Poppa's Two-Cents

My Quick Thoughts on Happy Endings: "Everybody Loves Grant"

2012-02-15T22:15:00.000-06:00

There have been episodes of Happy Endings that had me rolling with laughter, and there have been some that didn't hit the mark, but "Everybody Loves Grant" was the first one to make me feel uncomfortable from start to finish. God bless James Wolk for having the be the center of one of the craziest, all of the place installments to date. He was such a good sport for putting up with what he had to.

I know that some of this shows charm is the fact that it's about a group of friends who aren't necessarily the nicest people in the world, but their antics tonight were a little too much to handle. After a while, everyone fawning over Grant got annoying, and the fight between Penny, Jane and Brad about couples dating and cheating was grating right off the bat and just spiraled out of control towards the end of it all. I can see how these scenes should have been funny, but it all became a clusterfrick of cluelessness, insensitivity and shallowness. Those are not the kinds of qualities I look in characters that I'm supposed to care about.

Max's insecurities about dating someone better than him was also a pretty cliched moment, but it did make him more human because I'm sure many of us have had similar thoughts before. His self-doubt was also responsible for one of the stronger elements of the episode which were the scenes between him and Alex. I'm starting to see this pairing as one of the strongest of the bunch because Adam Pally and Elisha Cuthbert work so well together, but their characters also feel like their kindred spirits. When these two are together, it's pretty much guaranteed laughter. Also, his need to find a fault in Grant may have been childish, but it did lead to the best moment which was when Grant lost it and admitted that he's needy but likes the fact that Max doesn't care what people think of him. Good stuff from Wolk and Pally.

Dave's need to be the cool guy of the group also came off as kind of desperate, but that was apparently the theme of the night. I have a bad feeling that people will point to this storyline as another example of how Zachary Knighton's the weakest link, and it would be hard to argue, but I still think Dave has a lot of potential. The writer's just need to figure out how to use him better.

Lines of the Night:

"We'll be the friendliest people he's ever 'met.' Damn it!"
"Para hoy!"
"I don't care who sees this."
"I can't help it, I love the sound of bones crunching. I feel like a god. I can destroy life."
"Why is he still wearing his shirt?"
"Grant-astic Voyage!"
Grant: "Max, I am not strong like you are. I care too much of what people think of me. You don't care about anything, and I'm so lucky to have you, but I can't try to impress your friends anymore."
Max: "Grant, you don't have to try impress my friends. You've already won me over, who cares what these idiots think?"
"IMPENETRABLE!"

I'm not ready to declare that "Everybody Loves Grant" was the worst episode yet because they're are a few from Season 1 vying for that title, but it was one of the weaker ones which is shame since "St. Valentine's Day Maxssacre" was so strong. I did laugh more tonight than I did during Cougar Town, so at least I can still claim that it's still the funniest comedy on ABC.

My Newest Hobby: "The Small Screen Podcast," Episode 20: Quirky Girls SMASH-ing THE WALKING DEAD

2012-02-15T19:26:00.002-06:00

"The Small Screen Podcast" is back for Episode 20. After a week off, Kristal and I are back to talk about Super Bowl commercials, the renewal of Syfy's Being Human, the last season of FOX's House, and of course what we've been watching and what we're looking forward to. Check out the episode breakdown if you're afraid of spoilers.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start - 1:10

Super Bowl Commercials: 1:11 - 3:24

TV News: 3:25 - 12:14

Being Human Renewed for 3rd Season: 3:25 - 5:13
Final Season of House: 5:14 - 12:14

What We're Watching: 12:15 - 30:26

Smash: 12:15 - 17:22
The Voice: 17:23 - 20:15
SNL with Zooey Deschanel: 20:16 - 25:54
The Walking Dead: 25:55 - 30:26

What We're Looking Forward To: 30:27 - 33:15

Cougar Town: 30:27 - 31:56
SNL with Maya Rudolph: 31:57 - 33:15

Closing: 33:16 - End

Check out the episode below, or download it over at iTunes:

For more, follow us on Twitter:

Kristal: @kristal_bailey

Marcos: @poppas2cents

My Quick Thoughts on Raising Hope: "Jimmy's Fake Girlfriend"

2012-02-15T09:07:00.000-06:00

Raising Hope is a show that I stared watching from the beginning since it followed Glee, but it's kind of fallen off of my radar now that it's been pushed back by a half-hour because I find myself doing other things after New Girl ends. I do try to keep up with it as much as possible, and I was really glad that I tuned in for "Jimmy's Fake Girlfriend."

One of the challenges that this show has is being able to balance the blue-collar humor with the genuine heart, and I'll admit that I tend to tune out when it relies too heavily on the first part, but Raising Hope can be one of the better sitcoms on TV when it nails the emotional beats. The reason why "Jimmy's Fake Girlfriend" worked so well was because it laid off the poor people jokes and dialed up the heart.

Jimmy has been pining after Sabrina for a season and a half now, so it seemed appropriate that the Valentine's Day episode would be the one where he made his big move. Like the episode title suggests, Jimmy decided to hire an actress from an improv group to pose as his girlfriend as a way to make Sabrina jealous, and it worked a little too well because she dumped her boyfriend after a double date.

Now, the set up was a classic sitcom trope that we've seen a million times over, so there wasn't anything particularly special about it, but Raising Hope zigged instead of zagged. Other shows may have kept the lie going for a little while longer, but Jimmy decided to come clean with Sabrina almost immediately, and the way he did it (having the improv group chronicle their friendship) was pitch perfect. Sure, their relationship may have started off because of a lie, but I'm willing to overlook that for now because things just felt right after "Fake Girlfriend."

Jimmy and Sabrina will not be added to the Mt. Rushmore of "Will They, Won't They" Couples, but their journey has been fun without being annoying up until this point. I hope now that they're finally together that it sticks because the last thing this show needs is the tired on-again, off-again crutch, but will have to see. Regardless, "Jimmy's Fake Girlfriend" was a new chapter for Raising Hope, and let's cross our fingers for more in our future.

My Quick Thoughts on Cougar Town: "Ain't Love Strange"

2012-02-15T00:05:00.000-06:00

While I'm glad that Cougar Town is finally back, the Season 3 premiere was not as strong as I was expecting it to be. When it comes to 30 minute comedies, my criteria is pretty simple: make me laugh. Sure, it's nice to have some character moments and plot, but with sitcoms that jokes are what count. "Ain't Love Strange" was light on the laughs.

Since day one I've had a problem with the female characters on this show, and it doesn't look like that's going to change anytime soon. As much as I try, I cannot muster any care for Jules, so the fact that so much of this episode was focused on her and her relationship with Grayson was not a good start. Sure, they had some sweet moments that made up for the weaker ones, but she's so grating that I'm not interested in her happiness, but I do like Grayson so I'm torn.

Ellie and Andy's struggle with their son was another storyline that missed its mark because once again I don't know what I should care about them as parents since this show has pretty much ignored that fact for so long now. Last season, the kid was only used as a prop for silly sight gags, and now we're supposed to take them seriously as parents? I don't think so. As for Laurie's involvement, I like Busy Phillips but her character can be a chore to watch but can also be brilliant, and I didn't think she was well used this time around.

The only bright spot for me was the C-plot about Bobby and Travis. Towards the end of Season 2, the only reason I kept watching Cougar Town was the boys, so any time spent on just them is time well spent in my book. The father/son moments between these two are the right combination of sweet and zany, and adding a green screen only made things better. They were also responsible for the best moment of the night: when Travis put his arm around Bobby after Grayson's proposal. I'll say it again, just give me a Mantherville spin-off and I'll be happy.

I don't want it sound like I'm no longer a fan of this show because I am, but that doesn't mean that I don't struggle with certain aspects. No matter how hard the writers try, I'm not going to find Jules, Ellie and Laurie funny, but it's an ensemble so I'm in as long as we get some healthy doses of the guys, and I'm sure we will.

My Two-Cents on Glee: "Heart"

2012-02-14T23:52:00.000-06:00

"Silly Love Songs" was one of the better episodes of Season 2, so "Heart" already had an up-hill climb ahead of it. While I will say that it was entertaining and a vast improvement over "The Spanish Teacher," this year's Valentine's Day themed extravaganza had me wondering whether or not it was necessary.

Regionals are just around the corner, and once again New Directions was not prepared for one of their biggest performances of the year. This time they needed to raise money for costumes and hairspray, so of course Schue thought it would be a good idea for them to run around school singing to people for donations. After some protests (and a reminder of what happened last time they sang for money), Sugar Motta fronted the cash and announced that she's throwing a big V-day party. She even invited her teammates but stipulated that they needed to bring dates since single people bum her out, and cue the insanity.

Even though Sugar herself was single, she knew that she would be asked out by someone, and it turned out that the someone was either going to be Rory or Artie. After a montage of scenes where Irish and Wheels tried to one-up the other with gifts, Artie took the lead by singing her a love song, but our favorite leprechaun was not out of it yet because he told everyone that his student visa was not renewed so he'd be heading back to Ireland at the end of the school year. Sugar was so upset by the news that she agreed to go to her party with Damian, but he might be hiding something from her and the rest of the glee club.

Initially, I thought that the brief feud between Rory and Artie over Sugar was worth a few laughs, but it quickly made an odd turn that took me out of the story. First, there's no way in the world that Artie would be able to date Tina, Brittany and Sugar. I can suspend disbelief while watching Glee, but that's something that I could not buy no matter how smooth Kevin McHale can sing. Not only was that a deal breaker, but it looks like Rory's going to be the next victim of Ryan Murphy's need to turn nice guys into complete assholes because it looks like he was only using his deportation as a way to convince Sugar to go out with him. I even saw this move coming when he sang "Home," but I was hoping that the writers wouldn't take it in that direction, but of course they did because this is Glee.

Since love was in the air, Finn and Rachel decided to announced their engagement to the entire glee club since it was no longer a secret because their parents found out thanks to Kurt. At first, it looked like Rachel's dads, Burt and Carol were supportive of the union, and they even suggested that they start the cohabitation process early. It was obvious that all of the understanding that was being shown was a ruse, and the adults thought that Finn and Rachel would quickly realize how hard it would be for them to live together, and they would call of the wedding. It was working at first because the happy couple got in a fight over the bathroom which led to a more heated argument about how they envisioned their lives in New York. The lovebirds were able to make up by the end of the episode much to the dismay of Mr. and Mr. Berry.

As soon as Jeff Goldblum and Brian Stokes Mitchell showed up on stage with a piano, it was clear that they were up to something which made this entire plot line kind of anti-climactic. The whole reverse psychology bit is so worn out that I was a little insulted that Glee went there. What was even worse was the fact that Rachel's dads even discussed how it was a bad idea but still went through with it, which is how I imagine the writers room is when they're breaking stories for this show. Oh well, let's just move on.

There were other crazy love stories going on in the halls of McKinley. Apparently, the idea of serenading students was not totally a bad idea because the God Squad (a Christian student group consisting of Mercedes, Quinn, Sam and new guy) ran with it. Everything was going along fine until Santana asked them to sing a love song to Brittany since she blamed Christians for being uncomfortable by their displays of affection and complaining to Principal Figgins. The God Squad wasn't sure if they should sing to a lesbian couple because it could offend new guy and the random choir that accompanied them, but by the end everything was right in the world because new guy figured that love was love.

Really, this storyline was introduced to push the Samcedes love triangle forward, which it did for the most part, and I was glad that it didn't end with a happy ending. Mercedes was right, what she and Sam did was not cool, and they ended up hurting someone else, so it would have been insensitive for them to pair up right then and there. I'm sure they're going to eventually end up together, but I'm OK with them cooling off for a bit, which I know contradicts what I said last week, but get over it.

The God Squad subplot was also just an excuse to introduce Samuel Larsen as Joe Hart AKA Teen Jesus. Anyone who watched The Glee Project pretty much knew that he was going to be the Christian character that Ryan Murphy's been talking about for a while now, so the way he was brought in to the show wasn't surprising, but I was a little let down by it all. This episode introduced some really interesting ideas about the beliefs of socially progressive Christians, and the double standards that exists between straight couples and gay couples, but they were pretty much ignored in favor of a silly pissing contest between Rory and Artie. I would have much rather watched Glee explore these subjects instead of Sugar getting increasingly lavish gifts, and I hope that they revisit them, but I've said that before about this show.

On the Music Front: The standout number of the night had to be Amber Riley's unintentional homage to the late Whitney Houston. "I Will Always Love You" is one of the few Whitney songs that I know, and I felt that Riley did an amazing job. Other highlights were Asian Fusion's version of "L-O-V-E" and Damian's take on Michael Buble's "Home." I even liked the God Squad's "Stereo Hearts," which was a song I hadn't heard of before tonight. "Love Shack" was fun, but it cut into crucial storytelling time that could've been used to flesh out the Brittana sub-plot

Other Odds and Ends:

Tina really is only kept around for information dumps.
Sugar was nuts this episode, and I loved every second of it. She's really started to grow on me.
Lying aside, I did kind of liked badass Rory.
And apparently chicks really do dig accents. I need to start working on one.
When are people going to stop taking it seriously when random gospel choirs and/or bands just show up out of nowhere? How else are they going to explain the music that's playing?
I'm so glad Chord Overstreet's back. His rap was dorkishly charming.
The conversation between the students about gays and God would have been so much better if it was given time to breathe and grow.
Did Glee just out the apostle Simon? I thought outing people is wrong!
Although the Leviticus argument's kind of played out.
Lube. Ha!
I almost forgot about Kurt's D-plot that was shoehorned in. It was decent enough, and it was clear that Karofsky was his secret admirer, but this one also ended way too soon. Maybe it's because I'm a fan of Kurtofsky, but I really hope they revisit this story somewhere along the way.
Quick side note: Greek's Aaron Hill (Beaver!) just showed up, and he was one of two CRU alums to pop up on Fox show's this week (Clarke Duke also guested on New Girl). Now, we just need for Cappie to pop in on Raising Hope.
$200 to Panda Express! Score!
"Teen lesbians!"
"Well, three of us are in glee club, so we pretty much sing to gay people all the time."
"How come we never do this?"
"Honesty, respect, dance. Those are the foundations of the Berry family."

I'm not going to say that "Heart" was a bad installment of Glee because it did have some genuinely entertaining moments, but I can't shake the feeling that it was just another wasted opportunity. Some of the most important parts of this episode were tossed aside for superficial moments and musical numbers. Maybe I should be used to this by now, but I've never been upset by this lack of focus until tonight. I just wonder what that means for the future of this show and my affection for it.

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My Two-Cents on Justified: "Thick as Mud"

2012-02-14T22:10:00.000-06:00

I've talked about how one of Justified's strengths is its ability to successfully combine serialized elements with more procedural ones, and "Thick as Mud" was an example of this gift even though it was by far one of the show's most surreal episodes that involved nurses, urban legends and carpetbaggers.

At the end of "The Devil You Know," Lance the prison nurse had Dewey Crowe drugged up and ready to be operated on in a seedy motel room, and "Thick as Mud" picked up from there. You see, Lance had removed Dewey's kidneys and told him that he had plans to sell the organs on the black market, but he'd be willing to see them back to Dewey if he was able to come up with $20,000 in four hours. In order to get the money in time, Dewey had to go on a crime spree, but Raylan and Rachel were on his trail. Raylan visited Ash in the hospital so he could get information on Lance's operation, and while he was there he met a nurse named Layla who ended up being Lance's girlfriend/partner. When he visited her to see if she had anything to do with what happened to Dewey, Lance drugged him and planned on removing Raylan's kidneys for real this time (he only made Crowe think that he had taken his). Before Lance could do the deed, Layla shot him for some reason, and she was about to do the same to Givens, but he was able to get a shot off first.

While Raylan was out chasing Dewey Crowe and organ thieves, Boyd had to deal with the ramifications of Devil's betrayal and ultimate death. Crowder figured that Devil's actions were a sign of someone bigger and badder than him moving in on his territory, so he was determined to smoke them out. His first move was to coerce a dirty doctor into giving him the Dixie Mafia's Oxycontin supply, and his second was to beat up the guy who got Devil all turned around in the first place. Apparently, Boyd's messages were effective because Quarles showed up to have a sit down with him. The man from Detroit suggested that they form a partnership as a way to make even more money, but Boyd wasn't having it because he knew that meant that his crew would end up doing all of the work while Quarles and the Dixie Mafia made all of the money.

At first, I wasn't sold on "Thick as Mud" because it took a weird slasher/horror turn with the whole stolen kidney plot. The move felt like it was out of left field, and it didn't seem like the kind of story Justified would usually tell because of its inherently over-the-top nature. The thing is, the show made it work because of the dark humor that was involved which is something that this show uses really well. Had the episode taken this storyline seriously, it wouldn't have worked as well, so the fact that they were in on the joke was refreshing.

What this episode also did well was kick off the inevitable showdown between Boyd Crowder and Mr. Quarles. Up until this point we've only been getting hints about what was coming, but that face-to-face was a clear war council, and things are about to get intense in Harlan. What is going to make this situation even better is how Raylan is going to get caught in the middle.

Other Odds and Ends:

Psych's Maggie Lawson guest starred as Layla, and boy was she good. She had crazy chemistry with Timothy Olyphant, and part of me wishes Psych wraps up soon so she can somehow be brought back to Justified on a regular basis. One can dream.
Ava's quickly becoming one of this show's MVPs.
I know that I haven't been overly impressed by the Quarles character, but that scene between him and Boyd was great.
We didn't get too much of Limehouse this week except for the two scenes that bookended the episode, and from the looks of it he's definitely up to something.
Usually, I can pick up on twists before they happen, but I did not see that ending coming.
"Did I blink?"
"You're just dying to smash something, aren't ya?"
"The way I see this thing is you're in between a rock and a much, much harder rock ..."
"It's best you not blaspheme in here Raylan. Apparently, the owner takes that real serious."
"Honey, if I started arresting people for committing adultery, I'd never make it home for supper."

While I'm not going to advocate that Justified needs more of these surreal episodes to be entertaining because this show works best when it's rooted in a believable reality, but "Thick as Mud" was a very entertaining detour that was able to keep everything on track at the same time.

My TV Report Card: Week of February 5

2012-02-13T20:13:00.003-06:00

Now that February sweeps are in full effect, pretty much every show had new episodes, so it was a busy television watching week. Without further ado, here's this week's TV Report Card:

Monday
How I Met Your Mother: "The Burning Beekeeper"

Usually, when How I Met Your Mother plays with time and structure we're in for a half-way decent episode. Not this time around. Having everything split up into three sections and jumping back and forth wasn't cute or groundbreaking, but it made everything feel messy and chaotic. Add to that the fact that nothing really happened during the entire 20 minutes, and you've got one of the worst episodes this show's ever produced. Ever! I don't think I can even muster any more animosity towards it because it would just be a waste of my time, and I'd hate to lose any more to this travesty. Worst episode ever!

GRADE: F

2 Broke Girls: "And the Blind Spot"

You know it's a bad sign when Oleg's the funniest part of an episode, but that's all I could think about while watching "And the Blind Spot." Yes, it's true that he's still a crude caricature, but at least his sex-driven deviance makes me laugh from time to time which is more than I can say about the rest of the show. The writing is still lazy and the characters too broad for my liking. Even the central relationship between Max and Caroline's starting to bore me, and even the tease of them becoming an actual couple has lost its appeal. Hopefully, the opening scene burst that bubble once and for all. Really, I don't have much else to write about this episode because it was underwhelming at best.

GRADE: D+

Being Human: "(I Loathe You) For Sentimental Reasons"

So far I'm liking about 2/3 of Season 2 of Being Human. I pretty much enjoy it any time Sally shows up on my screen, and while I thought that her reincarnation story and the one about Zoe dating a ghost were a little silly, they were there to set up her possession addiction which could be interesting. I'm still a fan of Josh's, and I'm excited to see if the brother and sister wolves will be playing a substantial role during the rest of the season. Aidan's still the weakest link, and I'm kind of bored by the whole Boston family plot, but at least we're finding more about his bond with Suren. I'm still entertained by the story up to date, but it still has a way to go before it becomes something greater.

GRADE: B-

Castle: "The Blue Butterfly"

I have to give it to Castle, "The Blue Butterfly" wasn't your typical episode, and I'm glad that this show will deviate from the norm every once in a while to give us a purely joyful outing like this one. That being said, "Butterfly" wasn't perfect. For the life of me I cannot remember what the case-of-the-week was, I think it had something to do with treasure hunters, but that detail really didn't matter because it never does. While, "The Blue Butterfly" was fun, it didn't make a major impact in regards to the overall story, although it could be argued that the case may have pushed Rick and Kate closer together, but that's been the problem with the entire season. We get little nudges towards the end game, but not enough to keep things rolling, so in the end this episode was a good time but didn't mean all that much.

GRADE: B

Smash: "Pilot"

Since I'm a sucker for stories about underdogs striving towards their dreams, I thought I was going to be won over by Smash after the first second (I actually hated the opening moments thanks to Kat McPhee's version of "Over the Rainbow"). Unfortunately, I cannot say that I was because I found the pilot episode somewhat lackluster. I didn't care about any of the characters, and I cannot see myself investing the time and energy into their stories, so I'm wondering what's going to keep me around. Admittedly, I am interested in the concept of a behind the scenes show about Broadway, but that may not be enough if I cannot muster any emotion towards the people inhabiting this world. Now, I'll be giving the show some time to grow, but it's already on a short leash.

GRADE: C-

Lost Girl: "Faetal Attraction"

I think I'm starting to lose interest in the "police procedural with a twist" genre because I should've liked "Faetal Attraction" more than I did. While I'm not going to complain about an episode of television that puts a beautiful woman like Bo in the middle of a menage, everything else in this episode felt a little lazy. I did like the idea of the furies, but it felt like a wasted opportunity, and the crazy girl who became obsessed with Bo was also a miss in my opinion because we've seen it so many times before. Even Dyson, who I saw a lot of potential in, kinda irked me due to his therapy sessions. I suppose "Faetal Attraction" had its good parts, but they were overshadowed by the stuff that's become tired and cliched.

GRADE: C+

Tuesday
Glee: "The Spanish Teacher"

When I watched "The Spanish Teacher" live, I couldn't help but think that it was the worst episode of Glee ever, and this was coming from someone who can usually pick out the good in the messiest of installments. It made me long for the days when Will was a broken but good man and not the complete jackass that he's become, and he pretty much ruined it for me. After watching it again, I realized that everything that was going on around Will wasn't that bad, but his ineptitude and attitude couldn't help but permeate everything else. It's clear that Glee has a Will Schuester problem, and it needs to fix it fast or this show will be doomed. Heck, I can even see a Glee without Will, and I'm predicting that New Directions will lost at Nationals and he'll be fired by the end of the season. Boom, problem solved.

GRADE: D+

New Girl: "The Landlord"

Apparently, threesomes were the theme of the week because New Girl also dipped its toe in the group grope pool. To be honest, all I can remember about this episode was Jess, Nick and the landlord and how they almost ended up sleeping together because Jess and Nick didn't want to admit that they were wrong. It's true that this idea is Sitcom Writing 101, but it was an effective way to show how these two think about one another (although having Nick be willing to go the distance after establishing that he's in a relationship with Julia felt out of place, and I wonder if this episode was supposed to air earlier.) Schmidt's story about misreading signals was also worth a few laughs. "The Landlord" wasn't the show's best, but it was still funny enough to keep me happy.

GRADE: B

Justified: "The Devil You Know"

The first couple of episodes of Justified have felt like formalities. They were around to introduce the season's MacGuffin (Mags' money) and all of the players who are grabbing for power in Harlan County. Not only do we have Boyd and his crew, but now we have to keep track of Quarles, Limehouse and Dickie. After watching "The Devil You Know," it felt like the show's finally ready to start moving towards the prize because we have a better understanding of why Quarles is in Kentucky and how it's going to affect Boyd's operation, and of course Raylan's going to get all caught up in the middle of it all. I for one cannot wait for things to get going because I've been a little bored by all of the talk about the money, but thankfully Boyd's been around to keep things entertaining.

GRADE: B+

Wednesday
Modern Family: "Me? Jealous?"

I don't know what to say about this week's Modern Family except that it was OK but nothing special. I suppose having the combinations mixed up for a little while was decent enough, and I was glad to see Cam and Gloria hit a rough patch since they tend to get along so swimmingly, but everything else was mediocre. Well, I take that back. I did enjoy watching the Dunphy kids act like actual siblings for once, and Betty Luke was a fun little sight gag, but even that story felt a little half baked thanks to the whole Big Brothers, Big Sisters angle. "Me? Jealous?" had a few chuckles sprinkled in, but I still found myself questioning why this is the "best" comedy on television today, but even my reactions are nothing new at this point ... just like this show.

GRADE: C+

Happy Endings: "The St. Valentine's Day Maxssacre"

Say what you will about Happy Endings, but one thing that this show does well is holiday episodes, and "The St. Valentine's Day Maxssacre" was the perfect example of this talent. Pretty much everything worked during this one from Brad's drugged out antics, to Alex's obsession with Valentine's Day and finding someone love, to Max and Grant's kiss at the end of the episode. The only parts that didn't click 100% were Penny and Dave's because the former was trying too hard with the "breakup window," and that latter didn't make much sense to me (Dave has never come off as a threesome kind of guy). Even then, that's me being nit-picky because "Maxssacre" was as close to perfect as this show can get.

GRADE: A

Thursday
30 Rock: "Hey, Baby, What's Wrong?"

As you can tell from my write-up for this episode, I didn't laugh at all ... not even once. I may have chuckled towards the end, but by that point I had already written off this episode. I will come clean and admit that I wasn't paying 100% attention to what was going on, but what I did pick up on wasn't all that funny. It's starting to feel like Criss was a misfire, and their trip to IKEA should have been funnier than it was, but that's probably because I've only been to that store twice and I didn't get most of the jokes. Also, Jack's sexual tension with Avery's mother felt icky, and I don't even want to waste time on the Jenna/Pete and Tracy/Frank/Lutz nonsense. The only bright spot was the page from Bob's Burgers. That's about it.

GRADE: D-

The Vampire Diaries: "Dangerous Liaisons"

Is it just me or has The Vampire Diaries started to repeat itself? It seems like the only things these characters do is fight, go to social events, and fight at social events. Take "Dangerous Liaisons" for example. Once again Elena did something that upset one of the Salvatores which pitted them against one another while at some fancy party where supernatural events took place. Oh, and Damon found himself falling into bed with someone who wasn't Elena because that's what he does. See, that's pretty much every other episode of this show. At least we didn't have to be bored by Bonnie, and I am intrigued by the idea of Caroline and Klaus becoming a thing, but that's because she's the only character that doesn't bore me. To be fair, "Liaisons" wasn't bad, but it felt like that same thing over and over again. Just kill the Originals already so we can move on to something else.

GRADE: C+

Archer: "Drift Problem"

Maybe it was because that we didn't get any traditional spy action, but I thought that "Drift Problem" was only OK. Sure, Sterling getting all giddy about his new car was great, as was his fight with the "Genie," but the fact that Malory ended up being the one who took it in order to teach him a lesson was tired and unimpressive. It just felt particularly sit-commy for a show that pride's itself on being edgy. Even Pam's secret life as a drift racer was only worth a few laughs, but there wasn't enough there to completely win me over. Again, the episode was decent enough, but it wasn't on the same level as the best Archer has to offer.

