Say It Again: A Treatment

The New Yorker

by John Kenney

February 23, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

Matt Damon revealed that Netflix aims to reiterate plot points multiple times in dialogue to cater to distracted phone users, as highlighted by *Shouts & Murmurs* author John Kenney’s fictional spy story. The narrative follows spies Clara and Desmond meeting at Paris’ Gare du Nord station, where they discuss a mission involving a Russian double agent in London. Their conversation is filled with repeated key details, such as the “fountain at Saint-Sulpice” and their roles as spies under different covers—Clara works for the CIA, while Desmond pretends to work in marketing for a soft-drink company called Too-Matcha-Papaya. The story delves into Clara’s backstory through flashbacks: her parents were killed by a Russian gang, she attended college, survived another massacre, and trained at Langley. In London, she meets Martin, an MI6 agent who offers her the chance to track down the Russians in exchange for letting her kill them. Despite their past encounter, they maintain professionalism while executing their mission. The narrative also highlights the tension between Clara’s personal vendetta and her professional role as a spy. This fictional tale captures the essence of modern storytelling techniques designed to engage audiences with short attention spans. By repeating

Verticals

culturenews

Originally published on The New Yorker on 2/23/2026