Well, it's begun,

[Brainstormy]

12. Guilty, guilty, guilty

As an American viewer I plead guilty to almost everything you said. Except the NHS bit, which certainly didn't outrage me, I just thought it a little strange what with all the dancing sick children and the nightmare sequence, etc. There was certainly some weirdness in the tribute to the healthcare system that the Brits are rightly proud of. And I'm sure you're right about our not fully appreciating the distinctly different British cultural references. Without the annoying, non-stop commentary you complain about (and I agree) I'm not at all certain that I would have "gotten" much of what was being presented. That, I think, was the main problem with the ceremony. It was simply too chaotic and incoherent, and again, you're right about American preconceptions. I just don't expect the British to be chaotic and incoherent. Bafflement is right, too. I was baffled by much of the ceremony. But I think I'm as open-minded as the next person, and if I could "get" China's opening ceremony, I don't think my expectations for Great Britian's were unreasonable.