GRADE: B-

Friday
Nikita: "Rouge"

There was a time when I thought that Nikita was going to be the next big thing, and while it's still an entertaining show, Season 2 has not been as strong as its predecessor. I did enjoy seeing some of Nikita's backstory during "Rogue," but making the person who helped get her clean be a part of Division felt a little tacky. Having every aspect of her life be affected by Percy seems too easy and predictable, but oh well. I'm still not really enjoying Alex's arc this season and the Anastasia parallels are too blatant for my tastes. Fonseca's horrible Russian accent doesn't help matters either, but I'll give her a pass for obvious reasons. I'm still a fan of Nikita, but it needs to avoid becoming another action/spy show that's handcuffed by cliches because that's where I it's headed.

GRADE: B-

Grimm: "Tarantella"

I'll be honest, I probably would not have liked "Tarantella" as much as I did if Amy Acker was not involved. I guess that the monster-of-the-week, a literal black widow, could have been interesting without her, but her geek cred was what made everything special. What also made this episode special was the continued evolution of the Nick and Monroe bond and the fact that they're making the slightly homo-erotic subtext the selling point (this is how you do it 2 Broke Girls), and I'm digging every minute of it. "Tarantella" was fun for the most part due to the slash fiction moments, but this show does need to get back to the serialized story involving Nick, his boss and the reapers because this procedural model can only go so far before it becomes a liability.

GRADE: B-

Spartacus: Vengeance: "The Greater Good"

I know that I keep writing about how Spartacus is about more than just sex and violence, and "The Greater Good" was a prime example of how good this show can be when all of the bells and whistles are stripped away. This episode showed audiences that you can have important conversations about morality and the greater good without slowing down the story, and ultimately it proved that Spartacus is about love and other universal emotions that people can understand. I just hope more people give this show a chance to prove that it's not softcore porn, but one of the better dramas on television today.

GRADE: A-

So, there you have it: the first TV Report Card of February sweeps. Keep tuned for more.

My Two-Cents on Spartacus: Vengeance: "The Greater Good"

2012-02-13T09:49:00.000-06:00

When you take away the flash from Spartacus: Vengeance, you start to realize what a simple story it is and how that's what makes this show effective. What it boils down to is this is a show is about concepts such as love, hate, loss and revenge. These are by no mean abstract ideas, but things most of us have dealt with before, and that's why Spartacus is special.

"The Greater Good" picked up where "A Place in This World" left off. Spartacus and his men ambushed a slaver's wagon, and it was revealed to Nasir and Agron that Naevia was dead. The rebels made camp so Spartacus could figure out their next move, and Nasir admitted to Crixus that they had lied about Naevia. She was still alive and working in the mines. After a brawl between Crixus and Agron, it was decided that they would continue their quest to find Naevia, but Agron and others decided to move on and make camp at Mt. Vesuvius because they felt that it was unwise for everyone to endanger their lives for one person. Once at the mines, they found Naevia, but they were being pursued by Ashur and Glaber's men. It looked like there was no escaping them, so Crixus decided to sacrifice himself and fought off the guards long enough for Spartacus to take Naevia to safety.

For such manly men, Spartacus and Crixus are motivated by their love for their respective women, and it's this love that drives the story. If they were just animalistic heathens out for blood and sex, it would be hard for the viewers to care about them, but they're not. They're strong men with softer sides, and that's why we root for them. Motivations aside, the main plot was amazing because it not only had emotion and action, but it posed questions about morality and whether the group is more important than the individuals that comprise it, and the confrontation between Crixus, Spartacus and Agron was captivating to watch. I'm excited to see if this group of misfits will be able to function from this point forward.

Spartacus and Crixus are not the only ones who are compelled by their hearts because Oenomaus has also loved and lost. Back in Capua, Ashur had to prove to Glaber that he's no longer tied to the brotherhood of the House of Batiatus, and he even volunteered to torture his former doctore for information. After he passed Glaber's test (he had to cut off the house's brand from his forearm), Ashur whipped and taunted Oenomaus to no avail. He was running out of options when Lucretia informed him that there are secrets hidden within the walls of the ludus that would break their prisoner once and for all. This was Ashur's cue to tell Oennmaus about how his wife, Melitta, had an affair with his best friend Gannicus, and how their indiscretions led to her untimely death. Apparently, the tactic worked because he let it slip that Spartacus' rebels were searching for Naevia, which was how Ashur found them at the mines.

At the end of Blood and Sand, I was worried about how the series would progress without Batiatus because he was the perfect villain, but it looks like Ashur could easily fill the void because he was fantastic in "The Greater Good." During Season 1, he was slimey and underhanded, but Nick Tarabay dialed up the evil to eleven during this episode, and it will be extremely satisfying to see him get his comeuppance once and for all. Although, seeing him somehow escape punishment would also be entertaining because he's that good of a baddie, and I'd like to see what other mischief he can stir up.

In a somewhat minor C-plot, Glaber and Ilithyia continued to navigate Roman politics, and things were further complicated when her father and another senator by the name of Varinius showed up to upstage Glaber in front of the people of Capua. Gaius was ultimately able to turn the tables on his adversaries, but his need to out piss Varinius led to him neglecting his wife which could end up making things interesting.

Other Odds and Ends:

Here we go again with the slow-motion
What is Ilithyia up to? She might be the most intriguing character of the bunch.
The combination of Lucretia and Ashur's crazy scary.
How badass was Mira?
The Walking Dead should watch Spartacus to learn how to have conversations about morality and hope while allowing the narrative momentum to progress within a reasonable time frame.

"The Greater Good" was proof that this show does not need to rely on smoke and mirrors to be gratifying. The universal themes of love, passion, honor and duty should resonate with many viewers, but it's so hard for some to look past the violence and flesh to really appreciate what this show is about. If they could, then they'd realize how good this can be.

My Quick Thoughts on 30 Rock: "Hey, Baby, What's Wrong"

2012-02-09T22:46:00.000-06:00

I'm going to keep this short and sweet: I did not laugh once during this episode of 30 Rock. Let's move on now.

My Quick Thoughts on Happy Endings: "The St. Valentine's Day Maxssacre"

2012-02-08T23:37:00.000-06:00

I cannot believe how much I missed Happy Endings, and I was so pumped that it was back with full force. I really shouldn't have been surprised that the Valentine's Day episode was so strong because this show really knows how to make holidays fun.

It's kinda hard to pin-point my favorite plotline because they were all pretty strong, but I guess I'll go with Brad's V-Day surprise for Jane that was ruined by him being hopped up on the goof gas he got at the dentist's office. What makes Happy Endings so special is it has a deep roster, and almost any one of the cast members can step up to be the MVP, and this week it was Damon Wayans, Jr.'s turn. Usually, Brad's good at hanging back and making quips about everything that's going on, but watching him dance around and act high was comedic gold. He was also responsible for the moment of the night when he compared everyone to the Friends characters. Seriously, Wayans was on fire all night long.

There really wasn't a B-plot this time around, and instead everyone else had their own minor stories going along. While I'm still a fan of Alex when she's a little off, I was happy to see her come off as an intelligent person, and I loved how she made it her mission to help someone fall in love. What was even better was the fact that Max was that person, and that final scene between him and Grant was pretty outstanding.

If I have to nit-pick, I'd say that Dave and Penny's bit about "the breakup window" was the weakest of the night mostly because it felt like something How I Met Your Mother would try to ram down our throats, and it felt superficial and fake. For example, I can buy Penny not wanting to date the winker, but Dave has never come off as a threesome kinda guy, so I was a little thrown off by his "perfect gift." Yet, weak scenes from Happy Endings are still better than HIMYM, so I can't hate too much on these two.

Lines of the Night:

"How about a 'high school jock nod?'"
"It was on a calendar, printed on a place mat, at a hot dog stand."
"Hint, they ripped him tip to taint ..."
"I'm scrip walkin'."
"How did you get a table at Tableau? It's harder to get into than Obvious Joke Here. Yeah, the new alt comedy club downtown."
"Put on some D'Angelo, then whip out my P'Angelo."
"Seriously. I won't sue if I poo."
"It's Camelot, bro."
"Dude, how high are you right now?"
Max: "No problem friend, and for just under seventy bucks I can throw in the romantic music package, which includes such hits as Extreme's 'More Than Words.'"
Alex: "I secretly love that song."
Max: "Who doesn't? It's two men playing acoustic guitar at each other."
"No, no, no, no. I'm not a whore."
"Fourth wind!"
"You got faced!"
"Oh, great. Another guy you know. I feel like I'm always swimming upstream against a steady stream of your ex-boyfriends. It's like I'm a gay salmon fighting for my life in a river of bears."
Dave: "Well, I just blew a threesome."
Penny: "We talking two V's, one D, or two D's, one V?"
Dave: Two V's, Penny. Two V's."
"X.O.?! Faith restored!"
"Don't patronize me, Monica."

I know I keep saying this, but when Happy Endings is on its game, it is hands down one of the best comedies on television today. You through in some meta-jokes like they did tonight, and it cannot be touched. So good!

My Two-Cents on Glee: "The Spanish Teacher"

2012-02-08T17:27:00.001-06:00

Usually, I can pick out the good moments that exist in an overall bad episode of Glee, but that was harder to do this time around. While "The Spanish Teacher" did have some redeemable moments, it was probably one of my least favorite installments on this show, and it posed some serious questions that the show runners have to address before it's too late.

Apparently, it's taco day at McKinley so Mr. Schue decided that this would be the perfect time for him and some of the glee boys to give his Spanish class their rendition of "La Cucaracha," but of course it did not go over well. In fact, it was so bad that a student complained about Will, so he had to get his hand slapped by Figgins. During their meeting, Figgy let Will know that a tenure spot opened up and that he would need to shape up if he wanted the job security that came along with the title.

The way Schue decided to improve was to actually learn Spanish, so he took night courses where he met David Martinez who told him that people can pick up a foreign language faster via song. This revelation led to the glee assignment of the week: everyone had to perform a song by a Latin artist, or contained Spanish, or was remixed to include Spanish, or something. It became clear that Will's motivations were out of panic, ego and not in the best interest of his students. After he butchered "A Little Less Conversation" in an authentic matador costume (with Mike and Brittany running around like bulls), Santana admitted that she complained about Will because he didn't bring the same passion to Spanish as he did to glee club. Will realized that he was teaching for all the wrong reasons, it was the only position available at the time, so he stepped aside and let David take over Spanish.

I still struggle with Will's character and how he has been treated through out the show's run. "The Spanish Teacher" once again brought out all of his worst qualities, and he was still not redeemed by episode's end. Sure, he apologized to Emma for being a jerk, and he did the "honorable" thing by letting David take over Spanish, but all of his actions felt insincere which contradicted the earnestness that the scenes required. What's unfortunate is the fact that these confusing actions have dominated every one of Will's story lines since Season 1.

Misguided motivations aside, what really confuses me about Will is his role on the show. He's supposed the entry point for the audience, and he's also supposed to be one of the more relatable characters on the show, which is why I find myself torn. On one hand, Will's supposed to be a well-meaning teacher who should always have his students' best interests at heart, but he's not supposed to be perfect, and he has the same insecurities and fears that we all have. He's supposed to a flawed man who's trying to grasp at what little happiness he has left, and when a man becomes desperate he will do desperate things, but these moments of hopelessness have come to define Will. The thing is, I don't need Will to be perfect, and he needs to mess up every once in a while, but he also has to be someone I root for, and that's something I haven't been able to do for some time now. If Glee wants to rotate the students in and out, and have the teachers be the focal point, then the writers need to fix Will fast.

Will was not the only adult with a questionable plotline during this episode. For some reason Sue thought that the one thing that was missing from her life was a child. After visiting the local sperm bank, she came to the conclusion that there were not any suitable donors, so she solicited some of the New Direction guys for samples. When that didn't work, she then asked Will for some of his little guys, but Emma stood up for her man's stuff. Not only was Sue after a baby, but she too wanted tenure, but someone also complained about her coaching style, which led to a bout with insecurity after the synchronized swimming coach made it known that she was after her job. Much like Will and Santana, the student who was not happy with Sue was Becky, but she did what she did out of love and concern because Sue has been distracted as of late.

While Sue's story started out in a much weirder and inappropriate place, I did not have as much of an issue with it like I did with Will's. Yes, her need for a baby felt like it came out of nowhere, and her asking teenage students for sperm samples was not OK, but her journey during "The Spanish Teacher" was more about how rudderless she's been since she's lost Nationals, and how she needs to refocus and make a comeback. Yes, Sue's plot was similar to Will's, but the biggest difference had to do with the fact that she's already a comically excessive character, so her missteps don't resonate as loudly as Will's.

The big question I had after watching "The Spanish Teacher" was whether or not the show still needs Will and Sue, and if the writers are laying to foundation to get rid of them at the end of the season. Having Will go from teaching Spanish to History will not solve any problems, but it was clear that he's obsolete at McKinley, and the same could be said about Sue. While I don't think the show could afford to make Ricky Martin and the Housewife lady regulars next season, I could see new people replacing Will and Sue while keeping Emma around since she now has tenure. Honestly, I think I'd be OK with that move.

The rest of the episode dealt with the teenagers and their crazy love lives. Mercedes still wasn't sure if she wants to be with Sam or Shane, so Ms. Pillsbury challenged them to cut off all communication for a week to see if their feelings change. It looked like Mercedes was about to make her choice when her real boyfriend showed up to further complicate things. Also, Rachel told Mercedes and Kurt about Finn's proposal and how she said yes, which led to a decent brotherly moment between Kurt and Finn.

At first, I was indifferent about Samcedes, and then things changed when Chord Overstreet returned to the show. I think that they have the potential to be a cute couple, but this whole "will they, won't they" is starting to wear thin. She just needs to make up her mind already. As for the Finnchel proposal, it was almost an after thought during this episode because it was used as an excuse for Kurt to give Finn that pep talk in the locker room, which was the highlight of the episode. I know that Kurt has his share of haters, but it looks like he is his father's son.

On the Music Front: Yeah, the show really dropped the ball on this one. With all of the great songs with Latin flavor out in the world, most of this week's songs didn't make a lick of sense. Heck, I would've appreciated a Ricky Martin song, but I understand why they didn't use one since that could have been confusing for some. I think I'm just going to skip this section.

Other Odds and Ends:

I wanted to write more about Emma's story, but it was more of a by-product of Will's A-plot that I couldn't muster too many words. I was happy that she got tenure though because she's the only teacher in that entire school who truly cares about the students first and foremost.
As messed up as Will is, he does seem to be self-aware enough to recognize that he's a screw up ... he just doesn't do anything to change.
Now that I think about it, Ricky as the full-time glee club coach would be pretty sweet. Who needs Evita?
Emma's Pamphlets: "So You're a Two-Timin' Ho," "So You're Dating a Two-Timin' Ho," and "Taint Misbehavin'"
Chord singing in Spanish was kinda cool.
Sue's nicer moments would land better if it weren't for her completely insane ones.
I can't believe "spunk" got by the FOX censors. So much for this show being family friendly.
Santana's verbal smackdown was both fierce and heart-felt. A rare combination for this show.
So, I take it we'll never see another Spanish lesson again.
"You're a Spanish teacher, maybe you should try learning Spanish."
"Oh, I'm bilingual."
"Ladies I appreciate you spending time with me while Blaine recovers, but why are you being all weird and serious? Our periods don't come until the end of the month."
"Your time isn't up Finn, it's only just beginning."
"Why don't you just dress up like the Taco Bell chihuahua and bark the theme song to Dora the Explorer?"
"Huh, lift and scrub. Who knew it was so easy?"

"The Spanish Teacher" is going to be a hard episode to defend. Everything that's wrong with Glee was front and center during this one, and I didn't get the sense that the writers are ready to fix the problems which could finally derail this show once and for all. That being said, some of the smaller moments, like the one between Kurt and Finn, almost made up for the rest of the non-sense.

Last Episode: "Michael" >>

<< Next Episode: "Heart"

My Quick Thoughts on White Collar: "Pulling Strings"

2012-02-07T23:59:00.000-06:00

I have to admit that I haven't been feeling White Collar since the stolen treasure arc ended because it's been kind of trying to find something new for the characters to do, but I really did enjoy "Pulling Strings" because it felt fresh even though it was your standard Case-of-the-Week episode.

Out of all of Neal's would-be suitors, Sara's been the most interesting because her line of work directly conflicts with his past. Sure, someone like Alex would make more sense because they have similar occupations, but the fact that Sara and Neal have a somewhat adversarial vibe between them meant that there was a little more heat. I was bummed when he messed things up with her, so I was psyched that she came back for "Pulling Strings," and everything that made me like them before was still there. The case about a stolen violin was decent enough, but it was really just an excuse to get these two crazy kids back together, so I was happy with it when it was all said and done.

I also liked seeing Peter outside of the office, and while his story about not connecting with Elizabeth's father was also not very original, it was fun seeing him outside of his comfort zone. Plus, we got to see Mozzie interact with her folks which worked better than it should have, and I'm always a fan of him and Elizabeth when they're together.

The only part of the episode that I wasn't too fond of was the return of Beau Bridges as Agent Kramer. Bringing him in to investigate Neal's file makes sense, but at this point in the game it felt like a weak attempt at fabricating drama since the season long-arc wrapped up a few weeks ago.

I don't think that "Pulling Strings" added much to the overall White Collar story, but it had enough fun moments to keep me happy, so that's a win in my book.

My Two-Cents on Justified: "The Devil You Know"

2012-02-07T22:05:00.000-06:00

Justified continued the search for the Bennett fortune in an episode that delved deeper into the motivations of some of the new characters and gave us some more information about some of the established ones. When it was all said and done, "The Devil You Know" was another solid episode from the show.

This season's MacGuffin, Mags' money, continued to drive most of the plot because the prison guard who helped out Boyd and the nurse who patched him up are also looking at getting their hands on the fortune. After being threatened by the guard during last week's episode, Dickie Bennett ended up playing ball and was busted out of prison so he could lead Ash Murphy (the guard) and Lance (the nurse) to the loot. Since Dickie was a fugitive on the run, it was up to Raylan and Rachel to bring him back to justice, and their trail led them to Noble's Holler and to an interesting conversation with Limehouse. Plans to get the money for Ash and Lance fell through after Raylan got involved, so Dickie decided to keep it all to himself, but he was shocked to find that the millions had turned into a couple of thousands. Instead of taking what was left, Dickie decided to let it stay with Limehouse which continued their arrangement.

Elsewhere, Devil still wasn't convinced that Boyd had any plans to make the crew money, and his loyalties were tested after he had a sit-down meeting with Robert Quarles. During their conversation, Quarles promised that he could make Devil a lot of money if he headed up the outfit down in Harlan. Devil's interest was piqued, and he even tried to convince Johnny Crowder to turn on his cousin so they could jump into bed with Quarles. Of course Boyd was a step ahead of Devil and was able to avoid the coup, but he also knew that Devil needed to pay for his betrayal, so he shot him.

Now, I have to admit that some of the plot devices that the show's been using this season have not worked for me up to this point. For example, Mags' money has only been an excuse to give Boyd something to go after while also introducing new characters like Limehouse and Ash, so it was kind of fitting that it ended up being a few thousand dollars instead of a fortune. Hopefully, now that the money has done it's job we can move past it and focus on the tenuous relationships that it has created because that's when the real fireworks show will begin.

Honestly, what I liked the most about "The Devil You Know" had nothing to do with the money and everything to do with Boyd. It seemed natural that Devil would eventually turn on him, and how Boyd dealt with what unfolded was mesmerizing. Once again, my only complaint with this storyline, and the show in general, was Quarles. I know that there are a lot of people out there who are praising the character and Neal McDonough's performance, but he's still too hammy for my tastes. The scene between him and Devil where he wanted an "amen" was comically excessive, and I couldn't take him seriously after that. Maybe he'll be toned down in future episodes, but I seriously doubt it because this is apparently his thing.

Other Odds and Ends:

I like the chemistry between Raylan and Rachel. While I don't see them ever exploring a romance (that'd be too unrealistic at this point in the show's run), I can see a solid partnership forming.
It was nice having Loretta back, and her brief scene was proof that she was better on Justified than she is on Last Man Standing.
This is going to sound insensitive, but I hope they kill of Dewey Crowe because he's outlived his usefulness.
Boyd: "But, we're going to have to put a pin in this for now as I'm sensing a disturbance in the Force."
Raylan: "Boyd!"
Boyd: "Hello, Raylan!"

After watching "The Devil You Know," it seems like the table's finally been set, and the next couple of episodes will finally start taking the audience to where this season's been pointing towards this entire time. All of the major players have been identified, we have the foundation set, so now let's get this thing rolling.

My TV Report Card: Week of January 29

2012-02-07T16:37:00.000-06:00

Since I'm out of town at the moment, this edition of the TV Report Card may be a bit lacking in terms of the shows that I actually watched and my thoughts on the episodes listed. Once again, I apologize in advance.

Monday
Being Human: "All Out of Blood"

Being Human is a better show when it just focuses on the three main characters as they try to navigate their lots in life. When the writers start throwing in things like vampire politics, things can quickly fly off the rails. This time around, I really liked just watching Aidan, Josh and Sally interact with one another without worrying about the other Boston vampires. That being said, having Aidan's lady friend be Josh's ex seemed a little contrived, and I'm still not sure how I feel about Sally's plan to be reincarnated, but I'm willing to let things develop at this point.

GRADE: B

Lost Girl: "Oh Kappa, My Kappa" aka "Sorority"

Maybe it was because this episode was set on a college campus or the whole P.I. gimmick, but Lost Girl really felt a lot like Buffy and/or Angel with this one, but this formula's proven to be successful before, so I shouldn't be too surprised. I was a little upset that they had Dyson turn out to be a jerk because I was hoping that this show was going to be a little different when it came to their main couple, but at least he can claim that he was forced to do what he did to Bo. Overall, "Oh Kappa, My Kappa" was fun, but nothing spectacular.

GRADE: B-

Tuesday
Glee: "Michael"

I'll be the first to admit that Glee's tribute episode to Michael Jackson should not have been as good as it was. Much like some of the previous homages that Ryan Murphy's been insistent on cramming down fans' throats, "Michael" relied too much on the songs and recreating music videos and not enough on story or character development, but the moments of plot that connected the musical moments worked better than the ones in "Britney/Brittany," so at least there was some improvement. To be fair, there were some things to like about "Michael" like the Warblers becoming the new Vocal Adrenaline and Sebastian becoming the new baddie of the show. While "Michael" was no "The Power of Madonna," it was still a fun episode of Glee.

GRADE: B-

New Girl: "Jess and Julia"

While I don't want to claim that "Jess and Julia" was the show's way of addressing some of its detractors, it did do a pretty good job at pinpointing why some people do not like Jess and making her more of a human being than just a manic pixie (I can't believe i used that term since I hate it so much). While I don't think the character will fundamentally change (that would take away the charm of the show), it's at least encouraging that the show runner's seems somewhat aware of the backlash. Plus, we got another episode with Lizzy Caplan, so I was happy. Also, Schmidt's B-plot about his high maintenance ways was also a strong moment for the character and the show.

GRADE: B+

Justified: "Harlan Roulette"

One of my minor quibbles about Season 3 of Justified has been the fact that the show's been throwing way too many bad guys at us in an attempt to replace Mags Bennett. Some work and some don't, but we were once again introduced to new criminals in the form of Fogle and his henchmen, but luckily they were not long for this world. Thankfully we did get some more information about Boyd and Limehouse, but I do wish we didn't have to keep track of so many characters even though I'm all for expanding Harlan and it's criminal elements.

GRADE: B+

Thursday
30 Rock: "Today You Are a Man"

I've never hidden the fact that I cannot stand Kenneth (or Jenna), so I was surprised that I did not hate "Today Your Are a Man." Then again, I don't think the reason I liked the episode had anything to do with Kenneth because I could've done without his story, although him leaving the page program does have potential. I also didn't care about Tracy and Jenna's involvement in a bar mitzvah, but I do hope their growth sticks. Honestly, the only reason I liked this episode was the continued evolution of the Liz and Jack dynamic. Having her use his own negotiating tactics against him, and the whole "Jack-off" was pure gold. They seriously just need to make this show about the two of them if it comes back for a seventh season.

GRADE: B

Archer: "The Limited"

So far Season 3 of Archer has been pretty good, and "The Limited" was a decent addition but not the show's best effort. For the record, I enjoyed everything that had to do with Archer, Lana, Cyril and the Canadian terrorist because it incorporated some iconic action movie stunts/tropes, and it's these moments that make this show work. Oh, and Archer's obsession with the ocelot was pretty priceless. On the other hand, I really did not see the point of having everyone else from ISIS because they really didn't add too much to the overall story, but I did enjoy some of the racist/elitist jokes that were made at Malory's expense. So while I didn't think "The Limited" was the show's best, it was still pretty great.

GRADE: B+

Friday
Grimm: "Organ Grinder"

The last new episode of Grimm was a miss because it focused too much on an uninteresting fairy tale creature and case, and there was not enough Nick and Monroe, so thankfully things were righted with "Organ Grinder." First off, I was glad that they were able to tell the Hansel and Gretel story in a way that was not typical (having the siblings being human and not creatures), and it gave the girlfriend character something substantial to do this time around. Plus, there was the amazing scene between Nick and Eddie where they came off as a bickering couple, and while I'm not into slash fiction it's always fun watching these two in these kinds of situations.

GRADE: B-

Spartacus: Vengeance: "A Place in This World"

This week's Spartacus did a good job at letting the viewers get a better understanding of the show's characters. Whether it was getting an Oenomaus backstory, or watching Glaber and Ilithyia transitioning to their lives in Capua, or seeing how freedom could be a curse just as much of a blessing, "A Place in This World" focused on the people who inhabit this world instead of on blood and boobs which made it one of the show's better offerings.

GRADE: B+

Now that sweeps are going on, I'm sure the next installment of the TV Report Card will be meatier, so stay tuned.

My Quick Thoughts on Being Human: "(I Loathe You) For Sentimental Reasons"

2012-02-06T23:31:00.000-06:00

While I'm still a fan of Syfy's version of Being Human, I do have to admit that it's started a little slow out of the gates because I'm only feeling two-thirds of the on-going storylines. "(I Loathe You) For Sentimental Reasons" was the perfect example of what I've been struggling with this season.

When I first heard that Sally was going to try to be reincarnated, I wasn't sure if that was something I was going to be interested in, and I still think that it's a silly idea. The thing is, it's starting to look like it was just the catalyst for her possession addiction arc which has far more potential, although a possible love triangle between her, Zoe and the other ghost isn't as appealing. We'll have to see where this ends up.

Much like Sally's plot, I was happy that Josh's world continued to expand with the introduction of the brother and sister werewolves. Right now, they do seem like some pretty thin characters, but I'm willing to give them time to establish themselves because I think they could really muck up Josh's world which could be interesting.

