There is no way I can phrase this without sounding weird, but Mike Mangini is adorable. His response to the phone call was absolutely heartwarming! Loved it. Amazing.
Also, JM's saying that writing feels like old times again really buoyed me. It sounds like he's going to have a lot to do with the next album, which warms the cockles.
Don't know how much input MM's got into the next album - didn't appear to be in the studio footage, but then again, judging by Petrucci's ridiculous beard, the studio footage was recorded at about the same time as the phone call footage, so he probably is joining them.