Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town
This was the funniest episode of the series, and the best one because they finally tied everything together. I'm not sure if it's cool or disappointing that I was right about Marny being the killer, but what is disappointing (to me at least) was my inability to put two and two together about her motives. I love that one of the deaths was the sick cat. Too bad Death fixed Rampop though - a special kid who sees people as butterflies and rides the death cycle could be its own spinoff show.
Lost
Good idea taking the sub off the island, Sawyer. All previous attempts to leave via sub were met with disaster but, you know, I'm sure it will work this time seeing as how you know lots of people who can operate a sub... You do, don't you?
Parks and Recreation
I always say that physical comedy is only good in moderation. I also say that I hate seeing old jokes recycled unless something new is being done with them. The scene where Jerry splits his pants bending over during a presentation and then farts immediately afterward was the funniest moment of the episode because they put a spin on it by having everyone trying not to make fun of him as he continues to embarrass himself. In fact this week's episode might be my favourite so far because everything about it was awesome, including Ron teaching a self defense class and Andy Samberg as a loud talking park ranger. One thing though: while I enjoyed the scenes with Ann starting to regret breaking up with Andy, it didn't seem like an appropriate time for them to take place seeing that she is still happily dating Mark. This episode didn't even have any Ann/Mark scenes, like they were trying to sweep that relationship under the rug for the time being just so that the Ann/Andy scenes in this episode would work better.
The Office
As much as I hate to say this... I think I agree with Michael Scott on this one. I mean he may have taken it a little far, but the sales staff actually were being arrogant jerks and needed to be humbled in some way. Michael himself is arrogant and selfish, but seeing as how he is almost always that way and the other staff members are not, he should be the only one exhibiting that kind of behaviour. His garbage fight with Dwight was fun though, followed by the pillaging of an extremely large and smelly beanbag chair from the dump. I'm not sure why Andy and Erin were at the dump at the end (maybe still looking for those leads), but the kiss punctuated by Andy's moronic noise was cute.
30 Rock
Now I'm stuck with a dilemma: Which movie would I rather watch based on its ridiculous title, A Blaffair to Rememblack, or Fresh-Ass: Based on the Novel "Tush" by Assfire? Tough call, friends. Tough call. Other highlights this week included Tracy attempting to seduce Liz and Don Geiss's body getting the Han Solo carbonite treatment. At this point Star Wars should be mandatory viewing for everyone just so they don't miss the myriad of pop culture references that inevitably show up in so many TV shows and movies.
Flash Forward
After an unnecessarily long break, Flash Forward is back with a lot of answers. Too many, in fact. The genius of a show like Lost is that they are able to answer questions by creating more questions, thus maintaining the suspense and ensuring viewer loyalty. Flash Forward is only in its first season and this week they answered the biggest questions already, like who caused the blackout and how, and who "Suspect Zero" is. The only thing I am now anticipating is the potential of a second blackout because that's pretty much the only thing looming other than Demetri's murder. This isn't to say that the episode wasn't fun to watch, because I did enjoy its twists and turns, but if Flash Forward is supposed to be replacing Lost when it ends, they need to work on the suspense. Part of why Lost has such a tight fanbase is because everyone likes to share and discuss theories. Right now this show doesn't have anything to discuss.
Hero of the Week: Leslie from Parks and Recreation. I know I snubbed her last week when listing my favourite Parks and Recreation characters, but she wins this week for her awesome impression of Tom ("Daaaaaamn, Jerry! You jumped into a creek for a burrito? What would you do for a Klondike Bar, kill your wife?") and for sneaking 20 extra Jerry's into the name hat "just in case". Besides, Ron Swanson will always be an honourable mention for having a framed picture of a breakfast plate hanging in his office.
Douchebag of the Week: The entire Dunder Mifflin sales staff from The Office, for being stuck up pricks. ...Maybe not Andy, he handled it well when Erin was hiding his leads.
Showing posts with label death comes to town. Show all posts
Showing posts with label death comes to town. Show all posts
Monday, March 22, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
This Week in Television - Mar. 8-12, 2010
Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town
Now Marny is Ricky's mom? What for? The whole deal with Ricky's parents seems pointless, it's not like it provides any new motives for him since he was already investigating Mayor Bowman's murder and was already working with Marny. It doesn't really change anything at all. And it doesn't seem like they were trying to make a joke out of that either. Looking forward to next episode though, because it's the last one and three more people will die!
Lost
Interesting how even in the flash-sideways timeline Ben still has to choose between Alex and his own selfish quest for power, even though history teacher Ben is nicer and humbler than the one we're familiar with. I'm glad he made the right choice though - this episode was all about Ben's redemption. It was also nice to see Illana take him in. Smart move, because this is the time for recruitment and if she didn't take him he would've joined the bad guys. Was also wild to see Jack now a full man of faith. He's come a long way from the doctor who wanted to save everyone but never believed anything. I like new Jack better than old Jack. Will Widmore seek redemption on his return, or is he going to pop a cap in Dr. Linus and join Fake Locke? Well, the one time I've ever seen Widmore show compassion was when he gave Penny's address to Desmond when he badly needed her as his constant. The rest of the time he's been ruthless, so the only reason I can think of for him having good intentions is that it would be less predictable.
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
Kind of insulting for Tom to be voted out over two injured guys. But then it's also insulting that the producers keep throwing in challenges with puzzles so that the Villains will win them.
Parks and Recreation
I'm really loving April, Andy, Ron, and Tom. They are easily the best and funniest characters on the show - no offense to Leslie Knope - and they are what made this week's episode so great. The thing about the possums and the death penalty reminded me of the episode about the penguins and gay marriage - that is to say, another great episode using animals to highlight real world issues.
The Office
I like the idea of shaking things up by giving Daryl an office upstairs, but I don't know how long it will last because I don't think he likes being distanced from his warehouse buddies. It was bold of Andy to show up at Erin's house, but I suppose it worked out except for the foster sibling awkwardness. Megadesk was actually cool, so I get where Dwight was coming from on that one.
30 Rock
I would totally watch a movie called A Blaffair to Rememblack.
Hero of the Week: Megadesk from The Office. Because it's better than Quad Desk.
Douchebag of the Week: Liz's dentist on 30 Rock, for refusing to give her a wind-up Batman toy that swims in the bath.
Now Marny is Ricky's mom? What for? The whole deal with Ricky's parents seems pointless, it's not like it provides any new motives for him since he was already investigating Mayor Bowman's murder and was already working with Marny. It doesn't really change anything at all. And it doesn't seem like they were trying to make a joke out of that either. Looking forward to next episode though, because it's the last one and three more people will die!
