Will You Guys Let Me Know If This Ever Airs?

Steve Carrel takes his final bow and gets my first ever A+. You can read about it below along with my second ever A+. Let’s just say it was a good night for NBC.

I promise to get Grey’s Anatomy to you all soon. Ryan’s in new job mode so the ETA on The Big Bang Theory and Fringe is a little up in the air, but he promises everything should be back to normal soon. Enjoy!

Spoilers...

The Office – “Goodbye, Michael” (A+)

Not much to talk about in this one...

Wow, that was sad. But hopeful. I don’t think as an audience you can ask for much more than that. The execution of this episode was superb. It’s hard to express just how perfect it was from a writing, acting, and – more important than anything – dramatic standpoint. Michael’s character came full circle, and it truly was a treat to watch.

The individual goodbyes did a great job of showcasing Michael’s relationship with each and every character, and in the process showcased some of Michael’s newfound maturity. He hit the supporting characters first, starting with a sweet little scene with Phyllis, and then moving on to Stanley and eventually Andy. In classic Michael fashion he managed to give Andy a staggeringly better gift than anyone else, seemingly without even realizing it (he was caught up in the metaphor).

I’m glad he did too, because Andy’s struggles with Michael’s client list gave Deangelo a nice side plot so as to not distract from Michael leaving. I wouldn’t say it was a great storyline or anything, there were certainly a few times where it really dragged, but it didn’t take up a whole lot of screen time and still managed to set the groundwork for Will Ferrell’s eventual exit. Oh and provided a nice little tag after the credits where each member of the office realized just how good they had it with Michael.

The rest of Michael’s goodbyes were also quite well done. While each of the main characters rightfully got their own extended moment with Michael, I’m quite glad that they acknowledged his special relationship with Erin. It’s fitting that his last scene with her character took on the father/daughter dynamic they’ve frequently displayed, and his parting words with her were quite sweet. I actually felt legitimately bad for Erin as he walked away because I think Michael was a very important... dare I say, role model in her life.

I’m also glad that he and Dwight finally buried the hatchet. I mentioned in my last review I was hoping that would happen, and while I think it was obvious they would eventually make up it didn’t make the moment feel any less special. I think Dwight’s talking head where he read aloud Michael’s letter of recommendation was one of the more touching scenes in the episode. Dwight finally got the approval he so desperately craved from Michael, and Rainn Wilson’s depiction did a phenomenal job of selling just that. There paintball scene together was just icing on the cake.

Jim’s goodbye was equally satisfying. It was classic Jim to be the only one in the office to realize Michael was leaving at the end of the day, and it was his goodbye that really struck home the theme of the understated farewell. I found it a little unfortunate that NBC played this scene to death in their previews for the episode – I think it would have been that much more special if it came without any expectations – but with that said the promos didn’t stop it from being another one of the truly great emotional moments jam packed into this episode. I mean how could this not melt your heart:

JIM: I think we should just save the goodbyes for tomorrow at lunch... and then tomorrow I can tell you what a great boss you turned out to be. Best boss I ever had.

The only goodbye I was somewhat disappointed in was Ryan’s. Sure, Ryan’s character doesn’t have a substantial presence on the show anymore, but I thought he and Michael had been through enough together to warrant something more than a joke about a tacky beer sign. I mean like Ryan said in the last episode – he helped get him off drugs and gave him a job when no one else would. Surely they could have thought of a better scene than that.

But that will stand as my only criticism of Michael’s farewell. From there on out it was nothing but beautiful. His final conference room scene where you could see the character starting to crack. His pause at the door where he took one last look at the office – business as usual – before he set out to the airport. And of course, his muted goodbye to Pam, right before he boarded the plane.

It was a smart decision by the writing staff to have Michael exit quietly by his own choosing. Over the years Michael has been guilty of blowing small moments out of proportion, so it was only fitting that in the end he decide to forgo the pomp and circumstance and leave with a quiet dignity. His passing of the mic and subsequent audio-free goodbye with Pam simply cementing his transition off the show.

Yet it was his farewell speech as he left the building that was perhaps the most poignant moment of the episode. Certainly the perfect summation of how the character has grown over these past 7 seasons. Michael has always used the office as a way of filling a void in his own life, treating his coworkers like a family because he had no family of his own. His speech highlighted exactly what makes his exit so hopeful – he’s found his wife, his purpose in life, and yet he still realizes how much working with these people, his best friends as he calls them, has affected him... and I think it’s fair to say, us too.

