All three shows were amazing, and all set up next week's episodes, which makes next Thursday potentially huge. Let's get right to it.
The Office has been working a few storylines, and they start to come to a head tonight. The flaming Sabre printers, the baby contract between Dwight and Angela, Jim and Pam having a baby, and Michael Scott having an affair with a married woman. Well, the baby contract is mediated, leading to a settlement where Dwight has to have sex (to completion) with Angela five times. Jim and Pam are exhausted from being up all night with the baby, so Daryl tells them about the secret warehouse nap spot...which happens to be within earshot of Dwight and Angela's love nest. Unfortunate. Andy, as a former cuckold, drags Michael to see the husband of the lady (yes, I don't take notes) he's nailing, in order to hopefully bring Michael around. Michael refuses to capitulate though, but the collective shaming that the rest of the office hits him with finally gets him to do the right thing. Favorite scene had to be where Ryan, inspired by Michael's "take what you want" philosophy, walks right up to Erin and basically offers her a threeway with him and Kelly, then just as quickly walks back and gives up on the "take what you want" philosophy. In the coda, Michael is ambush interviewed by the local news about the aforementioned flaming printers, of which he is of course oblivious.
On 30 Rock, Liz is stuck going to three weddings in one day (that's twelve hours of Spanx), and decides to revisit old boyfriends in order to find the one who she can take to Floyd's wedding. After returns of Jon Hamm (now with pirate hook hands), and Dennis (trying to "balloon boy" his way to fortune), she has to settle with...Wesley Snipes. Still such a great character. Meanwhile, Tracy is going to star in Garfield 3 (Feline Groovy...it's a pun, because cat's paws have grooves), but DotCom and Kenneth try to get Tracy to take a more dramatic role in order to get him the "O" in his "EGOT" necklace. That leads to a great litany of terrible things that Tracy saw as a youth, all of which he has repressed: A prostitute stabbed a clown, a baby gave a tattoo to another baby, a crackhead breastfeeding a rat, and my personal favorite, our basketball hoop was a ribcage. So Liz, stuck with Wesley, almost manages to find a charming groomsman...but he's a furry. Did you have to use the correct terminology of "yiffing"? Now I feel unclean. Also, Jack finally has sex with Nancy (and I'll take Julianne Moore in lingerie every week, thank you), but has to come clean with her about Avery. He does so at Floyd's Catholic wedding, taking advantage of the fact that Nancy can't storm out on him before the end of Mass, then texts Liz to stall her reading until he can calm her down. And...to be continued? Well, all right then.
Community: I had to save this for last, because this is such a great show. It is hitting every joke out of the park, and look no further than the scene where Jeff puts Annie on the "witness stand". Just such a great performance by Joel McHale, and equally good by Alison Brie, who doesn't even have to speak for most of the scene. Let me backtrack: It's finals week (it's finals week here too! I just took one yesterday! It's like they're writing this show about meeeeee!!!), and Annie assumes that everyone will be moving on to Spanish 103 and keeping the group together. Jeff has other plans, and the group looks to be falling apart. Well, not really, but it looks that way to Annie. Senor Chang (still the best character name on TV today) confides in Jeff that he never actually got certified as a Spanish teacher, and needs Jeff's help in getting one of those fake (i.e. "better than real") diplomas that got Jeff in all that trouble. Unbeknownst to them, Annie's recorder is running, and she rats out Senor Chang to the dean in an effort to make the whole gang repeat Spanish and thus stick together. The scene with the actual Spanish teacher was great, showing just how little teaching Senor Chang has done in the last two semesters.
So that brings us back to the scene in the library, with Jeff tearing Annie a new one. She leaves, and the rest of the group buckles down to hit the books and try to pass the test. However, at test time, Shirley gets a text from Annie, saying that she's coming clean to Senor Chang. Concerned (as we all knew he would be), Jeff runs to the rescue, followed by the rest of the group...then eventually by Starburns, who leads a Spartacus-like run out of the classroom ("We all love Hannah!"), postponing the test. Annie turns out to be okay, and the gang comes back to take (and pass) the test...thanks to Pierce boning the replacement teacher in exchange for an easier exam. Oh, and Troy gets a Good Will Hunting storyline where he's a plumbing savant. Always nice to see Jerry Minor. Last episode of the season is next week, and I'll be sad to see it go.
Speaking of which, the fall schedule is ending soon, and summer is almost upon us. I know Eureka, Psych, and Burn Notice are coming back, as is Warehouse 13, so my nerd pants are tingling. I'm also thinking of doing Dexter from Season 1. Doctor Who, part 2, is Saturday...I can't believe I've managed to wait a whole week for it. See you Monday!
Showing posts with label the office. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the office. Show all posts
Friday, May 14, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Seven Short Reviews
One of the benefits of being almost done with classes for the semester, is that now I have time to jot down some thoughts on some of the comedies that I've been neglecting. I still watch, but they haven't been as pressing as the Losts and Doctor Whos of the schedule. I'm just going to mow through these:
The Office: Honestly, the Thursday comedy block has turned into "Community, 30 minutes of dead air, and then an hour or perfunctory viewing". Don't get me wrong, I still watch The Office and 30 Rock regularly, but it just doesn't seem like appointment television anymore. However, this was a good night for it. The shakeups around Dunder Mifflin (now folded into Sabre) led to some plot-driven episodes, and this isn't really a show that responds well to having to keep track of too much. The better episodes have the fluffiest of plots based around the most oddly mundane of activities. This week, we had the continuation of the Michael/hot Dave and Buster's manager saga. Pam does some digging and thinks that D&D manager is cheating on Michael. Michael sends Dwight out to investigate, which Dwight takes to mean "seduce her, bring her to orgasm, then report back to Michael". Getting back to basics is what this show needs, and this was basics. Dwight gets a little rope to go a little crazy, Pam meddles, Michael awkwardly interacts with humans, and then we get a great reveal at the end: Michael is the mistress. Additionally, the move of Daryl to the office area allows him to finally get back at Andy for an incident from two seasons ago (or one, they run together), although pranks tend to backfire at D-M/Sabre. That office will poison you, Daryl!
30 Rock: NBC shows do a great job with holidays, allowing them to let the festivities and traditions of the day do the heavy lifting on the main plot, then hitch the jokes to it and watch them roll. That might be the worst metaphor ever. Anyway, Mother's Day means we get to see Liz's mom, Jack's mom, and Jan Hooks back as Jenna's mom (aka, the one Jack paid off to be nice to Jenna). Mother's Day is her last payday, and with the money, she can finally get her other boob fixed. Just as horrifying as it sounds. Tracy doesn't know where his mother is, so they pull one out of central casting; specifically one from a late night Pajama/overalls infomercial. Fairly sedate as far as actual plot developments go, other than Jack's mom attempting to sabotage his relationship with Avery. Fun episode though, lot of good jokes born out of the friction that the guest stars bring in.
