What Happened, Yo!:
-Will is concerned about three of the seniors, Finn, Santana, and Mercedes, who he feels are all lost about plans for the future for lack of various things like ambition or a dream. In order to inspire the club (and them specifically), Sue and Will assign the album Saturday Night Fever as an assignment. Since most of the club hates disco, they sweeten the deal by offering a replica of the suit John Travolta wore in the movie. After an initial dance-off, Mercedes, Santana and Finn are picked as finalists for the prize.
-Mercedes is offended that Will doesn't think she has a dream. She performs Disco Inferno and tells everyone that she wants to be a star like Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston, but has no idea where to even get that process started, in addition to not having an supportive parents. Sam decides to help by uploading a video of her performance to YouTube. Later he shows her that almost all of the comments except 1 have been positive (And the one who wasn't happy just thought the video was going to be something else) in order to encourage her. Then they kiss.
-Santana tells everyone that she just wants to be famous, and ignores Will saying that that's a bad dream to have by saying that she'll probably be more likely to get it than others in the club. In an effort to help, Brittany uploads a sex tape the two of them made online, which becomes popular, but Santana isn't really happy about it. Brittany also has more ideas for Santana to be famous that Santana isn't that keen on. Later, she realizes that there's some things she won't do to be famous. Sue reveals that she's gotten Santana into a top Cheerleading school in Louisville as a potential start for Santana's future (Something that was actually one of Brittany's ideas).
-Finn is still unsure about his future but decides he shouldn't go to L.A with Puck. He and Rachel reconcile and Rachel decides that maybe they should look into some of Finn's dream. Will and Emma help pick up some pamphets for Finn to look at, but Finn secretly throws all the pamphlets out. Will sees him do it and confronts him, and Finn tells him that he just wants time to stop and doesn't have a dream. Will's sure he does and gets him to watch Saturday Night Fever. It inspires Finn, and gives him the courage to apply to The Actor's Studio, having decided he wants to be an actor and move to New York with Rachel.
-Everyone wins the disco contest thing and everyone gets a suit.
-Meanwhile, Wade, a member of Vocal Adrenaline (Now coached by Jesse St. James) who also happens to be Mercedes and Kurt's biggest fan comes to them for advice, because he wants to attend regionals as his alter-ego Unique, who is a drag queen. Mercedes and Kurt aren't so sure about it, but Sue tells them to encourage him to do it, as part of a plan to sabotage Vocal Adrenaline. They do it, but get second thoughts and try tp stop him. It's too late though and Unique is actually very popular at regionals, winning theirs.
I Liked This: There actually was a lot to like about Saturday Night Glee-ver. A lot of the strongest material in season 3 has been based around the fact that a lot of the Glee Club will be graduating this year and many of them are unsure what to do next, most of all Finn. So an episode which brought all this to the frontlines was bound to be a winner. Add in the fact that I'm a sucker for disco music and it would've taken a royal screw-up for me to hate this episode. Of course, of the three seniors who were spotlighted in this episode, we had spent the most time watching Finn be unsure what to do with his life. His story is moved along greatly here, and the scene where he tells Will that he just wants time to stop was probably the most effective scene of the episode. The conclusion with him applying to The Actor's Studio in New York, so he could become an actor and still be with Rachel was good, though I'm still not sure that this season will end with Rachel and Finn together.
As for the other stories, Santana's was quite funny, as Brittany tried to make her famous by releasing their sex tape spliced together with footage of Lord Tubbington doing household choirs. Brittany and Santana were in full-force this week, showing off just why they work as a couple, and the ending with Sue outlining a possible start for Santana that Brittany had helped come up with was sweet, and could provide a nice exit for the character, should Santana not return for season 4. Mercedes and Kurt helping out Wade (The final winner of the Glee Project who had to appear) get the courage to be Unique and dress in drag for Vocal Adrenaline's regionals was a good story, and I appreciated that even Kurt wasn't sure that Wade should dress in drag. As for Mercedes and Sam getting back together, the jury is still out on how promising this'll be, but you never know.
But...: It's a good sign when my biggest problem with the episode is that the title is terrible. The justification for why they were singing disco songs was pretty silly though. Also, what happened to Quinn? Sugar and Rory were missing too, but they're just recurring players. Where was Quinn?!
The Bottom Line: Saturday Night Glee-ver is a great episode of Glee, with lots of focus on the graduating seniors plans for next year (Which Glee always handles well), and lots of enjoyable tunes.
Grade: 85% (Great)
Memorable Moments
-Best Musical Number: Disco Inferno was probably my favorite, though Boogie Shoes and Stayin' Alive were pretty great.
-Worst Musical Number: More Than A Woman probably stuck out to me the least.
-Random Plot Point Reference Alert: New Directions hates disco, but Will won his Nationals with it when he was a kid. All of this originates wayyyyy back from episode 2 Showmance.
-Sue: “You’ve been out of ideas since Madonna Week.” It's funny because it's true in a way.
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Monday, 16 April 2012
The Office: Welcome Party
What Happened, Yo!:
-Robert arrives one morning to find the whole office unproductive and Nellie absent. When Nellie shows up, saying that she's still getting used to moving and has gotten a bunch of boxes sent to her new apartment, Robert gets the office to throw her a party and makes Jim and Dwight help her move in. Because they dislike Nellie, Pam comes up with the idea of throwing an intentionally awful party as a prank of sorts. Jim advises her to hire a magician (having found out that Nellie hates them). But while helping Nellie move, Jim and Dwight find a box of photos of Nellie and her ex-boyfriend. Nellie tells them that she pretty much lost everything after she broke up with her ex, who was a stage magician, and she's hoping to make a fresh start here. Jim feels sympathy for Nellie and tries to get Pam to call the horrible party off, but when she tries, the rest of the office won't listen. In order to remain at least a bit subtle, she convinces them to use a different name when talking about how much they dislike Nellie. But the office decides to use Pam as the code name. At the party, Creed plays his originals, and the office talks about how much they hate Pam. When the magician shows up though, Jim sabotages him until he has a breakdown and Dwight pushes him off the premises. Robert sees the party as a success, even though he doesn't understand why Jim and Pam abused the magician. Nellie appreciates it though.
-Meanwhile, Andy and Erin head off to Jessica's family cabin so Andy can break up with her (Erin won't kiss him anymore until that happens). However, when they get there, they find a bachelorette party in process, and they find themselves staying through periods of hating on the brides ex-boyfriends and having one of the bridesmaid talk about how great Andy is. Andy finally gets the chance to break up with Jessica, but lies about his reason, saying it's because he's gay and denying that it's because of Erin (Who Andy had previously claimed wasn't relationship material.). Andy and Erin leave, but both don't feel that great. So Andy goes back and tells everyone that he loves Erin, which gets them both chased off by the entire bachelorette party, but also has Erin and Andy feeling a lot better.
I Liked This: Welcome Party was another enjoyable Office episode. It's good to know that even after she gave them all raises, the office isn't exactly that happy to have Nellie there. And speaking of Nellie, I'm liking the character more and more every week. She's still a wacky character, but she gets fleshed out a lot this week, making her character more sympathetic. It was also good seeing Jim, Pam, and Dwight work together to try and protect Nellie and the party had some funny moments, particularly Creed's big joke of the episode and Robert not realizing that the party was purposely horrible. And I was excited to see Andy finally break up with Jessica, even if he had to be humiliated to do it. She was always more of a plot device than a character and I'm glad to see her go. And now that everything is right with Andy and Erin (For now at least), I'm excited to see Andy return and take on Nellie. The rest of this season could potentially be very awesome.