Aidan's story was weakest link yet again, but I think that comes back to the fact that the whole Boston family and the politics that are involved are a little boring at this stage in the game. That being said, I'm glad that we got some more information on his relationship with Suren, and I'm excited to see how that will progress.

So, "I Loathe You" had its fair share of ups and downs, but it was ultimately fun to watch, and it did set some intriguing plot elements into motion.

My Quick Thoughts on Smash: "Pilot"

2012-02-06T22:05:00.000-06:00

As soon as NBC announced that they were going to have a show about a musical, everyone started talking about how it was the Peacock's answer to FOX's Glee. While I'm sure that there are going to be some similarities, I wanted to avoid making the comparisons although that may be challenging. Instead, I wanted to judge Smash on its own merits, and after watching the pilot, it has a way to go to win me over.

Let me be clear; I think that Smash has a ton of potential, and I want it to be successful for NBC, but I wasn't automatically blown away by the first episode. That's not to say that I hated what I saw, but I wasn't instantly smitten by it either which is what I was expecting since it's seems to be my kind of show. While I've never been a performer or a part of musical theatre, I'm a sucker for underdogs with big dreams, and Smash has them in spades. So, why did I have a lukewarm response? It's simple: the characters.

After watching the pilot, I could not figure out why I was supposed to care about any of these people because none of them left an impression on me. Karen Cartwright (played by American Idol Runner-Up Katharine McPhee) should have easily become my new fictional crush, but her naivete and inexperienced routine didn't work. Instead of coming off as plucky and endearing, she was whiny and clueless, and I found myself being annoyed by her. As for her so-called rival, Ivy Lynn (Wicked's Megan Hilty), she was nothing more than your prototypical cute and ambitious blonde, but she lacked any bite or edge that someone in her position should have. These two are being set up to be competitors, but they had almost no screen time together, and Ivy didn't do or say anything that made people root against her. Maybe that's something to look forward to in future episodes, but the pilot should have clearly defined the protagonist and antagonist of the story, and as of now we just have two attractive women who can sing.

Unfortunately, Karen and Ivy are not the only weak characters because everyone else from the ensemble also failed to make me care. After an episode, I can already tell that I'm not going to be interested in Julia Houston's (Debra Messing) home life or her adoption storyline, and the same will be true about Eileen Rand's (Anjelica Huston) divorce. Even Jack Davenport's Derek Willis was nothing more than a stereotype. That being said, I can see myself being entertained by Christian Borle's Tom Levitt. It's not that these people are inherently unlikable, but they were uninteresting which could be worse.

Matters were not helped by the fact that the pilot relied too much on every cliche in the book. Both Karen and Ivy have unsupportive parents who do not understand their hopes and dreams, but at least Karen has the standard nurturing boyfriend (who was also a bore, but he does have an accent so he's exotic), and I'm sure Ivy will have a similar support network to prop her up when the world keeps trying to knock her down. Tack on the wholly unoriginal scene where the director (Derek) called Karen over for a late-night "meeting," and you have every story about breaking into the business that's ever been written. Admittedly, these are probably real issues that performers have to deal with, but I was expecting more from Smash, and instead of subverting the tropes, they barreled right into them. So much for this show being original.

To be fair, I do think that Smash has the ability to be fresh and new which is why I'm still on board. Like I mentioned before, I want this show to be successful not just because it will help the struggling NBC, but because I'm a fan of any show that's not the same old cop, doctor or lawyer procedural. The concept of a drama that's about putting together a Broadway musical isn't something that comes along everyday, and I want this show and the network to be rewarded for thinking outside of the box. So while I wasn't automatically bowled over by Smash, I do see how it can be a special show, and I'm willing to give it some time to show me what it's got.

Is Smash going to be the next Glee? Man, I hope not. While I'm a big fan of the latter, we don't need another one. I know that it's going to be hard for some viewers to distinguish between the two, but I think that's unfair to both. They probably will have comparable stories and themes, but a musical comedy is very different than a drama about a musical, and I hope people can appreciate the differences instead of harping on the similarities.

My Two-Cents on Spartacus: Vengeance: "A Place in This World"

2012-02-04T22:25:00.002-06:00

Spartacus usually does not rely too heavily on thematic episodes where all of the characters navigate through similar struggles, but the appropriately named "A Place in This World" followed Ilithyia, Glaber, Mira, Oenomaus and others on their journeys towards finding where they belong in this brutal place. This focus on character development, and dialing down the sex and violence from an eleven to a nine, made for a satisfying episode of television.

At the end of "Fugitivus," Oenomaus talked about how there's only one place for a disgraced gladiator like himself to go, and that was the Pit (a place far more barbaric than the sands of the arena). The former Doctore, fled to the Pit and took on all comers in fights to the death as a way to cope with what he did to the House of Batiatus, and as a way for him to pay for his treachery with his life. During his battles, the audience was shown how he was brought into the world of the gladiators, and how he came to honor and dedicate his life to his master. Before Oenomaus could meet his end, he was saved by a mysterious hooded figure who turned out to be Ashur, and it was revealed that he had plans for his former trainer after he turned him over to Glaber.

It's easy to see why Oenomaus is a fan favorite. He's always conducted himself with honor, and it made sense that he would not automatically join up Spartacus and his crusade since he did not see himself as a common slave or gladiator. He's always viewed his lot in life as a calling rather than a burden, and it was nice to how he came to have this mindset. The question now is whether or not he will be able to put his guilt behind him long enough to join his brothers in arms, or if he will give up the fight and let Glaber use him to get to Spartacus (we all know what happens based on history, but let's pretend that we don't for now.) Regardless of which path he takes, having Ashur come back and be the reason why he's now face to face with Glaber seemed appropriate.

Speaking of Glaber, he and Ilithyia were on their own roads towards understanding where they stand in Capua. Even though he's a member of the Senate, Glaber had to figure out how to navigate Capuan politics, and he even had to lower himself and ask for Seppius' assistance so he could take out Spartacus once and for all. His wife on the other hand, had to learn where she stood with Lucretia since she knows some of her most deadly secrets, and she also had to reevaluate her station as a senator's wife since it does not resemble the fancy free lifestyle that she had before. On top of everything else, Ilithyia realized that she may have confusing feelings about Spartacus due to their history.

Right now, Glaber and Ilithyia are the perfect baddies for Spartacus because they're responsible for all of the misery that he's had to endure, but the show's being smart by not making them completely detestable because that would be too easy. Having even more despicable people for them to interact with, like Seppius and his sister, could be a stroke of genius if the writers are careful. I get that most people love things to be black and white while watching TV shows; they need a clear good guy and a clear bad guy, but we're learning that this kind of thinking does not exist in the world of Spartacus. Both sides have blood on their hands, and it's these shades of gray that could really take Vengeance to the next level.

Others also had to find their place in this world like Mira, who had to figure out where she stood with Spartacus. Out of all of the characters on this show, Mira's the one I struggle with the most, not because of her as a person, but because of what she means to Spartacus. To this day, I find it odd that he's so willing to be intimate with her while on a mission to avenge his dead wife. Like I mentioned before, there's no room for either/or thinking while watching Spartacus, but I'm trying to figure out what his motivations are on an emotional level. I suppose it's possible that he could love both Mira and Sura, but that's something that Spartacus really needs to explore, and I'm glad that they're starting to ask those bigger questions.

We were also introduced to a new character, a recently freed slaved by the name of Tiberius. While on their journey south to find Naevia, Spartacus and his men attacked and killed Tiberius' master, but he did not know if he wanted this new found independence since he only knew the life of a slave with prestige. After he attempted to kill Spartacus, and was spared, it seemed like he aligned himself with the rebels. Initially, I was unsure about Tiberius because I didn't see what he could bring to the story, but his introduction did pose some interesting questions about whether or not freedom's right for everyone.

Other Odds and Ends:

I know that there was still a lot of sex and violence during this episode, but it didn't seem as gratuitous as it did in the past. Maybe I'm starting to get desensitized.
Speaking of the violence, I know that slo-mo can be cool, but they're pushing it.
Can Ilithyia be Spike to Sparty's Buffy? Man, I hope so because that'd be awesome in spite of its contrivance.
I'm gonna be a little irked if Tiberius ends up being Ashur's brother.

I can handle less boobs and blood if Spartacus can give us some intriguing character moments like the ones in "A Place in This World." This episode was proof that it's the people who inhabit this barbaric environment, and not the sensationalism, that makes this show work, and I can't wait to see where we go from here.

My Quick Thoughts on 30 Rock: "Today You Are a Man"

2012-02-02T22:57:00.000-06:00

At first sight, I should have hated "Today You Are a Man" because it had a pretty strong Kenneth and Jenna presence, but leave it to Liz and Jack to save the day.

Right off the bat, I could only stand the Kenneth and Jenna plots in limited doses, but luckily they were not too obnoxious. The idea of Kenneth leaving the page program to become a real boy has some potential as does Jenna and Tracy's declaration to handle their issues head on, but we'll see how long it lasts.

Of course, all I cared about was the Liz and Jack plot, and I thought that having her use his own methods in a negotiation was genius. It allowed them to interact with one another in a new way while also not sacrificing what makes their relationship special. Plus, it was responsible for Jack using the term "Jack-off," which was worth the price of admission.

I haven't been totally enamored with this season of 30 Rock, but I'll still be on the bandwagon as long as they give us episodes that really underline the Lemon/Donaghy bond.

My Newest Hobby: "The Small Screen Podcast," Episode 19: #GoodbyeChuck

2012-02-02T16:24:00.000-06:00

"The Small Screen Podcast" is back for Episode 19. This one is a special episode because Kristal and I talked about one of our favorite shows: Chuck. We chatted about the series finale, our favorite episodes and moments, our favorite guest stars, and what this show's legacy will be and what it meant to us. Check out the episode breakdown if you want to avoid spoilers, but everyone should have seen the episode by now.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start - 1:35

Chuck Series Finale (SPOILER ALERT): 1:36 - 10:17

Our Favorites
Favorite Episodes and Moments: 10:18 - 45:51
Favorite Guest Stars: 45:52 - 50:12

Chuck's Legacy: 50:13 - 54: 22

What Chuck Meant to Us: 54:23 - 59:33

Closing: 59:34 - End

Check out the episode below, or download it over at iTunes:

For more, follow us on Twitter:
Kristal: @kristal_bailey
Marcos: @poppas2cents

My Two-Cents on Glee: "Michael"

2012-02-01T09:30:00.000-06:00

NOTE: A combination of late night podcasting and the fact that I'll be out of town starting tomorrow led to a shorter than usual write-up. Sorry.

Last season, "Britney/Brittany" made me a little gun shy about Glee's tribute episodes. Since so much time was spent on stringing together remakes of Brit's most famous music videos, and so little time was spent on actual story, I was afraid that "Michael" would fall into a similar pattern. While this one wasn't the most stellar in regards to plot, I did find myself liking it more than the aforementioned Spears lovefest.

Like always, Ryan Murphy tried to tell way too many "stories" in a small amount of time while also trying to find space for nine Michael Jackson songs. Much like "Britney," most of the plot lines felt like ways to connect various musical performances, but they were stronger this time around. Making the Warblers the new Vocal Adrenaline was inspired, and Sebastian makes a more believable villain than Sue or Santana at this point. Hopefully, they'll focus on making him the bad guy and let the other two resemble human beings.

The bigger story though revolved around Finn and Rachel since she still hadn't given him an answer to his marriage proposal while she eagerly awaited her letter from NYADA. The drama was amped up by the fact that she had to watch Quinn and Kurt get their acceptance letters which freaked her out so much that she said yes. Cue the tardy parcel from NYC that told her that she too was a finalist for NYADA, but what how will that affect Finn? I know that Rachel's answer could be potentially divisive, but the way I see it is just because she said yes doesn't mean they're getting married, so people need to calm down. Now, if they do go through with it, that could be the final straw for me.

Other stories that floated in and out of the MJ montage included Artie blowing up at Mr. Schue for not fighting back, Quinn's acceptance to Yale, and an eye patch that was there to explain why Blaine was on Broadway for two weeks. Oh, and a sweet Samcedes moment that really didn't qualify as an actual story per se. These were inoffensive and entertaining, but that's about it. I was glad to see Artie man up though which made him less annoying.

On the Music Front: Way too many songs to go through, but I did like "Never Can Say Goodbye," "Human Nature," but the cello dueling version of "Smooth Criminal" was by far the best number of the night. I really didn't care for "Bad" or "Ben," and "Black and White" was a little on the nose, but oh well.

Other Odds and Ends:

Much like Sue, Santana's at her best when she's a combination of good and bad.
Hee-hee, "underboob."
For some reason people felt that Quinn getting into Yale was impossible. She's a straight A student with some decent extracurricular while being knocked up ... how is that not Ivy League material?
Usually, I don't point this out but where was Tina, Rory and Sugar? Maybe if they had cut out "Ben," they would have had time to give them something to do.
"World's Greatest Dad:" Burt Hummel or John Casey. Discuss.
Quotes to be added later.

Honestly, "Michael" was better than it had any right to be. I enjoyed the musical numbers for the most part, and the so-called plot points worked despite not being the most in depth or interconnected, but at least they kinda made sense. Overall, "Michael" was not at the level of "The Power of Madonna," but it was substantially better than Glee's other attempts at homages.

Last Episode: "Yes/No >>

<< Next Episode: "The Spanish Teacher"

My Two-Cents on Justified: "Harlan Roulette"

2012-01-31T22:57:00.000-06:00

After a brief detour to stand-alone territory, Justified returned to the land of serialized storytelling with "Harlan Roulette." Now, you'd think that I'd be excited for this shift in style, but this episode had a few elements that I found questionable. It was still pretty good though.

Everything kicked off with Ava paying a visit to Limehouse, and it's apparent that they have some sort of history. She was at his cookout to set up a meeting between him and Boyd so they could have a conversation about what to do with Mags' money. While Limehouse didn't show his hand about the loot, he did suggest that they work together, and he was even willing to take all of the Bennett weed off of Crowder's hands. Boyd practically gave the weed away which caused Arlo and Devil to question his leadership. After a brief pep talk about his vision for their little outfit, Crowder strong-armed his way into getting back a bar that belonged to his cousin and made it the first brick towards building his new criminal empire.

While Boyd was making his way towards becoming the new kingpin of Harlan county, Raylan had to deal with another group of criminals trying to make a play for his little Kentucky home. The state police called Raylan to help out with a roadblock they set up to find a couple of Oxycontin addicts who they suspected of stealing, and one of them was Wade Messer (the guy who strung up Raylan for Dickie). As it turned out, Messer was working for an Oxy dealer/pawn shop owner named Fogle, who in turn was working for Wynn Duffy and Robert Quarles (aka the new leader of the Dixie Mafia). Quarles decided to have Messer kill Raylan knowing that he probably would not succeed, but Messer decided to turn on Fogle which led the lawman to the Mafia. Both sides stared the other down, and the gauntlet was thrown down.

At first, I was a little unsure when Fogle was introduced because I thought that this was just another bad guy for us to keep track of. Thankfully, he turned out to be an insignificant underling who was not long for this world, but he did provide a glimpse in the hierarchy of the Dixie Mafia and how they operate. Speaking of the Mafia, Quarles was still a little too over-the-top for my liking, but I do see a ton of potential. I just hope they dial him down a notch

By far my favorite plot of the night was Boyd's. Seeing his grasp for power was entertaining, and I'm not hating the idea of him partnering up with Limehouse. I'm interested to see how that working relationship develops. What made Boyd's story even better was the role that Ava played, and I'm loving how she's become a strong second in command.

Other Odds and Ends

I know that scene between Dickie and the guard will be important down the line, but it just stuck out during this episode.
Boyd's speech to Devil about how he's every person that Devil describe was a nice bit of acting on Walton Goggin's part.
That pissing contest between Raylan and Quarles at the end was pretty intense stuff.
Raylan: "Besides, these boots aren't made for runnin'."
Trooper: "And yet chasing fugitives is a Marshal's primary function."
Raylan: "It's ironic, isn't it?"
Quarles: "You see Wynn, that is why it's called 'organized crime.'"
"We all got lines we gotta cross, Wade."

Again, "Harlan Roulette" was ultimately a good episode of Justified, but I'm starting to think that they're introducing way too many characters. Like I mentioned in my review of "Cut Ties," I'm all for the world of Harlan to be expanded, but there are limits, and having to keep track of half-a-dozen bad guys can be taxing. Then again, I trust the writers to keep me on the hook, but I may need to come up with some flashcards to keep everything straight.

My Quick Thoughts on Being Human: "All Out of Blood"

2012-01-30T23:31:00.000-06:00

"All Out of Blood" was an interesting episode to watch. I really didn't care for the stories that were introduced, but I still thought that it was extremely entertaining none the less.

While watching "All Out of Blood," it became clear that this show is at its best when it focuses on the three main characters just hanging out and talking about their lives. All of the vampire politics, werewolf mythology and ghost limbo can be fun, but it all takes a backseat to strong interactions between Aidan, Josh and Sally, and this episode had them in heaps.

On the story line front, some were better than others. I thought that Sally's temptation to reincarnate herself into a baby started off iffy, but it took an interesting turn mostly because of the introduction of the Zoey character. On the flip side, I thought that the love quadrangle that was introduced was a little contrived, but that scene where Nora stalked Josh's ex was chilling. I also wasn't too thrilled about the direction they're taking with Josh and Aidan because they came off as jerks. Sure, they were trying to protect those they cared about, but taking this approach is always a risky move. Just ask Will Schuester.

Again, from a narrative stand point, "All Out of Blood" had some questionable moments, but the chemistry between the three leads was great, and I can watch them chat and rag on each other all day. Also, Dawson's Creek jokes will always win me over, so the episode had that going for it as well.

My TV Report Card: Week of January 22

2012-01-29T21:31:00.000-06:00

Even though there was not a ton of new episodes on the air this week, this edition of the TV Report Card will be pretty to the point. I apologize for any possible let-down.

Monday
Being Human: "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?"

While I still don't know how I feel about Aidan's storyline (although I did like Dichen Lachman showing up) this season, I did like "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" overall. It was nice to see Sally in a new environment while she continued to adjust to her afterlife, but I was a little surprised by the dark turn that it took. Another storyline that took an early twist was Josh and Nora's, and I'll be interested to see how her being a full werewolf will shake things up. "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" was not the strongest effort from Being Human, but I was still entertained.

GRADE: B

Castle: "An Embarrassment of Bitches"

I think my tastes in television shows are changing because I thought this week's Castle, An Embarrassment of Bitches, was another weak offering. I could not muster up any emotion about the so-call celebrity at the center of the case (even though she was being played by White Collar alum Hilarie Burton) or the fact that Esposito had a crush on her. While, I'm glad the writers have eased up on the Caskett stuff, I did find myself wanting them to get back to it, and his little hand rub was not enough. The story just needs to start going somewhere and fast.

GRADE: C

Lost Girl: "Where There's a Will, There's a Fae"

So far, Lost Girl's still relying heavily on standard supernatural tropes, but that's to be expected. What I do like about the show so far is how it's not focusing on your standard Gothic creatures like vampire and werewolves. Succubi and fae, and the world that Lost Girl has created feels unique enough for now, and I was glad to see that the show cut through the "will they, won't they" junk by having Bo and Dyson hop into bed during episode 2. Sure, there's the whole feeling aspect of their relationship, but for now I'm just glad we don't have to wade through the same old sexual tension.

GRADE: B

Tuesday
Justified: "Cut Ties"

Like a lot of crime shows on television, Justified has to be able to combine serialized storytelling with stand-alone episodes, and right now it's probably one of the best at the game. "Cut Ties" really didn't address the on-going narrative all that much, with the exception of Boyd's B-plot and the reveal of Limehouse at the end, but it was still a good episode mostly thanks to Art's role in the Witness Protection story. It's hard to this show to be anything but the Rayland and Boyd hour, but I'm glad that we get glimpses at the people around these two every once in a while.

GRADE: B+

Thursday
30 Rock: "Idiots Are People Three!"

For the most part, I thought that 30 Rock was able to follow up the funny "Idiots Are People Two!" episode with a successful sequel. While I did think that Tracy's idiot movement was a one-trick pony, I did enjoy to watch the continued bond between Liz and Jack, and how the latter was still in the former's head. I even found myself getting on board with the idea of her dating Criss. Plus, the return of the Best Friends Gang was the right amount of wacky without being off-putting, so I was ultimately happy with the episode.

GRADE: B+

30 Rock: "The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell"

While I liked "Idiots Three," I could not say that same about "The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell." Apparently, all of the tolerance I had for Jenna and Kenneth was used up during the last twp episodes because I did not find either one of them funny. The same was true about Tracy's hissy fit about not being able to want anything anymore because of everything he already had. To be honest, I can't even remember what Jack did during this episode, which is not a good sign. Plus, I was upset that Emma Stone's guest spot was wasted on a spoof movie trailer. What a waste.

GRADE: C-

Archer: "El Contador"

After a star-studded season premiere, Archer went back to basics with an episode that promoted Cyril to a field agent while the rest of ISIS had to figure out how to pass a drug test. While I can't say that "El Contador" was a ground-breaking episode of Archer, it was packed with the show's trademark humor and vulgarity which was all that I was asking for. Seriously, watching Pam, Gillette and Cheryl trip out on the herbal tea that Kreiger sold them is only something this show can get away with, and I'm glad that they can.

GRADE: B+

Friday
Chuck: "Chuck vs. Sarah"

Some how Chuck was able to last for five seasons, and this week was the show's two-hour finale. "Chuck vs. Sarah" was a nice penultimate episode because it spent a good amount of time dealing with the big twist involving Sarah's lost memories. I know that this move was risky, but I thought that it gave the viewers some legitimate drama and reminded us that there are stakes that these beloved characters have to face. Had the last mission been easy for Team Bartowski, it wouldn't have been as effective. Kudos to the writers for sticking to their guns and not giving Sarah back her memories by episode's end. Bold but smart move. Overall, I thought it was a solid episode.

GRADE: B+

Chuck: "Chuck vs. the Goodbye"

To be honest, I cannot be objective about the last episode of Chuck ever. I thought it was great because it wasn't cliched and tired, and it ended on a moment of hope that was slightly bittersweet and open-ended, which was why I dug it so much. I know that some people need closure, and I can kind of see how they would think that this ending essentially negated the last five years, but a neat and tidy ending would have felt false. I'd rather imagine Chuck and Sarah falling in love again than seeing them with kids running around their dream house. Regardless, "Chuck vs. the Goodbye" was aces.

GRADE: A

Spartacus: Vengeance: "Fugitivus"

There was a point in time when the second season of Spartacus could have been scrapped altogether due to Andy Whitfield's illness. Thankfully, he recovered which meant Spartacus: Vengeance could continue, but we all know how his story ended. Whitfield gave the show his blessing to continue on without him, and I'm glad that he did because Season 2 of the franchise started off on a pretty strong note. Yes, it took a little time to get used to seeing Liam McIntyre in the role, but I thought he did an admirable job, and I'm looking forward to watching him grow into the character. Story wise, "Fugitivus" was successful at catching everyone up while kicking off the season long story of Spartacus getting his revenge while becoming a leader of rebels. Again, solid start to a great show.

GRADE: B+

So there you have it, a quick and dirty version of the TV Report Card.

My Two-Cents on Spartacus: Vengeance: "Fugitivus"

2012-01-28T19:42:00.000-06:00

When I first watched Spartacus: Blood and Sand, I didn't give it too much thought because I thought it was only going to be a an overly stylized and gratuitous swords and sandals soap that focused too much on sex and violence. It could be argued that's what the show was the its beginnings, but it became so much more during its first season. Blood and Sand was able to craft a brutal world with rich characters, and it quickly went from guilty pleasure to a legitimately entertaining drama, so I was excited that Starz renewed it for a second season (and a prequel).

"Fugitivus" started off with a brief prologue informing the audience of what transpired during Blood and Sand and catching them up to where the story has gone since then. Spartacus and his men are still wreaking havoc on Rome, and they're being hunted down by a noble named Seppius. After a skirmish between Spartacus' rebels and Seppius' mercenaries, the ex-slaves returned to their base in the sewers to plot their next move. Crixus' desire was to find Naevia, who he lost contact with after the revolt at the home of Batiatus. He had heard that the slaver responsible for her sale was going to be visiting a brothel in Capua, so they planned an attack in order to get information. Crixus learned that Naevia was somewhere in the south, and he wanted to go after her, but Spartacus insisted on staying put even though Mira (his new companion) agreed that they should move on. He was contemplating the idea until he learned that Gaius Claudius Glaber would be returning to Capua.

In Rome, Glaber was adjusting to his new station as praetor when the news of Spartacus' exploits started to cause concern. He was assigned to go back to Capua and to handle Spartacus once and for all. Glaber and Ilithyia returned to Capua and took up residence in the house of Batiatus despite her protests, and once there they found out that Lucreatia was still alive although she had gone mad after the massacre that occurred at the end of Blood and Sand. Instead of putting her out of her misery (which also would have rid Ilithyia of the one witness to her murderous ways), Glaber decided to use her as a symbol to instill hope in the residents of Capua.

Glaber unveiled Lucretia at a rally in the town square to prove that Spartacus had no power of the people, and he was even going to execute an escaped slave named Aurelia, who was a follower of Spartacus and the wife of his best friend Varro. His plans were thwarted by our hero, who was there to get his vengeance since Glaber was responsible for the death of his wife, but he was out manned until Crixus and his fellow rebels showed up to save their leader. After Spartacus and his men regrouped, Aurelia asked to speak to him, and she wanted him to promise her that he would stay away from her son so he would avoid the suffering that his parents had to endure. A shaken Spartacus decided against getting revenge for Aurelia's death, and instead decided to go south to find Naevia, but they would free slaves along the way so they could build an army to face the Empire.

While Spartacus is a very serialized story, I did feel that "Fugitivus" did a good job at introducing this world to new viewers while not making fans re-live moment that had occurred up to the opening scene. There are some details that are important for people to know, but I'm confident that someone who watched Spartacus for the first time would be able to catch-up.

The biggest question facing Vengeance is whether Liam McIntyre would be able to adequately replace the late Andy Whitfield, and I for one thought he did a great job. Now, I'll admit that Andy cannot be replaced, and I think Liam understood that's not what he needed to do. Instead, he was supposed to keep true to the character while bringing his own interpretation, and I felt that he was successful. Between the two, Andy's Sparty embodied to more underdog qualities of the character and the rawer emotions while Liam brought more confidence and command to the role. The way I see it, Andy was good at the inner struggles whereas I can see Liam being a stronger leader. That's not to say Andy would not have been able to, but the emotions were his strength.

The only weakness of the show at this point is the fact that its scope may be too large. For example, we were introduced to so many new characters in this first episode back, like Seppius and his incestuous sister, that it was hard to keep up. Usually, I'm a fan of a show expanding beyond its original parameters, but I just wish these changes were made at a slower pace. Since Spartacus does not have the luxury of having 22-episode seasons, I understand that each episode has to be filled to the brim with story, but sometimes this approach makes it hard to digest everything that's being offered up.

