended if I were in her shoes — a coworker basically called her old on national TV. I’m sure he meant it in fun, but maybe he doesn’t realize how he comes off.

I never cared for his demeanor. I realize he’s an ally, but to me he comes off a little creepy or smarmy. Which is fine if you’re dissing a Republican, but not so great for interpersonal relationships. The handoffs to him from her always seem awkward, forced and too long. I may be in the minority on this, but I wouldn’t miss him.