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!!!!! 

NBC Schedule Change

I tried to think of a witty joke modeled in the style of "NBC stands for..." but I couldn't come up with anything and I kept getting sidetracked by thinking about Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross. (Never Be Closing? Numbskulls Burying Community? NWhere Bis CParksandRecreation?) So I'll give up. Either way, NBC announced changes to its lineup and is now extending its comedy block to cover three whole hours. Here's how it affects your weekend.

One of these things is not like the other.

The Good News: 
-Parks and Recreation will return on January 20th in the 8:30 PM CST slot and, in my opinion, this could not happen soon enough. I miss Pawnee, and Ron Swason and even Jerry. Loveable, fat, pants-ripping farting Jerry. 


-Also, 30 Rock was renewed for a sixth season and then subsequently bumped down to the 9 PM CST slot. Sooo I guess that's promising? 


-Community stays where it is as does The Office. 


The Bad News: 
-Outsourced (You know, that show about India?) has apparently become a sentient being and is taking over NBC's comedy ratings (highest rated new program?!). So, yes, it will continue to be around. Luckily it will continue to be last and now at 9:30 PM CST so I won't really have to look at it at all.


The Ehhh News: 
-First, I don't really watch NBC other than on Thursdays and Saturday Night Live so if your favorite show of all time is the Lost-24 lovechild known as The Event, it's coming back in February or something. I'm not really sure. Something is happening to the other shows. Guy Fieri is wearing sunglasses on the back of his neck and yelling at some single mother to stack six water bottles on top of each other on Minute to Win It. Jerry Seinfeld is tarnishing his image on The Marriage Ref. Some Law & Order? I don't know.

Relationships can be challenging AND humorous!

-In between Community and The Office, they are squeezing a new show called Perfect Couples. I have no idea what it's about but let me give you a glimpse. This is the way it is described on NBC's website: "Perfect Couples depicts the misadventures of three engaging couples as they struggle to find out what makes the ideal relationship - and how to maintain it through humorous trial and error." Not only does that description sound like the thesis statement to a C- high school essay, but it also sounds like a lame summary of every sitcom involving relationships ever. Friends and Seinfeld can both fit inside that box. Christ, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia can fit inside that description. Also, the photo to advertise the show is just three couples spooning. Except one looks aggravated, one looks happy and one looks confident. I can't wait to see what's grinding the gears of the aggravated one!


This network is becoming a bad game of Three-card Monte. If NBC took a Scantron test, it would spend ten minutes on the first question nervously erasing and refilling in-between A and B and then just end up going with C. And then it would skip a question to go back to but then off-set all of its subsequent answers by one so it just turns out to be one huge error (More test-taking references to come!). Who is running this network? I understand that ratings are ratings but why are you butchering your lineup. 30 Rock at 10 PM ET?? What? That show used to be at 8:30. Nothing helps an audience find a show better than constantly playing musical chairs with the time slots. Not to mention everything on the other nights is more or less just a shitty reality show. Listen, either be CBS and cater to the masses with three-camera laughtracked sitcoms or nurse the talent you have already. But don't go halfway like you are with Outsourced.

Update: Abbreviated Edition

Once Thursday night hits, it's pretty much off to the races until Monday morning. If this zebra is the weekend, then I am this lion. (I know that analogy doesn't work that well. I guess I'm eating the weekend? Really, I was Google-ing zebras yesterday because I was wondering if anybody ever rides them and then I stumbled upon a lion eating a zebra on a site called animalseatinganimals.com, no joke. And honestly I just wanted to work that image into something I did like jamming the wrong puzzle piece into a jigsaw puzzle just to be done with it already.) Anyway, what I'm saying is that sometimes I'm not really on top of recapping shows on Thursdays until a few days later. So, I won't go in-depth considering it's Tuesday already so I'll just recap things briefly.

Community: Todd VanDerWerff, television critic for the A.V. Club and all-around Community advocate said this was the best episode of the show so far. I don't know if I can jump on that but it was Top Five of a show that has yet to even really have a bad episode. I love the group with all my heart. Lock the group in a room for 22 minutes. You've got yourself a top-tier 'sode bro (That's how I say "episode" now). If you seriously aren't watching Community by now, take the Merlin Season 2 disc out of your DVD player and go buy Community's first season. Trust me.

