NBC Thursday Returns!

The weather is still getting colder. Snow blankets the entire nation. It gets dark at a depressingly early hour and all of our bodies look pale and disgusting. The next holiday anybody has to look forward to is, what, President's Day? These are dire times. Where are our friends from Scranton? Greendale? Pawnee? I don't know about you but I've been making The Office character dolls out of the hair in my shower drain just to feel something. But just when you're about to cave in and start watching reruns of Smart Guy for entertainment, look who is at your front door, ringing your doorbell that is coincidentally the three-note NBC chime. Could it be? Is that tall skinny shadow Abed? Is that lingering scent Michael Scott's imitation Drakkar Noir? Is that crinkling the sound of Liz Lemon wearing a Duane Reade bag as underwear? And who is that far away figure with the radiant blonde hair and the silhouette of somebody who is eternally 4 months pregnant? Is it? Is it...Leslie Knope? (Also in this scenario is the entire cast of Outsourced making fart noises in a field somewhere).


Community - "Asian Population Studies"

This episode, for better or for worse depending on your taste, is a pretty low-key episode of Community. I don't mean to say that nothing is going on because a lot of important plots points shift. I really just mean that they aren't undertaking some grand parody attempt with multiple layers. And really, that's a good idea. It's the first episode back from the break and so this is a solid stabilizer to ease reentry into the group.  


Chang plays a more prominent role in this episode than he has all season. He did pop up in Season 1's storylines quite a lot. But really, does that even count? Who was that Chang? Who is THIS Chang? Did the writer's just not know what to do with him after they enrolled him as a student and just completely switched gears? This Chang is so hilariously pathetic and desperate that I don't mind at all. And the group has been teasing the notion of him joining the study group for so long that it is just sad. Now, can I see him as part of the study group? Well, I don't know. I think yes. The characters in the group are so perfect that taking any away would be robbery but adding anyone new would just mess up the equilibrium. Like upgrading to the larger box of markers. You were doing just fine with your standard eight colors. Everything was inside the lines and going great. Who are these new markers? Fuchsia? Purple's art school dropout cousin. But eventually you start using those new markers because let's be honest, humans just don't have yellow colored skin. The same thing goes for Chang in my eyes. If they do integrate him into the full time group, it will be jarring at first. But I trust this show. We have seen glimpses of Chang's internal struggles and humanity and if the show can tap into that, then he can become more than just a bitter ex-Spanish teacher and develop into a really fleshed out character. I wouldn't trust most shows with that task, but I do trust the writing staff of Community to do that because they realize heart is key.


Now, every time I watch an episode of Community, I go from indifferent to enjoying to loving. Half way through this episode I thought "Eh, some good jokes, no great feat" but then in the last few minutes with Shirley's ex-husbands speech and the shots of the group post-mixer, it sucked me in again. Damn it Community. You always know how to get me. And that just goes to show you what this show is capable of doing. Enjoy it while you can.


-"It makes me so Chan-gry. Oh God, it's happening to me."
-"30-something, I'm assuming. He has a land line and uses the word album."
-"I spell kettle corn with a Q-U." "Well don't."
-"It's not even clever. You keep using it as the world change!"
-"Mezzanine?!"
-"You ever go into the bathroom and find parsley in your teeth that your friends hadn't told you about? Now imagine your teeth are a uterus and that parsley is a half-chinese baby."
-"I agree with the brown Jamie Lee Curtis."


The Office - "Ultimatum"

So guys, did you all hear the exciting bits of news?? First of all, Steve Carell will be leaving The Office this year but apparently he will be departing sooner than we think. Supposedly, the last few episodes of the season will be post-Michael Scott era cleanup and reorganization. Very interesting if not a bit saddening. But we can all take some solace in the fact that the one and only original Michael Scott aka David Brent aka Ricky Gervais will be appearing on next week's episode. Now it is only going to be in the cold open and there aren't any details other than that. But still! That's certainly something to shut the blinds, turn off your phone and stay indoors in front of your television for. Right?...Right.....? 


On to this week's episode. Well let me see here. I'll start with the big news. Holly isn't engaged but she is still seeing A.J. But, the end of the episode gives us great hope as she calls A.J. to take a break and suddenly becomes open for Michael to swoop in. I mean, clearly these two are going to end up together. Right? There's no way they wouldn't do that for us? Has Michael ever found happiness? No, not really. And that's sort of the point of his character. The George Costanza model. But really, him and Holly are going to end up together obviously. Give him that at least. I love them together more than I ever loved that sappy Jim and Pam. Don't get me wrong, I followed the Pam and Jim saga like The Young and the Restless. But that's just because I didn't know Michael and Holly existed. Hell, I'll take Andy and Erin too. I just recently rewatched a lot of The Office Season 4 and 5 and rehashed the old Michael/Holly courtship. I will allow Steve Carell's exit gracefully if Michael can finally have his one true love.


Wait, isn't this show a comedy? Yes, but as I always say to anybody that will listen, every good comedy is also a good drama. So, what were my favorite parts of the episode? Well, as a self-proclaimed Kevin lover, how great was that vegetable scene? Him trying to eat the broccoli stem first and then refusing to swallow until he got some candy. Oh Kevin, how great. That was one of those scenes that was probably like catching lightning in a bottle to film. One of The Office's rare but wonderful physical gags that they probably had to nail when taping. I mean, not really so much Kevin eating the broccoli but it was just an extended joke that was well played. Related, when Ryan confronted Kevin and said "Did I just try to shove broccoli into my mouth stem first?" that was a surprisingly strong reaction from Ryan you don't see much these days since he's been trying to live his life as an art project.