Lost
Interesting how even in the flash-sideways timeline Ben still has to choose between Alex and his own selfish quest for power, even though history teacher Ben is nicer and humbler than the one we're familiar with. I'm glad he made the right choice though - this episode was all about Ben's redemption. It was also nice to see Illana take him in. Smart move, because this is the time for recruitment and if she didn't take him he would've joined the bad guys. Was also wild to see Jack now a full man of faith. He's come a long way from the doctor who wanted to save everyone but never believed anything. I like new Jack better than old Jack. Will Widmore seek redemption on his return, or is he going to pop a cap in Dr. Linus and join Fake Locke? Well, the one time I've ever seen Widmore show compassion was when he gave Penny's address to Desmond when he badly needed her as his constant. The rest of the time he's been ruthless, so the only reason I can think of for him having good intentions is that it would be less predictable.
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
Kind of insulting for Tom to be voted out over two injured guys. But then it's also insulting that the producers keep throwing in challenges with puzzles so that the Villains will win them.
Parks and Recreation
I'm really loving April, Andy, Ron, and Tom. They are easily the best and funniest characters on the show - no offense to Leslie Knope - and they are what made this week's episode so great. The thing about the possums and the death penalty reminded me of the episode about the penguins and gay marriage - that is to say, another great episode using animals to highlight real world issues.
The Office
I like the idea of shaking things up by giving Daryl an office upstairs, but I don't know how long it will last because I don't think he likes being distanced from his warehouse buddies. It was bold of Andy to show up at Erin's house, but I suppose it worked out except for the foster sibling awkwardness. Megadesk was actually cool, so I get where Dwight was coming from on that one.
30 Rock
I would totally watch a movie called A Blaffair to Rememblack.
Hero of the Week: Megadesk from The Office. Because it's better than Quad Desk.
Douchebag of the Week: Liz's dentist on 30 Rock, for refusing to give her a wind-up Batman toy that swims in the bath.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
This Week in Television - Mar. 1-5, 2010
Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town
I like the running gag about the judge's gavels constantly being stolen and replaced by stupid objects. Death's "Jedi mind trick" technically wasn't that impressive since the cops he used it on were morons anyway. I'm thinking right now that Ricky will eventually solve the murders and then have a scene where he bursts into the courtroom to explain everything. Possible suspects: Marney, because she's so forgetful she may have just forgotten that she killed; or someone on the news team, because they show that same news promo every single episode and the motive of course would be juicy stories. I wonder if there is a point to having Mayor Bowman be Ricky's father other than the surprise reveal.
Lost
Was not expecting to see Keamy again, but I was not surprised to see him die. There are certain things that I guess were meant to happen in both (all?) timelines. I hope they explain why Jin was in the freezer. So far they haven't really shown us any flash-sideways stuff that connect the coincidental character appearances together. Sayid fighting Dogan was awesome though - I think every Sayid episode has to have him do at least a little fighting/killing. Jacob's promise to Dogan about healing his son but not letting him see him again was a lot like Ben's promise to Juliet about curing her sister but never being able to see her again either. And both of those are reminiscent of the old Greek myth in which Orpheus is allowed to retrieve his dead wife from the underworld on the condition that he never look back at her. Like a reward and a punishment at the same time...
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
Dammit, I'm getting tired of the Heroes losing because I like most of them and hate most of the Villains. (Side note on that: as ridiculously stupid as Candice was the first time around, she seems smarter and more mature now. Good for her if that's the case.) "Why doesn't anyone ever say anything good about me?" Coach asks. Well, maybe they would if you weren't so self-centered and pretentious, and if you weren't making yourself a joke by telling embellished stories and pretending to know martial arts. I hate that they had to go and play the sappy music as Coach cried. Are we supposed to be sympathizing with him for being his image's own worst enemy?
Parks and Recreation
YES, Jean Ralphio came back! I mean that guy is a tool and I'd hate him in real life, but as a TV character I find him hilarious. Thought he was only going to be in the one episode. Ron was also funny in messing with Leslie, and Tom in his scheme to become part owner of a night club (I love the slideshow about all the celebrities with unique or weird names being denied access). Still love the April and Andy stuff too, they play so well off each other. Very solid episode.
The Office
So after the hour long wedding episode earlier this season, now we get the hour long baby episode. The funniest moment for me was Michael wanting to bring a dictionary to the child birthing and Oscar yelling "The hospital provides dictionaries, bring a thesaurus!" The accidental breastfeeding of the other couple's baby was also one of the funniest parts - I should have seen it coming, but I didn't. Between this and the daycare interview, I'm starting to think that Jim and Pam are a socially terrible couple when interacting with anyone but each other. The Andy and Erin stuff was actually kind of cute, the way he instantly brightened her mood when she realized he was trying to ask her out. Neither of these two are very bright, but they can both be sweet in a goofy way. I think they'll be good together.
Hero of the Week: Oscar from The Office, because he usually plays the straight man, making the aforementioned line both unexpected and slightly funnier than it would have been coming from someone else.
Douchebag of the Week: Coach from Survivor, because we really didn't need a whole 5-10 minutes of him not being able to get over himself while failing to even realize that that's his biggest problem.
I like the running gag about the judge's gavels constantly being stolen and replaced by stupid objects. Death's "Jedi mind trick" technically wasn't that impressive since the cops he used it on were morons anyway. I'm thinking right now that Ricky will eventually solve the murders and then have a scene where he bursts into the courtroom to explain everything. Possible suspects: Marney, because she's so forgetful she may have just forgotten that she killed; or someone on the news team, because they show that same news promo every single episode and the motive of course would be juicy stories. I wonder if there is a point to having Mayor Bowman be Ricky's father other than the surprise reveal.
Lost
Was not expecting to see Keamy again, but I was not surprised to see him die. There are certain things that I guess were meant to happen in both (all?) timelines. I hope they explain why Jin was in the freezer. So far they haven't really shown us any flash-sideways stuff that connect the coincidental character appearances together. Sayid fighting Dogan was awesome though - I think every Sayid episode has to have him do at least a little fighting/killing. Jacob's promise to Dogan about healing his son but not letting him see him again was a lot like Ben's promise to Juliet about curing her sister but never being able to see her again either. And both of those are reminiscent of the old Greek myth in which Orpheus is allowed to retrieve his dead wife from the underworld on the condition that he never look back at her. Like a reward and a punishment at the same time...
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
Dammit, I'm getting tired of the Heroes losing because I like most of them and hate most of the Villains. (Side note on that: as ridiculously stupid as Candice was the first time around, she seems smarter and more mature now. Good for her if that's the case.) "Why doesn't anyone ever say anything good about me?" Coach asks. Well, maybe they would if you weren't so self-centered and pretentious, and if you weren't making yourself a joke by telling embellished stories and pretending to know martial arts. I hate that they had to go and play the sappy music as Coach cried. Are we supposed to be sympathizing with him for being his image's own worst enemy?
