All The Cool Kids Were Totally Laughing With Us

Spoilers...

House – “Everybody Dies” (B)

And so we’ve reached the end...

It took me a while to digest this one. I spent a good chunk of the week kicking it around in my head, dissecting it from every angle. I even watched it a second time to try and clarify my thoughts. And to be honest, I’m still not totally sure where I stand on the episode. Take this as a preliminary grade, subject to change until it can be properly viewed in the context of the series as a whole. I think time is the only way to truly know where this episode rates in the grand scheme of things.

From a plot standpoint, I’m not at all disappointed with what happened. The writer’s gave us pretty much the type of ending I was hoping for – bittersweet with a glimmer of hope. How we got there though is where I’m most conflicted about “Everybody Dies.”

House’s ideological musings were poignant at some points, confusing at others, and sadly, a little flighty. The string of guest stars was a nice way to look back through the history of the show, but at the same time it seemed to take us in circles, with House flip flopping back and forth between choosing life and choosing death far too often. A more focused approach to those discussions probably would have played much more insightful. As it stands I don’t think it had the emotional resonance it needed.

The burning building probably wasn’t the best choice of settings either. There was no suspense or sense of urgency in House’s decision over whether to save himself. The fire burned on for so long he never really seemed to be in danger and his lack of action was not only irritating but surprisingly out of character. And considering so much of the episode was about examining his character, you don’t like to see that.

But I imagine the decision to put House in a burning building was born more out of where the story was going than it was about his decision to live or die. The writers needed a way for House to plausibly fake his death and that meant a body that would be difficult to identify. That’s where my view of the episode gets complicated.

On one hand, I didn’t like the way his supposed death was executed, starting from how Foreman and Wilson refused to help him which led them to the burning building (and House into his crisis in the first place), to the seemingly inescapable explosion that capped things off. But I did like the idea of him faking his death. It seemed like a vintage House move and really accentuated that powerful moment earlier in the building where he decided he could finally change. He literally threw his old life away and I like that metaphor... perhaps it would have been more devious if it had looked like it was his plan all along to get out of going to jail, but it was true to the character while also giving the audience that glimmer of hope we needed to properly gain closure.

For whatever reason it felt to me like something straight out of Sherlock Holmes novel, a nice ode to one of the show’s obvious influences. Of course nothing like that ever happened in a Sherlock Holmes novel, so all the literature fans out there please don’t bite my head off (he was presumed dead after one of the books, though I don’t think he was purposefully faking it). But only that type of mischievously intelligent character could ever get away with faking their own death in a satisfying way. That’s part of the reason I think I can forgive some of the weaker moments of that story.

Plus the final act was quite heartening for any long time fan of the series. Chase takes over for House.  Cameron is married with a kid. Taub connects with his children. It’s schmaltzy, but there’s nothing wrong with a good happily ever after. I think the image that will stick with me for a while is Foreman smiling after finding House’s hospital badge and realizing what he’d done.

And it’s also hard to beat House and Wilson riding off into the sunset in the final shot. Maybe not the most original ending, but thematically it summed things up nicely. You get the sense that he’s finally unburdened now and maybe, for once, happy.

So there you have it... why I’m conflicted. “Everybody Dies” is not the best episode the series has ever done, but it ties up the characters and the story in a satisfying enough way that I feel I can leave the show with some happy memories. I guess at the end of the day all I can say is House... it’s been a pleasure.

Modern Family – “Baby on Board” (A-)

Modern Family has been a little uneven this season, but I’m glad the cast and the writers can still put together a great episode when they need to. “Baby on Board” went for a little more than the series traditionally has in its finales, at least in terms of cliffhangers, but what really made the episode great was just how sharp it was comedically. It’s feels like a long time since Modern Family has made me laugh this hard.

Personally, I’ve enjoyed watching Cam and Mitchell a lot more over these last few episodes. Their antics had been wearing a little thin on me this season, but for whatever reason they’ve been getting better material lately... or something. To be honest, I can’t explain it. But their adoption storyline in this one was solid. I thought the Spanish soap opera bit was quite funny while still allowing the writers room to explore the very frustrating and heartbreaking experience they were going through. The scene at the gas station was an especially sweet moment.

Likewise Manny and Jay had a pretty great week matched up with Lilly. Watching the two of them squabble over how to deal with her led to some very funny moments, culminating in a hilarious (and cute) scene between Jay and Lilly at the end of the episode. I laughed out loud when Jay offered her $50 so he wouldn’t have to dance on stage with her.

The Dunphy family were the real all-stars of “Baby on Board” though. It didn’t matter if it was Phil teaching Alex how to dance, Haley conferring onto her parents that a gap year meant working at the Gap, or Phil and Claire running through the horrendous scenarios Haley would encounter living with Dylan, everything the writers tried seemed to work. And they didn’t try to sidestep Haley going to college either. It always bugs me when a show intentionally hinders a character’s development for the sake of keeping up the status quo.

Of course Gloria’s pregnancy announcement was the big surprise of the episode and I thought the writers did a good job of sneaking it in without giving it away. I know I was legitimately surprised when she made the announcement. I’m a little wary of how that storyline will play out next season, but I’ll reserve my judgement until I actually see it.

Modern Family may not be as consistent as it once was, but it can still be very, very funny when it wants to be. There’s a lot of life left in these characters and despite my reservations about the big reveal in this episode, it’s nice to see that the writers aren’t afraid to challenge themselves in new and interesting ways. I’m not sure if Modern Family’s best days are ahead or behind us, but I do think the series is going to be worth watching for the foreseeable future.

I’ll be looking forward to next season.

Line of the night:

PHIL: Guess what, suddenly you’re sixty years old wandering toothless and alone in a post apocalyptic wasteland.
HALEY: Wait a second, how did Dylan get the nuclear codes again?
PHIL: During the robot wars!

RIP Big Carl

Spoilers...

How I Met Your Mother – “The Magician’s Code” (B)

And so the season ended the way it lived –with a so so episode and a twist ending.

I’m going to focus as much as I can on discussing that ending because, frankly, that’s what I care about, but I will say, the writers really need to stop foreshadowing crazy future moments if they don’t have anything planned for them.  The “No Motorcycles on the Casino Floor” was a decent bit if only because of Barney’s bravado in the interrogation room, but Dr. Sonya’s blowout just seemed perfunctory and out of place. The novelty of these jokes, at least so far, aren’t worth the disruption they cause to the future episode they inevitably have to be inserted into.

 In general, the “The Magician’s Code” was fairly average from a comedy standpoint. I liked Marshall’s intense struggle to get up two stairs, but the rest of the drunk act wore thin pretty quickly. Ted’s “that person’s a parent” bit was pretty good too, even if he could only come up with two examples. I would have preferred more of those over the flashback stories Lilly kept demanding.

Regardless, baby episodes are always a bit of a letdown and it looked like the writers were just doing the best they could with a storyline that lends itself to clichés. Using Wait-for-it as a middle name was a nice way to add the How I Met Your Mother touch, but the obligatory delivery room bits combined with the fairly anticlimactic reconciliation of Ted and Robin bogged down the first half of the episode.

