I’m still mourning my boys falling to the Giants in the Super Bowl. This is the best I could muster up...
Spoilers:
Shameless – “A Beautiful Mess” (A-)
Now that’s more like it Shameless. Doesn’t this show finally feel like it’s gaining momentum? We’ve got some Fiona/Steve action happening, which was both funny and added some nice drama for her character (you had to love her scene with Frank as she hid at Sheila’s). Lip and Karen finally had their inevitable confrontation, which was pretty much everything you could have asked for. And last but not least, we got a whole storyline almost solely dedicated to Debbie. Now while all the Gallagher children have their strengths, Debbie is the one that brings it more consistently than any of them. Everything about her slumber party, from the planning to the party to its aftermath, all of it was entertaining. Emma Kenney is a heck of a young actress.
Plus, this episode also reminded me just how much I love the music on this show. Let me just reiterate my admiration for the music supervisor one more time. And don’t underestimate just how important that aspect of Shameless is. It not only sets the mood, but it matches the setting perfectly and really helps the show transition back and forth between its comedic and dramatic elements.
Also, it’s fun to listen to!
House – “Runaways” (B)
Pretty much by the numbers. We got to see a little more from Adams, but not really enough to make her anymore interesting. “Runaways” just kind of proved again that House is still pretty much a one man show. I liked the patient though, even if for some reason I found the ending a little anticlimactic. I guess once the mother showed up I lost interest pretty fast. And this Taub’s kids storyline is really not doing it for me. I mean sure, the ending was cute, but it’s pretty much dominated every one of his stories this season, which has taken him right out of the game. And that leaves Adams, Chase, and the seldom used Park to unsuccessfully fill the hole left behind.
Alcatraz – “Cal Sweeney” (B+)
Not a bad episode, but again I would have liked a little more mythology than we got. A part of me knew we weren’t going to get to see what was in that room at the end there (a classic JJ Abrams move). Although I am liking the little hints the writers keep throwing out in the flashbacks. I swear Lucy has gotten more screen time since she’s been shot than she ever got beforehand.
But this episode gets a decent grade because I’m a sucker for a good bank heist, especially when it involves charismatic con men. And I guess we did get some more back story on Soto. It seems like his parents are going to become a huge part of the show. That could really go either way. Hmmm, I wonder if they’ll recast Hurley’s parents for the parts.
New Girl – “Jess and Julia” (A-)
This has been another one of my favourite new series this fall so I figured I would give it a shout out for a great episode. Lizzy Caplan and Zooey Deschanel are one heck of a comedic tag team. It’s definitely not a secret that Jess and Nick are pretty much destined to end up together, but I’m secretly hoping that it takes a while so they can keep Caplan around a little longer.
Also, the towel saga was absolutely hilarious. I wasn’t sure how much I was going to like Schmidt when the series premiered, but he’s really turned into one of the standouts on this show. In fact, I can’t think of many characters out there in general that can really compare to the style of humour Schmidt brings to the table. His Irish walking cape quip had me on the floor. My only complaint so far is that Fox can’t seem to get the show on the air with any consistency. We get an episode here, and then two weeks, and then another one – it makes it hard to keep up with.
30 Rock – “Today You Are a Man” (B+)
Funny episode, but 30 Rock has got to be careful they don’t keep repeating themselves. I think we’ve seen Liz and Jack in negotiations at least a couple of times before, and while it’s funny, it’s less funny every time they do it. Tina Fey had a great quote once about how it’s impossible for 30 Rock to ever jump the shark because they’ve been pretty much jumping it since the first season. And she’s dead on with that – the show could go in pretty much any direction, save perhaps for Liz and Jack dating, without looking like they’ve run out of storylines. But if the show starts becoming predictable then they’re going to start experiencing some viewer fatigue, and that’s something they really need to watch out for. It’s why I’m excited to see where Kenneth quitting the page program takes us. It may move Kenneth out of his comfort zone, but it’ll bring something new to the table, and that’s important for a show in its sixth season.
Parks and Recreation – “Operation Ann” (A-)
Do not discount Ann and Tom together. I’ve mentioned a few times over my last couple reviews the great chemistry those two have had with each other of late, and now I think it may have been the writers preparing us for this moment. I have a lot of faith in the creative staff on this show. They have a knack for turning odd story twists into comedy gold. I would have said April and Andy getting married was a terrible idea just an episode before it happened and now they’re probably my favourite married couple on TV. Now while I’m not making any of the same guarantees for Tom and Ann – they could be over in an episode –I’ll definitely be keeping an open mind about it. I’ve seen worse moves by a writing staff.
The Office – “Jury Duty” (B+)
Pam’s back! And I hope it’s for good. She and Jim may not be what they used to but I missed her while she was gone. I like that they finally got their kids involved in an episode too. No Robert in this one though, and to be honest you didn’t really notice either. I’m excited to see where Dwight and Angela’s secret baby takes us. Both of those characters have been dying for a good storyline (especially Angela, who has been painfully underused of late) and this one is kind of reminiscent of the two of them back in their glory days. Add her gay husband to the mix and who knows – this might be a good shot in the arm for both of them (and the series in general).
Up All Night – “Preschool Auction” (B+)
Man that baby is cute. I think one of my favourite parts about Ava’s character is the way she interacts with little Amy – like she’s a full grown adult with actual motives. The scene where Reagan convinced her to do the charity auction had to be the highlight of the episode for me. And kudos to the writing staff for not taking the obvious route of having her drunkness ruin the auction. The way they ended things was a lot more original and better for it. As for Chris and his uber competitive brother, I’m not sure if I liked the storyline as much as I was hoping for, but I did like the decision to cast Dean Winters in the role. You know he’ll be back, and if his work on 30 Rock is any indication, he’ll be damn funny.
Grey’s Anatomy – “If/Then” (B+)
You know what – you’ve got to hand it to the Grey’s team for this one. That was a gutsy episode that had a high chance of failure and I thought they pulled it off quite well, I mean despite the fact that it seemed to highlight the tumultuous history of actors leaving the show (there was literally a scene about mid-way through where they went down a checklist of who wasn’t there). The trick with "what if" episodes like this one is to make sure you’re making a point – something that connects to the through line of the episodes that came before it. “If/Then” did a great job of that, and because of it I didn’t feel at all cheated that we didn’t get any movement in the main plot. Plus, it also gave the music supervisor a chance to take a trip down memory lane with a few classic Grey’s songs. It warmed my heart to hear some Rilo Kiley and Teagan and Sara again.
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