Parks and Recreation
YES, Jean Ralphio came back! I mean that guy is a tool and I'd hate him in real life, but as a TV character I find him hilarious. Thought he was only going to be in the one episode. Ron was also funny in messing with Leslie, and Tom in his scheme to become part owner of a night club (I love the slideshow about all the celebrities with unique or weird names being denied access). Still love the April and Andy stuff too, they play so well off each other. Very solid episode.
The Office
So after the hour long wedding episode earlier this season, now we get the hour long baby episode. The funniest moment for me was Michael wanting to bring a dictionary to the child birthing and Oscar yelling "The hospital provides dictionaries, bring a thesaurus!" The accidental breastfeeding of the other couple's baby was also one of the funniest parts - I should have seen it coming, but I didn't. Between this and the daycare interview, I'm starting to think that Jim and Pam are a socially terrible couple when interacting with anyone but each other. The Andy and Erin stuff was actually kind of cute, the way he instantly brightened her mood when she realized he was trying to ask her out. Neither of these two are very bright, but they can both be sweet in a goofy way. I think they'll be good together.
Hero of the Week: Oscar from The Office, because he usually plays the straight man, making the aforementioned line both unexpected and slightly funnier than it would have been coming from someone else.
Douchebag of the Week: Coach from Survivor, because we really didn't need a whole 5-10 minutes of him not being able to get over himself while failing to even realize that that's his biggest problem.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
This Week in Television - Feb. 8-12, 2010
Heroes
Kudos to whoever cast old Charlie, because they managed to find an actress with the exact same eyes as Jayma Mays. It was a little eerie, actually. I figured it was going to be Doyle forcing Emma to play her cello. I don't know where they're going with the whole worldwide reveal thing, but I hope they don't copy X-Men too much. I can't believe the season is already over though, February is an odd time for a network show to end a season. But if NBC is going to end the series I think now would be a good time, because all of the loose ends are fairly wrapped up and it didn't really leave us with that big of a cliffhanger.
Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town
I like how Heather interrupted Corrinda's "Last Egg" musical number. I thought we were going to get a big majestic number similar to the "Every Sperm is Sacred" song in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. Dusty is one messed up detective, but taking the mayor's corpse fishing in the park in broad daylight was funny. Second victim: Heather Weather in the courtroom with a remote control, the killer's weapon of choice it seems. Too bad Rampop only sees people as butterflies and thus cannot identify the murderer.
Lost
I wonder if Dr. Ethan is still evil if he spent his whole life off the island. I think the torturing of Sayid might have been to test for the black smoke - we already know it doesn't like ash or electricity (the sonic fence). Not sure about the hot poker though... Maybe that was just testing for general pain sensitivity. For some reason it didn't even cross my mind that Claire had turned into Rousseau until I read other people saying it online, but it seems so obvious now with all of the traps, the rifle, and her dirty, wild look. That could be trouble.
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
The idea of Coach and Jerri as a couple is vomit inducing. But perhaps they are perfect for each other for precisely that reason. Looks like Russell is already trying to start another "dumbass girl alliance" - his words, not mine. I think he might be voted out early this time though. Sounds like JT is planning to be a villain this time around, and maybe Tom as well. Probably a good idea though, because playing with past players puts you at a disadvantage in that everyone already knows who you are and how you play, so to escape that you gotta play differently.
Parks and Recreation
I'm glad April broke up with her gay boyfriends, not only because I support the idea of April and Andy as a couple, but because they were really only a funny gag once and their subsequent appearances mostly just involved snide remarks and insults that I didn't find funny at all.
The Office
Cool, they added Ed Helms to the opening credits! This was a fun episode - Michael has often been driven by greed in the past, but you would think he'd learn his lesson because it always seems to backfire on him. This week's episode reminded us (and him) of how spoiled he is as a manager with the perks of his own office and Erin catering to all of his unusual and ridiculous whims, so in the end it looks like Michael prefers power over money. He even referred to himself as "head salesman", which I'm pretty sure was made up to make himself feel better. I don't know why Andy can't tell Erin that he likes her, or even why she can't tell him. It's not as if it's a Jim/Pam situation, because they're both single. The dogs sure do love Andy's man meat though.
30 Rock
I liked the characterization in this episode - one or two lines about everyone's Valentine's plans really said a lot about them. Or reinforced, rather, because I don't think we learned anything new about anyone. Also it was fun to see Liz's three former boyfriends acting like black women due to her hallucinations. And Elizabeth Banks is always cool.
Kenny vs. Spenny
Who can put on a better play? I think they made it obvious that Kenny was going to win. Spenny's was a boring 16-act historical drama in which the judge could be seen playing with her phone near the end of it, and Kenny's was funny and made the judge laugh. The idea of a Jew who enjoys concentration camp is hilarious though.
Hero of the Week: Sugar from Survivor, for bringing her A game during the first reward challenge. Sandra tried to sabotage her by removing her top, but she ran for it anyway sans top, scored the point, then flipped Sandra the double bird. Awesome.
Douchebag of the Week: Jo Bennett from The Office, because even though she owns Dunder Mifflin now, I don't like her smarmy, condescending attitude.
Kudos to whoever cast old Charlie, because they managed to find an actress with the exact same eyes as Jayma Mays. It was a little eerie, actually. I figured it was going to be Doyle forcing Emma to play her cello. I don't know where they're going with the whole worldwide reveal thing, but I hope they don't copy X-Men too much. I can't believe the season is already over though, February is an odd time for a network show to end a season. But if NBC is going to end the series I think now would be a good time, because all of the loose ends are fairly wrapped up and it didn't really leave us with that big of a cliffhanger.
Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town
I like how Heather interrupted Corrinda's "Last Egg" musical number. I thought we were going to get a big majestic number similar to the "Every Sperm is Sacred" song in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. Dusty is one messed up detective, but taking the mayor's corpse fishing in the park in broad daylight was funny. Second victim: Heather Weather in the courtroom with a remote control, the killer's weapon of choice it seems. Too bad Rampop only sees people as butterflies and thus cannot identify the murderer.
Lost
I wonder if Dr. Ethan is still evil if he spent his whole life off the island. I think the torturing of Sayid might have been to test for the black smoke - we already know it doesn't like ash or electricity (the sonic fence). Not sure about the hot poker though... Maybe that was just testing for general pain sensitivity. For some reason it didn't even cross my mind that Claire had turned into Rousseau until I read other people saying it online, but it seems so obvious now with all of the traps, the rifle, and her dirty, wild look. That could be trouble.
