Geeze Louise! That's probably the longest title I've used so far on this blog, and I'm not sure why I used it because now I don't have much to talk about in the intro. So, yeah, like the title says, I stupidly stayed up watching all my Thursday shows when I had an eight o'clock class the next morning. I watched a total of five shows: two CWs and three NBCs. Sad? Maybe. True? Yes. Worth it? Oh yeah. Because I got from 3-4 hours of sleep last night and because whoever's reading this most likely won't care one iota, I'm not going to write up full reviews of any of these shows. However, most of the shows were awesome, and I wanted to touch on them. So, it's mini review time. They may not be as good as other mini things like mini burgers, but they're still pretty awesome. What's that? My lack of sleep is showing? I guess that means I should get onto the reviews. Not that it matters, but they're ordered by the order in which I watched them. Also, be warned. There are spoilers ahoy up in this post.
The Vampire Diaries
I know all-caps are annoying and kanye-esque so I'll resist the urge to use them. But pretend that they are there to get the full-effect of my opinion because they encapsulate my feelings. Also, don't judge me if I sound like a teenybopper. This is a CW show, so I'm allowed to embrace my inner teenybopper. Anyway, this episode was so so so so awesome. Jenna finally found out about the vampires, and now, maybe she won't be so extraneous to the plot/useless/inviting vampires in/ect. Stefan was so awesome and supportive in this episode. Damon kind of sucked and had a lot of feelings. Stefan, Elena, Elijah, & co. are trying to come up with a plan that doesn't involve Bonnie dying, and Damon's off sulking in the corner. I'm glad that they're finally addressing how awful he's being though, so props for that. What else? Oh yeah, apparently there's no sun and moon curse. Hahaha. Sometimes a twist like that would anger me, but I kind of love the writers for making all of that stuff up. But, apparently Klaus is a werepire?!?!? What? It's a little bit crazy, but I think I like that twist. Also, Elijah is his brother. What? And he's also totally awesome. I liked Elijah okayish the last time around, but he totally won me over in this episode. Okay, I better stop writing because I feel like your opinion of me is dropping with each additional word, and this is supposed to be "mini."
Nikita
Nikita wasn't quite as thrilling as TVD, but it was still a pretty solid episode. I like the Michael, Nikita, and Alex combo quite a bit. I know that a common criticism of recent episodes is that there's been too much focus on Alex. I definitely think that the show could use some more focus on Nikita, but honestly, it hasn't bugged me too much. I like both Nikita and Alex, and so I enjoy watching whichever one the show runners choose to show me. Jaden, on the other hand, could use less screen time. She's annoying, and I would have shed any tears if she'd died in the explosion. Her little turncoat move at the end just proved that I'm justified in not liking her.
Parks and Recreation
I finally got caught up to Parks and Recreation last weak (in a shamefully short amount of time, might I add), and I love this show! Amy Poehler is the reason I started watching, but the whole cast is great. From Andy's favorite food to Tom's lingo, this episode was chock-full of amazingly hilarious moments. Also, the moment between Leslie and Ben in front of the mural was kind of adorable. The whole episode worked really well, and I was really impressed with it.
Community
Community was pretty brilliant this week. I typically dread flashback episodes, but using fresh material for the flashbacks was an amazing idea. My favorite parts of the episode were the Jeff/Annie and Pierce/Abed montages featuring one of my favorite songs, "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles. In case you didn't know (I read this online before watching the episode), these videos were a spoof of a Jeff/Annie fanvideo posted on Youtube. But, honestly, the whole episode was pretty ace.
The Office
For some reason, this episode of the office didn't click with me (for the most part, but we'll get to that in second). The jokes weren't that funny to me, and the storyline was just kind of blah. However, what did work about this episode was a nostalgia factor. This was Michael Scott's second-to-last episode, and for that, it was worth watching. It was touching to see all of the employees embracing the Dundies that they had earlier mocked. And the final song was unbelievable sweet. It may have even brought a couple of tears to my eyes. I guess it's a warm up for next week when I will most likely be bawling my eyes out (figuratively, of course because literally that would be disgusting).
