What Happened, Yo!:
-Two months after being expelled, the gang gathers at Troy, Abed's, and Annie's for the weekly potluck meal they've been having. But it is interrupted when Abed is brought to the apartment by a police officer, for sneaking around the Dean's property over at Greendale. Abed insists that the Dean has been replaced with an imposter He is forced to go to therapy, and the group accompanies him. They explain to the therapist, Dr. Heidi that Abed has been acting more weird than usual lately, and are forced to share examples of how this behaviour's been building up over the last few months. When the doctor seems concerned, they insist Abed is at least as normal as the rest of them, sharing examples of their own crazy behaviour, but Dr. Heidi says that someone like Abed needs a good support system and decides to commit him. The group objects to this and insists that if they're crazy, it's because Greendale made them so, sharing more examples. They also admit that Greendale has been in their corner a lot of times in spite of this, and share more examples, all of them involving the Dean helping them out. They realize what Abed's realized: that the Dean loves them and would never expel them, making them decide they have to get to the bottom of this and go back, but Dr. Heidi informs them that they can't go back because Greendale doesn't exist.
-He informs them that three years ago they were all committed to the Greendale Asylum, where they made a shared delusion of a community college that revolves around the seven of them. Their expulsion was actually a result of them being deemed fit to live in society. They're all shocked by this, but as they leave, they realize that there's no possible way that story could be true, as they have lots of evidence to prove otherwise. They catch Dr. Heidi trying to escape out the window, and after he tries another elaborate lie about Greendale being purgatory, he admits that Abed was right, and that Chang had replaced the Dean and hired him to throw them off the trail. They realize how crazy Chang is, but as they do so, Dr. Heidi escapes and informs Chang about what happened, causing him to launch phase 2 (Though he has no idea what that is.).
I Liked This: First of all, Paradigms of Human Memory was one of my favorite episodes of Community's second season. It was just a joy to watch, and really gave a peek into how big the world of Greendale was. But I wasn't sure a fake clip show could work twice. But Curriculum Unavailable (Which I had no idea was a second fake clip show) proved me wrong and was just enjoyable as the first. It also tied into the main plot, dealing with their expulsion from Greendale and Chang's takeover of the school. I enjoyed the way the central thrust of the episode kept shifting, going from a story about the group enabling Abed to the point that he may be mentally unstable to a story about how Greendale makes everyone crazy to a story about the group realizing that all the good about Greendale was because of the Dean, which leads to them uncovering Chang's conspiracy (but not before the story becomes about how they all might be crazy and the whole show could be a delusion before that is written off as insane). John Hodgeman was funny as Dr. Heidi, the fake therapist who served as the device for the characters to tell their stories and figure out that something was fishy. And what clips they were. While Paradigms showed off lots of crazy adventures we never saw, Curriculum showed us mostly simpler (Though still crazy) stuff. From classes like Ladders, Can I Fry That? and Advanced Breath Holding to things like Troy driving an ATV into the study room or thinking a second-hand Karate trophy meant he was an expert to the noir-themed third paintball adventure, there was lots of funny stuff here. And it all added to the main plot of trying to keep Abed from getting committed/figuring out the truth. And the entire scene with the whole gang in an asylum, being overseen by the Dean and a deeper-voiced Garrett was probably the best scene in the episode. Overall, this was a terrific episode that I'm bound to watch at least two more times before next week's final three episodes.
But...: Everything worked this week.
The Bottom Line: Curriculum Unavailable is another great episode of the show that makes use of the fake clip show format in a different way than before and sets things up well for next weeks season (Officially not series) finale.
Grade: 90% (Almost Perfect)
Memorable Moments
-Troy: "60 dollars? Hello? Rich people, Troy's joining you! Yes, I'll hold."
-Jeff: "Abed won't go to any kind of doctor on his own. We caught him last year trying to remove his own tonsils".
-Dr. Heidi addresses an important issue: "And you've attended Greendale for three years but don't most Community Colleges end after two?" Jeff: "Everyone keeps saying that. The average Community College student attends school 5-7 years. Many offer 4-year degrees!"
-More clips I really enjoyed included Annie pretending she was part of Troy and Abed in the morning, The Dean sneaking the study group free pizza and singing them a special song over the intercom for no real reason, and Chang using Garrett as a precog for no real reason.
-Another real Troy and Abed in the morning! And a good one too.
Monday 14 May 2012
Thursday 10 May 2012
Parks and Recreation: Win, Lose, Or Draw
What Happened, Yo!:
-It's election day, and with polls indicating that Bobby Newport and Leslie are in a dead heat, there is nothing left to do but wait. Leslie tries not to panic, especially when earliest polls has Brandi Maxxxx in the lead. Anne takes her boxing to distract her, while Bobby and herself take the lead at various points. Ultimately the election is called with Bobby as the winner with 21 votes, apparently shattering Leslie's dream, but because the margain is so narrow, Ben points out that there has to be a recount. While this is happening, Leslie confesses to Ron that she doesn't want to let everyone down after they gave up their personal lives for her, but Ron tells her that she can't let them down and they're all in this together, win, lose, or draw. Ann informs Leslie that 21 votes still decided the election, but they were in her favour and Leslie has won. Bobby gives an ecstatic concession speech, while everyone celebrates.
-During all this, Jen tells Ben that she's been impressed with the way he's run the campaign and offers him a job on an upcoming congressional campaign in Washington. Ben isn't sure if he should do it, and after talking to Leslie who was hoping they'd finally have some time to themselves, he decides he won't do it. But talking to Ron makes Leslie realize she's been selfish, and she gives Ben her blessing to go to Washington.
-Also meanwhile, April accidentally deletes all the files on the Parks Department computers and is worried that she'll lose her job. Andy isn't that helpful trying to fix the problem, but he helps her by saying that he'd quit if she was fired and the two come up with a list of dream jobs. Donna shows up and easily fixes the problem because she secretly installed her own back-up ten years ago, due to Jerry often deleting things. Later, April realizes that all of Andy's dream jobs were some form of law enforcement and suggests he join the Pawnee Police Department, which intrigues him.
-Tom has a very vivid dream that he and Ann get back together and he's certain it'll come true. While celebrating, Ann gets very drunk, gets back together with Tom, agrees to move in with him, and agrees that she can't take it all back in the morning.
-Sleeping with Jen has revitalized Chris and brought him out of his depression.
-Ron turns down the assistant city manager job, realizing that he's happy where he is.
-Jerry doesn't vote on time and worries that he could cost Leslie the election. He doesn't but Leslie gets mad at him anyways when his mistake is revealed.
I Liked This: And so we arrive at the end of the road for the 4th season of Parks and Rec. It's been an entertaining ride and Win, Lose, or Draw brings the season to a fitting close. I really liked the way that the episode kept you guessing throughout, putting us in the same boat as Leslie and leading to some real uncertainty right up to the point where Ann reveals that Leslie has won the election. The episode also provided at least one funny moment for every character, and spent a lot of time looking into the future, which is something that comes up in life a lot. Andy and April were removed from the action for most of the episode, but their mini-crisis was a nice story for them, showing exactly why these two work as a couple. Andy trying to fix the computer by blowing on the monitor and then knocking it over was great, and the idea of Andy becoming a police officer in a potential 5th season fits right in line with the character, makes perfect sense and would be terrific. As for Leslie, her story with Ben was sweet and an interesting obstacle for the couple to face. Her scene with Ron was probably the best scene of the episode, next to the final scenes of her delivering her victory speech, while hanging up her picture on the wall of councilman from the beginning of the series. Having her win should provide the show with lots of interesting stories going forward.