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
The idea of Coach and Jerri as a couple is vomit inducing. But perhaps they are perfect for each other for precisely that reason. Looks like Russell is already trying to start another "dumbass girl alliance" - his words, not mine. I think he might be voted out early this time though. Sounds like JT is planning to be a villain this time around, and maybe Tom as well. Probably a good idea though, because playing with past players puts you at a disadvantage in that everyone already knows who you are and how you play, so to escape that you gotta play differently.
Parks and Recreation
I'm glad April broke up with her gay boyfriends, not only because I support the idea of April and Andy as a couple, but because they were really only a funny gag once and their subsequent appearances mostly just involved snide remarks and insults that I didn't find funny at all.
The Office
Cool, they added Ed Helms to the opening credits! This was a fun episode - Michael has often been driven by greed in the past, but you would think he'd learn his lesson because it always seems to backfire on him. This week's episode reminded us (and him) of how spoiled he is as a manager with the perks of his own office and Erin catering to all of his unusual and ridiculous whims, so in the end it looks like Michael prefers power over money. He even referred to himself as "head salesman", which I'm pretty sure was made up to make himself feel better. I don't know why Andy can't tell Erin that he likes her, or even why she can't tell him. It's not as if it's a Jim/Pam situation, because they're both single. The dogs sure do love Andy's man meat though.
30 Rock
I liked the characterization in this episode - one or two lines about everyone's Valentine's plans really said a lot about them. Or reinforced, rather, because I don't think we learned anything new about anyone. Also it was fun to see Liz's three former boyfriends acting like black women due to her hallucinations. And Elizabeth Banks is always cool.
Kenny vs. Spenny
Who can put on a better play? I think they made it obvious that Kenny was going to win. Spenny's was a boring 16-act historical drama in which the judge could be seen playing with her phone near the end of it, and Kenny's was funny and made the judge laugh. The idea of a Jew who enjoys concentration camp is hilarious though.
Hero of the Week: Sugar from Survivor, for bringing her A game during the first reward challenge. Sandra tried to sabotage her by removing her top, but she ran for it anyway sans top, scored the point, then flipped Sandra the double bird. Awesome.
Douchebag of the Week: Jo Bennett from The Office, because even though she owns Dunder Mifflin now, I don't like her smarmy, condescending attitude.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
This Week in Television - Feb. 1-5, 2010
Heroes
The wall was high, but not so high that Peter and Sylar couldn't consider the possibility of climbing OVER it. There was a fence intersecting with it that was more than half the wall's height, they could have used that as a jumping off point. Oh wait, Peter only ever gets one idea at a time and sticks with it until he's played it out.
Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town
Hey, cool, a cameo by Colin Mochrie. There were some good gags in this episode, like the moron cops both being drunk and letting the mayor's wife use a hairdryer to pass her breathalyzer ignition test, and the jury duty form's questions about obesity, and the really crooked veterinarian taking advantage of the lawyer whose cat is in two different comas. Also enjoying the rivalry between Heather and Corinda.
Lost
Lost is the coolest and most epic show on television right now, so you can imagine how excited I am that it is back after an excruciating 8 month hiatus. I had a feeling that instead of showing us one outcome or another, they would show us both because I'd heard the show was going in a new direction, and that's exactly what happened. The premiere had me grinning big time - I love those "WTF is going on?" moments. What I can't figure out is why they're bothering to show us two alternate timelines. I mean it's really cool to see, but I just don't know how they will fit together yet. But I do think that Sayid may now be possessed by Jacob so that he can battle "Flocke" with his soldier kung fu.
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
Okay, now that I've discussed the Heroes Tribe, let's take a look at the Villains.
-Tyson Apostol: Tyson can be arrogant and cold, but he's also funny so I don't mind him too much. I can potentially see him sticking around for a bit because he has a cunning, sneaky side.
-Randy Bailey: I actually kind of pity Randy. He's grumpy, mean, and seems to hate literally all people. I don't even know why he auditioned for Survivor, but I imagine he came back to get revenge on Sugar or something.
-Sandra Diaz-Twine: What I remember about Sandra is that she won her season by staying under the radar and doing a lot of eavesdropping from the bushes. That seems like a really obvious and straightforward thing to do but surprisingly no one else has ever used the "hide and listen" tactic to the extent that Sandra has.
-Danielle DiLorenzo: I barely remember Danielle. I even forgot that she came in second the first time around. But I think I can recall her being less than smart.
-Russell Hantz: As I blogged about him last season, Russell is one of the most arrogant players ever and I can see this guy coming back for every single All-Stars season until he wins. I think he'll have to work harder this time around though, because he's playing with veterans.
-Jerri Manthey: At this point I can't even remember why Jerri was such a villain back in the day, but I still have a general dislike for her because at the very least she comes off as an attention whore refusing to give up her 15 minutes of fame.
-"Boston Rob" Mariano: Boston Rob was certainly a power player on the All-Stars season, helping his future wife Amber to win the whole thing, but this season is going to have a LOT of power players, and I have no clue who will emerge as the main vote decider.
-Parvati Shallow: I hate Parvati, and I can say that her surname is highly appropriate. She acts like a conceited high school girl and I don't believe she really did anything to deserve her Fans vs. Favourites win.
-Benjamin "Coach" Wade: I also hate Coach, because he is one of the most self-absorbed idiots to play the game. His interests include: boasting about all of the wild things he's done and the multiple times he narrowly escaped death; pretending he's a samurai; constantly talking about warriors and dragonslayers; and claiming that he never lies when most of the stuff he says is too ridiculous to be true.
-Courtney Yates: Courtney isn't really that much of a villain, it's mostly that she's sarcastic and sharp-tongued. But she had some funny comments along the way and even won a challenge due to being incredibly scrawny. I can see her getting along well with Tyson.
Fringe
Olivia should have seen Peter glimmering right away when she first got scared, but I guess it was more appropriate for the writers to have it happen at the end of the episode. That almost-kiss has been a long time coming though, given the sexual tension between them. Cool episode. The best Fringe episodes are the ones that deal with the continuing story.
Parks and Recreation
Tom was hilarious in this episode with his snazzy costume changes, room-sized walk-in closet, and, of course, DJ Roomba. And so was Ron, who hand-crafted a harp while drunk and then took photos of himself making it to prove his judgment wasn't impaired.
The Office
I don't know why nobody knows how to pronounce "sabre" properly, but it sure makes for a funny song when you have to mess up the rhyme scheme in the middle of singing it. Jim and Pam really shouldn't have brought up the bathroom thing - it was clear from the rest of the tour and interview that the guy was already willing to forget it and move on.
