This Week in Television - Feb. 21-25, 2011

The Cape
I have to admit, I was bored. This episode was trying to be creepy and unsettling with the Orwell/Lich stuff, but it just didn't work out that way, and I almost thought they were trying to rip off Inception with Orwell's dream sequences. At one point she mentioned that she didn't remember how she got there, and she kept looking over at a door that I assume all of her secrets would have been behind if someone was pulling an extraction job on her. Also I am realizing that Trip is kind of a spoiled kid. If you look at all the moments with him, he bosses his parents around and always gets what he wants. No wonder I don't care for him.

Glee
Rachel's headband song was kind of funny once I realized what it was, and this actually turned out to be one of the better episodes. I attribute the principal referring to Ke$ha as "Key Dollar Sign Ha" not to his ethnicity but to being an uncool principal. It's funnier and less racist to think of it that way. I laughed when Blaine kissed Rachel for the second time and said "Yup, I'm 100% gay", because it felt like a cheesy and blatant way for the writers to say "Don't worry, Kurt fans, Blaine's experimentation is over forever! Already!" If Mr. Schue starts dating Coach Bieste, that'll just be...gross.

V
I enjoyed this episode, but my one problem was when Erica and Hobbes let the doctor jump out the window. They both have guns, and neither of them think to shoot her in the legs to stop her from running away? But I liked Lisa playing a larger role in this episode, because after discovering her grandmother and turning completely against her mother, she has become one of the more interesting characters on the show. Ryan shouldn't be alive, though - okay, a second problem I just thought of. He was inside the building that exploded last week, and this week he just shows up all "I survived!" without even a throwaway explanation like "V's are resistant to fire" or something.

Survivor: Redemption Island
Phillip may not go on about warriors and samurais like Coach, but he does love to talk about animal instincts and manliness. So weird that there was a blindside and an immunity idol played in the second episode though. Who does that?

Community
Not necessarily the funniest episode, but an accurate representation of how fickle school politics are (or even regular politics, but school politics especially). The DVD will be good for catching the myriad of written jokes flashed all over the screen in the Troy/Abed coverage segments. Jeff's Real World audition tape was brutal because even in 1997 the George Michael impersonation would have been too late to be cool. Giving Abed a possible love interest who may also have Asperger's was interesting. Maybe they can double date with Troy and the librarian.

The Office
Todd Packer can be funny to have around once in a while, but if Michael's going to be leaving then so should he, and as Holly turns Michael into a better man, it feels right that he would outgrow that sleazebag. Jim and Dwight working together is always fun, as is Andy and Pam, who has fallen into a cute version of corruption that basically only screws the company but benefits her co-workers, so it's not an evil corruption. I didn't agree with Andy taking Erin's computer, but it may have been the way it was edited, because they made it look like he only wanted a better computer to watch internet videos, not to do his job. Perhaps he did.

Parks and Recreation
Poor Ron. By now they've built up his love of food - especially meat - to make his agony believable and effective when the steak house closed down. Also poor Tom for being shut out by the arrogant fragrance guy, even if "Tommy Fresh" did smell terrible. But Andy and April's first date was really fun and sweet, and the Chris/Ann break-up plot twist was a smart resolution that worked perfectly because of their characters. Another strong episode!

30 Rock
I liked the social commentary about female comedians, and there is some truth that some sitcoms probably hire certain actresses for their looks and not their comedic talent. Cirie on this show probably would be one of them, except her character actually is supposed to be the hot one and was never meant to provide humour beyond a few lines about believing Liz to be a married mother, so they snuck by on that one. But a woman (or anyone, really) doing baby talk is not sexy, it's just creepy/weird. And Chloe Moretz continues her coolness streak by getting into childish arguments with Jack Donaghy (“I hate the ocean; it’s for tools.” “The ocean is awesome and for winners. You’re for tools.”)

Fringe
I don't really like the idea that Peter and Olivia met as children. It's something The Simpsons did more than once in later episodes with Homer and Marge that undercut and destroyed the great original story of their meeting in high school. You could say it makes it more romantic because it's like they were fated to be together, but that kind of thing just has the opposite effect on me, especially since there is no explanation for why they don't remember each other. Peter didn't even remember his kidnapping. But that being said, I do like when Fringe goes back to the 80's, and there was at least an explanation for how Walternate found out about the other universe.

Hero of the Week: It's a tie! April and Andy from Parks and Recreation, for giving the money back at the end of their wonderful date.

Douchebag of the Week: Trip from The Cape. That passively spoiled brat.