Past Purges
The theme of Wednesday night was "Why do I like these people?".
The Middle "The Carpool"There's a lot of times on this show when I realize I couldn't stand Frankie and the Hecks if I actually knew them. This is one of those. They aren't flattering at all about how big of a moocher Frankie is. The resolution especially is lame. It fits with the show though.
Is it me or do they lean on Mike ignoring Sue a lot? It does always have a good payoff. I'll give them that. I like any time when it doesn't end with the world shitting on Sue.
I was taken aback by how overt the middle was with the girl who was using Axl for his brain. That bra move was not an 8:00pm family programming move. That's not a complaint. Just an observation. I don't understand why she would stop studying with him just because he wasn't in the class. He was helping her.
Suburgatory "Victor Ha"
It bums me out when a show is as mean to a character as they are with Lisa. Seeing how much her parents hate her gets diminishing returns. The addition of Victor even proves that it's not her lack of athletic prowess that they hate her for. They just don't like her. That's sad, right?
Modern Family "Three Dinners"
Three stories about three groups of people who don't like each other in different ways. Let's do a dinner at a time.
-The Dunphys: Let's be fair. Claire and Phil have every right to think that Haley needs to get her act together. She's been presented as crafty but not motivated for 4+ seasons. So, it's great and all that she got to prove she's better off than they though. That doesn't put the parents in the wrong though. Comedically, I can't say there was a lot of value from drunk Phil or Claire. They were a little pathetic but not given anything especially funny to do. Finally, turning the tables by pointing out their lack of a plan for the future honestly led me to question why they would even be together when the kids are out of the house. Is there anything else keeping them together.
-The Tucker-Pritchetts: Speaking of a couple that shouldn't be together. They offered absolutely no resolution to this. Cam and Mitchell basically accept that they have nothing to talk about. What was the emotional resolution, that crap about not being able to live their lives without one another. Apparently, familiarity = love. The only thing that was even written for them involved the table next to them which them established them as a couple only because they are both socially inept.
-The Pritchetts: This was by far the least exhausting story. It was still filled with dependency jabs aimed at Gloria and Manny. Again, was there a whole lot here to tell us why Jay and Gloria are still together.
As you can tell, this episode actively angered me more than a bad TV show could. The writers need to decide to either let this be a show about awful people OR have the "we love each other" crap at the end. They haven't been able to pull off both for several seasons now.
Starting Thursday, things got really good again.
Community "Geothermal Escapism"
It's sad to see Donald Glover go. He's been my favorite character for most of the run of the series. Many of the best moments are owed to him as well. He and Dani Pudi are the best on screen duo in comedy, almost unquestionably. Frankly, I've always wondered how long before he became too big for the series to keep and it finally happened.
Troy's farewell was a great one. Harmon found a fresh way to bring back the paintball formula without it feeling desperate. At this point, everyone at Greendale knows what's going on. I'd've bought 90% of the episode even without Abed's prize. The homages were varied but familiar in the way Community does so well. Plenty of good laughs. Impressively built world and mythology. It all played out very quickly since they had to leave plenty of time for Troy to bid farewell. Like Pierce last week, his final goodbye to each character was spot on. I do think this is the first explicit mention of Greendale being in Colorado. I could be wrong about that. I'm not worried about Community from here without him but it will feel a little emptier without Troy.
Parks & Recreation "Farmer's Market"
I like that Ann and Chris have a story with some other characters. They've been in their own world so much of the season and their' stories have suffered for it. I love the idea of the Wine and Cheese club because it's exactly how things would play out in that department. There was a lack of cruelty to Jerry which is refreshing from time to time.
-Executive decision: Parks & Rec. needs to record albums for Mouse Rat and now Johnny Karate. I would buy both and listen to them on my Robyn Sparkles and Zack Attack mix.
The Michael J Fox Show "Sochi"
I was wondering when shows would start getting Olympic tie-ins. This network is all about the synergy. They'd tied it together thematically pretty well.
Parenthood "You've Got Mold"
Ok, I'm done with Adam and Kristina. Cancer, running for Mayor, starting a label, now a school. They live in fantasy land. The rest of the show is appropriately grounded, but I'm just going to accept that one fifth of the show is bonkers. I love the turn in Zeek and Camille's story for example. I'm still invested in Julia and Joel even though I have no idea why he is so determined that it's over. Hank is frustrating with Sarah but in a good way. Even Crosby never being responsible is tired yet entertaining. I'm done with Adam and Kristina. Done.
SNL "Jonah Hill/Whoever sang (I don't know, I fast forwarded through those parts because the band name sounded like a French holiday)"
This was a good episode. I was a little surprised because I don't know what to make of Jonah Hill a lot of the time. His opening monologue was great. Getting Leo was a good coup. It really showed the difference between Hill skill at this vs. Leo, who is a great actor, but looked uncomfortable in the moment like that. Jonah went big a lot and committed to his characters fully. I respect that for any host. The me sketch was the funniest thing in the world although I will always welcome a Superbad reunion.
Some non-Jonah Hill related thoughts: That opening sketch was great. So many of those this season have been lifeless which this wasn't at all. Started things strong with a lot of physical comedy. The Pornstars are back. Yay! They continue to show restraint with how often they do that sketch. I've not been watching SNL regularly for very long. Are there normally this many recurring 12:55 sketches? I always thought that was the graveyard.
How I Met Your Mother "How Your Mother Met Me"
My issues with the episode:
-It should've been an hour.
-It reminded me how much of the Mother's back story they've alluded to.
-It was further proof that Milioti has been criminally underused so far.
As you will notice, all of my complaints are that there wasn't more of this. Few shows get to 200 episodes and it's rare that the writers have a way to may it a guest start-fest. That makes this episode truly unique. The whole episode was reverse-engineered based on all the times the Mother has been mentioned and they did a respectable job linking it all together in a coherent way. That so painfully condensed though. I could've watched an entire episode about each flashback. Hey, and that could've saved us from that episode when they all played poker. Remember how that was a whole god-damned episode? Ok, let's run off a few things that I liked or thought worth mentioning.
-The alt. opening credits were a nice touch.
-I'm not sure what to make of the back story of her boyfriend dying. It is a clever way to explain how such a catch stayed single all this time. Then again, it's a little lazy. This could've been solved had the writers used more than 22 minutes for this. (Sorry, I know I said I wouldn't complain about that again).
-I never expected a Naked Man return. It fit perfectly.
-Good news: Rachel Bilson is back. Better news: girl kiss. Best news: It was with the mother.
-I love the list of things in her room, especially the calligraphy set.
-They mentioned Puzzles! I am so happy I just finished rewatching the first 5 seasons.
-Has the Mother's friend been in any episodes as one of Barney's conquests? They mention the genie episode. I'm too lazy to go back and check.
-You do not cast Cristin Milioti and not have her sing. Good job, HIMYM for realizing that.
-And, how could I forget? I love the touch of there being an alternate Maclaren's.
Archer "Archer Vice: A Debt of Honor"
This episode felt really short. I'm still a little torn about the season structure. In the first three episodes, there's yet to be one that meets the material's potential. I'm probably being impatient. It looks like the Archer Vice moniker is sticking. I wonder if that's going to be a one season trend.
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