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Showing posts with label Desperate Housewives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Desperate Housewives. Show all posts
Thursday, 16 June 2011
Saturday, 21 May 2011
It was a week of finales, the on ABC, CBS and NBC I got packed with a slew of finales some were perfect closers to great seasons and others were surprisingly disappointing. But before, I’ve got two overdue reviews from the week before.
Cougar Town: “Damaged By Love”
Watching Ellie deal with Andy’s family – particularly his officious sister-in-law ends up being a left-field arc for a show that’s often so insular but one which is also quite hilarious. Moreover, it ends up leading to a brilliant moment of niceness between Laurie and Ellie. Their relationship is an interesting thing to watch, and it’s great seeing how much they’ve grown over the two seasons. Jules father is always good for a laugh, and his strip club antics were great to watch especially when it led to the softer moment at the end. Grayson’s arc was a bit silly, but in a good way. I have to give props to Josh Hopkins who I often used to think of as the show’s albatross. He’s been bringing the funny recently.
[B+]
Parks & Recreation: “Road Trip”
I missed the second of this, and it was a great one. Not as enjoyable as “The Fight” but it saw two important things happy. Ben and Leslie’s relationship finally got on track (a whole year after he arrived and I noticed their brilliant chemistry) and it’s fun watching Chris be the ultimate cockblocker, naturally oblivious to everything. The arc of Tom’s gameshow wasn’t as joyfully hilarious as his other ideas, but it’s great how the writers are treating the April/Andy marriage with sincerity and her showing up at Ann’s house was a nice touch.
[B+]
Desperate Housewives: “And Lots of Security...”
Desperate Housewives: “Come On Over for Dinner”
Well, the seventh season of Desperate Housewives wrapped goes out in a decidedly disappointing double feature. I couldn’t help but wonder why the second episode couldn’t have been tightened up and used as the next season’s premiere. The Felicia and Paul drama came to a whimpering close (not even a return of the great Cody Kasch) and so does Lynette and Tom’s marriage. The divorce plot seems tired but I don’t see it as especially terrible because that entire relationship has become awfully annoying to watch. The Gaby drama is vaguely random but not overly so and the rotating dinner is a nice touch. The latter episode is superior, but something still feels off although I do give props to Vanessa Williams for being the episode’s MVP working hard with the silly storylines she’s given. I keep praying that this show can rein itself in and find some structure. I don’t know, though...
[C/C+]
[B-]
United States of Tara: “Chicken ‘n’ Corn”
Well, things are definitely reaching to a head and it sure is turning into something chilling. Tara’s new alter is distressing, but it was the early scene with Chicken which was more upsetting. It was an episode of things being troubled, though, like the usually calm Max being derailed by that plain right or Kate being similarly ill at ease with Evan’s demon-son or Marshall feeling badly because of Max’s ostensible lack of support. Marshall’s really annoying me this season, go figure. Even Charmain’s attempts at a day out were capsized first by her worrying about Wheels and then her returning home to Hatteras in her house and a palpably upset Tara there.
[B+]
Nurse Jackie: “The Astonishing”
This episode was filled with some great small bits featuring things that you wouldn’t likely see. O’Hara looking at her bruised chest in the bathroom was deep and then there was that awkward lunch with her, Jackie and Zoey and then a somewhat random but surprisingly effective moment with his toys. Jackie was running on a single pill today and that’s probably why her mood was so sour. I feel badly for Gracie, but she’s such an annoying character that I wasn’t that invested in her saintly plight. Gloria and Thor bonding was a genius move as was the conversation between Kelly and Zoey which led to the latter reminiscing on her days of being jailbait. Wever is such a trooper.
[B+]
Glee: “Funeral”
I’ve stopped reading reviews of Glee because I end up almost always liking the hated episodes or hating the liked episodes and what not. “Funeral” was a lot more placid than you’d expect, and maybe it’s because I’ve been feeling a bit downer for the entire week (what with the rapture, and what not) but with its attention to the softer side of the show it ended up being less cloying to me and surprisingly moving. The arc of Sue’s sister dying on its own doesn’t move me as much but Lynch turns in a fine performance, and I did love the season’s opener when she and Will were “friends” so I’d love to see that return and it ties in nicely with Terri’s exit which saddens me. I’m a fan of Jessalyn, she’s had sinfully little do this season but she’s Morrison’s best acting partner and I will miss her when (if?) she leaves. The smaller relationship drama was a bit eclipsed, but Jonathan Groff brings the funny (without singing) and as harsh as his comments were every single one of them made sense if you put serious thought into it. Don’t care for the Finn/Quinn drama, I keep hoping Rachel and Finn don’t hook up and destroy the show – but it seems inevitable (them hooking up, not the show’s destruction. Ha.)
[B+/A-]
The Good Wife: “Closing Arguments”
I've come to love The Good Wife, I think my general antipathy towards Julianna Margulies (don't ask) made it difficult for me to initially love the show in its premiere season. Still, I've grown to love it and I was highly anxious to see the season's closer. The set-up is excellent. Fresh of their "break-up" Alicia and Kalinda must work together on judge murder which their client is charged for. Just as closing arguments for the case are given new evidence (in the form of a bloodied glove) ends up on Alicia's desk leading the team into a fresh new investigation. It sounds good, but the episode is something of a let-down, a fine episode - certainly, but it sort of fizzles in contrast to last week's episode. For me, The Good Wife is always at its best when it touches on the concepts of friendship - Kalinda/Alicia, Diane/Will, Eli/Peter or general politics and as a viewer the Will/Alicia dynamic is decidedly secondary for me. So, even though we get some suggestions of brilliance like Cary and Diane's cutesy banter or Eli and Alicia's pseudo face-off or Cary noticing Kalinda's coldness the fact that the end-all of all that could be is a lip-lock between Will and Alicia
[B/B+]
Modern Family: “See You Next Fall”
It’s a solidly fair episode and it’s great when the entire comes together – this time for Alex’s graduation. Hyland was great this episode helping Alex to see how terrible her original graduation speech would have been. The Claire/Phil arc wasn’t as precise as I’d hope but Bowen and Burrell (the MVPs on the show, for me right now) really can make anything work. Jay’s Botox seems a bit out of left-field but I love Mitchell’s reaction. The Cam/Mitchell arc was a bit silly, but Ferguson is hilarious when he comes as vaguely insensitive and the best part of the episode was him trying to convince everyone how Cam’s fall could have been funny.
[B/B+]
Cougar Town: Free Fallin'
This was an episode of classic greatness and even the potentially freaky arc of Grayson, Ellie, Tom and the chalk children didn’t end up hindering. On one hand Jules and Travis have concurrent bonding and sparring when he decides to drop out of college. This leads to a hilarious gag where Grayson pretends to be Travis and he and Jules end up making up. It is as weird as it sounds, even Ellie agrees. Then, Penny Can went national as Lou Diamond Philips became the face of the new and improved Penny Can and though in theory it’s Bobby’s arc it leads to a string of hilarious Laurie moments. It will be interesting see Bobby in an apartment now, and Travis on the boat.
[A-]
The Office: “Search Committee”
Krasinski, I always maintain, is a brilliant actor because he knows how to react to the madness around him and having him on the search committee responding to a host of madness and giving the camera his wan expressions was just great. This one hour didn’t top the Christmas episode – nothing this season did. But, in its placidity it was a fine close to the season. One of the surprising arcs which hit home was the potential for Phyllis and Erin to be mother and daughter. I’ve never been a fan of Phyllis but the arc ends up being funny and moving. Little things were excellently done, like Pam having to be the one to save the office from Creed or every bit character have their moment from Kelly and Ryan (I will always love those two) to Oscar and Darryl. It was perfectly orchestrated which serves as fine proof that as brilliant an addition Michael was the office is filled with a host of brilliant members. They can handle another season...but who will lead them? I hope it’s James Spader. He was brilliant!