Saturday Night Live: I wasn't quite sure what to think going into this week's Betty White hosted episode. Yes, the internet got together and accomplished something, but when I heard they were bringing back a half dozen female SNL alumni, I was worried that they were going to keep Betty to a few sketches and let the other ladies do the heavy lifting. Instead, it turned into a "Best female recurring characters" night, with Betty White in every scene. The episode is up on Hulu, and some of the skits were nearly classics. An updated version of the "Census taker" skit had me rolling, and brought back fond memories of the Christopher Walken/Tim Meadows version from 2000 (written by Tina Fey, who was the census taker in this version...and likely the writer too). "Gingey" was a great period piece, featuring a really funny character by Amy Poehler and Betty White as a one-woman Greek chorus, getting all the good lines. A few sketches cut from dress rehearsal are up online too, and worth checking out as well. I'd like to see Betty White come back when she's 90 to take another run at it, assuming she has time between the gigs that she is almost certain to be getting offered after this performance.
Simpsons: Last week's Kedollarsignha intro had me ready to set the studio on fire, and the episode that followed it was just a mishmash of boring. However, then they do something like tonight's episode, and it wins me back. Using Moe as an omniscient narrator; Homer, Apu, and Reverend Lovejoy are told that one of their wives will be leaving them for Moe by the time they get back from their daytrip to Weasel Island (note: yes, there are weasels). Featuring an Itchy and Scratchy homage to "Going My Way" (don't feel bad, I had to Google the reference too), and one strong "A" story without the need for a tacked on "B" story, this may be the best written Simpsons episode in years. Amazing what happens when you stop trying to make awkward takes on dated pop culture references and stick to well-written stories that feature your vast cast of supporting characters.
The Cleveland Show: Well, it's a Black History Month episode in May, so take that as you will. This was a good showcase for Rollo though, who is becoming a really well-written character. Now if only Seth could write for any of the three teenage daughter characters he has on his Sunday night slate. Lot of great visual gags, and two solid stories that kept intertwining through the course of the show. This show is finding its voice, and I expect season two to really shine.
Family Guy: This was the most hit-or-miss episode of the night, squeezing as many jokes as possible out of Quagmire's gay-not-gay-now-a-woman father. After that well was dry, they have shim hook up with Brian, leading to a set of amazing reveals. Honestly, this was take it or leave it for most people, and I'll understand if you didn't dig it. I got some laughs out of it though, and the last scene with Quagmire and his dad/mom was actually a well done character moment. Quagmire is the last of the one-note characters left, and the writers are doing a fine job of giving him some dimension.
American Dad: From the episode title, I should have been expecting the "Incident on Owl Creek Bridge" ending, but it was still a nice surprise. Stan's fear of embarassment turns into a cross country fleeing, followed by an overly elaborate plan to get Obama to poop in a swimming pool. American Dad continues to just be a solidly done show, with ample gags.
Coming up next, How I Met Your Mother, Lost, and Castle.
The Office: Honestly, the Thursday comedy block has turned into "Community, 30 minutes of dead air, and then an hour or perfunctory viewing". Don't get me wrong, I still watch The Office and 30 Rock regularly, but it just doesn't seem like appointment television anymore. However, this was a good night for it. The shakeups around Dunder Mifflin (now folded into Sabre) led to some plot-driven episodes, and this isn't really a show that responds well to having to keep track of too much. The better episodes have the fluffiest of plots based around the most oddly mundane of activities. This week, we had the continuation of the Michael/hot Dave and Buster's manager saga. Pam does some digging and thinks that D&D manager is cheating on Michael. Michael sends Dwight out to investigate, which Dwight takes to mean "seduce her, bring her to orgasm, then report back to Michael". Getting back to basics is what this show needs, and this was basics. Dwight gets a little rope to go a little crazy, Pam meddles, Michael awkwardly interacts with humans, and then we get a great reveal at the end: Michael is the mistress. Additionally, the move of Daryl to the office area allows him to finally get back at Andy for an incident from two seasons ago (or one, they run together), although pranks tend to backfire at D-M/Sabre. That office will poison you, Daryl!
30 Rock: NBC shows do a great job with holidays, allowing them to let the festivities and traditions of the day do the heavy lifting on the main plot, then hitch the jokes to it and watch them roll. That might be the worst metaphor ever. Anyway, Mother's Day means we get to see Liz's mom, Jack's mom, and Jan Hooks back as Jenna's mom (aka, the one Jack paid off to be nice to Jenna). Mother's Day is her last payday, and with the money, she can finally get her other boob fixed. Just as horrifying as it sounds. Tracy doesn't know where his mother is, so they pull one out of central casting; specifically one from a late night Pajama/overalls infomercial. Fairly sedate as far as actual plot developments go, other than Jack's mom attempting to sabotage his relationship with Avery. Fun episode though, lot of good jokes born out of the friction that the guest stars bring in.
Saturday Night Live: I wasn't quite sure what to think going into this week's Betty White hosted episode. Yes, the internet got together and accomplished something, but when I heard they were bringing back a half dozen female SNL alumni, I was worried that they were going to keep Betty to a few sketches and let the other ladies do the heavy lifting. Instead, it turned into a "Best female recurring characters" night, with Betty White in every scene. The episode is up on Hulu, and some of the skits were nearly classics. An updated version of the "Census taker" skit had me rolling, and brought back fond memories of the Christopher Walken/Tim Meadows version from 2000 (written by Tina Fey, who was the census taker in this version...and likely the writer too). "Gingey" was a great period piece, featuring a really funny character by Amy Poehler and Betty White as a one-woman Greek chorus, getting all the good lines. A few sketches cut from dress rehearsal are up online too, and worth checking out as well. I'd like to see Betty White come back when she's 90 to take another run at it, assuming she has time between the gigs that she is almost certain to be getting offered after this performance.
Simpsons: Last week's Kedollarsignha intro had me ready to set the studio on fire, and the episode that followed it was just a mishmash of boring. However, then they do something like tonight's episode, and it wins me back. Using Moe as an omniscient narrator; Homer, Apu, and Reverend Lovejoy are told that one of their wives will be leaving them for Moe by the time they get back from their daytrip to Weasel Island (note: yes, there are weasels). Featuring an Itchy and Scratchy homage to "Going My Way" (don't feel bad, I had to Google the reference too), and one strong "A" story without the need for a tacked on "B" story, this may be the best written Simpsons episode in years. Amazing what happens when you stop trying to make awkward takes on dated pop culture references and stick to well-written stories that feature your vast cast of supporting characters.