But...: I think the writers got carried away with the scene of everyone saying how much they hate "Pam", taking it too far for my tastes. And Jessica still wasn't that interesting, even in her last appearance. Good thing we never have to see her again. (Hopefully).
The Bottom Line: Welcome Party was an enjoyable episode, adding some more much-needed depth to Nellie and removing the last obstacle between Andy and Erin.
Grade: 75% (Good)
Memorable Moments
-Loved the cold open with everyone being unsure on whether or not Stanley as a mustache (Even I was unsure by the end of it.) Pam: "Okay, which one of these (holds up two drawings of Stanley. One with a mustache, one without.) looks more right?" Dwight: "Neither of those looks like any person that has ever existed or been dreamt of in the history of human insanity. That said, the one on the left."
-Nellie: "No offense, but are there a lot of Irish people living around here?" Everyone: "Yes."
-Nellie: "I see you've found Benjamin. That's what I call my box full of photos of Henry."
-Creed: "Best gig ever. They asked me to only play originals. I said, 'have you heard my originals? They're terrible'. They said, 'even better'. I said, 'I get it. It's an ironic party for Nellie."
-Kevin: "You think this is a great party? This cake has vegetables in it. Like a salad bar, Robert!"
-Robert arrives one morning to find the whole office unproductive and Nellie absent. When Nellie shows up, saying that she's still getting used to moving and has gotten a bunch of boxes sent to her new apartment, Robert gets the office to throw her a party and makes Jim and Dwight help her move in. Because they dislike Nellie, Pam comes up with the idea of throwing an intentionally awful party as a prank of sorts. Jim advises her to hire a magician (having found out that Nellie hates them). But while helping Nellie move, Jim and Dwight find a box of photos of Nellie and her ex-boyfriend. Nellie tells them that she pretty much lost everything after she broke up with her ex, who was a stage magician, and she's hoping to make a fresh start here. Jim feels sympathy for Nellie and tries to get Pam to call the horrible party off, but when she tries, the rest of the office won't listen. In order to remain at least a bit subtle, she convinces them to use a different name when talking about how much they dislike Nellie. But the office decides to use Pam as the code name. At the party, Creed plays his originals, and the office talks about how much they hate Pam. When the magician shows up though, Jim sabotages him until he has a breakdown and Dwight pushes him off the premises. Robert sees the party as a success, even though he doesn't understand why Jim and Pam abused the magician. Nellie appreciates it though.
-Meanwhile, Andy and Erin head off to Jessica's family cabin so Andy can break up with her (Erin won't kiss him anymore until that happens). However, when they get there, they find a bachelorette party in process, and they find themselves staying through periods of hating on the brides ex-boyfriends and having one of the bridesmaid talk about how great Andy is. Andy finally gets the chance to break up with Jessica, but lies about his reason, saying it's because he's gay and denying that it's because of Erin (Who Andy had previously claimed wasn't relationship material.). Andy and Erin leave, but both don't feel that great. So Andy goes back and tells everyone that he loves Erin, which gets them both chased off by the entire bachelorette party, but also has Erin and Andy feeling a lot better.
I Liked This: Welcome Party was another enjoyable Office episode. It's good to know that even after she gave them all raises, the office isn't exactly that happy to have Nellie there. And speaking of Nellie, I'm liking the character more and more every week. She's still a wacky character, but she gets fleshed out a lot this week, making her character more sympathetic. It was also good seeing Jim, Pam, and Dwight work together to try and protect Nellie and the party had some funny moments, particularly Creed's big joke of the episode and Robert not realizing that the party was purposely horrible. And I was excited to see Andy finally break up with Jessica, even if he had to be humiliated to do it. She was always more of a plot device than a character and I'm glad to see her go. And now that everything is right with Andy and Erin (For now at least), I'm excited to see Andy return and take on Nellie. The rest of this season could potentially be very awesome.
But...: I think the writers got carried away with the scene of everyone saying how much they hate "Pam", taking it too far for my tastes. And Jessica still wasn't that interesting, even in her last appearance. Good thing we never have to see her again. (Hopefully).
The Bottom Line: Welcome Party was an enjoyable episode, adding some more much-needed depth to Nellie and removing the last obstacle between Andy and Erin.
Grade: 75% (Good)
Memorable Moments
-Loved the cold open with everyone being unsure on whether or not Stanley as a mustache (Even I was unsure by the end of it.) Pam: "Okay, which one of these (holds up two drawings of Stanley. One with a mustache, one without.) looks more right?" Dwight: "Neither of those looks like any person that has ever existed or been dreamt of in the history of human insanity. That said, the one on the left."
-Nellie: "No offense, but are there a lot of Irish people living around here?" Everyone: "Yes."
-Nellie: "I see you've found Benjamin. That's what I call my box full of photos of Henry."
-Creed: "Best gig ever. They asked me to only play originals. I said, 'have you heard my originals? They're terrible'. They said, 'even better'. I said, 'I get it. It's an ironic party for Nellie."
-Kevin: "You think this is a great party? This cake has vegetables in it. Like a salad bar, Robert!"
Friday, 13 April 2012
Community: Origins of Vampire Mythology
What Happened, Yo!:
-Britta becomes panicked when the carnival her ex-boyfriend Blade works in returns to town. Knowing that it'd be bad if she went to see him, Britta asks Annie (A former junkie) to put her on lockdown at the apartment and take her phone in order to keep her from talking to/seeing Blade. Annie agrees. At the apartment, Britta is longing for Blade and Troy and Abed aren't helping matters by watching the vampire movie Blade. When Troy accidentally reveals where Britta's phone is, they have to lock Britta in Annie's room. Britta later tells Annie she's starting to recover and sees Annie as a sister in order to get her phone back, but Annie has switched her number for Blade's and starts getting lots of texts from Britta. Annie tries to be mean to Britta to get her to stop texting, but this only makes Britta text more. Eventually Troy points out that Britta's attracted to guys who are mean to her and texts a message (Though we never see it) that brings Britta out of the room, because she's convinced Blade is a loser now. Troy sadly goes to his room and when Annie sees what Troy has texted, she reveals the whole thing to Britta and asks why she was driven away the second "Blade" texted something nice.
-Meanwhile, Jeff and Shirley go to the Carnival to get a glimpse of Blade, and when he seems ordinary, Jeff drops lots of money on Blade's game in an effort to figure out why he's so irresistable to women. After spending over 300 dollars and causing Shirley to leave because of his obsession, Blade finally reveals his secret to Jeff. Jeff shows up at the apartment and reveals that Blade's secret is that he is brain damaged and has lost his ability to feel shame. This draws women to him because he doesn't care. This shocks Jeff, who gives a speech on how they need to stop hating themselves and look for something better. This reaches Britta, who later realizes that Troy was the one who sent her the mysterious nice message. After Annie wordlessly confirms this, Britta smiles to herself.
-Also meanwhile, Pierce is upset that he's not best friends with anyone in the group, so he looks outside the group for a new best friend and chooses Chang (Who was the first one to say yes to him.). The pair bond at the carnival, but Chang gets angry at an innocent comment made by Pierce and breaks off the friendship. Pierce later locks himself in Annie's bedroom and gives her his phone so he won't try to talk to Chang.
