This was a fine, challenging, themeless Friday crossword by Jackson Matz (his second Friday puzzle, and third overall). It is refreshing, after struggling with a theme some days, to get a break, even though that break is tempered by the fact that, as a Friday, the clues tend to become more devious. How else could you describe 23A, Pilot productions?, PENS (ha!) or 45A, Like you and me, MORTAL (hmmm); and the obvious-in-hindsight 2D, Extremely solid, HARDASAROCK?

All-in-all a worthy addition to the NYTimes Friday parthenon, and therefore deserving of a full 5 squares on the JAMCR scale.

A reminder that solving the NYTimes crossword is an excellent way to keep those "little grey cells" in peak condition. If you don't already subscribe, consider wandering over to nytimes.com/subscription/games, and be sure and tell them that Jean & Mike sent ya.

Show note imagery: a SHARPEI, guarding its territory

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