Oh, Now I Think Of It!

Last night’s Modern Family and the pilot of Suburgatory.

Spoilers...

Modern Family – “Phil on Wire” (B-)

It’s hard to think of an episode that better encapsulates the word “meh” than “Phil on Wire.” Not so awful it was unwatchable, but certainly not great either, the episode stumbled under the sheer weight of its many storylines. There were four very separate subplots in this one – which happens occasionally on this show – but with each of them getting relatively equal screen time it was difficult getting invested in any particular direction.

I think Jay and Gloria suffered the most from that this week. I do think it’s pretty funny that the once reluctant Jay has now fully embraced his new canine companion (Jay and the dog in the shower was the funniest/creepiest part of the episode), but it just felt like the storyline wasn’t given the chance to live up to its potential. We only really got to see it play out in brief glimpses, and in the end that made it feel scattered and unimportant. I don’t even think you could call it a B story...

Cam and Mitchell were the ones that probably got the most time devoted to them this week, and that actually ended up being a problem. I mean, sure, there were a few moments where the two of them were occasionally amusing. I liked listening to Mitchell list off the different stages of Cam’s dieting routine. But few stories seem more manufactured than freaking out over a juice fast. I don’t think there’s a whole lot of people who know what that’s like. I certainly don’t see it on an everyday basis, and that made the ending seem a little too over the top for my tastes. Listening to Mitchell scream out Snorkels was good for a laugh, but having the two of them roll around in the ocean took it way past the point of funny.

The one thing I did like was Phil’s ending. I couldn’t help but crack a smile watching him walk across that wire. I actually loved the scene before the tightrope walk too, the one where he and Luke had a heart to heart. There’s something remarkably entertaining about watching the thought process of those two. The way they give each other terrible advice and encourage each other in exactly the wrong ways. Maybe that’s why the ending was so rewarding. It’s nice to see that even a pair like that can get it right every once in a while.

Alright, now for my favourite lines:

PHIL: How awesome are people?
LUKE: So awesome.

HALEY: I knew it would suck having you at my school.
CLAIRE: Well hang in there. A couple more years and you’ll have it all to yourself again.

HALEY: You don’t look at me in class, you don’t text me.
ALEX: Who would text during a class?
HALEY: What are you?

PHIL: Inception Claire... dangerous game but I like it.

CLAIRE: Honey, I think those are jazz shoes.
PHIL: Nope tightrope shoes. Got them at an estate sale, only worn once.
CLAIRE: That is not a ringing endorsement.

GLORIA: It’s not the little dog that is making me crazy, it’s you that is making me crazy.
JAY: Yeah, you used to put me first. You used to want me in that shower.
MANNY: Should I be here for this?

PHIL: What was on my mind as I was walking across that wire? I kept thinking, if I can do this... then I’ve got two ways of getting across my yard.

And line of the night:

LUKE: The other day uncle Mitchell brought over a bag of junk food so he and Cam could do a Jew fast.
PHIL: Juice fast?
LUKE: I’m pretty sure he said Jew.

Suburgatory – “Pilot” (B-)

There is a serious problem with the way networks are marketing their new TV shows. I think I’ve said this about 90% of the pilots I’ve reviewed over the last couple of weeks, but the previews for these shows have actually done more to turn me off of them than to get me to want to watch. Of course I watch anyway because that’s just who I am, but without a DVR and a serious television addiction I can pretty much assure you I wouldn’t have been tuning in to more than half of these.

Ironically enough though, I think the terrible advertising may have ended up helping the pilots in the end. It’s an expectations thing. You go in with low expectations and it’s quite easy to exceed them. You go in with high and the opposite is true. I guess bravo to the marketing team if that was their plan all along.

That’s really what happened here with Suburgatory. I had such distain for the previews I really had no intention of watching. How many shows are already about life in the suburbs? Did we really need another one with a bunch of over the top plastics straight out of Mean Girls?

But alas, once again my initial impressions were wrong. Jane Levy is great as Tessa. She’s smart, quick-witted, sarcastic. Normally I won’t read the reviews of an episode before I’ve reviewed it myself, but I liked the point Eric Goldman of IGN made about Levy channelling Emma Stone in Easy A (his review was actually the only reason I watched in the first place). He’s quite right on that front, and that’s a good thing in my books – I’ve made no secret my love of that movie.

Of course it’s only the pilot, and by no means was it perfect (hence the B-), but you could see hints of some very smart writing in the debut. For that reason alone it’s probably worth it to stick around for at least a few more weeks.

Has Anyone Gotten A Bite Yet?

I think these shows fall somewhere in the Thursday to Monday range...

Spoilers!