-Finally, Vice Dean Laybourne approaches the Dean to get him to get Troy to join the air conditioning repair school. The Dean shows up at Troy and Abed's apartment and mainly hangs out, and his plan consists of asking Troy straight up towards the end of the night. Troy declines.
I Like This: Origins of Vampire Mythology was another great episode of Community that made me glad that the show's no longer on indefinite hiatus. Britta continues to get better and better every week and watching Annie try to help her get over Blade was a lot of fun to see. Annie having to pretend to be Blade texting Britta was great and the scene where Britta actually called "Blade", and Annie tried to fake it (Including getting Dean, Troy, and Abed to pretend they were a carnival) was the best scene in the episode. Also, as someone who would like to see Britta and Troy get together, I enjoyed the advancement of that plot with Troy's mysterious text message. If the writers of Community ever do decide to commit to a lasting pairing between study group members, I hope it happens to Britta and Troy before Jeff and Annie. Speaking of Jeff, I'm glad that him and Shirley getting closer during last fall's Foosball and Nocturnal Vigilantism is a lasting plot point, as Shirley added much to Jeff getting obsessed with trying to figure out Blade's secret. And Jeff's speech at the end was good too. Add in some great Dean moments, some parts of the Pierce/Chang plot and the great end tag, and you have another good episode.
But...: John Goodman was pretty much wasted this week. And Chang and Pierce's plot was too brief to really mine all the possibilities of these two being best friends (Though there was some good moments).
The Bottom Line: Origins of Vampire Mythology was a great, funny, episode with lots of Britta (These days, always a good thing) and some interesting developments on the potential Troy/Britta romance. Plus Troy, Abed, and the Dean pretended to be a carnival, which pretty much made the episode.
Grade: 85% (Great)
Memorable Moments
-Abed: "I need help reacting to something."
-Troy remembers something about Britta: "She was born in the eighties! She still uses her phone as a phone!"
-Dean Pelton: "Well, that's what I get for improvising."
-Troy loves Abed's really specific comedy routine that seemed to only be about his and Troy's life at their apartment. "It's from his album."
-Britta becomes panicked when the carnival her ex-boyfriend Blade works in returns to town. Knowing that it'd be bad if she went to see him, Britta asks Annie (A former junkie) to put her on lockdown at the apartment and take her phone in order to keep her from talking to/seeing Blade. Annie agrees. At the apartment, Britta is longing for Blade and Troy and Abed aren't helping matters by watching the vampire movie Blade. When Troy accidentally reveals where Britta's phone is, they have to lock Britta in Annie's room. Britta later tells Annie she's starting to recover and sees Annie as a sister in order to get her phone back, but Annie has switched her number for Blade's and starts getting lots of texts from Britta. Annie tries to be mean to Britta to get her to stop texting, but this only makes Britta text more. Eventually Troy points out that Britta's attracted to guys who are mean to her and texts a message (Though we never see it) that brings Britta out of the room, because she's convinced Blade is a loser now. Troy sadly goes to his room and when Annie sees what Troy has texted, she reveals the whole thing to Britta and asks why she was driven away the second "Blade" texted something nice.
-Meanwhile, Jeff and Shirley go to the Carnival to get a glimpse of Blade, and when he seems ordinary, Jeff drops lots of money on Blade's game in an effort to figure out why he's so irresistable to women. After spending over 300 dollars and causing Shirley to leave because of his obsession, Blade finally reveals his secret to Jeff. Jeff shows up at the apartment and reveals that Blade's secret is that he is brain damaged and has lost his ability to feel shame. This draws women to him because he doesn't care. This shocks Jeff, who gives a speech on how they need to stop hating themselves and look for something better. This reaches Britta, who later realizes that Troy was the one who sent her the mysterious nice message. After Annie wordlessly confirms this, Britta smiles to herself.
-Also meanwhile, Pierce is upset that he's not best friends with anyone in the group, so he looks outside the group for a new best friend and chooses Chang (Who was the first one to say yes to him.). The pair bond at the carnival, but Chang gets angry at an innocent comment made by Pierce and breaks off the friendship. Pierce later locks himself in Annie's bedroom and gives her his phone so he won't try to talk to Chang.
-Finally, Vice Dean Laybourne approaches the Dean to get him to get Troy to join the air conditioning repair school. The Dean shows up at Troy and Abed's apartment and mainly hangs out, and his plan consists of asking Troy straight up towards the end of the night. Troy declines.
I Like This: Origins of Vampire Mythology was another great episode of Community that made me glad that the show's no longer on indefinite hiatus. Britta continues to get better and better every week and watching Annie try to help her get over Blade was a lot of fun to see. Annie having to pretend to be Blade texting Britta was great and the scene where Britta actually called "Blade", and Annie tried to fake it (Including getting Dean, Troy, and Abed to pretend they were a carnival) was the best scene in the episode. Also, as someone who would like to see Britta and Troy get together, I enjoyed the advancement of that plot with Troy's mysterious text message. If the writers of Community ever do decide to commit to a lasting pairing between study group members, I hope it happens to Britta and Troy before Jeff and Annie. Speaking of Jeff, I'm glad that him and Shirley getting closer during last fall's Foosball and Nocturnal Vigilantism is a lasting plot point, as Shirley added much to Jeff getting obsessed with trying to figure out Blade's secret. And Jeff's speech at the end was good too. Add in some great Dean moments, some parts of the Pierce/Chang plot and the great end tag, and you have another good episode.
But...: John Goodman was pretty much wasted this week. And Chang and Pierce's plot was too brief to really mine all the possibilities of these two being best friends (Though there was some good moments).
The Bottom Line: Origins of Vampire Mythology was a great, funny, episode with lots of Britta (These days, always a good thing) and some interesting developments on the potential Troy/Britta romance. Plus Troy, Abed, and the Dean pretended to be a carnival, which pretty much made the episode.
Grade: 85% (Great)
Memorable Moments
-Abed: "I need help reacting to something."
-Troy remembers something about Britta: "She was born in the eighties! She still uses her phone as a phone!"
-Dean Pelton: "Well, that's what I get for improvising."
-Troy loves Abed's really specific comedy routine that seemed to only be about his and Troy's life at their apartment. "It's from his album."
Thursday, 12 April 2012
Quicky Opinions!
Hey gang. Sorry for the lack of posts on things in recent weeks, but I've been busy/lazy. So here's some quicky opinions on things I should be posting about, but just haven't found/made the time to do. I'll try harder as we head into sweeps season, though.