30 Rock
I love 30 Rock, but I have to admit I've never liked Jenna. She's too much of a one-note character and 9 times out of 10 I find her more annoying than funny. So I wasn't really a fan of the story about Jenna and her mother, except when Jack was involved. Because Jack Donaghy is never not awesome.
Kenny vs. Spenny
Who can make a better commercial? Kenny's commercials were really, really funny, but as the judges said, Spenny's was a little more on topic because he actually gave information about the product. And submitted forged market research documents. I wonder if Spenny will cheat more often now. I'm not sure how I feel about that because then every episode will just become "Who is a better cheater?".
Hero of the Week: Christian Slater, guest starring on The Office. If he was back there, he'd know what to do.
Douchebag of the Week: Jerry from Parks and Recreation, because he killed DJ Roomba. HE WAS LIKE A SON TO TOM!
The wall was high, but not so high that Peter and Sylar couldn't consider the possibility of climbing OVER it. There was a fence intersecting with it that was more than half the wall's height, they could have used that as a jumping off point. Oh wait, Peter only ever gets one idea at a time and sticks with it until he's played it out.
Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town
Hey, cool, a cameo by Colin Mochrie. There were some good gags in this episode, like the moron cops both being drunk and letting the mayor's wife use a hairdryer to pass her breathalyzer ignition test, and the jury duty form's questions about obesity, and the really crooked veterinarian taking advantage of the lawyer whose cat is in two different comas. Also enjoying the rivalry between Heather and Corinda.
Lost
Lost is the coolest and most epic show on television right now, so you can imagine how excited I am that it is back after an excruciating 8 month hiatus. I had a feeling that instead of showing us one outcome or another, they would show us both because I'd heard the show was going in a new direction, and that's exactly what happened. The premiere had me grinning big time - I love those "WTF is going on?" moments. What I can't figure out is why they're bothering to show us two alternate timelines. I mean it's really cool to see, but I just don't know how they will fit together yet. But I do think that Sayid may now be possessed by Jacob so that he can battle "Flocke" with his soldier kung fu.
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
Okay, now that I've discussed the Heroes Tribe, let's take a look at the Villains.
-Tyson Apostol: Tyson can be arrogant and cold, but he's also funny so I don't mind him too much. I can potentially see him sticking around for a bit because he has a cunning, sneaky side.
-Randy Bailey: I actually kind of pity Randy. He's grumpy, mean, and seems to hate literally all people. I don't even know why he auditioned for Survivor, but I imagine he came back to get revenge on Sugar or something.
-Sandra Diaz-Twine: What I remember about Sandra is that she won her season by staying under the radar and doing a lot of eavesdropping from the bushes. That seems like a really obvious and straightforward thing to do but surprisingly no one else has ever used the "hide and listen" tactic to the extent that Sandra has.
-Danielle DiLorenzo: I barely remember Danielle. I even forgot that she came in second the first time around. But I think I can recall her being less than smart.
-Russell Hantz: As I blogged about him last season, Russell is one of the most arrogant players ever and I can see this guy coming back for every single All-Stars season until he wins. I think he'll have to work harder this time around though, because he's playing with veterans.
-Jerri Manthey: At this point I can't even remember why Jerri was such a villain back in the day, but I still have a general dislike for her because at the very least she comes off as an attention whore refusing to give up her 15 minutes of fame.
-"Boston Rob" Mariano: Boston Rob was certainly a power player on the All-Stars season, helping his future wife Amber to win the whole thing, but this season is going to have a LOT of power players, and I have no clue who will emerge as the main vote decider.
-Parvati Shallow: I hate Parvati, and I can say that her surname is highly appropriate. She acts like a conceited high school girl and I don't believe she really did anything to deserve her Fans vs. Favourites win.
-Benjamin "Coach" Wade: I also hate Coach, because he is one of the most self-absorbed idiots to play the game. His interests include: boasting about all of the wild things he's done and the multiple times he narrowly escaped death; pretending he's a samurai; constantly talking about warriors and dragonslayers; and claiming that he never lies when most of the stuff he says is too ridiculous to be true.
-Courtney Yates: Courtney isn't really that much of a villain, it's mostly that she's sarcastic and sharp-tongued. But she had some funny comments along the way and even won a challenge due to being incredibly scrawny. I can see her getting along well with Tyson.
Fringe
Olivia should have seen Peter glimmering right away when she first got scared, but I guess it was more appropriate for the writers to have it happen at the end of the episode. That almost-kiss has been a long time coming though, given the sexual tension between them. Cool episode. The best Fringe episodes are the ones that deal with the continuing story.
Parks and Recreation
Tom was hilarious in this episode with his snazzy costume changes, room-sized walk-in closet, and, of course, DJ Roomba. And so was Ron, who hand-crafted a harp while drunk and then took photos of himself making it to prove his judgment wasn't impaired.
The Office
I don't know why nobody knows how to pronounce "sabre" properly, but it sure makes for a funny song when you have to mess up the rhyme scheme in the middle of singing it. Jim and Pam really shouldn't have brought up the bathroom thing - it was clear from the rest of the tour and interview that the guy was already willing to forget it and move on.
30 Rock
I love 30 Rock, but I have to admit I've never liked Jenna. She's too much of a one-note character and 9 times out of 10 I find her more annoying than funny. So I wasn't really a fan of the story about Jenna and her mother, except when Jack was involved. Because Jack Donaghy is never not awesome.
Kenny vs. Spenny
Who can make a better commercial? Kenny's commercials were really, really funny, but as the judges said, Spenny's was a little more on topic because he actually gave information about the product. And submitted forged market research documents. I wonder if Spenny will cheat more often now. I'm not sure how I feel about that because then every episode will just become "Who is a better cheater?".
Hero of the Week: Christian Slater, guest starring on The Office. If he was back there, he'd know what to do.
Douchebag of the Week: Jerry from Parks and Recreation, because he killed DJ Roomba. HE WAS LIKE A SON TO TOM!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
This Week in Television - Jan. 25-29, 2010
Heroes
Hey, Peter, did it ever occur to you that instead of releasing a dangerous mass murderer to save lives, you could just, oh I don't know, ask Emma not to play the cello? Seems like one of those options is 50 billion times easier and safer than the other. Although in the dream, Emma looked kind of distraught so someone was probably forcing her to do it. But still, Peter should have made an attempt to explore other options before jumping right into the worst one. Also, Sylar already went through a period where he didn't have his powers and it didn't make him any less evil, so why does he think it will work this time?
Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town
I like the gag where a video is shown of the mayor reading his will, but not aloud. I wonder where Ricky is going to fit into all of this, being that he is a shut-in and doesn't really interact with the other characters. Unless he's going to get off the couch and exercise like he promised. Rampop is kind of disturbing in a Children of the Corn way.