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Showing posts with label community. Show all posts
Friday, April 22, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
I Believe in a Thing Called Love...
Just try to tell me that reading of the title of this post didn't have you busting out your falsetto to sing "... Just listen to the rhythm of my heart." It didn't? Okay, I guess that's just a me thing. Anyway, that awkward exchange was my attempt at introducing this post about the various Valentine's Day episodes I watched this week. Maybe I'm just a sap at heart, but I thought all of these episodes (except for one and that one exception was still pretty good) were really fantastic. Thankfully I watched all of these by myself (ironic, I suppose) because I kept smiling goofily at the sweetness. So without further ado, here are my reviews:
Glee: "Silly Love Songs"
I think we can all agree that the much-publicized Super Bowl episode of Glee was pretty mediocre (minus a couple of great moments like Rachel's smiling as she entered the football field). So, I wasn't expecting much from this episode. However, I was pleasantly surprised by it. Most of the characters were likable, there wasn't a million guest stars, there wasn't any ridiculous story lines about cannons, the songs were generally good, and there was actually some plot development. I loved both of the Warbler songs: "Silly Love Songs" and "When I Get You Alone." However, I did think that it was pretty creepy of Blaine to sing to and chase someone who was obviously trying to get away from him. I think Finn is adorable, so I really want to like him. But, he was kind of a jerk in this episode. It wasn't completely out of character for him, but it still made me sad. While I thought it was weird that he just happened to have a gift for Rachel with him (has he just been carrying that around everywhere?), I loved the necklace he gave her and the speech that went with it (even if it sounded like a cop out so he could get with Quinn). Overall, I'd say this was probably the best episode of Glee since "Duets."
Modern Family: "Bixby's Back"
Shockingly, Modern Family's Valentine's Day-themed episode was the one that I just wasn't feeling. It wasn't terrible, but it was mediocre for a show that I normally adore. None of the story lines really did it for me. As a plus, though, I'm excited for the return of Dylan.
The Office: "PDA"
If I had to describe this week's episode of The Office in one word, I'd use the word "adorable." Holly and Michael may be one of the cutest television couples I've ever seen. I was literally smiling the whole episode at how cute they are. Even if it's the most predictable option at this point, I really hope Michael leaves to be with Holly when Steve Carell departs from the show. But, the other couples featured in this episode were pretty cute as well. I know that some people complain about Erin and Andy being Jim and Pam 2.0, but I think they're adorable together. They were so cute going working on Gabe's puzzles together. I did feel a little bad for Gabe, though. He seems like a nice enough, if slightly annoying guy. Lastly, Jim and Pam were actually cute again this week. Their knowing smiles at the end were adorable. (Want to play a drinking game that'll most likely lead to alcohol poising? Take a shot for every time I've used the words "adorable" or "cute.") My only complaint is the lack of a Kelly and Ryan storyline. They always crack me up, and a Valentine's Day story line for them would have been assuredly fun.
Community: "Early 21st Century Romanticism"
This week, Community juggled several story lines, but all of them were properly developed and hilarious (except for maybe Pierce's storyline). The Britta storyline was hilarious. If you've watched the episode yet, enough said. I also loved Troy and Abed's storyline. It was such a wonderful subversion of the typical "two guys fall in love with the same girl and get into a fight over it" plot. I definitely awed when Troy broke up with the girl for calling Abed weird. Their bromance is so sweet. My heart melted when Jeff sent such a sweet email to the group at the episode's end. It was a super sweet moment, but because we rarely get to see that side of him, it wasn't overly so. Lastly, we have Pierce's story. I found it slightly tedious, but I have to give Community props for continuing what we saw of Pierce last week. I have to admit, I'm curious to see where his downward spiral is going to end.
In closing, (and pretend it's Monday for this part) Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!!