Line of the episode:

MICHAEL: I got almost everybody so... Holly’s my family now. She’s my family, and the babies that I make with her will be my children. The people that you work with are just, when you get down to it, your very best friends. They say on your death bed you never wish you spent more time at the office, but I will. Gotta be a lot better than a death bed. I actually don’t understand death beds. I mean who would buy that?

Community – “Applied Anthropology and Culinary Arts” (B+)

Well it may not have been the literal Community bottle episode (see “Cooperative Calligraphy”), but this was a bottle episode to its core. With Shirley going into labour, and with the World Food Festival turning into a bit of a race kerfuffle, this week’s episode took place almost exclusively in the gangs’ Anthropology class room, and for the most part turned into an excellent example of a bottle episode done right.

Unexpected labour is one of the oldest sitcom tropes in the book, so it takes a particularly high level of writing to elevate the material enough to make it work. The writers on Community did just that in this episode, using their own strong characters (not to mention their equally strong supporting cast) to create a unique take on the well-worn material. Brita in particular was perfect for her role in this episode. It was hilarious watching her morph from pushing all natural child birth, to literally throwing up at the sight of what an all natural child birth entails.

Change was also used quite well in this episode. I’ve said this before in reviews, but his crazy out there style of humour is very hit or miss on any given week. Because of how intricately his character plays into Shirley’s pregnancy storyline, it was crucial that he be on in this episode, and once again the writers came through. I loved his various descriptions of where the many Chang babies had been born and the way he conceded the baby to Andre after he discovered that it wasn’t his.

CHANG: Congratulations sir. After a fierce campaign I happily concede this baby to you. Pretty classy of me.

Pretty classy indeed. I also didn’t mind that Shirley named the baby after Chang. I say that because under normal circumstances that’s a pretty cheesy end to any pregnancy storyline, but the way they handled it kept things light instead of sentimental, which is what really made it work. Poor little Ben Bennett. That’s a terrible name.

What makes a bottle episode sometimes difficult to write though is the lack of, or difficulty in supporting, different subplots distinguished from the main plot. “Applied Anthropology and Culinary Arts” managed to overcome these problems to various degrees. The Dean’s story, an interview with Dean Magazine (hilariously cancelled after just two issues at the end of the episode – worst idea for a magazine ever), was probably the funniest. The aforementioned World Food Festival kerfuffle was a great explanation for why Shirley had to deliver in the classroom, and I thought the Dean’s attempt to calm Shirley only to get her quiet enough to freak out himself was one of the funniest gags in the episode. Kudos to Jim Rash on that one – he really sold it.

Troy and Abed’s handshake subplot was a little more up and down however. I thought Troy’s reaction to being forced into the handshake for money – like a whore as Pierce put it – was pretty funny, especially the way Troy felt the need to cover himself up afterward. It’s just the rest of their little subplot felt like more of a distraction than anything, and didn’t really contribute much to the episode.

What I loved though, was the fact that they brought back Abed’s background story from “The Psychology of Letting Go”, where he delivered a baby in the back of SUV. It’s a call back that takes guts, because I’m sure more than a few people didn’t catch it even the first time around, but sticking with such a hilariously inventive bit like that is why I have so much respect for this show and its writers.

Actually, while we’re on the subject, the other great call back in this episode was to last week’s clip show, with Fat Neil mentioning the St. Patrick’s Day fishing trip that we all somehow missed the first time around (I also loved Vicky’s “we came so close to having one class that wasn’t all about them” comment in that little exchange). The whole supporting cast had a great week for that matter. Professor Duncan’s drunken everybody-gets-an-A opening was hilarious, and I love the fact that Shirley didn’t want to have her baby in the classroom because she didn’t want the first thing her baby saw to be Starburns. I don’t blame her...

One last thing... Troy and Abed’s after credits sequence would have been hil-arious if the same fire alarm gag hadn’t literally been used the week before on Parks and Recreation. That has got to be the most unlucky timing of all time... hmmm that was a weird sentence. Meh.

Anyway, next week is the hour long paintball episode/season finale and I literally cannot wait. Josh Holloway is guest starring and if any of you knew what an obsessed Lost fan I am than you’d know what a big deal that is for me. In the mean time though, here are my favourite quotes:

DUNCAN: Throw paper balls at her head until she sits down.

BRITA: Shirley that is full of chemicals, I wouldn’t expose your baby to that.
SHIRLEY: Actually my doctor said antacid is safe to take.
BRITA: Let me guess who paid for that study, big antacid.