The Darryl-Dwight-Andy storyline was odd and tangential. But having Andy request Dave Matthews ("Deep tracks only. I said no hits!") and skate and then proclaim that he met somebody named Andy was fine by me. Dwight didn't really do much besides go to a strip club where...something, uh, happened? I don't know. They sort of skipped that part. Was this supposed to have more scenes in it or something? And the eternally cool Darryl was just cool as always with his croissant-weighted e-reader.


All in all, pretty good episode. Nothing that really stands out but at least its chipping away at the Michael-Holly storyline. Plus, I'm not really going to complain about any episode since I'm glad to just have them back. 


Oh! I almost forgot! How awesome was Michael's video to himself when he was celebrating?! That was really really well done. The fact that he is that aware of his own personality as a character and just the sight gag alone. Bravo.


-"You're gonna somersault around for the rest of you life, and you know what's going to be on your tombstone? Loser."
-"Bears sad, worms happy... come on, Erin."
-Now, if she's engaged, I'm going to go crazy and start attacking people. If she's not engaged, in all honesty, I may just burn this whole place to the ground out of happiness."
-"Michael Dance-Off!"


30 Rock - "Mrs. Donaghy"


I'll keep this review pretty short. Things are starting to get a bit long and we all know 30 Rock is mainly one-liners to cherish. I do however have two points to make.

Did I miss something? What happened over the break? Where did this wedding come from that was referenced in three flashbacks? Is Jack married? What's going on? And where the hell did Danny come from? Is he back to being a regular character? And where is Carol? I don't know. Lot of questions. Yeah, yeah, I know, 30 Rock isn't really about the plot but I still felt kind of confused. Then again I did watch this episode while eating a salad I made by scraping pieces of lettuce together and pinching off squares of cheese from a Kraft single so maybe I was preoccupied and missed something. 


Also, I think the moment with Jack and Liz in Mr. Wienerslav's office was the most sentimental the show has ever gotten. No problem with that and to be honest I think that's about as emotional as the show is ever going to get. I still enjoyed it because I love Jack and Liz's relationship as a steady cornerstone to the entire show's zaniness. And on that note, I've had people that are just starting the show be like "Hey, when are Liz and Jack gonna hook up? Lot of tension there, eh?" They are idiots. The two will never be together for the same reason Don Draper and Peggy will never hook up. It's just wrong.


-"At 4 years old, you should know how to pace your petal distribution."
-"The yellow slice, our number two priority: make it 1997 again through science or magic."
-"Your show netted $600 last year. Your parents had to buy an ad."
-"You have no reflexes, your blood tastes like root beer, and some of your bones appear to have vanished."
-"Well I've been to a rodeo to. It was a cat rodeo, in a gay guy's apartment."
-"Jack: Who wears shoes at a beach?"
Liz: "Only Rocky and Apollo Creed during the training montage."

Park and Recreation - "Go Big or Go Home"

And the prodigal son of Pawnee, Indiana returns. With a nice narrated introduction to the cast, we jumped right back into the world of small town politics. Amongst crumbled remains, Knope lassos her associates to rebuild anew. This show could really do whatever it wanted, I was just so happy it's back. 

I would be doing everybody a disservice if I didn't mention the glorious Ron Swanson Pyramid of Greatness, one of the episode's and show's major highlights. You can find an enlarged print of it here. I say all this because Ron Swanson (you must say both his first and last name) is becoming pretty iconic. Part Hank Hill. Part Red Foreman. He's really the breakout character of Parks and Recreation so to have his entire ideology distilled into pyramid form. That's something you are going to want to hang onto and reference several times.

April has some new weird Spanish speaking boyfriend, much to Andy's dismay. I fully expect a classic will-they-wont-they that we've come to know and love and then grow tired of. But seriously, I hope they don't really dangle that in front of us for too long. As much as I'm willing to follow it to the bitter end because I do love April and Andy, that would just be annoying. And do you really think that new boyfriend is going to be a regular cast member or something? I don't think so.

What else? How much do I like Rob Lowe's character? Ehhh. Kind of? I think he plays it well. But maybe it's the inner sloth in me that doesn't like people with that much motivation and drive. I am not sure. But it looks as if that twosome will be around for some time to come.

I read a reviewer that has already seen the first six episodes and he says that they find a genius way to explore all of the departments of Pawnee that we only saw a glimpse of previously. It's most likely this Harvest Festival. With such words of encouragement, I anticipate returning to these lost-and-found friends.

-"The real Cinderella didn't have hippo feet."

-"Jeremy, suck it. By the way I’ve been giving away free sports bras to the girls at Hot Dog on a Stick."

-"Under my tutelage, you will grow from boys to men. From men into gladiators. And from gladiators into Swansons."

-"Haircuts, there are three acceptable haircuts: High and tight, crew cut, buzz cut. Are the scissors broken in your house, son?"

-"Jurassic Park. Parks are so great. The parks department needs money. I just did it in three moves."

-"April: Ew, check your testicles?"

Leslie: "No, not that. Although that is very good advice. I’m looking at you, Jerry."

Portlandia

I don't know about you but I still watch Saturday Night Live pretty regularly. I used to devour it when I was younger and watched the endless syndicated episodes on Comedy Central (before they turned into abysmal episodes of MadTV) and I watched the new ones back in the days when I was home on a Saturday night at 10:30. I sort of fell off for awhile but with the advent of Hulu and DVR, I am able to catch the weekly episodes even though now it's more like Sunday Afternoon Hungover. Eh? No?