[B+/A-]
Parks & Recreation: “The Bubble”
Parks and Recreation: “’Lil Sebastian”
A double episode closing for the greatest comedy on television at the moment seems about right. Ben meeting Leslie’s mother was all sorts of great. Scott is doing such great work on the show, I keep praying at least one cast members get Emmy love but damn they’re all worthy. That’s why the concept of them working like crazy on the funeral of ‘Lil Sebastian is both silly and fantastic. The cliff-hangers are striking but not exasperating because they’re so realistic. Leslie running for office is an excellent idea, which could be a problem with the Ben liaison. Tom leaving the office is logical, although I wonder how successful he would be. And then we get added pieces of greatness like Ron’s moustache burning off along with the return of Megan Mullally and Tammy I (whoever that is) and Chris mourning the loss of his youth which is too funny. Here’s an even better season four, but before that here’s praying for some Emmy love. Fingers crossed.
[A/A-]
[A-]
Grey’s Anatomy: “Unaccompanied Minor”
I swear I’ve been crazy emotional this week, it’s like all my aloofness has worn off over time and it’s all gone and that scene with the room waiting for that solitary minor made me really, really, really sad. It’s been a while since a one hour season finale and this one seemed especially un-seismic but still excellently solid. It’s a sensitive closing to a season that’s seen the show trying to find its way and by ending on softer note it works excellently. I’m worried about Alex, and I wish he and Meredith could have had it out. Hopefully next season doesn’t see him get crazy because I’d hate it if April got chief resident over me. But there’s bigger fish to fry, like Meredith’s suspension, Derek’s leaving and the baby’s arrival. All things handled sensitively and with great skill. But this week it’s Sandra Oh who delivers home. Her conflict makes sense to me, but I can see Owen’s point and it’s just all complicated for her – just as Meredith keeps stressing about her issues. It’s not black-and-white, it’s a murky deluge and I can’t wait to see what they do with the next season. I feel as if, finally, they’re back on track.
[A-]
Private Practice: “To Change the Things I Can”
Naomi’s departure wasn’t as big a thing as I’d hoped; I suppose having Audra leave quietly is the best thing for the show and Addison already has her issues of semi-depression. The practice’s move to a change is interesting, although I wonder if that’s going to be as big a change as they’re making it out to be. It’s weird, I don’t have much to say about the episode but it’s a good one. Violet and Pete’s drama is an interesting problem and Charlotte and Coop’s troubles at works makes for an interesting arc. The thing about this show, though, is that it’s so dedicated to being calm that sometimes it can come off seemed anaesthetised. This episode avoids that, hopefully season 5 continues on that.
[B+/A-]
Outstanding Writing
Grey’s Anatomy: A/A-
Parks & Recreation: A/A- (“The Bubble)
Cougar Town: B+/A-
Glee: B+/A-
The Office: B+/A-
Outstanding Performances
Amy Poehler in Parks & Recreation B+/A-
Sandra Oh in Grey’s Anatomy B+
Adam Scott in Parks & Recreation B+
Eve Best in Nurse Jackie B+
Jane Lynch in Glee B+
John Krasinski in The Office B+
John Corbett in United States of Tara B+
Nick Offerman in Parks & Recreation B+
Ty Burrell in Modern Family B+
Kate Walsh in Private Practice B+
Courtney Cox in Cougar Town B+
Toni Collette in United States of Tara B+
Busy Philipps in Cougar Town B+
Vanessa Williams in Desperate Housewives B+
Dan Byrd in Cougar Town B+
Christa Miller in Cougar Town B+
Rosemarie DeWitt in United States of Tara B+
What did you think of all these finales? Any stood out?
Saturday, 7 May 2011
So, another fairly good week of TV. I missed ABC’s Wednesday lineup, so I’ll probably include that in next week’s slate when I get the chance.
Desperate Housewives: “I’ll Swallow Poison on Sunday”
It’s not as well constructed an episode as the last two were, but it’s a generally solid movement forward in terms of general plot. Lynnette continues to exasperate, and I’m both impressed that the writers are allowing a main character to be so wrong about something and annoyed that she continues to miss the same relationship with cues with Tom after seven seasons (and 12 years counting that 5 year jump). Susan’s liaison with Paul is thickened by Felicia’s attempts to poison him which are interesting but disturbing and not necessarily in a good way. Bree dominates the episode for me. Her imminent relationship with the detective Chuck is interesting to watch, especially measured against her issues with the Solis clan. It’s so silly of Carlos, but I suppose it’s best for Gaby to work on her marriage than her friendship with Bree. I figure some disaster will happen to make him rethink his decision, but I hope it doesn’t end up coming off too trite.
[B/B-]
United States of Tara: “The Road to Hell is Paved with Breast Intentions”
I have to say that I’m really disinterested in Marshall as a character this season, he’s always been something of a voyeur but I don’t know – it’s gotten worse, not a deal breaker for the show by any means, but just unfortunate. On the other hand, Kate as a flight attendant seems like a fine way to use Larson’s talents (really, isn’t she doing great work this season) and it’ll be interesting to see what – if anything – comes of her potential affiance with the scruffy haired passenger. Tara’s issues with her mother were necessary, on an emotional level, I suppose but they didn’t resound with me as much as I’d have hoped but it’s essentially a good episode. Can’t believe we’re half way through the season already, though – but a lot has happened.
[B/B+]
Nurse Jackie: “When the Saints Go”
It’s different on Nurse Jackie, though. The season has been going well, but I can’t really pinpoint any significant arc that has happened to put the rest of the episodes into perspective. Coop bonding with the trauma patient was an interesting arc. I suppose O’Hara and Jackie need to rekindle their friendship, but the latter is coming off even colder than usual in her personal life though the moment at the end with Gloria was nicely played. It was an episode of little things, and Zooey was great pondering of little things like her relationship. I do love the show, but it’s weird how continuity is not a significant portion of it. Not that it its non-contiguous, all the episodes just seem to exist in their own sphere.
[B/B+]
Glee: “Rumours”
So, on the upside Kristin Chenoweth is back and there’s no way she’s never not-awesome but on the downside she gets one song. Anarchy. So, rumours....it works with the dramatic beats much better than I expected even if I’m nonplussed about why Sam’s past is the one we’re delving into. Random much? The continuity works on bits like Will’s quest for stardom measured against his love for the Glee club. And, the smaller drama like the Finn/Rachel/Quinn mess (how I wish Finn and Rachel never become a couple again) is tempered enough to not be annoying. The second half does feel a bit disjointed in that a whole sloth of exposition is revealed making it seem like a lot’s been left on the cutting room floor (especially in relation to Will/April and Britney/Artie) and I wish they’d have cut the final song for tying up some lose ends. But, it works – for the most part. But how seriously random is it that Sam’s past is the one we delve into? Tina, Mercedes, Mike, Santana, Brittney and most importantly PUCK are all characters whose family life we have no idea about. Ugh, fail Ryan Murphy...