The writers are smart though – they know that people still care about the happily ever after of these characters and they use it to prop up these episodes that need the help. But since I’ve been speculating about who Barney’s bride will be for as long as I can remember it’s hard to be disappointed about finally getting an answer. While I’ve always maintained that Barney will end up with Robin in the end, now at least we know it won’t be a last minute catch-him-at-the-altar type situation. She did look worried when she saw Ted though, so I’m guessing there’ll be some potential cold feet involved. Of course I doubt the writers have planned that far ahead.

I think the bigger twist was Ted deciding to run away with Victoria. Everything up to that point in the storyline was fairly predictable, but I honestly didn’t see that coming. Shame on me I guess, since it is a finale. It’s another perfect example though of the writers leveraging the goodwill they earned in the show’s early seasons. I said it at the start of the season and I’ll say it again – I like Victoria, I like Ashley Williams, and I like that the writers have recognized her as the one that got away from Ted. What I worry about is that they don’t use her well and it end ups tainting those wonderful first season memories.

On one hand there’s a story worth telling in revisiting an idealized relationship that ended before it should have. In real life that’s a pretty common occurrence and it can hold people back. But at the same time, we know this relationship is doomed from the start, and if the writing staff isn’t delicate it could end up backfiring. It’s at the core of almost all the problems people have with How I Met Your Mother these days – every girl Ted dates that’s not the mother is a stall.

House – “Holding On” (B+)

This was a dark one. Granted it needed to be. “Holding On” dealt with some pretty heavy themes, and even though it was excruciating to watch at some points it was better that it stayed true to them than pull back in fear of turning off part of the audience.

There were a few times where this episode got a little off tone (I’m not sure we needed House using actors to psyche out Wilson one last time) but there were at least a few powerful moments to add to House’s prolonged farewell tour. I thought the scene where House revealed to Taub why he was so angry with Wilson was particularly strong. Before that moment I’d just chalked his behaviour up to House dealing with his emotions poorly like he always does, but after you could understand his anguish. He’s been living in pain all these years, if anyone’s allowed an opinion on that matter it’s him.  Needless to say, I thought it was one of the more intimate glimpses into his character we’ve seen over these past few episodes.

The other moment I liked was the scene where House told Wilson that Wilson was smarter than him. It was one of those easily forgettable moments, but it stuck out to me because I don’t think I’ve ever heard House say that to anybody. For House intellect has always been king. I think at least part of the reason that these two have remained friends all these years is that in some way Wilson challenges him in a manner no one else does. Of course I could spend hours uncovering all the different layers of that statement, so I’ll just leave it at it was a nice sentiment.

As for Thirteen’s appearance in the episode, it was for the most part well done. I’m glad they could get Olivia Wilde back in for at least one more episode. Granted her appearance felt a little “inserted”, but I liked the content of her few scenes as she fit in quite well with a lot of the themes in the episode.

Personally, I don’t think House as a series can finish on a completely upbeat ending, and considering he’s headed back to jail it looks like I’m right. But I do hope the writers leave House with at least some measure of peace. He’s not the easiest guy in the world to cheer for, but he’s been through a lot and he deserves that much.

Cougar Town – “Square One” & “It’ll All Work Out” (A-)

I’m so happy that Cougar Town got picked up by TBS. It’s been a rough couple of weeks speculating about what was going to get renewed and what was going to get cancelled and for a while there it wasn’t looking great for this series. Luckily TBS stepped in and saved the day, which is the second time they’ve done that for me. (They were also the network that picked up Conan. On a related note, watch Conan).

 And these last two episodes are perfect examples of why this series is worth keeping around. Actually ironically enough “It’ll All Work Out” had a nice meta commentary on the show’s long absence in the fall and the potential of its cancellation. It was a nice wink to the fans and a funny little setup for why the series was doing a Thanksgiving episode in the middle of May. Plus I have to agree with some of the points made by Jules, Laurie, and Ellie – I mean what is so great about those new people.

If I had to pick my favourite between the two episodes though it would have to be “Square One” by a small margin. I’ve loved watching Grayson and Jules take to going to therapy this season. Their therapist (played by Nicole Sullivan) made me laugh out on more than one occasion in this episode, which was by far her best appearance on the series. And while I literally said this exact same thing the last time she showed up, Nicole Sullivan is incredible at playing the straight man while still remaining funny herself. Watching her reactions to Jules and Grayson saying she was “off her game” was probably my favourite part of the episode.

Of course I’m always a fan of great Bobby/Andy moments and “Square One” had a plethora of those too thanks to the white shirt competition between Bobby and Jules, another quirky Cougar Town invention. I love how committed those two are to each other (Bobby and Andy that is), with Andy actually taking off work to follow Bobby around and protect him from stains. I mean the man took a meatball for him. They truly are worthy successors to Scrubs’ J.D. and Turk.

“It’ll All Work Out” was a very watchable episode as well though. The touching tribute to Big Carl in the tag was alone almost worth the half hour, but I had at least a few favourite moments in this one. Laurie’s explanation of her outfit, including everybody wondering whether it was supposed to be a costume or not. Stan, the toddler, somehow finding his own way downtown to tag things. Bobby’s touching words to beer. The box head of varying emotion.  Laurie’s vows about sex with Matt Damon watching. Wow, I probably should have just written this out in list form.

In general it was just a good week for the entire cast. To me, Courtney Cox has had incredible delivery lately. She’s always been funny, but somehow she seems even more comfortable than ever as Jules. And of course Brian Van Holt, Ian Gomez, Busy Philipps, Dan Byrd, Josh Hopkins, Christa Miller – everyone was on their game in these episodes.  Great comedies are born out of great ensembles and TBS was smart to scoop this one up.

Oh yeah, and Cougarton Abbey – hilarious. It’s nice to see them paying tribute to the British original.

We’ve Shared A Variety Of Situations

I figured since I have it I’d give you my thoughts on House early rather than grouping it in with a bunch of other shows. Enjoy!

Spoilers...

House – “Post Mortem” (B+)

Well I have to admit, last week when I talked about Chase taking over House’s job and how that may somehow play into the end of the series I didn’t think it would happen this quickly. But I was happy to see Chase “step out of the shadow” as he put it. It took a little goading from an overzealous mortician but I think it’s the ending I wanted for his character.

The timing of that ending I take a little more issue with. On one hand, I don’t at all know what the writers have planned for the finale and assuming the next two episodes are going to be very densely plotted it may have been a good idea to give Chase his send off now rather than trying to jam it in later. With that said, by doing it the way they did it made his exit feel a tad rushed. He didn’t get a gestation period to struggle over the decision, which could have made his eventual choice to leave that much more satisfying.