And for all the sweet, emotional stuff, there was a lot of humour too. Jerry's subplot about him forgetting to vote was perfectly Jerry, and never overstayed it's welcome. And the words "Dammit, Jerry!" may be the best close to a season yet. Paul Rudd was still great in his couple scenes, as was Jen Barkley, who just wanted to go home and couldn't even bother to give Chris a real goodbye or properly meet Ann. And the rule that a tie between a man and a woman candidate results in the jailing of the woman candidate just adds to Pawnee's hilariously terrible history.
But...: Tom and Ann's plot was really slight, and I know their relationship isn't meant to be taken that seriously, but breaking them up a couple episodes ago now seems completely forced and unnecessary for the payoff of Ann drunkenly agreeing to moving in with Tom.
The Bottom Line: Win, Lose, Or Draw was a fantastic close to another great season of Parks and Rec. Bring on Councilwoman Knope and season 5 (please)!
Grade: 87% (Great)
Memorable Moments
-Election Commissioner: "In the event of an exact tie, the seat is awarded to the male candidate and the female candidate is put in jail." Leslie: "Once again, I have to object." Commissioner: "Well, I don't think it would hold up in court, but it is city law."
-The Sweetums voting machines that pressure you into voting for Bobby and then reward you with a candy bar voucher once you do so is a great gag, and the crying baby sound when you vote for Leslie is also great.
-Leslie: "The reason Bobby and I are appearing together is to send a message that everyone should get out and vote, no matter who they're voting for." Bobby: "That's right. Another awesome point by Leslie. That's why I'm voting for you. (All laugh) What's so funny?" Leslie: "They're laughing at your joke." Bobby: "What joke? I am voting for you." Leslie: "You're not voting for yourself." Bobby: "Leslie, you can't vote for yourself, I don't think. I'm pretty sure that's illegal."
-Andy reassures April: "First of all, you did the right thing by hiding underneath this table."
-Ron: "Well, I've never been one for meeting new people, or doing new things, or eating new types of food, or travelling outside of Southern Indiana. I've had the same haircut since 1978, and I've driven the same car since 1991. I've used the same wooden comb for three decades. I have one bowl. I still get my milk delivered by horse." Ben: "You do?" Ron: "But you and Leslie like to hold hands and jump off cliffs together into the great unknown. Weird. You have a good relationship. I don't personally know what that's like, but I'm given to understand it means you'll land on your feet."
-Perd Hapley: "I have an update that contains new information."
-Ben is confused by Leslie's laughter after apparently losing: "Why are you laughing?" Leslie: "Because my dream is dead."
-Jen really doesn't what a recount: "How bout' this? Why don't I make you guys a deal?" Leslie: "OK, there's no deal in the world that we would ever possibly con-" Jen: "I'll give you Joe Biden's home phone number." Leslie: "Now, hang on, that's interesting." Ben: "OK, you're not thinking clearly."
-Leslie: "Someday, when I'm more emotionally stable, I wanna read the concession speech you wrote for me." Ben: "I never wrote it."
-Leslie's Victory Speech: "The idea behind the campaign was a simple one: that with hard work and positivity, a group of people can make a difference. During my term as your city councillor, I wanna focus on your hopes and not your fears. I wanna solve problems instead of creating friction and I will work hard every hour of every day to make Pawnee a better place to live. Because I love this city. And I know first-hand, how very special the people of this city are. I owe this victory, all of it, to my friends and supporters. No one achieves anything alone. So let's embark on a new journey together. Let's break out a map. Not the old, out-of-date map of where we've been, but a crisp, new one, that shows where we might go. Let's embark on a new journey together and see where it takes us.
-Ron: "Jerry forgot to vote." Leslie: "Dammit, Jerry!"
-It's election day, and with polls indicating that Bobby Newport and Leslie are in a dead heat, there is nothing left to do but wait. Leslie tries not to panic, especially when earliest polls has Brandi Maxxxx in the lead. Anne takes her boxing to distract her, while Bobby and herself take the lead at various points. Ultimately the election is called with Bobby as the winner with 21 votes, apparently shattering Leslie's dream, but because the margain is so narrow, Ben points out that there has to be a recount. While this is happening, Leslie confesses to Ron that she doesn't want to let everyone down after they gave up their personal lives for her, but Ron tells her that she can't let them down and they're all in this together, win, lose, or draw. Ann informs Leslie that 21 votes still decided the election, but they were in her favour and Leslie has won. Bobby gives an ecstatic concession speech, while everyone celebrates.
-During all this, Jen tells Ben that she's been impressed with the way he's run the campaign and offers him a job on an upcoming congressional campaign in Washington. Ben isn't sure if he should do it, and after talking to Leslie who was hoping they'd finally have some time to themselves, he decides he won't do it. But talking to Ron makes Leslie realize she's been selfish, and she gives Ben her blessing to go to Washington.
-Also meanwhile, April accidentally deletes all the files on the Parks Department computers and is worried that she'll lose her job. Andy isn't that helpful trying to fix the problem, but he helps her by saying that he'd quit if she was fired and the two come up with a list of dream jobs. Donna shows up and easily fixes the problem because she secretly installed her own back-up ten years ago, due to Jerry often deleting things. Later, April realizes that all of Andy's dream jobs were some form of law enforcement and suggests he join the Pawnee Police Department, which intrigues him.
-Tom has a very vivid dream that he and Ann get back together and he's certain it'll come true. While celebrating, Ann gets very drunk, gets back together with Tom, agrees to move in with him, and agrees that she can't take it all back in the morning.
-Sleeping with Jen has revitalized Chris and brought him out of his depression.
-Ron turns down the assistant city manager job, realizing that he's happy where he is.
-Jerry doesn't vote on time and worries that he could cost Leslie the election. He doesn't but Leslie gets mad at him anyways when his mistake is revealed.
I Liked This: And so we arrive at the end of the road for the 4th season of Parks and Rec. It's been an entertaining ride and Win, Lose, or Draw brings the season to a fitting close. I really liked the way that the episode kept you guessing throughout, putting us in the same boat as Leslie and leading to some real uncertainty right up to the point where Ann reveals that Leslie has won the election. The episode also provided at least one funny moment for every character, and spent a lot of time looking into the future, which is something that comes up in life a lot. Andy and April were removed from the action for most of the episode, but their mini-crisis was a nice story for them, showing exactly why these two work as a couple. Andy trying to fix the computer by blowing on the monitor and then knocking it over was great, and the idea of Andy becoming a police officer in a potential 5th season fits right in line with the character, makes perfect sense and would be terrific. As for Leslie, her story with Ben was sweet and an interesting obstacle for the couple to face. Her scene with Ron was probably the best scene of the episode, next to the final scenes of her delivering her victory speech, while hanging up her picture on the wall of councilman from the beginning of the series. Having her win should provide the show with lots of interesting stories going forward.