[B/B+]
The Good Wife: “In Sickness”
The explosions in relation to Alicia finding out about Peter and Leela (aka Kalinda) haven’t actually reached to the surface, so in a way this episode should be something of a filler, but it’s still one of the best of the season. There’s a potent tension pervading the entire one hour, and even though – for me – The Good Wife is all about the awesomeness that is Kalinda Sharma, and to a lesser degree Christine Lockhart it was nice watching Alicia ground an entire episode, almost devoid of supporting players. As always the main case is responsible for less than a third of the actual story, and kudos to Mary Beth Peil for turning a great performance as Jackie. It’s been a great television for female guest stars, but in too scenes she surprises me some emotion I’d never noticed in her before. The strongest scene was probably Alicia’s conversation with her children, Mackenzie Vega is often more than a little annoying but it works this episode around. It’s the personal moments like these which make this show more than just another run-of-the-mill procedural. Moreover, as petty as Peter’s accusations at the end of the episode were they are worthy of consideration. Alicia’s not the only victim here.
[A-]
Community: “A Fist-full of Paintballs”
I didn’t much care for the original paintball episode, but this one was brilliant. Perhaps, it was because there was a significant amount of plot infused with the hijinks of the shootout – I don’t know, I hate to conduct post-mortems. Still, it’s a good one. Pierce’s continual annoyance has made his place in the group questionable which acts as an episode for Annie to shine all the while backed up by the usual silliness that marks Greendale. I’m interested in seeing what the conclusion to it all will be, but even on its own this episode is a definite success.
[A-]
The Office: “The Inner Circle”
The first episode after Michael’s goodbye and it’s a good one. I’m still not sold on Deangelo as a character, but it’s so good watching the usual suspects work around him. I have to say I hate how little a role Krasinski has played this season (he was in my top 5 last year) so it’s nice that he gets an episode to do what he does best: make great facial expressions and balance that bathetic humour of his. The episode was filled with great bits, too. For example, how great is it seeing the power-couple, Ryan and Kelly, dealing with the madness of Deangelo. What does Ryan do at Dunder Mifflin? And then, Dwight too is so good working out his own issues with Deangelo. The women get a chance to do good stuff (I miss Angela’s insanity) and it ends in a wonderful gag. True, Deangelo is no Michael Scott but this show will always be about the ensemble, and they’re in top form. We can work around Ferrell.
[B+]
Parks & Recreation: “Eagleton”
Each time I think this show has realised its awesomeness and will just continue being brilliant it gets even more brilliant. Amy Poehler has been turning in some brilliant work this season, and now it’s getting difficult for me to decide which episode she’s best in. The episode has two arcs and they complement each other well because they’re both about how excellent Leslie is at her job. True, Parker Posey is hilarious and it’s interesting to think of a young Leslie and the conflict between Eagleton and Pawnee was excellent. But, it’s even more fun how well she knows Ron so that she can plan the perfect birthday for him complete with steak, breakfast food and The Bridge on the River Kwai. And, of course, there were random moments of greatness like Tom telling off Lindsay, and that garbae fight with Leslie and Lindsay and those great Leslie/Ann moments. Yup, this IS the best comedy on TV, perhaps the best show.
[A]
30 Rock: “Respawn”
I didn’t even realise that this was the season finale of the show until afterwards, and considering the goodness that went on last week it’s a bit of a letdown. It sort of encapsulates how volatile this season one, filled with goodness and then combated with some head scratchers. Little moments worked especially well – like Liz in court, or Jenna breaking into that wool song but overall it was a bit too limp and it’s a shame because the show still has the ability to wow. The episode was just too disjointed. The Kenneth/Jack issue fails terribly, even if I get the concept and it’s the same for Jenna’s story. They give her a significant, but it’s something of a doozy. I suppose 30 Rock wouldn’t be the same without these odd curveballs, but still...
[B-/C+]
Grey’s Anatomy: “White Wedding”
It’s nice to see that Grey’s is continuing its easy trend back to goodness. It’s a nice episode, free of thrills but a good way of giving Callie and Arizona (and Derek and Meredith) their first step into marriage. It’s free of thrills, but not necessarily of drama. It’s going to be interesting to see what becomes of Alex suspecting of Meredith’s tampering with the clinical trial and I love the ambiguity of it all in that her motives were selfless. Then, there’s Cristina and Teddy and both women have strong cases so it’s difficult to pick a side. Well, not really (Sandra Oh, all the way). I’m glad they didn’t go for the easy way out with Callie’s mother and it’s nice that Bailey was the one who made her see the light. AND Derek and Meredith plan on adopting one gorgeous African baby, so it’s all good.
[B/B+]
Private Practice: “Something Old, Something New”
It’s a fairly good episode as Coop and Charlotte tie the knot, but it’s about more than that. Addison and Naomi are still at odds and Addison’s motives finally make sense now that I think of it – though I wish the two best friends would just kiss and make up already. I’m less interested about the Addison and Sam relationship, though. Violet’s issues are another thing I’m puzzled about. On one hand, it’s unfortunate but the always practical Naomi is not being overly conscientious by worrying about the practice. It’s nice that Coop and Charlotte decided to just screw it and elope but it feels sort of like a band aid over a big bullet hole. There’s a lot of issues the entire practice needs to sort out...
[B/B-]
Random Thoughts
- Wouldn’t it be a nice Emmy category be “best episode titles”?
- Can you believe that THIS is the first time Quinn/Finn actually sing a song. Once again, I wish the two would remain together. I have virtually no interest in their romantic affairs but they complement each other, vocally especially.
- So, who else thinks Alex gets Chief Resident?
- Is it wrong that I wish Pierce would leave the show?
Standout Writing
The Good Wife A-
Parks & Recreation A-
Community A-
Standout Performances
Amy Poehler in Parks & Recreation A/A-
Julianna Margulies in The Good Wife A-
Alison Brie in Community A-
John Krasinski in The Office B+
Nick Offerman in Parks & Recreation B+
Peter Facinelli in Nurse Jackie: B+
Marcia Cross in Desperate Housewives B/B+
Merrit Wever in Nurse Jackie B/B+
Sara Ramirez in Grey's Anatomy B/B+
Rosemarie Dewitt in United States of Tara: B+
Brie Larson in United States of Tara B/B+
Sara Ramirez in Grey's Anatomy B/B+
Rosemarie Dewitt in United States of Tara: B+
Brie Larson in United States of Tara B/B+
Saturday, 30 April 2011
Before long a number of these shows are going to be airing their finales, so they’re all doing their best to go out with a bang which means a generally good week of television.
Desperate Housewives: “The Lies Ill-Concealed”
Last week this show turned out a good episode, which was like a long drink of water after a drought. The show has been a downward spiral this season, and this week it manages to top last week’s good instalment with another episode featuring that excellent juxtaposition of humour and drama which once made this one of the best comedies on television. I’m all for character development, so the arcs all worked for me. Lynette’s was the poorest, but it was the source of much humour. The character herself seems to be learning things she should learned ages ago but it works in a great way, even if Vanessa Williams doesn’t get as much to do as I like. And although it starts out with some gruesome images, Susan and Paul’s affiance works much better than any arc she’s given this season. But neither matches the two great arcs surrounding Felicia and Karen and Gaby and Bree. On one side, Felicia reveals that she is still freakishly diabolical and poor Karen is the sap and on the flipside watching Bree and Gaby bond was such a nice touch and even though I understand Carlos’ decision I was cheering when Gaby went moved in – temporarily, I presume – with Bree definitely putting her marriage in jeopardy. If only the entire season had developed in such an admirable way.