Glee: After a seven-week hiatus, Glee returned with a strong, funny episode. Matthew Bomer was great as Cooper Anderson, Blaine's actor brother. His acting advice to the kids was comically horrible and I really bought into Blaine's conflict with him. Meanwhile, Sue seems to be getting a good arc for the last part of the season, trying to get the Glee club to win Nationals in order to prove she can still lead the Cheerio's without Roz Washington has co-captain (and struggling with the fact that her baby may have down syndrome). As for Quinn, I liked how the resolution to her car crash was handled. Watching her get used to being in a wheelchair will be interesting to see (As will this flirty thing she has going on with Artie) and provides a nice arc for the character going to graduation, as she attempts to walk again. And it's good to see that Finn and Rachel never got married, and this new conflict with Finn possibly going to California will be exciting to watch. Welcome back Glee. Quicky Grade: 82% (Great)
Modern Family: I've dropped the ball lately when it comes to talking about Modern Family, but Election Day was a great episode, filled with lots of humour and pathos. Mitchell and Cam abusing the power of their car megaphone was a highlight, as was Phil trying to get Walt to the polling stations.And although it would've been interesting if Claire had won, it's probably better for the show that she didn't. And Haley's worrying that she'll get rejected from her last college was a good plot for the character and the moment at the end with everyone celebrating her being waitlisted was funny and sweet. Aside from a massive lack of David Cross, good job, Modern Family. And I'll try to write more about you in the future. Quicky Grade: 85%
Survivor: One World: I've also been dropping the ball with Survivor these past few weeks, to the point that the landscape of the game has drastically changed since I last wrote about the show. Anyways, this season, I've been enjoying Kim slowly but surely becoming the mastermind of the season without anyone really figuring it out. Well Troyzan figured it out when she was too assuring to him, but all that knowledge wound up doing is costing him his hidden immunity idol. It's too bad Jay's gone, because he was shaping up to be an interesting player. Bet he's regretting giving up the challenge for chicken wings now. Speaking of which, Chelsea talking Leif into giving up the challenge was great. And Tarzan remains as comical as ever. Another great episode from a great season. Quicky Grade: 80% (Great)
Glee: After a seven-week hiatus, Glee returned with a strong, funny episode. Matthew Bomer was great as Cooper Anderson, Blaine's actor brother. His acting advice to the kids was comically horrible and I really bought into Blaine's conflict with him. Meanwhile, Sue seems to be getting a good arc for the last part of the season, trying to get the Glee club to win Nationals in order to prove she can still lead the Cheerio's without Roz Washington has co-captain (and struggling with the fact that her baby may have down syndrome). As for Quinn, I liked how the resolution to her car crash was handled. Watching her get used to being in a wheelchair will be interesting to see (As will this flirty thing she has going on with Artie) and provides a nice arc for the character going to graduation, as she attempts to walk again. And it's good to see that Finn and Rachel never got married, and this new conflict with Finn possibly going to California will be exciting to watch. Welcome back Glee. Quicky Grade: 82% (Great)
Modern Family: I've dropped the ball lately when it comes to talking about Modern Family, but Election Day was a great episode, filled with lots of humour and pathos. Mitchell and Cam abusing the power of their car megaphone was a highlight, as was Phil trying to get Walt to the polling stations.And although it would've been interesting if Claire had won, it's probably better for the show that she didn't. And Haley's worrying that she'll get rejected from her last college was a good plot for the character and the moment at the end with everyone celebrating her being waitlisted was funny and sweet. Aside from a massive lack of David Cross, good job, Modern Family. And I'll try to write more about you in the future. Quicky Grade: 85%
Survivor: One World: I've also been dropping the ball with Survivor these past few weeks, to the point that the landscape of the game has drastically changed since I last wrote about the show. Anyways, this season, I've been enjoying Kim slowly but surely becoming the mastermind of the season without anyone really figuring it out. Well Troyzan figured it out when she was too assuring to him, but all that knowledge wound up doing is costing him his hidden immunity idol. It's too bad Jay's gone, because he was shaping up to be an interesting player. Bet he's regretting giving up the challenge for chicken wings now. Speaking of which, Chelsea talking Leif into giving up the challenge was great. And Tarzan remains as comical as ever. Another great episode from a great season. Quicky Grade: 80% (Great)
Wednesday, 11 April 2012
Cougar Town: You Can Still Change Your Mind
What Happened, Yo!:
-Jules is looking for a photographer for her wedding, as this is probably her last chance to get good wedding photos. Travis wants to do it, but when he shows Jules some of his work, the pictures are gross, morbid, and terrifying, makes Jules wonder if Travis will be able to do this. Angie assures Jules that Travis is really good, but also that it'll porbably be tough for Travis to make a living doing photography. This worries Jules, who doesn't want Travis to suffer, so she decides to say no to him, hoping it will defer him for photography. Travis gets upset at her and Grayson points out that this probably won't keep Travis from following his passion if he really wants to do it. Angie also later tells Jules that struggle or not, Travis is talented and that's what really matters. Jules realizes she was wrong to reject Travis and offers him the job, which he accepts. She also admits (Though she denies it at first) that she'll lend Travis money whenever he needs it.
-Meanwhile, Bobby is feeling really good about his relationship with Angie until he sees her kissing another guy. He finds out that she didn't think they were exclusive, but he tells her that his kisses meant they were exclusive. He breaks up with her, but she later sneaks on his boat naked and they wind up getting back together. Andy helps Bobby realize that he doesn't want a relationship like that anymore though, and after Angie admits that she's not really wanting anything serious, they break up for good.
-Also meanwhile, Grayson unjams one of Jules old drawers (so he can babyproof it for his new daughter), to find a buch of stuff from the 80's and 90's, including a Simon game. Ellie takes it when Laurie's looking at it, saying it's not for Jellybeans. Later, she lets Laurie to try it in order to watch her fail, which pleases Ellie. Laurie gets upset because she had never thought that Ellie actually thought that she was dumb. Ellie later on assures her that she doesn't think she's dumb, and everyone had their blindspots (For example, Ellie can't do complex math and Grayson can't remember bar orders.).
I Like This: You Can Still Change Your Mind was a funny episode of Cougar Town with lots of good moments. While I'm sad to see Sarah Chalke go, her exit was well-handled here and her and Bobby's relationship ended for a very good reason: he wants something exclusive and real, and she just wants to have fun (And kiss other guys). This story is also a testament to how far Bobby has come since the beginning of the series. Before he wouldn't have minded a casual relationship, but now it looks like he's finally growing up a bit. The plot also allowed for funny moments like the revelation that two bums apparently come and go as they please on the boat. Travis wanting to be the photographer at Jules wedding was also a good story, as it went from Jules worrying that Travis' photos would be as terrifying as some of his other work (He strives to remove beauty from beauty) to Jules worrying that Travis taking photos at her wedding would be the first step to a hard life, where he would struggle to make a living. It's another good, natural complication and the resolution was also sweet. The story also had plenty of comedy though, including Grayson trying to give parenting advice, despite only being a dad for two days. And the Ellie/Laurie plot was less essential then the other stories, but it did offer the origin of the nickname Jellybean, which was funny and in character with season 1 Ellie's opinion of Laurie.
But...: While there was plenty of humour and emotion in this episode, both elements weren't executed quite as strongly as they had been in the last couple episodes (Particularly in the Ellie/Laurie plot). Also, I kind of wish we had gotten another episode with Angie, so her exit could've been better set-up.
The Bottom Line: You Can Still Change Your Mind wasn't the strongest effort of Cougar Town, but it was still a funny episode with lots of good moments for the Cul-De-Sac crew.
Grade: 78% (Good)
Memorable Moments
-Jules: "Sometimes I do feel a little, oh, (motions to Ellie) what is it?" Ellie: "You're not crazy about the ditzy, trashy, fake blonde, fake tan, fake boob, club skank you one-night-standed to make that baby." Jules: "She says it better." Grayson (to his daughter): "That is not true Jill. Your mommy and I had a one afternoon stand."
-Seriously, we spend more time coming up with these title cards than we do writing the show. Cougar Town.
-Laurie (To Jules): "When I get married, I hope I'm just as pregnant as you."
-Grayson on Jules old wedding album: "Did your photographer suck or do you just know a lot of people without heads?" Jules: "That's Bobby's uncle. He was really sweet, but when we opened our photographs, there was, like, nine pictures of his penis. He's actually in jail now."