How I Met Your Mother – “Ducky Tie” (A-)

Oh Victoria, if only you’d stuck around just a little longer.

I have to say, so far I’ve been quite impressed with How I Met Your Mother this season. I mean, yeah, we’re only two weeks in, but set-ups are important, and I’ve really liked the groundwork set over these last three episodes.

Unfortunately this week we found out that Victoria’s time with us would not be long (or at least that’s how the ending made it out), which makes me a little sad because even just in this episode you could still see what an enormously likeable character she is. Five years and she’s still got it.

But even though we only got a brief appearance I very much liked what the writers did with her. I’m one of those people who get really nostalgic over TV (no, it’s true), but I find oftentimes when shows try to play off the nostalgia of their glory years all it does is taint what came before it. There was a risk of that in this episode – they could have easily ruined Victoria’s character – but the writers did a spectacular job of pulling all the right strings at all the right times. I think my single favourite moment in the episode was listening to Victoria reminisce about her time with Ted. Marshall’s game night, the wedding night – that was How I Met Your Mother in its prime and it was nice to hear from the characters themselves (and more accurately the writers) that they remember it fondly as well.

It’s also a good testament to just how far How I Met Your Mother has come. Listening to them talk about those episodes like they were all old memories is a stark reminder that this show is entering its seventh season. Where does the time go?

I think maybe the true genius of “Ducky Tie” though was the way it was structured. It’s a comment made a lot about How I Met Your Mother (by me especially), but it still rings true. I loved the way they moved from the incredibly silly bet between Barney and Lily – I can’t wait to see if they have Barney in that ducky tie all season or not – and into the more serious entanglement between Victoria and Ted. The pacing was perfect and I think both storylines ended up benefitting from it.

Other than that I think I’m going to leave the very ominous ending note for a different post. It looks like the writers are about to shake something up. Victoria made a very good point when she said the dynamic between Ted, Robin, and Barney just isn’t normal. You forget because it’s a TV show and we’re so familiar with the characters but it’s true: exes don’t often hang out with each other like that in real life. What the writers end up doing with that though I don’t know. Let’s just hope they do...

Pan Am – “Pilot” (B+)

You know, before this season started, when I was hearing about all the Mad Men wannabes the networks were planning on putting out, I didn’t give much thought to this show. There was just nothing about the previews that made me to watch. They all had a very been-there done-that vibe to them.

So perhaps it was all my low expectations coming to a head, but I was surprised at how solid this pilot turned out to be. The characters are at least on the surface quite interesting. The espionage side-plot, something I originally thought sounded stupid in a period piece, ended up working quite well.

It’s not Mad Men, nor will it likely ever be Mad Men. The writers seem to spend exorbitant amounts of time describing to the audience just how important these women are, Mad Men is much more subtle. But when the writers do get out of their own way the show works quite well. It turned me into a believer, at least for a couple episodes more.

Grey’s Anatomy – “Free Falling” and “She’s Gone” (B)

Man, Seattle has to be the unluckiest town in the world. Plane crashes, hospital shootings, ferry crashes (yeah, that happened) and now a massive sinkhole in the middle of the city. It’s as if some cruel force was just picking on them for its own entertainment. Oh, right.

Ironically, after all that destruction this episode wasn’t really about the patients at all. I mean, sure, there was that couple they went all House with at the start of the episode – since when do they show the patients before they get to the hospital – but all in all they didn’t exactly get a whole lot of air time, or that developed a storyline. Nope, this one was all about the doctors.

And that worked to varying degrees. I mean, you’ve got to hand it to the writers for figuring out a way to get social services to take a baby away from two surgeons. Manufactured drama at its finest. I guess in some way you had to know Meredith wasn’t going to be out of the hospital too long. There really aren’t a whole lot of stories in her raise a baby outside of the hospital.

I am somewhat surprised though how quickly the writers put everything back together again. Normally they like to get a little more mileage out of their season finales. I expected Christina and Owen to be at odds with each other for a lot longer than they were. They aren’t exactly the most stable couple ever. They probably could have used the work to shore up their relationship. Trust me, I know what I’m talking about – I’m in first year psych.

I thought the best part of the episode was Karev’s storyline. It was good before the attendings pulled the Gunther, but after he got stabbed with the epi needle I couldn’t help but laugh at his disgruntled rants at Christina, or her passé attitude towards almost killing him.

All in all the episode was pretty average. Not the worst season premiere I’ve seen and certainly not the best. We’ll just have to wait and see how this new we-have-to-get-Zola-back storyline ends up playing out.

You Are The Opposite Of Batman

I apologise for this being so late. I still haven’t watched Grey’s yet so hopefully I’ll get to that soon, but without any further adieu I give you NBC’s Thursday night comedy block.

