I used to tune out or skip the cold opens on House, but they've really improved this season. Last week's was probably my favorite (for sentimental reasons), but this and the one where all the organ recipients died in sequence were both great. I forgot to talk about Cuddy last week (which, for our purposes, includes earlier this week [edit: I wrote that the day after the episode aired. I' m just posting late]), and now I wish I had. Too bad.
Maybe it's because I spend most of my waking hours asleep, but I liked the idea of the PoWs sleepwalking through life. And I liked how it related to the characters without hitting you over the head with it (well, not too much).
South Park, "Pandemic Part 2: The Startling":
First Wendy, now Craig. South Park is really going into its bench this year, huh (that's a thing, right? Like in baseball, with the bench...You get what I'm saying?) As I said so, so long ago, I was reviewing this whole adventure as a whole, and so didn't review part one. Over a week later, here we are. Here's what I have to say: South Park Guys: stop doing multi-parters. This episode and the one before it, while not awful, were pretty flat, and dragged around the middle. The decision to drop Craig into an otherwise standard adventure story really redeemed the episode. His flat, affectless voice made his deconstruction of the regular gang all the better. Too bad the episode around him was so lame.
The Office, "Employee Transfer":
I was in denial. I thought, at the very least, Holly would stay till the end of the season. Nope. This wasn't as good as they've been, and as a "heavy" episode it doesn't succeed as well as last season's "Money," but it's got some good elements, like Michael singing the blues and most of the Dwight vs. Andy subplot.
The Sarah Silverman Program, "Pee":
OK, I think I've got it figured out, after two weeks (not counting all the other episodes I watched before I started reviewing them, or even the ones I reviewed before trying to explain why). SSP is the only show out theremaking pee jokes. Other, weaker, shows like Two and A Half Men Who Need to Spend A Few Seasons Roasting in Hell's Eternal Flames (most people don't know the full title) make fart jokes, but don't have the courage to make pee jokes. Cowards. And even if they did, none of them would turn a joke about pee into a story about an evil talking turtle who wants to run off with Sarah Silverman* ("We’ll have children together, Sarah. The boy will be named Seth, and the girl Mandy Moore"). Most of us are incapable of that degree of crazy, and this show should be commended for at least attempting it.
*Admittedly, it'd be kind of hard, since she isn't on those shows.
Morel Orel, "Dumb" and "Help":
I think I've talked a bit too much about this show being "depressing". These two episodes featured plenty of tragedy, but there was way more going on then that (world's worst introduction award goes to...) To wit: the Lost-like plot reversal of "Help"-- we see that Orel's mother, not his father, is the source of the family's problems. See also: Playing the world's two stupidest human beings (Tarzan would be appaled by their grammar) off each other for ten minutes in "Dumb" and moving the plot forward at the same time. And at ten: colons: is it possible to use too many? The answers might surprise you.
Young Person's Guide to History, Part 2:
There weren't not laughs in this show, but it seems something like an attempt at the same level of bizarre that I mentioned in my "Pee" review, but to much weaker results, probably because no one stopped to ask, "does what we're doing even make sense? Is there even a storyline to this crap?" Or someone did, and everyone stopped talking to him for the rest of the afternoon (my theory rests on the assumption that this was filmed in one afternoon).
Pushing Daisies: "Dim Sum, Lose Sum":
As a great philosopher once said, "Meh". This episode was still good, but it didn't blow me out of the water like I would have liked. Are my standards too high? Is the President still retarded (that'd be yes, until January-- yeah, I said it)? This episode also made me hungry.
My Name is Earl, "Little Bad Voodoo Brother":
Non-mainstream-religion fight! Karma vs. Voodoo! I liked that the show never took a side on this debate, and suggested that both sides could be bullhockey. Because they are-- in reality there is one God, the Father, the almighty, maker of...
Saturday Night Live, "Ben Affleck/ David Cook":
I watched David Cook because I try to keep an open mind (quit laughing!). I was not impressed, though watching made me want one of these.
Affleck's good on the show, but could they at least think of one non-election-related sketch? Also, did McCain really get bood? Harsh.
King of the Hill, "Lost in Myspace":
Hey, did you know Hank doesn't trust computers, and furthemore, feels threatened when a new idea infringing upon the sale of propane and propane accessories? This episode would have been better if they had taken a more middle ground, showing that both Hank and Character-We've-Never-Seen-Before-and-Probably-Will-Never-See-Again were a little right and a little wrong. It seemed like they were going fol that a little, but weren't sure what direction to take. And a better Dale B-plot. Also, was that Chris Rock as Random Strickland Employee?
Family Guy, "Baby Not on Board":
Even by Family Guy standards, this was pretty lame. I have absolutely nothing to say about it.