[B+]
United States of Tara: “Dr Hatteras’ Magical Elixir”
The episode itself is probably the weakest of the season, thus far – but it’s hardly an unrewarding episode. Tara signs on to be her professor’s “lab-rat” which is something that I’m interested in, guest star Eddi Izzard in turning in some good work. Max is facing troubles at work, and though it’s a generally trite arc Corbett turns in some good work this episode. Larson doesn’t get as much to do as I’d hope, but her shenanigans on the plane were hilarious – I’m looking forward to what becomes of that. Charmaine and Tara finally reconcile in what ended up being a sweet closing. And, Marshall and Lionel call it quits which felt a bit odd – but I’m not sure why. I’m not sure if it’s because the relationship felt bogus, or because its end seems so flippant. I suspect that a tornado could brew from his latest liaison, but we’ll see, I suppose...
[B/B+]
Nurse Jackie: “Rat Falls”
I love Facinelli’s work on Nurse Jackie so – naturally – I was glad that he got a major this episode and I was even more overjoyed when that arc ended up being opposite Soozie Kurtz (as one of his moms). Facinelli is the only character who seems to be playing to a comedic audience (I still think Nurse Jackie is a drama in disguise) but his scenes manage to work on the comedic and dramatic level. In other news, rats infesting the hospital and happened upon Jackie’s pills. Will Jackie ever quit? Who knows? Eve Best too turned in fairly good work on this episode. As usual, Nurse Jackie never really overdoes it with the plot – but the episodes are almost always enjoyable.
[B+]
Glee: “Born This Way”
I feel a bit badly for Glee, it’s as if it can’t win and I don’t know if perhaps audiences were expecting a “revolutionary episode”, a notion I find hilarious – this is Glee,people. Kurt’s back at McKinley and though he comes via a turgid rendition of “As If We Never Said Goodbye” (which happens to be one of the few Andrew Lloyd Webber songs I actually like) it’s all good. Sort of. For me, the episode is saved less by the overreaching arc of self-love and more by a trio of fine performances from Jayma Mays, Lea Michele and Dianna Agron. Emma’s rant about being a “ginger” was a nice moment of silly humour that I’ve been missing. Jayma has been given so little to work with this season. Quinn and Rachel have the best number of the episode – it’s easily one of best mash-ups the show has done, which makes the episode lopsided because it comes so early in it. The revelation of Quinn’s ugly past is an awful plot-point which subverts the entire self-love theme by implicitly saying that being conventionally good-looking is bad and by being too heavy-handed with high-school clichés. The Santana/Karofsky madness was humorous, mostly. Issues abound, as per usual, but for me it’s a strong episode. And I love randomness like the band geeks having their instruments with them on the patio. During lunch hour. Complete with a piano. Madness.
[B+]
Cougar Town: “You're Gonna Get It”
True, it’s not an excellent episode but it’s solid comedic goodness, and Cougar Town is a fine show. Bobby hits the wrong ball at the golf tournament which leads to a hilarious bit of random humour courtesy of Van Holt. This arc was buttressed by Jules hilarious mistakes with the “Pledge of Allegiance” (the strongest plot-point) and Travis and Laurie teaming up to hoodwink Ellie and Grayson. The relationship between Travis and Laurie is a winner, but even more I love how Ellie and Grayson don’t care for each other but still manage to foster a weird rapport between them. There are some classic Cougar Town moments, most of them courtesy of Laurie and her twitter fansite and it’s all in all a nice half an hour of good times.
[B]
Community: “Applied Anthropology and Culinary Arts”
...and so Shirley’s baby is born. The episode feels a bit flat, and yet I think it’s a solid one. It’s probably because it’s missing on the most outrageous of things making for a softer, and oddly poignant episode. Fans will be pleased to know that Chang is NOT the father (said as Murray Povich). Jeong does a fair job this episode, but even when he’s good I still find him to be an exasperating performer. Troy and Abed’s handshake gaffe was hilarious, and I just love seeing Donald Glover get chances to show random bits of emotion. Britta and Jeff have a number of “moments” this episode, most of which end up working much better than I anticipated. I’m so glad to see that Community has managed to maintain my interest.
[B+]
The Office: “Goodbye Michael”
Well, Michael Scott has left the building and like the usual serious things that occur at Dunder Mifflin it all occurs with a level of poignancy that’s become a bit underestimated in the modern sitcom. It’s wonderful watching Carell interact with the entire cast as he gives each of them a goodbye present. Yet, even as the episode is marked with all this sadness it never loses site of those random moments that will always make this office the best one. The very sight of Pam walking into The King’s Speech while on a work assignment was just one of those brilliant little moments that worked much better than you’d think it would on paper. Or Dwight telling Michael that he doesn’t deserve to be “buttled”. It was such a nice touch having Jim figure out the ruse without breaking it, although I can’t say Deangelo Vickers is interesting, I’m a bit worried...
[B+/A-]
Parks & Recreation: “Jerry’s Painting”
And, as per usual, Parks & Recreation delivers another solid episode this week – and it’s a few minutes longer than usual, which I’m all for. Jerry’s controversial painting of a centaur with a striking resemblance to Leslie leads to controversy in the department. The painting acts as a nice impetus for a number of things. Ron doesn’t play a significant role this episode, but he does have an excellent speech about his interest in arc. Leslie’s a little down because she can’t date Ben (the sexual tension is killing me, hee) so she makes it her mission to save the painting. Meanwhile, Ben moves in to the married home of April and Andy which leads to some exceptional moments between the trio. April and Andy’s marriage is somehow leading to even more great moments on this show, which I didn’t even think was possible. And to think this is one of the season’s weaker episodes and it’s still head and shoulders above almost anything on television. As Andy would say, “Awesome-sauce”.
[A-]
30 Rock: “Everything Sunny All the Time Always”
Well, cheers to all in involved – this was a piece of brilliant. I’m not sure (I’m a bit partial to “Christmas Attack Zone”) but this might have been the best episode of the season and what’s so odd is that Jenna’s role was significantly muffled – although she delivered on that opening gag in Liz’s apartment with “The Secret”. It’s a trio of arcs. Tracy returns and is annoyed that the gang survived without him, leading to a ridiculous situation of trying to create the moment of a specific joke. The concept succeeds much better than I expected. Meanwhile Liz tries to take control of her life and Avery gets kidnapped in North Korea leading to a guest appearance from Condoleezza Rice which gives Alec Baldwin a chance to be brilliant.
[A/A-]
Grey’s Anatomy: “It's A Long Way Back”
It’s as if all that singing was a sort of therapeutic measure for Sara Ramirez to turn out a great performance. Perhaps not excellent, but it’s a season’s best for her as she deals with recovering herself and it’s an arc which functions as a fine backbone for a fine episode. It’s good watching the trio deal with the baby measured against some other interesting arc. Don’t we all wish Teddy and her non-husband would just bang and get over it? Yet, it’s not an annoying storyline. Things get even more interesting watching Meredith and Alex being unethichal. That scene with Devine and Pompeo where Adele thought she was Ellis was well delivered and it’s interesting watching Meredith break the rules to ensure she gets the best treatment. In the same way watching Alex almost blackmail a patient (excellent guest turn from Doris Roberts) for money to help some children in need. It toes the right line of ambiguous because it’s all in his race for chief resident and yet you get the feeling that Alex is truly just happy helping those children. I’m actually glad to have Grey’s back, it’s going well...
