[ Harold has a strange moment in which he feels utterly unmoored to see John smile. It's a rare sight to begin with, and seeing him smile over hearing Harold survives... It can't be a surprise, as the Machine said he really does know better, but it hurts with all the complexity of grief, love tied up with loss. It's something he knows he shouldn't ever have had a chance to see again.

It takes him a moment to process what John's saying and then actually respond. He sounds a little rote, perfunctory, but he's getting himself together -- just a bit distant. ]

You were public entertainment? [ he puts together, grimacing. ] How positively vile. [ Harold thinks he would've preferred expiring over such a fate, but that's a particularly poor joke to make right now. ] You're much better suited to pretending in the public sphere than I am. I'm sure you conducted yourself admirably.