Holiday episodes of sitcoms tend to be groan-worthy, this is true even more so for Valentine’s Day episodes. This week’s Modern Family bucked the trend by doing what it does best-being harmlessly charming. Not so shockingly the episode went in the most obvious route possible, focusing on just about everyone’s Valentine’s day.
Phil and Claire decide to dabble in the role-play (with sexy results!), Cam and Mitchell are on oppsosite ends of the spectrum when it comes to how important the holiday is (guess who loves it more), Jay decides to take Gloria to see the comic stylings of the David Brenner who is funny to people Jay’s age. The most anticipated story was Manny’s pursuit of yet another girl. Valentine’s Day was made for this young Casanova so his outrage at being cockblocked by a mop head named Dirkus was especially heartbreaking.
The episode’s highlight had to be Phil and Claire’s meeting at a bar. Ty Burrell’s Phil gains comedic momentum as he slyly walks to the bar with a classy turtleneck and a not so classy nametag with one of the better fake name’s “Clive Dixby”. Phil manages a way to be both cool and fumbling at the same time as he accidentally makes it sound as if he does want to cheat on his wife-with his own wife. The ensuing argument Claire and Phil have over her lists of chores threw a nice wrench in the role-play. Claire eventually goes to the bathroom to and changes into absolutely nothing under a rain coat. If you’ve ever seen a sitcom, it’s obvious what happens next.
The rest of the family also have trouble with their special days as David Brenner starts ripping on how much older Jay is than Gloria causing him to feel bad. This is territory the show has covered before so it did not feel like a problem at all. In fact, it left one wishing for more chatter with “Clive Dixby”. Mitchell and Cam decided to help out poor Manny to prove to a girl he likes that she should be with him and the poem that Dirkus gave to her was in fact Manny’s. This leads to an entertaining presentation of Mitchell’s lawyer skills which helped prove Manny was the real writer. Of course the stupid girl went for the flop haired dud instead of Manny. As is life.
This week’s show was about as pleasant an episode of “Modern Family” could be. Then again that does not mean it was so laugh out loud funny. In fact, this show is really just consistently watchable rather than miss or big reward like 30 Rock tends to be these days. “My Funky Valentine” did not go anywhere new with Valentine’s Day episodes, but managed to tread in comfortable waters.
B
Notes:
-Dylan is a great boyfriend making Haley and print of a photo to look like a painting. This show could always use more Dylan
-Phil to Claire “Little Kitty has claws-I like that.”
-Gloria has no clue who Johnny Carson is…I don’t buy that at all.
-“The universe is cold and loveless”-Keep fighting the good fight, Manny.
-People not to run into while naked stuck on an escalator: Friend from work, school principal, son’s math teacher.
P.S. Good to be back on the blog-hope to write more often than once every five months now.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Jordan's Review: 24, Season 8, Episode 7: 10:00pm-11:00pm
So this week's 24 was a step in the right direction, even if it was a pretty small step. I would take most of the near boredom of the last several weeks just to get to the scene where Jack pulls a knife out of his stomach, and throws it into another guys throat. As a 24 fan, this is the stuff I live for. Most of the plotlines tonight moved from insufferable and boring to just pretty dumb, but at least we've stepped into watchable territory now.
On the main front, Renee pushing Vlad harder and harder (and then pushing that knife into his face harder and harder) was realyl pretty interesting, and I would have loved it a lot more if she didn't get "woman on 24" syndrome the second she had to kill Vlad. The show really has a problem with female characters, who (with the obvious exception of Chloe, who can be filed under "Awesome" instead of "Female" on any list of 24 characters) are almost always victims or manipulative bitches, with almost no wiggle room in between. The show's introduction of Renee last season seemed a step in the right direction, moving them past their reductive and occasionally flat out misogynistic view of the fairer sex, but this year has taken her character several steps back on the path to equality. Last season it looked like she could keep up with Jack, trauma for trauma and torture scene for torture scene (after of course being torubled that they were torturing people for a few episodes to show she's human), but now she clearly has a few screws loose, and instead of being the empowered Dark Renee that I thought we'd be treated to, the show has reduced her to a simpering road block between Jack and day save-age.
Speaking of the show's inability to present a realistic, well rounded and capable female character (or, to some degree, not Jack Bauer or Chloe character) Dana's plotline tonight demonstrated mostly what a boring character Dana was. Yet, for the first time there was an upside, as Kevin's attempt to slip past the cop was probably the first scene of true tension this season has given us so far. Sure, Dana just furthers my belief that CTU should really increase its internal monitoring protocols, and has so far shown herself to be every bit the victim that 24 must think every woman is, but if her plotline can give me even half as much suspense as it does annoyance, I'll stop complaining about 24's lack of female empowerment for a while.