Other Odds and Ends:

I'm so glad Lucretia survived the uprising because Lucy Lawless was amazing during Blood and Sand. It's just too bad Batiatus had to go, but we still have Gods of the Arena.
I didn't realize how much I missed Ilithyia until Viva Bianca showed up on my screen, and I shouldn't have been surprised that her first scene back was sans clothing.
Speaking of the nudity, sex and violence, I hope people don't count out this show because of its more tantalizing elements because that's not what Spartacus is about. These aspects are just hedonistic garnishes on the side of a well-told story.
So, one of the big questions I have has to do with Spartacus and Mira. During Season 1, and so far in Season 2, he's main driving force has been his love for his wife, but he's OK with sleeping around with Mira? For some reason that just rings false to me.
Glaber has the chance to be an epic Big Bad. I can't wait to see where he goes from here.
In the end, the relationship that will be the most important is the one between Spartacus and Crixus.
That final exchange between Spartacus and Aurelia was heartbreaking and an example of what this show does well.

I'm not going to pretend that Spartacus: Vengeance is a show for everyone because it's not. The world that Steven S. DeKnight has created is savage and vulgar, so it's not for the feint of heart or easily offended, but it's also so much more than the sums of its parts. The characters seem larger than life but are also accessible, and their relationships are paramount, and "Fugitivus" did a decent job at conveying what makes Spartacus special.

My Newest Hobby: "The Small Screen Podcast," Episode 18: Not ELEMENTARY, My Dear SHERLOCK

2012-01-28T16:13:00.000-06:00

"The Small Screen Podcast" is back for Episode 18. This week, Kristal and I talked about the Oscar nominees and how they'll possible impact the telecast, the fact that The Big Bang Theory beat American Idol in the ratings, the brewing feud between BBC and CBS over Sherlock Holmes, The Office spin-off starring Dwight Schrute, the overabundance of remakes on TV, and of course what we're watching and looking forward to. Check out the episode breakdown below to avoid any spoilers.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start - 1:43

TV News: 1:43 - 18:29

The Oscar Nominations: 1:43 - 6:20
The Big Bang Theory beat American Idol: 6:21 - 9:57
BBC vs. CBS: The Battle over Sherlock Holmes: 9:58 - 14:48
The Office spin-off: 14:49 - 18:29

The Topic of the Week - Remakes, Re-imaginings and Rip-Offs: 18:30 - 25:04

What We're Watching (SPOILER ALERT): 25:05 - 42:45

Chuck: 25:05 - 34:21
New Girl: 34:22 - 38:10
Lost Girl: 38:11 - 42:45

What We're Looking Forward To: 42:46 - 45:02

Chuck Series Finale & Spartacus: Vengeance Premiere: 42:46 - 43:31
The Walking Dead Season 2, Part 2: 43:32 - 45:02

Closing: 45:03 - End

Check out the episode below, or download it over at iTunes:

For more, follow us on Twitter:
Kristal: @kristal_bailey
Marcos: @poppas2cents

My Two-Cents on Chuck: "Chuck vs. Sarah" and "Chuck vs. the Goodbye"

2012-01-28T02:26:00.001-06:00

I'm just going to get it out of the way and say it; people who did not like the Chuck finale make me sad. While I understand that some people want things wrapped up with a tidy bow, it's dang near impossible to get that with television shows. My advice to them: suck it up and deal because "Chuck vs. Sarah," and "Chuck vs. the Goodbye" were the right episodes to end this series with.

"Chuck vs. Sarah" picked up where "Bullet Train" left off. Sarah's memories are completely gone, and she's being used by Quinn to retrieve the Intersect glasses before killing Chuck. A wiped Sarah stumbled back to her and Chuck's apartment, but her husband had a feeling that something wasn't quite right. After giving it some thought, Chuck realized that the Intersect's been the reason for all of the bad things that's happened to him and his family, so his final mission was to destroy the last working version of the program before Quinn could get his hands on it. Before he could rid the world of the Intersect once and for all, Sarah uploaded it to Quinn's glasses and trapped her team in the "white room." She was supposed to blow them up but didn't have the nerve, so Quinn did it for her. Luckily, Chuck, Casey and Morgan were able to survive the blast, and our hero was able to swap out the glasses. Sarah was not going to fail her mission, so she took Ellie captive as a way to force Chuck to hand over the Intersect, but Ellie was able to save herself and knock Sarah out via car wreck. Chuck took her to their dream house with hopes that it would bring her back, but Quinn showed up to take his prize, and Sarah had to go on the run to avoid getting arrested.

"Chuck vs. the Goodbye" started two weeks after the events of "Chuck vs. Sarah," and Quinn was getting closer and closer to creating his perfect Intersect, but Sarah was determined to get revenge for what he did to her. After a brief gun battle on a plane, which led to her being tossed into a freefall, Sarah emerged alive but still on a mission. Back in Burbank, Chuck was convinced by his family and friends to not give up on Sarah, and he too was on a mission to get his wife back. When she showed up at the Buy More to get access to Castle, Chuck was able to get Sarah to agree to take him and Morgan on a mission to Berlin where Quinn was meeting up with someone to get another piece of the Intersect "Key." After Chuck accidentally botched the mission, Quinn was able to get away and was planning on getting the final piece of the Key from General Beckman before blowing up people yet again. Thankfully, Jeffster was able to save the day by buying Chuck enough time to get the Intersect, upload it, and defuse the bomb. Unfortunately, Chuck's uploading of the Intersect meant that he wouldn't be able to use it to restore Sarah's memory.

As the series came to a close, everyone got their proper endings: the Awesomes moved to Chicago, Jeffster was destined to become pop stars in Germany, Morgan and Alex decided to move in together, Casey went after Gertrude, Big Mike stayed at the Buy More (now with a built-in Subway), and Chuck and Sarah sat on the same beach they did during the first episode. She believed that she loved Chuck once and wanted to hear their story right before their magical kiss. Whether or not it cured Sarah was beside the point because it was filled with hope and love, and it was perfect.

Now, I'll fully admit that I love me some ambiguous endings because I'd rather come up with my own conclusions rather than be told what happened (I suppose it's the creative side of me), so while I was initially shocked by the way "Goodbye" ended, it made complete sense after I thought about it. The way I see it, people who are more optimistic will love the ending. They can believe that either a.) the kiss worked and all is right in the Chuck world or b.) Chuck and Sarah will get to fall in love all over again. On the other hand, more cynical people will focus on the fact that Sarah still doesn't remember the last five years and it was all a waste of time. Sure, that's a very dualistic approach to viewing the finale, but that's the way most people are going to see it anyway.

I for one fall into the former camp, and I think the idea of Chuck and Sarah having the chance to reconnect and fall in love all over again is oddly romantic. Heck, even if Chuck was Prince Charming and the kiss worked, they still get the chance to have their happily ever after, and I don't need to shown that. I just choose to believe it, but the last five minutes were only a small part of the epic series finale, and we shouldn't dwell on them. Collectively, "Chuck vs. Sarah" and "Chuck vs. the Goodbye" were just two good episodes of television, and that's what we should remember.

The whole "Sarah amnesia" storyline could have been a complete misfire, but I thought that it was a nice twist that had some very satisfying elements like Yvonne Strahovski getting to play a darker version of the character. Out of all of the actors on this show, Strahovski's been one of the most versatile, and I was glad that we got to see her take on a colder Sarah Walker. Just some great stuff from a woefully under-appreciated actor.

As for "Goodbye," it was a giant love letter from Chris Fedak as he brought back so many callbacks to some iconic Chuck scenes which gave it a sense of nostalgia while still pushing the current story forward, and it was a nice reminder of what this show has meant to so many people. Again, those last couple of minutes may not have been what everyone wanted to see, but I couldn't help but get choked up while watching them, and people need to re-evaluate why they watched the show to begin with if they didn't.

That being said, the last two hours were not flawless. While I'm a big fan of Zachary Levi, he's not the most convincing crier, so some of his scenes during "Chuck vs. Sarah" were a tad bit over-dramatic for my tastes. I also thought that the way Quinn was taken out was kind of anti-climactic, but that may have also been because he was only the main villain for a handful of episodes. In the end, Quinn was just a plot device that caused Sarah's memory loss, so I guess I can't get too upset about his less than stellar ending. I also thought that the finale relied too heavily on some cliched moments like people moving away, but I guess that's to be expected. In the end, these are minor quibbles about two pretty damn good episodes of Chuck, so I really can't complain.

Other Odds and Ends:

Seriously, how good was Yvonne Strahovski?
Quinn's manipulation of Sarah was effectively creepy.
Casey's "World's Greatest Dad" apron was brilliant ... and true.
Apparently, Sarah didn't even need the Intersect. She's still badass all on her own.
Chuck AND Harry Potter! I have to admit, that got me kinda excited.
Quinn really was a Bond villain.
Sarah's mission log was almost too much to handle. Such a great moment.
The female pervert's code name was "Starbuck." Now, I never watched Battlestar, but even I know that's funny.
I'm so glad they brought back the Wienerlicious.
Morgan laying down the truth on Casey was beyond amazing.
Jeffster saved the day again!
So many great callbacks.
Casey hugged Chuck!
"Well, if you would use a plate when you're eating taquitos, I wouldn't have to scrub the floors would I?"
"You're a wizard, Harry."
"My wife never came home."
"I guess Bartowski's made us both a little soft."
"One sit-up closer to getting the girl back."
"She may be the best spy in the world, but I'm Chuck Bartowski. It's not like she's out of my league."
"And yes, I've been watching a ton of Disney princess movies with baby Clara ..."
"Unleash the perverts."
"No nip-slips."
"You shot down my helicopter with my own damn gun!"
Devon: "Grandma, what did we say about baby Clara seeing firearms?"
Mary: "It's a no-no."
"Chuck, find the porn virus. Find it now."
"My little brother. Aces, Charles. You're aces."
"Trust me Sarah. I'm here for you always."
"It started with a guy who worked at Buy More, and then one day his an old college friend of his sent him an email that was filled with secrets, and then the next day his life really changed when he met a spy named Sarah. And he fell in love."

To be fair, I can't say that those who didn't like the finale are wrong (although they are) because people watched this show with their own set of expectations, but I hope they don't let it color their thoughts on the series as a whole. Ultimately, Chuck was a special show made for a special set of fans, and I'd like to think that the journey was more important than the destination because this show's true legacy will be the fans' love for it. I'd hate for a few minutes to undo all the greatness that this show has given us, but I'll deal regardless because to me that was a pretty great way for Chuck to bow out.

Last Episode: "Chuck vs. the Bullet Train" >>

My Farewell to Chuck

2012-01-27T15:29:00.000-06:00

Back in October, I wrote a love letter to NBC's Chuck, and back then the idea of the show coming to end was kind of a foreign concept. I knew that Season 5 was going to be it, but it still felt so far away. Unfortunately, the day is finally here, and we all have to say goodbye to Chuck, Sarah, Casey and the Buy Morons. Three months ago, I thought that I'd be ready for the finale ... and then I realized that I'm not.

Chuck was a one of a kind show. It was able to combine action, comedy, drama and romance into fun one-hour installments that somehow lasted for 5 years in spite of dwindling ratings and taking permanent residence on the renewal bubble. Only a special show can claim these feats, and only a special show can change how the television business works. Most executives are bottom-line people who care about the numbers, but it's no secret that the Subway fan campaign played a role its last minute reprieve. Chuck proved that fans can make an impact. Again, not many shows can claim that.

I think it's pretty safe to say that there will never be another television series like Chuck. Sure, we'll see spy dramedies in the future because it's a genre that can be mined for great stories, but it'll be hard for any show to do what Chuck did, and this is why it's going to be so hard to say goodbye. No other show will speak to me like Chuck did, and I'm not sure I'd want one to.

I could be greedy and get upset that we only got 13 episodes to wrap everything up, but I know that Chucksters are a lucky group of fans, and I'm grateful for the journey that we've been able to take over the years. I'm just sad that this is the end of the show that changed my life, and these last 2 hours are going to be an emotional ride. All I can say now is thank you Chuck, and I'm going to miss you.

My Quick Thoughts on 30 Rock: "Idiots Are People Three!" and "The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell"

2012-01-27T00:19:00.000-06:00

Season 6 of 30 Rock continued to be a bumpy ride as it followed up last week's relatively funny episode with "Idiots Are People Three!," and "The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell," and only one of the two really worked in my opinion.

"Idiots Are People Three!" was a fine sequel to "Idiots Two" because it continued to build off of the rift between Jack and Liz due to his disapproval of Criss, and I appreciated that the resolution tied up the two episode while still keeping the door open to more conflict down the road. I was also a fan of Kelsey Grammer's return as a fixer type character who helped take the heat off of Jenna and Kenneth for Pete's state of unconsciousness. Plus, I'm always a fan of when Devin Banks shows up.

"The Ballad of Kenneth Parcell" was less successful though. While I was able to tolerate Jenna during the past two episodes, she was back to insufferable self, and I could barely sit through her scenes. Honestly, the same can be said about all of the plotlines during this episode because I found the whole thing to be boring and unfunny.

Maybe I picked the wrong time to jump on the 30 Rock bandwagon. While Season 5 was a lot of fun, this new season has been underwhelming, and I find myself wondering why I'm not watching Community. Yes, it's still too early to tell if this year's going to be a bust, but it's not looking too promising if you ask me.

My Quick Thoughts on White Collar: "Upper West Side Story"

2012-01-24T23:09:00.001-06:00

"Upper West Side Story" was one of those episodes that really didn't add all that much to the overall story of White Collar, but there were enough fun moments and pop culture references to keep me entertained.

Honestly, I could have cared less about the case-of-the-week (something I've been repeating a lot in regards to the procedural shows I watch) because it had to do with rich people and their problems. To be fair, the kid involved had to earn his keep, but I'm over all of the NYC prep school cliches, and it felt like staging this episode in this environment was an excuse to have Neal wear glasses and quote poetry which was pure fangirl service. Not that there's anything wrong with that; it just didn't make for a deep episode.

As always, the key to "Upper West Side Story" was the chemistry between Neal and Peter, and they're becoming the only reason to watch this show (along with the rest of the characters, but these two are the heart) since the cases are getting less and less interesting. I just hope we get some new plot points that will reinvigorate the series now that the treasure arc's wrapped up, but we'll just have to wait and see.

While I didn't love "Upper West Side Story," there were some definite moments that had me laughing (Harry Potter references and jokes about Say Anything will never disappoint), so it was ultimately a winner. I did find myself questioning the show's longevity though because it's starting to feel a little repetitive.

My Two-Cents on Justified: "Cut Ties"

2012-01-24T22:41:00.000-06:00

The challenge that a lot of television dramas have to contend with is striking the balance between telling an over-arching, serialized story and more stand-alone episodes that can be more accessible to casual viewers. When Justified started, it took more of a procedural approach, but it became stronger when it shifted gears and focused on season long stories. While this show excels at serialized storytelling, it still needs stand-alones, like "Cut Ties" from time to time.

Marshal Bill Nichols was a member of the Witness Protection program, and he was in charge of overseeing three assets in the Eastern Kentucky region until he was found murdered. It was up to Chief Deputy Art Mullen, Raylan Givens and the rest of the Marshals to figure out who was responsible for Nichols' death. The case was so important that Assistant Director Karen Goodall also joined in on the search. As Raylan and Goodall went to question a Boston wise guy by the name of Little Joe about what he knew, Art and Marshal Rachel Brooks visited some of Nichols witnesses. As it turned out, Art was watching over Terry Powe, the man who tortured and killed Nichols for information on the rest of his WITSEC clients so he could sell them out and be square with Little Joe, and he decided to dish out some old school U.S. Marshal justice. Unfortunately, they were too late to stop Powe from telling some gangster thugs where a witness was located, but thankfully Rachel was there to save the day.

While Raylan and his fellow Marshals were smoking out Terry Powe, Boyd Crowder continued on his mission to get his revenge on Dickie Bennett. When an attempted shiving was interrupted by a well-timed visit from Raylan, who informed Boyd that he overreacted to their fight and was going to get him released from prison, Boyd had to scrambled to get to Dickie before he was cut lose. Coincidentally, Dickie somehow got himself put into isolation, but Crowder was able to buy off a guard and also get himself put into solitary before the day was done. The guard let Boyd into Dickie's cell, so he could get information on where all of the Bennett money was being held. When Crowder was let go the next day, he was not too enthusiastic about the information he got from Dickie, and he told Ava that Mags' fortune was being watched over by a shady character known as Limehouse.

Like I mentioned before, I understand why a show like Justified needs to use stand-alone episodes every once in a while, but I still believe that it's far superior when it focuses on telling a story that spans multiple installments. That being said, I thought that "Cut Ties" was a solid effort. Not only did it have an entertaining one-off plot, but it also built the world around Raylan. We got to learn more about Art, by far the MVP of the episode, as well as more hints about some of the bigger players that we'll be seeing throughout the rest of the season (Limehouse).

Now, not everything about "Cut Ties" was episodic in nature. Boyd's story continued to expand on his need to get back at the Bennetts for shooting Ava, while also making him a major player in the Harlan crime world. Oddly enough, this element was a minor letdown in my opinion, not because it wasn't interesting, but because I was surprised that they didn't take full advantage of having Boyd in prison. Logically, I understand why they sprung him so early, you can't have one of your main characters be limited by bars, but I thought his moments with Dickie came and went too quickly. More than likely, Boyd's not done with Dickie, but I was just expecting more from their time together in prison.

Other Odds and Ends:

Why don't they just live in Winona's old house? Too many memories?
It's cool that Carla Gugino reprised her role as Karen Sisco. So what if she had a new last name?
I'd totally watch a prequel about Art's early days as a young Marshal.
So, it looks like there's a history between Raylan and Karen. How convenient?
Am I the only who thinks these new bad guys are a little too over the top? I dunno, Limehouse's speech about dogs and lye felt like he was laying it on thick.
Raylan: "What do you make of a man who divorces a woman, then gets her pregnant, then wonders if maybe they should move in together?"
Boyd: "Well, now Raylan you're talking to a man who's sleeping with his dead brother's widow and murderess, so if you're looking for someone to cast stones at you on this matter, I think picked the wrong sinner."
"Mostly I'm just scared."
Ava: "Will you tell me what happened to your face?"
Boyd: "I didn't play well with others."

One of the aspects that I love most about Justified is the universe that the show has established. While "Cut Ties" did not progress the long range story in any monumental ways, it was successful at expanding everything that surrounds Raylan which is just as important as telling an on-going narrative, and I'm excited to see where things go from here.

My Quick Thoughts on Being Human: "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?"

2012-01-23T22:38:00.000-06:00

I have to admit that I was more interested in episode two of Being Human's second season than I was in the premiere thanks to the expanded stories of Josh and Sally.

I still don't know how to react to Aidan's character and his arc. Maybe it's because I don't always buy Sam Witwer's performances, or maybe it's because I'm over the whole tortured vampire routine, but he's still the weakest link on this show. That being said, I thought he was given better material during "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?" than he was during the premiere. An added surprise was the debut of Dichen Lachman as Suren, the new head of the Boston vampires who has a past with Aidan. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from Lachman because I wasn't too impressed with her work on Dollhouse or Torchwood: Miracle Day, but I thought she did a decent job.

Once again, Josh and Sally stole the show as they continued to deal with their new circumstances. Having Nora be a full werewolf ultimately makes sense, and I'm interested to see how this will impact their relationship. As for Sally, watching her posses someone's body and partake in all of the experiences that she's been missing out on since she's been a ghost was delightful until it took a dark turn, but even that move felt natural. I guess what it comes down to is Sam Huntington and Meaghan Rath are acting circles around Witwer at this point, but I'm not complaining ... too much.

While Sally and Josh were once again the MVPs, I'm still willing to let Aidan's story unfold because I do see a lot of potential there. I just hope they don't turn him into another Angel clone like they did with Stefan on The Vampire Diaries, but that's a subject for another post.

My TV Report Card: Week of January 15

2012-01-23T22:05:00.000-06:00

After a slight delay, here is this week's TV Report Card:

Sunday
Leverage: "The Last Dam Job"

Season 4 of Leverage ended on a relatively high note even though "The Last Dam Job" was a pretty standard episode. Seeing the Crew assemble a B-team of former rivals and mentors was a nice touch that made everything feel new, and this was one of Eliot's finer episodes due to his concern for Nathan's well-being. I still don't think the Latimer/Dubenich arc was successful though because we did not spend enough time establishing the story over the entire season, but I still enjoyed watching Leverage more often than not.

GRADE: B

Monday
How I Met Your Mother: "46 Minutes"

I really, really, really wanted to hate "46 Minutes" because it focused on the things I despise about this show, but I ended up only mildly disliking it in spite of myself. The only redeeming quality of this episode that kept me from hating it was Barney's temporary stint as the gang's leader, and that's only because we got those great retconned title sequences. Oh, and the Silence of the Lambs moments involving Marshall were OK too. Other than that I could've left everything else behind. I hate it when Ted get's all mopey, I still don't care about Robin and Kevin, we all know Marshall and Lily are moving back to the City so their story was pointless, and Chris Eliot's character needs to be killed off or something. Now that I think about it, "46 Minutes" was a giant waste of time, but those damn title sequences get me every time.

GRADE: D-

2 Broke Girls: "And the Upstairs Neighbor"

Yes, I know that I said that I was done with 2 Broke Girls, but it's so easy to just keep watching CBS after How I Met Your Mother, so here I am. There are a few critics out there who believe that 2BS would be a better show if they just got rid of the diner, and I agreed with that statement until "Upstairs Neighbor." This episode didn't rely too heavily on the questionable diner and its employees, and we got to see more glimpses of Max and Caroline at home, which wasn't as offensive but it was more boring. The lazy writing about cleaning ladies mistaken for hookers and the annoying word of the day (this week it was herpes) didn't help either. After this one, I'm convinced that there truly is no hope for 2 Broke Girls, and even the alt-narrative of them being lesbians won't be able to save it at this point.

GRADE: D-

Being Human: "Turn This Mother Out"

Last year, I went into watching Being Human with some hesitations due to vampire fatigue, but it quickly grew on me, so I was excited for the Season 2 premiere. "Turn This Mother Out" was a decent enough episode thanks to the Josh and Nora storyline (I love that they've brought her into the mix), but the Aidan plot fell a little flat although it has potential. I was also expecting more from Sally's C-plot, but it didn't quite gel either, but I think that's because I didn't appreciate the concept of a ghost going to her high school reunion which does sound kind of interesting.

GRADE: B

Castle: "Dial M for Mayor"

I'll be honest, I was kind of let down by this week's Castle. The promos made it look like there was going to be a major rift between Rick and Kate after this case, and I would have applauded the show for taking such a risky move. Instead we got a few scenes where they didn't quite see eye to eye, but everything seemed to work out in the end, so there really wasn't any thing at stake which has become a problem on this show. The longer they draw out the Caskett tension, without any real stakes or challenges, it will get stale because it will be nothing but more of the same drama. The thing is, when they do try to introduce some obstacles, like Rick and Kate dating other people, it all feels rote. Having Rick up and leave the precinct because Kate busted his friend could have set up some very interesting and entertaining stories, but we'll never know because the Castle writers continue to play it safe.

GRADE: C-

Lost Girl: "It's a Fae, Fae, Fae, Fae World"

I did not know much about this Canadian supernatural drama until I started blogging about television. Some of the sites that I frequent and submit write-ups to have been covering this show for sometime, but I never paid much attention since I live in the States. Things changed when Syfy decided to air it with Being Human, so my interested was piqued. The pilot episode did a good job at introducing the audience to Bo and the world of the Fae, but parts felt a little cliched. For example, you have the tortured hero trying to figure out her place in the world with her plucky sidekick and mysterious organizations for her to contend with. It's pretty standard genre fare, but I do like the idea of Bo being a succubus instead of a vampire. At least it's something different. While I wasn't blown away by "Fae World," it has enough of the elements that I'm looking for in this kind of show, so I'll be checking out more episodes.

GRADE: B-

Tuesday
Glee: "Yes/No"

I probably should have hated everything about "Yes/No" because it contained so many things that makes this show not work like Jerk-Ass Will, clueless Finn, way too many outlandish storylines and fabricated drama, but I actually kinda liked the episode. I think the reason why I didn't mind "Yes/No" was because it started off in such a surreal place (the Grease homage), and the rest of the episode had a strong musical vibe to it, that I just went with it. Sure, things that Will and Finn said and did probably didn't make much sense, but none of the episode made much sense, so why nitpick? Plus, I think it either progressed some important storylines forward (Will and Emma's engagement) while introducing some potentially volatile ones (Finn proposing to Rachel). I'm not going to be crazy enough to say that "Yes/No" was good because it wasn't, but I did find it entertaining.

GRADE: C+

New Girl: "The Story of the 50"

I know that some viewer's milage may very when it comes to Jess and New Girl, but I thought that "The Story of the 50" was by far one of the strongest episodes to date. I liked how the focus really wasn't on Jess since she spent most of her time throwing Schmidt a birthday party, and how she was able to strike the balance between being naive and a competent adult. I'm also a fan of any episode that allows viewers to get to know more about Schmidt and brings back the Douchebag Jar. It also didn't hurt that Lizzy Caplan guest starred as Nick's girlfriend, and I'm already liking her more than Justin Long's character. I also loved the fact that this group of mismatched individuals have become friends and will stick up for one another no matter what which is something you don't always see on shows like Happy Endings or Community.

GRADE: B+

Justified: "The Gunfighter"

While I was late to the Justified game, even I knew that the show's sophomore run was a special season of television, so I was a little worried that my Kiss of Death would kick in an affect Season 3. After watching "The Gunfighter" I'm still convinced that Justified is still one of the best shows on television, but I'm still curious to see how they're going to fill the void left by Margo Martindale. From the looks of it, the writers are going to take a quantity over quality approach because a ton of new villains were introduced or brought back to kick off the season. So far, these new baddies seem competent enough to stir up some interesting stories, but I'm still cautiously optimistic. Honestly though, all will be right in Harlan County as long as we get some good scenes between Raylan and Boyd, so I guess I shouldn't be too concerned.

GRADE: B+

Wednesday
Modern Family: "Little Boo Bleep"

Man, I don't know what to think about Modern Family anymore. For the most part, I did not care for "Little Boo Bleep." I'm not a fan of talking Lily so the Cam/Mitchell A-plot fell kind of flat, and my hatred for Jay, Gloria and Manny have been well documented, but throwing in a "suicidal" dog didn't make anything better. Once again, it was the Dunphys who saved the episode because I'm a fan of when they gang up on Claire for being so unlikeable. Even her trainwreck of a debate was worth a few laughs, but the overall episode didn't deliver enough enjoyment to make me care about what was going on, and I was counting down the minutes until Happy Endings came on.

GRADE: C

Happy Endings: "Makin' Changes!"

