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.

It’s A Trap!

Spoilers...

Community – “Course Listing Unavailable” (B-)

“Course Listing Unavailable” was obviously a setup episode and as such didn’t have the same comedic punch I’ve come to expect from the series. But I’d also venture that “Course Listing Unavailable” was a little neglected from a writing standpoint too. The episode didn’t lack in terms of promising scenarios, just in their execution and you have to wonder if writer fatigue perhaps played a role in that. We’re hitting the final stretch of the season now and with the finale right around the corner it would be easy to start looking ahead. It feels like with a bit more time and polish “Course Listing Unavailable” could have been a lot better.

There were two scenes in particular that I thought didn’t quite live up to their potential. The first was Starburns’ wake where the study group each took turns fanning the flames of what would eventually become a wake riot. There were a few funny moments in each of the speeches and I especially liked Pierce’s short and sweet conclusion to the proceedings, but overall it look liked everyone involved was struggling to find laughs in the scene. Troy and Abed’s half hearted rap was a good example as were most of Jeff, Annie, and Shirley’s speeches. It seemed like the joke was too much about the Dean (who by himself had a fairly good week) failing to calm the crowd than it was about the speeches themselves, which left long stretches without much happening comedically.

The second similar instance was the study groups’ hearing. I liked the superintendant’s opening speech, but the rest of the scene seemed to flounder. Chang’s appearance at the hearing wasn’t that particularly funny nor was the fake Dean’s quick jaunt through the room. Even Jeff who normally shines in these circumstances seemed to struggle. Perhaps the hearing was just too close to the phenomenal Law & Order style trial the week before and the writing staff couldn’t justify rehashing the same bit a second time.

I think my main complaint about “Course Listing Unavailable” was just that it was below average for the series. There were still some good jokes in the episode, including Jeff’s freak out over losing his summer and Britta’s Starburns impersonation. Indeed, the ending itself – a nice callback to the very funny “Remedial Chaos Theory” – was quite sweet and probably had me laughing as much as any other part of the episode. But alone these snippets just weren’t enough to save what was a rare off week for the series.

To the quotes!

JEFF: Death is a natural part of life and by the time I finish this sentence a hundred people will have died in China.
TROY: WHY... did you stop talking? I have to call my pen pal.

JEFF: (to Britta) You seemed smarter than me when I met you.

TROY: Britta, why are you making us feel these things.

DEAN PELTON: Oh because his sideburns were shaped like stars. I just got it, I just got that.

PIERCE: I don’t know how this got out of hand either, but as a student who’s been at Greendale for over a decade I think I’ve earned the right to say a few final words.
DEAN PELTON: I’m sorry.
PIERCE: Thank you... LET’S BURN THIS MOTHER DOWN!

ANNIE: Look tiny riot gear.
EVERYONE: Awww...

NURSE: Strange, I’m not finding any pepper spray on you.
TROY: Well check harder. It’s not like I’m crying because I was chased by a gang of scary 12 year olds.

And line of the night:

TROY: I was gonna be the first one in my family to graduate from Community College. Everyone else graduated from normal college. Now they’re really gonna give me a hard time.

30 Rock – “Queen of Jordan 2: The Mystery of the Phantom Pooper” (B+)

I am not the best person to review this episode. I watch absolutely no reality TV... and I mean none – Survivor is the closest I’ve come to it, and even then it’s been at least a few years since I’ve caught an episode. Normally ignoring reality TV works out quite well for me, in fact I quite enjoy not watching it, but I think in this instance it’s obvious that this episode would have been exponentially funnier if I were a fan of the genre. Now don’t get me wrong, the episode was a good one regardless of whether you want reality TV or not, but I know I’m missing some of the finer points here and those can add up. So perhaps put an asterisk beside that grade at the start of the article, and if you liked it more than I did let me know in the comments.

I think my absolute favourite part of this episode was Liz’s rivalry with Virginia the baby (though Kenneth’s rivalry with that cord he tripped over was a close second). Virginia’s perceived slight at the start of the episode, acted out by pretty much everyone around her, was really well done, as were her very funny broken English lines (I liked little Virginia’s “rude” cutaway). But when the two of them showed up wearing the same dress... well let’s just say it didn’t really matter that I hadn’t seen much reality TV – that was hilarious.

