I feel your pain, and your post speaks to me almost as if I wrote it. To make it even worse, however, is that I’m now in management for the last two years, and have to put on an even more false front when all I want to do is work. One thing I have gotten better at, is being straightforward. Instead of just dodging around it and trying to let them down easy, just saying “I really need to finish this assignment I’m working on, can we talk about this another time?” Or “hey I appreciate you wanting to tell me about your entire weekend, hour by hour, but I have several things I need to get to working on, we’ll have to chat later” and then just stare at them until they leave. It was uncomfortable at first, but I’ve gotten pretty good at it lately, maybe give it a try?

Great scene. The political ballet and feigned incredulity are so ridiculous, but probably not far from what happens in real life.