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
Survivor doesn't come back for another two weeks, but since this is a special season with past competitors returning, I thought I would post my opinions on each contestant. I'll discuss the Heroes tribe this week and the Villains next week.
-Rupert Boneham: Rupert was a cool guy and all the viewers seemed to love him, but he has competed twice and was knocked into the jury both times. I don't know if he is enough of a strategist to get any further than he has before, but he might make it to the jury again just because he is likable and useful at camp.
-James Clement: James is a nice guy and the ladies love to look at him, but he's not necessarily a power player.
-Colby Donaldson: Colby performed well the first time he competed, dominating challenges and coming in second, but then when he returned for All-Stars, he got cocky and was voted out early. I'm not sure if I like him and his success could go either way.
-Cirie Fields: I like Cirie. I've always found her kind of funny and endearing, and while she hasn't been very good in challenges I do think she is a cunning and persuasive strategist, and that got her far both times she's competed.
-Amanda Kimmel: Amanda is a record holder, being the only person in Survivor history to make it to the final tribal council twice. However, she has never gotten a single jury vote. I don't understand this because I think Amanda is one of the most deserving players in the game - she's made several genius strategic moves, has proven capable of winning challenges, and doesn't seem like a bad person at all. I'll be rooting for her again this time around.
-Jessica "Sugar" Kiper: Apparently Sugar was extremely annoying to the other survivors, but the viewers loved her. I remember I didn't think much of her at first, but by the end of the game she stood out as a strategist despite appearing dumb at first glance.
-Stephanie LaGrossa: Stephanie was a true survivor, being the only person on the show to ever be part of a one-person tribe. I think that's what made viewers like her more than her personality, although she's kind of cool too, I guess.
-J.T. Thomas: J.T. was a solid all-around competitor and a good guy, plus he won his original season. However these things can also be weaknesses because everyone else knows to watch out for him.
-Tom Westman: I don't even remember that much about Tom's personality, except that he won the season and also a few challenges.
-Candice Woodcock: I hate Candice, and she does not deserve to be on the Heroes team. I have two reasons why: a) When survivors were given an opportunity to ditch their tribe and join the other team, she took it, Jonathan Penner followed her, and then she later blasted him for being a traitor; and b) at the final tribal council, she asked finalist Yul an incredibly biased question and forced him to answer in such a way that no matter what he said it made him look like a liar. Candice is an idiot.
Fringe
Wow, Walter came off rather villainous at the end of this one. But I do like that he pointed out the elephant in the room, which is the looming sexual tension between Peter and Olivia. I kind of hope they don't get together, only because it's such a predictable staple to include a romance subplot in EVERYTHING, but on the other hand they probably would make a good couple. BEWARE THE HITLER TOXIN!
Kenny vs. Spenny
For the first time in history, this episode had no competition. Although at first I thought it was going to be something like "Who can start a competition first?" because Spenny kept naming all these new competitions. But as I watched it I started to feel a little dissatisfied with the season as a whole so far. The show is almost turning into a gimmick and it's become "The Kenny Show" now, and not just because he's been winning them all (although the competitions are much less exciting when you know Kenny has at least an 80% chance every time). It's no longer about competing, now it's more about what Kenny will get away with and what crazy loophole or scheme he'll exploit this week. I don't say this as an attack on Kenny's character, he is clearly a funny and entertaining guy, it's just that they have let him take over the show. I started watching Kenny vs. Spenny because it was a new thing and I thought a show about crazy competitions was an awesome idea, but the show rarely captures the true spirit of competition anymore. I wonder how many Kenny would win if he actually played fairly.
Hero of the Week: Matt Parkman from Heroes, who pulled a fast one on Sylar and trapped him inside his own brain and then proceeded to wall up his body in the basement, brick by brick.
Douchebag of the Week: Peter Petrelli from Heroes, for trying to undo Parkman's awesome handiwork. Nice job, dick.
Hey, Peter, did it ever occur to you that instead of releasing a dangerous mass murderer to save lives, you could just, oh I don't know, ask Emma not to play the cello? Seems like one of those options is 50 billion times easier and safer than the other. Although in the dream, Emma looked kind of distraught so someone was probably forcing her to do it. But still, Peter should have made an attempt to explore other options before jumping right into the worst one. Also, Sylar already went through a period where he didn't have his powers and it didn't make him any less evil, so why does he think it will work this time?
Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town
I like the gag where a video is shown of the mayor reading his will, but not aloud. I wonder where Ricky is going to fit into all of this, being that he is a shut-in and doesn't really interact with the other characters. Unless he's going to get off the couch and exercise like he promised. Rampop is kind of disturbing in a Children of the Corn way.
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
Survivor doesn't come back for another two weeks, but since this is a special season with past competitors returning, I thought I would post my opinions on each contestant. I'll discuss the Heroes tribe this week and the Villains next week.
-Rupert Boneham: Rupert was a cool guy and all the viewers seemed to love him, but he has competed twice and was knocked into the jury both times. I don't know if he is enough of a strategist to get any further than he has before, but he might make it to the jury again just because he is likable and useful at camp.
-James Clement: James is a nice guy and the ladies love to look at him, but he's not necessarily a power player.
-Colby Donaldson: Colby performed well the first time he competed, dominating challenges and coming in second, but then when he returned for All-Stars, he got cocky and was voted out early. I'm not sure if I like him and his success could go either way.
-Cirie Fields: I like Cirie. I've always found her kind of funny and endearing, and while she hasn't been very good in challenges I do think she is a cunning and persuasive strategist, and that got her far both times she's competed.
-Amanda Kimmel: Amanda is a record holder, being the only person in Survivor history to make it to the final tribal council twice. However, she has never gotten a single jury vote. I don't understand this because I think Amanda is one of the most deserving players in the game - she's made several genius strategic moves, has proven capable of winning challenges, and doesn't seem like a bad person at all. I'll be rooting for her again this time around.
-Jessica "Sugar" Kiper: Apparently Sugar was extremely annoying to the other survivors, but the viewers loved her. I remember I didn't think much of her at first, but by the end of the game she stood out as a strategist despite appearing dumb at first glance.
-Stephanie LaGrossa: Stephanie was a true survivor, being the only person on the show to ever be part of a one-person tribe. I think that's what made viewers like her more than her personality, although she's kind of cool too, I guess.
-J.T. Thomas: J.T. was a solid all-around competitor and a good guy, plus he won his original season. However these things can also be weaknesses because everyone else knows to watch out for him.
-Tom Westman: I don't even remember that much about Tom's personality, except that he won the season and also a few challenges.