Meanwhile, President Hassan is quickly changing from Middle Eastern Jesus (or, I guess, just Jesus) to Middle Eastern Dictator as he rounds up even those loyal to him and threatens to torture children to get the truth. I think Hassan was a much more compelling character when he wasn't a cliched paranoid and power hungry Middle Eastern leader, but rather a progressive working against a system that is begging for his failure, but again, the show has trouble with complex and realistic characters outside of its main duo, so we're left with the inevitable cliche in place of a far more interesting character dynamic. While we're on the political front, does it feel liek President Taylor has literally done nothing this season to anyone else? She seems concerned a lot, but that amounts to little more than a time waster at this point.
So clearly, I still have problems with how this season is progressing, but tonight's episode presented the first ray of hope we've had this season and gave me some reason to become cautiously optimistic about the weeks to come.
Grade: B-
Notes:
-"Yeah, sure. No biggie. Just unsecured nuclear materials." I know Arlo was being sarcastic, ut I couldn't help but think, that this threat still feels like "No biggie."
-If the show entered a contest to see how much expository dialogue could be fit into an episode, it would win in a landslide.
On the main front, Renee pushing Vlad harder and harder (and then pushing that knife into his face harder and harder) was realyl pretty interesting, and I would have loved it a lot more if she didn't get "woman on 24" syndrome the second she had to kill Vlad. The show really has a problem with female characters, who (with the obvious exception of Chloe, who can be filed under "Awesome" instead of "Female" on any list of 24 characters) are almost always victims or manipulative bitches, with almost no wiggle room in between. The show's introduction of Renee last season seemed a step in the right direction, moving them past their reductive and occasionally flat out misogynistic view of the fairer sex, but this year has taken her character several steps back on the path to equality. Last season it looked like she could keep up with Jack, trauma for trauma and torture scene for torture scene (after of course being torubled that they were torturing people for a few episodes to show she's human), but now she clearly has a few screws loose, and instead of being the empowered Dark Renee that I thought we'd be treated to, the show has reduced her to a simpering road block between Jack and day save-age.
Speaking of the show's inability to present a realistic, well rounded and capable female character (or, to some degree, not Jack Bauer or Chloe character) Dana's plotline tonight demonstrated mostly what a boring character Dana was. Yet, for the first time there was an upside, as Kevin's attempt to slip past the cop was probably the first scene of true tension this season has given us so far. Sure, Dana just furthers my belief that CTU should really increase its internal monitoring protocols, and has so far shown herself to be every bit the victim that 24 must think every woman is, but if her plotline can give me even half as much suspense as it does annoyance, I'll stop complaining about 24's lack of female empowerment for a while.
Meanwhile, President Hassan is quickly changing from Middle Eastern Jesus (or, I guess, just Jesus) to Middle Eastern Dictator as he rounds up even those loyal to him and threatens to torture children to get the truth. I think Hassan was a much more compelling character when he wasn't a cliched paranoid and power hungry Middle Eastern leader, but rather a progressive working against a system that is begging for his failure, but again, the show has trouble with complex and realistic characters outside of its main duo, so we're left with the inevitable cliche in place of a far more interesting character dynamic. While we're on the political front, does it feel liek President Taylor has literally done nothing this season to anyone else? She seems concerned a lot, but that amounts to little more than a time waster at this point.
So clearly, I still have problems with how this season is progressing, but tonight's episode presented the first ray of hope we've had this season and gave me some reason to become cautiously optimistic about the weeks to come.
Grade: B-
Notes:
-"Yeah, sure. No biggie. Just unsecured nuclear materials." I know Arlo was being sarcastic, ut I couldn't help but think, that this threat still feels like "No biggie."
-If the show entered a contest to see how much expository dialogue could be fit into an episode, it would win in a landslide.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Jordan's Review: How I Met Your Mother, Season 5, Episode 15: Rabbit or Duck
One of the legs up that How I Met Your Mother has always had on other sitcoms is the way it plays with timing, often jumbling up the narrative on an otherwise straightforward story to provide an interesting reveal or just spice up your standard sitcom plot enough to make it serviceable once again. "Rabbit or Duck" did play with time a bit during the third act, but that wasn't what was so impressive about its structure. This time around, the show managed to pack an almost ridiculous amount of story into its 22 minutes, but it also pulled off hiding which plotline was the true A-story all the way until the blip at the end.