Speaking of Happy Endings, it too gave us a flawed episode that was salvaged by a singular storyline. I've never been a fan of people trying to changes others for their own benefit, so I really didn't care for either Penny or Brad and Jane's plots because they just came off as manipulative and mean-spirited. I get that this approach to comedy is one of the reasons why Happy Endings works (much like Cougar Town and Community), but somedays I want them to be nice people. While the Dave, Alex and Max V-neck B-story also focused on changing Dave's habits, it didn't come off as negavtive (although it could be argued that pestering someone out of boredom is just as bad), but I think my favor for this one had more to do with the fact that I'm in love with Alex despite that fact that she's becoming too one-note of a character. In the end, "Makin' Changes!" landed enough jokes to keep me happy, so I can forgive it for a poor choice of subject matter.

GRADE: B

Thursday
30 Rock: "Idiots are People Two!"

After a clunker of a season opener, 30 Rock was able to get back on track by focusing on what makes the show special: Liz and Jack. I loved watching Jack get all upset because of Liz's new boyfriend, and how he reacted by playing mind games. I know that comment sounds like a contradiction compared to what I wrote about Happy Endings, but I believe that Jack's interference came out of a place of caring, and that he truly wants what's best for Liz and not for himself. Regardless, I'll take these kinds of episodes from 30 Rock any day of the week. Heck, I even liked the Jenna/Kenneth story, but that had a lot to do with the return of Kelsey Grammer. As for Tracy's dig at himself, I'm always in favor of celebrities taking themselves down a notch, so it was aces as well. Overall, a pretty decent episode from start to finish.

GRADE: B+

The Vampire Diaries: "The Ties That Bind"

As much as it pains me to write this, but I think I'm starting to lose interest in The Vampire Diaries. "The Ties That Bind" wasn't necessarily a episode, but I didn't feel like I was engaged either. This disinterest may have something to do with the fact that I wasn't paying 100% to what was going on, but that was because I wasn't drawn in. Since I'm not a huge fan of Bonnie, I didn't care about her estranged mother or her connection to the larger story. Even Dr. Fell's presence and her tiff with Damon didn't do it for me. Thankfully, Caroline had a bigger role, but she was once again handcuffed by Tyler, so that was a miss too. Hopefully, Elijah's return will liven things up for a bit.

GRADE: B-

Archer: "The Man from Jupiter"

A year ago, if you had told me that I'd be a fan of Archer, I probably would have laughed. I never thought that Archer was my kind of show, but then I actually watched it and was won over. After a good Season 2, and the "Heart of Archness" mini-series, "The Man from Jupiter" had its work cut out for it, and was a pretty decent effort. The premiere had the added bonus of having Burt Reynolds as a guest star, but his voice acting was sub-par, so he didn't add much to the episode in my opinion despite being a natural fit in the Archer universe. I did like Sterling's fanboy moments, and the rest of Isis evading a Cuban hit squad, but I was expecting more from Reynolds. Still a funny episode though.

GRADE: B+

Friday
Chuck: "Chuck vs. The Bullet Train"

Just when I thought Chuck could not get any better, they had to go and make "Chuck vs. The Bullet Train." While the episode did have its share of flaws, it also had the perfect combination of comedy, action and drama. Having Sarah upload the Intersect could have been a big misfire, but it's working so far, and I'm actually excited to see Chuck and Sarah face off next week. Plus, anytime I can not only tolerate Jeffster but also actively root for them is an indicator of the writers doing something right. The only minor drawback was Quinn who was too much of a super villain to be taken seriously, but he's still been one of the better big bad's of the show's run. He just needs to reign it in a little bit. I'm just so glad that Chuck's not resting on its laurels and is pulling out all of the stops towards the end of its life.

GRADE: A-

Grimm: "Of Mouse and Man"

I knew that Grimm couldn't be on a hot streak forever, and it was bound to churn out a mediocre episode. To be fair, I really wasn't paying that much attention to "Of Mouse and Man," but that's because the Monster of the Week was not very engaging because the idea of a meek person going crazy on those who push him around is far from new even if he is a mouse. The only highlight had to do with Eddie as he had to deal with the larger world of fairy tale creatures moving in on him and Nick for interfering, and I'm hoping that we get back to the Reapers sooner than later, although I don't know why they're to convince us that Juliette is relevant all of a sudden.

GRADE: D+

Some quick notes, I did watch White Collar, but since it was the winter premiere of Season 3, I decided to leave it off of the Report Card since it's already overstuffed. Also, I haven't had the chance to watch Up All Night, but it may join Parks and Recreation on the bench for now.

My Two-Cents on Chuck: "Chuck vs. The Bullet Train"

2012-01-20T22:49:00.000-06:00

Once again, I have to give kudos to Chuck because the show still refuses to coast towards the finish line. The showrunners and writers were able to follow up the very strong "Chuck vs. Bo" with the even better "Chuck vs. The Bullet Train," which set the audience up for an epic series finale.

Chuck's still being held by Quinn and for some reason they were on a bullet train leaving Tokyo, but the newly Intersected Sarah was able to fake her and Casey's death and get them on board the same train so they could save their partner. Sarah was able to use her new skill set to rescue Chuck and capture Quinn, but she let it slip that she had downloaded the Intersect into her head. Things seemed to be going fine until Quinn revealed to Casey that his goons had captured Alex, and he would have her killed if he did not help him get the Intersect, so Casey had to turn on his teammates in order to save his daughter's life.

Back at the Buy More, Ellie and Awesome were running tests on Morgan to figure out why the Intersect affected his memories, and Alex was getting him some snacks to make him feel better when she was taken by Quinn's men. Luckily for her, Lester and Jeff had not given up on their suspicions about Chuck, Morgan, Casey and Sarah, so they ended up following the baddies and stalled them by sugaring their gas tank. Once Sarah was able to buy some more time after kicking Quinn off of the train, Casey and Morgan came up with a plan to get Alex back that involved Morgan and Devon storming the truck that held her. Unfortunately, Awesome and Morgan were also captured, so Jeff and Lester were the only ones left who could save the day, which of course they did with a sub-machine gun and a flame-thrower.

Meanwhile, Ellie continued to do her research on the Intersect's affects on people's brains, and she concluded that the number of flashes a person has a correlation with the deterioration of their memories. Since Sarah's been flashing like crazy due to the fact that she cannot control them, she was in serious danger and had already started losing details about her life. The Bartowskis worked on setting up a suppression device to save Sarah, but Chuck wasn't able to download it in time thanks to Quinn messing with the train's Internet. After a pretty decent fight between Chuck and Quinn, the villain was able to escape yet again, but this time he had Sarah as his prisoner. His new plan was to wipe her memory clean of the last five years, and to have her take out Chuck once and for all.

Honestly, aside from some slight plot holes, "Chuck vs. The Bullet Train" may have been the perfect episode of Chuck. For the first time in a while it felt that our heroes were in real danger, there were real stakes and the entire ensemble played their parts flawlessly. I know I've been hard on Jeffster in the past, but I've loved what they've done with these two over the last couple of weeks, and I'm really excited to see if they're going to play a role in the final two episodes.

The real nail-biter though had to do with Sarah, and while giving her amnesia isn't the most inspired decision ever, I do think that that the twist at the end of "Bullet Train" has some real potential. While I doubt the creators will rob the fans of the happy ending we've been waiting for, having a brief detour where Sarah and Chuck have to face off could make for some interesting storytelling, and I'm excited to see where they go from here.

Other Odds and Ends:

How many times are they going to bring up the dumping via text? Get over it already!
I liked the new train-inspired opening sequence, but I can't help to think that I'm missing a reference.
Casey drawing on Chuck and Sarah was intense!
Japanese schoolgirls? Really, Chuck?
So no one saw these people toting around massive weapons in the middle of a strip mall parking lot?
Chuck's faith in Jeff and Lester was kinda sweet.
Seeing Lester decked out like a mini-Rambo while "O Canada" played was one of the best moments ever.
"I haven't sug-ed a tank in days."
"Wait, we have something better than a Buy More. We have a train full of Japanese people."
"Go to my Crown Vic."
"Leave the heavy stuff. You'll just blow yourself up."
"I can't believe we're this terrible."
Casey: "I need you, my daughter needs you, and your country needs you."
Lester: "Canada?"
"Behold the Flame of Destiny!"

I know that this entire season's been leading up to next week's series finale, and I thought I was ready to say goodbye to Chuck, but I don't think I am after the last couple of episodes. These last few installments have reinvigorated the show, and I want more stories about this group of characters. I guess I can be glad that Chuck's probably going to go out at the top of its game, which is comforting, but I'm not ready to let go. Can't we get just 9 more episodes, please?

Last Episode: "Chuck vs. Bo" >>

<< Next Episodes: "Chuck vs. Sarah" and "Chuck vs. the Goodbye"

My Newest Hobby: "The Small Screen Podcast," Episode 17: COUGAR TOWN, Will You Be Our Valentine?

2012-01-20T21:43:00.001-06:00

"The Small Screen Podcast" is back for Episode 17. This week, Kristal and I chatted about Cougar Town's V-Day premiere, BBC's Sherlock getting renewed for Series 3, Hulu getting into original programming, our thoughts on the Golden Globes, and of course what we're watching and what we're looking forward to.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start - 1:21

TV News: 1:22 - 11:43

Cougar Town's Valentine's Day Date: 1:22 - 4:49
Sherlock Renewed: 4:50 - 7:42
Hulu's Original Programming: 7:43 - 11:43

Topic of the Week - Golden Globes Reactions: 11:44 - 16:00

What We're Watching (SPOILER ALERTS): 16:01 - 36:42

The Finder: 16:01 - 22:22
Alcatraz: 22:23 - 27:11
Smash: 27:12 - 31:28
Being Human: 31:29 - 36:42

What We're Looking Forward To - Season 2 of Being Human: 36:42 - 38:30

Closing: 38:31 - End

Check out the episode below, or download it over at iTunes:

For more, follow us on Twitter:
Kristal: @kristal_bailey
Marcos: @poppas2cents

My Quick Thoughts on Archer: "The Man from Jupiter"

2012-01-19T23:55:00.002-06:00

Season 3 of Archer premiered, and it was kind of a big deal thanks to special guest star Burt Reynolds. While most of the episode had some classic Archer moments, I didn't feel like it was the show's strongest effort.

I guess my biggest issue with the episode was Burt Reynolds himself. His persona fits in well with the world of Sterling Archer, but his performance didn't feel right to me. I understand that voice acting takes a different skill set than regular acting, and that's why Reynolds didn't click for me because it sounded like he was reading his lines rather than performing them which took me out of the episode. Don't get me wrong, he's still got talent, but this was a definite weak spot for the Bandit.

Thankfully, everything else around Burt worked. I got a kick out of Isis having to evade the Cuban his squad that was out to kill Sterling thanks to all of the over-the-top action movie tropes they used. I even liked watching Malory get upset over being dumped by Burt Reynolds for a younger woman, but that had more to do with the insane things that came out of Pam's mouth.

While I didn't love "The Man from Jupiter," it still had enough laughs to keep from disliking it, and I'm glad that the show was able to bring in a higher profile guest star, but now we can move on and get back to basics. For more on this episode, check out my review at screeninvasion.com.

My Quick Thoughts on 30 Rock: "Idiots Are People Two!"

2012-01-19T23:36:00.000-06:00

After a slow start, 30 Rock made a slight comeback with "Idiots Are People Two!" mostly because of the Jack and Liz relationship. Everything else was decent enough as well, but I'm always going to a sucker for an episode that highlights the special bond between the two leads.

The Liz and Jack story wasn't necessarily anything new since it relied heavily on Jack confronting Liz about her secret boyfriend, but what made it special was their trademark banter. Jack's overreactions and mind games were examples of Alec Baldwin at his best, and of course Tina Fey was able to hold her own as well. I wasn't too jazzed about James Marsden's character because he's the same old cute slacker stereotype that women who have their stuff together should avoid but always end up dating. We've seen it all before (like on this week's Happy Endings), but I was able to overlook that for the most part.

The rest of the episode wasn't as strong as the A-plot, but there were some funny moments. It's always fun when shows poke fun at their stars, so Tracy's story about offending the gay community was entertaining, and I liked how they flipped the script by having him start his own protest since TGS offended idiots. Like I mentioned last week, I can only stand Jenna and Kenneth in limited amounts, but I actually liked their adventure involving Pete, and it's hard not to like the rougish persona that Kelsey Grammer has on this show.

"Idiots Are People Two!" may not have been the funniest episode of 30 Rock ever, but I'll take a solid Liz and Jack story over non-stop jokes any day of the week. Also, having the rest of the cast be somewhat tolerable is always a plus.

My Quick Thoughts on Happy Endings: "Makin' Changes!"

2012-01-19T00:05:00.000-06:00

Man, when Happy Endings is working it's on fire, but when it's not it can be a big miss. Luckily, "Makin' Changes" was somewhere in the middle because two out of the three stories ran out of steam while one was pretty much non-stop hilarity.

I'm starting to think that the main reasons I watch this show are Alex and Max because their v-neck intervention for Dave was by far the source of the episode's best material. It was just one of those odd plots that really wouldn't happen in real life, but that's exactly why it worked. The jokes were just clicking with very few misses, and these three just nailed it. The only drawback was the continued crutch that is Alex's dimness. I still think she's cute when she's not quite getting things or says random comments, but they're starting to dominate her character.

I should have liked Penny's story about her changing a guy that she was dating because Casey Wilson's amazing, but this was one of those situations where the plot interfered with the jokes. I'm not a big fan when a show focuses characters on changing people for their own benefit, so even though Penny had some great one-liners, they were cancelled out by the fact that I didn't like what she was doing to Jeff. The same was true for the Brad and Jane C-plot, but they got bonus points for Punk Rocker Jane. Smokin'!

Lines of the Night

"It's like Nordictrack only with wolves!"
"Year of Penny. Suck it."
Max: "These people make me look like I have my life together."
Alex: "Aww, it's nice that you think that."
Jane: "Did you guys zamboni? Did he make it to your penalty box?"
Penny: "You done?"
Jane: "Did you puck? I'll e-mail you the rest."
"He's 30 going on 20, and he still says, 'sick' and 'dawg,' and sadly never when referring to a sick dog."
"His apartment smells like appetizers, he's got street signs everywhere. It's like he's squatting in a vacant Bennigan's."
Max: "David, you have a problem. How many v-neck t-shirt have you worn this weekend?"
Dave: "I dunno. It's a baker's dozen."
Alex: "11."
Max: "13."
Alex: "I think my baker's ripping me off."
"Blackass, y'all!"
"Guys, do what ever you except maybe don't take this one. It's kinda my date v. I get v in this v."
"I haven't v-ed in three days."
Penny: "Jane was right. You can change a man. I'm gonna start a blog, or a Twitter. And then it'll become a TV series starring Alyssa Milano."
Alex: "Boy, I wish my last name was a cookie."
"Damn, dawg. He looks sick."
"Clutch the pearls."
"Thee hours later, Dave Rose relapsed. He was last seen roaming an outlet mall, looking for that weet V-neck high."

Happy Endings keeps edging closer towards becoming one of the greatest comedies of the last few years, but episodes like "Makin' Changes" pulls it down because the writers still aren't able to come up with stories that work. While I didn't hate this one, it was hard to completely love it when half of the characters were wrapped up in dud plotlines, but it did make me laugh more than most comedies I watch, so I can't be mad at the show.

My Quick Thoughts on White Collar: "Checkmate"

2012-01-18T20:17:00.000-06:00

White Collar ended its summer run with a pretty sizable cliffhanger, and for the most part the winter premiere successfully picked up where "Countdown" left off. Now, I wouldn't say that "Checkmate" was a better episode, but it wrapped up the previous storyline nicely while starting up a whole new set of questions.

I know that the main draw of this episode was watching Peter fight to get Elizabeth back from Keller because he has that subdued charm about him that just makes you want to hug him, so watching him get angry and willing to do whatever it takes to save his wife can be quite a sight. It didn't hurt that Tim DeKay acted his butt off during this episode. I also liked the twist of having him be in on a con because I'm always a sucker for the good guys getting their hands a little dirty. Equally impressive was Elizabeth who was able to think on her feet quick enough to get away from her kidnapper.

If I had to pick a part of the episode that didn't quite work for me it would have to be Neal. While I understand that he was genuinely upset that his actions led to Elizabeth's capture, for some reason his reactions still rang a little false to me. Then again, that may have more to do with his art fight with Keller which was one of the silliest scenes this show's ever filmed, and it was hard to take much of what he did seriously after that one. Even his carrier pigeon speech was a bit much, but still poetic. I wouldn't say that Neal ruined "Checkmate," or that he was the worst thing about it, but I was a little thrown by him this time around. I am interested to see how the end of his probation will be handled though.

"Checkmate" wasn't the greatest episode of White Collar, but it was serviceable enough as a mid-season premiere. I'm kinda glad we're done with the stolen treasure for now because this show's Macguffin's tend to be the least interesting plot elements, but it was responsible for some great moments between Neal, Mozzie and Peter, so it couldn't have been all that bad.

My Two-Cents on Glee: "Yes/No"

2012-01-18T00:16:00.000-06:00

"Yes/No" might have been the oddest episode of Glee that I've ever watched. Between the random musical numbers, the slightly inappropriate student/teacher relationships, the bombs dropped on characters and the tonal whiplash, this one was probably the messiest outing to date, but I found myself enjoying most of it.

Now, that Sam's back at McKinley he's determined to win Mercedes back, and he was willing to do anything in his power to do so. Taking a page out of Danny Zuko's playbook (in more ways than one), he figured that having a letterman's jacket was his ticket back in to Mercedes' heart, but there was only one team he could join this late: synchronized swimming. Cue some random coach who was only brought in to subvert stereotypes while also reinforcing them. Whether Trouty Mouth's plan worked has yet to be determined.

While I wasn't 100% on board with Sam's character last season, I've really enjoyed having him back, and I think Chord Overstreet's been able to inject some life back into the show. Yet, I wasn't too psyched that Sam was going to be paired up with Mercedes so quickly. I always felt that the hint about their relationship at the end of Season 2 was an example of the writers grasping at straws, and I really didn't buy them as a couple. I'm still not quite sold on Samcedes, but at least she's in love with something other than tater tots.

Love was in the air all over McKinley because we found out that Beiste eloped with Cooter which got Emma thinking about marriage. After a twitterpated induced song number, she let it slip to Will that she might be ready to take their relationship to the next level. Will was on board with proposing, and he even recruited New Directions to help him come up with some grand gesture, but his plans hit a bump in the road after he asked her parents for their permission and was denied. Their reluctance had to do with the fact that Emma's condition would prevent her from being able to be a mother due to the ickiness that comes along with babies. Apparently, Will had never thought of that before and started to have second thoughts. Of course, he came to his senses (thanks to a Rachel Berry solo), and he popped the question while his students floundered around in a swimming pool. Despite being subjected to the worst sychrnoized swimming routine since Martin Short and Harry Shearer, Emma said yes.

It seems like it's been forever since Will and Emma were given an actual storyline, and "Yes/No" proved that they're better in the background, although I did find some of their moments charming. As always, my biggest gripe had to do with Will. Once again, he had to come off as a jerk even though his hesistations about marrying Emma were valid. If he wants to have kids, and she's not able to manage her condition enough to have them, then he needs to re-evaluate the relationship. Now, obviously people with OCD can have children, so the whole argument was silly to begin with, but that's Glee for you. I just wish the writers didn't once again assassinate Will's character for the sake of plot.

All of this talk about the future got Finn thinking about what he wants to do after McKinley. Since his football career's pretty much over, and he doesn't have the chops to make it to NYADA, he decided that joining the Army was his calling. He felt that his father's service made him a great hero, and he wanted to follow in his footsteps. Unfortunately, his mom had been keeping a dark secret from him. As it turned out, Finn's dad didn't die in Iraq. He made it home but couldn't handle what happened to him over there, so he became a drug addict who died of an overdose. Understandably, Finn freaked out and wondered why he wasn't entitled to anything special since the one thing that he thought made him special was a lie. Once again, a Rachel Berry solo reminded him that he does have some good things going for him, i.e. his girlfriend, so he decided to propose to her even though she told him that she was not going to let a man distract her from her dreams.

Finn's story was a hard one to process. First, the revelation that his father's backstory was a complete lie was one of those shocking moments that could change this show forever. The thing is, I don't know if it was necessary. I get that sometimes parents lie to protect their kids, but turning Finn's dad from a war hero into a junkie felt particularly cruel. Also, the fact that his mother used it as a way to dissuade him from joining the military felt manipulative and in poor taste. While I can never see myself serving my country in that way, I respect those who do defend our interests, and it felt like the show was telling us that enlisting is wrong. I'm all for progressive messages, but this one felt heavy-handed. As for his proposal, we'll see where this goes but it could be a deal breaker.

Finally, for some reason Becky decided that she wanted a man and had her sights set on Artie. At first, he was hesitant to interact with her, but he eventually gave in and realized that she's a very sweet person. Instead of being happy for Artie (or even finding out what was going on), the rest of New Directions decided to have an intervention to convince him to stop hanging out with her. While it seemed like some were afraid of how she would affect his reputation, some didn't want her to be led on. Regardless, it was in poor taste no matter how they rationalized it. Thankfully, Artie saw through their good intentions and called them out on their crap.

I've never been a fan of Artie's, and it's still hard for me to take Becky seriously because her role on the show still has a token feel to it, but I was glad that he spoke up and called his teammates out on their hypocrisy. I don't think that this storyline was necessary or relevant to everything else that was going on, but at least he acted like a normal person.

On the Music Front: "Summer Nights" was fun and had me smiling. "Wedding Bell Blues" was cute. I didn't even know that the song the guys sang was a mash-up of "Move Like Jagger" and "Jumping Jack Flash," and it was OK. Will's dancing around in a black A-shirt was distracting though. "Without You" was also pretty good, and I'm glad that the four best singers got a part during "First Time I Ever Saw Your Face."

Other Odds and Ends:

I'm glad that they used the Grease theme throughout Sam and Mercedes' story.
Speaking of Grease, this was probably the most "musical"-y episode of Glee in a long time, and that's why I liked it as much as I did.
Yup, that's Dame Helen Mirren in Becky's head.
Here they go again trying to make Sue into a human being. They're just going to switch her back to full-cartoon mode, so I'm not going to let myself get hopeful.
I know that Will gets crap for being too open with his students, and him asking Finn to be his best man was a little odd, but the rest of the episode was so surreal that I just went with it. You kinda have to with Glee. Besides, I missed their bond.
Why do I get the feeling that I'm supposed to care about the person who played the swim coach?
I knew that Will Schuester's the Messiah!
I'm sure there were some great lines, but they're escaping me at this moment. Maybe I'll add some later.

On paper, I should have hated "Yes/No." It continued to make some of my favorite characters come off as jerks, it tried to cram way too many storylines into a small amount of space and most of it didn't make much sense. The crazy thing is, the fact that it felt so much like an actual musical convinced me to cut it some slack. Nonsensical things happen in musicals all the time, so why should Glee be any different? I'll probably like this episode less and less each time I watch it, but for now I thought it was decent enough.

Last Episode: "Extraordinary Merry Christmas" >>

<< Next Episode: "Michael"

My Two-Cents on Justified: "The Gunfighter"

2012-01-17T22:30:00.000-06:00

SPOILER ALERT: It's hard to start off this recap without alluding to what happened at the end of Season 2, so if you aren't caught up and don't want to be spoiled, you might want to come back later.

Over the last couple of seasons, one show that critics kept raving about was FX's Justified. At first, I didn't pay too much attention to the hype, but the show's second season really picked up its game, so I was intrigued. I was won over after catching up on the first two seasons, which is why I'm here today. The Season 3 premiere was a strong outing for the show that set up some potentially interesting arcs, but part of me wonders if it can live up to that amazing sophomore run.

At the end of last season, the blood feud between the Givens and Bennett clans boiled over, and Raylan got himself shot. "The Gunfighter" picked up from there as we saw Winona get the news during a courtesy stop, and once she got to the hospital she found out that he was going to be alright. The story jumps to three weeks later, and Raylan's dealing with his gunshot wound and being forced behind a desk until he's recovered, but things get complicated after Boyd Crowder paid him a visit which ended in an old-fashioned brawl between the two of them. Apparently, Boyd's still upset that Raylan didn't hand over Dickie Bennett like he said he would which meant he wasn't able to get his revenge on Dickie for shooting Ava.

Once the dust settled, Givens was asked by fellow Marshal, Tim Gutterson, to help him out on a murder case that involved a fugitive by the name of Fletcher "The Ice Pick" Nix. This bad, bad man was hired by Emmitt Arnett, a real estate developer and member of the Dixie Mafia, to rob the victim so he could settle a debt with a shady man from Detroit, but things didn't end so well for Mr. Arnett. Once Nix realized that Raylan was on his tail, he paid him a little visit and challenged him to a game that involved seeing which one could grab a gun sitting in between them and shoot first. Of course Raylan was able to get to the gun first since he's an infamous gunslinger ... and the main character.

While Raylan had to deal with ice pick wielding killers, Boyd had to deal with being locked up in prison for assaulting a federal agent while also trying to run his illegal business while on the inside. You see, after Mags Bennett killed herself, Boyd and his crew were able to get their hands on all of her marijuana crops. The plan was to sell the lot, but the stash was ruined by mold, mildew and varmints. When Ava told Boyd about the developments, he ordered that it all be burned, but Devil and Arlo Givens had other ideas. That is until Ava laid down the law by cracking Devil across the face with a frying pan. As for Boyd, it wasn't all doom and gloom because it turned out that he was transferred to the same prison where Dickie was being held. Interesting.

From the looks of it, we're in for two distinct story arcs. The first will follow Raylan as he investigates the man from Detroit and gets tangled up in the Dixie Mafia, and the other will focus on Boyd's need for revenge and his entrepreneurial aspirations now that the Bennett clan's taken a hit. Between the two, the latter has far more potential than the former. While both Raylan and Boyd bring a lot to the table, I was impressed with Ava during this episode because I've always felt like she got lost in the shuffle. Seeing her take control of the situation involving Devil and Arlo was shocking and a welcomed change, and we wouldn't have had the chance to see that from her if it wasn't for Boyd actions.

On the other hand, I'm not quite sure how I felt about Raylan's storyline this time around. Plenty of unique characters were introduced, and I'm sure they're all going to cross paths with Givens sooner or later, but there was too much going on for me to appreciate all of it. For example, we got at least two new characters weaving in and out of a minor storyline that was brought up in Season 1, and we didn't get a good understanding of what their roles were. Also, the fact that they a tad bit over-the-top gave them Bond villain-like qualities, so it was hard to take them seriously. Although, I do hope we see more of Nix before the season's through.

Other Odds and Ends:

Justified still has one of the best themes songs on TV today.
Do not mess with Ava Crowder. I'm liking this new side of her; it's very Gemma-like.
The showdown between Raylan and Nix was intense!
Boyd: "Well now, if I found that kind of money, I'd be in Mexico by now."
Raylan: "Boyd, I've been to Mexico, and I don't think you'd like it."
Boyd: "How so?"
Raylan: "There's a lot of Mexicans."
"You're a Givens, Raylan."
"Now, I don't like wearing a mask. I'm too pretty, so I am going to have to kill you..."