-Candice Woodcock: I hate Candice, and she does not deserve to be on the Heroes team. I have two reasons why: a) When survivors were given an opportunity to ditch their tribe and join the other team, she took it, Jonathan Penner followed her, and then she later blasted him for being a traitor; and b) at the final tribal council, she asked finalist Yul an incredibly biased question and forced him to answer in such a way that no matter what he said it made him look like a liar. Candice is an idiot.
Fringe
Wow, Walter came off rather villainous at the end of this one. But I do like that he pointed out the elephant in the room, which is the looming sexual tension between Peter and Olivia. I kind of hope they don't get together, only because it's such a predictable staple to include a romance subplot in EVERYTHING, but on the other hand they probably would make a good couple. BEWARE THE HITLER TOXIN!
Kenny vs. Spenny
For the first time in history, this episode had no competition. Although at first I thought it was going to be something like "Who can start a competition first?" because Spenny kept naming all these new competitions. But as I watched it I started to feel a little dissatisfied with the season as a whole so far. The show is almost turning into a gimmick and it's become "The Kenny Show" now, and not just because he's been winning them all (although the competitions are much less exciting when you know Kenny has at least an 80% chance every time). It's no longer about competing, now it's more about what Kenny will get away with and what crazy loophole or scheme he'll exploit this week. I don't say this as an attack on Kenny's character, he is clearly a funny and entertaining guy, it's just that they have let him take over the show. I started watching Kenny vs. Spenny because it was a new thing and I thought a show about crazy competitions was an awesome idea, but the show rarely captures the true spirit of competition anymore. I wonder how many Kenny would win if he actually played fairly.
Hero of the Week: Matt Parkman from Heroes, who pulled a fast one on Sylar and trapped him inside his own brain and then proceeded to wall up his body in the basement, brick by brick.
Douchebag of the Week: Peter Petrelli from Heroes, for trying to undo Parkman's awesome handiwork. Nice job, dick.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
This Week in Television - Jan. 18-22, 2010
Heroes
Hiro's diner hallucination trial featuring some dead folks was a cool idea. I thought his lawyer should have been Isaac Mendes at first just so they could get another dead guy in there, but then they used Ando. I guess that makes more sense. But it doesn't make sense that his mother could heal him in a hallucination, and if it was a purgatory deal and not a hallucination then it doesn't make sense for Ando to be there. But whatever, I'm down with Hiro not dying. When Sylar was given his Claire tattoo I thought he was going to start wooing her romantically since they're both immortal and they wouldn't be alone that way. Would have been funny, but I guess he's not into college chicks.
Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town
I like how the two cops are so incompetent that they accuse each other of murdering the mayor and then a videotape has to remind them that they were on duty together at the time of the murder (which was inexplicably determined by the bald detective). I also find it funny that Heather Weather wants so badly to be the breaking news reporter but has no clue how to report on anything except the weather. For a minute at the end, I thought Death was just going to keep killing off Bruce McCulloch characters.
Fringe
This was actually an intense episode, which was perfect because the concept wasn't as mindblowing as in some of the other episodes (I'm not really a fan of the whole "deadly virus" plot incarnation). The last time an ally turned on Olivia, it was "Flancis" and she shot him outright, but that was a more deadly situation because this time she knew Peter could be cured. I also like those moments where Walter is desperate and fragile, because all those times when he gets excited about science and food, we sometimes forget how much he loves his son.
Parks and Recreation
The best part of the episode was Ron's plans to show up at Leslie's dinner party with a large quantity of deviled eggs and not have to share them with anyone. I think he is becoming my favourite character. I can understand why the guys don't like Justin: there is a fine line between being a fascinating man and constantly telling exotic stories to show off how interesting you are. I mean it's cool if you've experienced a ton of amazing things, but it makes you look like a douche if you bring it up every time you open your mouth.
The Office
Um, okay, I wasn't expecting a clip show. Especially not in the middle of the season. I get that it is their way of saying goodbye to the old Dunder-Mifflin, but it felt more like something they should have done for the series finale or something. But the frame story was funny and I like that they did it via an interview with Toby.
30 Rock
Julianne Moore's back! At least she got some funnier stuff to do this time. I have a feeling that Dale Snitterman could soon become a popular meme for everything that goes wrong with everything.
Kenny vs. Spenny
Who can have more fun? Whenever they do a competition like this, the victory can be considered questionable because the competition concept is abstract and hard to judge. I mean even for a sadist, is torturing someone more fun than partying on a boat with some hot bikini girls (which Kenny would also love)? It's all relative.
NEW FEATURE
I think the rating thing was kind of boring, so I have a new idea: Every week, I will pick two characters from the shows watched. One will be "Hero of the week", the character who has done the funniest or coolest thing in their respective episode, and one will be "Douchebag of the week", the character who has pissed me off or done something I don't approve of. This week's winners are:
Hero of the Week: Our very first hero of the week goes to Ron Swanson of Parks and Recreation, because as I have mentioned, I love when he shows up at events just for the food. Attaboy, Duke Silver.
Douchebag of the Week: Dale Snitterman from 30 Rock. Because he's a bastard.
Hiro's diner hallucination trial featuring some dead folks was a cool idea. I thought his lawyer should have been Isaac Mendes at first just so they could get another dead guy in there, but then they used Ando. I guess that makes more sense. But it doesn't make sense that his mother could heal him in a hallucination, and if it was a purgatory deal and not a hallucination then it doesn't make sense for Ando to be there. But whatever, I'm down with Hiro not dying. When Sylar was given his Claire tattoo I thought he was going to start wooing her romantically since they're both immortal and they wouldn't be alone that way. Would have been funny, but I guess he's not into college chicks.
Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town
I like how the two cops are so incompetent that they accuse each other of murdering the mayor and then a videotape has to remind them that they were on duty together at the time of the murder (which was inexplicably determined by the bald detective). I also find it funny that Heather Weather wants so badly to be the breaking news reporter but has no clue how to report on anything except the weather. For a minute at the end, I thought Death was just going to keep killing off Bruce McCulloch characters.
Fringe
This was actually an intense episode, which was perfect because the concept wasn't as mindblowing as in some of the other episodes (I'm not really a fan of the whole "deadly virus" plot incarnation). The last time an ally turned on Olivia, it was "Flancis" and she shot him outright, but that was a more deadly situation because this time she knew Peter could be cured. I also like those moments where Walter is desperate and fragile, because all those times when he gets excited about science and food, we sometimes forget how much he loves his son.
Parks and Recreation
The best part of the episode was Ron's plans to show up at Leslie's dinner party with a large quantity of deviled eggs and not have to share them with anyone. I think he is becoming my favourite character. I can understand why the guys don't like Justin: there is a fine line between being a fascinating man and constantly telling exotic stories to show off how interesting you are. I mean it's cool if you've experienced a ton of amazing things, but it makes you look like a douche if you bring it up every time you open your mouth.