From the Superbowl gimmick, the show could eaisly have gone with a Barney A-story about his cursed phone and what it means about the quest for romance. With the relative weakness of the earlier half of this season, there was a solid chance that would have been the episode. Instead, Barney was utilized perfectly, as a metaphor for the problem of singleness and the fickle nature of human emotions, while simultaneously allowing Neil Patricj Harris to be hilarious (and providing an excuse to get Ranjit back for an episode, which is always a treat).
With Barney safely out of the way as solid subtext to the episode, it appeared like we might have an A-plot in Ted's idea to have Lily and Marshall "arranged marriage" him by setting him up with a woman who he might actually marry. This not only sounds like the makings of an A-plot, it sounds like pretty vintage How I Met Your Mother and a solid plotline for a Valentine's Day episode. Yet it almost immediately goes underground in favor of an extended second act in which these characters, who we have grown to love and therefore adore spending time with, just sort of talk out their issues...with jokes.
The Rabbit or Duck question is another classic bit of HIMYM as it packs a kernel of truth beneath a very clever turn of phrase. Yet Ted was also not intended to be the A-Plot for this episode. Instead, its a Robin episode tonight as she moves closer to her inevitable coupling with her co-anchor Don. We have known for a while now that the two of them were going to get together, yet ghosting this plot through the episode with a call back to "The Naked Man" and some Robin's show sucks jokes got us to the end in time for another classic move: The twist. Except this episode had several as we discover Ted has become cursed by Barney's phone, then learn that he and Robin may be content to just be with each other (fortunately platonically this time), and finally are presented with Robin's realization that Don is, in fact, a duck. All and all this was a near-flawless episode of How I Met Your Mother, beautifully constructed and excellently pulled off by all of the cast. It also packed some solid subtext, which at the end of the day was pretty much the icing on the cake of an excellent episode.
Grade: A
Notes:
-"How many chicks do I have calling me? Infinity!"
-"That beer looks a little flat." "Its scotch."
-"You're going to marry this guy so freakin' hard...in the butt."
-"Getting drunk and cleaning up the apartment was a plan?" "I did not say it was a good plan."
-"And the adies love Teddy Westside." "You're waiting for me to comment on your self-assigned nickname...I love it. Teddy Westside--continue."
-The whole Rabbit or Duck fight was peppered with excellent jokes, including "Who carries around a duck's foot for good luck?" and "Why don't we stick a rabbit and a duck in a cardboard box and let them fight it out?" "Because its illegal Ted!"
-"Don...Donald...Donald Duck. And what does Donald Duck never wear?" "Pants." "Don is a duck. Permission to say lawyered?" "I'll allow it." "Lawyered."
-There were a surprising, and very satisfying amount of callbacks tonight. The show is remembering its awesome roots.
-"I don't know what kind of architect! Houses, buildings, that kind of crap!"
-"Oh, and you can be choosey! You're in a bar on Valentine's Day!"
-Trudy is married huh?
-"Why would Ted order rabbit if he's just going to run out?" Marshall missed the metaphor...
From the Superbowl gimmick, the show could eaisly have gone with a Barney A-story about his cursed phone and what it means about the quest for romance. With the relative weakness of the earlier half of this season, there was a solid chance that would have been the episode. Instead, Barney was utilized perfectly, as a metaphor for the problem of singleness and the fickle nature of human emotions, while simultaneously allowing Neil Patricj Harris to be hilarious (and providing an excuse to get Ranjit back for an episode, which is always a treat).
With Barney safely out of the way as solid subtext to the episode, it appeared like we might have an A-plot in Ted's idea to have Lily and Marshall "arranged marriage" him by setting him up with a woman who he might actually marry. This not only sounds like the makings of an A-plot, it sounds like pretty vintage How I Met Your Mother and a solid plotline for a Valentine's Day episode. Yet it almost immediately goes underground in favor of an extended second act in which these characters, who we have grown to love and therefore adore spending time with, just sort of talk out their issues...with jokes.
The Rabbit or Duck question is another classic bit of HIMYM as it packs a kernel of truth beneath a very clever turn of phrase. Yet Ted was also not intended to be the A-Plot for this episode. Instead, its a Robin episode tonight as she moves closer to her inevitable coupling with her co-anchor Don. We have known for a while now that the two of them were going to get together, yet ghosting this plot through the episode with a call back to "The Naked Man" and some Robin's show sucks jokes got us to the end in time for another classic move: The twist. Except this episode had several as we discover Ted has become cursed by Barney's phone, then learn that he and Robin may be content to just be with each other (fortunately platonically this time), and finally are presented with Robin's realization that Don is, in fact, a duck. All and all this was a near-flawless episode of How I Met Your Mother, beautifully constructed and excellently pulled off by all of the cast. It also packed some solid subtext, which at the end of the day was pretty much the icing on the cake of an excellent episode.