[B/B+]
Private Practice: “What We Have Here”
I sound like a broken record, but I’m really missing this show with Audra McDonald. It’s a fair delivery, but it continues a trend of well constructed, but trite episodes which the show has been riding on for some time now. Violet confronts, for the final time one can assume, her past with Kathy and moves forward with “allowing” Marshall to date the reviewer who hated her book. For some reason, Violet has lost that cadence that she first had and she’s become a bit of annoying character. Speaking of annoying, as much as I understand Addison’s dilemma the drama between her and Sam seems ridiculous. For now, Charlotte and Coop are the only sane ones. Strickland continues as MVP in Audra’s absence and they have some nice moments together moving towards their impending marriage.
[B-]
Randomness
- I loved Kurt’s utterance about Santana and her Lady Macbethian ways, her worth as a Latina Eve Harrington.
- Dare I say it: I don’t miss Paul Schneider from Parks & Recreation. I’m such a traitor.
- I’m not sure what to think of Deangelo’s terrible salesmanship and obvious eating issues. It just seems disturbing...
- How brilliant was the cake switch between Gaby and Bree?
- Did anyone try following @thelarmi?
Standout Writing
30 Rock A/A-
Parks & Recreation A-
The Office A-
Standout Performances
Adam Scott in Parks & Recreation: A-
Alec Baldwin in 30 Rock: A-
Amy Poehler in Parks & Recreation: B+/A-
Peter Facinelli in Nurse Jackie: B+/A-
Sara Ramirez in Grey’s Anatomy: B+
Chris Pratt in Parks & Recreation: B+
Jayma Mays in Glee: B+
Tina Fey in 30 Rock: B+
Busy Philipps in Cougar Town: B+
Eva Longoria in Desperate Housewives: B+
Lea Michele in Glee: B+
John Corbett in United States of Tara: B+
Dianna Agron in Glee: B+
How was your week in TV?
Saturday, 23 April 2011
This was a good week of television for me, each show offered up an episode that deserved to be watched and some performers churned out performances that bested their entire work for the season. Good stuff.
Desperate Housewives: “Moments in the Woods”
This episode is just another puzzle in the continuous jumble that this show has turned into. That’s probably a terrible intro, because the episode was quite good. There was progressive movement of plot, character development and strident comedic beats which were accentuated by the dramatic elements. I hate to get retrospective, but why can’t the writers be more consistent with their plot delineations? The arc of Andrew and Carlos being close seems to spring out from nowhere, but even though it’s a revelation seven years overdue the fact that Carlos realised Andrew’s culpability was well placed and his reaction was well presented. True, the Tom/Lynette fiasco is one that should have occurred seasons ago but it makes for a nice scene with Williams and Huffman and it ends up being lucid and without the usual madness. Even Susan’s potentially extraneous plot-point becomes a bit poignant at the end. It’s interesting watching Felicia plot, and her final scene was incredibly creepy. Easily one of the best episodes of the season.
[B/B+]
United States of Tara: “Wheels”
With all her crazy antics, I’m so fond of Charmaine that I don’t find her ridiculousness off-putting, but I actually felt that Tara was being treated terribly – and from that comes an excellent episode. I often worry about how attractive the alters come across, and this episode does a fine job of putting that all in perspective. But, the comedic bits still reign. Larson offers up yet another excellent turn (she’s so brilliant this season, thus far) and it’s fun watching her have fun with the epiphany. Marshall’s ruminations on not “getting” babies was a nice touch, but it’s the ending that was most striking. A brilliant closing to a great episode.
[A/A-]
Nurse Jackie: “Mitten”
I have to admit that Jackie’s medicinal issues are the slightest draw for me with Nurse Jackie, but this was a great episode. From a well-placed altercation with Jackie and a customer to a bogus race for Chief of the ER this probably amounts to the strongest episode of the season. I will say, that despite his boorish behaviour I’m a fan of Coop, so I feel a bit bad he’s working for no reason but it’s all adding to the quasi-comedy of the show (which I still think is a drama). Things get more heated with Kevin’s sister and Eddie. As usual it’s not that much in the point of actual plot – but it’s entertaining. And next week SwoozieKurtz. Yay!
[A-]
Cougar Town: “Walls”
Ellie is my favourite of the Cul-de-Sac crew, so I’m happy that the show’s return after a gruelling hiatus had Christa Miller doing such fine work. Bobby is digging up the time capsule he and Jules had created for Travis when he was a babe and that leads into yet another arc with Jules shows her overprotective, meddling nature. This is buttressed by Bobby’s new idea for a career focusing on only the most fun of ridiculous, pointless games – yes, Penny Can. It’s such a well done episode, like the best of the show’s pieces it’s an excellent mix of all the characters with the over-the-top humour being a nice way to present the softer more emotional bits which succeed just as well. Welcome back, Cougar Town.
[A/A-]
Glee: “Night of Neglect”
On the upside, Jessalyn Gilsig has returned. I know there is a legion of fans who hate Teri Schuester, but I love Gilsig’s work. The episode was a fairly average one, not spectacular – but essentially solid. The “neglect” theme seemed a little forced at times, but the episode some significant moments of plot development. Even though their romantic relationship is hardly a major part of the show, that scene with Mays and Morrison was well done. I’m so annoyed with the writers for giving Mays so little to work with this season, she’s still great – but her arcs give her no chance to shine as she should. Gwyneth’s (I assume) final appearance added a bit more layers to Will and the burgeoning friendship between Rachel and Mercedes was excellently presented. I find Charice/Sunshine absolutely painful to watch, but she’s off-set by the brilliant Cheyenne Jackson so I’ll deal.
[B]
Parenthood: “Hard Times Come Again No More”
I will admit that in recent weeks Parenthood has been less “excellent” and generally just “good” to “very good” – but in typical primetime TV form they always strive for good season finales, and this was no exception. Two main arcs seem to converge – that of Sarah’s and that of Adam’s and Lauren Graham delivers an excellent performance, her best work of the season easily dealing with Amber’s near-death experience and her play. What’s so unfortunate is that they never give her the chance to lead an episode on her own, but this is an ensemble show. Her issues are measured against Adam dealing with everything from Haddie having sex to Max’s tantrums and a pregnancy in the house. The final scene between Krause and Potter was such a nice touch, a sort of encapsulation of all the good things about the show. And, it seems, Jasmine and Crosby may reunite and Julia and Joel plan to adopt. It’s all done in typical Parenthood style – as unobtrusive as possible. It’s going to be a long wait to the next season though. Sigh.
[A-]
Modern Family: “Someone to Watch Over Lilly”
Although I'm not in love with the actual premise of the episode, which seems forced, it has enough interesting comedy hooks and character tete-a-tetes for me to enjoy it. Cam and Mitchell are contemplating who will be listed as Lilly's guardian and the episode watches the Dunphy's and the Pritchett's deal with their worth as parents. I've always loved the Jay/Manny chemistry so that portion was great for me. It was nice seeing Hayley and Alex bond (reminding me of how much fun they were in "Strangers on a Treadmill") and watching Claire worry about what Luke will become was an interesting arc. The funniest bits, though, had to be Gloria's antics with Lilly. Ridiculous, over-the-top and hilarious.
[B+]
Cougar Town: “Baby's a Rock N' Roller”
Sure, it's not as great as the Monday episode - but that was one for the ages. The main arc concerns Grayson and Jules babysitting Stan which is not quite as hilarious as I'd hope, although in typical fashion the offspring of Ellie and Andy is weird. We've also got Laurie taking the forefront and bemoaning the loss of her promiscuous life. It is, as you can imagine, filled with silly things like Laurie does it. I usually love the bonding between Travis and Bobby, but this one didn't hit it off as well for me. Still, Cougar Town is back and I'm rejoicing.