Glee: "Silly Love Songs"
I think we can all agree that the much-publicized Super Bowl episode of Glee was pretty mediocre (minus a couple of great moments like Rachel's smiling as she entered the football field). So, I wasn't expecting much from this episode. However, I was pleasantly surprised by it. Most of the characters were likable, there wasn't a million guest stars, there wasn't any ridiculous story lines about cannons, the songs were generally good, and there was actually some plot development. I loved both of the Warbler songs: "Silly Love Songs" and "When I Get You Alone." However, I did think that it was pretty creepy of Blaine to sing to and chase someone who was obviously trying to get away from him. I think Finn is adorable, so I really want to like him. But, he was kind of a jerk in this episode. It wasn't completely out of character for him, but it still made me sad. While I thought it was weird that he just happened to have a gift for Rachel with him (has he just been carrying that around everywhere?), I loved the necklace he gave her and the speech that went with it (even if it sounded like a cop out so he could get with Quinn). Overall, I'd say this was probably the best episode of Glee since "Duets."
Modern Family: "Bixby's Back"
Shockingly, Modern Family's Valentine's Day-themed episode was the one that I just wasn't feeling. It wasn't terrible, but it was mediocre for a show that I normally adore. None of the story lines really did it for me. As a plus, though, I'm excited for the return of Dylan.
The Office: "PDA"
If I had to describe this week's episode of The Office in one word, I'd use the word "adorable." Holly and Michael may be one of the cutest television couples I've ever seen. I was literally smiling the whole episode at how cute they are. Even if it's the most predictable option at this point, I really hope Michael leaves to be with Holly when Steve Carell departs from the show. But, the other couples featured in this episode were pretty cute as well. I know that some people complain about Erin and Andy being Jim and Pam 2.0, but I think they're adorable together. They were so cute going working on Gabe's puzzles together. I did feel a little bad for Gabe, though. He seems like a nice enough, if slightly annoying guy. Lastly, Jim and Pam were actually cute again this week. Their knowing smiles at the end were adorable. (Want to play a drinking game that'll most likely lead to alcohol poising? Take a shot for every time I've used the words "adorable" or "cute.") My only complaint is the lack of a Kelly and Ryan storyline. They always crack me up, and a Valentine's Day story line for them would have been assuredly fun.
Community: "Early 21st Century Romanticism"
This week, Community juggled several story lines, but all of them were properly developed and hilarious (except for maybe Pierce's storyline). The Britta storyline was hilarious. If you've watched the episode yet, enough said. I also loved Troy and Abed's storyline. It was such a wonderful subversion of the typical "two guys fall in love with the same girl and get into a fight over it" plot. I definitely awed when Troy broke up with the girl for calling Abed weird. Their bromance is so sweet. My heart melted when Jeff sent such a sweet email to the group at the episode's end. It was a super sweet moment, but because we rarely get to see that side of him, it wasn't overly so. Lastly, we have Pierce's story. I found it slightly tedious, but I have to give Community props for continuing what we saw of Pierce last week. I have to admit, I'm curious to see where his downward spiral is going to end.
In closing, (and pretend it's Monday for this part) Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Pierce in "Dungeons & Dragons"
In lieu of reviewing the entirety of Community's latest episode, "Dungeons & Dragons, I'm going to focus on its handling of Pierce's character.
Well, that's a little bit of a lie. I'm going to mostly do that. However, I can't resist making a few remarks about the episode as a whole. Like last week's episode, "Dungeons & Dragons" was an excellently done installment of community. I ranted in my review of last week's episode about my disappointment with season two as a whole, but my love of Community has been restored. This episode was filled with hilarious moments, and almost every character got a chance to shine. Abed's character playing was amazing. Most of Britta's lines revolved around her over-activism (Honestly, I'm not sure if that's really a good word for it. If you can think of a better one, feel free to tell me so.), but all of them were hilarious, particularly when combined with the rest of the group's groaning. Jeff got a chance to shown how much he's grown since the beginning of the show. Despite the fact that he coined "Fat Neil," he was genuinely caring and mature in this episode. I loved Troy's "huzzah"s and note-taking. Annie's seduction of the keeper of the pegasi was priceless. And of course, Chang's makeup was pretty attention grabbing. I can't think of any standout Shirley moments, to be honest, but I loved her and Annie's "aww" at the village that accepts all races.