Grade: A
Notes:
-"How many chicks do I have calling me? Infinity!"
-"That beer looks a little flat." "Its scotch."
-"You're going to marry this guy so freakin' hard...in the butt."
-"Getting drunk and cleaning up the apartment was a plan?" "I did not say it was a good plan."
-"And the adies love Teddy Westside." "You're waiting for me to comment on your self-assigned nickname...I love it. Teddy Westside--continue."
-The whole Rabbit or Duck fight was peppered with excellent jokes, including "Who carries around a duck's foot for good luck?" and "Why don't we stick a rabbit and a duck in a cardboard box and let them fight it out?" "Because its illegal Ted!"
-"Don...Donald...Donald Duck. And what does Donald Duck never wear?" "Pants." "Don is a duck. Permission to say lawyered?" "I'll allow it." "Lawyered."
-There were a surprising, and very satisfying amount of callbacks tonight. The show is remembering its awesome roots.
-"I don't know what kind of architect! Houses, buildings, that kind of crap!"
-"Oh, and you can be choosey! You're in a bar on Valentine's Day!"
-Trudy is married huh?
-"Why would Ted order rabbit if he's just going to run out?" Marshall missed the metaphor...
Friday, February 5, 2010
Jordan's Review: 30 Rock, Season 4, Episode 12: Verna
I've fought admitting the decline of 30 Rock for a long time now, and I still haven't lost hope that this show remains the best comedy on television. But tonight, in a disturbing pattern that is happening with increasing frequency, 30 Rock was the weak link in NBC's Thursday night block. The show used to be easily the funniest thing not just on Thursday, and not just on NBC, but on television everywhere and really set the standard for sitcoms in a post-Arrested Development world. This season, as of yet, does not really live up to the show's former glory. That isn't to say that "Verna" isn't a solid, often funny piece of television, but it is certainly not the 30 Rock I know and love.
Jenna's leech of a mother is in town tonight, seemingly to make up to her daughter for years of emotional abuse and petty theft, but in actuality to pitch a mother daughter reality show with "topless arguments" and "infections caused by jacuzzi water." Jack, with years of family skirmishes under his belt, knows better than to trust Jenna's mom, and teaches her his patented "say no, talk low, let her go" approach to parental interactions, but Jenna is taken in by her mother yet again. In a pretty sweet moment, Jack pays Jenna's mother to be nice for her, then pretends to be the fool to allow Jenna to believe she is getting some approval.
The B-plot focused on Liz and Frank moving in together to fight their vices: smoking and junk food. After a hilarious dream that she is married to Jack and giving birth to Meat Cat, a cartoon mascot for her favorite junk food, while Tracy serves as doctor and Kenneth attends in drag, Liz decides to kick her horrible dietary habits and try to lead a healthy life. The highlight of this plotline was Pete, whose growing desperation and near insanity this season have provided a highlight, especially when compared to everyone else's mediocrity. In a season where Pete is the only character to get funnier, the show clearly has some issues.
Yet whether the show is in decline or not, its still a very fun and funny way to spend a half an hour on a Thursday. The mighty may have fallen, but (to mix metaphors as only I can) the fat lady has yet to sing. Here's hoping 30 Rock is back on top again before long.
Grade: B
Notes:
-"That fire in your apartment was no accident!" "I know! I just wanted to be in control!"
-"Manufactured in a facility that also processes food. This is what Meat Cat spoke of."
-"Could a bad mother have raised a daughter that was engaged to a Congressman at 16?"
-Jenna keeps a microphone in her purse.
-"How are you not moved by this?" "Because I'm listening to the words."
-"You didn't believe in me, but I believed in myself. Just like the end of every movie."
-"Some of the people on Match Game are drunk--with power!"
Jenna's leech of a mother is in town tonight, seemingly to make up to her daughter for years of emotional abuse and petty theft, but in actuality to pitch a mother daughter reality show with "topless arguments" and "infections caused by jacuzzi water." Jack, with years of family skirmishes under his belt, knows better than to trust Jenna's mom, and teaches her his patented "say no, talk low, let her go" approach to parental interactions, but Jenna is taken in by her mother yet again. In a pretty sweet moment, Jack pays Jenna's mother to be nice for her, then pretends to be the fool to allow Jenna to believe she is getting some approval.
The B-plot focused on Liz and Frank moving in together to fight their vices: smoking and junk food. After a hilarious dream that she is married to Jack and giving birth to Meat Cat, a cartoon mascot for her favorite junk food, while Tracy serves as doctor and Kenneth attends in drag, Liz decides to kick her horrible dietary habits and try to lead a healthy life. The highlight of this plotline was Pete, whose growing desperation and near insanity this season have provided a highlight, especially when compared to everyone else's mediocrity. In a season where Pete is the only character to get funnier, the show clearly has some issues.