And for all the sweet, emotional stuff, there was a lot of humour too. Jerry's subplot about him forgetting to vote was perfectly Jerry, and never overstayed it's welcome. And the words "Dammit, Jerry!" may be the best close to a season yet. Paul Rudd was still great in his couple scenes, as was Jen Barkley, who just wanted to go home and couldn't even bother to give Chris a real goodbye or properly meet Ann. And the rule that a tie between a man and a woman candidate results in the jailing of the woman candidate just adds to Pawnee's hilariously terrible history.
But...: Tom and Ann's plot was really slight, and I know their relationship isn't meant to be taken that seriously, but breaking them up a couple episodes ago now seems completely forced and unnecessary for the payoff of Ann drunkenly agreeing to moving in with Tom.
The Bottom Line: Win, Lose, Or Draw was a fantastic close to another great season of Parks and Rec. Bring on Councilwoman Knope and season 5 (please)!
Grade: 87% (Great)
Memorable Moments
-Election Commissioner: "In the event of an exact tie, the seat is awarded to the male candidate and the female candidate is put in jail." Leslie: "Once again, I have to object." Commissioner: "Well, I don't think it would hold up in court, but it is city law."
-The Sweetums voting machines that pressure you into voting for Bobby and then reward you with a candy bar voucher once you do so is a great gag, and the crying baby sound when you vote for Leslie is also great.
-Leslie: "The reason Bobby and I are appearing together is to send a message that everyone should get out and vote, no matter who they're voting for." Bobby: "That's right. Another awesome point by Leslie. That's why I'm voting for you. (All laugh) What's so funny?" Leslie: "They're laughing at your joke." Bobby: "What joke? I am voting for you." Leslie: "You're not voting for yourself." Bobby: "Leslie, you can't vote for yourself, I don't think. I'm pretty sure that's illegal."
-Andy reassures April: "First of all, you did the right thing by hiding underneath this table."
-Ron: "Well, I've never been one for meeting new people, or doing new things, or eating new types of food, or travelling outside of Southern Indiana. I've had the same haircut since 1978, and I've driven the same car since 1991. I've used the same wooden comb for three decades. I have one bowl. I still get my milk delivered by horse." Ben: "You do?" Ron: "But you and Leslie like to hold hands and jump off cliffs together into the great unknown. Weird. You have a good relationship. I don't personally know what that's like, but I'm given to understand it means you'll land on your feet."
-Perd Hapley: "I have an update that contains new information."
-Ben is confused by Leslie's laughter after apparently losing: "Why are you laughing?" Leslie: "Because my dream is dead."
-Jen really doesn't what a recount: "How bout' this? Why don't I make you guys a deal?" Leslie: "OK, there's no deal in the world that we would ever possibly con-" Jen: "I'll give you Joe Biden's home phone number." Leslie: "Now, hang on, that's interesting." Ben: "OK, you're not thinking clearly."
-Leslie: "Someday, when I'm more emotionally stable, I wanna read the concession speech you wrote for me." Ben: "I never wrote it."
-Leslie's Victory Speech: "The idea behind the campaign was a simple one: that with hard work and positivity, a group of people can make a difference. During my term as your city councillor, I wanna focus on your hopes and not your fears. I wanna solve problems instead of creating friction and I will work hard every hour of every day to make Pawnee a better place to live. Because I love this city. And I know first-hand, how very special the people of this city are. I owe this victory, all of it, to my friends and supporters. No one achieves anything alone. So let's embark on a new journey together. Let's break out a map. Not the old, out-of-date map of where we've been, but a crisp, new one, that shows where we might go. Let's embark on a new journey together and see where it takes us.
-Ron: "Jerry forgot to vote." Leslie: "Dammit, Jerry!"
Wednesday 9 May 2012
Cougar Town: Down South
Note: Skipping recap this week. If this blog continues next fall, I'm thinking of eliminating the recap entirely, so this is a test run of sorts.
I Liked This: Travis has always had an attraction to Laurie, dating back to the early days of the show, when the title was relevant. But tonight's episode marked the first time that the two of them pairing up became a very real possibility (Even in Hawaii, I never thought Travis and Laurie would actually end up together), and this led to an interesting, emotionally charged episode as Travis prepared to finally make his move, and Jules and the gang debated over whether or not this should happen. While much of the episode was centred on Jules trying to prevent this from happening, Travis comforting Laurie after she's found out that her army boyfriend has re-enlisted was very sweet, and the ending (for now) of him taking the place of her boyfriends body, and ultimately putting her needs above his own (Something Wade isn't doing, even with his reasonable reason for re-enlisting) was funny, but also heartbreaking and it should be interesting to see where this will go as the season heads into the home stretch. And Jules and Ellie clashing with Bobby and Andy over whether they should let this happen and deciding to settle it over a game of Celebrity was great, leading to many funny moments and a sweet moment at the end as Jules comes to peace with the possibility of Travis and Laurie dating. The event of the hurricane also added to the episode, adding an interesting dynamic to the scenes (And a good runner involving Tom waiting outside Jules house the entire time.). And Grayson's small plot involving trying to come up with a new catchphrase for his bar was slight, but entertaining.
But...: Jules being able to pull off a Perfect Storm homage in an episode that hinges a big part of the plot on her unfamiliarity with pop culture seems a little inconsistent. But the scene was funny, so it's not that big a deal.
The Bottom Line: Down South is a great episode of Cougar Town that, while not as laugh-heavy as other episodes this season, nevertheless provides a good time as Travis/Laurie suddenly looks to be a very real possibility.
Grade: 85% (Great)
Memorable Moments
-Welcome to Cougar Town. I didn't know it was back on either- Abed.
-Laurie: "I thought we were really getting serious." Travis: "Of all the relationships of people that never met each other, I really believed in this one."
-Jules: "That's the way I raised him. Taters are for laters." Travis: "She actually did say that." Jules: "I did."
-Jules: "Travis got Laurie pregnant!" Andy and Bobby: "What?!" Jules: "Maybe I took a few steps ahead, but still, it would be so horrible if those two hooked up."
-Andy: "You can't stop love. Ellie's mom didn't want her to date me, but if I didn't go for it, this magical thing but if I didn't go for it, this magical thing never would've happened." Jules: "Awww." Ellie: "He's talking about him and Bobby!"
-Bobby on hugging Travis: "I feel like I'm cheating on Andy." Travis: "I'm your son so, it's fine."
-Ellie: "I'm only an OK storm! I'm not a perfect storm!"
-Jules: "What?" Grayson: "You just sent the two people you don't want to be together to hang out in a bedroom." Jules: "Who would have sex in their mom's bed? (All indicate they would do such a thing) Shoot."
-Grayson: "What is happening to me? I used to be on top of all the cool lingo. You know how people say 'hey, you wanna come with us?' I was the guy who dropped the 'us' part. Hey, you wanna come with?" Ellie: "I wonder what those d-bags did with all the time you saved them.
-Jules: "They're killing us with moustache clues!"
-Andy: "Why did you keep stopping to do those Michael Jackson poses in the wind?" Grayson: "How could you not?"
-Ellie: "Look, next time I give a clue, just give an answer. No matter what you say, I'm gonna say it's right. That handsome actor that you love." Jules: "George DiCaprio!" Ellie: "I'll make it work."
-Bobby: "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I thought E.T was a dude." Jules: "He's both." Ellie: "Watch the deleted scenes. It's very disturbing. He tries to have sex with himself."