"The Gunfighter" was able to kick-off Season 3 somewhat successfully. It wrapped up everything that happened last year while setting the table for what's to come, and it also introduced the audience to new and exciting characters. The thing is, I'm not quite sure everything that was given to us will be able to live up to the greatness of last season. Now, I'm fully aware that we should judge Season 3 on its own merits and that this is only the first installment of the current run, but it'll be hard to top Mags Bennett.

My Quick Thoughts on Being Human: "Turn This Mother Out"

2012-01-16T23:55:00.000-06:00

While I used to think that I was over the whole vampire craze, I was interested when Syfy adapted the British supernatural drama, Being Human, for the American audience. I checked out Season 1 with a hint of skepticism, but the world and characters that I was introduced to ultimately won me over, so I was excited that it was coming back for a second go-round. "Turn This Mother Out" was a fine effort, but I was expecting a little bit more out of it.

Out of the three storylines, I was probably let down by Aidan's the most because the idea of him being the new leader of the Boston vampire family had a lot of promise, but it felt like the show was backing away from it because they weren't sure he could handle the job. Now, admittedly his lack of leadership skills was what made the story interesting, but him being at odds with Mother and the rest of the council also has potential, especially after the way the first episode ended. I'm sure I'll get over my issues with Aidan's journey, but part of me wishes they had not even introduced this possibility if they were just going to abandon it so quickly.

Sally's story also lacked some of the punch that I was looking for which bummed me out even more because she's easily my favorite character. I understand that her coming to terms with being a ghost which would lead her to her door is what her path is all about, but I felt that this was all a re-hash of last season, and nothing was really added except for the fact that she had issues in high school and didn't like mean girls. That being said, I'm still really excited to see where Sally goes from here.

Josh's handling of being in a relationship with someone who knows about his secret was probably the meatiest of the three plots (pun kind of intended) because it felt like a natural progression from where he was at the end of Season 1. While seeing him brood and fight with Nora will get old fast, this first interaction was strong, and it set up what could be a volatile and captivating relationship. Plus, I liked how naturally Nora was brought into the fold (her pep talk to Sally was a highlight), and I hope that her being a part of this world can only broaden the story possibilities.

Overall, "Turn This Mother Out" was a good hour of television and was a good re-introduction to Being Human. I just wish it had made more of an impact during its first episode back, but I still think very highly of this show, and I'm happy to have it back.

My TV Report Card: Week of January 8

2012-01-16T20:03:00.000-06:00

Even though some of my shows were still M.I.A. last week, it was still hard trying to keep up with everything that was on, and it's just going to get even busier. I apologize if this TV Report Card lacks the umph previous ones did, but I still wanted to get something out, so here we go:

Sunday
Leverage: "The Radio Job"

Season 4 has been a mixed bag. One one hand, I've appreciated some of the risks the show tried to take, and on the other it lacked excitement when it was in its comfort zone. "The Radio Job" tried to be more than your typical episode of Leverage because it tried to link back to a bigger story arc, but I didn't think it had too much on an impact since it was sprinkled throughout the season so sporadically. I was glad to have Jimmy Ford back, the twist ending was refreshing, and I liked how the theme of family was used. In the end though, I wanted more of this kind of storytelling instead of all of the standalones that dominated Season 4. It was still fun to watch, but I was just expecting more.

GRADE: B

Monday
Castle: "Till Death Do Us Part"
I was glad that Rick and Kate didn't dominate "Till Death Do Us Part," and some of the supporting characters like Kevin, Javy and Lanie got the chance to shine a little. The actually case of the week, a hook-up artist tossed out of a window, didn't really captivate me, but the cases rarely do. Instead of caring about the dead guy, I was content with watching Esposito freak out about not having a date for Ryan's wedding, and the latter's big day jitters. What was even more refreshing was the fact that the writers really didn't push Caskett down our throats which could have been easy since it was a wedding episode. Overall, "Till Death Do Us Part" was fun but far from revolutionary which is perfectly fine.

GRADE: B-

Wednesday
Modern Family: "Egg Drop"

I think that I'm close to being done with Modern Family. After a lackluster Season 2, so far the show's third has failed to impress as well. Seriously, I cannot think of a Season 3 episode that blew me away ("Phil on a Wire" and "Treehouse" were good but not great), and the "best comedy on TV" churned out another subpar episode. Usually, I would've liked to learn more about Jay and Claire's bond, but it all felt counterproductive because of the fact that it highlighted some of their most unattractive qualities. On paper, I should've like the Phil/Gloria/Haley subplot because it combined two of the characters I like with Gloria, and watching Phil be all googly-eyed over her is worth a few laughs, but even this one didn't hit all of the right spots. As for Cam and Mitchell, I'm over them. I get why this show's still popular which could explain its complacency, but it needs to shake things up fast.

GRADE: C-

Happy Endings: "Meat the Parrots"

One show that's not in a rut (yet) is Happy Endings. While Season 2 peaked with "The Code War" which was followed up by some OK episodes, it was able to come back fairly strong last week and built off the momentum with "Meat the Parrots." Now, the Dave dealing with his dad dating Penny's mom storyline did run out of steam (I still blame Megan Mullally), but it was responsible for a few laughs. Thankfully, the Alex/Brad/Dave debacle the involved a racist parrot, The Wire and an alleged Kung Pao sex ring made up for the other story's shortcomings. Pretty much everything those three gave us was amazing. Happy Endings is at a crossroads though because it's starting to feel that things don't go as smoothly when the writers try to incorporate meaningful plots over rapid-fire jokes. I for one think they can strike a balance, but part of me also thinks they need to stick with what got them to the dance.

GRADE: B+

Thursday
30 Rock: "Dance Like Nobody's Watching"

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed by the Season 6 premiere of 30 Rock. While I did like Jack's role in the satire of reality singing competitions and as father, everything else around him didn't quite work. I should have liked Liz's storyline, but for some reason it felt like Tina Fey was going through the motions, but I did like that last scene between her and Jack although that had more to do with him than with her. I usually have a very low tolerance for Kenneth, so I did not like anything about his C-plot (except for the silly costumes), and everything about it felt lazy and cheap. I'm hoping that this stumble out of the gate is temporary, and 30 Rock will be able to rebound.

GRADE: C-

The Vampire Diaries: "Our Town"

I think I need to go back and watch previous episodes of The Vampire Diaries because I cannot for the life of me remember why Stefan and Klaus are fighting. Somehow it became about Klaus' family issues and Stefan's dislike for his hybrids, but I'm sure there's more to that but I cannot put my finger on the whys. Confusion aside, I was happy to have Caroline back, and I'm excited to see how things will develop now that Klaus saved her life. I just don't hope she's a hybrid now, but I don't know how all of that works. While I didn't particulary care for Elena this time around, I'm still happy that all of the tension between her and Damon's being addressed. Hopefully we can all move on now.

GRADE: B-

Friday
Chuck: "Chuck vs. Bo"

The last couple of episodes of Chuck felt like a victory lap as characters were getting some sort of closure, and I was starting to wonder how the show was going to keep the momentum going during the final stretch of episodes, and then "Chuck vs. Bo" happened. I was impressed that Chuck decided to change the game yet again by Intersecting Sarah and introducing another big bad into the mix. While I do wish that Nicholas Quinn was brought in early on during Season 5, I do think he has the potential to be a strong villain, so I'm hoping that he doesn't end up being a missed opportunity like Decker and Shaw. Either way, I'm genuinely excited to see how the writers handle this Sarah as the Intersect mini-arc, but I have a feeling that it'll be resolved by the next episode because that's how the final season has rolled up to date.

GRADE: B+

Nikita: "Sanctuary"

The last episode of Nikita had a "the band is back together" vibe to it now that Alex's staying with Nikita and Birkhoff, and Michael even came home to rejoin his team. While seeing the team deal Sean showing up to kill off Nikita to save Oversight, the real gem of "Sanctuary" was the mind games and coup that Percy was able to pull on Amanda although I could have done without the romantic undertones that were brought up. Having Percy back as the main bad guy has a ton of potential especially if it ends up being an epic, three-way showdown between Team Nikita, Oversight and Division. We'll have to wait and see how all of this shakes out, and I have a feeling that it's going to be crazy good. Now, it's time to start hoping for a third season.

GRADE: B+

Grimm: "Game Ogre"

Grimm finally returned from its winter hiatus with a pretty decent episode. "Game Ogre" did a decent job at letting Nick take a backseat to his two partners as we had the chance to see Hank deal with a serial killer who he had ties to. The obvious twist of having the killer being an ogre felt a little forced, but it did end up working within the world of Grimm. Plus, this episode gave us more Monroe (the awkward scene where Nick was caught in between Hank and Eddie was great), so I'm happy. I was also glad that we got more from Nick's boss, and they started to lay the foundation for Hank to find out that his partner has a secret. While "Game Ogre" didn't blow me away, it was able to push the story along nicely and gave some of the outlining characters something substantial to do. Win-win if you ask me.

GRADE: B-

Once again, no Supernatural (although I probably would've liked this week's episode), and hopefully I'll be able to catch up here in the next couple of days, and we'll have to see if I add it back to the TV Report Card. Next week's installment will be meatier since Being Human, Glee, New Girl, Justified, White Collar and Archer will all be back, and I might even toss in Syfy's Lost Girl. Yay TV!

My Two-Cents on Leverage: "The Last Dam Job"

2012-01-15T23:31:00.000-06:00

While watching "The Last Dam Job," I thought to myself that it could have been a pretty decent series finale. Thankfully, we're in store for another season of Leverage, but I wouldn't have been upset if this had been the last episode ever. Sure, it wasn't transcendent (but I've kind of given up on Leverage ever being a truly risk-taking show), but it was fun enough with some characters getting some closure.

Last week, we learned that Victor Dubenich was the man behind the curtain and was the one feeding Latimer information on the companies that the Leverage Crew took down. Since Dubenich put the team together, he knew all of their tricks which made getting back at him and Latimer challenging, so our favorite grifters had to recruit some outside help in the form of Quinn, Archie, Chaos and Maggie. The job revolved around sabotaging an important dam that Latimer had the rights to while also besmirching his public name. While the Crew publicly and financially ruined Latimer, Nate had other plans and wanted revenge for his dead father. After a one-side Mexican standoff, Nate decided that killing Dubenich and Latimer was not the answer, so he let them kill each other off.

The con itself was pretty straightforward and nothing we haven't seen before. The Crew stole valuable items, drugged people and framed them for insider trading. All in a days work, but what made "The Last Dam Job" so enjoyable was the B-team that was assembled since they all had ties to our "heroes." Obviously, watching Hardison and Chaos bicker was a highlight, but I was a big fan of Archie's so having him back was a nice touch. I was also pleasantly surprised that they brought Maggie back since she's been one of my favorite supporting characters since the show's early days. Quinn and Eliot were the only misfire, but it did look like Hardison had some competition to be Eliot's bromantic partner.

Narratively speaking, the element that did not work as well as the others was Nate's quest for revenge. Now, it was a logical place for him to go after seeing his father get blown up, but I wasn't quite buying Timothy Hutton's performance, and it all felt stagey. That final scene between him and the two baddies where they tried to convince him to kill the other guy was poorly scripted, and it kind of brought the rest of the episode down around it. Again, I know why it had to happen, but I just wish the execution was better. The best part of Nate's story by far was when Eliot told him how killing a man changes you, and how everyday he's trying to find the young man he used to be. It's those quieter moments between the Crew that makes this show special, and I was glad Eliot was the one to talk sense into Nate.

Other Odds and Ends:

Leave it to Hardison to hack someone with a clam.
Eliot's speech to Nate was Christian Kane at his finest. We need more Eliot moments like that.
We definitely need more Tombstone references in our world.
You really can't blame Maggie. There's something about Sterling.
That scene between Nate, Dubenich and Latimer was kind of silly. What was even worse was having the two bad guys fall over a cliff. Ah well.
"He upped the crazy. I didn't think he could do it."
Archie: "This ... this is my daughter?"
Parker: "See you later, sis."
"No, you got me a Batcave!"
Quinn: "Can I hit him?"
Eliot: "Which one?"
Quinn: "Either one."
Eliot: "See, it's not just me."
"I love tasers."
"Wow, this must be how Eliot feels. I just realized this is how he feels all the time. You just want to hit something."
"So, you can trust me when I tell you, you pull that trigger and two men die. The guy you kill and the guy you used to be."
Sophie: "What are you doing?"
Eliot: "I'm thinking of saving my friend some trouble."
Quinn: "Hell, next time give me the gun. I'm your huckleberry.
Eliot: "Here."
Quinn: "A little late now."
Eliot: "I love that movie."
Quinn: "Who the hell doesn't?"

The end of Season 4 was not a momentous occasion. "The Last Dam Job" right in Leverage's wheelhouse which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It was safe, familiar and entertaining. It's just too bad that it didn't try to be more. Don't get me wrong, I love that Leverage knows what it's good and is consistent, but straying from the formula doesn't hurt either. True, Season 4 did color outside of the lines a few times, but serialized elements could take this show to the next level. Just something to think about.

My Newest Hobby: "The Small Screen Podcast," Episode 16: And We're Back!

2012-01-14T02:03:00.001-06:00

"The Small Screen Podcast" is back for Episode 16. The holidays and winter hiatus are over, so Kristal and I are back to talk about TV news, what we're watching, and what we're looking forward to, and boy was there a lot to talk about.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start - 1:53

TV News: 1:54 - 39:18

TV Shows to Movies Trend: 1:54 - 8:05

The Nine Lives of Chloe King: 2:22 - 5:43
Party Down: 5:44 - 8:05

Casting News: 8:06 - 10:14

Paul Rudd to Parks and Recreation: 8:24 - 9:10
Emma Stone to 30 Rock: 9:11 - 10:14

Goodfellas to AMC: 10:15 - 14:03
TCA News and Notes: 14:04 - 39:18

The Glee Spin-Off: 14:30 - 18:25
Cougar Town's Guerrilla Marketing: 18:26 - 23:54
The Hypothetical New ABC Comedy Night: 23:55 - 26:36
2 Broke Girls Panel: 26:37 - 31:54

Psych Renewed for Season 7: 32:05 - 34:00
People's Choice Awards Reactions: 34:01 - 39:18

What We're Watching (SPOILER ALERT): 39:20 - 1:00:22

Happy Endings: 39:35 - 44:09
Unsupervised: 44:10 - 47:24
Portlandia: 47:25 - 51:24
Chuck: 51:25 - 1:00:22

What We're Looking Forward To: 1:00:23 - 1:04:15

Lost Girl: 1:00:28 - 1:02:10
Justified and Archer: 1:02:11 - 1:03:02
Unsupervised: 1:03:03 - 1:03:22
Daniel Radcliffe on SNL: 1:03:23 - 1:04:15

Closing: 1:04:16 - End

Check out the episode below, or download it over at iTunes:

For more, follow us on Twitter:
Kristal: @kristal_bailey
Marcos: @poppas2cents

My Two-Cents on Chuck: "Chuck vs. Bo"

2012-01-13T22:15:00.000-06:00

I have to give it to Chuck. It could have been totally content with wrapping up most of the character's storylines and coasting towards its series finale, but the writers decided to change the game again before bowing out for good. I'm so glad that they did.

After thinking long and hard about their futures, Sarah decided that she wanted out of the spy life once and for all. The idea of settling down and having a family started to sound appealing, but she knew that could never happen if she and Chuck were traveling the world to take down bad guys. In order to convince Chuck, she came up with the idea of changing the mission of Carmichael Industries to focus more on cyber-terrorism instead of actual terrorism.

Everything was about to fall into place when Morgan got a mystery package that contained his old phone which had a video he recorded during his frosted tips phase. The message was about a pair of stolen Intersect glasses that he took from a bad guy, but Morgan couldn't remember where he stashed them, so it was up to the team to find them. Their last mission took Carmichael Industries to Vail, CO where they started to piece everything together. Apparently, Intersect Morgan hooked up with Bo Derek, and he had to woo the Perfect 10 again in order to get some information that could lead them to the glasses. As it turned out, she ended up being a spy on a mission to find the Intersect for her boss, Nicholas Quinn.

Quinn's an ex-CIA agent who was supposed to be the first human Intersect, but Bryce Larkin changed the plan. After being tortured, broken and dismissed, he decided to go into business for himself. Coincidentally, his independent spy agency's list of clients included Fulcrum, the Ring and Volkoff. He planned to take back what he felt should have been his from the start and ruin Chuck while he's at it. After an unsuccessful attempt to get the Intersect glasses from the team at the Vail Buy More, Quinn kidnapped our hero and demanded that Sarah bring him what he wanted. A fire fight started up at the drop site, and Sarah and Casey were pinned down with no where to go. With no other options available, Sarah decided to upload the Intersect so she could fight her way out.

Wow! I was not expecting the show to pull out such a stunner towards the end of the run. I guess the last couple of episodes were there to lull us into a false sense of security before hitting us with Sarah as the Intersect, and boy what it effective. The thing is, we should have seen this coming. Everything was wrapping up too nicely, and things were bound to take a serious turn with four episodes left. I just wasn't expecting this move. What made "Bo" even better was the fact that it brilliantly combined action and humor without drowning it in too much sap, and it had an old-school feel to it which was just what I needed after all of the family heavy episodes from the last couple of weeks.

The only gripe I had with "Bo" had more to do with the overall structure of the season than with the episode itself. Quinn has the opportunity to be one of the more intriguing bad guys that Chuck's had to face. The idea of an ex-agent having a grudge with Chuck out of envy and regret could lead to some excellent storytelling, but it's something I would've liked the show to explore for longer than a handful of episodes. Decker, Cunnings, Shaw and Ryker were all busts as villains because they lacked development and direction, and I'm not sure anything will be different with Quinn. I just hope that this is not another wasted opportunity. That being said, I am glad that we're getting another mini-arc to round out the series.

Other Odds and Ends:

This whole subplot about Jeff & Lester investigating the team has been a stroke of brilliance because it's made the two funny and relevant without being annoying. It's too bad it took the show so long to figure out how to use them so well.
Morgan's jealousy over Alex's "acting out physically" was a little trite, but at least it added to the overall plot. Although, I could've done without all of the rainbow talk.
One thing I will not miss about Chuck is Subway.
You really should never let the bad guy get away.
"Yeah, parents can't be shooting the paperboy."
"Where do I fit in? What am I, chief Googler?"
Chuck: "Things never turn out well when you say, 'one last mission.'"
Sarah: "Is this because of some stupid movie?"
Chuck & Morgan: "Yes!"
Casey: "You never say, 'one last mission.'"
Chuck: "Never."
Sarah: "Hey, Chuck. How's it going with Bo? Have you had any sneak peeks of your childhood crush's boobies?"
Chuck: "What? No ... shut up."
Sarah: "Sorry I had to do that to your girlfriend."
Chuck: "Oh, you didn't hit her in the face did you?"
"What is it with women and it's only physical?"

"Chuck vs. Bo" was the kind of episode that made me fall in love with the show in the first place. We got jokes, action, pop culture goodness and an entertaining story from start to finish. While I wish we had more time with Quinn, his introduction (long with Sarah's Intersect) has enough potential to get me excited for the final stretch.

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My Quick Thoughts on 30 Rock: "Dance Like Nobody's Watching"

2012-01-13T00:46:00.000-06:00

30 Rock finally made its return, and I was expecting for it to come back firing on all cylinders, but unfortunately I felt that the premiere episode was mediocre at best.

Let's start off with what I thought worked. I'm a fan of 30 Rock when it's satirizing the entertainment industry, so I liked the swipe at reality singing competitions, but I was also kind of surprised that I dug it since I'm not a fan of Jenna. She just wasn't as irritating as she's been in the past which was a relief. I also appreciated the fact that it allowed us to see Jack grow as a character because of his new role as father.

Jack also played a major role in Liz's story as she had a change in attitude and demeanor which made Tracy wonder what was going on with her. I loved the fact that they called back to Liz's jazz dancing roots, and I got the vibe that this season's really going to develop the bond between her and Jack, so I'm interested to see how he reacts to her secret boyfriend. I don't think that these two should be paired up romantically, but their friendship is what makes this show work, so that being questioned could be great to watch.

Much like Jenna, I can only take Kenneth in small doses, so I was not a fan of his Rapture C-plot. Usually, I'm not offended by jokes that are aimed at religion, and I wouldn't say that Kenneth's story upset me, but it did feel lazy because it's so easy to take shots at fundamentalist Christians. That being said, the sight gag of Frank dressed up as Santa with a machine gun and Toofer as Jesus was pretty funny.

I jumped on the 30 Rock bandwagon later than others, but Season 5 was strong, so I was expecting a lot from the Season 6 premiere. I was a little disappointed that it didn't start off as strongly as I would've liked, but it's cultivated enough good will with me that I'll be sticking around for the foreseeable future.

My Quick Thoughts on Happy Endings: "Meat the Parrots"

2012-01-11T22:42:00.000-06:00

I'll admit that this week's Happy Endings amped up the silliness, but it won me over with a racist and homophobic parrot, and as always I found myself laughing my butt off which is all I ask of this show. This time around the show broke the gang into two sets of trios, and it was hard for me to decide which one I enjoyed the most.

At first, I thought that the Dave, Penny and Jane story about Dave and Penny's parents dating had the most promise because it was the only one rooted in a somewhat realistic situation, and I really do think that Dave and Penny work well together so I was hoping that they would address what happened during last week's episode, but they didn't which was probably the right call. Now, this one started out strong, but it quickly ran out of steam when Megan Mullally took over. While she's great as Penny's mom, and is a natural fit on the show, she got way too much attention and her hippie ways got annoying fast. She even rubbed off on Penny because her "big sister" shtick started to get on my nerves too. That being said, watching Dave throw a temper tantrum actually worked for me, but I think that's because I think that Zachary Knighton's underrated.

Speaking of underrated, Elisha Cuthbert can no longer be labeled as the weakest link (poor Zachary) because she's really come into her own over the last couple of episodes. Yes, the writers are relying too heavily on her ditzy routine, but the bit about her always eating makes her so damn lovable (and the sippy-cup was pure gold). Her plot about being lonely in her store, which led her to getting the aforementioned bigoted bird, which in turn led to the suspicions that a local Chinese restaurant was renting out tush was by far the craziest of the night, but it was also the funniest. Brad and Max always work well together, and Alex was a natural fit as the third wheel, so everything they did felt fresher than what Penny, Dave and Jane gave us.

Lines of the Night:

Penny: "I always wanted a sibling, but the closest I got to a kid sister was a My Buddy doll."
Max: "Why didn't you just get a Kid Sister doll?"
Penny: "I did, but we weren't that close."
Alex: "Fine. If you're not going to play with me, I'll play with myself."
Max: "I'd like to see how this shakes out because it's so weird."
Jane: "Dave, I'm sure it's not easy hearing that your dad has a new girlfriend, and that Penny got rotary dialed on your bumper pool table..."
Penny: "Big time."
Brad: "OK, I think 'a ryan' is 'Aryan' and '420' is 'April 20,' which is Hitler's birthday."
Alex: "How do you know that?"
Brad: "Uh doy. It's my birthday too. Me, Hitler, Carmen Elektra. Tauruses yo!"
Tyler the Parrot: "White is right."
Brad: "Say one more thing Tyler. It's over homie."
Max: "OK, it's just a bird."
Tyler the Parrot: "Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve."
Max: "And that tears it for me!"
"Big Dave does love yabos."
"So Dave's new mom is Penny's old mom?"
"Told you she'd be chesty. She's got them thhaangs!"
Alex: "Told you. Something is going down."
Max: "Just like on The Wire."
Brad: "We should go undercover."
Max: "Just like on The Wire."
Brad: "Is there any way to get you to stop saying that?"
Max: "Yeah, but saying 'just like on Blue Bloods' doesn't have the same pop."
Brad: "True that."
Waitress: "My I take your order?"
Max: "You tell us where the whores are at!"
Brad: "I'm sorry. I think he means, 'can we have some eggrolls?'"
Alex: "The weird ones that you have sex with!"
"Stop baby bro-ing me. You're not Johnny Drama."
"So you're just helping Chinese immigrants gain a better life through education? OK, well this may be a bad time to tell you guys that I've never actually seen The Wire."
Tyler the Parrot: "All Italians are Mafia. All Italians are Mafia."
Brad: "Bird, you trippin'."
Max: "Straight trippin' bird."

More than likely, "Meat the Parrots" will end up being a throw-away episode that really won't be able to keep up with this show's all-time best thanks to an over-reliance on Mullally, but it was crazy and funny enough to keep me happy.

My Two-Cents on Leverage: "The Radio Job"

2012-01-09T00:24:00.000-06:00

I've been wanting this season of Leverage to come full circle by giving us a story that connected previous episodes, and that's what we finally got with "The Radio Job," but part of me wonders if it was too little, too late. Now, don't get wrong. I really liked this week's episode, but I would've liked it even more if the writers spent more time building up to the climatic moments, but I digress.

Like all good shows, Leverage comes down to family, either biological or surrogate, and we got the best of both worlds during "The Radio Job." Things started out like your everyday episode as this season's big bad (if you can even call him that), Jack Latimer, informed Nate that he hired his father for a job that the Leverage Crew turned down and that more than likely he'll be arrested and end up dying in jail. Even though Nate's relationship with his father's strained, he still felt the need to save him, so he took off after him without telling the rest of the team since it was a personal matter. Of course, the Crew had his back, and they felt the need to save Nate.

The job itself involved Jimmy Ford stealing an application from the United States Patent Office, which turned into a stand-off/hostage situation with the Feds when someone blew the whistle on them. Although, in reality it was all a set up created to pray on Nate's weakness. The person Latimer was working for knew that Jimmy would do anything to protect his son, so the original plan was for Nate to take over the job from his father, deliver the goods to an abandoned warehouse where he would blow up. Since this is Nathan's show, it was clear that he was not going to meet his end this time around, but the same could not be said about Jimmy who ended up taking his son's place.

So, that's what happened during the actual episode, but let's get back to the idea of family. Nate's always been defined by his family, whether he's dealing with his son's death or being brought up by Jimmy, and Leverage's spent so much time on the former that I was glad that we got more of the latter during "Radio." We never really got a good grasp on Jimmy as a man, but we got a clearer understanding of him as a father, and his story came down to his love for Nathan. Plain and simple. Ultimately, that's all we really needed to know about him because Nate's going to be colored by his relationship with his father and his ultimate sacrifice from this point forward, and where he goes from here has the potential to be some great television.

What I also liked about "The Radio Job" was how it punctuated the fact that the Leverage Crew has truly become a family and is not just a band of crooks. I truly believed that they were concerned for Nate, not because he's their leader, but because he means so much more to them, and that's what makes Leverage work. Last week, I wrote about how I enjoyed the Nate/Hardison dynamic, but another one that's just as intriguing is the one between Nate and Eliot. To me, they've had an almost brotherly bond, and seeing how they interact with one another has been one of the highlights for me.