American Dad, "Choosy Wives Choose Smith":
The show I called "TV's most underrated show" a couple weeks ago lets me down this week. A lot of the "Stan fights with Francine" stuff has been done to death in earlier seasons, and it feels like this show (unlike the one airing before it) actually moves forward, and doesn't need to rely on wheel-spinning and retreads so much. I loved the joke about Claus and Haley leaving ten seconds into the episode, and the Steve story was pretty good, but nothing we haven't seen before.
The Simpsons, Treehouse of Horror XIX:
I just finished watching The Simpson's 11th season, and so I know both the highs and lows the show can have (by the way, I'm going to do a review after I finish watching ten thousand hours of bonus features). This was pretty Middle-of-the-Road, with the best joke being the takeoff of Mad Men's credits.
Friday Night Lights, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn":
This is slowly, sneakily, becoming my favorite show on right now (helps that Lost isn't on right now). If you didn't watch it, I won't spoil anything, other than it was good.
How I Met Your Mother, "Happily Ever After":
Hmm. There were parts of this I really liked, like the flashbacks (who bets we see Robin's father in a later episode?) and Ted's fakeout big speech. There are things I'm not so sure about--hiding under a table felt like a ripoff of every sitcom ever, and the overall message about letting go of anger was a little Afterschool Special (though worth repeating).
Indecision 2008: America's Choice:
I'm breaking my "no news" rule for a very specific reason here. It seemed this was a big enough departure from the day-to-day, lameold Stewart Repart and Late Nitely Show with Stephen Colbert (as I believe they are called). Stewart and Colbert didn't quite adapt to live TV, the tag-team interviews were a little shaggy, and I missed the end. The whole thing had the air of a telethon, ill-paced and not as funny as either show usually is. That said, most of the prewritten bits, like the title-off, or Larry Wilmore and Wyatt Cenac taking the shows over (though they should have paid it off on Wednesday night), worked pretty well.
South Park, "About Last Night":
Wow. Let's take a moment and think about how fast they had to make parts of this. OK, we've taken a moment. Anyway, this one had some lame jokes-- suprising for a Randy-centric episode; but the Ocean's Eleven parody was pitch-perfect, from the music to John McCain wearing a football player's outfit for no reason. And though the message-- that people take these things too seriously, that the world isn't going to end or suddenly turn into paradise, that these guys are, at the end of the day, politicians-- isn't that different from "Douche vs. Turd," four years ago, minus all the funny PETA jokes or Stan's surprisingly emotional journey (surprising for an episode of TV called "Douche vs. Turd"), it feels especially relevant, and I really like the idea that the people least concerned with the election were the candidate themselves.
Life, "Jackpot":
Should have known. Everybody knows bodyguards look like this. That guy's hair was way to short to be the real deal. Also, I liked using Rachel and Nerdy Murder Suspect as audience surrogates (especially important because of the show's timeslot change). Not much else to say here, though between this and Hurley I'm never, ever buying a lottery ticket.
Friday Night Lights: "It Ain't Easy Being J.D. McCoy":
J.D. has had, like one line before this episode? And yet somehow it seems like he's been the central character this season, with all the talk about him. We finally get our J.D. spotlight here, and...we don't really learn anything new about him. Changing the subject completely, didn't we just have a "dream girl for Landry" not that long ago? And why does Riggins seem to be involved in every major plotline? Does he ever sleep?
I kid because I love. A+.
My Name is Earl, "Sold a Guy a Lemon Car":
Meh. This show is funny, but unfortunately, it's rarely memorable. Somebody work on that.
The Office, "Customer Survey":
Kelly juked the stats, yo. This story had a lot of things going for it, twists and turns and whatnot, but what I'll remember the most is Pam's triple "That's what she said!" after Kelly's "Get out of my nook, Dwight".
30 Rock, "Believe In the Stars":
Oprah! Or not! Anyhoo (that's British for "anyhow"), lots of things happened, and then lots of other things happened. Also, I'm pretty sure they never had swimming in the olympics before.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, "The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell":
I used this one for the title quote, because it was awesome. My favorite part had to be past-Charlie speaking ye olde English and everyone else making fun of him for. It's just so... Charlie. Everything else was pretty good, too, except maybe the abrupt ending.
The Sarah Silverman Program: "There's No Place Like Homeless":
Could have had more singing, or more Satan. Or both. Still pretty good, though.
Morel Orel, "Passing" and "Closeface":
Well, that was pretty good. More Mountain Goats, more tragedy, and a surprising note of hope at the end. Plus "I was so worried I forgot to smoke," possibly the darkest joke ever (only works in context).
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