The Office – “The List” (B+)

There were a lot of questions for The Office going into this season. Heck, there still are. Sure there were episodes without Steve Carell before this one, and sure we’ve already seen his replacement James Spader, but before this episode we hadn’t got a look at the show’s new norm. The episodes previous were transition episodes, a grace period to allow The Office to recover from the excruciating loss of its biggest star.

So how did the new look Office fair? The short answer: it’s too soon to tell.

I’m glad they picked James Spader as Steve Carell’s replacement. If you recall my review of the finale last year he was one of my favourites out of the candidates interviewed. I also think it’s good that he’s not too similar to Michael. Why invite the comparisons, right? The new vibe he brings to show should hopefully kick start a few good storylines.

I’m also pleased with the choice of Andy as Michael’s replacement. From a story standpoint I’m not sure if it makes the most sense. Why pick the worst salesman in the office to run the whole operation? But from a writing standpoint though he seems to be the best choice. I liked him in “The List”. He’s not the power hungry Andy of old, he’s just a sweet well intentioned man who’s been thrown into a job he’s probably not qualified for, with a boss who’s flat out intimidating, and now all of a sudden he’s got to figure out how to lead a group of people who just months earlier were his equals. That’s one heck of a story arc and I have every bit of confidence in Ed Helms ability to pull it off.

There is going to be a feeling out period though. There was so much riding on “The List” that you have to assume it was written and scrutinized much more than the average episode. Robert California has been quite good so far, but he’s still very much an enigma and there’s no guarantee he won’t grow tiresome. Likewise with Andy. The writers have a tough balancing act there. They need him to own the role, but give him too much power and they risk ruining the very essence of what makes him funny. He may be in charge, but he can never demand too much respect.

I won’t lie – there were certainly moments in that episode, an episode you could probably call the series’ second pilot, where I felt legitimately sad Carell wasn’t there. But the time has come to move on. There will always be two Offices, the one with Carell and the one without him. If the second iteration can capture just half the magic of the first than it just might be worth watching.

Oh, and I still love Erin...

ERIN: Planking is one of those things where hey, you either get it or you don’t... and I don’t. But I am so excited to be a part of it!

Community – “Biology 101” (B)

You know, “Biology 101” may not have been the best episode of Community I’ve ever seen but I’ve missed these characters so much that I don’t think there was much anyone could do to ruin this one for me. Just seeing the cast around the study table again was enough to warm the soul, clear the head, and make life worth watching vicariously through fictional characters again.

“Biology 101” was a good setup episode. I’m very excited about the way the writers have laid out this season. I can’t wait to see Troy and Abed as roommates, even if all we get are stories of their shenanigans told around the study table. I love that Brita has decided to major in psychology and become a therapist. I do hope the writers don’t completely forget about that story thread (watching the rest of the group hold back there laughter after her announcement was one of the highlights of the episode). Both John Goodman and Michael K. Williams seem to be shaping up into great guest stars.  And I can already tell that Chang as a campus security guard is going to be awesome. I’m a fan of the way the writers change his role every season.

So there’s a lot of great potential that came out of this episode, which allows me to overlook some its flaws. The grand musical number at the start of the episode was good in theory, but it didn’t really pan out in terms of laughs. I did enjoy the way Annie and Jeff said they’d finally sleep together though, especially since it was later revealed that the whole sequence was playing out in Jeff’s head. Whether it ends up being true or not, it’s a good nod from the writers to the all the Jeff/Annie shippers out there.

I was also a little mixed on Jeff’s mental episode. I liked the 2001: A Space Odyssey sequence, and what I could only conclude was a homage to Jack Nicholson in The Shining, but it all just seemed rather perfunctory after it was over. Like the writers felt they had to throw a parody into the scenario and that’s just what we got.

The ending of the episode redeemed it somewhat though. Not just because the study group was back together again, but because I really loved the way they got them back together. I thought the comparison of Jeff to Pierce was clever, and I liked the little conversation between the two after Pierce took the fall for Jeff.

I also have to admit that even though a few days have passed between now writing this review and when I first watched the episode, I still have the image of that blade of grass sticking up through Jeff’s phone stuck in my head. That’s exactly the kind of great writing that separates this show from a lot of the mediocre comedies out there. They aren’t afraid to make the stakes real for these characters, and because of that the audience cares for them that much more. Well, I do anyway...

To the quotes:

TROY: If you want to get us a gift we’re registered at linens and things.
ABED: We have plenty of linens, we mainly want the things.

KAIN: I know who Sean Penn is. I seen Milk!