JEFF: Listen back seat birther, Shirley’s on her third kid. She doesn’t need a 30 year old slacker with two one-eyed cats governing her body.
BRITA: First of all, together my cats can do anything. Secondly, you disqualified yourself from this conversation the moment you decided to grow a wang.
JEFF: I regret nothing.

DEAN PELTON: Can someone please get... every mop on campus.

CHANG: I’m just saying nobody has to freak out. A Chang is hardy to the core. We always come out healthy, that’s why there’s like a billion of us. You ever tried Googling me? It can’t be done.

ANNIE: Okay 911 says it’s gonna take over an hour because of a race... kerfuffle.

And line of the episode:

DUNCAN: (after throwing his glass full of alcohol on the floor to hide it from the Dean) And that, is what Jews do at weddings. Anthropology!
CHANG: Lehayim!

Parks and Recreation – “Jerry’s Painting” (A+)

Honestly, this was the funniest 38 minutes of comedy I’ve seen in a long, long time. There are few shows on television today that make me laugh as hard as this one on such a consistent basis. The characters are so strong on Parks and Recreation that it doesn’t even matter which ones they pair together – the result will almost always be nothing short of hilarious.

When Ben started looking for a place to live at the start of the episode I thought for sure the writers would pair him with Tom. The two have had good chemistry with each other in the past, “Camping” being a great example, and for the most part I thought there would be some great comedic possibilities with the pairing. But once again the writers subverted my expectations and delivered maybe the funniest character grouping/storyline I’ve seen from the show all season... perhaps ever.

Every scene between Ben, April and Andy was fantastic. Every joke landed. Every second they were on screen together was hilarious. I’m at a loss for words on where to even begin. How do you condense that down? There was April’s hilarious house rules, April and Andy’s complete misuse of the word cute, some melted marbles in a frying pan, an ill-fated trip to open a bank account, and of course a pair of marshmallow shooters. And that’s not even scratching the surface.

I so hope we haven’t seen the last of this character grouping. Ben acts almost like a parent to Andy and April, which really allows them to cut loose and be as immature as possible. The two of them are just funnier when they have a straight man playing off of them, and frankly, so is the straight man. Ben has started developing his niche in these sort of, one off, sarcastic throwaway lines, and in this episode he was given a plethora of them. In fact, I don’t think Ben has ever been funnier.

And then, wow... Jerry’s painting. What can I say? We all knew Jerry could paint, but who would have expected that would have come out? And that Leslie would have liked it too? First things first though. Ron at an art show – sheer brilliance. His speech (you can most certainly find it in the quotes section) was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen his character do. And when he looked at an artist’s minimalist painting (it was a white canvas) and said “you forgot to paint a painting son”, let’s just say I had a hard time hearing what happened after.

Leslie’s response to Jerry’s painting was also quite good. At first I was a little taken aback by her positive response to the painting, but after looking back over the episode I thought the writers set it up well. I think my favourite part of her story was her segment on Ya Heard, with Perd. I love how the porn star kept referring to her and Leslie’s work, like what Leslie was doing was definitely porn, and the way she later had to explain herself to Chris:

LESLIE: Well I did not know that Brandi was going to offer me a role in her next film.
CHRIS: I urge you not to take that role.
LESLIE: I’m not going to take the role.

Tom too, had a particularly strong episode. From his outrage at being cast in the role of the fat baby in Jerry’s painting, to his impassioned defence of pornography at the art council meeting, pretty much every time he was on screen he was good for a laugh. I thought he was a little too obnoxious in last week’s episode, so I was happy to see him back in fine form here.

Other than that though, I think the only way to really capture the brilliance of this episode is to just give some of the highlights. This could get long:

April’s House Rules

-          You can’t use the front door. You have to climb in through the back window.

-          No personal phone conversations.

-          If you ever speak to me in Spanish please use the formal ufsted (I’m sorry, I speak no Spanish at all and have no idea how to spell that).

-          No electricity after 6pm.

-          If you ever watch a sad movie you have to wear mascara so we can see whether or not you’ve been crying.

-          There’s no noise allowed on Mondays.

-          No TV after breakfast.

CHRIS: I love setting people up! Here’s my secret – I determine someone’s best qualities, and then I find someone else with compatible qualities... and I bring them together!

RON: Okay everyone, SHUT UP and look at me. Welcome to visions of nature. This room has several paintings in it. Some are big, some are small. People did them, and they are here now. I believe that after this is over they’ll be hung in government buildings. Why the government is involved in an arts show is beyond me. I also think it’s pointless for a human to paint scenes of nature when they could just go outside and stand in it. Anyway, please do not misinterpret the fact that I am talking right now as genuine interest in art and attempt to discuss it with me further. End of speech.