Anyway, everybody loves to be an expert and talk about how SNL sucks now and how good it used to be a few years ago. Well, interestingly enough, people were saying that same thing a few years ago. And a few years before that. Honestly, the show really only has one objectively shitty period and that was during the 80's when Lorne Michaels left. These days, the quality isn't at its peak and some of the hosts don't really belong and they rely on the same few players way too much. Actually, I have quite a laundry list of complaints about SNL these days. But regardless, every week will produce at least one or two really funny sketches. Weekend Update always has at least a handful of jokes that land. The digital shorts are almost always hits. Sure, sifting through 90 minutes to find 15 worth watching isn't the best motivation to watch a show. But, hey, somewhere out there people are recording Minute to Win It so lay off. Amidst all these, one of the really talented comedians that SNL perhaps places too much weight on the shoulders of is Fred Armisen (others include Kristin Wiig, Bill Hader and Andy Samberg).

Armisen has a new show on IFC called Portlandia. First off, what's going on with IFC. They came out with David Cross' new show The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret last year. Since when are they delving into original programming? Where is this channel on my television even? Is it in the hundreds? I never venture that high up. Anyway, the show premieres on January 21 but you can watch the first episode of it here.

Anyway, Fred Armisen is really funny on Saturday Night Live (that was sort of the reason for the lengthy preface) and is among the shows most versatile characters next to Wiig and Hader, hence their overuse. Samberg really isn't good at impressions. Actually, he's pretty terrible at them. He usually just shouts. But Armisen plays Obama, and Gov. Paterson. His characters are hilarious e.g. Billy Smith the Native American stand-up comedian and Roger Brush the producer stand-in for the Q&A talk shows. He has wide range and great comedic talent. So why shouldn't he get his own television show?

Portlandia essentially is a show that makes fun of Portland and the vegan/organic-loving, non-conformist, socialist hipsters/hippies that live there. So there's a lot to poke fun at with that entire demographic. But, having watched the first episode, I hope it doesn't seem so one-note. I mean, has he really pigeonholed himself into basing his comedy around a single city. Obviously the ideas he's poking fun at are more than just the city of Portland, but still. I really hope this show doesn't develop that tunnel vision. For instance, the sketch where the couple tries to order chicken in the restaurant is kind of like "Alright, we get it, people from Portland love to eat organic food". On the other hand, there's the sketch with the adult Hide-and-Seek league playing in the library. They might have been poking fun at childish adults who think its trendy to play youth games or something but really, it was just a very funny, very bizarre sketch and probably my favorite of the episode. Especially when it takes that sick and surreal turn at the end.

Overall, I will say this. I love sketch comedy if it's executed really well. The golden standard of this is Mr. Show. I hate sketch comedy when it's done poorly. See: MadTV. But, as I've already established, I'll probably still watch sketch comedy if it's just "meh" especially if it at least showcases some really talented comedians. Portlandia, I'm sure, can at least muster mediocre sketches and I wouldn't be surprised if it picks up as episodes progress and starts producing high-quality bits. Plus, one of the stars of SNL is the creator of the show so the talent box is checked. And really, there aren't really many places on television these days to watch original sketch comedy so anything that plugs that hole is welcomed by me on some level. So, really, I will be watching this new show as long as they keep putting the episodes on Hulu or my DVR and they don't make me search for the IFC channel number.

Winter Madness

The dark days of the winter holidays (dark days? that's my natural way to describe the Christmas season? What a Grinch.) are almost over in terms of television. The holidays themselves ended long ago unless of course you live in my house in which we squeeze every last breath out of each Garden Ridge tree and novelty teacup ornament until the night before Valentine's Day. However, brand new episodes of your favorite television shows are beginning to filter back into the DVR lineup. Most notably, NBC returns (on January 20th) with new episodes of The Office, 30 Rock, Community and, last but not least, the glorious return of one of my favorites, Parks and Recreation. So stay tuned for recaps of those episodes next week.

Over this winter break, I told myself I would catch up on shows that I had fallen off my radar. Well, I didn't really do that. Instead I dove into a new crop of shows.

Peep Show: This is a really funny show from Britain about two friends in their late twenties and early thirties. Really, that's about as good of a plot summary as the show needs. It's an interesting way to get into British sitcoms and a natural follow-up for fans of the original BBC version of The Office. It's probably not as universally appealing as The Office but it really speaks the truth about that specific age and lifestyle, no holds barred. Luckily the entire show (which is now in it's 7th series) is available on Hulu.com (click here). It really starts to hit its stride in the 3rd or 4th series once you get a feel for all the characters so give it a try.

Breaking Bad: I am currently in the second season of this show and am not the least surprised as to why people call it the best show on television. I am a huge fan of engrossing, slow-burn, character rich dramas like Mad Men and Deadwood. However, Breaking Bad is a lot easier to enjoy right off the bat. The other shows take a bit to feel out the characters and digest the storyline. Breaking Bad literally opens with the main character driving a busted RV in the middle of the desert filled with lifeless bodies as he pulls a gun out of his underwear and plans to shoot oncoming police. That's the first scene of the whole show. It is ridiculous and I am antsy to get my hands on Season 3. It's not too late to catch up since the episodes fly and Season 4 is probably not going to start up on AMC until mid-late Summer.

Louie: I watched the first few episodes of Louis C.K.'s FX show this summer and loved it but it never set itself into my TV schedule and so my viewings tapered off around the third or fourth show. Anyway, I just watched the entire first season available on Netflix and this show is really groundbreaking for a comedy. First, Louis C.K. is arguably the funniest stand-up comedian working today. Also, he writes, directs and stars in every single episode so he has complete creative control. It is definitely dark at times but the talented visual style and humor are on par with few other comedies, or television shows in general, out there. The episodes "Bully" or "God" are pretty good examples of how the show can be really funny but at the same time incredibly dramatic and endearing.