DEAN PELTON: Monkey knock out gas! Now that’s the kind of grounded sensible thinking I want to see this year.

TROY: Brita, why did everyone on Cougarton Abbey just die?

TROY: Brita, you’ve done enough okay. Why don’t you go start a ruiners club? Oh wait, you’d probably just ruin it.
BRITA: Well than I’d be doing a good job because it’s a ruiners club.
TROY: You ruined my analogy.

JEFF: Pierce isn’t crazy, the table is magic. As someone who’s been on the other side I can tell you... it is a scary, lonely, Chang-filled world out there. And sure, this group has sprouted some legs but why are we in such a rush to leave the tide pool when the only things waiting for us on shore are the sands of time and the hungry seagulls of slowly growing apart.
TROY: Man, I really need this biology class.

And line of the night...

TROY: You are human tennis elbow. You are a pizza burn on the roof of the world’s mouth. You are the opposite of Batman.

Parks and Recreation – “I’m Leslie Knope” (A)

Seriously, is there any show out there funnier than Parks and Recreation right now?

The answer is no, there isn’t. Of all the returning series on Thursday, Parks and Recreation had by far the best debut. After how good last season was it’s hard to think the show could get any better, but if this episode was any indication they just might make a run at it.

“I’m Leslie Knope” started pretty much right where the show left off last season (at L’il Sebastien’s funeral, may he RIP) with Leslie receiving the news that a political organization wants her to run for office. Last year’s finale was so funny that it was easy to forget what exactly Leslie running for office means for her relationship with Ben, but all in all I was really happy with the way the show ended up handling it. I thought the scene at the end of the episode between Ben and Leslie was really sweet. I’m glad Ben understood her predicament and that they didn’t decide to continue on with the relationship in secret (they’d already kind of done that storyline). And really, by no means does that mean it’s over between the two of them. It’s just drawing it out a little longer.

I also absolutely loved Ann’s B story. You know, the one where her inbox was “literally filled with penises.” They didn’t give it a whole lot of screen time but it was a pretty hilarious way of breaking up some of the more serious moments in the episode. Plus it gave us the very funny revelation that Jerry has one of the biggest penises a doctor has ever seen. Wait... is that funny?

The other big cliffhanger from the finale was that Tammy 1, Ron’s first ex-wife, was back in town, and just judging by Ron’s reaction to the news this is going to be a very, very funny development. Heck, even though she was mostly absent from this episode her presence was still very much felt. Ron’s escape scene was pretty awesome, and I loved every second of Ron and Leslie hiding out in the woods, especially the fact that Ron had somehow grown a Grizzly Adams beard in what I am pretty sure was just a day. Man, Nick Offerman really got robbed of an Emmy nomination this year.

Last but not least, I can’t end this episode review without talking about Andy and April. Dare I say these two are the best comedic couple on television? Chris Pratt is just a force to be reckoned with. Andy goes through an existential crisis (or at least Andy’s version of an existential crisis) and he still manages to be one of the funniest people in every scene he’s in. And then April, helping him in a way only April could... it was just really well done. I love Andy the shoe shiner, but I can’t wait to see him as Leslie’s assistant on a day to day basis.

Alright, here are the quotes:

TOM: Andrew Mymandrew, what are you up to?
ANDY: I’m about to do an experiment where I huck this at the wall and see what happens... but that can wait.

CHRIS: Ann Perkins, you really know your testes.
ANN: Thank you?

LESLIE: Do you need to get that?
ANN: No, it’s just penises.

WAITER: Would you like any wine to start?
LESLIE: Yes and I’m going to be direct and honest with you. I would like a glass of red wine and I’ll take the cheapest one you have because I can’t tell the difference.

RON: When I was 12 my brother shot me in the pinky toe with a nail gun. Granted it was a hilarious prank and we all had a good laugh.

LESLIE: You only have 9 toes?
RON: I have the toes I have, let’s just leave it at that.

RON: You can’t run away from your problems.
LESLIE: Especially if you have only nine toes.

APRIL: Well what is your dream?
ANDY: It’s to be the biggest rock star on the planet obviously, but that could take another 3 to 5 years. Don’t get me wrong, shoe shining has been a pretty wild ride, but is it possible there’s something more out there for me.

ANDY: Leslie, I’m gonna work my ass off for you. I’ll do anything you ask. I will prove myself. You don’t even have to pay me.
APRIL: No honey, no.

RON: Hello Tammy.
TAMMY 1: Ronald.
RON: That’s enough small talk, what do you want?

And line of the night:

LESLIE: I’d really love to shoot a gun right now.
RON: Fishing it is.