-Travis: "The helmet's gone!" Grayson: "You had a helmet?" Travis: "God, I really thought that would be a bigger deal." Actually, in the two weeks the show was off the air, I had completely forgot about the helmet.
-Travis: "There's just so much beauty in photography, I just wanted to take that notion, and turn it on its head. So the theme of my work is: taking the beauty out of beauty." Jules (looking at the picture): "You really cannot see the beauty."
-Jules: "Okay, I love this. I am going to put this on my wall." Travis: "You're actually holding it wrong. (Turns the picture around) It's a severed toe." Jules: "Well, it's the best picture of a severed toe that I have ever seen. Yeah, I can't stop looking at it."
-Laurie: "Luckily, I can control my gag reflex. (Looks at Ellie.) Nothing?" Ellie: "I don't swing at soft balls."
-Ellie (To Jules): "It's weird. I have dishes in my sink, and you have chicken bones, tissues, a pair of broken sunglasses, and diapers." Jules: "Grayson baby-proofed my trash can. I have a house full of things that I can't open, including my toilet. Ellie, I had to teetee in the yard." Ellie: "Why didn't you just go in the shower?" Jules: "Gross."
-Jules: "Look, this is probably the last time that I'll have a chance to get great wedding photos." Grayson: "Probably?"
-Angie: "You never said that you wanted to be exclusive." Bobby: "Yes I did. Every time I kiss you, my lips are saying: (uses his fingers to make his lips move) Angie, I want to be exclusive." Angie: "Why do your lips need your fingers to make them talk?" Bobby: "I don't know!"
-Bobby: "I thought we had something special, but I was wrong. We're through. I'd be storming out right now if I hadn't just ordered a cheeseburger."
-Laurie: "Jules told me never to ask, but why do you call me Jellybean?" Ellie: "Well J.B., when Jules first hired you, I thought you were so simple-minded she could convince you that jellybeans were more valuble in gold, and subsequently pay you in jellybeans. This concept was eventually shortened into your nickname: Jellybean."
-Bobby: "Now I know exactly how you felt when I cheated on you all those times." Jules: "Feels a little different. I mean, she's been your girlfriend for two weeks and she kissed a dude, and well we were married, and you banged a thousand waitresses." Bobby: "Is it the waitress part that makes it different?" Jules: "Sure, why not."
-Laurie: "Why do I suck at this?" Ellie: "It's not your fault. When you were a fetus, your mom existed on funnel cakes and motorcycle fumes. Consider it a victory you don't have a tail."
-Bobby: "Angie, how'd you get in here?" Angie: "Your door is held shut with suspenders. When I came in I found a bum making a sandwich." Bobby: "Well, that's just Gary... or Dennis. Did he have a beard or a huge beard?" Angie: "I don't know, I was screaming." Bobby: "That sounds like Gary."
-Jules: "I just, I cannot stand the thought of [Travis] having a crappy life. Why couldn't he be a drug dealer. At least they have cool cars."
-Jules: "Wow, he's really angry with us." Grayson: "Us?" Jules: "Yeah." Grayson: "You told him it was my decision, didn't you?" Jules: "Yeah, and he's still mad at me. That's crazy."
-Andy: "So she found your weak spot?" Bobby: "If that means my ding dong, then yeah."
-Ellie: "I can't do math. I can do basic math, like if the nanny breaks a glass, then that's minus seven dollars from her paycheck."
-Ellie: "I don't think you're dumb. I just think you have a blindspot for Simon." Laurie: "Simon and airport baggage carousels. Everyone else just takes their luggage so easy, I just end up running laps." Ellie: "You have to wait for it."
-Jules: "Hey, what are you up to?" Travis: "I have three midterms next week. What do you think I'm up to?" Jules: "Some nerdy computer thing?" Travis: "Correct."
-Jules: "I'm not going to give you money whenever you need it." Travis: "Yes, you will." Jules: "Yes I will. We should probably open a joint bank account."
-Jules is looking for a photographer for her wedding, as this is probably her last chance to get good wedding photos. Travis wants to do it, but when he shows Jules some of his work, the pictures are gross, morbid, and terrifying, makes Jules wonder if Travis will be able to do this. Angie assures Jules that Travis is really good, but also that it'll porbably be tough for Travis to make a living doing photography. This worries Jules, who doesn't want Travis to suffer, so she decides to say no to him, hoping it will defer him for photography. Travis gets upset at her and Grayson points out that this probably won't keep Travis from following his passion if he really wants to do it. Angie also later tells Jules that struggle or not, Travis is talented and that's what really matters. Jules realizes she was wrong to reject Travis and offers him the job, which he accepts. She also admits (Though she denies it at first) that she'll lend Travis money whenever he needs it.
-Meanwhile, Bobby is feeling really good about his relationship with Angie until he sees her kissing another guy. He finds out that she didn't think they were exclusive, but he tells her that his kisses meant they were exclusive. He breaks up with her, but she later sneaks on his boat naked and they wind up getting back together. Andy helps Bobby realize that he doesn't want a relationship like that anymore though, and after Angie admits that she's not really wanting anything serious, they break up for good.
-Also meanwhile, Grayson unjams one of Jules old drawers (so he can babyproof it for his new daughter), to find a buch of stuff from the 80's and 90's, including a Simon game. Ellie takes it when Laurie's looking at it, saying it's not for Jellybeans. Later, she lets Laurie to try it in order to watch her fail, which pleases Ellie. Laurie gets upset because she had never thought that Ellie actually thought that she was dumb. Ellie later on assures her that she doesn't think she's dumb, and everyone had their blindspots (For example, Ellie can't do complex math and Grayson can't remember bar orders.).
I Like This: You Can Still Change Your Mind was a funny episode of Cougar Town with lots of good moments. While I'm sad to see Sarah Chalke go, her exit was well-handled here and her and Bobby's relationship ended for a very good reason: he wants something exclusive and real, and she just wants to have fun (And kiss other guys). This story is also a testament to how far Bobby has come since the beginning of the series. Before he wouldn't have minded a casual relationship, but now it looks like he's finally growing up a bit. The plot also allowed for funny moments like the revelation that two bums apparently come and go as they please on the boat. Travis wanting to be the photographer at Jules wedding was also a good story, as it went from Jules worrying that Travis' photos would be as terrifying as some of his other work (He strives to remove beauty from beauty) to Jules worrying that Travis taking photos at her wedding would be the first step to a hard life, where he would struggle to make a living. It's another good, natural complication and the resolution was also sweet. The story also had plenty of comedy though, including Grayson trying to give parenting advice, despite only being a dad for two days. And the Ellie/Laurie plot was less essential then the other stories, but it did offer the origin of the nickname Jellybean, which was funny and in character with season 1 Ellie's opinion of Laurie.
But...: While there was plenty of humour and emotion in this episode, both elements weren't executed quite as strongly as they had been in the last couple episodes (Particularly in the Ellie/Laurie plot). Also, I kind of wish we had gotten another episode with Angie, so her exit could've been better set-up.
The Bottom Line: You Can Still Change Your Mind wasn't the strongest effort of Cougar Town, but it was still a funny episode with lots of good moments for the Cul-De-Sac crew.
Grade: 78% (Good)
Memorable Moments
-Jules: "Sometimes I do feel a little, oh, (motions to Ellie) what is it?" Ellie: "You're not crazy about the ditzy, trashy, fake blonde, fake tan, fake boob, club skank you one-night-standed to make that baby." Jules: "She says it better." Grayson (to his daughter): "That is not true Jill. Your mommy and I had a one afternoon stand."