-Jules: "You win. We cheated." Andy: "I knew David Barstool wasn't an actor. You were just looking at things around the room." Jules: "Yeah, although I think there is a Jim Lamply." Andy: "Nope."
-Travis: "I'm breathing a lot of my own breath around here. Starting to regret that tuna sandwich from earlier".
-Grayson: "Please get out of my bar. I just wanna go home and wrap up in my cozy blanket and drink that tea with the sleepy bear on the box. And I know you hate me now, but you'll thank me later, because if you don't stop drinking, tomorrow, you're going to wake up next to that person that you're talking to right now, and you'll wish you knew how to get them out of your house, but they'll make you take them to brunch. Good night. Don't drink and drive. You might kill your dad.
I Liked This: Travis has always had an attraction to Laurie, dating back to the early days of the show, when the title was relevant. But tonight's episode marked the first time that the two of them pairing up became a very real possibility (Even in Hawaii, I never thought Travis and Laurie would actually end up together), and this led to an interesting, emotionally charged episode as Travis prepared to finally make his move, and Jules and the gang debated over whether or not this should happen. While much of the episode was centred on Jules trying to prevent this from happening, Travis comforting Laurie after she's found out that her army boyfriend has re-enlisted was very sweet, and the ending (for now) of him taking the place of her boyfriends body, and ultimately putting her needs above his own (Something Wade isn't doing, even with his reasonable reason for re-enlisting) was funny, but also heartbreaking and it should be interesting to see where this will go as the season heads into the home stretch. And Jules and Ellie clashing with Bobby and Andy over whether they should let this happen and deciding to settle it over a game of Celebrity was great, leading to many funny moments and a sweet moment at the end as Jules comes to peace with the possibility of Travis and Laurie dating. The event of the hurricane also added to the episode, adding an interesting dynamic to the scenes (And a good runner involving Tom waiting outside Jules house the entire time.). And Grayson's small plot involving trying to come up with a new catchphrase for his bar was slight, but entertaining.
But...: Jules being able to pull off a Perfect Storm homage in an episode that hinges a big part of the plot on her unfamiliarity with pop culture seems a little inconsistent. But the scene was funny, so it's not that big a deal.
The Bottom Line: Down South is a great episode of Cougar Town that, while not as laugh-heavy as other episodes this season, nevertheless provides a good time as Travis/Laurie suddenly looks to be a very real possibility.
Grade: 85% (Great)
Memorable Moments
-Welcome to Cougar Town. I didn't know it was back on either- Abed.
-Laurie: "I thought we were really getting serious." Travis: "Of all the relationships of people that never met each other, I really believed in this one."
-Jules: "That's the way I raised him. Taters are for laters." Travis: "She actually did say that." Jules: "I did."
-Jules: "Travis got Laurie pregnant!" Andy and Bobby: "What?!" Jules: "Maybe I took a few steps ahead, but still, it would be so horrible if those two hooked up."
-Andy: "You can't stop love. Ellie's mom didn't want her to date me, but if I didn't go for it, this magical thing but if I didn't go for it, this magical thing never would've happened." Jules: "Awww." Ellie: "He's talking about him and Bobby!"
-Bobby on hugging Travis: "I feel like I'm cheating on Andy." Travis: "I'm your son so, it's fine."
-Ellie: "I'm only an OK storm! I'm not a perfect storm!"
-Jules: "What?" Grayson: "You just sent the two people you don't want to be together to hang out in a bedroom." Jules: "Who would have sex in their mom's bed? (All indicate they would do such a thing) Shoot."
-Grayson: "What is happening to me? I used to be on top of all the cool lingo. You know how people say 'hey, you wanna come with us?' I was the guy who dropped the 'us' part. Hey, you wanna come with?" Ellie: "I wonder what those d-bags did with all the time you saved them.
-Jules: "They're killing us with moustache clues!"
-Andy: "Why did you keep stopping to do those Michael Jackson poses in the wind?" Grayson: "How could you not?"
-Ellie: "Look, next time I give a clue, just give an answer. No matter what you say, I'm gonna say it's right. That handsome actor that you love." Jules: "George DiCaprio!" Ellie: "I'll make it work."
-Bobby: "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I thought E.T was a dude." Jules: "He's both." Ellie: "Watch the deleted scenes. It's very disturbing. He tries to have sex with himself."
-Jules: "You win. We cheated." Andy: "I knew David Barstool wasn't an actor. You were just looking at things around the room." Jules: "Yeah, although I think there is a Jim Lamply." Andy: "Nope."
-Travis: "I'm breathing a lot of my own breath around here. Starting to regret that tuna sandwich from earlier".
-Grayson: "Please get out of my bar. I just wanna go home and wrap up in my cozy blanket and drink that tea with the sleepy bear on the box. And I know you hate me now, but you'll thank me later, because if you don't stop drinking, tomorrow, you're going to wake up next to that person that you're talking to right now, and you'll wish you knew how to get them out of your house, but they'll make you take them to brunch. Good night. Don't drink and drive. You might kill your dad.
Monday 7 May 2012
Community: Course Listing Unavailable
What Happened, Yo!:
-Starburns has died and Annie is concerned that the group isn't handling it well. Britta decides to put the group through grief counseling, but it's ineffectual (Of course), but it does give them the idea to throw a wake. The group gets very upset however, when the Dean shows up to inform them that in the wake of Starburns death, Professor Kane has resigned and Biology has been cancelled, meaning they'll have to make up the credit during the summer. This makes the group angry and at Starburns wake, they make a series of speeches expressing anger at Greendale, which rile the student body up. Nervous, the Dean signs a contract Chang had earlier tried to get him to sign, increasing security's power and giving him the ability to use pepper spray and enforce martial law, amongst other things. The speeches get more and more angry until a riot breaks out. Chang brings in his army to subdue the riot, but it just causes more damage.
-In the aftermath, the Dean informs the group that Subway (Who Shirley had targeted in her speech and who had been damaged in the riot) is threatening to pull out of the school, and the school board is investigating the incident, and the study group (Who are being called the Greendale Seven and the instigators of the riot) will have to meet with them. The group has remorse for the riot, and they decide with the Dean to pin it all on Chang. One of Chang's preteen soldiers overhears however, and informs Chang, causing him to tranq Dean Pelton and replace him with a look-alike. At the hearing, the group begins to testify against Chang, when Chang comes in with a gift basket for the board (Having previously befriended them before the hearing), and with the help of his fake Dean Pelton, gets the board to expell the study group. At Abed's apartment, everyone mopes around, and Abed wonders if this was the darkest timeline after all. But Troy rallies everyones spirits and tells them that they can all get through this, making Abed realize that as long as they're all together, it's the perfect timeline.
I Liked This: Course Listing Unavailable begins in one place and ends in a drastically different one. Chang is in control, the study group has been expelled and things have never seemed darker for our heroes (Even as they find solace in each other.). A lot of the best moments of the episode though happen in the beginning and the end of the episode. Britta forcing the group to go through grief counselling was just wonderful, especially with the meta-commentary on how she seemed smarter when the show started. And the final scene, which called back Remedial Chaos Theory and brought back the creepy pizza boy that Britta became engaged to in an alternate timeline was brilliant, providing a sweet and funny ending instead of ending on the cliffhanger of their expulsion. The wake had some good moments too, like Garrett singing Ava Maria or Pierce assuring that he would calm things down before starting a riot. Chang was used well here too, finally becoming the villain he's been shaping up to be since the start of season 2. And of course, the tag with Abed's video memorial of Starburns (making use of the multi-purpose footage Starburns had provided in his video will) was excellent, providing a lovely send-off to the character (who will be missed.).
