Crying at "Extras."

I finally got around to watching the first episode of "Extras," the new HBO series starring Ricky Gervais. It's a comedy, but when it ended -- I am not kidding -- I broke down and cried! Nothing at all sentimental had happened or made me feel emotional during the show, but when the closing credits came up, I started to cry! I can only think that the show hit some level of artistic brilliance that brought on tears -- like the way people cry in front of great paintings. That was weird!

(Some spoiling follows.) The Gervais character harshly but blandly states his atheism early on in the episode, then, confronted with a woman with cerebral palsy who believes she will live free of the diseases in the afterlife and sexually interested in her sister, he says he's a Catholic. Later, there is a long scene where a priest sees through him and brings him to confession. There are other religious and sexual themes woven throughout the half-hour show. I'm in awe.