-Seriously, we spend more time coming up with these title cards than we do writing the show. Cougar Town.
-Laurie (To Jules): "When I get married, I hope I'm just as pregnant as you."
-Grayson on Jules old wedding album: "Did your photographer suck or do you just know a lot of people without heads?" Jules: "That's Bobby's uncle. He was really sweet, but when we opened our photographs, there was, like, nine pictures of his penis. He's actually in jail now."
-Travis: "The helmet's gone!" Grayson: "You had a helmet?" Travis: "God, I really thought that would be a bigger deal." Actually, in the two weeks the show was off the air, I had completely forgot about the helmet.
-Travis: "There's just so much beauty in photography, I just wanted to take that notion, and turn it on its head. So the theme of my work is: taking the beauty out of beauty." Jules (looking at the picture): "You really cannot see the beauty."
-Jules: "Okay, I love this. I am going to put this on my wall." Travis: "You're actually holding it wrong. (Turns the picture around) It's a severed toe." Jules: "Well, it's the best picture of a severed toe that I have ever seen. Yeah, I can't stop looking at it."
-Laurie: "Luckily, I can control my gag reflex. (Looks at Ellie.) Nothing?" Ellie: "I don't swing at soft balls."
-Ellie (To Jules): "It's weird. I have dishes in my sink, and you have chicken bones, tissues, a pair of broken sunglasses, and diapers." Jules: "Grayson baby-proofed my trash can. I have a house full of things that I can't open, including my toilet. Ellie, I had to teetee in the yard." Ellie: "Why didn't you just go in the shower?" Jules: "Gross."
-Jules: "Look, this is probably the last time that I'll have a chance to get great wedding photos." Grayson: "Probably?"
-Angie: "You never said that you wanted to be exclusive." Bobby: "Yes I did. Every time I kiss you, my lips are saying: (uses his fingers to make his lips move) Angie, I want to be exclusive." Angie: "Why do your lips need your fingers to make them talk?" Bobby: "I don't know!"
-Bobby: "I thought we had something special, but I was wrong. We're through. I'd be storming out right now if I hadn't just ordered a cheeseburger."
-Laurie: "Jules told me never to ask, but why do you call me Jellybean?" Ellie: "Well J.B., when Jules first hired you, I thought you were so simple-minded she could convince you that jellybeans were more valuble in gold, and subsequently pay you in jellybeans. This concept was eventually shortened into your nickname: Jellybean."
-Bobby: "Now I know exactly how you felt when I cheated on you all those times." Jules: "Feels a little different. I mean, she's been your girlfriend for two weeks and she kissed a dude, and well we were married, and you banged a thousand waitresses." Bobby: "Is it the waitress part that makes it different?" Jules: "Sure, why not."
-Laurie: "Why do I suck at this?" Ellie: "It's not your fault. When you were a fetus, your mom existed on funnel cakes and motorcycle fumes. Consider it a victory you don't have a tail."
-Bobby: "Angie, how'd you get in here?" Angie: "Your door is held shut with suspenders. When I came in I found a bum making a sandwich." Bobby: "Well, that's just Gary... or Dennis. Did he have a beard or a huge beard?" Angie: "I don't know, I was screaming." Bobby: "That sounds like Gary."
-Jules: "I just, I cannot stand the thought of [Travis] having a crappy life. Why couldn't he be a drug dealer. At least they have cool cars."
-Jules: "Wow, he's really angry with us." Grayson: "Us?" Jules: "Yeah." Grayson: "You told him it was my decision, didn't you?" Jules: "Yeah, and he's still mad at me. That's crazy."
-Andy: "So she found your weak spot?" Bobby: "If that means my ding dong, then yeah."
-Ellie: "I can't do math. I can do basic math, like if the nanny breaks a glass, then that's minus seven dollars from her paycheck."
-Ellie: "I don't think you're dumb. I just think you have a blindspot for Simon." Laurie: "Simon and airport baggage carousels. Everyone else just takes their luggage so easy, I just end up running laps." Ellie: "You have to wait for it."
-Jules: "Hey, what are you up to?" Travis: "I have three midterms next week. What do you think I'm up to?" Jules: "Some nerdy computer thing?" Travis: "Correct."
-Jules: "I'm not going to give you money whenever you need it." Travis: "Yes, you will." Jules: "Yes I will. We should probably open a joint bank account."
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
How I Met Your Mother: Trilogy Time
What Happened, Yo!:
-Barney has an argument with Quinn, after he won't let her put her mugs in his cupboards because he needs to assert his male dominance. Everyone thinks this is stupid. We learn that every year since 2000, Ted and Marshall (And starting in 2003, Barney) have sat down to watch the Star Wars Trilogy and fantasize about where their lives will be. Ted's fantasies always involve being married to Robin/A Robin-type Figure, Marshall's always involve him having a moustache and being married to a pregnant Lily (Except for one year, when Lily had left him at the time) and Barney's always involve showing a random girl the door (Even the year he's secretly dating Robin.). When Ted realizes that he's still not married after all this time, he becomes depressed and decides that in three years, he will be balding and alone. Barney realizes that he no longer wants to be showing a random girl the door and wants to settle down with Quinn, so he goes back to his apartment and apologizes. Marshall tells Ted that 2015 will be his year and we learn that in 2015, Ted is married with a baby daughter.
I Like This: Trilogy Time was a funny and clever episode of How I Met Your Mother with a good central theme about trying to figure out where one's life may be in the future. It's something that I'm sure most people can relate too (I know I play that game all the time.). The structure of watching Ted, Marshall, and Barney's (Though mostly Ted and Marshall until the end) fantasies of the future change as they changed and grew older was a good one. It allowed us to see how Marshall's fantasies eventually came through (Although he still doesn't have a moustache or a legendary seven-week run on Wheel of Fortune to support his family with) and how Ted's life has more or less stayed the same to the point where Ted stops believing that he'll have a happy future. This fits into the story the show's been telling recently, about Ted realizing he's no closer to finding his soulmate than he was seven years ago and trying to figure out why. The show's structure also allowed us to visit two interesting periods in the show's history that we hadn't really spent a lot of time in (The initial period where Lily was in San Francisco and Marshall was heartbroken, and the period where Barney and Robin were secretly dating), which was fun. It also gave us a trip back to Ted and Marshall's college years and gave us a rare glimpse of their lives between college and the start of the show. I also enjoyed how the episode allowed us to see Barney as a man who, more than ever is finally ready to change his life a bit, after years of fantasies of sending random girl after random girl out the door (With the only change being back boobs.). And of course, the final reveal at the end with Ted having a baby girl by 2015 was very sweet.
But...: Barney's argument with Quinn seemed a little unnecessary.
The Bottom Line: Trilogy Time was a very funny episode of How I Met Your Mother, with a good concept, and a touching reminder that we'll be meeting the mother sooner rather than later.
Grade: 87% (Great)
Memorable Moments
-The opening with the man across the street getting obsessed over the mysterious behavior of the "Well Dressed Blonde Man", followed by the reveal that Barney has been leaving the apartment to pass gas ever since Quinn moved in was great. As was the callback with the man trying to figure out why Barney hasn't come out the next night.
-Great running gag: Ted and Marshall always imagine a democrat in office until Ted's dark fantasy, where America has given Bush a surprise third term, much to their regret.