The Office
Um, okay, I wasn't expecting a clip show. Especially not in the middle of the season. I get that it is their way of saying goodbye to the old Dunder-Mifflin, but it felt more like something they should have done for the series finale or something. But the frame story was funny and I like that they did it via an interview with Toby.
30 Rock
Julianne Moore's back! At least she got some funnier stuff to do this time. I have a feeling that Dale Snitterman could soon become a popular meme for everything that goes wrong with everything.
Kenny vs. Spenny
Who can have more fun? Whenever they do a competition like this, the victory can be considered questionable because the competition concept is abstract and hard to judge. I mean even for a sadist, is torturing someone more fun than partying on a boat with some hot bikini girls (which Kenny would also love)? It's all relative.
NEW FEATURE
I think the rating thing was kind of boring, so I have a new idea: Every week, I will pick two characters from the shows watched. One will be "Hero of the week", the character who has done the funniest or coolest thing in their respective episode, and one will be "Douchebag of the week", the character who has pissed me off or done something I don't approve of. This week's winners are:
Hero of the Week: Our very first hero of the week goes to Ron Swanson of Parks and Recreation, because as I have mentioned, I love when he shows up at events just for the food. Attaboy, Duke Silver.
Douchebag of the Week: Dale Snitterman from 30 Rock. Because he's a bastard.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
This Week in Television - Jan. 11-15, 2010
Heroes
Geez, Peter, you could have explained things to Emma first and THEN smashed her cello. Since when is Peter the "shoot first, ask questions later" type? Fun Fact: Inspector Gadget also plays the cello!
Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town
I always thought of Kids in the Hall as the Canadian Monty Python, the way the castmembers play every character they can, including the women. The tradition continues here, except this time it's a linear series rather than sketch comedy. It reminded me of the group's only film, Brain Candy, which is to say that it is kind of amusing but not as funny as the original sketch comedy series. The best part of the episode was the Mayor of Shuckton, played by Bruce McCulloch (who was always one of the funniest castmembers), and unfortunately Death took him down. I liked their take on Death though, having Mark McKinney portray him as a kind of seedy junkie who turns departed souls into dust and then snorts it. I didn't laugh out loud much during the episode, but I was definitely amused and entertained, so I'm going to keep watching, if only because it's nice to have The Kids back.
Fringe
Two episodes this week. The first was an unaired episode from season one, and it was actually a little dull so I won't say anything else about it, except that it was cool that they decided to air it. The second was much cooler - I like the idea of altering everyone's perception of something instead of altering the thing itself. As I said before, the second season has been awesome and most of the episodes have just been knocking it out of the park in terms of cool ideas and continuing storylines.
Parks and Recreation
I didn't even know Will Arnett was going to be in this episode, so that was a cool surprise. Ron's storyline was also fun, because the combination of the name Jean-Ralphio with that ridiculous hairstyle and Tom's personality equals comedy gold.
30 Rock
Double 30 Rock this week too! James Franco and his Japanese body pillow were funny, although also kind of sad because it's based on reality - I've heard there actually are some lonely guys out there who are very much in love with those things. Kenneth trying to work a computer was hilarious (it's not THAT easy to accidentally take a picture of yourself and then accidentally make it the desktop wallpaper and send it to everyone in the address book). Most of the time I find Jenna's character more annoying than funny, and she was mostly annoying in this episode too, except when filming her scene on Gossip Girl where she died of old age at 41 and was recalling all of the things she's experienced in her "long" lifetime, like Windows 95. And yes, Kenneth's haircut is an insult to lesbians.
Kenny vs. Spenny
Who do black guys like more (part 2)? Well, I was right about Kenny's plan, but I thought Spenny was going to win it. I wasn't expecting the video footage to look as incriminating as it did, and I think Spenny may have helped it by going overboard in his KKK roleplay. I do like that the one guy said he was choosing Kenny not because of the video, but because just hanging out was more fun than Spenny's "racial retreat", which is exactly what I said last week.
Overall rating for this week's shows: A
Geez, Peter, you could have explained things to Emma first and THEN smashed her cello. Since when is Peter the "shoot first, ask questions later" type? Fun Fact: Inspector Gadget also plays the cello!
Kids in the Hall: Death Comes to Town
I always thought of Kids in the Hall as the Canadian Monty Python, the way the castmembers play every character they can, including the women. The tradition continues here, except this time it's a linear series rather than sketch comedy. It reminded me of the group's only film, Brain Candy, which is to say that it is kind of amusing but not as funny as the original sketch comedy series. The best part of the episode was the Mayor of Shuckton, played by Bruce McCulloch (who was always one of the funniest castmembers), and unfortunately Death took him down. I liked their take on Death though, having Mark McKinney portray him as a kind of seedy junkie who turns departed souls into dust and then snorts it. I didn't laugh out loud much during the episode, but I was definitely amused and entertained, so I'm going to keep watching, if only because it's nice to have The Kids back.
Fringe
Two episodes this week. The first was an unaired episode from season one, and it was actually a little dull so I won't say anything else about it, except that it was cool that they decided to air it. The second was much cooler - I like the idea of altering everyone's perception of something instead of altering the thing itself. As I said before, the second season has been awesome and most of the episodes have just been knocking it out of the park in terms of cool ideas and continuing storylines.
Parks and Recreation
I didn't even know Will Arnett was going to be in this episode, so that was a cool surprise. Ron's storyline was also fun, because the combination of the name Jean-Ralphio with that ridiculous hairstyle and Tom's personality equals comedy gold.
30 Rock
Double 30 Rock this week too! James Franco and his Japanese body pillow were funny, although also kind of sad because it's based on reality - I've heard there actually are some lonely guys out there who are very much in love with those things. Kenneth trying to work a computer was hilarious (it's not THAT easy to accidentally take a picture of yourself and then accidentally make it the desktop wallpaper and send it to everyone in the address book). Most of the time I find Jenna's character more annoying than funny, and she was mostly annoying in this episode too, except when filming her scene on Gossip Girl where she died of old age at 41 and was recalling all of the things she's experienced in her "long" lifetime, like Windows 95. And yes, Kenneth's haircut is an insult to lesbians.
Kenny vs. Spenny
Who do black guys like more (part 2)? Well, I was right about Kenny's plan, but I thought Spenny was going to win it. I wasn't expecting the video footage to look as incriminating as it did, and I think Spenny may have helped it by going overboard in his KKK roleplay. I do like that the one guy said he was choosing Kenny not because of the video, but because just hanging out was more fun than Spenny's "racial retreat", which is exactly what I said last week.
Overall rating for this week's shows: A
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