But without knowing what’s in store for the next couple of episodes it’s impossible to say whether the writers made the right call or not. I can tell you that for the first time in a long time I thought the case in this episode was equal to House’s story, and that was thanks in part to what the writers did with Chase. I quite liked the cold open in this one, following what happens to a dead patient from when the doctors call it to the morgue. It’s a perspective you don’t see in a lot of medical dramas and it was interesting to watch. And that gave us our introduction to the mortician, who I thought was a pretty good character. His back and forth with Chase was really well scripted and he was a smart choice to give Chase the push he needed. I only wish his he hadn’t disappeared from the episode the second he fulfilled his purpose in Chase’s story (although I don’t say that about many patients – I guess I can’t have it both ways).

I do hope Chase is back for the finale. It might be tough because we got some fairly good closure for his character in this episode, but considering he’s part of the original cast it only seems right that he would have a small part. Especially considering the list of actors they’re bringing back for the last show. Once again though, I’ll have to wait and see what they do with the finale first.

Of course the big story continues to be Wilson’s cancer. He and House had another great week with each other, though probably not as profound as the previous. I don’t think anyone really doubted that Wilson would regain his senses in the end, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t get something out of the experience. I think the most heartwarming part of the episode was when House said he could live without Kyle because Kyle probably would have ditched him. It was a thinly veiled acknowledgement of their friendship, and for a character like House thinly veiled is just about the only way that’s going to happen, so it was a very gratifying moment.

Sadly, by the expression on his face at the end of the episode the news on Wilson isn’t good, meaning the finale is going to be very bittersweet. That is of course unless House comes up with some kind of 11^th hour miracle cure, but I have my doubts about that. Regardless, I’ve spent most of this recap advocating a wait and see mentality and so I’m not going to change my tone here. But this late in the game it’s hard not to start speculating how things are going to turn out. I just hope whatever happens it’s satisfying.

Wow, Thanks For Ruining Cage Night

What I watched last night...

Spoilers:

House – “The C Word” (A-)

“The C Word” was exactly the kind of episode you want to see from a series before it goes off the air for good. I was worried that perhaps the writing staff would try to string out Wilson’s cancer storyline by giving us a reaction episode where House denies the problem or something very delay inducing like that, but luckily they moved straight to the punch.

And it was executed marvellously. I can’t remember the last time Robert Sean Leonard was given material this solid, but it just goes to show how good he can be when given the chance. Throughout the entire episode I can’t think of a scene between House and Wilson that wasn’t anything short of fantastic. Like Wilson going through his shelf of mementos from patients who had the odds in their favour and still didn’t make it. Or watching House’s promise not to take him to the hospital to die. Even just House’s final slide show was an oddly sweet (and hilarious) tribute to their friendship.

It was heavy stuff, but it was also a very revealing exploration of these two characters and the bond they share. For their part the writing staff was quite smart in their approach. I’m glad they didn’t have House simultaneously dealing with a case as they so often do when he’s away from the team for whatever reason. And mostly, I liked the growth House showed in this episode. He was the friend Wilson needed, listening to him, sharing his pain meds, and even putting up with his insults. He respected his friend’s wishes despite disagreeing with him and that’s not something the House from 8 years ago would have done.

The case this week may not have been at the forefront but with House gone I found myself enjoying that aspect of the episode more than I normally do. It seemed to add some extra drama to the proceedings, with the team struggling to assert themselves in the absence of their leader. Chase in particular had a good week taking over the reins for House. That may be something to watch for in these last few episodes if for some reason House decides to leave. If House (the character) has a legacy it’s in the doctors he’s trained around him, and on that team no one’s been with him longer than Chase.

How I Met Your Mother – “Good Crazy” (B)

It’s hard to believe this is the last episode before the two part season finale in a couple weeks time. It feels like the schedule for this show has been a little sporadic lately and I kind of assumed we’d get a decent run of episodes in a row before the show finished the season. Alas I was wrong.

Judging by the way this one ended the big storyline of the finale will be Marshall and Lilly’s baby. That’s an obvious bookend to the season but I can’t help but lamenting the fact that once again they aren’t taking us to Barney’s wedding. I guess that’s one for the series finale what with the mother supposedly being there, but I just want to point out that the writers have been teasing us with that for two seasons now and it looks like they’re going to continue into a third. That’s a bit disappointing. With any luck though, they may still reveal to us this season who Barney’s bride will be, which is something at least. I’d put my money on Quinn or Robin.

Speaking of Barney, he really was the saving grace of this episode. He had a lot going on this week and pretty much anywhere the writers inserted him he made the storyline better. It’s a testament to the writing staff how they’ve managed to keep him funny while allowing his character to grow to a place where he’s actually open to a long-term relationship. There have been some growing pains for sure, but Barney has a hilarious intensity to his character and the writers seemed to have realized that that works for more than just tricking girls into sleeping with him.

His impassioned speech to Lilly’s grandmother about the dignity of stripping at the start of the episode was fantastic, as was his quick entrance into Ted’s apartment after tricking him into responding to his fake online dating profile. And Lilly and Marshall’s storyline this week was a train wreck before he stepped in and took Marshall to Atlantic City. Even the condolence high five bit, which seemed a bit forced at the start of the episode, had me on board by show’s end.

Ted’s storyline was also good this week. In real life what happened between Ted and Robin would probably be the type of circumstance that would kill a relationship, but again I admired what the writers tried to do with it. Ted’s conversations with imaginary Robin were well written and made a decent case for why these two should remain friends. Plus they were quite funny, especially the increasingly obscure ways Ted went about reminding himself of her. Overall it was pretty clever way to visualize to the audience what was essentially a completely internal decision made by Ted.

Like I said before, the only real weak link in this episode was Lilly and Marshall, which is unfortunate considering the cliffhanger was Lilly going into labour. Marshall’s early exuberance in this episode just felt way too cartoonish for my liking (and we already have a cartoon character on this show in Barney) and came relatively out of nowhere. It was the kind of reinvention of character sitcoms love to do for a single episode to serve one particular storyline or another, and it rarely does more than reek of desperation.

Alright, line of the night:

TED’S DATE: My ex-fiancé Wayne, he had no manners.
TED: (thinking) Wayne had no manners... Wayne manners... Wayne Manor... home of Bruce Wayne, better known as Batman... mentor to Dick Grayson his orphan ward, who at night would done the colourful vestments of the boy wonder aka Robin!

Sandwiches And Sex? I Want That!

Yup, I’m writing reviews again. Spoilers will follow...

House – “Body & Soul” (A-)

Finale fever is in the air, isn’t it? There’s certainly been some added tension to these last few episodes of House. You can sense that the shackles are finally off for this writing staff, which is probably why these past few weeks have seen such a major uptick in quality (though I’ll let you decide if the show is actually getting better or if it’s just that creeping sense of closure making average episodes seem that much better).

House and Dominika are probably the best example of that added weight. If this storyline would have popped up in the middle of season 4 I probably wouldn’t have thought much of it, but since the series finale is looming just over the horizon I find myself asking questions like “is this House’s happy ending?” and “is it possible for House to have a happy ending?” If I were to wager I’d probably put my money on the bittersweet send off, but a lot can happen in 5 episodes.