The Cleveland Show: Well, it's a Black History Month episode in May, so take that as you will. This was a good showcase for Rollo though, who is becoming a really well-written character. Now if only Seth could write for any of the three teenage daughter characters he has on his Sunday night slate. Lot of great visual gags, and two solid stories that kept intertwining through the course of the show. This show is finding its voice, and I expect season two to really shine.
Family Guy: This was the most hit-or-miss episode of the night, squeezing as many jokes as possible out of Quagmire's gay-not-gay-now-a-woman father. After that well was dry, they have shim hook up with Brian, leading to a set of amazing reveals. Honestly, this was take it or leave it for most people, and I'll understand if you didn't dig it. I got some laughs out of it though, and the last scene with Quagmire and his dad/mom was actually a well done character moment. Quagmire is the last of the one-note characters left, and the writers are doing a fine job of giving him some dimension.
American Dad: From the episode title, I should have been expecting the "Incident on Owl Creek Bridge" ending, but it was still a nice surprise. Stan's fear of embarassment turns into a cross country fleeing, followed by an overly elaborate plan to get Obama to poop in a swimming pool. American Dad continues to just be a solidly done show, with ample gags.
Coming up next, How I Met Your Mother, Lost, and Castle.
Friday, March 5, 2010
I think I share a birthday with The Office Baby...
Yes, my birthday was yesterday (thanks for the socks, seriously), and so was the return of Community as well as a special "Must Birth TV" edition of The Office, as well as the mysterious 30 minutes of blank air in between the two. No 30 Rock just yet, but we all get our Alec Baldwin fix on Sunday at the Oscars anyway. So on to the chortles!
Community came back strong, giving us a much-deserved Abed episode. The gang discovers a sketch of Abed in one of their spanish textbooks, and determine that the previous owner has the hots for Abed. Unfortunately, Abed has two versions of himself: The version that doesn't want to talk to the girl, and a vampire. Thanks to the timely intervention of Jeff (who is doing a cross between Paul Newman in "The Color of Money" and Morrissey in 1997), Abed adopts the Winger persona and goes to hit on the girl...who is unfortunately already dating "White Abed". Abed reveals in the end that the girls generally flock to him on their own. His seduction of Annie (as Don Draper, in an exactly-as-subtle-as-it-needed-to-be moment) was the stuff of legends.
Meanwhile, Jeff is embroiled in a clothing imbroglio with Billiard teacher Blake Clark (who is a great stand-up if you get the chance to look up his old act). Jeff wants to dress cool, but the teacher insists on those gym shorts that reveal nothing but ball with almost any possible movement. It all ends in an epic pool match, in which Jeff starts by making shorts cool, and ends with the two men bare ass naked. As funny as that was, the reactions of the cast around them (mostly from the dean taking iPhone pictures of Jeff and Annie unable to take her eyes off of Jeff) made the scene even funnier. This show is seriously knocking it out of the park every week. If you're not watching, then you need to start pronto. If you can watch the brilliant "Bert and Ernie" tag at the end of the episode and not fall in love, then you are some kind of cyborg sent to kill John Connor.
Then this takes us to the one hour Office Baby Spectacular. Part one finds Pam incredibly pregnant, but determined to stay at work until midnight (in order to make their HMO pay for an extra night in the hospital). This is a case where Michael's crackpot schemes almost work, as he gathers everyone in the conference room to take turns distracting Pam. Jim, on the other hand, is getting progressively crazier by the minute. Finally, the contractions are two minutes apart, and they can't wait any longer. It's a girl, and all is well.
Honestly, this episode was all about the details, lines and situations that I can't do justice to. You'll just have to watch the episodes. Some things that stood out: Dwight needs a baby "for business purposes", and the subsequent contract negotiations with Angela; Michael trying to set up Kevin and Ellie, before Andy finally manages to make his move; and general banter between Jim and Pam as two new parents just trying to keep their sanity together. Whether this is the beginning of the end for The Office, or a move that will actually bear fruit, it was still a darn good episode to get us to this new chapter.
By the way, new episodes of Web Soup started this week, keep an eye out for those. Finishing up the season of Burn Notice soon too, and Warehouse 13 is coming back in the summer (woot!).
Community came back strong, giving us a much-deserved Abed episode. The gang discovers a sketch of Abed in one of their spanish textbooks, and determine that the previous owner has the hots for Abed. Unfortunately, Abed has two versions of himself: The version that doesn't want to talk to the girl, and a vampire. Thanks to the timely intervention of Jeff (who is doing a cross between Paul Newman in "The Color of Money" and Morrissey in 1997), Abed adopts the Winger persona and goes to hit on the girl...who is unfortunately already dating "White Abed". Abed reveals in the end that the girls generally flock to him on their own. His seduction of Annie (as Don Draper, in an exactly-as-subtle-as-it-needed-to-be moment) was the stuff of legends.
Meanwhile, Jeff is embroiled in a clothing imbroglio with Billiard teacher Blake Clark (who is a great stand-up if you get the chance to look up his old act). Jeff wants to dress cool, but the teacher insists on those gym shorts that reveal nothing but ball with almost any possible movement. It all ends in an epic pool match, in which Jeff starts by making shorts cool, and ends with the two men bare ass naked. As funny as that was, the reactions of the cast around them (mostly from the dean taking iPhone pictures of Jeff and Annie unable to take her eyes off of Jeff) made the scene even funnier. This show is seriously knocking it out of the park every week. If you're not watching, then you need to start pronto. If you can watch the brilliant "Bert and Ernie" tag at the end of the episode and not fall in love, then you are some kind of cyborg sent to kill John Connor.
Then this takes us to the one hour Office Baby Spectacular. Part one finds Pam incredibly pregnant, but determined to stay at work until midnight (in order to make their HMO pay for an extra night in the hospital). This is a case where Michael's crackpot schemes almost work, as he gathers everyone in the conference room to take turns distracting Pam. Jim, on the other hand, is getting progressively crazier by the minute. Finally, the contractions are two minutes apart, and they can't wait any longer. It's a girl, and all is well.
Honestly, this episode was all about the details, lines and situations that I can't do justice to. You'll just have to watch the episodes. Some things that stood out: Dwight needs a baby "for business purposes", and the subsequent contract negotiations with Angela; Michael trying to set up Kevin and Ellie, before Andy finally manages to make his move; and general banter between Jim and Pam as two new parents just trying to keep their sanity together. Whether this is the beginning of the end for The Office, or a move that will actually bear fruit, it was still a darn good episode to get us to this new chapter.