My opinion was a little more mixed regarding Jack’s storyline with Avery’s mother in this episode. Their impromptu restaurant opening to cover up for Diana’s slip up in front of the camera certainly had its moments – I thought the crazy guy Jack got to stand in for the imaginary Gus was quite funny and I love how their reluctant cover up managed to unintentionally annoy Angie at almost every turn. I just didn’t think their scheme made much sense in the first place. If they’re trying to hide it from Avery, wouldn’t she know she didn’t go to college with a crazy guy named Gus?

Tracey and Jenna were relegated to the background a bit more than the others in this episode but both managed to shine despite it. I like that after realizing they actually wanted her on the show Jenna immediately thought herself too good for it. Plus she did a great job of hyping up the Liz-Virginia rivalry. Her chair throw at the restaurant opening was perfect.

Tracey obviously had a great scene with Angie near the end of the episode, but I think his best contribution was his perfectly timed line to Liz during her confession in front of the camera after her horrible day with Virginia (coincidently also the scene that produced the episode’s namesake). He managed to capture the subtext of the scene perfectly – look for it as the line of the night.

My favourite lines:

ANGIE: Brandi, now that Barbara’s dead I need a nanny.
BRANDI: That’s perfect! All my children were taken away.

ANGIE: I know they’re not married; I just like them to know I don’t give a fuck about their lives.

DIANA: Welcome to Rus. This evening we’re serving all the perogis Costco had and then Burger King.

KENNETH: (immediately after his first modelling gig) What’s cocaine like?

And as discussed previously the line of the night:

TRACEY: Maybe it’s just that children in general don’t like you.
LIZ: Thank you Tracey.

The Office – “Turf War” (C+)

I really wish they had done this type of storyline with Andy last week. I spent most of my last recap talking about how I wished Andy had kept up the fire he had at the end of “Angry Andy” and then all of a sudden about half way through this episode he got it back, and as I suspected it was by far the most satisfying part of the episode. Now if only we could have skipped the ridiculousness of that benefit dinner and gone straight to that.

Granted, they would have still needed to reintroduce us to the newly wealthy David Wallace, but they probably could have pulled that off near the beginning of the episode, right around the time Andy was weirdly hanging out around the office again (that was really stupid). The storyline wasn’t perfect by any means, especially how it started – did you notice how quickly Robert California became incompetent over the course of the episode? – but the final two thirds was good enough that it almost made up for it. Watching Andy gain the upper hand the way he did was fantastic. It does feel a bit like the Michael Scott Paper Company all over again, but I think in the finale we’re going to see the writers deviate from that storyline considerably so I’m willing to forgive them the similarities for now.

It’s just too bad the rest of the episode couldn’t live up to that standard. I thought Chris Bauer’s Harry Jannerone was as good pairing with Jim and Dwight but the writers were just way too cavalier with the setup to that storyline. They just brushed over the fact that Jim and Dwight were essentially embezzling money from the company and then they got Toby, the HR rep of all people, to play the role of their fictional salesman. Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Toby the one who’s supposed to be reporting that kind of activity? I’m sorry to go all logic police on everybody but that kind of bugged me.

Although it’s not as if without that gap in logic the storyline would have been that good anyway. The rush to the client’s office was pretty dumb and rather anticlimactic considering Andy had already stolen the account by the time they’d gotten there (actually the scene where Andy got in to talk with the CEO without any hassle was actually my favourite of the episode). After that the whole storyline just sort of crumbled into nothing, making their last few scenes with each other somewhat irrelevant.

I’ve also noticed that the writing staff, in an effort to try to endear us more to Nellie, have taken to trying to make us feel sorry for her. First we had the story of her ex-fiancé in “Welcome Party” and in this episode we got to listen to her tragic collection of phone messages, ranging from credit card debt to a failed adoption. It was hard not to feel some genuine empathy for her character when she got excited over finally getting a friend at work in Pam, but again that flies in such stark contrast to her original character it’s a hard pill to swallow. The writers kind of wrote themselves into a corner with her character, and while I might eventually come around to Nellie 2.0 it’s going to be hard to forget how she came onto the show. It does look like she’s going to be around for a while though as they did rather sneakily realign her against Robert California, who probably won’t last past next week’s finale.

Alright, my favourite line(s) of the night:

HARRY: Oh can I check the employee handbook Lloyd? Well does it say anything about me choking a man with my bare hands?
TOBY: No.
DWIGHT: Wait no? Are you kidding me? You told me there was a rule! I could have choked so many people by now.