I’ll admit, on the surface it seems a tad conventional to end the series by giving House that elusive happy relationship he was never able to find during the show’s run (sorry Cuddy), but since House and Dominika have been anything but conventional in their time together I don’t feel particularly cheated with the premise. House has always functioned as one part medical drama and one part comedy, and Dominika seems to be a nice bridge between the two. She crept her way onto this series simply because she and House just have great chemistry together and it’s not hard to cheer for that. I just hope this wasn’t her last episode.

And I say that because of Wilson’s announcement of his cancer diagnosis at the end of this one, which is almost certain to dominate these last few episodes. There’s not too much to talk about at this point – the announcement was mainly there to serve as the episode’s cliffhanger – but it’s obvious what this represents for House. Wilson is essentially House’s saving grace. The one actual stable relationship he’s had over the course of the show. I think it’s safe to say that this is going to dishevel him in a way we haven’t seen before.

New Girl – “Tomatoes” (B-)

Well I don’t think I’m stretching too far to say that the Jess/Nick relationship, which has seemed almost inevitable since the series began, is closer to fruition than it’s ever been. Friends who aren’t into each other don’t fight the way those two did at the end of this episode, at least not on a sitcom anyway, and add to that the fact that Jess broke up with Russell... I don’t think it’s too far of a stretch to say they’re headed in that direction. Something tells me it won’t be hard to get Caroline out of the picture either.

But back to Jess and Russell – while I wasn’t entirely thrilled with the storyline that broke them up, it could have been a lot worse. When Russell and his ex-wife had that “passion” filled argument in the restaurant, I thought for sure the writers would take the predictable route and have Russell realize he still had feelings for her. I’m glad that they at least made it about Jess and Russell, instead of Russell and his ex-wife. That was smart. Still, the whole situation that led to that final conversation felt contrived and devoid of laughs. There wasn’t a whole lot of life in that storyline.

Nor was there much in Schmidt’s storyline either. I quite like Schmidt and Cece as a couple – I could actually see them becoming the staple couple of this show – but while the ending was sweet, the bulk of the episode was between Schmidt and Cece’s weird Russian roommate, who just wasn’t doing it for me. Her mean broken English bit just went on way too long, and reduced Schmidt, one of the most explosively funny characters on this show, to a series of reaction shots. Give Max Greenfield credit, he did his best with it, but he just wasn’t given enough to save the storyline.

I quite enjoyed the episode’s cold open however. Actually most of Nick’s tomato farming scenes were good, primarily because of how terrible he was at it. His inability to complete such basic tasks as watering plants was pretty awesome. The storyline came weirdly out of nowhere, and perhaps it’s somewhat contrived (alright, majorly contrived), but it was funny so I’ll let it go (that tends to be the best criteria for these things).

The writers have got to figure out what to do with Winston though because he has consistently been the weak link on this show. And you can tell that the writers aren’t oblivious to that fact either, which is why his circumstances seem to shift drastically on an almost episode by episode basis. He was downright annoying in this one, and I know he was supposed to be annoying in this episode, but it didn’t lead to any laughs, which should really be the goal for his character since I have very little investment in his relationship with Shelby, which is to say I don’t care about it at all.

Now, I am please to once again say – to the quotes!

NICK: Thank you guys for joining me on this momentous day. As you guys know it’s become a rough year for me. I got dumped by Caroline, and Julia. I opened myself up to love. I was hurt badly, I closed myself up again. The downstairs neighbor put a password on their wi-fi...

SCHMIDT: Beautiful women, you guys can say just about anything, can’t you?

SCHMIDT: You’re gonna sex me in my face?

SCHMIDT: I think I finally understand what The Tree of Life is about.

SCHMIDT: You like my personality?
CECE: I was surprised too.

And line of the night:

JESS: Stop making that face at me, I hate that face!
NICK: This is my only face. I don’t have a lot of faces.

Cougar Town – “Money Becomes King” (B+)

Krazy Kakes sure developed quickly, didn’t it? That’s the type of storyline a writing staff tends to string out over multiple episodes, but I think Laurie’s baking skills were just introduced last week so clearly they weren’t too concerned with making this one last. It’s a fun storyline though, and it should prove to be good material for future episodes. I mean, clearly that’s where this story was headed, so it doesn’t bother me that the writers rushed it along. Although, I do remember a partnership with Grayson at his bar – where did that go?

Anyway, the core of this story revolved around Jules and Grayson sorting through their finance. Well that and Jules dragging people into therapy. We’ll focus on the finances for now though. I thought it was a bit of stretch that the two of them didn’t realize that they would be living together when they got married, but the comedy in this one was strong enough to overcome some of these finer points. I thought the storyline really gained its edge when Andy started looking over their finances. That was a very funny scene.

I’m also a big fan of Jules aforementioned new therapist (she is new, right?). Nicole Sullivan is one of those familiar Scrubs players from back in the day (yup, back in the day) and she did a fantastic job in this episode playing off of Jules’ craziness without falling too sharply into the straight man (or in this case straight woman) role. She’s the type of guest star that could easily be brought back again and again, and if this episode was any indication that is a good thing.

By far my favourite storyline though was Andy and Bobby. Bill Lawrence, Kevin Biegel, and whoever else is on their writing staffs just know how to write the guy love (bravo to those of you who get the Scrubs reference in that). I laughed out loud several times at these two, from Andy’s torment over having to mess with Bobby to their hilarious tear filled reunion. It’s a B story that was so good it actually crept up and stole the episode for me.

Alright, line of the night:

JULES: Laurie, Andy wants to fire you!
LAURIE: Seriously Andy!

Life Is Happening!

I apologise once again for the short post... it’s exam season. Another week though and I’ll whip this blog back into shape.

How I Met Your Mother – “Now We’re Even” (B-)

House – “We Need the Eggs” (B+)

Cougar Town – “Ways to Be Wicked” (B)

New Girl – “Kids” (B+)

Modern Family – “The Last Walt” (B-)

Community – “Virtual Systems Analysis” (A-)

30 Rock – “Murphy Brown Lied To Us” (B-)

The Office – “Angry Andy” (C+)

Parks and Recreation – “Live Ammo” (B+)

I Don’t Want To Be Around When Something That Tight Unravels

Another quick one for you...

How I Met Your Mother – “Trilogy Time” (A-)

House – “Gut Check” (B)

Cougar Town – “You Can Still Change Your Mind” (A-)

New Girl – “Normal” (B+)

Modern Family – “Election Day” (B+)

Community – “Origins of Vampire Mythology” (A-)

30 Rock – “Meet the Woggles” (B)

The Office – “Welcome Party” (B)

Up All Night – “The Proposals” (B+)

Grey’s Anatomy – “Support System” (B-)

Does Anybody Go To Classes?

I should really be studying right now...

Spoilers:

Shameless – “Fiona Interrupted” (A-)

Wow, things wrapped up quite tidily this time around. Not that I’m complaining – Fiona and the family have deserved a win for a while now, I’m just a little surprised at how few crumbs the writers left for next season. If the show were abruptly cancelled, I have to say I wouldn’t feel that cheated with “Fiona Interrupted” as a series finale. I guess there’s Karen leaving though (I’m done commenting on Sheila’s future with the show as I’ve yet to be right about her once) and Ian sleeping with... Jimmy’s... father. Sorry, I’m still getting used to the name Jimmy. Also, the fact that a 50 year old man is sleeping with a teenager.

