Just saw breaking news that Moldova and Georgia have filed applications to join the European Union. This coming just a few days after Ukraine made its own urgent application to join. Not to mention on the heels of an ever-lengthening list of sanctions, condemnations, and actions taken by non-state entities (like Disney, Boeing, BP) against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

You know what this reminds me of? That scene at the end of 12 Angry Men, where the bad-tempered messenger service guy is finally completely isolated from the rest of the jurors and painfully, angrily alone in his insistence on a guilty verdict. Just replace Lee J. Cobb with Putin and all the other jurors with the rest of the world. Not a perfect comparison there, but I sense something similar in the way Lee J. Cobb lashes out from the impossible corner he’s boxed himself into.

Henry Fonda handles Cobb’s capitulation so beautifully, from his calm declaration of checkmate (“You’re alone.”) to the compassionate moment where he takes Cobb’s jacket from the hanger and helps him into it just before leaving the jury room.

I sure hope there’s a Henry Fonda out there capable of guiding Lee J. Cobb toward both correct verdict and final exit.