Parks and Recreation – “Bus Tour” (A-)

This show has really been firing on all cylinders since it came back from its brief hiatus. This episode had the ominous distinction of falling between two very important events for the show, the debate and the election, and yet “Bus Tour” still managed to hold its own and remain enjoyable from start to finish. It’s almost getting redundant at this point, but lately it feels like this show can do no wrong.

With Leslie down by only a few points on the eve of the election, the campaign decided to go on a bus tour to shift the polls in her favour. There were so many great bits sprinkled throughout the main story it’s hard to keep track of them all, but I’ll try. I loved the dynamic between Ann and Leslie in this episode. It was hilarious watching all the ways Leslie ignored her advice and subtly turned her words against her. Then there were all of Leslie’s great interactions with the press. I laughed out loud at all the questions surrounding how Groffle made it across the syrup river. I think though maybe the moment that stuck out to me the most, likely because I’m the biggest Star Wars nerd of all time but even more likely because I’m just that awesome, was watching Ben shout “It’s a trap!” ala Admiral Ackbar when he saw the press around Bobby’s Newport’s house. That was priceless.

And despite seeing much less of him this week once again Rudd played Bobby’s dimwitted unassuming self to perfection. I love that he prefers video game bowling to real bowling because the little virtual guy looks like him and I love that he doesn’t seem to have a competitive bone in his body, once again giving Leslie a boost at the end of the episode. My only worry, and this may be a bit of a stretch, is that somehow Hahn’s character is going to use sleeping with Chris as a last minute tactic to try and steal the election back. She’s a sneaky one, so I wouldn’t put it past her.

Also, is it just me or has April become therapist to all of Ann’s jilted lovers? She’s had a great couple of episodes doling out advice and I quite like the direction the writers have taken with her character. She’s still April, dark and ill tempered, but you can see her starting to care a little more now and it’s a change I hope we’ll see carried into next season because it’s great character development. Not too sudden, not hitting you over the head, just a subtle change over the course of 4 seasons. And who knows, if Leslie ends up winning this thing it might just be the start of a promising story arc for April, who has already taken over a lot of her responsibilities at the Parks Department.

Of course April’s husband had a pretty good week himself. Again, I feel like I’m repeating myself here, but Andy (and subsequently Chris Pratt) continues to amaze me. For the second week in a row he essentially carried an entire B story on his own and was absolutely hilarious in the process. I still love his alter ego Bert Macklin and every joke he was given in this episode, from his awesome codenames (see below for the complete list) to his brilliant investigation into the pie throwing (poor Jerry... and the owner of that TV) was hysterical. I’m honestly running out of ways to praise the guy.

If I had to choose the weak thread in this episode it would be Ron, Tom, and Donna’s trip to the car rental place, but even then I found the storyline quite funny. There’s nothing quite like a Ron Swanson one liner and the one he capped off his part of the episode with was vintage Ron. I think the biggest flaw of this story was just that it was surrounded by two even stronger ones. I do hope next week though we get a little more Ron because he’s been relegated to the background a bit too much in these last two episodes.

Okay, now for my favourite lines (and Andy’s codenames):

Andy’s Codenames

Andy: Eagle 1
Ann: Been There Done That
April: Currently Doing That
Donna: It Happened Once In A Dream
Chris: If I Had To Pick A Dude
Ben: Eagle 2 (“Oh thank god” being Ben’s response)
Leslie: I’d Be Lying If I Said I Hadn’t Thought About That

LESLIE: What do we want for our city? I’ll tell you what I want. I want better schools. I want cleaner streets. I want to expel the violent gangs of geese in Etweiler square. And I will finally eliminate this city’s libraries!

LESLIE: Ann there is nothing harder in the entire world than saying no to your beautiful face. But I’m going to... no! We’re going to keep campaigning okay, but we’re going to do it in a classy and respectful way to get Ann off of our backs.

REPORTER 1: Are there any other deceased members of Bobby Newport’s family you’d like to attack.
REPORTER 2: And quick ducking the waffle question. Did Groffle use a boat of some kind?
BEN: Alright that’s all the questions for now. Thank you everybody.
REPORTER 1: Are we to assume he swam across the syrup river?

ANN: No, that’s not a real apology. It’s just sneaky, I don’t like it.
LESLIE: Ann for once this is not about you. A man is dead.

APRIL: Okay first of all dark places are awesome.

CHRIS: You’re right, I’ll be fine. (April leaves) I’m not fine it didn’t work.

ANDY: Macklin, you son of a bitch.

And line of the night:

RENTAL GUY: Hey what about you, Mr “A Man’s Word Is Sacred?”
RON: Well it is but you’re an asshole.