But what really made the episode special was the execution of some of the bigger moments. Fiona and Jimmy/Steve’s reconciliation absolutely lived up to the season’s worth of build up. Both Emmy Rossum and Justin Chatwin were fantastic in the scene, as was the writing. Lip too, had some great character moments in this episode. From his chat with Mandy on the porch to his parting words with Karen, it was nice to see him let go of some of that anger and finally come home. All in all, it wasn’t a bad way to finish off the season.

House – “Blowing the Whistle” (B-)

Overall, I was fairly underwhelmed. I was hoping for at least the signs of an end game here and this episode just felt like business as usual. Maybe Chase’s “betrayal” will lead to something bigger down the line, but honestly, the writing staff didn’t give me enough to make me care in that moment, which meant the reveal carried no weight. Perhaps my expectations are a little high though. With 7 episodes left there is still plenty of time to craft an ending. I just can’t help but hope they start building the finale sooner rather than later.

New Girl – “Secrets” (A-)

“Secrets” had me the second Jess decided that she needed to live in a more openly communicating household, even if it meant a few difficult truths getting revealed. The fact that I still smile pretty much every time I think back to her balaclava winter coat outfit just proves how funny that third act was. “Secrets” had a lot more going for it than just that though. Schidmt was once again at the top of his game. Nick had some great material, built on an ever-changing line up of young woman and a complete inability to keep a secret. And Cece went ahead and caught feelings, which isn’t that surprising considering it’s TV, but a promising development nonetheless.

Happy Endings – “Four Weddings and a Funeral (Minus Three Weddings and One Funeral)” (B+)

The writers were very aware that this was a season finale and I’m not sure yet how I feel about the love triangle they set up in the closing shot. The idea of revisiting Alex and Dave as a couple was brought up just a few episodes ago, which perhaps made it feel like this week they were just piling it on for the sake of making the finale feel big. But I do want to be fair here and acknowledge that that previous hookup may have also been a way to get the audience acclimated to the idea of those two together again. After all, the show has come a long way since its initial half-hearted premise and both of those characters have become exponentially funnier. The idea of them together again isn’t as awful as it once would have been.

I think the more interesting development was Penny realizing her feelings for Dave. That’s been developed quite subtlety over the back half of the season and it’s another pairing I wouldn’t mind seeing. In truth, I feel like Alex and Dave are more just an obstacle in the way of Penny and Dave, but I don’t want to make any sweeping predictions at the moment – both are probably just as likely. Besides Jane and Brad though (who have been together since the show’s inception), Happy Endings has sort of thrived off of not pairing up characters, which means the writers need to tread carefully no matter what direction they take.

As for the episode itself, Jane was really the one stole the show. Her exclusion from the wedding party was hilarious in and of itself, but the way she clawed her way back into it was equally funny. Max was also pretty great, in no small part due to the slew of fantastic one-liners generated from his all-male Madonna cover band Mandonna. And I’m pretty psyched to watch how Brad reacts to his unemployment next season.

One last thing – this has to be my favourite title for an episode of any show this season.

Community – “Pillows and Blankets” (A)

This is why Community is so awesome. When they hit the mark, they really hit the mark. “Pillows and Blankets” perfectly captured the feel of a typical PBS war documentary, complete with a pledge drive and all. The episode was so good it’s hard for me to even narrow down my favourite part, whether it be Britta’s terrible war photography, the reading of text messages like war letters, the Changlorious Bastards, the most geographically confusing final battle of all time... you get the point.

“Pillows and Blankets” almost definitely rates in my top 5 Community episodes of all time, and if you read this blog with any regularity you know what a compliment that is. Now if only other people could start watching these things... ratings dropped a bit again this week, not great for a show still waiting for a renewal.

30 Rock – “Nothing Left to Lose” (C+)

Ugh, speaking of shows with ratings problems, 30 Rock hit a new low with “Nothing Left to Lose” last week. Unlike Community though, the episode didn’t prove it deserves better. This was a very forgettable episode, and I mean that literally. I watched it three days ago and I actually had to go back and jog my memory as to what actually happened. The answer: not much. Liz’s patriarch-like influence over Tracey was too reminiscent of earlier seasons (I recall Jack once impersonating Tracey’s entire family), the payoff of Jack and Pete’s storyline just didn’t seem to justify the almost lackadaisical premise, and the only thing that charming about Jenna and the writers this week was the revelation that Kenneth is looking through everyone’s trash.

Up All Night – “Hey Jealousy” (B+)

Some great guest stars really helped this episode along. Megan Mullally seems to be in just about everything these days, which is fine by me. She and Maya Rudolph had great chemistry with each other in this episode. I think my favourite bit of the night was Reagan delivery the two of them a hair and makeup tent in their desperate final moments of the race.

Grey’s Anatomy – “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” (C)

Nothing happened in this episode.

Judgements Are The Gluten Of Thoughts

Kind of a light week, but that didn’t stop this post from ballooning out of control. Enjoy!

Spoilers...

How I Met Your Mother – “Karma” (B+)

I’ve quite liked the last few weeks of this show. “Karma” had a few distractions along the way, but for the most part I thought it had enough charm to get us through to the ending, which is where the episode really shone. I have to admit, Ted moving out surprised me. I didn’t see it coming until Marshall and Lilly showed up to an empty apartment. But the writers set it up perfectly, and though it’s a bit of a cop out to have Marshall and Lilly move back into the city so soon, the writers handled it well enough that I didn’t feel cheated. This is exactly the sort of change up this show needed and I’m looking forward to seeing how Ted makes out.

On a side note – and by all means let me know if you agree in the comments – I think a really strong indicator of a good How I Met Your Mother episode is that it ends with Ted walking the streets of New York alone. It’s probably something I should have picked up long before now, but whenever there’s a big turning point in his quest to find the mother, they leave him in that she-could-be-anywhere metaphor. Now all I need is a supercomputer and a crack team of researchers to prove the relationship exists.

House – “Love is Blind” (B)

I’m such a huge fan of what Michael B. Jordan has done on The Wire and Friday Night Lights that I think I got more out of this episode than I probably should of. For the most part it was just a run of the mill case, granted one with some terrific acting, but pretty average nonetheless. I liked that they finally let Charlyne Yi loose with Park’s acid trip. That was pretty funny. And so far House’s wife has been a great source of comic relief as well. Now I just wonder how much they’re going to follow up on House’s search for his biological father. I thought the Irish guy was a good match, but perhaps the writers have got something better planned.

Cougar Town – “Lover’s Touch” (A-)

You know I love a good Tom episode. The fact that he’s a neurosurgeon just makes his entire character that much funnier – the scene in the hospital hallway had to be the highlight of the episode for me. But the writers just did a really great job overall of ramping up the goofiness in this one and that’s what made it so enjoyable. The callback to Grayson’s rollerblading skills was fantastic, especially the nice added touch of a 1980s boom box on his shoulders. And I would really love to see Bobby’s blue prints for the dog on skateboard thing he had going on. What an invention!

