TV Review: 2 Broke Girls 1.07-- ...And Hoarder Culture

First, let's just get this out of the way:  I love Han.  And everything he does.  "I have ended my bromance with your boyfriend Johnny."  If he had his own spinoff, I would totally watch that.

There are some good things going on in this episode.  Caroline trying to get a second job (sidenote:  I think people who write for TV want Craigslist to be a lot sketchier place to look for a job than it really is; some of us plebeians have to use it, okay?)  She stumbles upon what looks to be a hoarder's place.  Here's the thing, and I do not think I'm alone in this:  I will always be fascinated and mildly disgusted by hoarder culture.  I just don't understand it.  And as long as there are things about it on television, I will be there to watch them.  Also, kittens!

We also got a few steps forward on the Max and Johnny front, which usually pays off for this show. I particularly like how absolutely every other character is all up in their business, and there isn't even business to be up in yet.  But...oh no, plot twist!  Johnny has a girlfriend, as Max unfortunately finds out just after she's decided to go for it.  This revelation is followed by a rare dose of sincerity, which usually doesn't happen on this show between anyone other than Max and Caroline.  It was...interesting.  Yes, it felt a little cheesy, very much like the cliche Katharine Heigl movies they repeatedly referenced, but it was also a step forward for Max's character, one that I hope will stick.  She's definitely enjoyable in her current sassy state, but that can only be maintained for so long before she softens up just a little bit, and I think we saw the potential beginnings of that here.

I like that this episode cut down a little on Max and Caroline's time together and played up the supporting cast a little bit more, because they all have more potential than they've gotten credit for thus far.

TV Review: How I Met Your Mother 7.08-- Disaster Averted

This entry should be read with an implicit November sweeps SPOILER WARNING.  Remember that time when I said this show was gearing up for some changes during sweeps?  Yeah, I won't bore you with the gloating, but I was right!

"Disaster Averted" contains not one but two fully realized stories:  one takes place in the present, with the gang at MacLaren's, the other is a flashback sequence to the week when Hurricane Irene threatened to flood New York City.  Both stories had equally fulfilling elements, and some very funny moments.

In the present, Barney is obsessed with getting Marshall and Lily to revoke their decree that he wear the ducky tie every day for an entire year.  He comes up with the genius plan that they can trade the wearing of the tie for additional slaps in the "slap bet" made by Marshall and Barney so many moons ago. 

Meanwhile, in the coverage of the gang's storm watch, we get a healthy dose of Ted being a huge nerd, which tends to be the times I like him best.  He is in full boy scout mode, prepping for the impending disaster, donning some lovely fuschia rain boots, and attempting to convince the gang to evacuate.  Through some patented Barney manipulation, they all wind up stranded inside his apartment instead.  This bit is a stroke of genius because it gave us a bottle episode experience without the entire episode having to take place locked in Barney's living room.

Back in the present, Kevin riddles out the reason Barney is suddenly so dead set on removing the ducky tie:  he's scheduled to meet Nora's parents in a few days' time.  Marshall and Lily sympathize (and also reveal that their son-to-be was in fact conceived in Barney's bathroom the day of the hurricane), and agree that Barney can remove the tie in exchange for three additional slaps. two of which Marshall doles out on the spot.  For those keeping score at home, the remaining slap count is now 2.

The best part of the episode (in my heavily biased opinion) comes in the final five minutes, after just about everything else gets wrapped up.  Barney and Robin share a cab home, and Robin asks Barney if he's ever mentioned the "other thing" that "almost happened" during the storm.  We then got a flashback revealing that Barney and Robin had a bit of a heartfelt moment, not to mention an almost-kiss.  Now, having known going into this episode that these two were going to have a "moment," I thought this was all we were going to get, and was more than happy with it.  However, the show zagged when I expected a zig, and at the last moment we went back to the present to see Barney and Robin, both now engaged in serious relationships with other people, share a pretty heated kiss.

What does this mean?  Are these two and their respective significant others headed for trouble, or will they bury this incident, chalking it up to poor judgment?  It seems too good to be true that we're headed for a genuine Barney and Robin reunion, and so we'll have to wait and see how they manage to steer themselves in the wrong direction.  And of course, Barney's wedding and mystery bride are always in the back of my mind-- does this kiss give us further evidence it could be Robin, or will Barney re-commit to Nora even more seriously after this misstep?  Time will tell, but if this is the kind of episode the writers of this show have up their sleeves for the rest of November, I say bring it on.