BEN: Are you guys frying marbles?
ANDY: We were checking to see if the fire alarm worked.
APRIL: It doesn’t.

TOM: In one brush stroke Jerry has killed the Jay-Z vibe that’s taken me years to cultivate and replaced it with a fat brown baby vibe... which is not as cool of a vibe.

LESLIE: Pornography is very difficult to define. In fact it was Justice Stewart who once said “I can’t define pornography, but I know it when I see it.”
PERD: Brandi, how would you define pornography?
BRANDI: For me it’s when the penis goes in.
(silence)

BEN: And then you get your laundry... where’s your laundry detergent?
ANDY: Right there...
BEN: This is bubble bath. You wash your clothes in bubble bath?
ANDY: Bubble bath, clothes soap, same thing.

LESLIE: I’m sorry that I’m trying to defend a beautiful work of art.
JERRY: Thank you Leslie.
LESLIE: Stand down Jerry, this isn’t your fight!

And line of the episode:

BEN: Stick to the list and you’ll do great. I have total faith in you. (Aside to the camera) There’s like a 30% chance they’ll both die.

30 Rock – “Everything Sunny All the Time Always” (B+)

Avery + Freedom = :(

Last week, during the 100^th episode, Jack had a hallucinatory vision of his future self, a white haired magnate with a gorgeous new wife. When he asked what happened to Avery, Future Jack responds “oh, you’ll see. It’s hilarious.” Well future Jack, you were right – it was pretty damn funny.

I’m very impressed with the way 30 Rock managed to follow up on its 100^th episode. To be honest, after the star studded spectacle of last week’s affair I thought this one was going to be a letdown. I was wrong. Jack and Avery’s North Korea storyline was fantastic. I like Elizabeth Banks, so I hope this isn’t the last we’re going to see of her, but if this is how her character gets written off the show than I’m happy she at least went out with a bang.

I thought it was hilarious that Jack and Avery have Reagan themed Skype sex. I particularly loved how passionately Jack said “yes” when Avery asked him if he wanted to watch her eat Jelly beans in a Reagan mask. I also love, that after all these years of talking about his past relationship with her, they finally got Condoleezza Rice on the show. Her acting wasn’t spectacular, but I don’t think anyone was expecting much, nor do I think it mattered. I very much liked their piano/flute competition. It was reminiscent of that great scene from Anchorman where Will Ferrell dances around a bar playing the crap out of his flute.

Liz’s story was perhaps my favourite. The writers did a terrific job of contrasting how ridiculous her problem of a bag stuck in a tree was compared to Jack losing Avery to North Korea.

JACK: But I am going to solve this. Just like you are going to solve your equally important bag in a tree situation.

Her trip to city hall was terrific, as was her frequent conversations with bag (not all of them one-sided either) but I think my favourite part of her storyline was her musical interlude, where she described just exactly what musical montages are used for. It’s too much for this paragraph but you can find the lyrics below.

Tracey’s story this week was also quite good. The man pretty much lives or dies on his one-liners and they were particularly sharp in this one. I loved his inside joke recreation meeting, gavel and all, where he pitched such solutions as Dot Com licking subway steps and Kenneth stealing a rain machine. Much like Liz’s bag storyline, the concept was just so ridiculous you couldn’t help but find it funny.

Some of my favourite quotes:

LIZ: No, I’m talking about taking control like I do every day at work. I found Tracey, I saved the show, I always think of a third thing when I’m listing stuff.

DOT COM: Tracey, welcome back! I think I speak for all of us when I say how thrilled we are –
TRACEY: Great impression of a guy that sucks Dot Com.

AVERY: I don’t know why our daughter would be afraid of Reagan.
JACK: Are you accusing me of not doing enough Reagan time with her?

JACK: I’m facing a similar situation myself.
LIZ: Lay it on me. Two way street.
JACK: Avery has been kidnapped by Kim Jong-il.
LIZ: What?!? Why? Is she a spy? Oh my god, I already know too much!

AVERY: And in food news... you’ve had enough to eat today.

FRANK: Dude, I think you did a North Korean propaganda film!
TRACEY: It was either that or play a rapping doorman in a Kate Hudson movie.
FRANK: Oh, okay.

And of course Liz’s montage song:

Sometimes we use a song to move the story along and explain it to you
Cause Liz is taking charge, she’s in control of everything she do
In her personal life Hey, Hey, Na, Na, in her personal life
But here comes the story obstacle now