Anybody Up For A Hobo Adventure?

I’m working my way through the week. Here’s Tuesday and Wednesday for your reading pleasure.

Spoilers:

Cougar Town – “Southern Accents” (A-)

I feel like I’ve said this before (I can’t remember and I honestly don’t read this blog) but Grayson’s daughter has been an excellent addition to the show. Her introduction has provided many good storylines this season, allowed the writers to sidestep through Grayson’s desire to have kids, which had sort of been played out, and it gave us Holly, who was the basis of some truly hilarious moments in this episode.

I quite enjoyed watching Jules and Holly get acquainted with each other this week – the story really hit you from every angle. Having Trav make out with Holly led to more than a few hilarious confrontations with Jules, and some even funnier banter with Grayson, who was in the peripheral this week but still found a way to make his presence known. Holly too has found a nice niche for herself confirming just about anything negative anyone ever says about her within a matter of seconds. She infringes on Laurie’s character a bit but because she’s an outsider to the group she doesn’t distract from her.

And the story actually ended up having quite a bit of heart. I liked the way the writing staff humanized her in the end and pointed out her very similar situation to Jules’ struggles to raise Travis as a young mother. The Cul-De-Sac crew have always been a sort of de facto family and Holly and Tampa/Jill are funny enough that I wouldn’t mind seeing them around for more family functions. Though this show has a knack for creating great bit players and could say that about more than a few characters (I used to say it about Tom and thankfully they listened).

The fun didn’t end there though, as Bobby and Laurie had a great episode discussing the nature of racism. Those two are always funny paired with each other and having them discuss a real issue like that was an oddly hilarious use of their characters. Plus it allowed Laurie to start telling stories and I dare say she is never funnier than when she’s off on some bizarre tangent about her life outside of this group. I particularly loved that the moral she drew from the whole race panel was that “all you need to fix minority problems is a really pretty white woman.” Classic.

Andy’s decision whether to run for mayor was probably the weakest thread of the episode, but that’s only because I enjoyed the other two so much. Frankly it’s a pretty promising storyline for future episodes and it wasn’t without a few great bits. I think it’s hilarious that Andy’s view of being mayor is riding around in parades wearing a top hat. I want this for him more than you know...

Alright, to the quotes!

LAURIE: Oh my god, look at your black and white cookie! You’ve only eaten the white part.
BOBBY: I’m a monster.

BOBBY: I don’t really like it when my food talks to me. It’s why I don’t eat monkeys.

TRAV: There’s just something so innocent about Holly. I just want to protect her. Plus Jill could really use a father.
GRAYSON: She has a father.
TRAV: I meant a good one.

JULES: It’s like my life is flashing before my eyes... I should have drank more wine.

GRAYSON: You know when you’re kissing Holly and she pushes her gum into your mouth and then sucks it back out onto hers? Why is that so hot?
TRAV: Probably her big boobs.
GRAYSON: Probably.

LAURIE: Oh my god, my race panel worked. If there is one thing that we’ve learned from Michelle Pfieffer in Dangerous Minds, or Sandy Bullock in The Blind Side, or Hillary Swank in that movie no one ever saw, it’s that all you need to fix minority problems is a really pretty white woman.

And the longest line of the night ever:

LAURIE: So you accidentally said the wrong thing. One time I accidently asked this blind lady when her baby was due. Turns out she wasn’t pregnant. AND she wasn’t even a lady. But he really was blind which was good because when he went to go throw his coffee at me he totally missed and he hit a real pregnant lady and I was like “dude, you’re such a jerk you just hit a real pregnant lady”... and then it turns out she wasn’t pregnant either so...
BOBBY: There’s a lot of fatties in this town.

New Girl – “Backslide” (B-)

Well first and foremost I want to acknowledge New Girl’s generosity of spirit in taking the time to discuss the dangers of backsliding. It’s an issue most people are unaware of and its consequences can be painful, if not for the people backsliding than for the people around them. Don’t backslide people, it’s not worth it.

Jess unfortunately didn’t head that warning in this episode and in her grief over breaking up with Russell called up Paul, who unbeknownst to her had a pretty serious girlfriend. The storyline had its moments but it wasn’t as uproariously funny as one would have liked. The revelation that Paul is a terrible crier felt like a plot device invented specifically as a cue for Jess’ change of heart near the end of the episode. Give Justin Long credit, he sold it, but I rolled my eyes when that was literally the first thing that came out of Schmidt and Winton’s mouths when they saw him leaving the apartment. It’s been a while though, so by all means correct me if we’ve seen Paul cry before.