Movie Review: Like Crazy

If you've seen the trailer for this movie, in a way you've kind of seen the whole movie (except the trailer is kind of better, what with the great music and all).  Like Crazy is charming and full of angst and an overuse of montages, which of course makes it indie-film-junkie heroin.  I enjoyed the film on the whole, and I grant that the two lead actors (especially Felicity Jones) compensate for a lot of plot problems with their undeniable charm and chemistry.  However, they don't make up for how frustrating the very premise of this film becomes if you're like me and you start really thinking about it right there in the theater.

The biggest issue I have with it is that the entire central problem of the film arises because Jones' character Anna, makes an extremely stupid decision.  If that were all I could maybe forgive it, but she knows exactly what she's doing when she does it, and is just (apparently) dumb enough to not consider the possible consequences.  The basic gist is this:  Anna is an immigrant from England, in Los Angeles on a student visa.  Her visa expires upon her graduation, and she has to spend two months in England for the summer before she can come back to her beloved boyfriend of one year, Jacob.  As anyone who's ever dealt with a visa or even looked into it, you know that these deadlines are not by any means flexible, and the consequences of violating a visa deadline are extremely severe (I'm also certain they impress this upon you many, many times in the application process).  Anna, however, decides even after she and Jacob have accepted this necessary two-month hiatus that she'll just stay in the States through the summer.  Who's going to notice, right?  Wrong.

Because these two are absolutely stupid for each other (and I mean that in the least flattering way possible), Anna gets herself banned from the US indefinitely because she can't bear to spend 8-10 weeks away from her boyfriend (and of course he idiotically agrees to anything she says).  The rest of the film is basically them as an on-and-off couple, with Jacob visiting intermittently as they try to get the ban lifted (and never once realizing that he could simply move to London until Anna is allowed to leave; his flimsy excuse is that he sells furniture in LA, which apparently is impossible in any other country).  They whine and cry (a lot, there are a ton of tears in this movie), and date other people and send each other letters, and the entire time I cannot bring myself to root for them because of their shared stupidity. 

Eventually they decide to get married, but even that doesn't immediately succeed in getting Anna's ban lifted.  And then, naturally, their relationship begins to really unravel due to jealousy and of course the angst of being two idiots in love.  The film ends on a somber note, with Anna's ban lifted at last, and her coming to LA to stay with Jacob (presumably indefinitely, though it isn't clarified).  In their last scene together it becomes clear that a great deal of the initial magic of their relationship is gone, and maybe all this struggle wasn't really worth it after all.  And I would absolutely feel sympathy for them, if it weren't for the fact that Anna could have gone on that two month break to England and they could've realized the staying power (or lack thereof) of their relationship years earlier than they ultimately do.

But hey, the cinematography and the soundtrack are pretty great, so I can see why it was a favorite at Sundance.

TV Revew: Once Upon a Time 1.03-- Snow Falls

To be honest, I wasn't crazy about last week's "The Thing You Love Most," which felt underwhelming (and over-hyped) following a stellar pilot, but this week's episode, which centered on how Snow White and her Prince Charming met in their world and their less-than-perfect reunion in ours, sucked me right back into the magic this show has to offer.

These writers did exactly what needed to be done at this point, which is giving us someone else (or a pair of someones, and their star-crossed romance) to root for.  I think I struggled last week because it was difficult for me to sympathize with the villain so early on in the show's run.  If that episode had waited a few more weeks, allowing us to gain a better understanding of the Queen/Mayor as antagonist, it might have been a lot more intriguing.  That said, I think this week's Snow White-driven tale came right in the nick of time. 

The focus shifted from Emma and Henry to lean heavily on Ginnifer Goodwin's Mary Margaret, and the latter delivered an endearing, believable performance.  She was funny and kind of an unexpected badass as Snow White in the flashbacks, but then she was also compassionate and downright heartwrenching as things unraveled in Storybrook.  I have to admit, I was not expecting to get so invested in a romance on this show, given my usual dismissal of the fairy tale ideal, but I like the way the writers have subverted the original version just enough to keep it compelling.  And the soap opera-esque twist of John Doe's "wife" returning had me almost embarrassingly dismayed.