Pierce was also a standout of the episode but in a much darker way than the other characters. We've seen plenty of example of Pierce being horrible before this episode. I can't remember all of them. but among them are his ruining the secret of the trampoline, pantsing Shirley, and last week, even promoting drugs to kids. But this week, we saw a whole new level of horrible for Pierce. He was nasty and spiteful towards a suicidal kid. Although this week had some very funny moments, I found much of Pierce's taunting to be hard to watch. The scene in which he transformed Neil's character to be "as fat as Fat Neil" was absolutely heartbreaking. Even if you acknowledge that Pierce was acting largely out of hurt at being excluded, there's no denying that his actions were terrible.
To be honest, I wasn't sure what to think about the handling of Pierce's character. It was pretty dark for a comedy, but I can't say that it was out of character. I think my opinion is mostly going to depend on how he's handled in future episodes. If this darker development in Pierce is carried out, I think it could be a really interesting storyline. On the other hand, if the characters continue to interact with Pierce normally in future episodes, I'm going to be very disappointed. The way that Pierce acted towards Neil was far too cruel to merely be ignored. However, I have faith that the writers of Community know what they're doing.
I did really like the way that the writers ended the episode. The line about Pierce saving Neil yet learning very little was surprisingly poignant. It was touching without being saccharine for Neil to have a moment of glory defeating Pierce and then invite him to play again with him in the future.
Well, that's a little bit of a lie. I'm going to mostly do that. However, I can't resist making a few remarks about the episode as a whole. Like last week's episode, "Dungeons & Dragons" was an excellently done installment of community. I ranted in my review of last week's episode about my disappointment with season two as a whole, but my love of Community has been restored. This episode was filled with hilarious moments, and almost every character got a chance to shine. Abed's character playing was amazing. Most of Britta's lines revolved around her over-activism (Honestly, I'm not sure if that's really a good word for it. If you can think of a better one, feel free to tell me so.), but all of them were hilarious, particularly when combined with the rest of the group's groaning. Jeff got a chance to shown how much he's grown since the beginning of the show. Despite the fact that he coined "Fat Neil," he was genuinely caring and mature in this episode. I loved Troy's "huzzah"s and note-taking. Annie's seduction of the keeper of the pegasi was priceless. And of course, Chang's makeup was pretty attention grabbing. I can't think of any standout Shirley moments, to be honest, but I loved her and Annie's "aww" at the village that accepts all races.
Pierce was also a standout of the episode but in a much darker way than the other characters. We've seen plenty of example of Pierce being horrible before this episode. I can't remember all of them. but among them are his ruining the secret of the trampoline, pantsing Shirley, and last week, even promoting drugs to kids. But this week, we saw a whole new level of horrible for Pierce. He was nasty and spiteful towards a suicidal kid. Although this week had some very funny moments, I found much of Pierce's taunting to be hard to watch. The scene in which he transformed Neil's character to be "as fat as Fat Neil" was absolutely heartbreaking. Even if you acknowledge that Pierce was acting largely out of hurt at being excluded, there's no denying that his actions were terrible.
To be honest, I wasn't sure what to think about the handling of Pierce's character. It was pretty dark for a comedy, but I can't say that it was out of character. I think my opinion is mostly going to depend on how he's handled in future episodes. If this darker development in Pierce is carried out, I think it could be a really interesting storyline. On the other hand, if the characters continue to interact with Pierce normally in future episodes, I'm going to be very disappointed. The way that Pierce acted towards Neil was far too cruel to merely be ignored. However, I have faith that the writers of Community know what they're doing.
I did really like the way that the writers ended the episode. The line about Pierce saving Neil yet learning very little was surprisingly poignant. It was touching without being saccharine for Neil to have a moment of glory defeating Pierce and then invite him to play again with him in the future.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Community: "Celebrity Pharmacology"
When it comes to Community second season, it seems that people generally fall into one of two trains of thought. Either they love the plethora of ambitious and special episodes or they feel that it's gimicky and wish for a return to the form of season one. Unfortunately, I must say that I fall more into the latter group of people. I haven't hated this season of Community, but as a whole, it's just felt off to me. The episodes this season have been hit or miss for me. For example, I surprisingly adored the Halloween zombie episodes, but (and I know this is a bit of a controversial statement) I just wasn't feeling the claymation Christmas special. I really do enjoy some of the special episodes, but I enjoy them so much more when they're limited to just a few a season.