Also, here's an interesting article written by The A.V. Club's Todd VanDerWerff on 1980's sitcoms. It's kind of long but as somebody who really only saw the ripple effect of these shows growing up but benefited from the groundwork they set for shows like The Simpsons and Seinfeld, it's worth the time.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/1980s-sitcoms,50003/1/

Modern Family

Before I dive into my review of Modern Family, let me say this. I haven't posted anything in a week or two so let me wrap that up in a few sentences. Concerning Christmas specials i.e. Community, 30 Rock and The Office, I am ranking them as follows: Community > The Office > 30 Rock. In brief, 30 Rock didn't go anywhere it hasn't already and just had a regular Christmas-themed episode. Although, Elaine Stritch as Jack's mom is one of the best guest stars the show has. Same thoughts on The Office save the additional return of the lovely Holly. And even though nothing too grand came from her return in the Michael-Holly department, it certainly sets things in motion like we've all been waiting for. And as for Community, well, maybe they were trying to impress everybody in their sophomore effort or maybe it really is just that good of a show, but they really blew me away with their Christmas episode. Not entirely because of the actual jokes or story of the show itself (although they were worthy) but because they chose quite an undertaking with the Rankin/Bass-type animation. Making that entire episode is a real feat and I tip my fedora to them. They are constantly churning out fresh ideas. I don't know how long it can last, but I'll take it while I can.


Modern Family 

Anyway, Modern Family, where do I begin? First of all, I have been inundated constantly over the past year with everybody shouting at me to watch Modern Family. It's kind of annoying. I mean, people would get literally mad at me for not watching the shows that they watch. Like, angry mad. A lot of those people also weren't allowed to drink soda as kids and are the same people you catch yelling at themselves in mirrors when they think nobody is watching. So, for the sake of their elevated blood pressure, I watched Season 1 and 2 (up to the most current episode) over the past couple weeks.


First, let me say, I really really do like the show. Simply put, I don't think its one of my favorite comedies ever or anything, but it's one of the best ones on television currently. Definitely a show that I will set up to record every week and watch regularly. I won't really say that I'm going to watch it religiously because it's not that type of show. But I will get to that later.


Here's how I classify Modern Family. I don't mean to be overly simplistic or keep using the same shows as crutches for comparison, but that's what I'm going to do. The show is somewhere in the land between a Two and a Half Men-type show and The Office. I don't mean that in terms of quality but rather style and overall appeal. And to be honest, it leans much more heavily towards The Office. It taps into the same subconscious, unspoken situational humor as The Office but instead of "this is what people are like in an office" it is "this is what people are like in a family" and uses the documentary interview style (By the way, they really do never explain why they are talking to the camera. Ostensibly, The Office implies that it is a documentary crew and will even occasionally make glances at the camera itself. Modern Family just sort of has the gimmick unquestioned. Though, to be fair, The Office isn't exactly more realistic because of its acknowledgment of the camera. That crew is either making the most in-depth, Ken Burns-style documentary of office life or they just have nothing better to film because I think they have enough footage already). Anyway, the reason I say it's like a CBS-type sitcom is because of its family appeal and subject matter. Say what you want about shows on CBS (example: They are moronic) but people watch the shit out of them. Some of them have such massive appeal and are so easy to watch, that they constantly outperform everything in their timeslot. Modern Family is able to marry that appeal (family jokes pretty much cast the widest net out there, audience-wise) and sophisticate it with actually good writing. Also, they invest ample amounts of time into making the audience genuinely care about the characters (another way it is similar to The Office and, really, Community too). Writing comedies with an emotionally dedicated backbone is always a good movie, in my opinion.


And another thing, I used the word "sophisticated" in describing Modern Family. What I mean by that is, essentially, it has no laugh track. For the love of God, when will comedies stop using laugh tracks. They are obsolete. I don't mean to be rude (I probably do), but shows that are still using laugh tracks are stupid. They constantly remind everybody that they are indeed watching a sitcom. Shows (good shows) shouldn't have to remind their audience where to find the joke. In fact, the entire notion of comedy writing is changing such that there is no longer a setup-punchline format. Comedies today embed their jokes in such a myriad of layers in the show that adding a laughtrack would being spitting on it. Just think about shows that haven't used laughtracks from the past few years. (Arrested Development, The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm, It's Always Sunny, 30 Rock, Community...the list goes on). Chances are, if you are still using one, your show is geared towards more of a common denominator audience. Excising the canned laughter doesn't make your show automatically good (Outsourced) but it does set it up for a feel that is conducive to better comedy. For further research on the subject, watch this clip of The Big Bang Theory with all of the laughs taken out and tell me if its funny.


Ok, SO, Modern Family. I didn't necessarily stray off-topic because Modern Family fits in with what I was just talking about. It is a member of the progressive comedy class. I guess the easiest way to break the show down is by family so let me just give a brief overview of my thoughts on each three ones.

The Dunphys: The centerpiece family of the show has pretty normal problems going on in it. Hayley is a budding teenager who talks on the phone constantly and wants to break the rules. Alex is dorkier and sometimes has trouble making friends. Luke has some sort of chromosomal disorder I think. I'm not really sure what's the matter with him. In fact, I really don't think his jokes are very funny. Probably one of my least favorite characters on the show. But really, the kids in the family aren't really breaking any new ground. In fact, the whole family is pretty average and if the show were just about them, it clearly wouldn't be any considerable stand-out. Claire, the mom, is the typical hectic, mini-van driving mom. But the pièce de résistance is clearly Phil. When I first saw the actor (Eric Stonestreet) at the Emmys, I thought he looked really unfunny and probably played the straight guy. But his delivery and character are hilarious. He's a buffoon, sure. One of my favorite moments of his was when he was trying to reach his sunglasses in the garage by climbing on top of the car. But the real reason I like him is because he's such a dork and that's always more fun to watch than a buffoon. Also, its comforting to know that someone that dorky and stupid acting can land a wife that hot. 