-Marshall's dark fantasy about Lily being married to a douchey guy named Trey (Who has a moustache and a trucker cap) and pregnant with Trey's baby (Who's already wearing a trucker hat in the womb, apparently) was great.
-The joke with Robin having to hide in Barney's stormtrooper outfit during the 2009 Trilogy Time was great, as was Barney's desire to sleep with a stormtrooper (Which he finally gets to do with Quinn).
-Barney: While it’s just us guys, let me ask you something. We’ve all had that same fantasy about having sex with a girl in a storm trooper costumer, right?" Ted and Marshall: "No. Never." Barney: "Guys, come on. No girls around, just us bros. Safe space. Let’s stop being polite and start getting real." Ted and Marshall: "No. Never."
-Everyone but Ted is happy in Ted's dark fantasy. Fantasy Lily: "We’re pregnant with baby no. 5!" Fantasy Ted: But baby no. 4 isn't even out yet!" Fantasy Marshall: "I'm just that good."
-Barney has an argument with Quinn, after he won't let her put her mugs in his cupboards because he needs to assert his male dominance. Everyone thinks this is stupid. We learn that every year since 2000, Ted and Marshall (And starting in 2003, Barney) have sat down to watch the Star Wars Trilogy and fantasize about where their lives will be. Ted's fantasies always involve being married to Robin/A Robin-type Figure, Marshall's always involve him having a moustache and being married to a pregnant Lily (Except for one year, when Lily had left him at the time) and Barney's always involve showing a random girl the door (Even the year he's secretly dating Robin.). When Ted realizes that he's still not married after all this time, he becomes depressed and decides that in three years, he will be balding and alone. Barney realizes that he no longer wants to be showing a random girl the door and wants to settle down with Quinn, so he goes back to his apartment and apologizes. Marshall tells Ted that 2015 will be his year and we learn that in 2015, Ted is married with a baby daughter.
I Like This: Trilogy Time was a funny and clever episode of How I Met Your Mother with a good central theme about trying to figure out where one's life may be in the future. It's something that I'm sure most people can relate too (I know I play that game all the time.). The structure of watching Ted, Marshall, and Barney's (Though mostly Ted and Marshall until the end) fantasies of the future change as they changed and grew older was a good one. It allowed us to see how Marshall's fantasies eventually came through (Although he still doesn't have a moustache or a legendary seven-week run on Wheel of Fortune to support his family with) and how Ted's life has more or less stayed the same to the point where Ted stops believing that he'll have a happy future. This fits into the story the show's been telling recently, about Ted realizing he's no closer to finding his soulmate than he was seven years ago and trying to figure out why. The show's structure also allowed us to visit two interesting periods in the show's history that we hadn't really spent a lot of time in (The initial period where Lily was in San Francisco and Marshall was heartbroken, and the period where Barney and Robin were secretly dating), which was fun. It also gave us a trip back to Ted and Marshall's college years and gave us a rare glimpse of their lives between college and the start of the show. I also enjoyed how the episode allowed us to see Barney as a man who, more than ever is finally ready to change his life a bit, after years of fantasies of sending random girl after random girl out the door (With the only change being back boobs.). And of course, the final reveal at the end with Ted having a baby girl by 2015 was very sweet.
But...: Barney's argument with Quinn seemed a little unnecessary.
The Bottom Line: Trilogy Time was a very funny episode of How I Met Your Mother, with a good concept, and a touching reminder that we'll be meeting the mother sooner rather than later.
Grade: 87% (Great)
Memorable Moments
-The opening with the man across the street getting obsessed over the mysterious behavior of the "Well Dressed Blonde Man", followed by the reveal that Barney has been leaving the apartment to pass gas ever since Quinn moved in was great. As was the callback with the man trying to figure out why Barney hasn't come out the next night.
-Great running gag: Ted and Marshall always imagine a democrat in office until Ted's dark fantasy, where America has given Bush a surprise third term, much to their regret.
-Marshall's dark fantasy about Lily being married to a douchey guy named Trey (Who has a moustache and a trucker cap) and pregnant with Trey's baby (Who's already wearing a trucker hat in the womb, apparently) was great.
-The joke with Robin having to hide in Barney's stormtrooper outfit during the 2009 Trilogy Time was great, as was Barney's desire to sleep with a stormtrooper (Which he finally gets to do with Quinn).
-Barney: While it’s just us guys, let me ask you something. We’ve all had that same fantasy about having sex with a girl in a storm trooper costumer, right?" Ted and Marshall: "No. Never." Barney: "Guys, come on. No girls around, just us bros. Safe space. Let’s stop being polite and start getting real." Ted and Marshall: "No. Never."
-Everyone but Ted is happy in Ted's dark fantasy. Fantasy Lily: "We’re pregnant with baby no. 5!" Fantasy Ted: But baby no. 4 isn't even out yet!" Fantasy Marshall: "I'm just that good."
Monday, 9 April 2012
Community: Pillow and Blankets
What Happened, Yo!
-The episode is presented as a documentary airing on Greendale Campus Television. We get recapped on how Troy and Abed's competing pillow and blanket forts and the possibility of a world record led to a major pillow fight in the study room. Jeff is brought in by the Dean to solve the conflict, but Troy and Abed reject the invisible "magic friendship hats" he gives them and Troy gives Abed an "All Tomato", saying he has until midnight to tear down his fort. When Abed refuses, Troy declares war. Lines are drawn and sides are picked. Pierce is Troy's second in command until he gives the position to Shirley, making Pierce jump sides to Abed. Annie provides medical aid to both sides, while Britta tries (poorly) to capture the war in a series of photos. And Jeff gives inspiring speeches to both sides, in an effort to prolong the war and further put off going to class, much to Annie's chagrin. When Pierce begins building a powerful weapon for Abed, Troy brings in Chnag and his preteen security interns as a defensive measure. The interns, nicknamed the Changlorious Basterds, cause lots of havoc, causing Abed to unleash his superweapon: a Pillowman (Pierce covered head-to-toe in pillow armor.).
-As things spread, Troy sees an e-mail Abed sent out outlining all of Troy's weaknesses and insecurities. In anger, Troy sends Abed a text telling him that he will never have another friend, because no one else will have patience with him. News of Troy and Abed hurting each others feelings moves Jeff to try and negotiate peace, but Troy and Abed declare their friendship dead and state that the loser of the war will move out of the apartment. They have an epic battle in the cafeteria, which ends when the Dean announces that the Guiness Record rep who had been coming has been fired and this whole thing has been pointless. Everyone stops except Troy and Abed who keep going because the fight will be the last thing they ever do together. Jeff points out that this proves that they still like each other and want to be friends, but neither of them think they can go back. Jeff suggests that they put on the magical friendship hats from earlier and they agree, but they make him go back to the office to get them. Although Annie thought Jeff had just waited in the hall for a while, we find that Jeff actually went back to the office and mimed getting the caps, even though he didn't have to. With the feud over, Troy and Abed become friends again and the gang leaves the cafeteria. Jeff later writes in a journal (something Annie had suggested) about how he's now realized that he would do anything for his friends.