By the way, new episodes of Web Soup started this week, keep an eye out for those. Finishing up the season of Burn Notice soon too, and Warehouse 13 is coming back in the summer (woot!).
Friday, February 5, 2010
Thursday Ahoy!
Yes, I increasingly suck at titles. Anyway, big Thursday so let's jump right in.
Community: This show keeps getting better, and really does a great job of using its ensemble. Listen up networks and casting people: talented actors make a show good, not big names. Joel McHale and Chevy Chase are the biggest names on this show; Joel (albeit awesome) is most decidedly not a big name (although he should be...he is a big man), and Chevy Chase has been poison for years. Example: Chevy Chase's Comedy Central Roast. They are talented people, with comedy and acting chops, and they are able to come forward or stay back as needed to forward the story or just to pop a big laugh in a particular scene. Case in point: This was an Annie episode. Alison Brie is adorable and awesome, and she nailed it tonight. She becomes wooed by Vaughn (of the tiny nipples), and Britta and Jeff decide (as the ersatz parents of the study group) that they need to break them up for her own good. Comedy ensues, and it all pays off in a big roundtable scene where the last season and a half's worth of subplots, moments, and in-jokes all spills out into one great ensemble scene. The AV Club reviewer compared it to the cast of NewsRadio, which is a pretty apt comparison. The B story of Pierce's inability to crack jokes at terrible movies (which, btw, Channel 101 regular Derek Mears was hilarious as Kickpuncher), and going to the lengths of hiring comedy writers to help him load up for the next screening was just over the top enough to be a good Pierce story. There was nothing I didn't love about this episode, even Vaughn's incredibly dumb, yet somehow oddly touching, soung for Annie. Watch this show!
Parks and Recreation: I've been getting into the comedy of one Mr. Aziz Ansari, and because of that and that alone, I gave Parks and Rec another shot tonight. Honestly, his character was the only one I was into, as Amy Poehler is funny but still not doing it for me in this character. There's a demographic somewhere that this show is for, and somehow I'm not part of it. Might keep watching though, we'll see if it grows on me.
The Office: Finally back after last week's clip show/boot to the crotch. Dunder Mifflin has been bought by Sabre (not pronounced "Sah-bray", by the way), and I loved the effect that restrictive rules have on Michael Scott (and the rest of the office). Twenty trips to the water cooler, site blockers on all the timewasting sites...it's going to be torture. Even if you're not a fan of the show, just the indoctrination video starring Christian Slater (seriously, as Christian Slater) is worth tracking down online. Kathy Bates as the head Sabre honcho has merit too, I dig her comedy chops and she'll be a strong personality. The scenes with Michael and David Wallace were funny but sad, which is a kind of comedy I have to be in the mood for, but is something that The Office has been skimping on lately (and what made the British Office so great). All in all, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.
30 Rock: Not my favorite episode, although after Community and The Office, it was a little hard for 30 Rock to bat cleanup. It was nice to see Jan Hooks working again, and I hope she comes back as Jenna's mother more often. Jack/Jenna is a pairing the show hardly ever goes with, and shaking up the pairings can only help at this point. Liz and Frank was odd, although the hidden camera footage at the end was gold. Absolute gold. The show does absurd so well, I wonder why they don't just throw off the shackles and embrace it 100%. Well, there's still time.
Finally, Burn Notice was new tonight, and it was a fairly by-the-numbers episode. Small twist with Sugar, Michael's former drug dealing downstairs neighbor being the client, but otherwise it was Michael being helpful. Just once, I'd like to see the client take Michael's very good advice about skipping town...but then the show'd only be half an hour long. Gilroy is becoming much more interesting though, and at a level of ruthlessness that hasn't been seen in a while. The question of why Michael is working his way in so close to him before taking him down is still a glaring one, and I'd like to see Michael get seduced to the dark side. Won't happen, but who cares; it's my damn blog. Mrs. Weston was a hindrance this episode, doing nothing but eating up screen time. The Michael/Mom relationship has to start going somewhere (not in that way you sickos!) and soon, or else I'm going to be straight up wicked bored whenever she pops up on my screen.
That's all for this week. I'm almost done with Veronica Mars, and I'm going to try to get Dollhouse started (restarted) soon enough. Super Bowl this weekend, and then the Heroes finale! Season? Series? Who knows?
Community: This show keeps getting better, and really does a great job of using its ensemble. Listen up networks and casting people: talented actors make a show good, not big names. Joel McHale and Chevy Chase are the biggest names on this show; Joel (albeit awesome) is most decidedly not a big name (although he should be...he is a big man), and Chevy Chase has been poison for years. Example: Chevy Chase's Comedy Central Roast. They are talented people, with comedy and acting chops, and they are able to come forward or stay back as needed to forward the story or just to pop a big laugh in a particular scene. Case in point: This was an Annie episode. Alison Brie is adorable and awesome, and she nailed it tonight. She becomes wooed by Vaughn (of the tiny nipples), and Britta and Jeff decide (as the ersatz parents of the study group) that they need to break them up for her own good. Comedy ensues, and it all pays off in a big roundtable scene where the last season and a half's worth of subplots, moments, and in-jokes all spills out into one great ensemble scene. The AV Club reviewer compared it to the cast of NewsRadio, which is a pretty apt comparison. The B story of Pierce's inability to crack jokes at terrible movies (which, btw, Channel 101 regular Derek Mears was hilarious as Kickpuncher), and going to the lengths of hiring comedy writers to help him load up for the next screening was just over the top enough to be a good Pierce story. There was nothing I didn't love about this episode, even Vaughn's incredibly dumb, yet somehow oddly touching, soung for Annie. Watch this show!
Parks and Recreation: I've been getting into the comedy of one Mr. Aziz Ansari, and because of that and that alone, I gave Parks and Rec another shot tonight. Honestly, his character was the only one I was into, as Amy Poehler is funny but still not doing it for me in this character. There's a demographic somewhere that this show is for, and somehow I'm not part of it. Might keep watching though, we'll see if it grows on me.
The Office: Finally back after last week's clip show/boot to the crotch. Dunder Mifflin has been bought by Sabre (not pronounced "Sah-bray", by the way), and I loved the effect that restrictive rules have on Michael Scott (and the rest of the office). Twenty trips to the water cooler, site blockers on all the timewasting sites...it's going to be torture. Even if you're not a fan of the show, just the indoctrination video starring Christian Slater (seriously, as Christian Slater) is worth tracking down online. Kathy Bates as the head Sabre honcho has merit too, I dig her comedy chops and she'll be a strong personality. The scenes with Michael and David Wallace were funny but sad, which is a kind of comedy I have to be in the mood for, but is something that The Office has been skimping on lately (and what made the British Office so great). All in all, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.