Regardless, Jess and Paul’s final scene with each other was still enjoyable. Jess’ speech to Jen – you know, the one that ended with her proposing to Jen for Paul – was a good one, staying both funny and meaningful. And it also led to a pretty good ending, with Jess saying some more very sweet things to Nick just before he told her that he is moving out, all the while confirming that those two are destined to end up with each other.

Schmidt and Cece spent another week making me feel those warm fuzzy feelings I tucked away and swore I would never bring out again, even if I found their storyline lacking a bit in terms of laughs. The writers milked Schmidt’s broken penis for all it was worth (that sounded terrible and yet still I’m not going to change it) but it wasn’t enough to carry the entire comedic load on its own. Still, I’ve been having a good time watching these two slowly fall for each other and this episode was no exception. There’s a bit of a danger that as a confirmed couple the two of them will lose some of their appeal but so far I haven’t seen anything yet to make me worried about that happening.

The rest of the episode revolved mostly around the guys trying to convince Nick not to get back together with Caroline with Winston’s new earring tucked in there somewhere too. I enjoyed past Nick’s video to himself, but it felt like the writers could have done better with it, even if just the image of him with that beard was priceless. I didn’t like the earring side story at all though. It would have been fine if Winston had kept it simple – there were one or two good one liners that came out of it – but as his choice of earring got more and more ridiculous it became harder to buy into the fact that he had that little self-awareness. It just didn’t feel like the writers were challenging themselves enough.

To the quotes!

JESS: Why is she dressed like a woman’s studies major?

SCHMIDT: You backslid all the way down the hill and back into the parking lot. Take off your skis and wait for your family in the lodge Jessica Day.

JESS: I hate to have to break it to you but that is the way the Electoral College works man.
PAUL: It just seems so unfair. So votes don’t mean as much.
JESS: It upsets me to.

NICK: Hello Nick, you magnificent dumbass.

NICK: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? No, a summer’s day is not a bitch.

NICK: Do you want to be a grown man who dresses like an unsponsored professional skateboarder?

JESS: I thought you were Asian me, but now I realize I was just Caucasian you.
JEN: What?
PAUL: What?

And line of the night:

JESS: For someone with a soul mate you sure did have sex with me.

Modern Family – “Planes, Trains and Cars” (B)

It only seems appropriate Modern Family would hit on a couple of sitcom tropes in this episode considering its title is a riff off the classic John Hughes film. This time around it was Phil buying a car without asking the approval of his wife, naturally having been egged on by one of his friends. But hey, at least they spared us from the overzealous salesman on top of it all.

To the credit of the writers past the initial premise they did a pretty good job of avoiding clichés. Claire didn’t immediately fly off the handle at the purchase and while she eventually came around to the car she didn’t fall in love with it or claim it as her own as so many other sitcom wives before her have done. Still, it didn’t feel like this story arced as much as it needed to. I liked that Phil enjoyed driving the kids around and Claire felt liberated at the beach but they were nice sentiments more than they were a story. It was like the writers were so busy trying not to do what had already been done before that they forgot to actually write their own narrative.

Jay, Gloria, and Manny were the ones that took on the storyline that most resembled that of the episode’s 80s movie namesake, scrambling through several different methods of transportation on their way to Pebble Beach. Manny provided some funny background comedy for the trip and Gloria was certainly on her game as well, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the premise that Jay was still seeking validation from the guys he went to high school with, what, 40 years prior? While most of the episode was just about them finding a way to get there, I’d be lying if I said that the ending didn’t bug me a bit.

I thought the best thread of the episode was Cam and Mitchell looking for Lilly’s stuffed animal. There were a lot of great little moments I liked, like Mitchell’s failure to recognize Nemo and the way the two of them quickly decided that Jay’s relationship with Mitchell was good enough when they saw the homeless guy coughing on Lilly’s bunny. Plus the revelation that Mitchell is a Star Wars fan made happy, especially since it aired so close to May the Fourth.

Alright, now that you can fully comprehend how big of a nerd I actually am, I give you my favourite quotes...

CAM: Let’s catch the next train and ride it until it catches up.
MITCHELL: They don’t catch up. It’s called a collision.

JAY: How do I say this without sounding like an ass... I’m kind of a legend to these guys.
GLORIA: Not like that.

CLAIRE: I have nothing to say.
PHIL: That just says it all.

