Boris Johnson's privileges committee appearance today was exactly what anyone would expect - but that didn't make it any less infuriating.
The long-awaited showdown instantly reminded those of us unfortunate enough to have existed under his disastrous time in Number 10 exactly what it is that we are not missing, now he has been dumped back on the backbenches.
It is more than tiresome to have to be writing once again about this man's obfuscation, his misinformation and his shameless blaming of others, but watching his brazen performance in Parliament today also brought with it a sense of relief that he is no longer the most powerful person in the country. After today's events we can safely suggest he never will be again.
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Johnson told the committee today, with a straight face, that there was a "near universal belief" in Number 10 Downing Street that the rules and guidance were being complied with during a number of lockdown-era gatherings. We have surely now all seen the images of Mr Johnson holding an alcoholic beverage aloft in a packed room with wine bottles and food spread across the table.
The former PM claimed this image showed a 'work event' taking place for a departing member of staff.
First of all, no one who worked through that difficult and devastating time was holding 'work events' that resembled anything like that. Secondly, how was it justifiable to hold such an 'event' when others were not allowed to attend the funerals of their closest family members? It is offensive nonsense.
But in his stumbling and often bad-tempered answers, Mr Johnson insisted that this event was "essential." I wonder if he would look a grieving relative in the eye and tell them why his team's farewell drinks were more "essential" than their final chance to say goodbye to a loved one.
One of Johnson's key defence planks at today's committee was that he was basically never told that what was happening in Number 10 - including the parties he attended - was wrong. On the face of it this is just an appalling state of affairs for a man who felt he was fit to lead an entire country. Where is the leadership? Where is the sense of responsibility? What does it say about a Prime Minister who has to be told what is right and wrong by his staff regarding rules he came up with?
After an opening truly befitting of the man, where he lunged from excuse to excuse, attempted to undermine the committee and its chair Harriet Harman before dragging a few others under the bus - including Rishi Sunak - Mr Johnson was hit with a question that immediately blew apart his entire flimsy defence.
Fellow Tory MP Sir Bernard Jenkin said: "You were aware of the importance the government had issued about keeping workplaces safe, indeed you told the House of Commons in September that it is very important to get people back into the workplace in a covid-secure way."
He added: "In November, a week before first gathering, you said 'Neither mass testing or progress on vaccines are a substitute for social distancing' and at press conferences you regularly repeated the phrase 'hands, face, space.' So there can be no doubt that you knew what the guidance was or what they were intended to achieve."
He then pointed out that in one of the images, taken at the leaving do of Mr Johnson's former press director Lee Caine, a large number of people are seen gathered "in close proximity", including the former Prime Minister.
Sir Bernard then asked: "Do you accept that you were present at this gathering and that people were not social distancing while you were there?" It was beyond Orwellian to hear Mr Johnson suggest that those in the picture were in fact making an effort to socially distance from each other.
Speaking about the need for this event to take place, he added: "Why was it necessary? Because two senior members of staff were about to leave the building in potentially acrimonious circumstances, it was important for me to be there for reassurance. I believed it was absolutely essential for work purposes."
If it wasn't incredibly serious it would be laughable. Here is a Prime Minister claiming that a picture showing people packed together with drinks and snacks actually showed people were trying to socially distance and claiming that a booze-fuelled leaving party was an "essential" work event.
After the bad-tempered exchanges, Sir Bernard spoke for most when he said: "'I don't think we agree with your interpretation of guidance." It was a killer line and a killer blow.
The committee session continued for several hours and the increasingly tetchy Mr Johnson kept claiming that the sky in fact was not blue, but we all know the truth. The sky is blue and this man is finished - and not before time.
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