Crossword
Wednesday: 14:41
Thursday: 25:34
Google Searches: 1 on Thursday

Here's the grid from Wednesday.


That's nice, but a couple of things. The asymmetry really bugs me. Especially so because of its dimensions. All the black squares obviously necessitate a larger grid, so this is 17 x 17 (yet still many fewer clues than a regular daily).

Traditionally, 17 x 17 grids, especially ones that make shapes, are diagramless puzzles, that show up in the Times on Sundays with increasing rarity, it seems. They make the clues a little easier, tell you the symmetry, and the location of the first across clue. This puzzle would have been a perfect candidate for such a puzzle, although the asymmetry would make it very difficult because it's so darn close (I remember seeing a puzzle that had something like "almost left/right symmetry" in the description, but that sounds very weaselly). And some things here don't have easy clues, like 11-, 28-, or 38-Across. Still, Wednesday had a Valentine theme also, you could slot that in for the 14th, and this could've been a tough diagramless last Sunday. I really like the diagramless puzzles, but there's no constant source of them online.

Thinking about Black Panther tonight. This movie is a Very Big Deal.

Update: Holy shit, this movie is sold out everywhere at any time I'd want to go. Like I said, Very Big Deal. Guess I'll shoot for a matinee tomorrow.