MANNY: A lot of amenities disappear when an H becomes an M.

CAM: Really, you don’t know Nemo? It’s on an endless loop in the den.
MITCHELL: I have a job.

CLAIRE: Phil I did cartwheels.
PHIL: Without me?

And line of the night:

PHIL: Honey, I’m not leaving your mom.
LUKE: It might not be your call.

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!

That’s When I Realized I Was A Ridiculous Man

Other than The Office Thursday was a pretty good night for NBC.

Community – “Basic Lupine Urology” (A-)

I have a theory, and I’ve mentioned it before on this blog, that every episode of Community that features altered title music ends up being a good one. Now that’s an easy connection to make because altered title music generally means it’s a parody episode, but it’s more about the level of commitment the show has to these type of episodes. It’s their total assimilation of the genre, that keen eye for detail, that makes an episode like “Basic Lupine Urology” feel like an instant classic before it even hits the end of the third act.

Now I am by no means a Law and Order junkie. I’ve caught a few episodes here and there, but mostly in the context of I needed something to watch and there was nothing else on. But even still, I picked up on most of the subtle nuances in this episode. The way every witness or suspect can’t actually stop what they’re doing while they’re getting interviewed. The last minute information tidbit from the forensics expert. Meetings occurring in the middle of a busy street (with the nice added touch of construction in the background). They captured the whole aesthetic so well it may me feel like a much bigger Law and Order fan than I actually am.

As is almost always the case with these parody episodes, Abed, and subsequently Troy, were front and center, and both were relishing in their roles. Their good cop/bad cop routine – that for just a split second actually put Starburns at ease – was hilarious, as was their battle over who could get the last witty quip in. I also loved how little they cared that Starburns was building a meth lab. Real crime didn’t bother these fake cops all that much. Speaking of which, I hope Starburns isn’t really dead. I’ll miss him if he is.

Anyway, when the episode shifted over to the courtroom (where we got the hints of an A Few Good Men parody as well) things only got better. From Todd’s hilarious break down on the stand (I quite enjoyed his Iraq IED story involving the gift of a chair) to the complete misuse of the objection system, the entire sequence, which essentially comprised the third act, was fantastic. Plus in the lead up to it we got to here Michael K. Williams talk about how every man has got to have a code, a gift for anyone who has ever watched The Wire.

My only complaint about the episode was that we didn’t get to see much of Britta. Granted the one scene she did have was hilarious. I love that even the Law and Order scene change music doesn’t care what Britta has to say. That cut off was one of my favourite moments in the episode.

When you think about it, a Law and Order parody really is a clever move by the writing staff. Everybody, at one point or another, has sat down and watched an episode of the series. Community has often been accused of being inaccessible, and there’s some truth to that statement (though it makes it that much funnier for the diehard fans), but here was an episode everyone could relate to. It was the best of both worlds – the cutting parody that the show is known for combined with the accessibility of a show that managed to stay on television for something like 20 years. Hopefully this helps Community pick up a few of the fans of the latter series, though judging by the numbers this week it may have to be through word of mouth.

Eventually these parody episodes are going to have to grow tiring, but they sure haven’t yet. To the quotes!

STARBURNS: Dead yam, big deal. Order some ketchup.
TROY: That doesn’t make sense, you don’t order ketchup – it’s a condiment!
ABED: Troy, hey, walk it off, walk it off.

ABED: We named the yam Pam... it rhymed.

ABED: Clean up on isle busted.

STARBURNS: Kiss me!
GIRL: What?
STARBURNS: I’ll explain later.
GIRL: No!
STARBURNS: I’ll explain later!
STARBURNS: The explanation isn’t the issue.

TROY: Todd Jacobsen, you have the right to do whatever you want. Nothing you say or do can be used against you by anyone but we’d really like it if you came with us. Please and thank you.

TROY: Sorry about my partner. He’s been on edge ever since we switched.

ANNIE: That’s right, always have an exit strategy.

FAT NEIL: God forgive me, I did it for love!

PROFESSOR KANE: Holy crap. We are definitely dissecting pine cones next year.

And line of the night...

JEFF: Professor... thank you.
PROFESSOR KANE: It’s not a favour Mr. Winger. A man’s gotta have a code.
DEAN PELTON: Awesome.

30 Rock – “Live From Studio 6H” (B+)

The main difference I noticed between this most recent live episode of 30 Rock and its predecessor was how much this one relied on sketches to fill the time. The previous live episode definitely used cutaway bits as well, a necessary by-product of doing a live show it seems, but it also had a much more present story arc. This time around the story was used as more of a loose connector to tie together a disparate collection of scenes.

