Community "Cooperative Polygraphy"
This episode had all the good things. One could fear that another redux episode only a couple weeks after "Repilot" would be Harmon trying to recycle his bag of tricks but the episode was more of a breath of fresh air, surprisingly. It's been a while since the study group has had a good talk and that's all this less meta bottle episode is. Best of all, Harmon essentially got to write Pierce off the show on his terms, using a perfectly cast Walton Goggins as a proxy. This had everything I could hope for: an efficiently-used Chang, a joke about The Grey, an underwhelming origin story for Troy and Abed's double slap, a well placed Winger speech, and the line "Are you mad at me or hungry?". Best of all, it sent Pierce off as well as I could've hoped. His gifts so cleverly chosen. The sperm is a hilarious through-line for it all. They callback to Annie turning down the tiara which was sweet. He got to be nice to Britta and made good on the promise in "The Art of Discourse", getting that used Ipod. Best of all, they come up with a way to get Troy to leave the show that doesn't feel forced. If I write anymore about this, it's going to turn into me quoting half the episode.
Parks and Rec "New Beginnings"
Leslie realizing she is bigger than the Parks & Rec. department was a second week in a row at hinting that she's on her way to something big was nice and Ben being nervous, bad at lying, and afraid of cops was a reminder of how damn good Adam Scott is. But I want to talk about that closing tag. Amazing! Pretty much a flawless execution of a joke. You think the scene is going to be about Ron's speech to Leslie, then they slide in his Employee of the month. Cut to panicked eyes, in the workshop systematically destroying the plaque, and closing with him burying it on the Illinois border. One of the strongest closing segments I've seen on any show in a while.
The Michael J Fox Show "Couples"
I hate dropping shows before the season has ended. I'm getting close though. I respect Michael J Fox and think Betsy Brandt is doing everything she can to make this work. Juliette Goglia (Eve) clearly is talented and I can see her popping up again with greater success. Wendell Pierce (Harris) doesn't fit but holds his own and Katie Finneran (Leigh) is game for anything. Conor Romero (Ian) and Jack Gore (Graham) are not my favorite things about the show but I wouldn't call them a drag. In the end, I don't find this show funny. The plots are so completely worn and unoriginal. For example, who didn't see every beat of Mike's story coming from the moment they decided to have dinner with Mike's new friend and his wife. I know I watch more than the average amount of TV, but I don't think it's a special insight to see that coming. I've stuck with it this long though. What's a couple more months? It's not like it has any hope of being renewed.
Parenthood "Jump Ball"
As always, let's break this down a little:
-Kristina and Adam: It was funny, depressing, and just plain odd listening to them talk almost hopefully about Hank possibly having Aspergers.
-Amber & Sarah: Not much for Sarah to do this week and Amber fell fast and hard. I'd add the word "too" to that description, but Mae Whitman plays sad so well that you almost welcome it.
-Crosby: Unless I forgot, not Jasmine or the kids this week. Crosby is limited to the poker game story and mostly as a sounding board. I found David Walton's cameo fun. He is playing his character from the upcoming About a Boy series.
-Zeek and Camille: I'm officially fed up with Camille. I get that Zeek is not easy to deal with. He's stubborn too. She is being awful to him though. They need to she a little more from her end soon because the perception is wildly out of balance right now.
-Julia and Joel: A good amount of this arc has always felt forced to me. This is not a sad show. I hope that they lead to a reconciliation soon. I'm not sure I could deal with this as a season long thing.
SNL "Drake"
I should've assumed Drake would be a good host. I know very little about Drake, but I expected he'd be more standoffish about his past but he welcomed that immediately noting Degrassi almost immediately and making a sketch out of his Black Jewish Canadian-ness. Overall, he was a very strong host with a somewhat weak batch of sketches. I may be in the minority here, but I rather enjoyed the Indiana Jones Experience sketch. It was repetitive in a way that went from funny, to annoying, then back to funny.
HIMYM "Unpause"
Amazing. Time and time again this season has proven that there is a very simple formula to a good episode in this final year.
First, of course is the Mother. She was in the episode, which also gave of the name of his kids (Luke and Penny. Both clever choices), and I liked that.
Second, it's remembered what it was. Ther'e s a lot of history to this episode. The eponymous "unpause" is a well they've dipped into already. This is the first mention of San Francisco in years and it's obvious the writers have been sitting on it for a while. Truth Barney was all about closure for numerous running gags, most specifically, his job. I was deeply impressed with the touch about his boss. It always bothered me that they had the same guy as his boss and the guy who stole his girlfriend. I'm so glad they cleared that up. And, a surprisingly noble turn for Mr. Stinson three months from now.
Third, is allowing some emotion into the episode. Lily and Marshall end on an outright sad note and Barney's confession was all heart. I appreciate when a show, even a comedy, isn't afraid to shy away from that.
Archer "Archer Vice: A Kiss While Dying"
The last episode effectively laid to rest the old status quo. This episode established the new one. It'll be an interesting one. It's hard examining a show this silly too closely so I'll give it a few episodes before I start questioning why everyone is still together. Also, thankfully Lana is still voicing [toothless] opposition to the drug dealing path.
Brooklyn Nine Nine "The Ebony Falcon"
I liked the pairing of Peralta and Jeffords. That one was new and gave Terry Crews a refreshing amount to do. Gina annoyed me a bit which is unfortunate because most weeks she's sort of an unexpected treat. I'm curious how much longer both Hitchcock and Scully can last. Unless they because a pair to be used on the side, there's only room for one "Jerry" in the station.
New Girl "Birthday"
The surprise party plan was mind-bogglingly more complex than I think they could actually pull off. Aside from that and Jess veering dangerously into "adorkable" territory, there was a lot to love about the episode. The birthday video alone would earn it a passing grade. Then there's Nick trying to fill a day with interesting activities which he is super not built for and Ben Falcone as an angry bartender who better be a recurring character.
The Mindy Project "The Desert"
I'm about the logistics of this episode. Why are Mindy and Danny still in L.A. but the others returned? Where is Jeremy in all this? Are there long term plans for Glenn Howerton? I'll admit, I was fighting sleep while watching this, so I'll assume I missed the answers to the things that confused me.
Trophy Wife "The Tooth Fairy"
Warren has some Sue Heck in him, doesn't he? I found Kate a little more annoying in this mode. I like it a little more when she's trying to be a parent than when she is proving that she's still up to date on youth culture. I was very pleased with Hillary and Diane's story though. As someone who never had a rebellious phase in high school, I could relate to the resolution. Hillary has no issue with Diane but the two understand that they need their space. It wasn't the hijinks-fueled story that it would be on a lot of other shows.
Cougar Town "Depending on You"
I'm not going to lie. I fell asleep watching this. I'll be rewatching this later in the week. I want to get this purge out now. It was a good episode from what I recall. Not a standout. Not a train wreck. Tom's model replicas were a funny gag.
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