30 Rock: Not my favorite episode, although after Community and The Office, it was a little hard for 30 Rock to bat cleanup. It was nice to see Jan Hooks working again, and I hope she comes back as Jenna's mother more often. Jack/Jenna is a pairing the show hardly ever goes with, and shaking up the pairings can only help at this point. Liz and Frank was odd, although the hidden camera footage at the end was gold. Absolute gold. The show does absurd so well, I wonder why they don't just throw off the shackles and embrace it 100%. Well, there's still time.
Finally, Burn Notice was new tonight, and it was a fairly by-the-numbers episode. Small twist with Sugar, Michael's former drug dealing downstairs neighbor being the client, but otherwise it was Michael being helpful. Just once, I'd like to see the client take Michael's very good advice about skipping town...but then the show'd only be half an hour long. Gilroy is becoming much more interesting though, and at a level of ruthlessness that hasn't been seen in a while. The question of why Michael is working his way in so close to him before taking him down is still a glaring one, and I'd like to see Michael get seduced to the dark side. Won't happen, but who cares; it's my damn blog. Mrs. Weston was a hindrance this episode, doing nothing but eating up screen time. The Michael/Mom relationship has to start going somewhere (not in that way you sickos!) and soon, or else I'm going to be straight up wicked bored whenever she pops up on my screen.
That's all for this week. I'm almost done with Veronica Mars, and I'm going to try to get Dollhouse started (restarted) soon enough. Super Bowl this weekend, and then the Heroes finale! Season? Series? Who knows?
Friday, January 15, 2010
Thursday is Here! Everybody Grab Your Favorite Japanese Body Pillow!
Good night tonight from NBC Thursday; combining strong stories with some well-placed guest stars.
First off is Community, which featured frequent Dan Harmon collaborator Jack Black as Buddy, a heretofore unnoticed member of the Spanish class (with funny flashbacks) who wants to join their study group. Jeff takes over the student newspaper, with Annie as his ace newshound, while Abed attempts to groom him in his new persona as the Hawkeye Pierce of the group. Abed's pop culture fixation would be grating on another show, but Community allows him to follow his pop culture asides to the absurdist end, leading to Jeff wearing Hawaiian shirts and Abed building him a still. Other funny bits were Pierce's new collection of ironically funny t-shirts, Buddy's bit about throwing off the group's rhythm being interrupted by the opening credits song, and then the kicker at the end; Owen Wilson as the leader of the "cool" study group that Buddy really wanted to join.
Instead of The Office, we get a double shot of 30 Rock, which knocked it out of the park on both pitches. First, Jack and Kenneth break into Nancy's (Julianne Moore as Jack's high school love) place to retrieve a drunken New Year's message, then Liz's recently outed (by her) gay nephew comes to New York to visit (and party), and finally, Tracy is having a daughter and must now reevaluate his views about women. Oh, and Jenna is fake dating James Franco in order to throw the media off of his alleged relationship with a Japanese body pillow. And that's just the first episode. The episode had its hits and misses, but the ending with Liz's threeway with James and Kameiko-chan was the best moment of the night.
The second episode revolves around Danny, the new guy on TGS, and Liz and Jack's war for his affections. BLACK LIGHT ATTACK! Tracy invites a woman into his entourage, Jenna is forced to embrace her true age, and we meet "Tom", Liz's mustache. Tina Fey does an amazing job at continually "uglying herself up" for gags, by the way. Toofer's diatribe about the strategy behind Quidditch (while at a hockey game) was a great throwaway joke, and it's good to see more of the writers.
In all, great night of television, although I can't wait for The Office to come back. Dollhouse should be wrapping up this week, so I'll get ready for that big Dollhouse marathon and some thoughts on the series.
First off is Community, which featured frequent Dan Harmon collaborator Jack Black as Buddy, a heretofore unnoticed member of the Spanish class (with funny flashbacks) who wants to join their study group. Jeff takes over the student newspaper, with Annie as his ace newshound, while Abed attempts to groom him in his new persona as the Hawkeye Pierce of the group. Abed's pop culture fixation would be grating on another show, but Community allows him to follow his pop culture asides to the absurdist end, leading to Jeff wearing Hawaiian shirts and Abed building him a still. Other funny bits were Pierce's new collection of ironically funny t-shirts, Buddy's bit about throwing off the group's rhythm being interrupted by the opening credits song, and then the kicker at the end; Owen Wilson as the leader of the "cool" study group that Buddy really wanted to join.
Instead of The Office, we get a double shot of 30 Rock, which knocked it out of the park on both pitches. First, Jack and Kenneth break into Nancy's (Julianne Moore as Jack's high school love) place to retrieve a drunken New Year's message, then Liz's recently outed (by her) gay nephew comes to New York to visit (and party), and finally, Tracy is having a daughter and must now reevaluate his views about women. Oh, and Jenna is fake dating James Franco in order to throw the media off of his alleged relationship with a Japanese body pillow. And that's just the first episode. The episode had its hits and misses, but the ending with Liz's threeway with James and Kameiko-chan was the best moment of the night.
The second episode revolves around Danny, the new guy on TGS, and Liz and Jack's war for his affections. BLACK LIGHT ATTACK! Tracy invites a woman into his entourage, Jenna is forced to embrace her true age, and we meet "Tom", Liz's mustache. Tina Fey does an amazing job at continually "uglying herself up" for gags, by the way. Toofer's diatribe about the strategy behind Quidditch (while at a hockey game) was a great throwaway joke, and it's good to see more of the writers.
In all, great night of television, although I can't wait for The Office to come back. Dollhouse should be wrapping up this week, so I'll get ready for that big Dollhouse marathon and some thoughts on the series.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Thursday, Thursday, Thursday!
Let's get right into it, as I have a couple other subjects I want to tackle too, and studying for finals. IT NEVER ENDS!!!
Community: Continues to impress me, as tonight's Shirley-centric episode managed to cast a wide net over religion, holidays, and still find room for Anthony Michael Hall as the best community college bully EVER. Shirley dismissing all other religions was some great comedy, as you can say pretty much anything you want as long as it comes out of a matronly black lady. "Hashbrowns and applesauce, how nice". Pierce's vague cult/religion made me laugh, everybody booing Jeff for being an agnostic made me laugh, the capoeira throwdown at the end of the episode was possibly a top ten moment for the year in comedy. This show does big comedy well, and little comedy (The "its December 10th" running gag, "winterdoodles", Britta's constant gay jokes referring to the bully and the fight) even better. I'm really looking forward to the spring semester for this show.
