The internationalism that he preaches is an especially French form of it, one that assumes the assertion of sovereignty and identity alongside a global reach, achieved less by ideological clarity than by a constant delicate nudging and balancing of its more obstreperous German and American allies.
The constant nudges might be having an effect, albeit a small one.
Aside from a midpoint raid on Frank's home, staged with Bird's signature sugar-rush sense of giddiness, most of the action beats feel obligatory, as though Lindelof and Bird were on a warpath towards their true object of desire: constant, nudging, laborious affirmations about the necessity of optimism.
With her constant nudging, you'll never overmix or beat chilled egg whites again.
With constant nudging, Congress moved the expiration date from 14 years to 28 to 42 and then to 56.
The chief financial officer, Rajiv Dutta, said, "It's a constant battle -- everyone wants us to keep nudging up the guidance" for future profits.
Computers might be good at repetitive tasks, but driving is a dynamic business, a constant management of risk and progress; no computer could know when to nudge forwards at a junction, or when to sneak into the other lane.
It's a constant and unusually explicit feedback loop, providing a steady stream of unsubtle social nudges: post more of this, say less of that, stop trying to be funny.
And throughout, you are in a constant state of acceleration because every time you kill an enemy, it emits a concentrated burst of the same nitrous oxide (wink wink, nudge nudge) that fuels your vehicle.
