Honestly completely different from anything I'd anticipated, and this really coheres in the home stretch with a strikingly emotional climax. It's the only way it ever could have ended, really. How these things always end.

You can definitely tell this was written during a tumultuous period in Shepard's life, and I can't imagine what it would be like to see this performed live. I mean, I *can* because there's detailed stage directions [there's also a film adaptation from Robert Altman I need to see], but the ferocity of the emotion on display throughout is pretty intimidating.