But...: The episode felt a bit rushed in order for things to get for where they need to be for the next couple episodes and I wish more time had been spent on certain events (Grief Counselling and the wake among other things.)
The Bottom Line: Course Listing Unavailable was another great episode of Community that changes things significantly (Though maybe a little too quickly) and leaves things in an interesting place for the next couple episodes.
Grade: 80% (Great)
Memorable Moments:
-Jeff to Britta: "You seemed smarter when I met you."
-Pierce: "Let's burn this mother down!"
-Carl Bladt: "...You are hereby expelled from Greendale Community College. May God have mercy on your souls."
-Starburns has died and Annie is concerned that the group isn't handling it well. Britta decides to put the group through grief counseling, but it's ineffectual (Of course), but it does give them the idea to throw a wake. The group gets very upset however, when the Dean shows up to inform them that in the wake of Starburns death, Professor Kane has resigned and Biology has been cancelled, meaning they'll have to make up the credit during the summer. This makes the group angry and at Starburns wake, they make a series of speeches expressing anger at Greendale, which rile the student body up. Nervous, the Dean signs a contract Chang had earlier tried to get him to sign, increasing security's power and giving him the ability to use pepper spray and enforce martial law, amongst other things. The speeches get more and more angry until a riot breaks out. Chang brings in his army to subdue the riot, but it just causes more damage.
-In the aftermath, the Dean informs the group that Subway (Who Shirley had targeted in her speech and who had been damaged in the riot) is threatening to pull out of the school, and the school board is investigating the incident, and the study group (Who are being called the Greendale Seven and the instigators of the riot) will have to meet with them. The group has remorse for the riot, and they decide with the Dean to pin it all on Chang. One of Chang's preteen soldiers overhears however, and informs Chang, causing him to tranq Dean Pelton and replace him with a look-alike. At the hearing, the group begins to testify against Chang, when Chang comes in with a gift basket for the board (Having previously befriended them before the hearing), and with the help of his fake Dean Pelton, gets the board to expell the study group. At Abed's apartment, everyone mopes around, and Abed wonders if this was the darkest timeline after all. But Troy rallies everyones spirits and tells them that they can all get through this, making Abed realize that as long as they're all together, it's the perfect timeline.
I Liked This: Course Listing Unavailable begins in one place and ends in a drastically different one. Chang is in control, the study group has been expelled and things have never seemed darker for our heroes (Even as they find solace in each other.). A lot of the best moments of the episode though happen in the beginning and the end of the episode. Britta forcing the group to go through grief counselling was just wonderful, especially with the meta-commentary on how she seemed smarter when the show started. And the final scene, which called back Remedial Chaos Theory and brought back the creepy pizza boy that Britta became engaged to in an alternate timeline was brilliant, providing a sweet and funny ending instead of ending on the cliffhanger of their expulsion. The wake had some good moments too, like Garrett singing Ava Maria or Pierce assuring that he would calm things down before starting a riot. Chang was used well here too, finally becoming the villain he's been shaping up to be since the start of season 2. And of course, the tag with Abed's video memorial of Starburns (making use of the multi-purpose footage Starburns had provided in his video will) was excellent, providing a lovely send-off to the character (who will be missed.).
But...: The episode felt a bit rushed in order for things to get for where they need to be for the next couple episodes and I wish more time had been spent on certain events (Grief Counselling and the wake among other things.)
The Bottom Line: Course Listing Unavailable was another great episode of Community that changes things significantly (Though maybe a little too quickly) and leaves things in an interesting place for the next couple episodes.
Grade: 80% (Great)
Memorable Moments:
-Jeff to Britta: "You seemed smarter when I met you."
-Pierce: "Let's burn this mother down!"
-Carl Bladt: "...You are hereby expelled from Greendale Community College. May God have mercy on your souls."
Wednesday 2 May 2012
More Opinion Quickies: Glee and Survivor
So I watched last night's Glee and while I had some feelings about the episode, which I want to express, I just can't bring myself to do a full blog about it. Same with tonight's Survivor. So rather than just skip them outright, I'm gonna do some quickies. This probably won't be a habit, but you never know.
Glee: Choke: Glee did something bold last night: all three of the main storylines ended in a failure of sorts. Rachel choked during her NYADA audition and has probably ruined her chances of getting into that school, Puck failed the one exam he needed, despite actually studying for it and now won't graduate, and Beiste lied about leaving Cooter, after he had an abusive episode. It's all dark, sad, stuff (Well Puck's story was mostly played for laughs until the end) and the show handled it well. I especially appreciated how delicately they handled the domestic abuse storyline, much like how they handled the Gay Teen suicide story way back when. Having Beiste get hit, and then give Cooter another chance at the end is dark and the story probably won't end there, but it's also realistic. And having Rachel blow the biggest audition of her life is a devastating move for the character. Will she get another chance? It wouldn't surprise me, but for now her future has suddenly become incredibly uncertain, just as Kurt finally gets a break. Oh, and the musical numbers were all pretty solid. Anyways, good stuff Glee. Keep it up. Quicky Grade: 80% (Great) Quicky Best Musical Number: Shake It Up!
Survivor: One World: It's Gonna Be Chaos: Now we're getting somewhere. Watching the elimination of all the boys over the past few weeks has been fascinating (Especially since Kim, who I've liked from the start is more and more likely to win this game), but predictable. But instead of getting rid of Tarzan like I was expecting, or even getting rid of Sabrina, which was what the episode seemed to be aiming towards, Kat goes, after making the same kind of mistake at the reward challenge that Kim made last week, but on a worse scale, because Kim was more sympathetic in the eyes of her island mates than selfish Kat. There was other interesting stuff in this episode too, from Alicia deluding herself into thinking that she's running the show, to having the loved ones compete in the reward challenge. And with little time left to go before the finale, it should be interesting to see if Kim can pull this off and win it all. Quicky Grade: 78% (Good)
Glee: Choke: Glee did something bold last night: all three of the main storylines ended in a failure of sorts. Rachel choked during her NYADA audition and has probably ruined her chances of getting into that school, Puck failed the one exam he needed, despite actually studying for it and now won't graduate, and Beiste lied about leaving Cooter, after he had an abusive episode. It's all dark, sad, stuff (Well Puck's story was mostly played for laughs until the end) and the show handled it well. I especially appreciated how delicately they handled the domestic abuse storyline, much like how they handled the Gay Teen suicide story way back when. Having Beiste get hit, and then give Cooter another chance at the end is dark and the story probably won't end there, but it's also realistic. And having Rachel blow the biggest audition of her life is a devastating move for the character. Will she get another chance? It wouldn't surprise me, but for now her future has suddenly become incredibly uncertain, just as Kurt finally gets a break. Oh, and the musical numbers were all pretty solid. Anyways, good stuff Glee. Keep it up. Quicky Grade: 80% (Great) Quicky Best Musical Number: Shake It Up!