The Office: This was so close to being the biggest Christmas downer in sitcom history, with Michael's jealousy of Santa Phyllis threatening the entire holiday party. Even worse, Michael (in classic Michael Scott fashion) misinterprets news from David Wallace (who probably deserves to be fired for continuing to trust Michael with sensitive information) as the entire office being laid off. Instead, it's a minor Christmas miracle, as Dunder-Mifflin appears to be getting a new corporate overlord in the new year. Michael heckling the party as Jesus was one of the funnier gags in a while, even as unrealistic as it is (but hey, who still thinks it's a documentary at this point?". His moment where he apologized to Phyllis at the end was also a nice sweet moment before the holiday hiatus. I would also be remiss in not mentioning Andy's ill-fated attempt to give Erin the "Twelve Days of Christmas" as her Secret Santa. Just the visual of her at the work with those scratches on her face was just the right amount of over the top. Even better, he managed to swoop in and salvage the bit after the credits with his Twelve Drummers Drumming finale. The Office is truly a master at hitting humanity's highs and lows in the course of an episode.
30 Rock rounds us out for tonight, and it was helped greatly by a genius performance by Julianne Moore. If there was a remotely plausible way for her and her Boston accent to become a regular on the show, I would be the happiest boy alive. Romantic Jack has usually been good for the show, although I read earlier that Elizabeth Banks is supposed to be doing an arc as another love interest for Jack, so who knows where this will lead. I know one thing though, I can't get enough of Boston accents/references/slang. Elsewhere, Liz tries to find Jack the perfect Christmas present (aka, bomb threat phoned into the train station to keep Julianne Moore there another day), and the writers invent a religious holiday in order to avoid Kenneth's Secret Santa exchange (combining the two worst things about the holidays: giving and rules). All around fun episode where we get to see the new guy sing, Lutz get tased, and Liz gets a to ride on Larry Wilcox's motorcycle. No muss, no fuss, and nice to have a (mostly) one and done episode after the slow "new cast member" storyline.
Community: Continues to impress me, as tonight's Shirley-centric episode managed to cast a wide net over religion, holidays, and still find room for Anthony Michael Hall as the best community college bully EVER. Shirley dismissing all other religions was some great comedy, as you can say pretty much anything you want as long as it comes out of a matronly black lady. "Hashbrowns and applesauce, how nice". Pierce's vague cult/religion made me laugh, everybody booing Jeff for being an agnostic made me laugh, the capoeira throwdown at the end of the episode was possibly a top ten moment for the year in comedy. This show does big comedy well, and little comedy (The "its December 10th" running gag, "winterdoodles", Britta's constant gay jokes referring to the bully and the fight) even better. I'm really looking forward to the spring semester for this show.
The Office: This was so close to being the biggest Christmas downer in sitcom history, with Michael's jealousy of Santa Phyllis threatening the entire holiday party. Even worse, Michael (in classic Michael Scott fashion) misinterprets news from David Wallace (who probably deserves to be fired for continuing to trust Michael with sensitive information) as the entire office being laid off. Instead, it's a minor Christmas miracle, as Dunder-Mifflin appears to be getting a new corporate overlord in the new year. Michael heckling the party as Jesus was one of the funnier gags in a while, even as unrealistic as it is (but hey, who still thinks it's a documentary at this point?". His moment where he apologized to Phyllis at the end was also a nice sweet moment before the holiday hiatus. I would also be remiss in not mentioning Andy's ill-fated attempt to give Erin the "Twelve Days of Christmas" as her Secret Santa. Just the visual of her at the work with those scratches on her face was just the right amount of over the top. Even better, he managed to swoop in and salvage the bit after the credits with his Twelve Drummers Drumming finale. The Office is truly a master at hitting humanity's highs and lows in the course of an episode.
30 Rock rounds us out for tonight, and it was helped greatly by a genius performance by Julianne Moore. If there was a remotely plausible way for her and her Boston accent to become a regular on the show, I would be the happiest boy alive. Romantic Jack has usually been good for the show, although I read earlier that Elizabeth Banks is supposed to be doing an arc as another love interest for Jack, so who knows where this will lead. I know one thing though, I can't get enough of Boston accents/references/slang. Elsewhere, Liz tries to find Jack the perfect Christmas present (aka, bomb threat phoned into the train station to keep Julianne Moore there another day), and the writers invent a religious holiday in order to avoid Kenneth's Secret Santa exchange (combining the two worst things about the holidays: giving and rules). All around fun episode where we get to see the new guy sing, Lutz get tased, and Liz gets a to ride on Larry Wilcox's motorcycle. No muss, no fuss, and nice to have a (mostly) one and done episode after the slow "new cast member" storyline.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Two By Two, Hands of Blue...
Huzzah, I finally caught up on FlashForward...not counting tonight's episode. But hey, two episodes in one night isn't bad, especially considering the glacial pace this show likes to take. It's like going to the water park; a long long wait, followed by a short burst of excitement.
The Halloween episode was notable for a couple of things, mainly a couple of cryptic appearances by Charlie as...well, as Daniel actually. Only this one choked a guy in in his flash forward. Also, the Binfords all get together in the kitchen with Simco and all the cards get thrown onto the table., including the drinking. The Binfords are becoming the weakest part of this show, to be honest. At least the kids were a little entertaining, although them being friends because they met in their flash forward is a little creepy. Mark chasing the kids in the masks was an obvious red herring, and it took too much screen time to get to the non-reveal.
On the other hand (unintentional, I swear), the Blue Hand is our Dharma Collective of the moment, providing a pretty creepy moment in that house, and an even creepier one in the next episode ("The Gift", for those keeping score). At least they've finally shown us the inevitable scenario; that some kind of community would pop up for the "ghosts", post-Blackout. Demitri (and by the way, "Dem" is the worst nickname for someone EVER) finally tells his fiancee about his actual flash forward and all that entails.
Honestly, this felt like a loooooooooot of setup, and then finally a payoff at the end of "The Gift", as Al plays a game of chicken with the future, and takes a long walk off a tall roof and kills himself, negating his own flash forward. What this means for everyone else on the show will hopefully be addressed soon (probably the episode I didn't get to), and provides an interesting contrast with the Ghosts. After all, you've got people who don't know how/when they'll die, only that they definitely will by the end of April, so they don't have to worry about the future. Then there's Al, who knows enough about his future to already feel guilty about it, but not enough to definitely prevent it. Thus, the swan dive. Although really, I doubt Al is the first Blackout victim to off himself to prevent the future he saw, and it's something that should have been addressed sooner.