Jay/Gloria/Manny: This one is where things get a little more irregular as these three characters are all comfortably sitting in fresh and unique territory. I think Jay is a good solid character from both a comedic standpoint as well as an emotional perspective. Some of the more memorable character breakthroughs are centered around him. Manny is interesting. At first I didn't like him. I thought the actor that plays him (Rico Rodriguez) sort of delivered his lines poorly and the "old soul" gimmick wasn't really believable. But, like all things, you get used to it and I really actually enjoy Manny now. He can be a bit much sometimes but sometimes it pays off a la the episode about his birthday. And as for Gloria, yikes. She is ridiculous looking to the point of distraction. I really have no other comments on her performance. Actually, sometimes her accent can be super annoying. Like the way she always says "Jay". I would try to type out the way she says it phonetically, but my keyboard doesn't have a "G humping a Y"-key.


Cam/Mitchell/Lily: This is really what gives Modern Family its flavor. Fortunately, the addition of a gay couple really extracts the show from a stereotypical sitcom and allows it to venture out. In my opinion, I like Cam and I don't like Mitchell. I realize that the uptight character is how Mitchell is written, but I still don't really like him. (Or maybe it's a redhead-with-a-beard thing. It just looks unnatural to me. Like a dog wearing  shoes or an infant wearing a monocle.) Plus, Cam is so charismatic as it is, it's pretty easy to dislike Mitchell by comparison. When Mitchell freaks out about something, I'm just like "Shut up, you baby" but when Cam worries about something, I say "Haha, keep doing it, you're so funny. Hey, I thought I told you to shut it, Mitchell". Cam really has the physical comedy going for him too which helps. Not that he is necessarily doing pratfalls but, as callous as it may sound, fat is funny.


Overall, the reason Modern Family is such a success is because it is watchable from many different perspectives. It's a simple show for the entire family to watch together and appreciate. But it's also worthy of an audience that watches comedy shows they consider forward-thinking and smart. The idea for the show isn't world-changing but it is still a fairly new take on a tired concept. It might not have as many in-depth jokes or room for encyclopedic character knowledge as The Office or as many subtle pop culture references as 30 Rock, but it still has pretty sharp and perceptive writing. If it was on Thursdays, it might lose out to those shows. But its on Wednesdays so, I mean, what else are you gonna watch? Criminal Minds? Essentially, its a good, witty mainstream sitcom which is needed these days. 

Updates

Sometimes my mind writes checks that my fingers can't cash (That came out sounding creepy). What I mean is, I had this grand plan to watch all this TV and type my fully formed and well-versed opinions on individual shows. Well, it turns out that some of these shows are hard to keep up with. In fact, if you miss more than one episode of an hour-long HBO drama i.e. Boardwalk Empire, you're pretty much screwed in the catch up game. I'm sure I will use the down time of the Christmas holiday to get up to speed on all of these missed opportunities. (Although, to be fair, I have stayed pretty faithful to the NBC comedies.) In the mean time, I am going to take on a somewhat more manageable task.

I'm going to pick a show each week that I don't really know anything about besides the premises outlined from whatever commercials I've seen. I'm thinking something along the lines of a crappy looking network comedy or drama whose ratings are fueled by old people accidentally leaving the TV on after they fall asleep. For instance, who is watching Mike and Molly? I think a lot of people are actually. That will definitely be one that I watch soon just to see what is going on. Interestingly, when I suggested sampling that show first to a friend, he said that Mike and Molly is a buzzword and I would seem like I was following the crowd. I don't even know what that means. First, how is Mike and Molly a buzzword? Was there something about it on Wikileaks that I didn't catch? And second, the day I get caught following the "Mike and Molly crowd" is the day I start dropping the g's from -ing words and investing in personal gravy flasks. 

Fat jokes aside, something is medically wrong with his stomach.

In other news, I have been shoveling my way through the first season of Modern Family and am going to try and catch up to the current episodes by next week so look for my overall take on the show coming soon. This is the show that everybody claims "You have to watch! What?! You aren't watching Modern Family?? What are you? North Korean?" So, I'm watching it and I've already got some thoughts brewing besides ones that have to do with Sofia Vergara. 

Anyway, if anybody (my three followers) has any suggestions for shows I should try out, I'm all ears. Or eyes. Depending on the method of communication.

Community/30 Rock/The Office

Community - "Mixology Certification"

This episode of Community is pretty much reserved for viewers that have been following the show for the majority of its run. As an avid fan, I thought it was a great episode. However, if I had to guess, anybody that tunes in casually probably thought it was ho-hum. There was no recognizable parody or send-up for viewers to find common ground on. There wasn't even much of Greendale as the consistent background for the episode. Essentially, the episode removed the group from the school setting and placed them all in a bar for the night. Now, that's a great synopsis to hear if you've been tracking the various character etchings and traits of each individual group member as it explores further dynamics between the different people. It's probably not too exciting if you still refer to Community as "that show with the guy from The Soup".


Nevertheless, frequent viewer or not, it's hard to find much fault with the episode as a whole considering the off-campus location they chose was a bar for Troy's 21st birthday, or "Explusion Day". And using that setting, the show did a pretty good job of portraying a night out. Annie was worried about getting in with a fake ID to the extent of assuming an entirely different persona and accent to fool the bar employees. Coming as no surprise, this  trick dovetailed perfectly into a reason for Annie to be a newer and less inhibited person for the night. 