Now, Season 4 has been billed as the one where the Crew gets a taste of their own medicine, so the final reveal that Victor Dubenich has been the one messing with Nate this entire time wasn't entirely shocking. I for one am glad that they finally have to pay for some of the things they have done, but I wish that the theme of comeuppance had been used more throughout this run (payback's always been a part of Leverage, but you know what I mean). Having Latimer show up from time to time to remind viewers that someone's plotting against the Crew was not sufficient enough to build any real tension, plus the overarching story got lost among all of the standalone episodes, and it feels like the show missed a big opportunity.

Other Odds and Ends:

I love it when Eliot eggs on Parker.
I didn't know you could beat someone up with duct tape. Thanks Eliot!
Hardison can make fake I.D.s with a George Foreman grill? That's cooler than Eliot's trick with the tape.
How many shows are going to riff on Die Hard?
While I makes sense that Dubenich was the man pulling the strings, I would have preferred if someone like Blackpoole or Tobey Earnshaw was behind it all.
Parker: "Is there a time machine?"
Eliot: "There is. Yeah, not so much a machine as probably a portal..."
Parker: "I'm going to go get that portal..."
"Let's go steal a time machine."
"Why y'all always pushing me off of stuff? Don't I get a say? I vote no."
Parker: "It might be easier if he's asleep?"
Eliot: "Want me to put him asleep?"
Hardison: "Hey, I'm standing right here!"
"Squishy? Opps, peed my pants. Alright."
"Where do they get these guys?"
"INCOMING!"
"In Homeland, we're not paid to think. We're paid to act."

Long range storytelling has not been this show's strongest suit, which is fine for a con-man procedural, but it does have a knack for giving fans strong finales ("The Second David Job" and "The Maltese Falcon Job" were two of the show's best episodes), so I'm confident that next week's "The Last Dam Job" will satisfy. It's just too bad that we don't have a strong villain to root against, but at least Dubenich is more interesting than Damian Moreau. Talk about a wasted opportunity.

My Quick Thoughts on the Dead Glee Spin-Off

2012-01-08T22:08:00.002-06:00

Even thought I'm not at the Television Critics Association press tour (maybe some day), I have been keeping up with some of the news via Twitter. Today was FOX's turn to face the firing squad, and some not so shocking news was confirmed: there will not be a Glee spin-off.

While the idea of a New York-based spin-off felt like a natural next step for some of the members of New Directions, I was always hesitant about buying into the hype because it felt like overkill. By now, we all know how much backlash Glee's faced, so adding another show on top of it would've been a step too far. The way I've always seen it is the creators need to focus on fixing Glee before adding to the universe. Plus, a spin-off is unnecessary.

When I first learned that the Gleeks would graduate and leave McKinley, I've been getting behind the idea that the show could combine old characters with new ones like Friday Night Lights did after its third season. The writers could still tell the stories of familiar characters while easing in new ones (Harmony!) for fans to get behind. Heck, a fourth season that has this kind of structure doesn't even need to be handcuffed to one location, so who's to say we still won't see Rachel and Kurt in NYC (although I don't see how they're getting into NYADA at this point).

Regardless of what Ryan, Ian and Brad decide to do, I'm just glad we can put the spin-off idea to rest once and for all ... except this is Glee we're talking about so I'm sure everyone will backtrack on what was said in a few months.

My TV Report Card: Week of January 1

2012-01-08T21:12:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year, and welcome to the first TV Report Card of 2012. While not every show was back from hiatus, there was a lot of stuff going on this week, so here is this week's TV Report Card:

Sunday
Leverage: "The Gold Job"

Leverage continued its streak of standalone episodes that were fun to watch but not much else. I will give "The Gold Job" some credit because it finally started building off of an idea that the show planted in earlier seasons which was Hardison being groomed to either take over the Crew or to start his own one day. From the very beginning, Hardison has been Nate's padawan, but that's an aspect of the show that has been lost in the shuffle, and I for one was glad to have it back. Of course Hardison's plan was not going to work, but that wasn't the point of the episode. The point was to show that Nate does care about his Crew, and that he has a vested interest in them. What I also liked about "The Gold Job" was the fact that Portland was actually Portland this time around, and I loved how they incorporated some important cultural landmarks like Voodoo Donuts and the shanghai tunnels. "The Gold Job" was a game-changer, but it was good enough to keep me entertained.

GRADE: B-

Monday
How I Met Your Mother: "Tailgate"

To me, "Tailgate" felt like an apology letter from Craig Thomas and Carter Bays. After some missteps (let's be honest, that's being nice), the creators wanted to remind the fans of what the show used to be. Remember when Ted and Barney wanted to open their own bar, or how Marshall used to be into mythological creatures, or how we're supposed to care about Lily, or how Robin used to have an actual job? Just in case you forgot, here they all are in a 30-minute episode. Now, HIMYM loves its callbacks, so we shouldn't be shocked that they pulled out yet another tried trick from their bag, and Marshall's narration was pointless, but I did like how his and Lily's stories wrapped up. Unfortunately, this show has made me dislike Robin so much over the last couple of years that I'm totally disinterested in her big comeback.

GRADE: C-

2 Broke Girls: "And the Secret Ingredient"

It finally happened. 2 Broke Girls has become unwatchable, and I'm probably going to wash my hands of it after watching "And the Secret Ingredient." First off, this show has succumbed to the most obvious comedy crutches which is repetition. This show loves to take slightly uncomfortable words and say them a billion times in a short amount of time. It started with "vagina," and this week's secret word was "tampon." Now, I'm not a prudish enough to be offended by these terms, but the fact that the writers feel that saying them over and over again is lazy and insulting, and Max's point that Han was exploiting female customers fell on def ears because I had mine plugged so I didn't have to hear "tampon" again. Caroline's newfound obsession with extreme couponing was just as bad as the one Max had with hoarding, and what was even worse was the forced story about how Max had a crummy mother. Oh, and they brought back that stupid horse. It's also a bad sign when Oleg gets the biggest laugh ... for the second episode in a row. I don't know how much more of this I can take.

GRADE: F

Wednesday
Modern Family: "Lifetime Supply"

Modern Family's back for 2012, and unfortunately the new year does not mean new ideas. "Lifetime Supply" was one of the weakest episodes of Modern Family to date, and I can only remember laughing a handful of times. Usually, I'm a big fan of Phil, and while I thought he was still one of the stronger players, I didn't find his freak out over his doctor's appointment as entertaining as it should've been, and the fact that Gloria was wrangled into it didn't help. At this point, I'm over Cam and Mitchell because their relationship has hit a standstill, and their petty bickering was a waste of time although I'm still a fan of the combination of Mitchell and Alex. I'm not even going to waste my time on the Jay/Manny/Benjamin Bratt plot. I'm still trying to remember why this is the best comedy on television today.

GRADE: D+

Happy Endings: "The Shrink, the Dare, Her Date and Her Brother"

My new favorite comedy hit a lull towards the end of 2011, but it rebounded fairly well with "The Shrink, the Dare, Her Date and Her Brother." It still wasn't the best episode of the season, but I enjoyed watching Jane and Max's insane bet for the physical comedy alone. I was also glad that we got a new pairing with Brad and Alex, and I hope to see more of this duo in the future. I know that most fans did not see the twist with Penny and Dave coming, and I'm not sure how serious the writers are about these two, but I can remember seeing glimpses of chemistry when they were coupled up in previous episodes, and I'm not hating this idea even though I don't see it going anywhere meaningful. Overall, a pretty fun one from Happy Endings and almost a return to form.

GRADE: B+

Thursday
The Vampire Diaries: "The New Deal"

I know that this is going to sound wrong, but The Vampire Diaries started to run out of steam towards the end of first half of Season 3. There were still some good twists and turns, but "Homecoming" wasn't as strong of a mid-season finale as I wanted, so I came into "The New Deal" on the defensive. While I thought it was a good episode, I wasn't blown away by it, but I'm glad that Damon finally grew a set of stones and planted one on Elena. I'm still not on board with a potential romance between the two of them per se, but I was just happy that there was some forward momentum. On the other hand, I don't know how I feel about them compelling Jeremy again, and I'm kind of over Klaus now that he's been strapped with all of these family issues. TVD is still one of the best shows on television today, but it does need to amp up its game in order to stay on top.

GRADE: B-

Friday
Chuck: "Chuck vs. the Kept Man"

I'm going to come clean and admit that I didn't love "Chuck vs. the Kept Man," which is odd since I'm usually a fan of Sarah and Casey-centric episodes. While I enjoyed most of the Casey and Gertrude moments, I was really put off by Chuck's cocky attitude and overabundant need to use the word "care," and I also wasn't 100% on board with the idea of Sarah being pregnant. Yes, I get that part of this show's appeal is watching these extraordinary people deal with seemingly normal issues, but for some reason her storyline felt forced. Oddly enough, the one aspect I found myself enjoying was the Buy Moron B-plot which hardly ever happens. I don't think anything will substantially change now that Jeff and Lester have peeked behind the curtain, but it was a nice diversion.

GRADE: C-

Nikita: "Pale Fire"

I know that the last time Nikita was on a Report Card I didn't want to waste too much time on Alex's quest for revenge and how it's been the weakest link of Season 2, but I don't have that luxury this time around. As you can probably tell, I was not too high on the developments that we learned about Alex and her mother. It was obvious that the fact that she had survived meant that she was up to no good, and I'm a vaguely interested to see how this new information will affect Alex, but ultimately it all felt cliched. On a positive note, it did allow for Nikita and Alex to be on the same side again. Speaking of teammates, it was nice seeing Michael and Owen work together, and it's too bad that Nikita's going to get in the way of their potential partnership. Oh, and let's not forget Nikita's other man, Ryan, and how he's a pawn in Amanda and Percy's twisted game. So much stuff going on!

GRADE: B-

So there you have it. The first TV Report Card of the new year. I can't wait to have all of my shows back and this thing really starts getting hefty. NOTE: No Supernatural this time around because I didn't get a chance to watch this episode, but I didn't miss it, so I'm not sure if it'll be back on the rotation any time soon.

My Two-Cents on Chuck: "Chuck vs. The Kept Man"

2012-01-07T20:40:00.000-06:00

More often than not, I enjoy it when Chuck focuses on the lives of Sarah and Casey. These glimpses into who they are tend to be some of my favorite episodes, which was why it was such a bummer that "Chuck vs. The Kept Man" didn't hit all of its marks.

Gertrude Verbanski was back from hiding, and she spent the majority of her time showering Casey with deep V-neck sweaters and some loving. She even had plans to take him to South Beach for a mini-vacation, but it wasn't all about pleasure. As it turned out, Verbanski needed Carmichael Industries to assist her on a mission to take down some arms dealers in Florida. Along the way, Casey became more and more frustrated with being Gertrude's boy toy while Sarah dealt with her own personal problems like possibly being pregnant. This being Chuck, everything worked out for our heroes in the end as they captured the bad guys, Casey and Verbanski made up, and the Bartowskis realized that parenthood could be their next big adventure.

You'd think that "Kept Man" would've been my kind of Chuck episode. It spent a considerable amount of time on Casey, who has proven that he can be a very interesting character who provides more than just muscle and grunts, and honestly I did enjoy most of his moments. While Gertrude was understandably aggressive with her advances, seeing John squirm as he tried to figure out his feelings for her was a side to the Colonel that we haven't gotten in a while. The added bonus of watching Casey's relationship with Alex evolve was also a nice touch that added some humanity to the once gruff agent.

My biggest issue with the A-plot had nothing to do with Casey or Gertrude but with Chuck and Sarah. For some reason, Chuck was really off-putting this episode. Everything about his revised mission statement for the company to his obliviousness about Sarah's behavior irked me, and what was even more unbearable was his cocky attitude about being able to read his wife's emotions and know exactly all of her wants and needs. I don't watch this show to see Chuck be all suave and full of himself. I watch it because he's a lovable nerd, so I was just not a fan of his this time around.

I was less annoyed by Sarah, but I didn't love her sub-plot either. As a long-time viewer, I get that part of Chuck's appeal is the combination of the action-packed spy life and the more grounded family life, so the idea that Chuck and Sarah might be parents someday is a logical progression. Yet, I felt that Sarah having to deal with the possibility of being a mother felt forced and rushed. Maybe it's because I've been burnt out by all of the family moments that the show's been throwing our way this season (which isn't a bad thing), but every once in a while I just want an old-fashioned action filled episode without too many feelings.

At the Buy More, the now lucid Jeff started to notice that some of his co-workers were acting suspiciously. As he and Lester did some digging, it became clear to him that something was going on behind the scenes, and he was able to piece together that Sarah and Casey were spies and that Chuck was somehow connected to their top-secret occupations. Morgan overheard Jeff's revelation and decided to recruit Devon to throw them off the scent with a tuxedo, fake dead drops, and workout equipment. The swerve was about to work when Jeff once again realized that something wasn't quite right and threw a dumbbell through a fake wall which exposed Castle. Fortunately, the quick thinking Morgan tranqed him and Lester before they got too good of a look.

For the first time in forever, I actually preferred the Buy More B-plot over the spy stuff. Making Jeff a normal person has been one of the best moves Chuck has made this season because it's made the Jeffster scenes more tolerable. While I don't know (or care all that much) how them knowing the truth about Carmichael Industries will affect the show, at least the Buy Morons didn't have me groaning throughout the entire episode like they normally do. Plus, I'm always a fan of Captain Awesome, Super Spy.

Other Odds and Ends:

I love Chuck, but he's no Jerry Maguire.
Now, I need to watch Downton Abbey because Alex told me to.
I can't believe I'm writing this, but I'm over watching Sarah get out of a swimming pools. It's Season 5 people! Come up with some new ideas!
The words "banana hammock" make me miss The Todd. Espionage High-five *snap*.
Yvonne Strahovski was on fire this episode.
So, is that Chekhov's Hi-Tech Gun?
Lester in drag's something I cannot un-see.
"Haven't you had enough kidnapping, torture and bloodshed?"
"Are you kidding? What about the bombs they drop on Edwardian convention?"
Sarah: "Do you know how many skimpy outfits I've had to put on for this team? Did you hear me complain when I had to put on a catsuit, or seven inch platform heels, or a belly dancing outfit?"
Casey: "Belly dancing?"
Sarah: "OK, that was private. Just put on the banana hammock and stop whining."
"Yeah, cashmere. Nice. Do you mind? I have a tailor who can make me two sweaters out of this bad boy."
"Oh no. The housemaid is laying out coffee spoons with the dinner service. There's going to be Hell to pay at Downton Abbey tonight."

I guess that "Chuck vs. The Kept Man" wasn't a horrible episode, but it lacked substantial comedic moments, and even the action scenes were less than stellar. You add that to an irritating Chuck, forced "real life" issues and stalled narrative momentum, and you get a sub-par outing like this one. I just hope we're done with these kind of standalones, and that we're in for another fun mini-arc to wrap up the series.

Last Episode: "Chuck vs. The Baby" >>

<< Next Episode: "Chuck vs. Bo"

My Quick Thoughts on Portlandia

2012-01-06T18:42:00.000-06:00

Those who listen to "The Small Screen Podcast" or read my thoughts on Grimm and Leverage know that I'm a total shill for Portland, so it may surprise some that my feelings are mixed when it comes to IFC's Portlandia.

Admittedly, I knew about Portlandia for a while before I actually watched it, mostly because I didn't have IFC, but I tried to keep up with the satirical sketch comedy show during its first season. Luckily, I was able to catch up on Netflix prior to premiere of Season 2. Almost immediately, I found myself laughing at how Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein captured the vibe and characters of Stumptown (that opening song and the bicyclist sketch were spot on), and I thought I had found a new favorite show. Then things started to change.

Now, I dug all of the eccentric characters that were sprinkled throughout the vignettes, but I wasn't as big of a fan when some of those characters became regulars and started to overpower the show. For example, the two women in the feminist bookstore got grating very quickly, and it's hard to watch their scenes. I also started to see a shift from a focus on quirky characters to outrageous situations (like Aimee Mann being a maid and the music/film festival), and that also started to annoy me. Somewhere along the line the show stopped feeling like a commentary on a city, and started to be a farce about unrelatable caricatures and scenarios.

To the show's credit, I did appreciate the attempt at creating a common thread that connected the episodes via the Fred and Carrie characters. The fact that they're supposed to somewhat realistic people who are faced with extraordinary circumstances cuts some of the outright peculiarness of the rest of the show. Although they too are starting to veer into the overblown zone.

Sure, I might be too hard on Portlandia's over reliance on odd people and plots because that's what the show is supposed to be about. It's a hyper-satirized version of a city and its inhabitants, and it is trying to take an old genre into new places, which I respect. I just wish I found myself laughing more instead of cringing.

My Quick Thoughts on Happy Endings: "The Shrink, the Dare, Her Date and Her Brother"

2012-01-05T23:33:00.003-06:00

After a long break, ABC was back with its Wednesday night line-up, and I couldn't wait to have Happy Endings back on my TV screen. While, "The Shrink, the Dare, Her Date and Her Brother" wasn't the most original episode, I pretty much laughed from start to finish.

By far the best story of the night belonged to Jane and Max as they had one of their stupid competitions over a sweater which led to their bet to see which one was less vain. First off, the outfits they picked out for one another were insane, but things only got better thanks to their combination of insults and physical comedy. Also, much respect for Eliza Coupe and Adam Pally having the stones to strip down to their skivies for a joke. That's dedication.

The more cliched plotline of the night belonged to Brad and Alex as they were put in the classic "not so close friends with nothing to talk about" story which could've flamed out quickly, but the reveal that they shared a love for romantic comedies was a fun little twist. Damon Wayan's Jr. has been proving himself as one of the most consistently funny actors on the show, and Elisha Cuthbert's been sneaky funny all season (she's so funny when she's randomly eating although her ditzy act is starting to be too much), so I was glad that they got to showcase their talents together.

While Dave and Penny's story was the most problematic and weakest of the night, it was also the one I found myself liking the most. Most viewers were probably scratching their heads after seeing their two shrinks bring up the fact that they might have feelings for one another because it's a pairing that the show hasn't explored, so it felt like it was out of left-field, but I remember seeing some chemistry between them during the episode where Dave's old teacher dropped in. I'm not saying that putting these two together would be the right move, but I don't hate the idea either. Plus, it's not like the writers have many combinations to go through.

Lines of the Night:

"How many times has your grandma died 'cause you said the same thing about half a club sandwich?"
"No! Get back here, you gay!"
"Seriously? I get stuck with the check again? What is the point of having white friends?"
Penny: "You guys are so vain. You probably think this sweater's about you."
Max: "Don't you. Don't you dare make that joke."
"He touched me here, and here, and I wanted him to touch me here but he wouldn't. Why wouldn't he?"
Max: "How are we going to decide who is less vain?"
Jane: "We can throw acid in each other's faces."
Max: "It's psychotic. I like it. What about face tattoos?"
Jane: "Mm. Are we talking Mike Tyson or Kat Von D?"
Max: "I think we're talking Kat Von Tyson with a little Mike Von D."
Jane: "Oh, I like it. I can be down with that."
Max: "Hey, how do you think feel about wearing high-waisted jeans?"
Brad: "I think she would have to be high and wasted."
Brad: "So ... stamps went up again. Unbelievable."
Alex: "I buy the forever ones, but who knows how long they're good for."
Alex: "Are hip-hop and rap the same thing."
Brad: "Yes!"
Dave: "Yeah, he's stalking you."
Penny: "Oh, my God. That is so flattering. What do you wear to a stalking? Stockings? No, that's too on-the-nose."
Dave: "Penny's gonna go out with my shrink. That's weird, right?"
Max: "Dah-veed. Nothing's weird. I've dated bailiffs, monks, jockeys. My personal best is a butcher, a baker, and a candlestick maker, and yes, we were all in one tub."
"It should be easy to fool her 'cause I'm super easy to fool and we're sisters."
"Wait, what theater is this, huh? I thought this was that 'Murder, death, sports, explosion' film for men with full beards and ample chest hair."
Jane: "You look like Jamiroquai before Labor Day."
Max: "Well, you look like Carol Brady right before she was arrested for molesting Bobby."
Fireman: "Where's the fire."
Jane: "Right here, boys."
Max: "Jane, I thought we agreed on 'in our pants.'"

The first Happy Endings episode of 2012 won't rank up their with "Spooky Endings" or "The Code War," and it won't change the face of television comedy, but it was up there thanks to some solid laughs and actual long-term storytelling. Can't complain about that.

My Two-Cents on Leverage: "The Gold Job"

2012-01-02T22:25:00.000-06:00

Leverage followed up "The Lonely Hearts Job" with another standard episode, but "The Gold Job" touched on one of my favorite plots that has been underlining the show's run, so it was ultimately a solid outing in my opinion.

This week's marks were a sister and brother who owned a cash for gold business and made a fortune by ripping off their customers. The Crew was hired by a client who wanted to get her grandmother's antique necklace back, and Hardison took it upon himself to lead the grift. The team was off to Portland to take down the bad guys, and once there Hardison unveiled his revolutionary new con based on video game design fundamentals called the Double-Pronged Monkey Con.

Hardison's master plan involved hooking the marks with a treasure hunt that involved a gold watch, Shanghai tunnels, a big drill, Nate dying, and a land deal. Unfortunately for our favorite geek, the job became too complicated, and the marks realized that they were being conned, but of course Nate had a contingency plan. So, instead of everything blowing up in Hardison's face, Nate saved the day as the team was able to steal the baddies' gold, get their client's necklace back, all while implicating the siblings of insurance fraud. Once back in Boston, Nate informed Hardison of what went wrong, but he was also supportive of his drive and ambition, and it was a nice learning moment for both of them.

The main reason I like "The Gold Job" so much had to do with the fact that Leverage revisited the idea of Hardison learning how to run his own crew which has always been interesting. I've also liked Nate and Hardison's bond because it has felt like a teacher/student relationship, and I was so happy that we got to see more of these kinds of interactions.

Other Odds and Ends:

I love it that Portland got to be Portland this week.
Two words: Mr. Punchy.
Voodoo Doughnut, Shanghai tunnels, and Hobo's! This episode was a love letter to Rip City.
"That's his very serious arm-cross."
"I had a lot of psych exams as a kid. They're actually pretty easy. Only, sometimes I made my doctors cry."
"What? That's not puppetmaster. That's jazz hands."
Eliot: "Did you have to take a bite out of all theses?"
Parker (with mouth full): "I had to see which one I wanted."
"Oh, you know how to hang loose, but you don't know how to high five?"
"Hey, it was a good plan. It was a smart plan. Clever. Don't sell yourself short."

Once again, Leverage didn't break any molds with "The Gold Job," but an emphasis on one of the show's more entertaining relationships and all of the PDX awesomeness was bound to make me happy.

My Two-Cents on Chuck: "Chuck vs. The Baby"

2011-12-30T22:19:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe that there are only a handful of Chuck episodes left, and the show's going to go out on a high note if the last couple weeks are any indicator. While "Chuck vs. The Baby" had its share of hiccups, it was still full of the action and character moments that make this show special.

At the end of "Santa Suit," Shaw dropped a bomb about a baby, and that had people wondering about Sarah's past. As it turned out, the aforementioned child was not Sarah's, but she was the orphan of some rich Hungarians. Sarah's handler, Kieran Ryker, used her to get his hands on the child because she was the heir to her family's fortunes, and he was planning on getting a piece of the pie. Instead of giving the baby to Ryker, Sarah went rouge and asked her mother to watch over her even though that meant she would never get to see them ever again.

Before Shaw was taken down, he got a message to Ryker telling him that the baby was still alive, and Sarah took it upon herself to make sure that the child remained safe, but it order to do so she was not able to share any information with Chuck or Casey. Despite the fact that Sarah was not sharing too many details, they agreed to help her on a mission to meet Ryker so she could kill him once and for all. After getting separated from her team, Sarah ended up getting captured by Ryker and his men, but of course Chuck and Casey were able to save the day.

Back in the States, Sarah gave in and told Chuck everything about the baby and how she asked her mother to look after her. While Chuck was appreciative that Sarah trusted him enough to divulge her secret, he also found a bug that was planted in her hair which meant Ryker knew everything. Luckily, Sarah was able to warn her family and get to her mother's house just in time to have a final showdown with Ryker which of course she won.

I know that I've said this a few times before, but I'm always a fan when Chuck gives us some more insight into Sarah and Casey's lives before they were assigned to Team Bartowski, so I was predetermined to enjoy this episode. While Sarah's character wasn't given any earth-shattering origin details (spies cutting off ties with family members is action writing 101), Yvonne Strahovski was great with what she was given, and it was nice seeing her do more than get captured in order to lure Chuck into a trap.

The only downside of Sarah's story was all of the secret-keeping. I understood why she felt that she had to withhold the information about her mother and the child, but having her keep things from Chuck was nothing more than fabricated drama that this show has been utilizing since day one. You'd think after all this time, and after all of the arguments the couple has had about not being honest with one another, we'd be past all of this nonsense yet here we are.

While Sarah, Chuck, and Casey were taking on Ryker in Hungary, Morgan was back in Castle to make sure things ran smoothly, but he did have plans to have a game night with Alex and the Awesomes, and for some reason everyone thought it would be OK that he move the party to their TOP SECRET headquarters. Once in Castle, Ellie and Devon continued their spy role-playing, but all of the fun was cut short when they noticed that things were still icy between Alex and Morgan. The super couple decided to hand out some relationship advice by sharing a story about how Devon became a jerk during his A&F modeling days, and how Ellie dumped him but took him back once she remembered why she loved him in the first place. This anecdote would've have felt out of place, but Alex was also reminded of why she loved Morgan at a family gathering that included Sarah's mother and adopted sister.

For a while there I wasn't sure where this one was going, but it was incorporated nicely with the main plot which cannot always be said about the B-stories. That being said, I've never been a huge fan of Morgan and Alex, so I wasn't invested in their reunion, but I thought it was fun that the Awesomes obsession with the spy life was brought back in spite of the fact that their fun and games almost got them killed.

Other Odds and Ends:

White Collar's Tim DeKay was great as Ryker, but I was expecting more talk about Bryce Larkin due to his connection with Matthew Bomer. Ah well, I'm still hoping that Zac Levi shows up on WC before it ends its run.
This episode felt like the most action-packed thanks to all of the stunts and fights that they threw at the audience.
Was anyone else relieved when it was revealed that the baby wasn't Sarah's?
I love it that Sarah kept the baby in a gun case. For some reason, that felt very in character.
Man, these friends and family scenes are getting longer and longer. At this rate, half of the series finale will be everyone laughing around the dinner table.
So, if Carmichael Industries doesn't go back to the C.I.A. where do we go from here?
Chuck: "Do you speak Hungarian?"
Casey: "No, do you Mr. I Don't Need the Intersect?"

I think I've finally figured out how to watch the last season of Chuck. To me, it seems like the showrunners are breaking the final 13 episodes into mini-arcs like Intersect Morgan and Chuck vs. the C.I.A. with a few standalones like "Chuck vs. The Baby" thrown in for good measure. If that is what they're doing, I'm interested to see how these final few episodes are gong to go. Regardless, I'm sure they'll be entertaining enough and Chuck will take the victory lap that it deserves.

