“Hope Holly is fond of the color purple.” - LOL!
I wish the show had been quite as crystal and silent as you describe, though I get that was the intent. If they had just had everyone so stripped down and it otherwise felt like the same show that would have been great. I found the exposition not as smoothly done as normal - like the bit where they had Charlie Rose on and they did the news story with the Gray Matter people. I just thought it was awkward and “he just provided the name,” was just so such an obvious and crude way to make the point which could have been delivered a lot more subtly.
I’m used the writing being more witty and clever. I felt like it was “Oh, let’s bring the Gray Matter people in so people remember who they are,” instead of like, “Those Gray Matter people - I hate those guys!!!”