 Modern Family – “Leap Day” (B)

Wow, the number of TV shows taking advantage of the fact that this is a leap year is staggering. Personally I think 30 Rock had the best take on it, but there have been a few good ones. What’s probably most disconcerting though is how many characters just happened to have a leap day birthday. Who knew so many people were born on February 29^th?

Not that that was a huge deal here. I just didn’t feel particularly connected to any of the storylines. I was actually a little surprised that Cam didn’t just love the idea of his original Wizard of Oz party when he found out about it. I guess I should never underestimate his ability to become faux offended.

Phil and the girls never quite got off the ground for me either. On one hand, I loved some of the scenes Phil and Luke had with each other. Give them the right material and they play off each other incredibly well. But the whole period storyline just felt a little too played out. I wouldn’t mind hearing a girl’s take on the episode, because there were times where it felt like the writing was just playing into the stereotype. I don’t know though, I’m not a girl (I like to work that once into every post – I have some grade school demons I’m still getting over).

Happy Endings – “Cocktails & Dreams” (A-)

When Jane woke up from her sex dream at the start of the episode, I thought to myself “oh, okay, they’re doing that.” You can probably figure out the inflection on your own. Sex dreams are funny, but they’re done a lot. Awkward glimpses, embarrassing admissions... you get the gist. But then Brad woke up, with that familiar sex dream howl, and showed exactly why Happy Endings has developed into such a fresh new comedy.

I love the idea of contagious sex dreams. The writers took a well worn comedic trope and subverted it, making it that much funnier in the process. If that doesn’t sound like familiar praise then you haven’t read any of my Community reviews. Seriously, I cannot stress this enough. Watch Happy Endings!

Oh, and some other stuff happened, Colin Hanks and so forth. It just didn’t seem as relevant. Contagious sex dreams!

30 Rock – “Alexis Goodlooking and the Case of the Missing Whisky” (B)

I quite liked Jenna and Tracey’s storyline in this one. The writers had a great take on many of the “good looking female cop” show clichés. The rest of the episode was pretty average though, especially when you compare it to what the show did the following week.

I’m excited to see where this storyline between Jack and Kenneth ends up. I’ve been watching some of the older episodes in syndication, and I couldn’t help thinking of Kenneth and Jack’s poker game back in the first season. I think Jack’s quote was somewhere along the lines of, in five years from now everyone will either be working for Kenneth or dead by his hand. Well not quite, but the story really does seem to me moving in that direction doesn’t it. Their back and forth in this episode may not have always brought the laughs as much as I would have liked, but I see a lot of potential with where the writers are taking this.

Sadly, I felt Liz ended up with the weakest of the three main threads in the episode. As much as I liked watching her get locked out of various rooms that belonged to her, it didn’t make up for the fact that I’m just not that invested in Frank’s relationship with his former teacher (played by Susan Sarandon). The last time she was even on the show was so long ago I think I kind of assumed they’d already broken up. Either way, it didn’t generate the kind of humour I would have liked.

Parks and Recreation – “Campaign Shake-Up” (A-)

With all the campaign events and preparations over the past few episodes remaining largely standalone, it was nice to finally get an update on how well Leslie is actually doing in the race. I liked that all of the hard work put into the campaign had Leslie polling at higher than her original 1% (a fact that I don’t think the writers had yet divulged since her scandal with Ben went public) probably almost as much as I liked that Kathryn Hahn’s Jennifer Barkley came in and threw a wrench into the whole thing.

And I know it’s only been an episode, but I quite like Hahn’s character. Her vibe is fun to watch. She’s not malicious, but she’s shameless when it comes to getting what she wants. While I may not have been a fan of her quickly cancelled show Free Agents this season, I respect Hahn as a comedic actress. She and Amy Poehler already seem to have good chemistry. It certainly makes it easier to ignore the fact that the whole reason her character was probably introduced was because Rudd was unavailable for the number of guest spots the writers needed (oh well, there’s still the debate to forward to).

Campaign Shake-Up wasn’t just about Leslie though, it was a great Ron episode as well. Whether it was his spectacular scenes with Chris or the continuation of his hilarious bond with April (though Ron seems to have a great connection with just about everybody... other than Ann), it was hard not to love the guy in this one.

I have a feeling that by season’s end we’re going to see some changes on this show. I’m already excited to see April in an expanded role in the Parks Department. You could kind of see that ending coming more and more as the episode developed. But considering all the recent interactions between Ron and Chris, I could see Ron getting promoted into Ben’s old job too. It’s kind of a cool idea and frankly, the prospect of it doesn’t bother me. Whatever keeps things fresh, right?

The other big hint dropped in this one too was the casual mention by Chris that City Council is only a part time job. The writers played it off as simply a way to set up Ron’s hiring storyline – and that could very well be all it is – but to me it sounded like the writers were creating the conditions so that Leslie could win her election without completely uprooting the show. Obviously, that’s a promising sign. First because I love Leslie and I want her to do well no matter what. And second, because I think Leslie in City Council would be hilarious. The Parks and Rec writers already do great work incorporating the town of Pawnee, could you imagine what they could do with a couple of crazy city councillors? That’s something I want to watch.

The Office – “Test the Store” (C+)

So word is out that Spader won’t be back next season. Not too shocking, but it’ll kind of leave a black mark on his remaining appearances this season. It’s hard not to feel a little slighted considering the writers have a spent a decent chunk of the season getting us invested in his character, but from the sounds of it he was never that well liked to begin with. Add to that all the other rumoured cast departures (Dwight getting a spin-off, Mindy Kaling leaving the show), you have to wonder how much life The Office has left.

It also rubs me the wrong way a bit that Jim has been pushed into the background when it comes to career aspirations. I still remember when he shared Michael’s job, and while that may not have been the best move comedically, it rubs me the wrong way to watch him get ordered around by Dwight as if he were just some giant screw up along for the ride.

Dwight’s character in particular can tend to grate on me after a while too and this was one of those episodes where I found myself wishing they’d tone down his shtick a little bit. It might have been nice to see Ryan shine again instead of having him flake out as his character always seems to do these days. He was probably never anyone’s favourite character, but I do remember a time when he was one of the leads on this show. For old times’ sake, give him a decent storyline every now and then.

Up All Night – “New Boss” (B)

Did I miss something or did they just break up Ava and Kevin off screen? I’m guessing Jason Lee suddenly became unavailable, but wow – that was way too abrupt for my tastes. It’s along the same lines as the Spader situation on The Office. They spent so much time developing that relationship, to see it (or not see it in this case) end off screen makes me feel a little cheated.

Which probably isn’t the best way to introduce the titular new boss character. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure where I stand on either of the new characters, Yvonne or her ex-military underling Luke. It may have just been my chagrin over Jason Lee’s sudden departure, but both of them rubbed me the wrong way at various points in the episode.

There were definitely some decent bits in “New Boss” though, and I fear I’ve been a little overly negative in my description so far. Chris’s motorcycle ride was certainly fun to watch. I always love watching Will Forte be Will Forte. And despite my reservations about Luke, he did have a very funny purse strings bit with Reagan that made me laugh.