The Office: If they are going to pursue outside storylines, at least make some headway on the Michael departure or Michael-Holly situation. I don't care about Jim and Pam anymore. I will say, Gabe would do/have/wear everything that Gabe did/had/wore. Also, seeing as this Glee-based episode is probably the easiest segue I will have to mention Glee here, I've been reading that the past few episodes of the show have just been God-awful. I saw those previews for the (and I'm assuming the plot from solely those) serious/emotional/gay kid is bullied/songless episode and they looked morose. Nothing's better than when a show based around musical numbers really digs into the plot. (I am being sarcastic.)

30 Rock: Needs to stop leaning on guest stars. And obnoxious accents. And screwing with my notion of Mad Men characters (Even though I thought John Slattery was funny). Liz-Jack and Tracy-Jenna/Kenneth plots can still entertain me on their own. And as far as story threads are concerned, does anybody even care about their allegiance to the Kabletown merger. I didn't think that was still a thing even. 

Outsourced: Apparently this show is the highest-rated new show on NBC. I don't get it. Who is getting these Nielsen boxes?! Old people and Dane Cook fans? And my friend keeps calling me Gupta from the show as a joke. Nothing's worse than a low-brow Outsourced reference.

Conan: Too soon to tell in my opinion. But what was with the guest line-up last week. Who leads off with Seth Rogen and follows up with Tom Hanks and Jon Hamm (who both better be as awesome in real life as my mind imagines them to be)? But his filmed Standards and Practices bit and the Ted Turner bit are harbingers of unchained comic freedom.

Walking Dead: I really liked the first episode but haven't seen anything since. From what I hear (listening to a single friend), the second episode wasn't as good but apparently it's still worth watching. Sometimes I think I need to get really sick so I can catch up on watching television.

Animation Domination: God, I hate that name for Fox's Sunday night animation lineup. But I still make sure to catch the shows either when they air or on Hulu (Which makes my computer get really loud and hot when I play shows on it. That cannot be good anybody except my slightly warmer crotch.) Am I stupid for still watching Family Guy? I don't care for the stories but I like to watch it for the cutaways and cultural references. Whatever. I am not ashamed. And I've been following Alec Sulkin, a writer for the show, on twitter lately (twitter.com/thesulk) and he is hilarious and makes me want to watch. I don't know. So what, who cares?

Saturday Night Live: Still a SNL loyalist. I guess they are just going to use Jay Pharoah as a crutch for his spot-on impersonations. And I've been seeing a lot more of the new cast than I thought I would. But following that great hosting job from Jon Hamm, I thought Scarlett Johansson sucked (Boooo, short curly hair!). I don't think I liked anything about this show save the Unstoppable trailer and Arcade Fire. Eh, maybe Hollywood Dish too.

Running Wilde: This show is pretty much dead from what I understand. It's getting pushed out by Raising Hope and I don't think it's getting renewed. I am not that surprised. It was kind of doomed to fail. Mitch Hurwitz has cursed himself with his own genius. My thoughts?: Scratching out everybody's comparison to Arrested Development, it is still better written than about 80% of comedies on TV. Watch this and then watch Mike and Molly. And the only person that has ever put out two incredible shows consecutively is Larry David. And you can't be Larry David. It was never going to be Arrested Development because it only has about four or five actual characters. And, not to compare Arrested Development like everybody else, but it's missing a Michael Bluth. There.

I keep seeing but not paying attention to previews for this Glory Daze show. Poor man's Undeclared from what I can tell.

Conan

The decision to put a television in my bedroom growing up probably damaged my frail young psyche or played a part in developing some strange anti-social disorder where I confuse fantasy with reality and will grow up to be someone who wears a lot of weird hats and gloves indoors. However, one incontrovertible result was my obsession with late-night television. This is where I devoured, and subsequently fell in love with, Seinfeld reruns on channel 11 and there were a few years where they played The Simpsons late on channel 30. I flipped between Leno and Letterman and even started to watch a lot of Jerry Springer. Some would say too much Jerry Springer considering I would sometimes remember the more creative chants from the crowd and write them as my away messages on AIM and nod my head in agreement as he gave his final thought. However, it wasn't until I discovered Conan that I had a real reason to stay up. Who cared if I missed an old episode of The Drew Carey Show or didn't catch Jaywalking. But I had to stay up and watch Conan. I would download classic bits like "Seinfeld Auditions" and howl at the recurring "If They Mated" bit. In hindsight, staying up until 1:30 AM probably didn't translate well to my class performance the next day but the constant fatigue and dark circles around my eyes made for a pretty good "Student Zombie and/or Sleepy Kid" costume come Halloween time. Nevertheless, watching Conan that late at night felt like I had stumbled upon some television secret. I can only imagine what it was like to watch him when he first came on the air like some well-funded public access show.