Anyway, I said all of that to say that one reason I really enjoyed tonight's episode is that it was a somewhat realistic and normal situation. Sure, in typical Community fashion, they did it in a crazy way, but it was a situation that felt like something that could really happen. This, along with last week's episode, gives me hope that Community could turn back into the show that I first came to love in season one.
But, there were other reasons besides just the fact that it was realistic that I loved "Celebrity Pharmacology."
One reason is that it had an excellent use of Chang. Chang's involvement in the play was completely amazing, and it was such an in character move that I almost felt like I should have seen it coming. Ever since Chang was fired from being the gang's teacher, it has felt like the show doesn't quite know what to do with him. And therefore, some of his jokes (besides the excellent Chang puns of the last episode) have fallen flat for me. But, Chang's role as Drugs 2 was such a good use of his character. While I'm not completely sold the whole "Shirley/Chang baby" storyline, I think it was handled pretty in this episode. He got a chance to show Shirley that he can come through in a pinch while still being his really weird self.
Another character that I think was handled well in this episode is Annie. I'm not quite sure what it is about her, but in season two, Annie has often gotten on my nerves. I'm not sure exactly what it was, but her character in this episode was actually likeable and much more season-one-like. Also, the information we learned about her supporting herself and even seeing where she lives added a nice layer to her character. Also, the bringing up of her drug addiction was some nice continuity.
Speaking of continuity, I also thought it was some nice albeit minor continuity from the episode where we learned of Abed's sport skills that Abed caught the first ball that was thrown at him.
All in all, this was a really solid episode of Community. I enjoyed it much more than I've enjoyed an episode in a while (even though I did think last week's episode was pretty good). It had some really great line, my favorite being the Dean's "Well, that answers my question. Jeff Winger is sexy even in a coffin." It was also really solidly funny. The whole play was pretty much a masterpiece. When Drugs made a return via toilet, I did some serious guffawing. I really hope that Community can keep up the good work because this episode proved to me that I shouldn't lose hope in the show.
Anyway, I said all of that to say that one reason I really enjoyed tonight's episode is that it was a somewhat realistic and normal situation. Sure, in typical Community fashion, they did it in a crazy way, but it was a situation that felt like something that could really happen. This, along with last week's episode, gives me hope that Community could turn back into the show that I first came to love in season one.
But, there were other reasons besides just the fact that it was realistic that I loved "Celebrity Pharmacology."
One reason is that it had an excellent use of Chang. Chang's involvement in the play was completely amazing, and it was such an in character move that I almost felt like I should have seen it coming. Ever since Chang was fired from being the gang's teacher, it has felt like the show doesn't quite know what to do with him. And therefore, some of his jokes (besides the excellent Chang puns of the last episode) have fallen flat for me. But, Chang's role as Drugs 2 was such a good use of his character. While I'm not completely sold the whole "Shirley/Chang baby" storyline, I think it was handled pretty in this episode. He got a chance to show Shirley that he can come through in a pinch while still being his really weird self.
Another character that I think was handled well in this episode is Annie. I'm not quite sure what it is about her, but in season two, Annie has often gotten on my nerves. I'm not sure exactly what it was, but her character in this episode was actually likeable and much more season-one-like. Also, the information we learned about her supporting herself and even seeing where she lives added a nice layer to her character. Also, the bringing up of her drug addiction was some nice continuity.
Speaking of continuity, I also thought it was some nice albeit minor continuity from the episode where we learned of Abed's sport skills that Abed caught the first ball that was thrown at him.
All in all, this was a really solid episode of Community. I enjoyed it much more than I've enjoyed an episode in a while (even though I did think last week's episode was pretty good). It had some really great line, my favorite being the Dean's "Well, that answers my question. Jeff Winger is sexy even in a coffin." It was also really solidly funny. The whole play was pretty much a masterpiece. When Drugs made a return via toilet, I did some serious guffawing. I really hope that Community can keep up the good work because this episode proved to me that I shouldn't lose hope in the show.
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