Survivor: One World: It's Gonna Be Chaos: Now we're getting somewhere. Watching the elimination of all the boys over the past few weeks has been fascinating (Especially since Kim, who I've liked from the start is more and more likely to win this game), but predictable. But instead of getting rid of Tarzan like I was expecting, or even getting rid of Sabrina, which was what the episode seemed to be aiming towards, Kat goes, after making the same kind of mistake at the reward challenge that Kim made last week, but on a worse scale, because Kim was more sympathetic in the eyes of her island mates than selfish Kat. There was other interesting stuff in this episode too, from Alicia deluding herself into thinking that she's running the show, to having the loved ones compete in the reward challenge. And with little time left to go before the finale, it should be interesting to see if Kim can pull this off and win it all. Quicky Grade: 78% (Good)
Memorable Moments: Cougar Town: Southern Accents
Quicky Opinion: Southern Accents was another great episode of this show, combining lots of laughs with some good character development. Grayson having a daughter was a nice twist for this season, and this episode is a natural continuation of that, as Jules resists trying to get to know Holly, even though she really isn't that bad. Having Holly make out with Travis was a good twist for this storyline and I liked how Jules winds up accepting Holly. Meanwhile, Andy deciding he wants to be mayor is a good move for this character, and should give him plenty of interesting things to do for the rest of the season, plus give the chance for more appearances from Barry Bostwick, who I always enjoy as Roger Frank. And the Bobby/Laurie plot was just a delight. Another strong week, Cougar Town. Another strong week. Quicky Grade: 85% (Great)
Memorable Moments
-Grayson: "Why do you always freak out whenever Holly comes over? She's not that bad.. Am I allowed to say that about a woman I accidentally had a baby with?" Ellie: "I wouldn't."
-Jules: "I can't say no to tequila. That's why Travis exists." Grayson: "No way! Jill too!" Travis: "What an adorable coincidence."
-Hey, would you and your friends watch a show called "Pig Trials". Watch the episode, get back to us #pigtrials.
-Bobby: "Racist? Am I that bad?" Laurie: "No, sweetie. (Looks at his cookie.) Oh my God, look at your black and white cookie. You've only eaten the white part!" Bobby: "I'm a monster."
-Holly: "Stupid internet date. I thought having a baby was gonna be like, a non-stop party. Wrong. Turns out having a baby is a total crotch-block." Travis: "What a tool. Sounds like he should've put "hates babies" on his profile." Holly: "Oh, he did. I just ignored it."
-Jules: "There's got to be something you can do. I've been dreaming of having a beach wedding since like, yesterday."
-Jules: "Wow Barb, you're married. I'm so um... um... something for you."
-Jules: "This town needs a new mayor and not one that's in bed with big business: that's Barb's name for her private parts."
-Laurie: "Plus, you (Andy) would look so great kissing a baby, because you kind of look like a baby, and everyone know there's nothing cuter than a baby kissing a baby."
-Ellie: "I love the tension in this room. I just want to bake it into a big puffy thing and eat it all up." Jules: "Seriously?"
-Laurie on her new talking threat cakes: "Say a chick steals your boyfriend. You send her a cake. But then, when she opens up the lid, it's like: "I'm coming for you, bitch!" Cute, right?"
-Laurie: "So you accidentally said the wrong thing. One time, I asked this blind lady when her baby was due. Turns out, she wasn't pregnant. And she wasn't even a lady. But, he really was blind, which was good, because when he went to go throw his coffee at me, he totally missed, and he hit a real pregnant lady. And I was like, 'dude, you're such a jerk! You just hit a real pregnant lady!' And then it turns out she wasn't pregnant either." Bobby: "There are a lot of fatties in this town." Laurie: "I know, right."
-Jules: "Do you know that if Travis and Holly had a kid, my granddaughter and my stepdaughter would be sisters! That puts me in the hillbilly hall of fame, right next to my cousin Chestnut, who was murdered by his own pigs." Ellie: "The pigs might've killed him, but it wasn't murder. Murder implies forethought." Jules: "They murdered him. There might be a trial." Ellie: "Where?" Grayson: "Okay, this sounds like a good stopping point."
-Travis: "There's just something so innocent about Holly. I just want to protect her. Plus, Jill could really use a father." Grayson: "She has a father!" Travis: "I meant a good one."
-Jules: "It's like my life is flashing right before my eyes. I should've drank more wine."
-Jules: "You're both being totally... (Looks at her Word-A-Day calender) magnaminous!" Travis: "Not a bad thing. Means we're awesome." Jules: "Stupid calender!"
-Laurie: "Today, we're gonna fix racism. Hopefully before our burgers come."
-Jules: "Do you know what I've learned from my friendship with Ellie?" Grayson: "There's no such thing as too mean." Travis: "Never let your friends know for sure if you like them?" Jules: "Always hold a grudge?" Ellie: "Really?" Jules: "Sorry, I wanted to do one too."
-Jules: "Sometimes, it's OK to be selfish, right Ellie?" Ellie: "It's not". Jules: "Seriously? Now's the time you decide to be human?"
-Bobby: "Sometimes I think it would just be easier if we just separated into our own groups, you know, like blacks with blacks and white with whites." Sig: "They tried that in South Africa." Laurie: "Yeah, and thank God Bono fixed it."
-Laurie: "Oh my God, my race panel worked. If there is one thing we've learned from Michelle Pfieffer in Dangerous Minds or Sandy Bullock in The Blind Side or Hilary Swank in that movie no one ever saw, it's that all you need to fix minority problems is a really pretty white woman."
-Not even going to try and replicate Ellie's crazy list of wants as first lady.
-Holly: "You hug just like your son." Jules: "Alright, don't ruin it."
-I will replicate this though. Grayson: "Now, let's pop a little wine, and talk about this supposed pig trial, hmm? I got 9000 questions. Do they use handcuffs?" Jules: "They use rope." Ellie: "Jury of their peers?" Jules: "Maybe." Grayson: "Lawyers?" Jules: "Humans." Ellie: "Baliffs?" Jules: "Horses." Grayson: "How do they get the pig on the witness stand?" Jules: "Pig ramp." Ellie: "Do they understand what people are saying?" Jules: "They have interpretors." Grayson: "Jury ever fed ham?" Jules: "Not if they're kosher!" Ellie: "What's the maximum sentence?" Jules: "Bacon." Grayson: "Is there a pig traffic court?" Jules "Heard of it, I've never seen it." Ellie: "How do they get the pig to stop squealing?" Jules: "Gavel." Grayson: "What if a pig calls a cop a pig." Jules: "Heh, that's funny. That's funny. People laugh." Ellie: "Do the pigs wear prison jumpsuits?" Jules "No, bowties. It's really adorable".
Memorable Moments
-Grayson: "Why do you always freak out whenever Holly comes over? She's not that bad.. Am I allowed to say that about a woman I accidentally had a baby with?" Ellie: "I wouldn't."
-Jules: "I can't say no to tequila. That's why Travis exists." Grayson: "No way! Jill too!" Travis: "What an adorable coincidence."
-Hey, would you and your friends watch a show called "Pig Trials". Watch the episode, get back to us #pigtrials.