I enjoyed watching Conan on The Tonight Show and was glad he was finally getting the attention he deserved. Still, I think he is at his best when nobody thinks he is the best. He is funniest when he carries his false sense of bravado around and when it seems like nobody is watching, he is able to try out gags that are silly and experimental. Am I glad The Tonight Show fiasco happened? No. But I think Conan is best when he is fighting an uphill battle. Some of his greatest, most ingenious stuff came either when he thought he had no sizable audience in the beginning or when he knew he was on his way out of NBC and started wrecking havoc in defiance (not to mention the rallies, campaigns and TeamCoCo that came as a result).

That's why I think the whole "Hey, it's basic cable"-shtick for his new show on TBS fits him well. Last night, that strange sound coming from offstage during the Lea Michele interview was a perfect example. Conan made some quip about a Meineke muffler shop being next door and he played it off hilariously. That stuff isn't going to happen on The Tonight Show. I really do wish everything hadn't happened the way it did but Conan, without argument, came out on top of the entire situation. He is in the national spotlight more than ever and I hope people follow him over to TBS.

Anyway, the new show:
-I really don't think I can critique the overall show considering it is a nightly talk show and not some television series pilot like the first episode of Lost. It's better to let it find its groove for a week or two and then judge it.
-I thought the cold open was great. Even better than the one he did for The Tonight Show although not as grand in scope as running across the entire country. Handing over a bunch of forks at Burger King instead of Sweet and Sour packets and trying out his monologue as a clown for children was hilarious.
-So he is keeping the beard, eh? That's fine by me.
-"It's 1965, you're 2 years old"..."You're very good looking"
-Has Ricky Gervais ever failed to be funny?
-It will be interesting to see what happens in ratings between Conan and The Daily Show considering A. Jon Stewart just beat Letterman and Leno and B. Stewart and Colbert both made appearances during Conan's summer tour to help out.
-I thought the first show guest lineup was surprisingly B-list overall (Jack White made sense) but tomorrow is Tom Hanks and the next night is Jon Hamm.
-The nutcracker lady walk-through reminded me Vomiting Kermit or FedEx Pope.
-Conan's improvised mid-interview jokes (which I think is his greatest comedic skill and what I find myself laughing out loud at the most) are as funny as they've always been.
-The show has been hyped and a lot of people exploded onto Team CoCo so we will see how this fever pans out. A lot of people started watching him on The Tonight Show but then tuned out until his job was all of a sudden in jeopardy. But, for now, I think this will be good.

Eastbound and Down

"Chapter 13"


Well, this is embarrassing. When I watched Eastbound and Down last week, I thought it was the season finale. And I wasn't the only one. But really, Kenny left Mexico to return to North Carolina last week. It kind of made sense as a finale. Plus, last season was six episodes in the tradition of the British sitcom format so I figured this one as well. However, to my delighted surprise, I saw that my HAL-like DVR had taken the reins and was geared up to record another Eastbound and Down on Sunday night. Well, it looks like somebody just found a half-hour to shave off of their nightly macramé session.


I am still trying to figure out if I care about Kenny making a return to baseball or not. Even if he does somehow climb his way back into the majors, the glory will most likely be fleeting at best. Plus, I think the creators of the show are going to be careful about giving Kenny too much of what he wants because, as great as he is too watch, somebody like him usually ends up losing in the end. Everything that has happened in this series, especially the promises of professional league play, have been tinted with the notion of too-good-to-be-true. Did anybody in their right mind really believe Kenny could maintain the high he achieved a few episodes before everything came crashing down. Yet, if he makes it back to the mound or not, I can certainly say that I will be along for the ride with HBO renewing the show for a third (and most likely final) season.


