Fuck research papers. I know I try and keep this blog PG (maybe PG-13), but seriously. I haven't even watched half of this crap, I have three movies sitting on my desk, screaming "watch us, please!", and I haven't even started on Song of the Week (should be up tomorrow-- fingers crossed).
Chuck, "Chuck vs. The Ex":
"We lost Big Mike to donuts a long time ago."-Morgan
So they can't all be as nerd-tastic as the last one. So what? This one was plenty awesome. I think I'll try and say more next episode, but for now, let's all just think about Casey's ridiculous wig.
Heroes, "Villains":
"An invisible man tackled me in an alleyway!"-Fire guy whose name I forget
So let me get this straight. The Heroes writers do remember what happened in past episodes? Then what's their excuse?
For whatever reason, this was probably the best we've gotten this year, because it actually focused on a few storylines and didn't feel the need to have ten different things going on at once. Of course, the characters were still completely inconsistent-- on a better show, I would wonder why Elle went from completely normal to insane in ten (?) months.
And I'm getting a little pissed off at this "everything's connected, everyone's related" idea. In the beginning, part of what was intriguing was that there were no connections between the characters. They were just random strangers who suddenly became special. Part of the fun was watching all the disparate threads come together. Apparently, everything started out together, meaning all those episodes you liked in originally have become completely meaningless.
I will add, the end was actually cool, even if it made no sense.
How I Met Your Mother, "Not A Father's Day":
"Dinner is a baby."-Lily "Lily, that's horrible!"-Robin
Comedy writers are often afraid to go too "broad" (for an example of a broad joke, read that quote again). I think this episode erred in going a bit too far the other way-- it was way too specific, to the degree where if you've never been in a situation like Lily and Marshall, you just kind of zone out. It didn't help that they sidelined the rest of the cast, either, especially because the titular subplot was a pretty damn good one. Plus, Barney sings, which means I have an excuse to once again post this link!
House, "The Itch":
"I totally hit that"- House
[I couldn't remember any quotes that weren't repeated in every commercial or at least three times during the episode.]
So, we appear to be caring about the cases again. It seems like since around the beginning of last season, the behind-the-scenes of House had overtaken the medicine (notice I never said that was a bad thing). On the other hand, or at least a different finger of the same hand, I don't really care about this romance thing. I like what it tells us about the characters, but the plotline itself could turn out a little too soapish. Of course, the way it played out in this episode wasn't at all soapy, but what I think could happen is always more important than what actually happens.
South Park, "Elementary School Musical":
"Where the hell have you guys been?" -Jimmy
"Peru." -Craig
South Park is back! After three weeks of Cloverfield and Ocean's Eleven parodies with suspiciously familiar characters, we get an episode that's actually about our main characters. Well, it's also about something called High School Musical, which as I understand it, is some kind of Communist plot to turn American children retarded (for real, the version on the show was actually preferable to the real thing).
Considering how much I like South Park, it's rare how often I agree with its politics. This one, I agreed with every word Cartman said (except the racist ones). Of the movies I hate without actually watching, I hate High School Musical more than any since Passion of the Christ. And let it be known that I actually like musical, at least in theory, and considering their previous works, I have a feeling that the South Park Guys do too. It's just we all hate this one.
Also, it was a one-joke idea, but I loved all the variations of slapping they did-- especially that impossible teleport-slap and the kid and mom realizing they could just punch the guy.
Life, "Black Friday":
"He fell. People fall sometimes."-Charlie
I'm wondering why they aired this one two weeks early (then again, this week's Simpsons was set on the Fourth of July). The beginning set us up for a pretty good "trapped in another crazy world/culture" plot that this show does so well (see: last week), but then they ruined it by leaving the mall, missing out a great chance to say something about malls, or shopping, or Christmas, or whatever. I liked what they did with the ending, with the kid ready to confess, and Charlie talking him out it (see quote). Overall, a lot of potential, mostly wasted.
The Office, "Business Trip":
"I hate Winnipeg"-The Weakerthans
Well. Well well. This had to be the least funny Office ever put on film--intentionally so. I loved it.
All three plots here did something that's unfortunately rare on TV, which is they showed a group of long-running characters in a different light. Before we laughed at Andy's obliviousness-- now we see how sad it really is. Before we might have guessed Pam wouldn't be some great artist-- but we didn't expect her to fail quite like this*. Before we thought of Michael as completely-- actually, we still see him the same, but as with Andy, his story is put in a both more tragic and somewhat more heroic light (I think seeing him grow out of this is going to be the major plotline from here on out, and his phone call to David Wallace was the first step toward that).
Other cool stuff: Oscar and Andy's phone call, which was both hilarious and strangely filmic (something about the lighting); the happy, just-out-of-frame couple walking past Pam at just the wrong time; and Michael somehow confusing concierge with concubine, but scoring anyway, in one of the most surreal interludes (is that the word?) this show has done.
*By the way, how great was Dwight's takedown of her painting? It worked because it's exactly the kind of stuff you'd notice if you had to stare at it every day.
30 Rock, "The One with the Cast of Night Court":
"See, if this were an episode of Night Court, there would be a joke right now!"-Tracy
Oh Tracy Jordan, you so crazy. As are you, 30 Rock. This one might not have been the best, but I liked the clever skewering of a recent movie phenomenon. Also:
"It's a reunion of Friends...from Night Court".
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, "The Gang Gets Extreme: Home Makeover Edition":
"I can't believe their name isn't Juarez. Anybody else surprised by that?"-Charlie
Did you see that preview? A "Day Man" Musical! I think I know what the next Song of the Week will be!
As for this one, it was OK, nothing great. The takeover sequence was great, but otherwise it never reached the ridiculous pacing and intensity of better episodes. I'll probably talk a little more about the show next week, after the season finale.
Moral Orel, "Sundays" and "Sacrifice":
Guys, I don't think this is going to end well. After a full season of detours and side-stories, we've finally started to move forward, and it's getting pretty dark. At this point I think we'll be lucky if anyone in Moralton is still happy when this show ends. As with Sunny, I expect I'll have a lot to say after the (Series!) finale.
Fringe, "In Which We Meet Mr. Jones":
"It's me, your father, Walter Bishop"-Guess
OK, maybe they are going somewhere with this. So far Fringe has proved it can gross us out, and come up with clever (if somewhat ridiculous) twists. Now they need to start moving forward. Know how I know? This was easily the best episode, and I didn't like it. It doesn't bode terribly well for the show if its most interesting character (NENMS) is never in the show for more than ten seconds at a time.
Still, Lt. Daniels told me there would be "1,000,000 answers and 1,000,001 questions" and that I need to "be patient" in the most best* example of making-the-subtext-text ever. And if Lt. Daniels tells you to do something, you do it.
I get that this probably is going somewhere, but on, say, Lost, the journey itself is as fun the destination. Plus, it's a lot less repetitive.
*I did that on accident and decided to leave it in.
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