Yet whether the show is in decline or not, its still a very fun and funny way to spend a half an hour on a Thursday. The mighty may have fallen, but (to mix metaphors as only I can) the fat lady has yet to sing. Here's hoping 30 Rock is back on top again before long.
Grade: B
Notes:
-"That fire in your apartment was no accident!" "I know! I just wanted to be in control!"
-"Manufactured in a facility that also processes food. This is what Meat Cat spoke of."
-"Could a bad mother have raised a daughter that was engaged to a Congressman at 16?"
-Jenna keeps a microphone in her purse.
-"How are you not moved by this?" "Because I'm listening to the words."
-"You didn't believe in me, but I believed in myself. Just like the end of every movie."
-"Some of the people on Match Game are drunk--with power!"
Jordan's Review: Community, Season 1, Episode 15: Romantic Expressionism
I have praised Community several times before for its excellent ensemble and their very solid chemistry. The skill with which these characters interact, and the wit that results from their pairings have quickly escalated this show to one of the best comedies on TV, but more than that, it has made it a show that I love even when it churns out less than stellar episodes. Having praised the last new episode of Community as better than it should have been because of the show's good will, this week's "Romantic Expressionism" reminded me exactly where that good will has come from. This show has a decided advantage not just in its excellent cast who can handle any plotline thrown at them or any character pairing imaginable, and not just in its often superb writing, but also (as I've noted before) in its very solid stable of recurring characters who can appear out of nowhere to spice up the already very palatable mix.
This week, Vaughn is back, and he has become the object of Annie's affections. Jeff and Britta scheme to break the two up "for Annie's own good" but by episode's end it is revealed that each had ulterior motives. While the show set up a standard pro Jeff and Britta coupling episode, including a pretty cute moment where they discussed the future, the writers threw a curveball in a perfectly executed scene in which secret motivations were revealed and the question of the study group as a metaphor for family was dealt with. Turns out Britta wanted Annie out of the way because she was jealous, and Jeff wanted Vaughn out of the way because of his feelings for Annie. This was enough to have me jumping for joy, as I am fervently in favor of Jeff and Annie over Jeff and Britta, but the scene went further, using the excellent chemistry this cast has built up for a hysterical moment where the gang all look at each other as sexual prospects for the first time.
The B-plot comprised the rest of the cast (including Senor Chang) as they gathered to watch a bad movie and mock it. Pierce felt left out when everyone was better at it than him, and so hired the sketch comedy troupe to write jokes for him. the jokes were pretty awful, and he read them at a breakneck pace, but only once Pierce realized that the point was just to have fun with friends (and after he did a classic Chevy Chase pratfall) did he finally feel like part of the gang.
The episode ended with a scene that was equal amounts sweet and hilariously stupid, which is a combination the show does exceedingly well. As Vaughn came back and wooed Annie with another ridiculous song, the group all stood there together, just happy to be around one another. And I sat on my couch at home, just happy to be able to watch them on a weekly basis.
Grade: A
Notes:
-"He never wears a shirt, he never wears shoes. Why hasn't he died from lack of service?"
-"You think I'm too old to make monkeyshines at a picture show?"
-Vaughn is a gateway douchebag. Starburns is lower on the list.
-"Freeze police? Don't do that, they'll get cold."
-"Troy, I want you to clear your head." "Done."
-"Sorry it took so long. They made me buy a shirt."
-"Let's not confine ourselves to your wheelhouse. This problem won't respond to tap dancing or casual revelations that you spent time in New York."
-"Everything is connected. Rocks. Eagles. Hats." "Some things are more connected. Like tarantulas and me peeing my pants."
-"Hey guys, thanks for eating all the macaroni!" "Shut up, Leonard! No one knows what you're talking about... I did eat all the macaroni, its messed up that he knows that."
-"Dude, even I know you're lame, and I'm a tenured professor sitting in a beanbag chair. "You're not a professor."
-"That kiss wasn't for pleasure. It was strategic and joyless." God they have such tension it kills me.
-"So, just to be clear, I don't have a shot with any of you?"
This week, Vaughn is back, and he has become the object of Annie's affections. Jeff and Britta scheme to break the two up "for Annie's own good" but by episode's end it is revealed that each had ulterior motives. While the show set up a standard pro Jeff and Britta coupling episode, including a pretty cute moment where they discussed the future, the writers threw a curveball in a perfectly executed scene in which secret motivations were revealed and the question of the study group as a metaphor for family was dealt with. Turns out Britta wanted Annie out of the way because she was jealous, and Jeff wanted Vaughn out of the way because of his feelings for Annie. This was enough to have me jumping for joy, as I am fervently in favor of Jeff and Annie over Jeff and Britta, but the scene went further, using the excellent chemistry this cast has built up for a hysterical moment where the gang all look at each other as sexual prospects for the first time.