Also, I don't really care all the much for April. Disregarding her Al Roker weight loss after the series premiere, I just kind of find her annoying. I'm pretty sure its her voice. And speaking of supporting characters, I really hope next season contains the North Carolina cast a lot more. With Dustin, Clegg, Cutler, etc., the show is just more varied. Mexico had some new friends to offer us but they were mostly just straight players to Kenny's persona.


Let me also say this: Eastbound and Down has the greatest music on television. While not only its songs are well chosen, they are perfectly matched with the action on screen. You will find this in every episode (especially when Kenny rides his jetski). Remember the final moments of that episode where Kenny is riding around on the roller coaster with Vida. The music playing during that scene was hauntingly used. Find that scene and watch it if you haven't.


-The Stevie within his own house is a rare but welcomed Stevie. The disgusted sneer he was giving his new in-laws (while making keyboard music apparently?) and his anger at answering his own door were hilarious departures from his usual passivity.
-Why did Jerry Minor have only a few lines?
-I've always thought Dustin was an odd choice as Kenny's brother purely from a physical stand-point. Not only does he have a weird scrappy body but that notion that he could be related to Kenny is a stretch. But that's probably because I look at him different after watching him play Sol Starr on Deadwood.
-"I literally can't talk to her. She doesn't speak English."
-"Let me know when you find Bin Laden. I've got champagne on ice."
-"That's love. It's better to be strangled by a necklace of Mexicans than not to be strangled at all".
-“You got some sort of ‘Reverse Benjamin Button’ thing going on?”
-“I hope you know there were a lot of rapes that happened in this house.”
-“Oddly enough, Mexicans aren’t too different from us once you get past the lack of interest in real sports and need to have yellow rice at every fuckin’ meal.”
-“Love. Is. The. Best. Gift. Ever.”

Community/30 Rock/The Office

Community


"The Aerodynamics of Gender"


Tonight's episode pursued some unusual pairings. Abed teamed up with the girls while Troy and Jeff found a secret Zen-inducing trampoline in a secret garden. And Pierce was his old regular self. It was interesting to see how different dynamics played out and I think it worked overall. However, I would be doing the episode a disservice if I didn't mention its two guest stars. A. Hilary Duff was apparently in the episode but I only saw her for about two scenes. I guess if you aren't an animated Disney tween on the awkward cusp of puberty, you just can't get much screen time. B. The always underrated Matt Walsh was perfect as the secret gardener/surprising racist ("Guess that's what I get for trusting some black guy" plus Troy's delayed reaction). I'm not really into plot summary so I'm just going to rattle off my various thoughts on the episode.


-"If we say nobody, are you going to stab us with your bush scissors?"
-"I'm gonna slit your butts' throats."
-"Tell me how to get this laid-back, or I'll kill your families!"
-Senor Chang is establishing himself as a Nelson Muntz-type character that haunts the periphery of each episode.
-I watched this episode last night around midnight after a very long and tiring day and also while consuming an embarrassing amount of White Castle, so I might have been impaired, but Brita and Annie looked a lot hotter than usual in this episode. Like, SkyMall model hot.


30 Rock


"Gentleman's Intermission"


As opposed to the other NBC shows, 30 Rock has never really relied too heavily on storylines either within the episodes themselves or throughout the entire season. Essentially, the plots are more or less skeletal structures on which the writer's can hang snappy one-liners and quips. And that's the show's appeal so I find nothing wrong with it. However, I judge the episodes on these lines and less on how the story unfolds. So, here are some of my favorites quotes.


-"If I won an Oscar everyone would have to respect me. My obituary would read Oscar-winner, instead of children's soccer heckler."
-"Three time Tony ... Shalhoub sex partner”.
-"I'm wearing a Duane Reade bag as underwear".
-"Telephone etiquette is important. It lets people know your race even when they can't see you."
-"I played Arts and Literature in the film adaptation of Trivial Pursuit"
-"I don't know any of my lines!" --Tracy "playing" Prince Hal in Central Park's Henry IV
-"I was gonna take a class called Cooking For One, but the teacher killed himself."
-"Hey Liz Lemon, can I use your office to Google myself" "Sure" "Can I use your computer?" "How else would you do it?"