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My Old News: Another Look at Spartacus: Vengeance

2011-12-30T19:03:00.000-06:00

The holidays took up most of my time, so I wasn't able to keep up with TV news as much as I'd like. One bit that broke during my break was Starz's new trailer for Spartacus: Vengeance which highlighted its trademark violence an sex, but it also gave viewers a pretty good idea of what the new season is going to bring:

Pretty crazy stuff, right? I'm just glad that the wickedly delightful Ilithya is back and will have to face Lucretia which should make for some juicy scenes. I can't wait!

My Two-Cents on Leverage: "The Lonely Hearts Job"

2011-12-27T21:12:00.000-06:00

After a string of episodes that were slightly different than the norm, Leverage went back to basics with "The Lonely Hearts Job," and while it wasn't ground-breaking, it was still fun to watch.

A rich businessman by the name of Walt Whitman Wellesley IV walked into McRory's looking for Nate because his wife, Lacy, was missing for four days, and he wanted the Leverage Crew's help finding her. Nate decided to help Wellesley in exchange for a possible favor down the line. As it turned out, the client's wife was a grifter who was a part of a sweeheart scam. The Crew infiltrated a bachelor auction in the Hamptons to see if they could smoke her out.

At the auction, it became clear that the women bidding on the wealthy men were also grifters and were a part of a team led by a woman named Meredith. Nate decided that the way to figure out her connection to Lacy was to pose as a competing con-man who wanted to partner up. In order to get a idea of what Nate was capable of, Meredith challenged him to pick up Sophie who was acting the part of a duchess. Unfortunately for Nate, Meredith's other partner was putting the moves on her so he had some competition.

While Nate jousted for Sophie's affection, the rest of the Crew tried to figure out what happened to Lacy. After breaking into Meredith's office, they learned that Lacy was really a woman named Christine who left her husband and went into hiding after Meredith threatened to kill him if she didn't. Since Lacy/Christine fell in love with a mark, Meredith could no longer trust her and needed to protect her scam.

Once the Crew found out what had happened to Lacy, they showed up in the nick of time to help out Nate who was being held at gunpoint by Meredith and her partner San Guillermo (the guy wooing Sophie). When it was all said and done, Nate was able to get a list of all of Meredith's marks (with the help of Parker and Hardison) and exposed her for the con that she was.

"Lonely Hearts" didn't involve any big picture storytelling or use any gimmicks that could have gotten in the way. It was a straighforward, "The Crew takes on other cons" episode which tend to be the most entertaining of the bunch. While I cannot say that this one was as good as "The Two Live Crew Job," it still had its moments. For example, I'm usually not a fan of the Nate and Sophie relationship, but I was glad that the writers finally moved the couple along by having him show more of his true feelings. I'm not rooting for them any more or less after watching the episode, but I did enjoy the sweet moments between the two of them.

What I also liked about this episode was the fact that it was strong Eliot episode even though he was relegated to the sidelines for most of it. The scenes of him protecting Nate, arguing with Hardison, and interacting with Parker were classic Eliot moments that made things feel lighter and more enjoyable. That scene where he sent Parker and Sophie flowers for his boys was also a nice touch that rounded out his character even more.

The only bit of "Lonely Hearts" that I didn't like was the final scene between Nate and Latimer. Now, I know that I've been clamoring for more serialized storytelling from this show, but adding a throw away scene at the end of a stand alone episode that's only there to remind us that there's supposed to be a bigger story going on always feels like a cheat. I'm intrigued to see what will come from that exchange, but I just wish we had gotten more of a build up over the last couple of weeks.

Other Odds and Ends:

I love it that Eliot was upset that Hardison made it so his fake bachelor persona was from Austin. No Sooner would be OK with that one.
Emma Caulfield has aged well. We need more Buffy alums on our TV screens.
Parker + girl fight = Hilarity.
Move over Troy and Abed because Hardison and Eliot are the best bromance on television. Their tiff about their bet was genius.
Eliot getting his chef on will always be welcomed.
Ditto for Parker getting to drive.
Sophie: "You're one to laugh. You don't even bother to learn their names. They're either waitress, nurse, or stewardess."
Eliot: "First of all, it's flight attendant alright. They don't like being called stewardesses. And second, I know their names."
Parker: "Are you guys having a three-way?
Nate & Sophie: "What?!"
Parker: "A three-way fight."
"Let's go steal a sweetheart. No, a widow? Spider? Spider."
Parker: "Oh, sparkly."
Nate: "Parker, no burgling."
Parker: "But these jewels, they're just asking to be taken."
"Page 189, rule number 7 of the bro handbook. The bet is off..."

Much like the rest of Season 4, "The Lonely Hearts Job" wasn't revolutionary television, but it was entertaining enough. I know I've probably written this before, but I'll take decent character moments like the ones during this episode any day of the week, so I'm ultimately a happy camper. Now, let's see if Leverage can successfully start connecting all of the dots before the season finale.

My Two-Cents on Chuck: "Chuck vs. The Santa Suit"

2011-12-26T18:14:00.000-06:00

Chuck continued on its fast-paced final season with "Chuck vs. The Santa Suit," which was not only a holiday episode, but it also felt like an end to Carmichael Industries and its tiff with the government. It was also one of the better episodes of Season 5.

The Omen Virus has the world in a state of panic as it continued its assault on everyone's computers, including the mainframe that controlled the locks in the high-security prison that was holding Daniel Shaw. Apparently, he was the mastermind behind the entire thing.

Since Sarah killed his wife, and Chuck both tried to kill him and was responsible for him being sent to prison, Shaw had a bone to pick with the happy couple, and he decided to get his revenge by making it seem like Chuck was responsible for the release of the Omen. As for Sarah, he wanted to take a more personal approach with her, so he ambushed her at Castle and used her as leverage in order to force Chuck to steal a device from Decker's office in the C.I.A. that would allow Shaw to upgrade his Intersect to version 3.0.

The only way Chuck could get into the C.I.A. was with General Beckman, and he had to pose as a Santa since the agency was having its Christmas party. After fighting off a drunk colonel and stealing her key card, Chuck and Beckman went to Decker's office to retrieve the device. Unfortunately, their actions set off red flags, and they were about to get caught. Luckily, the general was quick on her feet and planted a kiss on Chuck so everyone would think that they were hooking up. While all of the holiday shenanigans were going down at the C.I.A., Morgan and Casey worked on figuring out how the Omen operated (with the help of Jeff and Lester) while also trying to save Sarah.

Once Chuck was back at the Buy More, he learned that the Omen was sucking information out of all government computers and realized that Shaw was planning on downloading a new Intersect into his brain, which would lead to him being reinstated by the C.I.A. Chuck came up with a plan to hack Shaw's Intersect 3.0 and wiping it from his brain, and he also decided to end it once and for all by having one final showdown with Shaw. With the help of Ellie, Chuck was able to take down his arch nemesis yet again.

While "Chuck vs. The Santa Suit" did have some questionable plot points (the C.I.A. didn't remove the Intersect from Shaw, Jeffster can figure out the complicated Omen in a few hours), it was still a very good episode of Chuck. I know most fans do not care for Shaw (his ill-advised fling with Sarah ddin't help matters), but I always thought that he was a decent adversary for Chuck, so I was glad to have him back. While Brandon Routh's acting hasn't significantly improved, his creepy and maniacal take on Shaw was effective enough this time around.

My only real gripe with "Santa Suit," and with the last couple of episodes for that matter, was how quickly it burned through story. When Season 5 started, I was excited by the idea of the government hunting down Team Bartowski, which they did, but what should have been a season-long arc has been wrapped up in a few episodes. Now, I know that they're are still six episodes left, and that the "Chuck vs. the C.I.A." storyline has spanned across multiple installments, but it's all felt rushed and I was hoping for something a little more developed.

Other Odds and Ends:

I'm not going to delve into Ellie's freak-out because it felt tacked on and like an excuse to remind everyone that this was the Christmas episode.
Casey's Christmas gift to Alex, Mr. Pippers the Preppy Polar Bear, has to be the best presents ever.
Aww man, the Subway product placement is back, and it was particularly blatant this time around. Merry Christmas to us.
Devon ear-muffing Clara was a small moment that had me rolling.
Stan Lee: C.I.A. Spy! Brilliant!
That was one of the best fights Chuck has ever been a part of. He's all grown up.
While I did like this episode a lot, we need a plot that doesn't involve the kidnapping of one of Chuck's family members.
Big Mike: "I want customers to remember the true meaning of Christmas, and get back to what you're supposed to be dong. Buying stuff."
Jeff: "Like this iPad, a bargain at $599. Honestly, it's overpriced. You can get all this stuff on the Internet."
Morgan: "We're going to nee a plan. A really good plan."
Chuck: "I've got the plan. Daniel Shaw murdered my father, and now he has my wife. He's going to wish he never left that prison cell."
Casey: "That plan's kind of vague."
General Beckman: "This is my team, and nobody, especially Shaw, is going to take us down."
Shaw: "Can you compete with the Intersect 3.0? I can practically catch a bullet in my teeth, but you did some push-ups, hit the heavy bag?"

Overall, "Chuck vs. The Santa Suit" was a solid effort from Chuck as it likely gave us some closure on the fugitive story arc while opening up some more mysteries for our heroes, especially Sarah, to deal with. I just wish we got some more of this particular plotline before moving on, but maybe the last couple of episodes will make it all worth it.

Last Episode: "Chuck vs. The Curse" >>

<< Next Episode: "Chuck vs. The Baby"

My Top 5 TV Let-Downs of 2011

2011-12-26T10:50:00.002-06:00

So, I've already put together my Top 5 List of TV shows, news, developments, etc. that were pleasant surprises, but the post-Christmas funk (not really, I just needed a reason to be negative) has me ready to throw out my Top 5 TV Let-downs of 2011.

5. Torchwood: Miracle Day

Admittedly, I'm not really a fan of this Dr. Who spin-off despite all of the good things I've heard about it, but I was excited for Starz's continuation of the series with Miracle Day. I even binged on Torchwood: Children of Earth as a way to prep for the series' debut, and that might have been a misstep because Miracle Day had no chance of following in Children's footsteps. From the start, even I could notice that something was missing, and the fact that MD tried to veer away from what made the franchise special (Captain Jack) during the early episodes in favor of hammy caricatures and a twisty but uninteresting plot didn't help the show's case. Now, Miracle Day did have some bright spots, but overall it was a dud. With that said, I'd be OK if the series was given another chance to right the ship.

4. The 1960's

On the surface, the 1960's felt glamorous to me, but I blame Mad Men's stylized look and all of the hype that surrounds it for this halo effect. Because of this, I was somewhat excited for the two Mad Men rip-offs that were gracing network television in 2011. Now, NBC's The Playboy Club was a bad show out of the gate, but I still gave it a shot, and while it wasn't as bad as all the critics were saying, it was clear that it was not long for this world. On the other hand, ABC's Pan Am was a major let down because it had more potential and really didn't capitalize on it. The few episodes I watched focused on the nostalgic aesthetic over interesting character and story, so I quickly lost interest. Since the two shows never caught on, and Mad Men's continued ratings slump (even by cable's standards), it's clear that the 60's are over and we all need to move on.

3. The first-half of The Walking Dead: Season 2

One of the Internet's primary functions is to be an outlet for outraged viewers to complain about TV shows, and while I do that from time to time, I try to keep things mostly positive on my blog, but it's hard to give the first handful of The Walking Dead's second season episodes a pass. After a stellar premiere episode, The Walking Dead quickly got stuck in the mud and spun its wheels until the mid-season finale, and instead of getting plot and/or character development, audiences were subjected to endless debates about morality, faith, and leadership. Now, spending time on these topics should be interesting, and some of the scenes were ... the first three times we watched them. Now, I'm not sure how much of The Walking Dead's sophomore slump has to do with the change of showrunners, or the cut in budget, or AMC's need to split the season into two chunks, but so far Season 2 has not been able to deliver like Season 1 was able to do. Thankfully, we still have the second half of the season, and hopefully the show will able to make things right.

2. CBS

Oh how the mighty have fallen ... out of my good graces but not out of its ratings dominance. While I was never a big supporter of CBS, I did watch my fair share of shows like How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, and Hawaii Five-0, so I did have some vested interest in the network so much so that I was willing to give its new sit-com, 2 Broke Girls, a fair shot. To date, I've been so disappointed by the Eye that I've either given up on shows (Hawaii Five-0), taken them out of my regular viewing rotation (The Big Bang Theory), or stubbornly hung on the belief that the show will improve (2 Broke Girls). No show has bummed me out more than How I Met Your Mother, which was No. 2 last year, because it insists on spinning its wheels while throwing red herrings and insulting twists at the fans. Watching HIMYM is no longer a joy, but rather a chore yet I keep coming back with hopes that it will return to its glorious roots. But I said the same thing last year.

1. The Benching of Cult Favorites

I'm not one of those television viewers who has unrealistic expectations of the medium. I know that TV is a bottom-line business, which means that some times good shows get unfavorable treatment, but usually that treatment is justified. On paper, I can understand why ABC and NBC would bench its two critically acclaimed but ratings-challenged comedies, but as a fan of Cougar Town and Community, it's a hard pill to swallow. I get why they have been put on indefinite hiatus, but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it especially when they're replaced by Work It and Are You There, Chelsea? Luckily, those two shows feel like flops, so we might have the Cul-de-sac Crew and the Study Group back on our TVs sooner than later.

There you have it, my Top 5 TV Let-downs of 2011. I'll be honest, it took some time to come up with this list because 2011 was a pretty decent year for television, and here's to hopes that 2012 will be too.

My Newest Hobby: "The Small Screen Podcast," Episode 15: Werewolves, and Convicts, and Spies! Oh My...and the Golden Globes

2011-12-22T17:12:00.000-06:00

"The Small Screen Podcast" is back for Episode 15. Even though the holiday lull is upon us, Kristal and I wanted to give you one more podcast before the end of the year. This time around, we talked about the Golden Globe nominations and which shows we're looking forward to once the new year starts.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start - 1:27

The Golden Globe Nominations: 1:28 - 26:03

Best Series - Drama: 1:40 - 5:00
Best Actress - Drama: 5:01 - 8:22
Best Actor - Drama: 8:23 - 11:34
Best Series - Comedy/Musical: 11:35 - 17:47
Best Actress - Comedy/Musical: 17:48 - 21:59
Best Actor - Comedy/Musical: 22:00 - 26:03

What We're Looking Forward To: 26:04 - 36:00

Being Human (Syfy): 27:10 - 32:00
Archer: 32:01 - 32:59
Alcatraz: 33:00 - 36:00

Closing: 36:01 - End

Check out the episode below, or download it over at iTunes:

For more, follow us on Twitter:
Kristal: @kristal_bailey
Marcos: @poppas2cents

My Top 5 TV Surprises of 2011

2011-12-22T15:59:00.000-06:00

Last year, I put together a list of my top five TV surprises and let-downs, and I figured I'd do again for 2011. Keep in mind, this really isn't a "best of" list, rather just my thoughts on some of the events/shows that occurred over the last year.

5. Grimm

According to almost every TV critic I read, Grimm was supposed to be one of the worst new shows of 2011, but it had enough going for it to interest me. I'm a sucker for genre fare and police procedurals, and on the surface Grimm tapped into all of those categories, so I had to check it out. I've said many times that Grimm's by no means a good show, but I find myself being entertained by it every time I watch it. Sure, it could be better (a different leading man would do wonders), but I'm not asking it to be the next Wire (or some other highbrow drama that people love to claim they watch). I just want to enjoy watching the show, and so far Grimm is meeting that expectation.

4. Homeland

Usually, I'm not a fan of slow-burning dramas (which is why I haven't been able to finish catching up on Mad Men or Boardwalk Empire), so I didn't go into the 2011 TV season expecting to give Homeland much of a shot, but I kept reading how great it was so I checked it out. It quickly became one of my must-watch shows because of way it brilliantly created tension without relying too heavily on gimmicks and explosions. So far, it's been a top-notch thriller with interesting characters and mesmerizing twits. While it's still airing at the time of this writing, I'm confident enough to say that Homeland is not just the new best drama of 2011, but probably the best new television show of the year. Period.

3. Happy Endings

I know that I've written a lot about Happy Endings (how it shouldn't have been picked up for a second season and how it's become my favorite comedy), and I don't want to keep repeating myself, but I can't help myself. A few years ago, Happy Endings wouldn't have made it past its first few episodes based on ratings alone, but ABC decided to give it another shot for some unknown reason, and I have to give it a lot of credit for doing so. Right now, HE has the right mix of jokes, off-the-wall moments, and cast chemistry which makes it a special show. I doubt it'll ever be the greatest sitcom ever made, but for my money it's been one of the better ones to debut over the last year, and I hope that ABC continues to have faith in this little show.

2. Emmy Award Winner Kyle Chandler

People love to bash NBC, but it's kept some shows alive longer than it should have, and one of those show was Friday Night Lights. With the exception of Season 2, FNL was one of the best dramas on television, but it never got the recognition that it deserved. Seemingly out of nowhere, Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton were nominated for Emmys in 2010, but we all knew they weren't going to win. Then they were nominated again in 2011, but many thought they were honorary nominations since the show wrapped up its final season, and then Kyle Chandler was named the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. I never thought it would happen, and then it did. It was a magical moment that I'll never forget. Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

1. Chuck's Fifth Season Renewal

Much like last year, I was ready to say goodbye to Chuck. The ratings never really picked back up, and it was clear to me that Season 4 was going to be its last. Then all of a sudden NBC decided to give it one final go-around to give the fans the closure they deserved. Sure, we can point to NBC's dismal performance over the last couple of years as a reason why Chuck was renewed yet again, but I want to believe that they understood what this show meant to a small band of followers, and they wanted to give them a last hurrah for their continued support. Whatever the reasons were, this show has meant a lot to me, and I'm so happy that it got to go out on its own terms which is so rare in this business. Thank you Chuck.

While I try to stay positive on this blog, stay tuned for my list of TV happenings that were somewhat disappointing.

My Two-Cents on Leverage: "The Boys' Night Out Job"

2011-12-19T19:02:00.000-06:00

Besides Parker and Hardison, the relationships that I care most about on Leverage are the ones between the guys, so it was clear from the start that I was going to like "The Boys' Night Out Job" slightly more than last week's girl powered episode.

"Boys' Night" started just like "Girls' Night" in order to set up the continuity and to remind the audience that these two stories paralleled one another. We got the same discussion between the Crew about Nate's inability to connect with anyone outside of their surrogate family and how that could be problematic. From there we got to see more of the boys' poker night with Detective Bonanno and one of Eliot's buddies by the name of Shelley. All of the socializing got to Nate, so he snuck away to get a drink from the bar where he ran into Hurley from Season 1's "The 12-Step Job."

Hurley filled Nate in on how his life has improved since the Crew interfered with his affairs, and he even talked about how he's been helping a Mexican nun deliver statues of the Virgin Mary to cities in the States for charity, and it never dawned on him that some illicit may be going on, but being chased down by Irish gangsters should have been a clue.

As it turned out, Hurley was muling in black market cancer drugs for the "nun," but he was also unknowingly smuggling in other drugs that a Mexican cartel and the Irish mob wanted to get their hands on. Nate, Hardison, and Eliot took it upon themselves to save Hurley's life yet again while taking down the bad guys via a classic switcharoo.

Much like "Girls' Night Out," this episode was more of a character study with Nate and Hardison taking center stage. The former's storyline was a little more serious as he was forced to reflect on how he interacts with those around him, and how he purposefully segregates himself from the rest of the Crew and how that could be a detriment. Admittedly, we didn't learn any new information about Nate because he's always been this way, but that last shot of him watching everyone bonding while he sat alone with his booze was effective.

On the other hand, Hardison's journey was more light-hearted, but it was also a way to show how far he's come and how he's dedicated to keep growing. One of the running jokes on Leverage is how Hardison's the computer geek, and how he's not a "manly" man like Eliot. Watching him overcompensate throughout the episode due to his jealousy over Parker spending time with a handsome thief was the source of much of the episode's humor, but it was also an example of how Hardison wants to be more than what he seems.

I also liked how Nate and Hardison reconnected at the end of the episode, and how the student reminded the teacher about the good that they are capable of. These two have also had a strong mentor/mentee relationship, but there has been a lack of attention being paid to this bond, and I'm glad they went back to it.

Other Odds and Ends:

These two episodes have had a ton of callbacks which is appreciated because they reminded the audience that there's an established world beyond the week-to-week cons.
I'd love to see other characters from past episodes to make their returns. I'd love for Maggie to come back, but it's too bad that Kari Matchett's too busy. Stupid Covert Affairs.
So apparently the Crew doesn't care who they share their business with.
I wonder if we're going to see Shelley again, and what was going on between him and Bonanno?
The Irish goons talking about killing someone in church was a little out of place.
I love it when Eliot and Hardison bicker.
Aww, Hurley and Peggy!
"Terrorism and peanut allergies do not mix."
"They are not after me, Nate. Look, I don't mean to be negative here, but I've made my amends and you're still breaking the law and stuff."
"She's not a nun!"
"Let me shoot him Eliot! Move!"
"Hey, we beat up some dancers."
"This is so not cool Sister Lupe. Muy malo."
"Do you wanna touch my gun?"
"Well, I know I'm not your friend Nate, but for what it's worth you're mine."

I'll come clean. I'm a bigger fan of the boys of Leverage, so having them go on adventures sans the ladies was refreshing mostly because there was more time dedicated to seeing them interact with one another. "The Boys' Night Out Job" was also a strong episode from a character and world-building perspective, so it was pretty successful when it was all said and done.

My TV Report Card: Week of December 11

2011-12-18T23:19:00.000-06:00

With the holidays right round the corner, most shows have had their fall/mid-season/season finales, so there was not a lot on television this week, but here's the TV Report Card anyway.

Sunday
Leverage: "The Girls' Night Out Job"

Like I had mentioned last week, I need to start watching Leverage for what it is instead of what I want it to be. "Girl's Night Out" was another stand alone episode that was fun for the most part, but it didn't add to the larger story. That being said, this episode did focus on Parker and her evaluation as a person, so at least we did get some substance from the hour. It was also nice having Tara back in the fold, and her friendly rivalry with Sophie was a fun way to mix things up. While I expected more from Leverage, I wasn't upset with what we got. Now, I just need to learn my lesson and lower my expectations for "The Boys' Night Out Job," but that's easier said than done.

GRADE: B

Homeland: "The Vest"

Man, this show really knows how to fray a viewer's nerves! "The Vest" was probably one of my favorite episodes of Homeland because of the tension that was created during the hour. Brody's visit to the bomb maker was a move that I did not see coming, and it just added another layer to the bigger mystery that's surrounding Brody and his allegiances. The fact that his daughter knows that something's up has the potential to make things even crazier. Watching Carrie's breakdown because of the bombing was also mesmerizing to watch, and both Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin acted the heck out of their scenes together. I'm fully prepared for the finale to fall short of my expectations, but more than likely it will not sour me on the show as a whole because we have at least another season to go. Either way, I'm excited to see how Season 1 wraps up.

GRADE: B+

Monday
2 Broke Girls: "And the Pop-up Sale"

Unfortunately, I could not blame How I Met Your Mother for forcing me to watch 2 Broke Girls, but I came back anyway. Honestly, I'm one step close to cutting all ties with 2 Broke Girls after watching "And the Pop-up Sale." The laughs were sparce from start to finish, and I felt like I had wasted a half-an-hour. The fight between Han and Oleg was a trainwreck, and the plot about Caroline trying to sell her fancy rings was not able to make up for it. I guess the temporary rift between the two girls that was caused by Caroline ditching Max for her old rich friends was decent enough, but I didn't find myself laughing enough for it to be a success.

GRADE: C-

Tuesday
Glee: "Extraordinary Merry Christmas"

I'm going to have to grade this week's Glee on a curve because its Christmas episodes tend to exist only to sell the cast's holiday album and very rarely contribute the show's bigger picture. For the most part, "Extraordinary Merry Christmas" did exactly what it was supposed to do. We got some OK Christmas songs with some moral lessons about charity padded around them which would've been fine if we weren't forced to endure an extremely materialistic Rachel. Now, I'm usually on board with a slightly unlikeable Rachel, but her high maintenance attitude towards Finn felt out-of-character and was distracting. The Glee Christmas Spectacular was fun to watch, but it did last a little too long considering they wanted to tell three other stories at the same time. Overall, I didn't love or hate "Extraordinary Merry Christmas" because it wasn't all that relevant of an episode.

GRADE: C

New Girl: "The 23rd"

I've gone on record that I was not a fan of Justin Long's character on New Girl, so I was glad that his relationship with Jess ended, but unfortunately their story relied too much on rom-com cliches like her saying, "thank you" after he confessed his love for her. Thankfully, everything that was floating around the Jess/Paul stuff was good. I loved that they re-visited Schmidt and Cece, and Winston's ability to connect with kids. Even Nick's interactions with Jess pre and post-break up were nice, and the gang waking up Candy Cane Lane so they could turn on the Christmas lights in order to cheer up Jess was a nice touch. All and all, "The 23rd" had the right combination of sweet and sad which made for an enjoyable episode of television.

GRADE: B+

Friday
Chuck: "Chuck vs. The Curse"

"Chuck vs. The Hack Off" was one of the better episodes of Season 5, so following it up was a tall order. Overall, "Chuck vs. The Curse" was a decent enough but far from one of the show's best offerings. I'm always a fan of Awesome being pulled into the spy world (Ellie not so much, but I was glad that she was given more to do), so I was already on board when I found out this was going to be a Devon-heavy episode. Most of the Woodcombs/Omen Virus main plot worked, but I wasn't happy that Chuck's character took a few steps back for the sake of plot. I also wasn't feeling most of the Morgan and Alex scenes, but that's a minor complaint. Again, "Curse" wasn't a horrible effort, but it wasn't a homerun either.

GRADE: B-

Grimm: "Let Your Hair Down"
This week's Grimm was supposed to be the show's spin on Rapunzel, and while it did have a slow start, it ended up being a pretty decent episode. I'll just get the negatives out of the way. Having "Rapunzel" be a blutbad felt kinda lazy because I was expecting the introduction of a new creature, but at least it was an excuse for Monroe to do more. Speaking of Eddie, he was once again the best part of the episode, and I couldn't help but feel bad for him because of the way Nick treated him. Maybe it's the actor or the character, but Nick was kind of a dick, and Monroe should've ripped his throat out. The case-of-the-week was decent, and I was glad that we got some backstory on Hank, but now we need to move onto Captain Renard because I'm dying to learn more about his plot and how it involves Nick. Interesting stuff this time around, but not enough to blow me away.

GRADE: C+

Most shows are going to be on hiatus next week, so this will be the last TV Report Card of 2011. I hope everyone's enjoyed them so far and see you all in 2012.

My Goodness, I've Missed White Collar

2011-12-16T22:57:00.000-06:00

I don't know how I missed this new promo for the return of USA's White Collar, but it did its job because I'm even more excited to have Neal Caffery, Peter Burke, and Mozzie back on my TV screen. It feels like it has been way too long. It's just a bummer that it will be going head-to-head with Justified. What's a TV addict supposed to do?