Whitney – “Pilot” (D+)

Apparently I’m just not a huge fan of Whitney Cummings because I didn’t like her first pilot from earlier in the week and I definitely didn’t like this one either. The comedy just seemed really stilted. It was the same problem I had with 2 Broke Girls: it’s all set-up, set-up, joke and they don’t make any effort to hide the pattern. Combine that with supporting characters so clichéd it looks like they were picked out of the scrap heaps of other cancelled shows and you’ve got to wonder why anyone green lit this pilot in the first place. I’m sure there had to be some reason, but I don’t know if I have the stomach to stick around and find out.

Song(s) of the week

This week’s pick:

“Mykonos” by Fleet Foxes

Where I found Fleet Foxes: Funny story, I found this song completely by accident. I was watching the movie Due Date and I went to try to find one of the other songs on its soundtrack and mistakenly thought this was it. It wasn’t, but I liked the song anyway.

Hmmm, I guess that story wasn’t so much funny as it was exactly what happened. It’s a fine line...

What I like: Great atmosphere, tons of reverb, and some absolutely killer harmonies.

Mykonos - Fleet Foxes

It's Like A Sickness...

I’m writing this very, very late, so I apologise if any of this becomes incoherent or my vocabulary becomes a little... less big.

Spoilers...

How I Met Your Mother – “The Best Man” and “The Naked Truth” (A-)

I’m going to review the two episodes from Monday night together because despite having relatively different plots they do tend to function as one hour long season premiere.

And what a premiere it was. I wasn’t exactly blown away by last season’s finale – in terms of developing the overall arc of the series we didn’t get much – but the way this episode picked things back up I am extremely excited about what’s to come in the year ahead.

I’m glad the writers continued with the Barney/Robin relationship tension from the finale. As always, every time we talk about these two together I have to give a disclaimer because of how it turned out the first time around, but I do think this time will be different. The way the writers have set everything up (quite skilfully I might add) it looks like the two of them won’t get together until the season finale, if not the series finale, so anyone anxious about their lack of chemistry as a couple probably don’t need to worry anytime soon. Personally, I’ve always been rooting for these two to get together again.

The real question I think the writers are asking though is whether it’s Nora, Robin, or some other mystery woman who ends up becoming Barney’s bride. There were a few clues in this one. The way Lily came to get Ted at the end of the episode to tell him the bride needed him was one of them, suggesting the bride is probably Robin, but I wouldn’t count Nora out either. While he’ll likely end up with Robin in the end (fingers crossed anyway), the way Barney was talking about whether he made the right choice or not makes it seem like there’ll be more drama in that decision than we’ve seen so far.

Of course, maybe the craziest development in the premiere came in its final moments with the return of Victoria. Of all the women Ted has dated over the years Victoria is my favourite. Stella obviously had a good run, but we got closure with her. She hurt us (yes, I said us... don’t read into it). Victoria was a casualty of Ted and Robin’s relationship. At the time they were the couple everyone was rooting for so I was okay with her departure, but now that the Ted and Robin era is out of the picture it’s a lot easier to see just how awesome a character we lost in Victoria.

And her return addresses an important issue with How I Met Your Mother these days – it’s very hard to get invested in any of Ted’s relationships when we know they’re doomed to fail. It’s why Zoey met such a cold reception last season. Victoria is an interesting move by the writers. I don’t think it’s possible based on the back story of the mother that Victoria could be her, but the idea of returning Ted to a well-liked former flame is certainly a creative solution to the problem. It may all end up being a shameless stall (they were quite up front in this one that the story isn’t even close to finished yet) but at the moment her return has certainly piqued my interest.

All in all I thought both episodes were really funny, and like all good season premieres they set the ground work for the rest of the season. Many of you worried that this show had completely run out of places to go should be at least somewhat satisfied with the direction of the season so far.

2 Broke Girls – “Pilot” (C+)

Whitney Cummings actually has two shows coming out this season. One she’s starring in, and the other is this show. Supposedly, 2 Broke Girls is supposed to be the better of the two, which at the moment doesn’t bode well for her other project.

I’ll be honest, I haven’t seen or heard much of Cummings’ stand up routine, but I do know the buzz around her is she’s quite edgy. That’s sort of what puzzles me about this pilot – if Cummings comedy style is so fresh and innovative why restrain it to a format as worn as the 4-camera sitcom? The jokes just didn’t seem organic, following a very obvious set-up, set-up, punch line routine, and the laugh track didn’t help matters at all. I could see how some of this stuff would be funny in a stand up routine, but coming out of the mouths of these characters it just felt stilted.