-Bobby: "Racist? Am I that bad?" Laurie: "No, sweetie. (Looks at his cookie.) Oh my God, look at your black and white cookie. You've only eaten the white part!" Bobby: "I'm a monster."
-Holly: "Stupid internet date. I thought having a baby was gonna be like, a non-stop party. Wrong. Turns out having a baby is a total crotch-block." Travis: "What a tool. Sounds like he should've put "hates babies" on his profile." Holly: "Oh, he did. I just ignored it."
-Jules: "There's got to be something you can do. I've been dreaming of having a beach wedding since like, yesterday."
-Jules: "Wow Barb, you're married. I'm so um... um... something for you."
-Jules: "This town needs a new mayor and not one that's in bed with big business: that's Barb's name for her private parts."
-Laurie: "Plus, you (Andy) would look so great kissing a baby, because you kind of look like a baby, and everyone know there's nothing cuter than a baby kissing a baby."
-Ellie: "I love the tension in this room. I just want to bake it into a big puffy thing and eat it all up." Jules: "Seriously?"
-Laurie on her new talking threat cakes: "Say a chick steals your boyfriend. You send her a cake. But then, when she opens up the lid, it's like: "I'm coming for you, bitch!" Cute, right?"
-Laurie: "So you accidentally said the wrong thing. One time, I asked this blind lady when her baby was due. Turns out, she wasn't pregnant. And she wasn't even a lady. But, he really was blind, which was good, because when he went to go throw his coffee at me, he totally missed, and he hit a real pregnant lady. And I was like, 'dude, you're such a jerk! You just hit a real pregnant lady!' And then it turns out she wasn't pregnant either." Bobby: "There are a lot of fatties in this town." Laurie: "I know, right."
-Jules: "Do you know that if Travis and Holly had a kid, my granddaughter and my stepdaughter would be sisters! That puts me in the hillbilly hall of fame, right next to my cousin Chestnut, who was murdered by his own pigs." Ellie: "The pigs might've killed him, but it wasn't murder. Murder implies forethought." Jules: "They murdered him. There might be a trial." Ellie: "Where?" Grayson: "Okay, this sounds like a good stopping point."
-Travis: "There's just something so innocent about Holly. I just want to protect her. Plus, Jill could really use a father." Grayson: "She has a father!" Travis: "I meant a good one."
-Jules: "It's like my life is flashing right before my eyes. I should've drank more wine."
-Jules: "You're both being totally... (Looks at her Word-A-Day calender) magnaminous!" Travis: "Not a bad thing. Means we're awesome." Jules: "Stupid calender!"
-Laurie: "Today, we're gonna fix racism. Hopefully before our burgers come."
-Jules: "Do you know what I've learned from my friendship with Ellie?" Grayson: "There's no such thing as too mean." Travis: "Never let your friends know for sure if you like them?" Jules: "Always hold a grudge?" Ellie: "Really?" Jules: "Sorry, I wanted to do one too."
-Jules: "Sometimes, it's OK to be selfish, right Ellie?" Ellie: "It's not". Jules: "Seriously? Now's the time you decide to be human?"
-Bobby: "Sometimes I think it would just be easier if we just separated into our own groups, you know, like blacks with blacks and white with whites." Sig: "They tried that in South Africa." Laurie: "Yeah, and thank God Bono fixed it."
-Laurie: "Oh my God, my race panel worked. If there is one thing we've learned from Michelle Pfieffer in Dangerous Minds or Sandy Bullock in The Blind Side or Hilary Swank in that movie no one ever saw, it's that all you need to fix minority problems is a really pretty white woman."
-Not even going to try and replicate Ellie's crazy list of wants as first lady.
-Holly: "You hug just like your son." Jules: "Alright, don't ruin it."
-I will replicate this though. Grayson: "Now, let's pop a little wine, and talk about this supposed pig trial, hmm? I got 9000 questions. Do they use handcuffs?" Jules: "They use rope." Ellie: "Jury of their peers?" Jules: "Maybe." Grayson: "Lawyers?" Jules: "Humans." Ellie: "Baliffs?" Jules: "Horses." Grayson: "How do they get the pig on the witness stand?" Jules: "Pig ramp." Ellie: "Do they understand what people are saying?" Jules: "They have interpretors." Grayson: "Jury ever fed ham?" Jules: "Not if they're kosher!" Ellie: "What's the maximum sentence?" Jules: "Bacon." Grayson: "Is there a pig traffic court?" Jules "Heard of it, I've never seen it." Ellie: "How do they get the pig to stop squealing?" Jules: "Gavel." Grayson: "What if a pig calls a cop a pig." Jules: "Heh, that's funny. That's funny. People laugh." Ellie: "Do the pigs wear prison jumpsuits?" Jules "No, bowties. It's really adorable".
Tuesday 1 May 2012
Quickies: The Office and HIMYM
Good news! As of half an hour from when I started writing this, the really annoying technical difficulties that were causing me to be even later than usual have resolved themselves. So hopefully, I'll be on track all the way through sweeps season. So let's get to the Opinion Quickies!
The Office: Fundraiser: Fundraiser was a definite step up from Angry Andy, and while still over-the-top in some aspects, the episode had plenty of funny moments, from Dwight not realizing what a silent auction was to the visual gag of Nellie attempting to eat a taco. And it continued the story of Andy being fired in an interesting way, plus had a great Ryan-centric cold open and some good Kevin jokes along the way. Still not perfect, but very solid. Quicky Grade: 75% (Good)
How I Met Your Mother: Good Crazy: Good Crazy was another good episode of How I Met Your Mother that moves all the pieces into place for the season finale. Ted going on dates that kept reminding him of Robin in increasingly ridiculous ways was funny, and we finally learned the story behind Marshall getting drunk again, which was teased back in The Naked Truth. Lily going into labour while he's away was expected, but it should still be interesting to watch unfold. Overall, a good week for How I Met Your Mother. Quicky GradeL 75% (Good)
The Office: Fundraiser: Fundraiser was a definite step up from Angry Andy, and while still over-the-top in some aspects, the episode had plenty of funny moments, from Dwight not realizing what a silent auction was to the visual gag of Nellie attempting to eat a taco. And it continued the story of Andy being fired in an interesting way, plus had a great Ryan-centric cold open and some good Kevin jokes along the way. Still not perfect, but very solid. Quicky Grade: 75% (Good)
How I Met Your Mother: Good Crazy: Good Crazy was another good episode of How I Met Your Mother that moves all the pieces into place for the season finale. Ted going on dates that kept reminding him of Robin in increasingly ridiculous ways was funny, and we finally learned the story behind Marshall getting drunk again, which was teased back in The Naked Truth. Lily going into labour while he's away was expected, but it should still be interesting to watch unfold. Overall, a good week for How I Met Your Mother. Quicky GradeL 75% (Good)
Parks and Recreation: The Debate
What Happened, Yo!:
-It is the night of the debate and Leslie and Ben are confident that she'll be able to crush Bobby Newport and overcome the gap between the two candidates. But when the debate begins, Bobby Newport is hurt by her opening declaration that Bobby Newport feels he can buy the vote. This causes people to be more sympathetic to Bobby, even though his responses show that he's a moron who shouldn't win this election, and Leslie backs off from attacking a bit, throwing her off her game. She starts to gain some momentum during the second part of the debate, but becomes shocked when Jen gets Bobby to declare her anti-big business and claim that his dad will move Sweetums if Leslie wins the election. Ben and Leslie aren't sure what to do, until Benn decides that she should go on the attack and kick his ass. Leslie delivers a powerful closing speech about how she comes off strong because she's passionate about Pawnee and how if you love something, you shouldn't threaten it or hold it hostage like Bobby has done. This gets massive applause from everyone, including Bobby Newport, who invites her to a party later to celebrate making it through the debate.