Jeff and Britta both acted like typical know-it-alls at the bar as they indoctrinated Troy on the tips and tricks of ordering drinks at bars. Jeff suggested he add two drops of spring water to aged Scotch in order to activate the flavor as he twirled his glass in his hand like a real douche bag. Speaking of Jeff and Britta, I'm really getting torn as to who I'd rather see hook up with each other. Jeff and Britta, judging by this episode, are kind of good for each other. They both try to act more civilized and mature than they really are and clearly have some sort of subconscious attraction to each other. However, I really enjoy when the show teases the idea of Jeff and Annie. A. I like Annie more and B. Jeff, although clearly a snob, does have a good heart and that is best displayed when the possibility of him and Annie is entertained. However, the Troy and Annie possibility that was introduced in Season 1 seems like it could be a whole other storyline judging by the very sweet conversation between the two tonight. So really, these threads could go anywhere or nowhere at all. If nothing else, it is a real relief to watch a show that can juggle both high concept comedy and deep, believable relationships so well in ways that The Office did at its height. 

In other regions of the group, Shirley (who I constantly want to call Sharrie for some reason?) is unveiled as having quite the alcoholic history at the same bar that the group coincidentally decides to visit. This comes as a breath of fresh air because I usually find Shirley annoying. Her whole "That's nice." routine is grating and so its nice to see her open up with some flaws. As for Pierce, well, they sure are sticking to that broken legs storyline faithfully. And Abed spends the majority of the episode displaying his true nerd to the point of talking about Farscape with a gay guy at the bar despite the fact that he is obviously trying to pick him up. INTERESTING SIDE NOTE: The comedian who plays the gay guy in the episode is Paul F. Tompkins and is probably one of my five favorite comedians ever. You want to know more about my history with him? OK well I have all of his albums and he just so happened to come to St. Louis this past August and yours truly went to go see him. In fact, I have a picture to prove it. He also signed his CD for me with a personalized note. If you would like to know more stories about my run-ins with celebrities, I have several. 


Anyway, Troy was the star of this episode and really stepped up to the plate as far as creating a more fitting role as one of the norms for the show. 


-"I broke my legs, not my gender."
-"It's like the Lifetime movie of beverages."
-"Stargate is better."
-"Abed does that like three times a week."


30 Rock - "Chain Reaction of Mental Anguish"

I never have that much to write about 30 Rock. Either the fast-paced gags deliver or they don't And considering the show throws so many at you (a high JPM, or jokes per minutes, a unit of measurement I invented) that there are almost always some great ones that stick each week. However, occasionally the show will entertain some of the various relationships it has on the back burner and bring them to the forefront for the week and then usually place them back on reserve for a while. Where have Jack and Avery been? I'm sure it will come up soon and then disappear for awhile as usual. And as I've said before, this isn't a problem because nobody watches the show to check in with these relationships each week. I think the only real relationship that I care about or get anything from is between Jack and Liz. It's part friendship and part mentorship. Liz looks up to Jack for advice and Jack really does watch out for Liz, despite his occasional disgust at her life choices ("I'm tired of talking this much to a woman I'm not having sex with.")


So, this episode decided to bring a few familiar storylines into view EXCEPT for the only one I really care about watching. Tracy's son is back trying to milk money from his rich dad. I thought he was ruled a fraud like two seasons ago? Why did they bring him back? And Jenna's look-a-like boyfriend has returned. However I can't fault this appearance because of how much I love Will Forte. I hope his departure from SNL doesn't result in a lack of airtime because he is great. He has subsequently been popping up on Conan lately playing a hilarious Ted Turner. Anyway, did the episode go into unneeded territory concerning the plot? Yeah, I think so. But if the one-liners and gags are strong enough, I can't say it was a bad episode. It just wasn't a great one. And if they are going to reintroduce occasional characters, let's make it some of the all-stars i.e. Will Arnett's Devon Banks. He clearly is going to have free time on his hands once Running Wilde is cancelled. 


-"Why can't we just paint each others' toe nails, watch vintage pornography, and then go to bed in our swing like a normal couple?"
-"It was Harold, and I ate all of him. Even the face in case of a tie. I ate him sir! I ate my father pig!"
-Jack: "You're the only one bank rolling this? What about Brown and Folderson?"
Tracy: "That's what I call my wallet."

-"Anyone I ever dated in high school turned out to be either gay or a girl dressed as a guy to get a journalism scholarship."

-Of course, Jack hoping that Kenneth's father figure, who turned out to be a pig, was human was a hilarious smaller moment.

The Office - "China"

I'm having a hard time figuring out this season of The Office and I think I know why. I've been watching the show since its inception and then rewatching the seasons as they come out on DVD. This is especially true with the advent of Netflix which has all of the seasons on Instant View (same with 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation, just saying.) So, other than watching them spaced out week-by-week, I am most familiar with seasons as consumed four or five episodes per sitting. Some days I will just curl up in my bed, draw the shades, drape myself in velvet and watch an entire season of a show like The Office. Is that sad? Yes. Does it help me as a fan of the show? Yes. Is there a bed pan involved? Probably. 

Anyway, I think the prevalence of shows on DVD changes the way we think about and react to the show. It's the same reason I have trouble watching Boardwalk Empire. Its sometimes a slow show week to week. But I bet if I watch it on DVD, it becomes a lot more exciting since I can watch the episodes back-to-back. Likewise, I just recently watched all of Deadwood on DVD and proclaim it as one of the best shows of all time. However, I don't think I would say that had I watched it one episode at a time when it originally aired because it would probably seem so goddamn slow and boring.

So, what does this have to do with this season of The Office? I'm saying its hard get a good feeling for a show when you tune in for 30 minutes once a week. When you have a marathon viewing of a season, the world that the show inhabits seems to take over for extended periods of time and shows that are faithful to that world i.e. The Office or Deadwood pay off for their dedication. Essentially, I think this season has been sporadic and spotty with continual storylines mixed in with occasional offshoot episodes like Ryan's website campaign. And its hard to tell if that's unusual for the season of it's just because you're watching it so spread out. Only time will tell.