Now it’s not that that’s necessarily a bad thing. I’ll admit, last time around I enjoyed watching the show weave together its story in the live format, but it was still a live story, and the limitations of that made it nearly impossible to compare to any other episode of the series.  So it’s not a big deal that this episode decided to go with the sketch format. The style however made it much more akin to an episode of Saturday Night Live, and like all sketches on SNL, some of them hit and some of them miss.

Thankfully there seemed to be more hits than misses in “Live From Studio 6H.” I quite enjoyed the pre-commercial cutaways to (Nazi) Dr. Leo Spaceman and his 1950s counterpart as well as the grand finale of guest stars including (former 30 Rock writer) Donald Glover and Jimmy Fallon as the younger versions of Tracey and Jack. I would be remiss also if I didn’t mention Amy Poehler doing her best Tina Fey impression. Very funny indeed.

The highlight of the night though had to be Jon Hamm’s two sketches (I watched the East Coast airing for those of you on the West Coast wondering about the second sketch). His first with Tracey Morgan was so unbelievably hilarious I think if he wanted to Jon Hamm could be a regular on SNL tomorrow. He has that kind of range. And he followed it up quite nicely with a very chauvinistic version of newscaster David Brinkley, coincidently also Fey’s best sketch of the night.

I was less enthused about the Laugh-In and Honeymooners segments, though the latter had its moments. The real weak points of the episode seemed to be in the transitions, where the jokes tended to feel a bit more laboured. Jenna and Paul’s storyline was a major development for her character, but didn’t have the same amount of laughs as the rest of the episode. I did however laugh out loud watching Hazel rip a picture of Sinead O’Connor in half. That’s like a 20 year old callback and it was still funny.

In the end though I like shows that try things, and you’d be hard pressed to find many similar examples of a show breaking format like 30 Rock has with these live episodes (the closest example I could think of was Scrub’s My Life In Four Cameras). The effort in and of itself is commendable and for a show that’s struggled lately finding good new storylines for its characters this episode was a nice change of pace.

Now for the quotes:

YOUNG LIZ: Best prom night ever! I’m gonna lose my virginity in 9 years.

KENNETH: Ms. Lemon, Mr. Jordan just discovered you can get pornography on the internet.
LIZ: Oh my god, he’s gonna die in there.

ANNOUNCER: It’s the cheese that won World War 2! Don’t ask how...

DR. LEO: Your baby’s lungs need nicotine for science reasons.

DAVID BRINKLEY: Honey you have a dynamite shape, but you’re gonna have to shut up and let a man tell us what’s happening. Now is your father or a policeman nearby?

And line of the night:

KENNETH: And while they never found Jamie Garnett, that woman who stole his microphone went on to become... a wife!

The Office – “Fundraiser” (C+)

Perhaps I’m being a little hard on this episode, but after watching Andy finally stand up for himself last week I was hoping the writers would give us more than just an awkward dinner. He lost the fire he had at the end of that episode, which is a shame because it undercut what I thought was a very empowering moment for his character.

Now I know what you’re thinking – Andy spent most of the episode trying to openly defy Robert California so how could I possibly say he’d lost his fire. True enough, but the way he walked out of the office last week I got the sense he was done putting up with all of the absurdity from Robert and Nellie and the whole ridiculous situation surrounding her stealing his job. To me, a much more satisfying direction for the character would have been to not have him immediately subject himself to that situation all over again.

Of course it’s naive to think he wouldn’t become embroiled in the ebbs and flows of the office somehow, after all that is the show, but I see no reason why the writers couldn’t give him a week away from the rest of the cast. He may still have freaked out over not having a job, but at least it wouldn’t have been in front of the same people he’d so brilliantly walked out on the week before. While there were a few jokes here and there that worked in the storyline, namely from the dog guy of all people, for the most part I thought it was a disappointment.

Andy’s story served as just one of many threads in this episode though, and that’s where my assessment of “Fundraiser” starts to get little shakier. Darryl and Nellie had a fairly decent back and forth with each other in this one, but I’m still so disappointed by the way Nellie was introduced into the office that it made it hard for me to enjoy her attempts to win him over. The writers have tried their best to humanize her, but the bizarre way in which she took Andy’s job without any objection from Robert still looms over pretty much every storyline they put her in. Until they address that head on it’s going to be hard to enjoy her part on the show. And that’s disappointing, because other than that she fits the Michael Scott role very well. It’s just too bad they couldn’t have brought her in at the start of the season, then there’d be no issues at all.