Still, I’m interested in seeing how permanent these new characters end up being.

Awake – “Pilot” (A)

Normally I’m not a huge fan of pilots. I mean I understand their limitations, and there have been a few in the past that have impressed me, but most of the time I find myself making excuses for the episode while throwing around the term potential a lot.

I have no idea how Awake is going to shape up – it could easily turn into a by the numbers procedural – but based off what I saw in the pilot episode, there are a lot of reasons to get excited about this series. The interplay between the two therapists was fantastic. The detective work didn’t have that stale, cheesy dialogue many of its television counterparts have. And overall, the episode was quite moving. If the series can capture just a fraction of the magic of its pilot, then it’s not too far of a stretch to say that it is going to do very, very well for itself (or get cancelled out of nowhere by NBC).

I’m definitely looking forward to next week’s episode already.

Real Life is for March

Sorry gang, busy week. I didn’t have the time to write out full reviews, but I’ll leave you with my ratings anyway. Special shout outs to How I Met Your Mother and 30 Rock. I was quite impressed with both their episodes.

Oh and for once, absolutely no spoilers...

How I Met Your Mother – “No Pressure” (A)

Shameless – “A Bottle of Jean Nate” (B+)

House – “Man of the House” (B)

Alcatraz – “Johnny McKee” (B)

Cougar Town – “A Mind With A Heart of Its Own” (B+)

New Girl – “Bully” (B)

Modern Family – “Virgin Territory” (B)

Happy Endings – “The Butterfly Effect Effect” (B)

30 Rock – “Leap Day” (A)

Parks and Recreation – “Sweet Sixteen” (B+)

The Office – “After Hours” (B)

Grey’s Anatomy – “If Only You Were Lonely” (B)

Wow, a lot of B’s considering I didn’t have to explain myself at all. You probably shouldn’t read into that...

What Did The Rules Ever Get Me? A Bunch Of Music I Paid For!

Cougar Town is back! Also 20,000 other shows. Enjoy!

Spoilers:

Shameless – “Can I Have a Mother” (B+)

Whoa, is it just me or did that episode just get really sad, really quick. Ethel running away was very bittersweet. Her closing scene with Kev was fantastic, probably the most emotional moment of the episode. Unfortunately, I think this was the writer’s way of writing her off the show and I really wish they’d kept her around – she’s a great character. Oh well, at least she got away from that cult.

Wow, and then Sheila finally kicks Frank out. That was sort of a long time coming and it was probably good for her, I just don’t know how much we’re going to see her now without Frank in the house. Joan Cusack has always been billed as a guest star so I’m not sure if the writers are working her out of the show or if this is just a natural story arc. Hopefully they keep her around. She’s never been a true guest star anyway. She’s as big a part of that show as any other character outside of the Gallagher family.

And last but not least, it’s going to be a long road back for Fiona and Steve, that is if she ever talks to him again (she’s definitely going to). Do you ever get the feeling like you’re cheering for the wrong people on this show? When Fiona’s boyfriend (or whatever) walked out on her when he saw her and Steve come out of the bathroom I kind of felt like “good for you buddy.” I’d forgotten too that Fiona still didn’t know Steve’s real name was Jimmy. Luckily her reaction to the news was pretty decisive. Considering all the other bad news we got this episode though, its importance maybe didn’t register as much as it should have.

How I Met Your Mother – “The Drunk Train” (B)

Lilly and Marshall had a pretty so so episode, and the drunk train stuff was okay but not great. It’s more the potential this story brings that’s got me hooked on this episode. First, because I like Barney’s new girl, despite the fact that apparently she’s a stripper that Barney has frequented in the past. I don’t know if they’re gearing us up for a revenge storyline or not, but at this point pretty much any girl attached to Barney is a potential candidate for his bride at the end of the season (that is of course, if they even reveal that to us at the end of the season) and hence  peak my interest.

The second reason I liked the episode is because I read an interview with Carter Bays and Craig Thomas and I think I see where they’re going with this Robin and Ted thing. Now yes, they aren’t going to end up together and it’s easy to see why people would be frustrated by the fact that they’re seemingly taking another step backwards, but there’s a lot of potential for growth for those two coming out of a storyline like this.

I spent most of the episode a little chagrined that Robin would even be considering marrying Kevin considering the writers didn’t give us that much before this episode indicating she was more open to the concept. But when you look at Ted in this episode and you look at Robin, they really are at two opposite ends of the spectrum from where they started out. Now this is the spoilers part so if you don’t want to learn the premise of an upcoming episode (tonight’s potentially) turn away. So anyways, this is what Bays and Thomas were saying – apparently early in the run of the series the two of them discussed their five year plans. The plan is to give each character the opportunity to evaluate where they were 5 years ago and how far they’ve come. Done right I think that’s a really cool idea for an episode.

And to be honest, it does make a lot of sense for Ted to do what he did. He and Robin originally broke up because she never wanted to get married, but both of them were head over heels for each other at that point. Now all of sudden the only real reason why they didn’t stay together disappears – I don’t think it’s that much of a stretch that he would want to revisit that relationship again. The guy’s desperate.

Are they spinning their wheels? Sure they are. But they’re going to be doing that until the series finale (unless they reveal the mother before then). It’s how they’re filling the time in between that’s going to keep the show watchable. Take a good storyline when you can get it.

*** Note *** This was written before tonight’s episode. ***Note***

House – “Chase” (B+)

I don’t know if it’s because I’m all of a sudden looking at this show through rose coloured glasses, but I’ve enjoyed the last couple of episodes since the announcement the show would be ending. This was a solid look at Chase, a character who for the most part hasn’t really had much given to him over the past few seasons, and it did a great job of reminding exactly what made him interesting in the first place. Well, with any luck this episode was his route back to prominence.

It was the final scene between House and him that really stuck with me. When House essentially admitted to Chase the decisions he’s made that have led him to be as unhappy as he is, it felt like real character development for both of them. It helped that Chase was sporting his own House-style limp, but you could see the parallel between the two characters, and for once you saw House trying to break the cycle. Actually giving a crap about someone other than himself and admitting it to that person... that doesn’t happen often.

Again, it could just be rose coloured glasses, but this is exactly the type of storyline that the end of a series can bring.  I don’t know if you can give House’s character a truly happy, set sail into the sunset type ending, but little victories like the one in this episode (and hopefully the writers haven’t completely finished with this storyline) should be able to bring the series to a satisfying close.

Alcatraz – “Paxton Petty” (B+)

I’ve really liked the progress this show has made over the last couple of episodes. These flashbacks are getting more and more intense and because of that I’m starting to get more and more hooked into the basic mythology of the series. “Paxton Petty” in particular was the perfect way to use one of the 63 inmates. I loved how the writers connected Petty to the early relationship between Lucy and Hauser. It took the focus away from a once-off character and put it back onto the main story that comprises the backbone of the series. If the writers can figure out a way to strike a balance like that in every episode – and it’s starting to seem like that’s the direction they’re going in – watch out, because this show could get good.