I Liked This: Man, that was a good episode. Pillows and Blankets had an interesting problem to solve: how do you pull off an episode about a school-wide pillow fight, and make it dramatic, while at the same time, avoid doing a Modern Warfare rehash of sorts? The answer: do it as one of those PBS documentaries, complete with narration (From Keith David of The Cape, which is a great reference to last years running gag about the show in the faux-clip show episode, Paradigm of Human Memory) lots of photos, interviews, and people reading text messages, e-mails and Facebook status updates regarding the war. It's all great and really funny and at the centre of it is a great story about Troy and Abed's biggest fight and off to the sidelines is an equally great story about Jeff realizing just how much he cares about his friends. That all this is filtered through the lens of a documentary makes this all even better, allowing for lots of funny moments (Such as the narrator explaining the very confusing name of North Cafeteria). Troy and Abed's conflict felt very real and believeable, and the scene of the two of them just weakly hitting each other with pillows, because stopping would mean the end of Troy and Abed, and neither of them truly wanted that was great. Jeff revealing that he went back to get the friendship caps was also a very touching moment, and it'll be interesting to see if the revelation he had will pop up again during the rest of the season. And I was happy with how the pillow fight war of the episode actually ends on an anticlimatic note with no real victor. And the way the fight between Troy and Abed ended leaves the door open for future conflict in their relationship, which is probably necessary.. All in all, a season highlight.
But... No problems this week.
The Bottom Line: Pillows and Blankets was a fantastic episode of Community with lots of great moments and a great story at the heart of it.
Grade: 90% (Almost Perfect)
Memorable Moments
-Dean: "Does anyone ever actually go to class?"
-I love how the song Daybreak keeps showing up in this third season. Hopefully this keeps going, because it never gets old. Enjoyed the return of Fat Neil also. Or should I say "Real Neil."
-Narrator: “Unfortunately for Britta and millions of photographers like her, just because something’s in black and white doesn’t mean it’s good.”
-Narrator: "They were later nicknamed the Changlorious Basterds. Like Inglorious Basterds. But with Chang instead of In. I don't get it either".
-Narrator: "Amanda Johnson. Poet by choice. Lesbian by birth."
-Abed: "The Rambo titles never made sense and neither does war." Leonard: "Leonard likes this post." Best use of people reading their text messages/Facebook statuses.
-Narrator: "The North Cafeteria, named after Admiral William North is located in the western portion of East Hall, gateway to the western half of North Hall which is named, not after William North, but for it's position above the South Wall. It is the mosted contested and confusing battlefield on Greendale's campus, next to the English Memorial Spanish Centre, named after English Memorial, a Portaguese sailor, who discovered Greendale, while looking for a fountain that cured syphilis."
-The Troy/Abed pledge drive at the end was a great joke, which seemed like a pretty meta nod to a certain beloved show that had been put on hiatus while this episode was filming.
-The episode is presented as a documentary airing on Greendale Campus Television. We get recapped on how Troy and Abed's competing pillow and blanket forts and the possibility of a world record led to a major pillow fight in the study room. Jeff is brought in by the Dean to solve the conflict, but Troy and Abed reject the invisible "magic friendship hats" he gives them and Troy gives Abed an "All Tomato", saying he has until midnight to tear down his fort. When Abed refuses, Troy declares war. Lines are drawn and sides are picked. Pierce is Troy's second in command until he gives the position to Shirley, making Pierce jump sides to Abed. Annie provides medical aid to both sides, while Britta tries (poorly) to capture the war in a series of photos. And Jeff gives inspiring speeches to both sides, in an effort to prolong the war and further put off going to class, much to Annie's chagrin. When Pierce begins building a powerful weapon for Abed, Troy brings in Chnag and his preteen security interns as a defensive measure. The interns, nicknamed the Changlorious Basterds, cause lots of havoc, causing Abed to unleash his superweapon: a Pillowman (Pierce covered head-to-toe in pillow armor.).
-As things spread, Troy sees an e-mail Abed sent out outlining all of Troy's weaknesses and insecurities. In anger, Troy sends Abed a text telling him that he will never have another friend, because no one else will have patience with him. News of Troy and Abed hurting each others feelings moves Jeff to try and negotiate peace, but Troy and Abed declare their friendship dead and state that the loser of the war will move out of the apartment. They have an epic battle in the cafeteria, which ends when the Dean announces that the Guiness Record rep who had been coming has been fired and this whole thing has been pointless. Everyone stops except Troy and Abed who keep going because the fight will be the last thing they ever do together. Jeff points out that this proves that they still like each other and want to be friends, but neither of them think they can go back. Jeff suggests that they put on the magical friendship hats from earlier and they agree, but they make him go back to the office to get them. Although Annie thought Jeff had just waited in the hall for a while, we find that Jeff actually went back to the office and mimed getting the caps, even though he didn't have to. With the feud over, Troy and Abed become friends again and the gang leaves the cafeteria. Jeff later writes in a journal (something Annie had suggested) about how he's now realized that he would do anything for his friends.
I Liked This: Man, that was a good episode. Pillows and Blankets had an interesting problem to solve: how do you pull off an episode about a school-wide pillow fight, and make it dramatic, while at the same time, avoid doing a Modern Warfare rehash of sorts? The answer: do it as one of those PBS documentaries, complete with narration (From Keith David of The Cape, which is a great reference to last years running gag about the show in the faux-clip show episode, Paradigm of Human Memory) lots of photos, interviews, and people reading text messages, e-mails and Facebook status updates regarding the war. It's all great and really funny and at the centre of it is a great story about Troy and Abed's biggest fight and off to the sidelines is an equally great story about Jeff realizing just how much he cares about his friends. That all this is filtered through the lens of a documentary makes this all even better, allowing for lots of funny moments (Such as the narrator explaining the very confusing name of North Cafeteria). Troy and Abed's conflict felt very real and believeable, and the scene of the two of them just weakly hitting each other with pillows, because stopping would mean the end of Troy and Abed, and neither of them truly wanted that was great. Jeff revealing that he went back to get the friendship caps was also a very touching moment, and it'll be interesting to see if the revelation he had will pop up again during the rest of the season. And I was happy with how the pillow fight war of the episode actually ends on an anticlimatic note with no real victor. And the way the fight between Troy and Abed ended leaves the door open for future conflict in their relationship, which is probably necessary.. All in all, a season highlight.
But... No problems this week.
The Bottom Line: Pillows and Blankets was a fantastic episode of Community with lots of great moments and a great story at the heart of it.
Grade: 90% (Almost Perfect)
Memorable Moments
-Dean: "Does anyone ever actually go to class?"
-I love how the song Daybreak keeps showing up in this third season. Hopefully this keeps going, because it never gets old. Enjoyed the return of Fat Neil also. Or should I say "Real Neil."
-Narrator: “Unfortunately for Britta and millions of photographers like her, just because something’s in black and white doesn’t mean it’s good.”
-Narrator: "They were later nicknamed the Changlorious Basterds. Like Inglorious Basterds. But with Chang instead of In. I don't get it either".
-Narrator: "Amanda Johnson. Poet by choice. Lesbian by birth."
-Abed: "The Rambo titles never made sense and neither does war." Leonard: "Leonard likes this post." Best use of people reading their text messages/Facebook statuses.
-Narrator: "The North Cafeteria, named after Admiral William North is located in the western portion of East Hall, gateway to the western half of North Hall which is named, not after William North, but for it's position above the South Wall. It is the mosted contested and confusing battlefield on Greendale's campus, next to the English Memorial Spanish Centre, named after English Memorial, a Portaguese sailor, who discovered Greendale, while looking for a fountain that cured syphilis."
-The Troy/Abed pledge drive at the end was a great joke, which seemed like a pretty meta nod to a certain beloved show that had been put on hiatus while this episode was filming.
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