Dwight’s story was probably most underwhelming of the episode if only because it felt a little too by the numbers. I’m sure if you look back through the ages you’ll find plenty of sitcoms that have already tackled the accidently-winning-a-charity-auction-with -much-too-high-of-a-bid storyline, and many probably did a much better job with it too. I didn’t mind Oscar’s storyline though. The writers have been stringing out the fact that Angela’s husband is gay for a while now, and while I kind of wish they’d do something more with it, at least it gave Oscar some good monologue material in this one.

Alright, now for my favourite lines:

RYAN: Okay, I’m sorry I’m not a fan of Jason Mraz or... The Beatles.
DWIGHT: You don’t like The Beatles?

DWIGHT: I don’t want to alarm people but there is a distinct chance that we are all about to be killed.
JIM: Well as long as you don’t want to alarm people.

KEVIN: It was my idea to not be raped.

And line of the night:

DOG GUY: No Kenny’s a therapy dog. He apparently thinks you’re in some kind of emotional crisis.
ANDY: Stupid dog.

Parks and Recreation – “The Debate” (A)

I have been looking forward to this debate ever since they introduced Bobby Newport (and subsequently Paul Rudd) as Leslie chief competitor. DVRs were set, phones were turned off, critical self-examinations about why I put so much stock into a half hour sitcom were ignored. Needless to say, expectations were high. And still I was not disappointed... “The Debate” lived up to the hype.

Though we haven’t seen much of him this season Bobby Newport is a great character with a terrific energy to him. Paul Rudd is quite the get as a guest star and he used his charm to max here. His childish responses were fantastically undercutting and frankly, downright hilarious, whether it be small moments like telling the audience his favourite Bond actor (changing his mind from Craig to Dalton) or just the general fact that he treated the debate more like a high school play than an actual battle of wits. He felt more like a loveable pawn then he did Leslie’s opponent and I think that helped this episode keep the focus on Leslie instead of him. He had very much the same kind of vibe Will Ferrell used to have in his Bush impressions.

But despite some of the more exaggerated comedic elements I was impressed at how grounded the writers were able to keep everything. Leslie’s experience debating a much weaker opponent struck very close to the truth. The balancing act of getting points across without seeming like a bully and the difficulties associated with intelligently dissecting catchy slogans and simple talking points in the limited amount of time allotted – the writers we’re clearly drawing from some real life source material.

The real magic of the debate though was watching Leslie finally seize her moment and turn herself into the contender she deserves to be. It’s almost fitting that Amy Poehler was the writer for this episode, because who better to get the first crack at Leslie’s closing remarks, the perfect summation of her character, than the woman who plays her. It was a fantastic way to cap off the episode and transition the season into its final stretch. Bobby Newport was right – holy shit Leslie, that was awesome.

The B stories were equally satisfying. Chris Pratt has to be one of the most underrated actors on television right now. He was laugh out loud funny in this episode and I don’t mean in the fake internet/text message sense either. I’m almost jealous of the extras who undoubtedly got to watch him act out even more of Andy’s favourite movies over the course of shooting those scenes. My only real complaint about that story was that we didn’t get to see much of Ron (though we did get to hear another one of his legendary speeches).

Chris, Ann, and Tom were also quite enjoyable. Watching Chris spin everything to the positive was quite fun to watch and very true to his character. I felt a little bad for him when Ann turned him down though. I guess I’m one of the people who thought the two of them made an entertaining couple. We’ll have to wait and see what the writers have in store for Ann and Tom. They seem intent on keeping those two in a perpetual state of having just recently broke up.

Alright, to the quotes:

LESLIE: I love it when you’re needlessly disgusting.

DONOR: So you do a lot of investing?
ANDY: We like to dabble. I recently invested in some shirts I got at a garage sale. Left those at Wendy’s on the way home. So (raises glass)... the economy.

BOBBY NEWPORT: I’m against crime and I’m not ashamed to admit it.

ANDY: And the guy says, “I used to fuck guys like you in prison.” By the looks of this guy this is not consensual sex we’re talking about.

JOAN CALLAMEZZO: Once again, Brandi and Leslie are essentially the same person.

And line of the night:

BOBBY NEWPORT: I guess my thoughts on abortion are... you know, let’s just all have a good time.

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+)