It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Part 2

So what I've learned over the past week or so is that May sweeps as we once knew it basically doesn't exist anymore.  For one thing, it apparently starts in April now, which bumps the whole schedule forward by several weeks (remember back in the day when the season finale of your favorite shows would coincide with the last days of school?).  Most of the shows discussed below will end in the first two weeks of may, and have already begun to ramp up their plot lines accordingly.  Let's get to it.


Parks and Recreation

Last week's "The Debate" continues to present new things for me to gush about (especially now that I've watched the director's cut, which has even more glorious extra laughs).  And things are only going to get more exciting from here.  The remaining two episodes will determine Leslie's political fate, and rumor has it there are going to be some major complications before the end of the race.
*I've already watched this evening's episode, "Bus Tour," and am holding off on elaborating here so I can post a better review later.


Grey's Anatomy

I have to applaud the current arc centering on the residents taking their medical boards, which I thought might grow tedious but which has been really very interesting to watch.  It's the first time in a while that Grey's has really emphasized the journey each character is on as an individual, rather than simply exploring their romantic relationships with one another.  The hype for the finale has been on the rise for a few weeks now, with several cast members cryptically giving interviews about how anyone's death is fair game in the season finale, due to air May 17th (although rumor has it Meredith, Alex, and Christina are safe, at least from death).  Of course, anyone following the show knows that this has more to do with ongoing contract negotiations with the actors than anything on the creative side, but it definitely feels like things are in flux, and that everything is about to change, for better or for (probably) worse over at Seattle Grace-Mercy West.


New Girl

(Yes, this is the overrated freshman show I was talking about in my previous post.)  Although the writers and actors seem to have finally found something of a groove in terms of humor, storytelling, and minimizing the "isn't she ador(k)able?" aspect of Zooey Deschanel's character, I still think the finale of this show's first season will be (somehow) both predictable and anti-climactic.  Fans are rooting for a Jess and Nick hookup with a fervor reminiscent of the early seasons of Friends and the Ross/Rachel tension.  Now, New Girl could potentially pull off a satisfying conclusion and/or cliffhanger if they go a similar route (that is, resolving it and not resolving it simultaneously, a la season 1 of Friends, where Rachel goes to the airport having realized her feelings only to see Ross with Julie).  I predict that by the end of next Tuesday's episode, either Nick or Jess will have an epiphany of sorts (though it could be argued that Jess kind of did at the end of this week's installment), but I doubt that anything with a clear resolution will happen.  I'd also like to see Nick go through with his decision to move out of the loft, if only because it presents more possibilities for the start of season 2.


Cougar Town

Jules and Grayson are going to get married, which is probably the official moment this show will demand a new title, as there is no substantial age difference between the two.   But rumor has it that Laurie might be assuming the role of a cougar of sorts, if the murmurs of something real happening between her and Travis are to be believed.  My only reservation with this story line is that if the writers aren't careful about handling it, they may run into the same criticism that plagued the show in its early days about how appropriate and/or realistic its interpretation of relationships is.  As someone who's been very happy to see how far this show has come since the pilot, I'm hoping they can pull off an acknowledgement of the palpable chemistry between these two characters in a way that fits with the show we know and love.