I guess a lot of the content of 2 Broke Girls is a little more risky than your average sitcom, and there were at least a few good laughs in the episode, so not everything here was all bad. Pilots are tough – you’ve got to introduce the premise of the show and all of its characters, and for a sitcom you’ve got to do it in just half an hour. It’s no wonder a lot of them come across as forced. I’m a big fan of Kat Dennings, and I have a feeling that once this show is allowed to break off into more specific storylines there’s a good chance it could be worth watching. Just based on the pilot though, 2 Broke Girls has a lot of hill to climb.

Modern Family – “Dude Ranch” (B+) and “When Good Kids Go Bad” (A-)

Oh how I missed this show. Fresh off its second straight Emmy win (though I still contend Parks and Recreation got robbed) it doesn’t look like Modern Family is showing any signs of slowing down. Both of these episodes certainly highlighted that the show is just as good as ever.

The first episode of the night, “Dude Ranch,” kicked things off with a bang. I loved watching Phil play cowboy in a desperate attempt to impress Jay (Ty Burrell proving he really did deserve that Emmy). Overall the writers actually did a great job with the change in scenery. When I first saw the previews for “Dude Ranch” I thought it came off a little gimmicky, and while it is strange that these families seem to take every vacation with each other, picking a dude ranch as their destination worked quite well.

I thought Tim Blake Nelson was a fantastic addition as Hank, the facilitator of the dude ranch. One of the better recurring gags in this episode was Hank’s nicknames for each member of the family. My favourite was Bossy, aka Claire, mostly because after she got the nickname it seemed to catch on with the rest of the extended family (Dylan and Phil had my favourite usages). I also loved the scene where he organized the search party for Dylan, frequently assuming the poor kid was dead in front of a very uncomforted Haley. It reminded me of that great old Simpsons episode where Homer and Mr. Burns get stuck in a cabin with each other.

I’ve also got to point out what a great idea it was to pair up Luke and Mitchell. These two just never seem to get storylines together and after this episode I kind of don’t understand why. The scene where they blew up the birdhouse together was definitely one of the highlights of the first half of the night.

The second episode, “When Good Kids Go Bad,” was even better in my opinion. I think some of the best episodes in this series are when the whole family gets together at the end and all of the separate storylines collide. Watching Claire to go to such great lengths to prove she was right only for Jay to do the same moments later at the most inopportune time ended up capping off both of those plotlines in a way far funnier than they could have on their own.

 And that probably would have been my favourite part of the episode if it wasn’t for Gloria. Gloria’s always shown hints that maybe she’s not as far removed from the darker side of her Columbian roots as she acts, but this episode took it farther than it’s ever gone before, and wow was it hilarious. From subtly threatening Manny’s principle to casually breaking into a young girl’s locker, pretty much every scene she was in was a highlight. In fact the funniest part of the night was just listening to Sofia Vergara’s delivery on this line:

GLORIA: You’d be surprised what people can live with Jay.

The last thing I think I need to talk about is the addition of Aubrey Anderson-Emmons as the new Lily. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying I was a little thrown off by the fact that Lily has transformed from a non-speaking toddler to a kindergartner in just over a summer. Anderson-Emmons is very cute in the role, but I’m someone who likes a certain level of realism and there was definitely something unnatural about that transition.

That’s not to say I think it’s all bad though. I wrote at length last season about how I felt that Mitchell and Cameron’s storylines were getting a little monotonous at times, and how part of that was due to the fact that they don’t have a kid who can function as a real character. The new Lily opens up a ton of new story possibilities and character groupings, and it could very well be the shot in the arm Mitchell and Cameron need to get more variation in their storylines. You could already see some of the benefits starting in “When Good Kids Go Bad.” Hopefully in the long run the writers can keep that up.

Some of my favourite lines:

MITCHELL: I want to be able to teach my son all the things that my dad taught Claire.

PHIL: Which one’s bossy?
HANK: That’s my nickname for your wife.
PHIL: Hilarious!

DYLAN: I just wanted to thank you all for bringing me on this trip and making me feel like one of the family, especially Bossy.

GLORIA: You stole the locket! After I told the principle that you could have never done something like that and I threaten him with the Columbian necktie.

LUKE: (to Lily) This isn’t over...

MITCHELL: How long was I in that dryer? Is this why I’m afraid of tumbling? I had to quit gymnastics Claire!
PHIL: (incensed) A childhood without tumbling... you knew this and just stood by and did nothing!

New Girl – “Pilot” (B)

I love Zooey Deschanel. It doesn’t matter what that girl does, I want to see it. So perhaps I didn’t go into this pilot as objective as I could have been, but I’m okay with that. There’s a lot of charm to this show. It’s not exactly firing on all cylinders yet. There were plenty of jokes that didn’t land and not all of the characters work at the same level, but this pilot had enough charm that even the stuff that didn’t work still gives me hope for its future.