[B/B+]
Community: “Paradigms of Human Memory”
This week’s episode functions as a recap-episode, of sorts, tracing the year the group has had, and it’s a good one. I’ll admit, my love of Community wavered for a significant portion of the first half of the season but it’s gotten back to its idiosyncratic roots and this was a great celebration of that. From the random montages backed by incredibly corny music, to seeing all of those character hooks coming out from clip after clip it worked much better than you’d expect it in theory. I will miss it when it goes on hiatus, but I hope they come back even stronger in the new season.
[B+]
The Office: “Michael's Last Dundees”
Well, I’m a big Mindy Kaling fan so I was so glad to see her write and direct one episode – and it was a winner. Sure, Holly was missing (Amy Ryan, I miss you) but the Dundee’s are of the finest traditions of this show, and even though it was less about the actual Dundee’s and more about Michael’s departure it was well handled along with other subplots like the conclusion of that awful relationship formerly known as the Gabe/Erin debacle, the return of Toby from being a jury for the Scranton Strangler and just incidental silliness like Meredith’s house or Ryan NOT getting hottest in the office.
[A-]
Parks & Recreation: “Soulmates”
I had been thinking how long it'd been since we had a good Tom episode (we used to have so many in Season Two) and then this comes around and I have nothing to fault this excellent show for. The humour remains consistent and the unholy alliance of Tom and Leslie is excellent to watch. There are so many positives here, like watching the Ben and Leslie romance move at a snail's pace which is so unusual for television but is so excellent here or watching Andy and April have nice married moments. And then, there are the other things like having Ann be put to good use. Rashida is such a fine actress, and she's best when dealing with Leslie's crazy and of course the subplot of Chris and Ron cooking was excellent. What a great show.
[B+/A-]
30 Rock: “The 100th Episode”
I didn’t love this episode as much as I wish I did – but it’s a solid one hour featuring some good bits. Tracy returns, trying to eschew his recent rise to fame, Jenna is using pregnancy as a back-up plan and Jack and Liz are dealing with the usual madness that comes with TGS. There’s this weird part where the episode feels both overstuffed and underdeveloped, but overall it comes to a fairly good closing. I’ve noticed that I don’t appreciate Tina’s writing as much as I used to. True, this is much more on point than the “Live Episode” at the beginning of the season – but her writing here sometimes has the tendencies to turn into a caricature of the original show, which is already caricature....
[B/B+]
Standout Writing
The Office A-
United States of Tara A-
Cougar Town (Walls) A-
Nurse Jackie A-
Parenthood A-
Standout Performers
Toni Collette in United States of Tara: A/A-
Lauren Graham in Parenthood: A/A-
Christa Miller in Cougar Town: A-
Amy Poehler in Parks & Recreation: B+/A-
Aziz Ansara in Parks & Recreation: B+/A-
Peter Krause in Parenthood: B+/A-
Brie Larson in United States of Tara: B+/A-
Edie Falco in Nurse Jackie: B+/A-
Jesse Tyler Ferguson in Modern Family: B+
Busy Phillipps in Cougar Town: B+
Steve Carell in The Office: B+
Peter Fachinelli in Nurse Jackie: B+
Eve Best in Nurse Jackie: B+
What did you watch this week? Were you as impressed as I was?
Friday, 8 April 2011
It’s a generally slight run of television this week, so many shows are on hiatus and I just didn’t have the time to catch the two hour premiere of The Borgias, I’m not even sure I have the longevity to add another show to my line-up, although I do miss The Tudors. Nonetheless, on to what I did see.
Desperate Housewives: “Everything's Different, Nothing's Changed”
I honestly have no solid reason for the time I put into this show weekly, because as much as they’ll get an occasional burst of invention they constantly keep regressing and bringing up old storylines. This week, Bree and Lynnette both seem to be part of plot-lines that are straight out of season two. Why is it that they only bring up issues as it suits them? It’s become so exasperatingly contrived that there’s little chance to enjoy the reappearance of old guests like Shawn Pyfrom. Even Paul’s response to Beth’s death feels too on the nose, especially when measured against the realisation that Felicia is just not going to bury that hatchet. After seven years this is easily the least interesting journey to the finale for the show...the title of it is way on the nose, though.
[C]United States of Tara: “Cracerjack”
As I expected, Tara’s return to college acts as a fine springboard for plot development. Collette does fine work in this episode, which manages to retain its comedic nature while maintaining a sensible hold on the issue of D.I.D. That final showdown between T and Kate was just excellent. Larson too was in good form this episode. Marshall and his filmmaking was an enjoyable, if vaguely extraneous plot-point. It will be interesting what becomes of Tara’s spats with her lectures, if Kate will really leave for Japan and what will become of the now jobless Neil.
[B+]Nurse Jackie: “Enough Rope”
It’s another solid episode from this show, though I must admit I really don’t care for Eleanor or her friendship with Jackie. As with United States of Tara there’s constant movement forwards, although I can’t help but wish for more because there are so many issues to cover the half –hours bits always seem like too little. There were a surprising wealth of comedic bits, most of it coming from Coop and his ridiculously half-assed apology. Then there was Zoey and her glove-stealing and Gloria learning to skip rope. Like the best of medical dramas, though, Nurse Jackie always manages to retain the importance of its patients. As I said, a solid episode – not excellent but more than just a little good.
[B/B+]Parenthood: “New Plan”
This we get a very good episode from the folks over at Parenthood, plot development isn’t sacrificed for entertainment or vice versa. I’m glad to see that Adam has chosen to stop being such a giant dick and has actually reconciled with Crosby, Lauren Graham turns in this episode and Sarah’s speech to Adam was well done. I still feel that they could bestow more time to Erika Christensen and Sam Jaegar, that’s a plotpoint that seems to deserve more than ten minutes of screentime – although the time they do have is well spent. Oddly, the prom turned into a highpoint of the episode. The meeting at Adam’s house with the parents, grandparents and children was incredibly well played.
[B+]The Good Wife: “Wrongful Termination”
This episode feels decidedly filler-ish, but not necessarily in a bad way. We know we’re headed for a big fallout, and in a big way and this episode is all about that transition. Things are happening, and they’re happening quickly – and in a way it’s necessary for Cumming’s Eli to be a beacon for this episode. Bringing Cumming on as a leading character was one of the best decisions the series made in its second season (which has been a big improvement over the first, which was quite good). Margulies does a fine job with her character this episode and I do love seeing things like Kalinda and Cary bonding. A fine episode, but I can’t help but be anxious for when the fireworks really start.
[B/B+]Standout Performers
Toni Collette / United States of Tara: B+/A-
Alan Cumming / The Good Wife: B+
Julianna Margulies / The Good Wife: B+
Lauren Graham / Parenthood: B+
Mae Whitman/ Parenthood: B/B+
Brie Larson / United States of Tara : B+
Edie Falco / Nurse Jackie: B/B+
Anna Deveare Smith / Nurse Jackie: B/B+
What did you watch this past week?
Friday, 11 March 2011
It’s another week of slim pickings –in the number of shows up for perusal. On with it...
