Smartest Guy I Know

Umm, who else is pumped that Game of Thrones is back? Great! Now shut up about it! I haven’t seen the new episode yet.

Here are some decidingly not Game of Thrones reviews.

Spoilers...

Shameless – “Just Like the Pilgrims Intended” (B+)

I admittedly have some mixed feelings about this episode. On one hand, I like when the show throws a little drama into the mix. The past few episodes have done a good job of building off of each other and the culmination of Lip’s story, despite turning Karen into a far more unlikeable character, did seem rather fitting.

The same goes for Monica’s suicide attempt. Keeping in mind this is based almost solely on what I learned in a first year psych class, the writers (and of course Chloe Webb) seem to have a pretty good handle on the ebbs and flows of bipolar disorder. With the lows she’s hit over the past couple of weeks it doesn’t feel like too far of a stretch that this is where her character would end up. The real verdict on this storyline is still out though. Monica may have provided an interesting twist to the episode, but unless the writers follow up on it in a meaningful manner it just ends up being a manipulative ploy for drama.

I think what endeared me most to this episode was that the writers finally started using Steve in a way that made his character relevant again. He’s suffered a bit this season in the absence of any meaningful interaction with the Gallagher clan, and I don’t mean just Fiona. He got a little better when he started letting Lip stay with him, but this episode in particular reminded me what I liked about his character in the first place. I may not always be able to explain his obsession with Fiona, but I do like it when he’s around and coming through for the family in little ways, like picking up a turkey for Thanksgiving.

Still, the episode was far from perfect. I found the tone of the ending to be a bit scattered. Watching the family go from the shock of Monica’s suicide attempt to the euphoria of the birthing room (it made no sense that they were all allowed in there), just didn’t sit well with me. I’m also not entirely sure what to make of Sheila and Jody’s getaway. Is that how Joan Cusack’s “guest” role finally comes to an end? The fact that she was able to leave her house with barely even a mention kind of cast a shadow over all of her scenes. If that is the last we see of her I’m going to be a little disappointed.

Alcatraz – “Garrett Stillman” and “Tommy Madsen” (B+)

This was a decent finale. Unfortunately, most of the big reveals/twists were more building blocks for future episodes than actually illuminating pieces of information. Rebecca’s first run in with her grandfather didn’t have as many revelations as I would have liked, though I will admit I did not foresee him stabbing her. I was leaning more towards him simply being her misunderstood protector. If that’s still the case he’s not doing a very good job of it. As for her dying at the end of the episode, I have a feeling there’s some magic silver that can bring her back to life.

I was hoping for a little more out of the reveal of the mysterious room as well. I think the weight of the 63s showing up outside of the San Francisco area was lost on me a bit. I was hoping for a Lost hatch type situation here and it just didn’t quite live up to it. But this new architect type character they found in the room could prove to be more than worth the wait if the show gets renewed for another season (does anyone know where they are with this?). Past JJ Abrams shows have used these insider characters quite well before (Ben Linus anyone?).

New Girl – “Fancyman (Part 2)” (B+)

I have no idea why this needed to be a two part episode. Other than the Fancyman himself there was no connection between the two parts. In fact, the Fancyman (yes I’m going to keep referring to him as this) hasn’t even been written out of the show yet.

Regardless, while Part 2 didn’t entirely live up to the hilarity of Part 1, it still had its moments. Winston’s reaction to finally discovering Schmidt and Cece together was quite funny, as was watching Jess spiral after her train wreck of a date with Russell (Fancyman for those of you unfamiliar with that name). And while I thought Martin Starr’s guest appearance was somewhat wasted, the writers saved it a bit with Nick’s frequent “smartest man I know” quips.

Happy Endings – “Big White Lies” (B+)

This is exactly the kind of plot Happy Endings thrives off of. You have to love the spiral of Penny’s lies in this episode, and the lengths to which she’s willing to go to be considered a nice person by someone she herself doesn’t even like that much. None of it would have worked so effectively though if it wasn’t for the strong supporting cast around her. From Brad getting hilariously excited over different items of baby clothing to Max lying just so he can be a part of low stakes 80s sitcom hijinks (and let’s not forget his hilarious trash can oven) everyone in this episode contributed, which is exactly what you want to see happening with an ensemble cast like this one.

Community – “Digital Exploration of Interior Design” (B+)

So apparently everything this week is getting a B+. I didn’t plan it this way.

I have really enjoyed watching Gillian Jacobs these past couple of weeks and her forbidden romance with Subway was no exception. She has really been bringing her A game (at least something’s getting higher than a B+, right) since Community came back from hiatus. As for the character of Subway himself, apart from being a pretty creative way of product placement, I wasn’t entirely sure I got what the writers were going for with the concept. I do love former Scrubs alum Travis Schuldt though, and the idea of having Britta fall in love, literally, with a corporation makes me smile.

Most of my other favourite parts of the episode came in bits and pieces. I loved the “Save Garrett” campaign, as well as Annie’s shock that Jeff had missed orientation. I also liked Vice Dean Laybourne’s appearance, especially the fact that he was “going through some stuff,” with a brand new ponytail and a band. I’m looking forward too, to seeing how this tiff between Troy and Abed shakes out. That massive pillow war at the end there had the same sort of vibe as a paintball episode, which bodes well for next week.

30 Rock – “The Shower Principle” (B-)

Well credit the writers for their willingness to point out their own tendencies. That requires a certain level of bravery (like say a blogger pointing out his love of the B+ rating). My beef with this episode though wasn’t so much that it pointed out 30 Rock’s somewhat repetitive nature (and really the repetitive nature of sitcoms in general), it was that it just wasn’t that funny. As I’ve said many times before, 30 Rock lives and dies on the one liner and there just weren’t enough good ones to elevate this episode above the pack.

Up All Night – “Letting Go” (B+)

It just seems appropriate to end this post with another B+.

I was a big fan of Reagan this week, from her freak out after losing sight of Amy to her not-so-joking suggestions that Ava and Stevie Nicks bring her up on stage to sing with them. Even just watching her get kicked out of a ball pit was pretty funny. And though it’s a bit played out these days, I did enjoy Chris’s hockey subplot. If anyone can pull of the old faking it through the pain routine it’s Will Arnett, and he did. Oh how he did...