I should note though, Damon Wayans Jr. is still committed to the surprisingly renewed Happy Endings and unfortunately he’s not going to be around for much longer. That’s a shame because of all the guys I actually found him the most entertaining. His “stop it” response to Jess’s crying is exactly the kind of crap my friends and I would pull. So until his replacement is revealed we’re not going to get the whole picture, but either way I think New Girl has earned a second viewing.

Emmy Picks

The Emmys are tomorrow night and since we are a television blog I figured I should probably weigh in on who I think is most deserving. I’m just going to stick to the main categories for this post, but I encourage you all to pay attention to some of the more behind the scenes categories as well. I’m that nerd who can’t wait to see who wins the writing awards.

Please keep in mind that these picks are who I want to win. Not who I think will win. Unfortunately I’m not a voting member of the academy so this is as close as I can get.

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series – Amy Poehler

Apparently Laura Linney is favoured to win this award for The Big C, and in all honesty I haven’t seen any of that show. For my money though, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone funnier last season than Amy Poehler. She has this uncanny ability to somehow play the straight man and the comic all at the same time, sometimes even just with herself. It’s just a pity she’s the only one from the terrific Parks and Rec cast to get nominated this year.

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Steve Carell

After 5 nominations you’ve just gotta give Steve Carell this one. Michael Scott will probably go down as one of the iconic characters in television history and Carell did such a fantastic job of seeing him off that his farewell episode could have been finale of the series and it wouldn’t have bothered me one bit.

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Julie Bowen

This is actually a really strong category this year, but I’m going to have to go with Julie Bowen. Watching Claire and Phil interact on a weekly basis is the best part of Modern Family.

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – Ty Burrell

The other half of that tandem. Phil Dunphy is my favourite character on Modern Family and Ty Burrell is the main reason why.

Comedy Series – Parks and Recreation

If you read the blog with any regularity this pick shouldn’t be a surprise at all. I still love Modern Family but I didn’t think its second season was as good as its first. Parks and Recreation’s third season was so funny I’d actually say that it’s as good if not better than The Office was in its prime. The cast has really come into their own over the past couple of years and right now you’d be hard pressed to find a weak link among them. And that’s not even mentioning the writing, which at the moment is firing on all cylinders. I really do mean it when I say that this is the funniest show on television right now.

Oh, and just a quick side note: Community was robbed of a nomination in this category. If I were voting between it and the 6 other current nominees I would put Community second only behind Parks and Rec.

Lead Actress in a Drama Series – Connie Britton

It’s tough to think of anyone more deserving to win in this category than Connie Britton. Friday Night Lights has been such an underrated (and under viewed) show for so long that it wasn’t until last year that she got her first nomination in this category. But Britton is a phenomenal actress and her portrayal of Tami Taylor, the coach’s wife, was too perfect for her to not win this award at least once.

Lead Actor in a Drama Series – Kyle Chandler

This one is a lot tougher for me to pick. Jon Hamm deserves to win one for Mad Men, and heck, I have a soft spot for Hugh Laurie as well, but both of those shows are getting another season, and much like Connie Britton, Chandler has been giving award worthy performances for far too long to not be recognized tomorrow night. Together the two of them formed perhaps the most realistic marriage I’ve ever seen on television.

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – Christina Hendricks

This one was a bit of a tossup for me between Christina Hendricks and Kelly MacDonald, but Joan is one of my absolute favourites on Mad Men so I had to give Hendricks the edge. Hopefully this is her year.

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series – Peter Dinklage

My favourite new discovery this year was Game of Thrones, and of its many characters I found Dinklage’s Tyrion Lannister to be one of the most interesting. I honestly didn’t realize how good of an actor this guy is until I saw him on that show, so I’m happy that he’s finally gotten some material that lets him show off his chops.

Drama Series – Friday Night Lights

Think I’m overdoing it with the Friday Night Lights picks? Well I’m serious when I say this isn’t just a ploy to validate my love of the series. I’ve seen the other contenders, and while this isn’t necessarily an easy pick (Mad Men, Game Of Thrones), I think it’s the right one. What Friday Night Lights has done over its 5 year run is nothing short of amazing – hell, just surviving that long with those ratings is nothing short of amazing – so the fact that its final season was able to wrap up the series in such a moving and satisfying way makes it more than a worthy choice for this award.