The B-plot comprised the rest of the cast (including Senor Chang) as they gathered to watch a bad movie and mock it. Pierce felt left out when everyone was better at it than him, and so hired the sketch comedy troupe to write jokes for him. the jokes were pretty awful, and he read them at a breakneck pace, but only once Pierce realized that the point was just to have fun with friends (and after he did a classic Chevy Chase pratfall) did he finally feel like part of the gang.
The episode ended with a scene that was equal amounts sweet and hilariously stupid, which is a combination the show does exceedingly well. As Vaughn came back and wooed Annie with another ridiculous song, the group all stood there together, just happy to be around one another. And I sat on my couch at home, just happy to be able to watch them on a weekly basis.
Grade: A
Notes:
-"He never wears a shirt, he never wears shoes. Why hasn't he died from lack of service?"
-"You think I'm too old to make monkeyshines at a picture show?"
-Vaughn is a gateway douchebag. Starburns is lower on the list.
-"Freeze police? Don't do that, they'll get cold."
-"Troy, I want you to clear your head." "Done."
-"Sorry it took so long. They made me buy a shirt."
-"Let's not confine ourselves to your wheelhouse. This problem won't respond to tap dancing or casual revelations that you spent time in New York."
-"Everything is connected. Rocks. Eagles. Hats." "Some things are more connected. Like tarantulas and me peeing my pants."
-"Hey guys, thanks for eating all the macaroni!" "Shut up, Leonard! No one knows what you're talking about... I did eat all the macaroni, its messed up that he knows that."
-"Dude, even I know you're lame, and I'm a tenured professor sitting in a beanbag chair. "You're not a professor."
-"That kiss wasn't for pleasure. It was strategic and joyless." God they have such tension it kills me.
-"So, just to be clear, I don't have a shot with any of you?"
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Jordan's Review: 24, Season 8, Episode 6: 9:00pm-10:00pm
If asked to describe this week's episode of 24 in two words, I think it would be a pretty simple task: nothing happened. Literally. Not one thing of major note occurred. its true that the show needs episodes to put pieces in place for what's to come, but this didn't even feel like a piece moving episode. It felt like an episode where nothing I cared about at all occurred. Annie Wersching is getting in some very solid scenes out of Renee's on screen breakdown, and watching her skirt the edge with a combination of fear and cynical detachment is remotely interesting because she handles it so well ,but she is really stretching the material as far as it can go.
Meanwhile, President Taylor still wants to get the peace dea through, Hassan seems to be a little nuts after the assassination attempt, Dana is still going through the motions of her incredibly rote "forced mole" plotline, Arlo is still kind of a jerk who is kind of right, and Jack is still stuck ineffectually behind the scenes calling out Renee for being far less crazy than he has been before (until he finally gets moved to the front line near the episode's end). Maybe becoming a grandfather has softened Jack, but this is a man who has done things far darker and crazier than anything Renee has thought yet who is freaking out over her. I desperately hope this doesn't turn into another damaged romance subplot as Jack's overreaction seems to indicate, as we all know Jack is cursed by his past to never be truly happy.
I'd love to stretch this review more, but there isn't much to say. I found Renee's idea to take a shower while her former rapist was in the next room entirely preposterous, and thought that the russian crime boss killing his son was very "look how evil I am, I kill my own men" cliched, to the point that it didn't even shock me. Clearly he wasn't going to kill David Anders, because no one kills Sark that easily, and because he is the thing I'm most excited about so far in this season. Let's pause for a moment to consider that fact: the semi-rebellious son of a disconnected and none too threatening bad guy is the closest thing we have to a solid plotline yet this year. Which reminds me, does anyone else feel like there isn't really a threat or tension in this season? I mean sure, there's a chance someone will get a nuclear weapon, but we already saw Los Angeles get a huge pock mark a few years ago (which was, by the way, incredibly shocking and a great moment for the series) and they really can't pull that trick again. Plus, I seriously doubt 24 is controversial enough to set off a nuclear bomb in New York City, which leaves literally zero tension. The preview for next week promised some cool looking action, and I seriously hope there are a few plot twists or complications thrown in to get this incredibly lackluster season off the ground. Otherwise we too are about to experience a very long day.
Grade: C-
Notes:
-Freddie Prinze Jr. is not nearly as bad as I'd worried he might be, but to this point has been pretty underused. I wonder when he'll get pulled in majorly...
