When David Cameron ordered an inquiry into media standards, no one - least of all the PM himself - could have predicted the saga that would unfold. From embarrassing text messages and Oscar-worthy celebrity performances to inappropriate QC crushes and editor spats, no one has emerged totally unscathed.
Even bearing all that in mind, I'm sure Cameron didn't expect it to conclude with the coalition's most public disagreement so far. He may have found it in his heart to smile through some of Clegg's post-report statement in Parliament, but one suspects it was through gritted teeth.
If the final delivery of the report was supposed to signal a resolution of any sort, it has done quite the opposite. In an attempt to placate everyone, Leveson has raised as many questions as he answers and in the weeks to come, an entire industry, a large portion of the government, and more than a handful of hacked-off celebrities will be vying to offer their own remedies.
With that particular headache paracetamol-proof, a kicking at the polls probably wasn't quite the medicine the government was seeking, but that's what they got in Thursday's by-elections.
Labour cheerfully pocketed its three victories but it was the UK Independence Party (Ukip) who stole the headlines with the best by-election results in its history. The party's surge in popularity might not have resulted in any actual parliamentary seats, but having stormed to second in Middlesbrough and Rotherham and third in Croydon North, leader Nigel Farage wasn't wrong when he said, "whichever way you look at it, Ukip is on the rise".
If Cameron is now feeling the chill from his coalition partners, the rest of the country was shivering for a very different reason.
With many counties still under water after the recent devastating floods, temperatures dropped mid-week leaving ice, frosted windscreens and the promise of more of the same from the forecasters.
Thankfully, there are still people out there keeping a healthy sense of humour. Well, that must account for the mother who named her new baby Hashtag this week. We're still assuming it's a joke, but with a baby Like already in existence, maybe social media really is taking over the world. Another little issue to add to the press industry's woes.