Also, Janice is okay, Nicole speaks Japanese, Beardy is still sad...and his daughter shows up in the kitchen? Well, now I really have to watch this damn episode.
What did I watch instead? Thursday night comedies, baby!
Community: Keeps getting better, as the show doesn't seem to care about striking a balance between weird and normal, and just embraces a pendulum-like swing back and forth between the two sides. Jeff and Annie's weird coupling continues as Jeff dusts off the lawyer skills to help Annie win a debate tournament. Oh, and they kiss. And Soul Patch Wheelchair guy is great.
Pierce and Britta get a brief B story, which is more of a showcase for Chevy Chase's ability to still take a fall. Abed can tell the future, sorta, and Shirley and Troy don't get much to do. Still, it's a strong ensemble and their turns will come, it's just off-putting to have characters come and go like that. I'm really interested to see what happens with the Jeff and Annie "thing", and as unpredictable as this show seems to be, it could be any number of things. Good work, Community.
The Office: A very very weird episode, but a very telling one when its all said and done. Dunder Mifflin faces possible bankruptcy, so Michael attempts the mother of all distractions, one of those asswhip "Host Your Own Murder" party kits. Just really bizarre all around, but the accents were a good running gag, especially the payoff when it turns out that Oscar can't do accents. Andy and Erin are a sweet couple, even though they aren't a couple yet...kind of like a very naive version of Jim and Pam. Speaking of Jim, his conversion to the Michael Scott way of doing things continues, as he chooses to keep the murder party going, rather than drop the very stark news about Dunder Mifflin. I can only imagine where they're going with this one, to be honest.
30 Rock: The streak of good episodes ticks up to two, as the show goes with it's strong suits: Liz and Jack, with a strong dose of Jenna and Tracy being crazy. It's funny how the Dealbreakers show is starting to mirror Tina Fey's own transition from SNL head writer to creator and star of her own show. Nice sandwich bag bit from Padma Lakshmi, and I'm liking Jack/Danny, the new Canadian cast member. Aren't we about due for an appearance from Dr. Spaceman?
Almost caught up to where I want to be, and then I'm hunting down the rest of Veronica Mars season one as well.
The Halloween episode was notable for a couple of things, mainly a couple of cryptic appearances by Charlie as...well, as Daniel actually. Only this one choked a guy in in his flash forward. Also, the Binfords all get together in the kitchen with Simco and all the cards get thrown onto the table., including the drinking. The Binfords are becoming the weakest part of this show, to be honest. At least the kids were a little entertaining, although them being friends because they met in their flash forward is a little creepy. Mark chasing the kids in the masks was an obvious red herring, and it took too much screen time to get to the non-reveal.
On the other hand (unintentional, I swear), the Blue Hand is our Dharma Collective of the moment, providing a pretty creepy moment in that house, and an even creepier one in the next episode ("The Gift", for those keeping score). At least they've finally shown us the inevitable scenario; that some kind of community would pop up for the "ghosts", post-Blackout. Demitri (and by the way, "Dem" is the worst nickname for someone EVER) finally tells his fiancee about his actual flash forward and all that entails.
Honestly, this felt like a loooooooooot of setup, and then finally a payoff at the end of "The Gift", as Al plays a game of chicken with the future, and takes a long walk off a tall roof and kills himself, negating his own flash forward. What this means for everyone else on the show will hopefully be addressed soon (probably the episode I didn't get to), and provides an interesting contrast with the Ghosts. After all, you've got people who don't know how/when they'll die, only that they definitely will by the end of April, so they don't have to worry about the future. Then there's Al, who knows enough about his future to already feel guilty about it, but not enough to definitely prevent it. Thus, the swan dive. Although really, I doubt Al is the first Blackout victim to off himself to prevent the future he saw, and it's something that should have been addressed sooner.
Also, Janice is okay, Nicole speaks Japanese, Beardy is still sad...and his daughter shows up in the kitchen? Well, now I really have to watch this damn episode.
What did I watch instead? Thursday night comedies, baby!
Community: Keeps getting better, as the show doesn't seem to care about striking a balance between weird and normal, and just embraces a pendulum-like swing back and forth between the two sides. Jeff and Annie's weird coupling continues as Jeff dusts off the lawyer skills to help Annie win a debate tournament. Oh, and they kiss. And Soul Patch Wheelchair guy is great.
Pierce and Britta get a brief B story, which is more of a showcase for Chevy Chase's ability to still take a fall. Abed can tell the future, sorta, and Shirley and Troy don't get much to do. Still, it's a strong ensemble and their turns will come, it's just off-putting to have characters come and go like that. I'm really interested to see what happens with the Jeff and Annie "thing", and as unpredictable as this show seems to be, it could be any number of things. Good work, Community.
The Office: A very very weird episode, but a very telling one when its all said and done. Dunder Mifflin faces possible bankruptcy, so Michael attempts the mother of all distractions, one of those asswhip "Host Your Own Murder" party kits. Just really bizarre all around, but the accents were a good running gag, especially the payoff when it turns out that Oscar can't do accents. Andy and Erin are a sweet couple, even though they aren't a couple yet...kind of like a very naive version of Jim and Pam. Speaking of Jim, his conversion to the Michael Scott way of doing things continues, as he chooses to keep the murder party going, rather than drop the very stark news about Dunder Mifflin. I can only imagine where they're going with this one, to be honest.
30 Rock: The streak of good episodes ticks up to two, as the show goes with it's strong suits: Liz and Jack, with a strong dose of Jenna and Tracy being crazy. It's funny how the Dealbreakers show is starting to mirror Tina Fey's own transition from SNL head writer to creator and star of her own show. Nice sandwich bag bit from Padma Lakshmi, and I'm liking Jack/Danny, the new Canadian cast member. Aren't we about due for an appearance from Dr. Spaceman?
Almost caught up to where I want to be, and then I'm hunting down the rest of Veronica Mars season one as well.
Friday, November 6, 2009
I'm a dirty liar...
No FlashForward yet, had to go with my comedies.