Cougar Town – “Ain’t Love Strange” (B+)

It may not have been the definitive episode of the series, but I like the direction the writers took for the rest of the season. Grayson and Jules were obviously destined to get married eventually, why not just go ahead and get them engaged in the season premiere. There’s no need to string us along. It’s not like they’re going to lose what makes them funny by getting them married. If anything it’ll make them funnier. Though I do wonder how Tom’s going to creep on Jules once she’s a married woman...

Obviously the proposal was the centerpiece of the episode, so I guess it was sort of natural for a few of the other storylines to get a little neglected, but there were some decent bits sprinkled into the B stories. They finally decided to Stan an age bump and thankfully it wasn’t as abrupt as I’ve seen on a few other shows of late. Hopefully the writers stick with this bond Laurie seems to have found with the kid. That’s got a lot of promise.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the green screen. That has to be one of the weirdest/surprisingly effective ideas for a joke I’ve seen in a while. It makes you wonder if maybe that was born out of a real life experience. Either way, I’ll be hard pressed to get the image of Bobby and Andy flying hand in hand through the clouds out of my head, and that’s a good thing.

New Girl – “Valentine’s Day” (A-)

This was a very funny episode. Anytime someone quotes Malcolm Gladwell in reference to obtaining one night stands, it doesn’t really matter what else happens in the episode the end result is going to leave an impression. But I liked just about everything in this one – from Jess’s all round hilarious experience finding a suitable partner to Schmidt and Cece finally hooking up to Nick and his very funny side story with Julia and her assistant (Hot Tub Time Machine’s Clark Duke). Even Winston got a few good laughs, and that was despite being pushed to the background once again.

Modern Family – “Aunt Mommy” (B)

I don’t have a whole lot to say about this episode. The surrogate storyline was kind of funny, kind of weird. I wasn’t a huge fan of the little conference Claire and Mitchell held under the table at the end of the episode. It just seemed a little too cute for my tastes. But there were a few good one liners here and there. Phil still makes me laugh on an almost weekly basis. As for the other big storyline this week, I quite enjoyed Gloria and Manny’s penny collection, even if it wasn’t the funniest thing I’ve ever seen from the duo. It had a sweet ending and I still respond to those brief moments when Jay lets his guard down.

Happy Endings – “Everybody Loves Grant” (B+)

A pretty solid episode in my books. This show is still in that wonderful sweet spot where everything it does still seems fresh to me. I loved Dave’s cool guy act. And the scene where they went through the group assigning roles was pretty special, precisely because Dave ended up as the “Dave of the group.” I also loved the fact that the “Dave” of the Dave Mathew’s Band isn’t Dave Mathews himself. Oh and full chickens down the garbage disposal – hilarious.

30 Rock – “The Tuxedo Begins” (A)

“The Tuxedo Begins” was probably the best episode 30 Rock has had all season. I actually can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard at the show (this was perhaps one of those “pleasantly surprised” A’s). The Dark Knight parallels were just placed in there so subtly that by the time I realized where they were going with it, it was 10 times funnier than it would have been otherwise. It’s actually the kind of episode that wouldn’t be all that out of place on an episode of Community, ironic since 30 Rock took over their timeslot.

Here’s hoping they don’t totally drop the Jack running for mayor plotline. I actually thought that was a pretty funny idea.

Parks and Recreation – “Dave Returns” (A-)

Ahh, Duke Silver, how I missed you.

Yeah, Andy in a recording studio was a great idea. But I actually thought April was the break out star of the episode. All of her piped in comments about Andy’s unconventional genius really made my night. Well that, and her enthusiastic destruction of all the Duke Silver memorabilia she could find. I also liked watching Ron take over the studio. The way he’s always looking out for Andy is such a nice touch to his character.

I’ll reserve my judgement on Ann and Tom for another episode. I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting the rest of the parks department to find out about them so quickly (though I don’t know why as it does seem to fit Tom’s character perfectly), nor was I that keen on Tom’s attempts to win her back. I thought perhaps they’d dial back some of his more... we’ll say quirky, personality traits as he tried to win Ann over, but not so much I guess. I still see a lot of potential in that relationship if the writers can find a good angle for it.

It was also nice to see Louis C.K. return to the series. Dave was always a good character. It was a little weird to see him turn into the crazy ex-boyfriend – he always used to play straight man to Leslie – but at least they kept his familiar cop-talk way of speaking. I have no idea if they’d ever be able to swing this, but Dave as police chief would be an incredible get for the show.

The Office – “Tallahassee” (B+)

Not a bad episode. I think above all it was a great coming out party for Stanley. Especially the way Jim started to look up to him after previously believing he never wanted to turn out like him. And speaking of Jim, that was the best cold opening I’ve seen all year. They’d been struggling with those lately and this one seemed to come out of almost nowhere. I guess it just goes to show what a change of scenery can do for a series.

The rest of the Tallahassee storyline kind varied after that though. There were times I was laughing at Dwight and other times where I thought the whole appendix storyline was just a little too much. I still don’t have a good beat on Catherine Tate’s character either, which made my enthusiasm for her part in the episode a little temped. Still, the rest of the crew back home had a good week, and I especially love that Andy is missing Erin, so overall I’d still give the episode my seal of approval.

Now all NBC has to do is figure out how to get people to watch. “Tallahassee” was lowest rated episode The Office has ever had, and that’s going all the way back to the ratings challenged first season. Of course, I guess to be fair it was the highest rated episode on NBC that night. That’s a little sad, isn’t it?

Up All Night – “Travel Day” (B+)

I’m really starting to wonder if Jason Lee is just on this show now. I mean the writers have had plenty of opportunities to break Kevin and Ava up – it seems like pretty much all they do is fight – and he’s always back the following episode. Now don’t get me wrong, that’s not a bad thing. I think the guy is a great addition to the show. I’m just surprised he surviving all these tussles.

“Travel Day” was a charmer though. I quite liked Chris and Reagan’s trip through the airport. It was funny and it ended with Chris’s heart melting speech on the plane – it’s hard to do better than funny and sweet. And the wedding wasn’t too bad either, if only because we got introduced to Ava’s old girl group, the Lennon and McCartney of Hip Hop. Or wait, was that the Simon and Garfunkel of Hip Hop. Either way I hope this wasn’t the last time we see Alanis Morissette on the series.

Grey’s Anatomy – “Have You Seen Me Lately?” (C+)

This episode just had some serious tonal issues. Callie’s storyline was trying way too hard to be funny, to the point where it could have passed as a parody on how narcissistic the characters on this show really are. And then you’ve got the collapsing pregnant intern describing her symptoms as she’s falling to the floor. I mean, really? Is it just me or is that not trying a little too hard to be quirky.

I wasn’t huge on Christina and Owen’s therapy session either. I don’t think either of those two came off all that likable. It actually just served to highlight all of the reasons why I never liked their relationship in the first place. And what I really don’t understand is why the psychiatrist needed to be hidden for most of the episode, like there was going to be some big reveal at the end. There wasn’t dammit!