Desperate Housewives: “Searching”
It’s an odd episode, this one. For the most part it’s nice to see that – for the part – a consistent movement forward in plot and character development has returned to the show. So, even if the episode is not a seismic one it’s still generally pleasing one. The issues of Gabby and Lee and Renee and Lynnette are filler arcs, but they work. I do wonder how Renee as a mother would have turned out, that could have been an interesting arc and true the realisation that children don’t have to be perfect has some clichéd characteristics, but they both work. Susan and her bucket-list of sorts don’t exactly thrill me and that final confession with her and Mike is all too trite but it is nice when Hatcher gets to do something other than be the damsel in distress. Of course it’s Bree’s transplant that becomes the major arc especially when it becomes tied to Beth. I’m still trying to fathom the logic behind that decision, but regardless of actual logic Emily Bergl offers up a fine guest performance. I wonder what will happen next...
[B/B-]Brothers & Sisters: “Home is Where the Fort Is”
It’s a strange thing: this episode retains none of the quickness of the previous instalment – and it’s definitely not one of the show’s best moments. But, Brothers & Sisters manages to be that show which, even on its lesser moments, retains a definite humour and personal nature where there’s always something to enjoy about it. On one end I’m glad that David Anable is actually getting some work to do, it’s a vaguely interesting arc I admit – although I’d like an arc where Justin isn’t playing victim to some neuroses of his. I’m not at all interested in the fatherly bonding that’s going on with Scott and Kevin or Marini's character who's name I'm too lazy to remember; in the case of the former I’m worried it could soon get trite, and in the case of the latter Giles Marini continues to be such an awful actor I cringe through his entire scenes. What’s even weirder is that the main arc of Kitty’s return – at least – isn’t that striking. Yet, the episode for its issues retains that Walker charm that makes it neither great nor terrible, just fine. And, well, that’s fine.
[B-]Big Love: “The Noose Tightens”
[A-]
Glee: “Sexy”
[B-]
Standout Writing
Big Love A-
Standout Performances
Chloe Sevigny in Big Love A-
Ginnifer Goodwin in Big Love B+/A-
Jeanne Tripplehorn in Big Love B/B+
Jayma Mays in Glee B/B+
Vanessa Williams in Desperate Housewives B/B+
I'm interested in what you saw this week, did you like sexy Glee, biting your nails about the cliffhangers on Big Love?
Saturday, 26 February 2011
So, I went sort of wild with the reviewing this week. I don’t usually review all the shows I watch – laziness, and I still didn’t but twelve paragraphs is a lot for a lazy old me. There were some poor ones, but the good ones were excellent (I'm one week behind on Brothers & Sisters, I know)
Desperate Housewives: “Farewell Letter”
It’s so weird that one of the two pressing issues of the episode gets dovetailed into a sort of silly plot point – Keith is leaving. This is a shame actually, because I did love Brian Austin Green opposite Bree, maybe he’ll turn up again. Who knows? You’d think that they’d make this more important, but alas no. Keith’s child is in Florida, Bree refuses to moves and urges him to do so without her, because you can fall in and out of love with people but never with your children. It’s so weird that Bree, of all people, hasn’t fallen out of love with her children – they used to be absolute demons (and on that note, I miss Shawn Pyfrom). The only genuinely good storyline was Paul Young’s drama. I for one am happy to see Cody Kasch back (one of the reasons for the epic brilliance of season one) – and he looks so old and non-creepy now. The final blowout between Paul and Zack, and then Beth and Paul were both well played which makes me wonder how interesting a show a spinoff about Paul would have been since Cherry keeps reverting to the same old storylines with the actual main characters of the show (robbing them of much significance). You have to wonder where Beth is going to go now. It’ll be sad to see Emily Bergl leave the show (she’s turned into such an asset), but she probably won’t officially leave until the end of the season. I wonder if she’ll team up with her insane mother again...that could be interesting...
[C+]Brothers & Sisters: “The One That Got Away”
Balthazar Getty is not my favourite actor on the show, but I didn’t realise how much I missed him until now. True, he doesn’t get the A storyline here, but watching him interact with the cast (especially Griffiths) makes me remember why I used to love this show, way back when. It’s not perfect this episode, but it is interesting. I’m still vaguely annoyed at how redundant a character Justin has turned into, and the presence of Giles Marini continues to exasperate me. It seems like such a colossal waste having Anable’s sole contribution of the episode be ways to help Giles be romantic. Ugh. Still, the A-plot of Sarah’s paternity, though a little too deliberate, does work well – even if I miss Kitty. I wasn’t as sold on the issues of Saul and Jonathan, but it’s not as cringe worthy as you could expect. What’s more, the second half of the episode gets better and makes good on what could have been turgid storylines for the most part.
[B]Big Love: “D.I.V.O.R.C.E”
Let me just say, power to Chloe Sevigny for churning out a brilliant performance this episode. Sure, it was more of a sidelining supporting than a co-lead – but I can’t complain, and the episode was something good, too. With only four episodes to go, I really have no idea where the show is going to go – and I have this awful feeling that somebody’s going to end up dead. Ugh, me and my active imagination. Bill and Barb are drifting further and further apart, and it’s a bit unfortunate because you can understand where both parties are coming from. That final scene with the wives, Bill, Barb’s mom and the "lesbian" (too funny) was something special and a perfect close to the episode (and Jeanne, too, offers up a fine performance this episode). I’ll admit that I don’t like the idea of Cara Lynn falling for her teacher or Ben falling for Rhonda – both of those liaisons just seem weird, in addition to be being all wrong. Nicki was responsible for the best moments, though. Watching her trying to understand Cara Lynn’s math was a beautiful moment and that blow-up with Barb and Bill about the “finances” was well played. There again, you get where Barb is coming from, but it’s difficult not to feel a little badly for Nicki. I don’t want this season (and thus, the show) to end. I’m going to miss these characters.
[B+/A-]Glee” “Blame it on the Alcohol”
I don’t know what it is, definitively – was I so worried about Glee tackling alcoholism that my low expectations turned the episode into even more of a delight? I’d hate to think so, but either way this is easily the best episode of the back half of Season Two – and for the oddest of reasons. There was a surprising lack of pretentiousness in the way that they decided to let the students go full out drunk which made the inevitable moral at the end a whole lot less preachy than you’d have expected. Brennan doesn’t get enough praise for his writing credits, and it’s impressive how the arcs all coalesce. Sue goading Will into drunkenness isn’t exactly inspired – but Sue publicly humiliating him was priceless. Not because I don’t love Will (sorry, Ryan, I do) but because Jane is the queen of deadpan humour – and Becky Johnson is awesome. Then, there’s Rachel who was all around great in this episode: from the headband, to the bantering with Puck and then the Blaine issue. Each time I think I’ll let up on Kurt he pulls something ridiculous, case in point: this episode where his melodrama is evident twice. Even though the ending was a bit too pat, Blaine’s conversation with him was a smart move in highlighting hypocrisy, though I’m not sure if they get how hypocritical he was being towards his dad – who’s just trying to do what any sane parent would do (avoid their teenager having drunken sex). I’m neither here nor there on the ultimate payoff – it’s a bit too pat having the issue raised turn into a non-entity, which left a vaguely bitter taste in my mouth. Still, who knew “Blame it on the Alcohol” could make for a great group number?