Community is really hitting its stride, as tonight's episode didn't have much in the way of dead spots, and every character had something to do. Jeff finds himself as the one needing help, as he is living out of his car, then moves into the dorms with Abed. As a four year dorm resident myself, I can relate to the allure of TV and cereal (and community bathrooms). The Annie/Troy pairing is infinitely more interesting than Jeff/Britta with, thanks to an assist from Shirley (and Patton Oswalt!). Pierce joining Vaughn's band was a great little storyline for him, beginning with Vaughn's diss song to Britta, Pierce inadvertently sticking up for Britta, then the "Pierce is a B" remix at the end. Pierce's revenge track against Vaughn at the end was the cherry on top. This is turning into a really strong ensemble with some great jokes and some strong work from the guest stars and series irregulars.
The Office concluded the Michael/Pam's mom storyline (pay attention 30 Rock!) in the most awkward way possible; Michael breaking up with her at her own birthday lunch, then getting bitch slapped by Pam in the parking lot. Dwight stepped up his efforts to dethrone Jim, a storyline that should be gaining some more steam now that Pam's mom is out of the picture. Andy and Dwight competing in a "favor off" made for some good gags, although it was relatively weak compared to some of Dwight's other shenanigans of the past.
Finally, 30 Rock grinds the "new cast member" storyline to a halt with the funniest episode of the season. The show finally got back to the basics: that everything that happens at TGS is insane, and all that insanity makes for great TV. The scene with Liz calling Jaden's references (and her meatball sub) was good, the audition stuff was gold. Brian Williams, you can be on my sketch comedy show any time. Also, Kathy Geiss! Let's just hope that the robot speaks English. It'll be interesting to see where the show goes from here, now that the excruciating new cast member storyline is finally (mostly, I hope) over.
Community is really hitting its stride, as tonight's episode didn't have much in the way of dead spots, and every character had something to do. Jeff finds himself as the one needing help, as he is living out of his car, then moves into the dorms with Abed. As a four year dorm resident myself, I can relate to the allure of TV and cereal (and community bathrooms). The Annie/Troy pairing is infinitely more interesting than Jeff/Britta with, thanks to an assist from Shirley (and Patton Oswalt!). Pierce joining Vaughn's band was a great little storyline for him, beginning with Vaughn's diss song to Britta, Pierce inadvertently sticking up for Britta, then the "Pierce is a B" remix at the end. Pierce's revenge track against Vaughn at the end was the cherry on top. This is turning into a really strong ensemble with some great jokes and some strong work from the guest stars and series irregulars.
The Office concluded the Michael/Pam's mom storyline (pay attention 30 Rock!) in the most awkward way possible; Michael breaking up with her at her own birthday lunch, then getting bitch slapped by Pam in the parking lot. Dwight stepped up his efforts to dethrone Jim, a storyline that should be gaining some more steam now that Pam's mom is out of the picture. Andy and Dwight competing in a "favor off" made for some good gags, although it was relatively weak compared to some of Dwight's other shenanigans of the past.
Finally, 30 Rock grinds the "new cast member" storyline to a halt with the funniest episode of the season. The show finally got back to the basics: that everything that happens at TGS is insane, and all that insanity makes for great TV. The scene with Liz calling Jaden's references (and her meatball sub) was good, the audition stuff was gold. Brian Williams, you can be on my sketch comedy show any time. Also, Kathy Geiss! Let's just hope that the robot speaks English. It'll be interesting to see where the show goes from here, now that the excruciating new cast member storyline is finally (mostly, I hope) over.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Comedy Thursday!
Halloween Eve Eve, and the costumes were in full effect.
Community: Scores extra points for being a Dia De Los Muertos episode (not Mexican Halloween, which is a dirty sex position), and not just regular Halloween. Abed's Batman voice was great, and it's nice to see Jeff go after another woman. The weird Jeff-Annie relationship continues, and Britta's squirrel costume wins for originality tonight. The episode itself was just meh, not really advancing much, just a series of varying humorous scenes. Some hit, some missed. Pierce on X got old way before the end of the episode.
The Office: The Halloween festivities were pretty much limited to the open, and Craig's refusal to play along was classic. Michael managing to turn "Dick in a Box" into one of the more morbid things ever on TV was also really really funny. The meat of the episode starts with Michael falling into a koi pond, and ends unexpectedly with footage of Jim letting Michael fall in. Michael, oddly, is okay with it, and the bond between them grows a little closer. Pam and Andy have a weird kind of bonding as well, being mistaken for a couple on sales calls, and revealing that Andy is a sad sad lonely man. Pam setting Andy up with Erin the cute receptionist is a nice touch, and hopefully a way for them to parody the Jim/Pam courtship. Good episode.
30 Rock: Better than it has been this season, not quite sure it's up to standard yet. They at least gave us some classic Jack/Liz action, which is where the show is generally strongest. Also, Kenneth is used sparingly here, allowing Jenna to get some screen time, which has also been lacking. Jack McBrayer showing up in Stone Mountain as various townsfolk who look exactly like him was worth a few giggles. Seriously though, Jeff Dunham? Sigh. Jenna's gay friend was the funniest part of her storyline though, let's get him back soon. Meanwhile, the "finding a new cast member" arc is taking forever. Enough already. Decent episode, could be better on a second watching.
Community: Scores extra points for being a Dia De Los Muertos episode (not Mexican Halloween, which is a dirty sex position), and not just regular Halloween. Abed's Batman voice was great, and it's nice to see Jeff go after another woman. The weird Jeff-Annie relationship continues, and Britta's squirrel costume wins for originality tonight. The episode itself was just meh, not really advancing much, just a series of varying humorous scenes. Some hit, some missed. Pierce on X got old way before the end of the episode.
The Office: The Halloween festivities were pretty much limited to the open, and Craig's refusal to play along was classic. Michael managing to turn "Dick in a Box" into one of the more morbid things ever on TV was also really really funny. The meat of the episode starts with Michael falling into a koi pond, and ends unexpectedly with footage of Jim letting Michael fall in. Michael, oddly, is okay with it, and the bond between them grows a little closer. Pam and Andy have a weird kind of bonding as well, being mistaken for a couple on sales calls, and revealing that Andy is a sad sad lonely man. Pam setting Andy up with Erin the cute receptionist is a nice touch, and hopefully a way for them to parody the Jim/Pam courtship. Good episode.
30 Rock: Better than it has been this season, not quite sure it's up to standard yet. They at least gave us some classic Jack/Liz action, which is where the show is generally strongest. Also, Kenneth is used sparingly here, allowing Jenna to get some screen time, which has also been lacking. Jack McBrayer showing up in Stone Mountain as various townsfolk who look exactly like him was worth a few giggles. Seriously though, Jeff Dunham? Sigh. Jenna's gay friend was the funniest part of her storyline though, let's get him back soon. Meanwhile, the "finding a new cast member" arc is taking forever. Enough already. Decent episode, could be better on a second watching.
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