Meanwhile, President Taylor still wants to get the peace dea through, Hassan seems to be a little nuts after the assassination attempt, Dana is still going through the motions of her incredibly rote "forced mole" plotline, Arlo is still kind of a jerk who is kind of right, and Jack is still stuck ineffectually behind the scenes calling out Renee for being far less crazy than he has been before (until he finally gets moved to the front line near the episode's end). Maybe becoming a grandfather has softened Jack, but this is a man who has done things far darker and crazier than anything Renee has thought yet who is freaking out over her. I desperately hope this doesn't turn into another damaged romance subplot as Jack's overreaction seems to indicate, as we all know Jack is cursed by his past to never be truly happy.
I'd love to stretch this review more, but there isn't much to say. I found Renee's idea to take a shower while her former rapist was in the next room entirely preposterous, and thought that the russian crime boss killing his son was very "look how evil I am, I kill my own men" cliched, to the point that it didn't even shock me. Clearly he wasn't going to kill David Anders, because no one kills Sark that easily, and because he is the thing I'm most excited about so far in this season. Let's pause for a moment to consider that fact: the semi-rebellious son of a disconnected and none too threatening bad guy is the closest thing we have to a solid plotline yet this year. Which reminds me, does anyone else feel like there isn't really a threat or tension in this season? I mean sure, there's a chance someone will get a nuclear weapon, but we already saw Los Angeles get a huge pock mark a few years ago (which was, by the way, incredibly shocking and a great moment for the series) and they really can't pull that trick again. Plus, I seriously doubt 24 is controversial enough to set off a nuclear bomb in New York City, which leaves literally zero tension. The preview for next week promised some cool looking action, and I seriously hope there are a few plot twists or complications thrown in to get this incredibly lackluster season off the ground. Otherwise we too are about to experience a very long day.
Grade: C-
Notes:
-Freddie Prinze Jr. is not nearly as bad as I'd worried he might be, but to this point has been pretty underused. I wonder when he'll get pulled in majorly...
Jordan's Review: How I Met Your Mother, Season 5, Episode 14: The Perfect Week
Generally the ideal How I Met your Mother episode is mythology based, following an advancement of ted's quest to meet the mother or at least giving us hints at what is to come. Occasionally an episode becomes legendary for its use of the flash-forward to foreshadow major events in our characters lives. Sometimes the episode becomes legendary by introducing an excellent new running joke that will keep us waiting for seasons before the pay-off. "The Perfect Week" is none of these things, yet it is still the show at its near-best, with every character getting some excellent moments, a clever use of the flashback structure the show is built around, and an excellent guest role by Jim Nantz.
The episode is framed around the idea of Barney's favorite way to calm his nerves: pretending he is being interviewed by the aforementioned sportscaster. While Barney waits to see if the axe will drop on him at work, he recounts to fictional Jim Nantz the story of his quest for the legendary Perfect Week. It starts off in a standard "calling of the shot" in which Barney points his finger at a girl and decides he's going home with her (a little adjustment is required). Soon he is racking up enough consecutive nights to make the difficult feat seem within reach. Neil Patrick Harris is almost always the show's strongest comedic link, yet often when he steps into the center of the storyline, things fall off the rails (see: the first half of this season when the Barney-Robin pairing was botched). Tonight his status as one of the most entertaining performers around carried the episode beautifully, as did his nigh inexplicable (yet hysterical) chemistry with a game Jim Nantz, who was funnier than he had any right to be.
Yet a great A-plot cannot an awesome episode make. As Barney struggles for his (don't say it) the gang watches, first with disinterest and disgust, and eventually with a sports fan's zeal for the way the game is played as each of their week's plummets. The show really hits its stride when the cast is making fun of each other and trying to one-up every one else with their jokes, and tonight was a perfect storm of mockery as each member had something that could be insulted. Robin grew increasingly desperate after an awful first date (with a lazy eye and a love-hate relationship with Gargamel) doesn't call her back and allowher to properly reject him. Ted feels dejected after his mockery of a student with a funny name makes her drop his class (in his defense he thought it was a joke name, and she was called Cook Pu). And Marshall and Lily have dropped the ball yet again in their never ending quest to find couple friends by admitting that they share a toothbrush (an extremely gross tidbit that only gets funnier when its revealed that Ted and Robin unknowingly shared their toothbrush for years as well).
As the episode ends, Barney triumphs, entering the "Hall of Game" and retiring the tie he wore on the seventh night. Oh, and he doesn't get fired, which would have been a bigger deal if the show didn't so perfectly immerse us in Barney's narrative. It has been far too long since an episode of How I Met Your Mother has been this hysterical, allowing every member of the cast to shine and engaging us in a story that really is as one-note and stand alone as any the show has forwarded of late. In terms of stand alone episodes, "The Perfect Week" may be just about as good as it gets.