Song(s) of the week

This week’s pick:

“This Crowded Room” by Freedom Or Death

Where I found Freedom Or Death: This may be the most obscure pick I’ve ever made. I was up late one night – and by late I mean late enough people were starting to get ready for work, aka the only time music videos are on anymore – when I decided to turn the TV to Much Music. You can probably guess who I found. Lady Gaga? No, this guy. Damn, you really need to work on your guessing.

What I like: The production on this song is top notch (I feel old for saying that) and I love this guy’s voice. He’s not belting it out or anything like that, but his delivery is perfect for this song. I particularly like the way he uses his voice rather than just more instruments to fill in some of the background tracks. It adds a nice layering dynamic to the song.

This Crowded Room - Freedom Or Death

Do Not Give Up. We Really, Really Need Normal Cheese.

Holy crap, we’re back! Yes, no more 15 consecutive weeks of songs you’ve probably heard before, we’re actually talking about television again.

Anyway to kick off the new television season I’ve decided to do a couple one-off reviews of some of the new pilots coming out this year. And who knows, if I like a few of them I just might stick with them.

Up All Night – “Pilot” (B+)

I think my new favourite thing might be cursing around newborn babies. I was actually pleasantly surprised with this debut. I always figured this show had a chance just because of the people involved. I was one of the few who actually liked Will Arnett’s failed Running Wilde last season and anyone who’s ever seen Anchorman or Saturday Night Live know that Christina Applegate and Maya Rudolph can bring the comedy. Throw in perennial executive producer Lorne Michaels and creator Emily Spivey – one of the very funny writers of probably the funniest show on television right now Parks and Recreation – and you’ve got all the ingredients of an extremely funny show.

Really the only question I had about this series was its overdone premise. Baby storylines tend to be very boring to watch primarily because the old parenting clichés that serve as the foundation of the genre are only funny to people who’ve just had a baby. Did you know new parents get really tired? Yeah, so did everyone else.

That’s kind of what makes Up All night so interesting though. It’s a mixture of some classic baby storylines with fresh writing and an absolutely fantastic cast. And make no mistake: it’s the cast that sells this show. Whether it be Will Arnett walking through a grocery store or Christina Applegate lamenting that Matt Lauer is talking to her through the TV, I feel like I can watch this couple do anything and still be entertained. That’s a very good sign for a brand new show.

Maya Rudolph’s character is the wildcard. She’s sort of a spin-off of a Tracey Jordan or Jenna Maroney type, rich and insecure. That’s a good and a bad thing. The good is that she allows the writers to go in pretty much any direction they want. She has enough money that almost any storyline is plausible and her character is portrayed as zany enough to get away with doing just about anything. The bad is that this type of character is already quite well represented on television right now, and if not written just right I could see her growing tiresome, especially with the strength of Applegate and Arnett as a comedic duo.

Overall though it was hard not to be taken in by the charm of this show. Not everything in the pilot worked. There were certainly moments where the show devolved into the tired parenting clichés I worried about before its debut, but I didn’t find them hindering my enjoyment as much as I thought they would. Up All Night has enough going for it that it feels like you can forgive it for the odd misstep. The best you can say about a pilot is that it has promise. Right now Up All Night has it in spades.

Free Agents – “Pilot” (C-)

I’m not going to write too much about this one. I hate to say it because I love Hank Azaria but this pilot just did not do it for me. I don’t really see a clear direction for the show beyond the relationship between Azaria and Kathryn Hahn’s character and to be honest neither of them was particularly funny. I may give this one a few more episodes – perhaps once they’ve gotten through the introductions in the pilot the show will get funnier – but at the moment there’s not much I see in this one that makes me want to keep watching.

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It’s good to be back.

Song(s) of the week

This week’s pick:

“Baby Blue” by Scanners

Where I found Scanners: Man, I miss Shameless. I was remembering back through some of the great music from that show and I found this little number tucked away in the archives (shut up, I can have archives).Shameless is still a few months away from coming back but I figured I’d post this one to remind everyone what a fantastic ride that first season was.

What I like: This song is hard for me to peg. I love the dynamics of the song, the way the band rotates instruments in and out of the song, changing the tempo and intensity as they go. I’m also a huge fan of the main xylophone/guitar riff (I’m not entirely sure what they’re using for that) that seems to tie the whole thing together. In the end though, it’s a song that does a lot of little things right. No one section really steals the spotlight, but together it all just works.

Baby Blue - Scanners

Song(s) of the week

This week’s pick:

“Everything Trying” by Damien Jurado

Where I found Damien Jurado: I decided to go with another song from House again this week. I’d call it a theme but I’m sort of out of House songs after this one so... it’s a two week theme that was totally planned and not at all coincidental.

What I like: It’s just a really well written singer-songwriter type song.

Everything Trying - Damien Jurado