As for tonight's episode, I'll say a few quick things. I realized that I don't really care too much about Pam anymore. I thought her whole Office Administrator storyline gave her something to do, but as far as the theme of her failing at her pursuits, I wasn't really affected. I didn't really care that much when she went to art school. I will admit I did enjoy when she left and joined Michael's new paper company. But overall, once the show hooked up Jim and Pam and they got married, the bubble was burst on that subject. However, her interaction with Dwight payed off because it was one of the times, although few and far in between, that the show unveiled a human and sympathetic side of Dwight. He essentially let Pam win because he felt bad for her. Call me a sucker for those moments but they get me every time.

And I am glad that the episode pursued an Oscar storyline because I have always liked his character even though this episode made him look like a know-it-all. I think he is one of the show's norms and keeps it grounded in reality along with Jim and Pam. In fact, if I think about it, Jim, Pam and Oscar are probably the only really normal acting people on the show. Maybe Phyllis? But she is also weirdly sexual with Bob Vance in an X-rated Mike and Molly sort of way.

Overall, this episode gave Michael a chance to be right about something, at least in his mind's eye. And I always enjoy whatever small victories Michael is able to scrape from his Dunder-Mifflin (Sabre) existence. 

-That interaction on the street with the "Other Pam" was hilarious. 

Dwight: "We have a colleague with the same name. You're not a liar too are you."

Other Pam: "I've been known to bend the truth."
Dwight: "Damn it Pam! Get out!"

-"Why do you even need soap? Are you that bad at going to the bathroom?"

-"He really does fit that old stereotype of the smug gay Mexican."

-“I can’t wait to do to Pam what I just did … to Pam.”

-Also, one final note: I play trivia every Thursday night and so I watch all these shows and as soon as they end run down to The Hill for trivia. It's a pretty great day altogether. Anyway, like two weeks ago, there was an over/under category that asked to name how many cities in America had over a million people and also how many cities in China had over a million people. THE EXACT SAME DISCUSSION THEY HAD ON THIS EPISODE. What are the odds that  they would talk about that exactly two weeks after I could have used that very information. 

Community/30 Rock/The Office

After some swift Wikipediaing (don't put that condescending red typo line underneath that word, Blogger. I knew what I was getting into when I typed it.), I discovered that last month was sweeps for the Nielsen ratings which would explain some of the celebrity cameos and unusual scenarios we found our favorite television friends in for the past few weeks. Well, things have somewhat returned to normal thankfully/unfortunately depending on your viewpoint. 


Community - "Conspiracy Theories and Soft Defenses"

It's gotten to the point now where I start every episode of Community attempting to sniff out what type of episode they are doing. Searching for the gag is never really a healthy way to enjoy a television show considering I fell in love with Community as a passive viewer when its genius unexpectedly hit me over the head. So I need to stop doing that. Nevertheless, judging from the subtle tones in the opening scenes of the episode, I knew this was going to be some sort of  mystery/sleuth theme and eventual parody. Add one more weapon to their comedy arsenal.


Also, let me say something about the world of Community. For sake of ease in comparison, it's stuck somewhere between the realities of The Office and 30 Rock (oh, that's convenient. It just so happens those are the two shows it is next to in the lineup. I know, but hear me out). The Office is a show, save a few exceptions for a joke's sake, that is pretty solidly rooted in realism. Comments, plots, characters, etc. all have a pretty real effect on the show's arc and storyline. If something ridiculous is said, it is treated as ridiculous. And this obviously makes sense considering the show is supposed to be a documentary and reflect the average office environment in America. 30 Rock is more cartoonish in its humor. Tracy Jordan can say and do outlandish things and perform, or reference, crazy stunts with little or no effect on the reality of the plot. Same goes for Jenna. The reset button is more or less pushed after most episodes. But Community is placed somewhere in between these two different worlds. It's an environment that attempts, though not always in documentary-faithfulness, to paint a picture of an odd group of friends in a community college setting. Crazy actions and words are often received with the appropriate real world response. However, the world isn't limited so much that a disease can't break out and turn everybody into zombies for one night. Or the group accidentally hijacks an old space shuttle/trailer. Or, as we saw in this episode, build a giant fort of blankets that encompasses the majority of the dorms. All these plots are explained with actual explanations and aren't necessarily fantastical. They aren't really zombies and it wasn't really a space shuttle and you could, if you wanted, build a fort that large. It's more fun-reality and in my opinion a perfect marriage.


Speaking of that fort, what a great Troy-Abed storyline. You know, it is obvious that they are best friends and every episode has the customary banter between the two as well as the weekly episode caps in order to prolong that relationship. However, it has been awhile since we got a solid Troy-Abed thread to energize that dynamic. This was one of my favorites in awhile.


Of course, this episode featured two amazing actors. The first real storyline that featured Dean Pelton (Jim Rash) as a main player and the underused Kevin Corrigan as Professor Professorson. Dean Pelton is great and I've yet to watch these webisodes he apparently has posted underneath the Community page on Hulu. And while it was refreshing to see him at the center of an episode, I hope they don't over-pepper this salad (is that a saying?) Sometimes the best appearances are the occasional appearances to whet the appetite.


-A surprising lack of the rest of the group tonight. But then again they did just do a exclusive group episode the week before.
-It's getting to the point, almost sadly, that everybody at Greendale desperately wants to be a part of the group. But can you really blame them? I wouldn't want to role with Starburns' entourage.
-"Enjoy eating fiber and watching The Mentalist."
-"That is gonna be the worst book I ever read cover to cover."
-"TV's gotten crazy good, you know"
-"Welcome to Fluffytown. No smoking, no farting, no pillow fights."
-"Be sure to check out our Civil Rights Museum."
-And my favorite quote of the episode, possibly the night: "Would that this hoodie were a time hoodie!"