[B+/A-]Parenthood: “Never Sleep With Your Autistic Nephew's Therapist”
Oh, Crosby just stepped in it – did he not? The thing is, I’m not his biggest fan but I feel he’s getting the short end of the stick, especially in relation to Adam who’s even more judgemental than Kristina with the issue. We get that he’s worried about Max, but it’s a bit unfortunate that Crosby will be getting 0 supporting from his older brother. I love everything about Sydney, Julia and Joel (even if I miss them having an actual A plot) so Sydney’s vegetarian stint was fun to watch. More important, though, watching Connie and Zeek bond was just great. Again, I say Bedelia is such a great actor who makes do with her minuscule amount of screen times. I love the Amber and Drew sibling pairing, so their issues were well received and I’m so glad that Sarah actually stepped up in the parenting department. I don’t feel as if Amber should feel badly for laying into Seth, but I guess you have to choose your battles. I don’t know how Max will react to having Asperser’s and I don’t know what will happen with Jasmine and Crosby (hopefully, they don’t breakup) – but it’s a more than solid episode.
[B+]Modern Family: “Regrets Only”
I’m not sure if I prefer this episode to last week’s but it easily wins points for being excellently written. We get three converging storylines which actually do justice to each of the main relationships in the show. It’s all fuelled by Claire and Phil’s marital issues which are just hilarious without being contrived. I really do love watching Ty and Julie opposite each other – easily one of TV’s best married couples. This interacts with Gloria and Jay and Cam and Mitchell, both of them having issues with communication. Stonestreet doesn’t exactly wow me (he’s #6 of the six principals) and he doesn’t exactly shine in this episode – but it’s so much fun watching him mug the camera especially in Cam’s interactions with Luke. Gloria shows up for a few moments to be absolutely ridiculous, and what’s more the children are shirked in this episode. Watching the Dunphy girls be silly is always appreciated and we still manage great random moments like Claire getting her massage at the mall or Luke’s stupidity. The second half of season two is looking much better than the first half.
[A/A-]Community: “Into to Political Science”
I wasn’t crazy enough to think that Community was going to offer up another near perfect episode like last week’s instalment – and they didn’t. But, I wouldn’t call it regression. It’s not a brilliant episode, but it’s infinitely better than the first half of the season – though some of the gags don’t soar as well. They’re back to their on-the-nose yarns and Jeff and Annie getting into a political battle is nice to watch, even if wrapping it up with Jeff’s audition for “The Real World” didn’t impress as much as I think it was supposed to. The other significant arc was a dual one: Troy trying to come to grips – somewhat – with Abed’s “faux” life and Abed and the secret agent. The Troy stuff delivers; the other portion? Not so much. Glover and Pudi are great together, but the secret service is just a little too pat – even if the closing gag was a beaut.
[B]The Office: “Todd Packer”
The main arc of Packer’s return fell flat, the suplot of Pam and Andy and Jim and Dwight were both brilliant. We’re preparing for Michael’s departure and this episode felt way too much like a filler episode. Yes, Amy Ryan continues to be one of the shining stars in the show (oh lord, PLEASE let get that Emmy nod). It sucks, in a way, that Jenna Fischer hasn’t gotten much material this season but she’s working with what she has and I especially loved the closing with her and Darryl – she’s so much fun when given the chance. See how little I have to say about the episode? Not bad, but unsubstantial.
[B-]Parks & Recreation: “Indianapolis”
Dear Parks & Recreation Department: why are you so continually brilliant? In some ways this episode shouldn’t turn out so great because the set-up seems decidedly mundane even for the Parks&Rec crew, but it ends up being so delightfully sanguine and irresistible only reaffirming the notion that this is the best comedy on television at the moment. I love how subtle the entire arc about Ben finding friends in the department was delivered, all the while underscored by Tom and his ridiculous ambitions. I’m really not that invested in Andy and April, but their “first date” was excellent – going around trying to get free stuff. And the fact that it ended with them giving all the money away was just perfect. Then, there’s Ron and his beloved steak – a plotpoint that Nick Offerman sold time and time again, and of course Ann and her breakup with Chris (which I hope is temporary). And then it wraps up with a montage of Leslie giving us some of the worse ways to get dumped which mirrors Poehler’s brilliant comedic timing from “The Hunting Trip” last season. Why, oh why, is this show so great?
[A/A-]30 Rock: “TGS Hates Women”
This episode is a trick one, it’s coming off a couple of top-notch episodes and there’s a moment at the end with the big reveal with the new writer on TGS that’s ridiculous – and not in the usual good way, but then there are some great things too. The issues with TGS hating women are far from riveting, but to an extent it works, especially when you remember how brilliant Krakowski and Fey are opposite each other – when given the chance. Moretz and Baldwin seemed to be a tad too trite, until that showdown at the end which we sort of should have seen coming – and it sets itself up for something good. It’s sort of uneven in the way it delivers on the jokes – but it’s a fair episode, and I’ll take it.
[B/B+]Grey’s Anatomy: “Not Responsible”
There’s plot development, but the episode feels far from earnest. I surely don’t mind having Loretta Devine back, and Meredith dealing with her eyesight is interesting – if vaguely silly. The fact that I have to think so heavily for an episode I saw so recently probably means that it didn’t have that much to offer. It was an episode of moments, though. Watching Mark, Owen and Derek playing golf on the rooftop was brilliant. Seeing Bailey getting through to the Chief about his wife? Perfect. Everything involving Alex, Cristina and Meredith (together and separate) was so evocative of early seasons. I’m not sure I care for April and Dr. Stark, and though I hate that Arizona and Callie keep having these roadblocks that’s an arc worth looking into. Jackson and Lexie? I don’t care for them. But eh, it’s fine.
[B-]
Private Practice: “Two Steps Back”
It’s so weird having episodes of the show without Addison, but it’s a generally solid effort all round. Liza Weil (of Gilmore Girls’ fame) appears as a patient who may or may not have dissociative disorder. It’s an interesting arc in itself, even if the payoff seems a bit obvious from a mile away it actually manages to work. This arc develops against three others – Sam and Naomi working with a mother who’s teenager daughter with Downs’ may or may not be pregnant, Cooper and Charlotte in therapy and Violet’s (apparently slanderous) novel-to-be. I’m all for any arc with Audra, and though it’s not exactly a piece-de-resistance, it’s an interesting dilemma and one that’s handled with more realism than you’d expect. Cooper and Charlotte have problems that seem rote, but actually end up interestingly and even if Violet’s dilemma is silly it does lead to some nice moments with the entire group (sans Addison) playing off each other – which are always some of the best parts of the show.
[B/B+]
Interesting Things
- Honestly, why are Lynette’s children so retarded (excuse the political incorrectness)? It’s borderline ridiculous, and not even in a funny way. Absolutely weird.
- Why does Alby have to be so creepy? Is it the hair? And that kiss between he and Verlan – good lord, that was sort of disturbing – no?
- I swear, every time Gloria and Phil have scenes together I die inside. Vergara and Burrell are so fun together.
- Who didn’t the reveal with Chris and the pink razor coming a mile away? I loved Lowe’s line-reading of “I’m human. I have blemishes.”
- More than ever, this week I really felt like Audra and Taye were going to break into song on the balcony. Oy.
- Don’t Mae Whitman and Lauren Graham show their emotion (with reference to physicality) in the same way? They’re such a good mother/daughter pair.
Standout Writing
Modern Family: A/A-
Parks & Recreation: A-
Big Love: A-
Glee: B+
Standout Performances
Julie Bowen in Modern Family: A
Chloe Sevigny in Big Love: A-
Nick Offerman in Parks & Recreation: A-
Lea Michele in Glee: B+/A-
Adam Scott in Parks & Recreation B+/A-
Jane Krakowski in 30 Rock: B+
Amy Poehler in Parks & Recreation: B+
Jeanne Tripplehorn in Big Love: B+
What stood out this past week in TV for you?
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