It is potential I am lacking one thing right now, as a result of I do not see what makes this explicit idea particular. A double letter following “ME,” is that basically it”? I assumed possibly the repeated letters would spell some related … one thing, however no. S + D + R + L, that does not spell something I am accustomed to. I don’t know how excessive or low the issue bar is right here. Looks like there should be 1,000,000 phrases that characteristic “ME” after which repeated letters. Right now, the repeated letters break throughout two phrases each time (that’s, the primary of the pair (e.g. the “R” in “CONSUMER”) is the final letter in a phrase and the second of the pair (e.g. the “R” in “REPORTS”) is the primary letter of the subsequent phrase. That is … one thing. But it surely’s not a very flashy and even noticeable factor. The idea simply does not really feel tight sufficient. Additionally, there ought to be no different “ME”s in a puzzle like this. If the theme is REPEAT AFTER ME, then that ought to maintain for all “ME”s within the grid, which is why “ME”s ought to happen solely in themers. However there are, after all, different “ME”s, like in MEATS. Eliminating all non-theme “ME”s from the grid is a solution to make the entire theme appear extra elegant. And it would not have been arduous to do. The grid isn’t powerful to fill—actually, the fill actually could possibly be saucier and extra fascinating general, given how little stress the theme places on the grid. Principally what we get may be very acquainted and predominantly uninteresting stuff. It was actually arduous even to determine on a Phrase of the Day right now, so uninspiring was the fill. Principally, the place the fill was involved, this puzzle OGLED OGRES. The purpose is, properly, twofold: there ought to be no non-theme “ME”s and the fill usually ought to’ve been far more fascinating. 

There’s nothing horrible about this puzzle. No massive misses, nothing off-putting (besides TASE, which, for me, is just too strongly related to police violence). Essentially the most jarring second was making an attempt to determine 5D: Palindromic rental, getting D-D, and having no concept what that could possibly be. I forgot that folks nonetheless hire DVDs. Hell, *I* nonetheless hire DVDs, in that I nonetheless have (or not too long ago re-got) the Netflix red-envelope snail-mail DVD/Blu-ray subscription dealie (and I adore it). However cluing DVD as a rental nonetheless actually threw me, since that’s not how most individuals get their motion pictures any extra. OK, that is all, gotta go eat peaches. See you tomorrow.