Grade: A
Notes:
-"You know how Lily and I have been looking for new couple friends ever since we lost Barney and Robin, and Ted and Stella, and Ted and Robin, and Ted and Victoria. Jeez Ted, when are you going to get your life together?"
-"See that girl over there having a Black Russian? She's about to chase that with a White American. What up?" Even better was him following the gang's eye rolls with, "if you guys aren't careful, you're going to lose me."
-"Giddy...what up?"
-"Are you happy now Truthy McGee?"
-The only man to achieve both a perfect game and a perfect week was Mustache Pete Drexel back in 1896. Continuing a subtle tradition of casting NPH as a variety of historical figures.
-"Don't talk about Dale that way! He is twice the man you will ever be!" Something about obsessed Robin is a never not funny.
-"Eight o'clock?"--pauses to count-- "I need to go to the hospital."
-"You are a keen observer of the human condition, Jim Nantz." Also worth praising was Nantz's reaction to the second member of the gang claiming there is no such thing as a jinx, when he stood up, threw up his hands, and kicked over his chair in disbelief.
-"Lily, I'm getting my own toothbrush."
The episode is framed around the idea of Barney's favorite way to calm his nerves: pretending he is being interviewed by the aforementioned sportscaster. While Barney waits to see if the axe will drop on him at work, he recounts to fictional Jim Nantz the story of his quest for the legendary Perfect Week. It starts off in a standard "calling of the shot" in which Barney points his finger at a girl and decides he's going home with her (a little adjustment is required). Soon he is racking up enough consecutive nights to make the difficult feat seem within reach. Neil Patrick Harris is almost always the show's strongest comedic link, yet often when he steps into the center of the storyline, things fall off the rails (see: the first half of this season when the Barney-Robin pairing was botched). Tonight his status as one of the most entertaining performers around carried the episode beautifully, as did his nigh inexplicable (yet hysterical) chemistry with a game Jim Nantz, who was funnier than he had any right to be.
Yet a great A-plot cannot an awesome episode make. As Barney struggles for his (don't say it) the gang watches, first with disinterest and disgust, and eventually with a sports fan's zeal for the way the game is played as each of their week's plummets. The show really hits its stride when the cast is making fun of each other and trying to one-up every one else with their jokes, and tonight was a perfect storm of mockery as each member had something that could be insulted. Robin grew increasingly desperate after an awful first date (with a lazy eye and a love-hate relationship with Gargamel) doesn't call her back and allowher to properly reject him. Ted feels dejected after his mockery of a student with a funny name makes her drop his class (in his defense he thought it was a joke name, and she was called Cook Pu). And Marshall and Lily have dropped the ball yet again in their never ending quest to find couple friends by admitting that they share a toothbrush (an extremely gross tidbit that only gets funnier when its revealed that Ted and Robin unknowingly shared their toothbrush for years as well).
As the episode ends, Barney triumphs, entering the "Hall of Game" and retiring the tie he wore on the seventh night. Oh, and he doesn't get fired, which would have been a bigger deal if the show didn't so perfectly immerse us in Barney's narrative. It has been far too long since an episode of How I Met Your Mother has been this hysterical, allowing every member of the cast to shine and engaging us in a story that really is as one-note and stand alone as any the show has forwarded of late. In terms of stand alone episodes, "The Perfect Week" may be just about as good as it gets.
Grade: A
Notes:
-"You know how Lily and I have been looking for new couple friends ever since we lost Barney and Robin, and Ted and Stella, and Ted and Robin, and Ted and Victoria. Jeez Ted, when are you going to get your life together?"
-"See that girl over there having a Black Russian? She's about to chase that with a White American. What up?" Even better was him following the gang's eye rolls with, "if you guys aren't careful, you're going to lose me."
-"Giddy...what up?"
-"Are you happy now Truthy McGee?"
-The only man to achieve both a perfect game and a perfect week was Mustache Pete Drexel back in 1896. Continuing a subtle tradition of casting NPH as a variety of historical figures.
-"Don't talk about Dale that way! He is twice the man you will ever be!" Something about obsessed Robin is a never not funny.
-"Eight o'clock?"--pauses to count-- "I need to go to the hospital."
-"You are a keen observer of the human condition, Jim Nantz." Also worth praising was Nantz's reaction to the second member of the gang claiming there is no such thing as a jinx, when he stood up, threw up his hands, and kicked over his chair in disbelief.
-"Lily, I'm getting my own toothbrush."
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