-Meanwhile, Tom, Ann, and Chris are on spin duty, trying to put a positive light on everything that may happen during the debate. Tom is upset because after his most recent stunt (An inappropiate radio shout-out) Ann has dumped him for good. April tells him to be open about his feelings, but as he prepares to do so, he sees what seems to be Chris and Ann getting back together. And although Chris does try to get back together with Ann, she rejects him, saying that he's making their relationship into something more than it was and can't date her anyways, because of his rule. Tom comes honest about his feelings, but she decides she wants to be single for now. Tom still believes he can win her back though.
-Also meanwhile, Andy and April host a party for campaign Donors, while Ron provides the food. The guests are also supposed to watch the debate, but Andy has forgot to pay the cable bill. While Andy re-enacts some of his favorite movies, Ron goes to temporarily steal cable and gets the cable back in time for Leslie's big finish, which thrills Andy so much, he accidentally breaks the TV in his jubiliation.
I Liked This: Wow. Season 4 of Parks and Recreation has had tons of great episodes and this one is no exception. Written and directed by Leslie Knope herself, Ms. Amy Poehler continues a trend of writing classic episodes, delivering a crucial episode in this whole campaign storyline. Once again, Paul Rudd is great as Bobby Newport and the idea behind the character: that he's an idiot who has no business on City Council, but is so powerful and likeable, he might win anyways is used in a good fashion here. The episode could've bombed if there was no chance that Leslie could lose the debate, but setting it up so she's scared off the attack for much of the episode was clever. As was introducing the idea that Sweetums might leave Pawnee if Leslie wins, which sets it up for Leslie to knock the debate out of the park, but also introduces something that'd be interesting to revisit if Leslie won the election: what if Sweetums left? The other candidates were the typical Pawnee crazies, and provided some good moments during the debate (One of my favorite aspects of the episode was Brandi Maxxxx (From last year's Leslie's Painting) dressing like Leslie, and arguing that she's essentially the same person during the debate). As for the other stories, Tom, Chris, and Ann should be an interesting triangle to see play out, but Andy was the other star of the episode. I couldn't stop laughing, watching him re-enact scenes from Roadhouse, and his heartfelt plea in favour of the movie Babe, complete with a tearful Donna was amazing. Ron as Cable Lineman was pretty awesome too.
But...: No problems this week. Great episode.
The Bottom Line: The Debate was a stellar episode of Parks and Rec, with yet another great Amy Poehler-written episode, good use of Paul Rudd, and what was possibly Chris Pratt's finest (half) hour so far.
Grade: 95% (Almost Perfect)
Memorable Moments
-Chris: "If I had to have anybody tell me that I had cancer, I would want it to be me."
-Campaign Donor: "So, do you do a lot of investing?" Andy: "We dabble. I recently invested in some shirts at a garage sale. Left those at a Wendy's on the way home, so... hehehe, the economy."
-Bobby Newport: "By the year 2013, we will have a fully functioning mall on Jupiter."
-It is the night of the debate and Leslie and Ben are confident that she'll be able to crush Bobby Newport and overcome the gap between the two candidates. But when the debate begins, Bobby Newport is hurt by her opening declaration that Bobby Newport feels he can buy the vote. This causes people to be more sympathetic to Bobby, even though his responses show that he's a moron who shouldn't win this election, and Leslie backs off from attacking a bit, throwing her off her game. She starts to gain some momentum during the second part of the debate, but becomes shocked when Jen gets Bobby to declare her anti-big business and claim that his dad will move Sweetums if Leslie wins the election. Ben and Leslie aren't sure what to do, until Benn decides that she should go on the attack and kick his ass. Leslie delivers a powerful closing speech about how she comes off strong because she's passionate about Pawnee and how if you love something, you shouldn't threaten it or hold it hostage like Bobby has done. This gets massive applause from everyone, including Bobby Newport, who invites her to a party later to celebrate making it through the debate.
-Meanwhile, Tom, Ann, and Chris are on spin duty, trying to put a positive light on everything that may happen during the debate. Tom is upset because after his most recent stunt (An inappropiate radio shout-out) Ann has dumped him for good. April tells him to be open about his feelings, but as he prepares to do so, he sees what seems to be Chris and Ann getting back together. And although Chris does try to get back together with Ann, she rejects him, saying that he's making their relationship into something more than it was and can't date her anyways, because of his rule. Tom comes honest about his feelings, but she decides she wants to be single for now. Tom still believes he can win her back though.
-Also meanwhile, Andy and April host a party for campaign Donors, while Ron provides the food. The guests are also supposed to watch the debate, but Andy has forgot to pay the cable bill. While Andy re-enacts some of his favorite movies, Ron goes to temporarily steal cable and gets the cable back in time for Leslie's big finish, which thrills Andy so much, he accidentally breaks the TV in his jubiliation.
I Liked This: Wow. Season 4 of Parks and Recreation has had tons of great episodes and this one is no exception. Written and directed by Leslie Knope herself, Ms. Amy Poehler continues a trend of writing classic episodes, delivering a crucial episode in this whole campaign storyline. Once again, Paul Rudd is great as Bobby Newport and the idea behind the character: that he's an idiot who has no business on City Council, but is so powerful and likeable, he might win anyways is used in a good fashion here. The episode could've bombed if there was no chance that Leslie could lose the debate, but setting it up so she's scared off the attack for much of the episode was clever. As was introducing the idea that Sweetums might leave Pawnee if Leslie wins, which sets it up for Leslie to knock the debate out of the park, but also introduces something that'd be interesting to revisit if Leslie won the election: what if Sweetums left? The other candidates were the typical Pawnee crazies, and provided some good moments during the debate (One of my favorite aspects of the episode was Brandi Maxxxx (From last year's Leslie's Painting) dressing like Leslie, and arguing that she's essentially the same person during the debate). As for the other stories, Tom, Chris, and Ann should be an interesting triangle to see play out, but Andy was the other star of the episode. I couldn't stop laughing, watching him re-enact scenes from Roadhouse, and his heartfelt plea in favour of the movie Babe, complete with a tearful Donna was amazing. Ron as Cable Lineman was pretty awesome too.
But...: No problems this week. Great episode.
The Bottom Line: The Debate was a stellar episode of Parks and Rec, with yet another great Amy Poehler-written episode, good use of Paul Rudd, and what was possibly Chris Pratt's finest (half) hour so far.
Grade: 95% (Almost Perfect)
Memorable Moments
-Chris: "If I had to have anybody tell me that I had cancer, I would want it to be me."
-Campaign Donor: "So, do you do a lot of investing?" Andy: "We dabble. I recently invested in some shirts at a garage sale. Left those at a Wendy's on the way home, so... hehehe, the economy."
-Bobby Newport: "By the year 2013, we will have a fully functioning mall on Jupiter."
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