The Office


"Christening"


This episode had a feel in the same vein as "Niagara" and "Phyllis' Wedding" essentially taking everybody out of the office and into a different setting. I guess the question is, how does that change the comedy? It certainly signals an important moment as far as the characters are concerned (getting married, baptized, departures a la "Beach Games", a personal favorite) but it also takes away from the office antics on which the foundation of the show was built. However, given that this is the show's seventh season, there are only so many Office Olympics to be held and pranks on Dwight to be played. 


It is clear that Steve Carell is the most talented actor on the show. His subtle expressions and impeccable delivery are unrivaled not only on the show but across the medium. How he has not won an Emmy for his performance is beyond me and I can only hope he does so for his final season. However, I often debate with myself (masdebation as I call it) on whether Ed Helms or Rainn Wilson come in second as far as acting chops are concerned. But when Michael and Andy were both simultaneously panicking as the reality of  their mission trip set in on the bus, I think I'm gonna have to give the honors to Ed Helms. One of my favorite examples to back this up? In "New Leads", when Andy is playing hot-and-cold (is that the name of that game?) with Erin at her desk as he nervously misinterprets her signals.


And of course, as always, the cold open was hilarious as Dwight sadly makes good on his immune system claim. Watching him eat the toast that Andy sneezed on was a perfect ending.


Also, CeCe wearing an Arcade Fire t-shirt. Come on, Jim. Don't be like that. Your dad already apparently has a beard. You don't need to be dressing your children in hipster shirts to prove your youth to us.


-"Scooch. Before I shoot you in the head"
-"CeCe is turning out to be a little B-I-T-C-H"
-"Sometimes, Michael. Sometimes."
“It’s Dwight from the vestibule.”
-"I think that was Sconesy Cider. Noted baptism reception critic."
-"You're mean girls. Like the movie Mean Girls" (The second allusion to that movie tonight after Community's episode.
-"Just a heads up. I'm going to be borrowing some things..." (I can't explain why but I think that was my favorite line of the 'sode a.k.a episode.

Quick Recap

For all those interested, I was in Los Angeles for the past five days Don Draper-ing it up in the City of Angels (While some may use that reference as an allusion to sleeping with exotic women and possessing an overpowering masculinity, I use it mainly to quantify cigarettes smoked, Scotch consumed and false identities unveiled). Anyway, so if anybody's interested, I have some television to catch up on. But here is where I stand on this past week..

Eastbound and Down: So we get the season finale of our second installment from Kenneth Powers. First, I should say that Danny McBride and Co. intended ideally for this show to be done in three seasons and HBO just recently picked it up for a third. Therefore, I assume they wrote the last episode unsure of whether or not it would be the last of the series. Either way, I think it wrapped up nicely but, in my opinion, almost too nicely. Surely there are pitfalls ahead.

Boardwalk Empire: I have missed the last few episodes of this show and need to catch up. Honestly, it's been awhile since I've watched an HBO drama in the week-to-week format as opposed to the DVD cram-everything-into-three-days format so I'm finding it a bit difficult to tolerate the slow pace.

SNL: I still watch SNL. Mostly on Hulu or DVR but still a fan. This show, like The Simpsons, was one of the first television comedy programs I watched constantly from a young age and thus I feel obligated to still give it my time considering reruns of SNL on Comedy Central were basically a third parent for me growing up. Sadly I watched last week's episode with Jon Hamm in real time at home (something which I haven't done since the early Will Ferrell days). Let me say this, Jon Hamm is the best host this show has had in forever. He is the new Tom Hanks or Alec Baldwin of SNL. Also, Jay Pharoah is fucking talented. Granted, each sketch he has appeared in has basically been a forum for his dead on impressions but that's fine by me. I have never seen anybody do a Denzel Washington impression, much less knock it out of the park like he does. Also, the Back to the Future auditions were owned by everybody who was in it. Especially Bill Hader's Alan Alda.

In future news, at the request of everybody from my close friends to the tailor at my local haberdashery, I have started to watch Modern Family. In proper style, I'm starting with Season 1 and working my way to current episodes. Nevertheless, give me a body pillow, my laptop, a Polar Pop filled with Diet Mountain Dew, a catheter and a ration of Bagel Bites appropriate to feed an entire Kindergarten class and I will be caught up in a matter of days. My initial thoughts: The joke/minute ratio is not as high as The Office or 30 Rock but I think this could easily be one of the funnier shows on television.