30 Rock - "College"

30 Rock was back to its old tricks again this week. No star-studded cameos. No giant productions or stunts. Just the ol' meat and potatoes. And honestly, who needs more than meat and potatoes in their diet? Not British people, I'll tell you that much. 


I don't really have a ton of stuff to say about individual 30 Rock episodes from week to week besides rattling off the best lines of the night. That has nothing to say about the quality of the show. It's just a different type of show. It's a lot harder to theorize consistently. 


However, I will say this. Tracy and Jenna are like twins that speak the same language. They always know what the other one is up to. They are always in on the same rich/famous people secrets. And I love it when they scheme together.


-Liz picking her wedgie in her office when she thought she was alone only to turn around and see Jack might have been one of the points I laughed the most at tonight. Is that telling of something? Because if it is, I will continue to repress whatever it means.
-Also, I wrote down (yes, I sometimes take notes while I'm watching these shows. And sometimes I take notes when I'm watching you, too.), anyway, I wrote down "color conversation" but forgot what that meant in the episode. And since someone deleted it from the DVR (me..accidentally) I may never know.
-"Money can't buy happiness. It is happiness."
-"Your boos are not scaring me. I know that most of you aren't ghosts."
-"Usually everybody around here makes me feel like Hitler. But today I feel like ... Hitler in Germany!"
-"Why don't you ask Chakti, an Inuit who wants a hot bowl of noglok? A man and food I just made up to illustrate a point."
-"Your Aunt Ada is an idiot."
-"Lesbian Frankenstein wants ... her ... shoes ... back"
-"I'm high-fiving a million angels."
-"No! She means the pizza!"
-And how about that hilarious Lutz moment: "I told them not to! Let's get out of here Jack!" Oh what a poor soul that stupid Lutz is.


The Office - "WUPHF.com"

For The Office, like other shows this week, this was a return to form. They are all back in the office. No grand occasions or ceremonies are happening. Just classic hijinks. Yeah, ok, maybe they haven't made any progress in the seasonal arc department. But then again, The Office still has most of the season to go. Plus, let's not forget how much it can do in a few short episodes (Michael Scott Paper Company). But this showcased all, if not most, of the characters pretty well. Everyone got at least a little bit of something. Dwight was even off running some capitalistic hay place. And Angela was being courted by a gentleman suitor?? This is new. And honestly, I approve of it. I obviously am not a huge fan of Angela because, who is? I'd rather see this whole Dwight-Angela relationship dissolve and have her move off in a fresher direction. 


Anyway, Ryan. Ryan Howard. Scranton's resident d-bag. For the past few years, The Office has used him as a cultural punching bags of sort. He adopts all the hip trends (iPad, suspenders, dark-rimmed glasses (?)) and they have painted him to look stupid. But he has never really inserted himself into the forefront of many episodes, even when he broke off with Michael and Pam. Ryan has sort of just circled around the occasional plotline to make an off-handed comment. But tonight he was front and center with his ridiculous (but not altogether crazy, right?) business plan for WUPHF.com ("It's not a digital rape whistle").  And as usual, Ryan floated too close to the Pennsylvania sun on wings made of social media-wax and debted coworker feathers. 


Another thing. I seriously hope Steve Carell wins the Emmy for Best Actor this year. Honestly, he is so gifted. His major talent is in his face. Carell can command entire ranges of emotion with the most subtle eye-gaze or mouth smirk. His expressions can emote so much without him even saying a word. Tonight's example, although not his finest but still a good example, was when he tried quoting the Billy Joel song but couldn't finish it because he was in such a sad mood. Just watch that moment and you will have a glimpse of what I'm talking about.


I am such a sucker for the last two minutes of some episodes of The Office. When they wrap it up with a sweet monologue, usually by Michael, played over various shots of the characters, I am reminded of the strength this show is able to flex. And consequently mad about sub-par episodes. Past end moments that happen to come to mind are the end of "Office Olympics" and, I think, "Halloween" in which he hands out candy to kids after having to fire somebody. Both season 2 strangely. Oh! Also, when Jan comes with Astrid (Assturd) and won't let Michael hold her, the episode pans to Michael talking about how much he loves babies and it shows him playing with multiple children. That seriously might be one of my favorite Michael moments ever. I need to find a clip of that. (Update: Couldn't find a clip. Watch the episode on Netflix if you have it. It's called "Baby Shower") ANYWAY, tonight was a great ending as well. It really wrapped everybody up and I found the deck of cards analogy hilarious and spot-on. A great ending. (Watch it here)


-For some reason, when Stanley was talking tonight, he reminded me of Cleveland from Family Guy. Interesting.
-Great awkward Gabe moment. I am really starting to like when he is in scenes, oddly. “Think of your commission cap as a naked old man in a gym locker room.”
-"OK, moving backwards, our IT guys have been Glasses, Turban, Ear Hair, Fatty 3, Shorts, Fatty 2, Lozenge and Fatso."
-“Yes, I have a dream. … I want to own a decommissioned lighthouse. And I want to live at the top. And nobody knows I live there. And there’s a button I can press and launch that lighthouse into space.”
-“Oscar is my Queen. That’s easy, give me a hard one—that’s what Oscar said.”
-And an classic I Hate Toby-line: “Toby is the instruction card you throw away.”


Also, I didn't watch Outsourced but I saw the preview for it and the only joke they showed was Gupta (yes, I am aware of the names sort of) wearing a Pilgrim hat saying "I'm a Pilgrim and an Indian". HAHAHAHA!!!! HE'S BOTH!!!!!