Though the episode was heavy on this plot, we did get a few little steps forward, and new questions raised.  I am interested to see what Mary Margaret does next, now that she is beginning to believe Henry's story could be true (at least, that was what I took away).  Emma too seems to be experiencing a kind of shift in her beliefs-- she's by no means converted yet, but she might not be as closed off to believing as we thought.  I see in her a reincarnation of Jack from LOST:  she's going to stick with science/rationality to explain everything, until she absolutely can't fight faith anymore.  And the slow transition only indicates that when she is converted, the change will be all the more rewarding. 

I'm also wondering about the Mayor and her role in Storybrook.  She seems to have her hands in everything (and being the villain, as well as one of the only people who knows their true identities, it's understandable), and to hold a lot of sway over just about everyone.  But she doesn't seem terribly bothered with keeping this a secret, which makes me wonder if she hasn't slipped up in front of anyone else all these years.  Is there anyone else in Storybrook who doesn't fully trust the Mayor?  If so, Henry and Emma could stand to gain an incredibly valuable ally.

Overall this show is progressing in the way I expected, but that has certainly not proven to be a bad thing.  I am interested to see next week's episode, which will introduce an entirely new character (Cinderella, but with a kind of twist that appears to link her to Rumpelstiltskin), and how that will tie into the larger story.  The writers have done a good job getting us invested and immersed in this fictional world, now it's time to populate it with more of our favorite fairy tale characters, and allow us to see just how high the stakes are for them.

TV Review: Parks and Recreation 4.06-- The End of the World

This episode is yet another puzzle piece in what has been a very emotionally-engaged season.  I have been enjoying Season 4 because it really does feel like the next natural phase in the evolution of Parks:  we've spent three season now getting to know these characters and their (many, many) quirks and coming to care very much about them (some of us, myself included, maybe a little too much).  And now we're getting the payoff of all that foundation-building in episodes like "The End of the World," which has each of our favorite Pawneeans taking a long look at something significant in his or her life.  An episode like this only works when there is genuine investment in each character's happiness, and I think the impact of this episode is a testament to how well this show has bred that emotional investment.

"The End of the World" gave us a chance to meet the remaining members of Zorp, a cult which took Pawnee by storm in the 1970's.  They have predicted, based on some very sound writings (wink wink), that the world is going to end, and want to use the occasion to hold a vigil in one of Pawnee's scenic parks.  Leslie indulges them, and as the word spreads about the impending apocalypse, everyone's evening takes a turn for the exciting and potentially life-changing.

First we finally got an indication of how Leslie is handling the fallout from her breakup with Ben, and it quickly becomes clear that she hasn't been handling it at all until now.  Forced to watch the irrepressible Shauna Malwae-Tweep flirting with her ex, Leslie enters a downward spiral of jealousy and awkwardness that rivals the cringe-worthiness of season one's "The Reporter" (also, curiously, heavily involving Shauna).  It is almost hard to watch Leslie's attempts to distract Ben, at one point driving him to an abandoned gas station just to keep him from going to a party with Shauna.  And when he reveals that he's known the whole time exactly what she's been doing, the interaction goes from painfully awkward to just painful.  I am so unbelievably thrilled that Leslie is getting a chance to run for office, but watching scenes like this I just want these two crazy kids to get back together, already.

Across town at the now former headquarters of Entertainment 720, Tom and Jean-Ralphio have decided to spend their final ten thousand dollars on a party for the end of the world.  Not only were we treated to another fantastic Jean-Ralphio appearance, but we got further indication that, while he may be a bit down in the dumps right now, Tom is going to be okay eventually (and bonus points for bringing back his former girlfriend Lucy to drive this point home).  I loved the little bromance moment we got with Tom and his erstwhile business partner, and I really hope that we'll still get a healthy dose of their antics in the future.

My favorite plot in this episode, though, is Andy and April scrambling to fulfill all the items on Andy's bucket list.  Every single activity is so undeniably Andy (hold a thousand dollars cash, make the world's best grilled cheese, be an action star), and it is only made better by April's absolutely unquestioning support.  I think the "movie" they made starring Burt Macklin is one of my new favorite things, along with, of course, the final scene when they reached the Grand Canyon.  Not only was this the perfect ending for the episode (especially with the addition of that song as the sun came up), but it was one of the best Andy and April plots we've seen in a long time, reminding us why we fell in love with the two of them in the first place.

What I love about this episode is that it really feels like a hinge in the season, an installment that sort of takes stock of where everyone's head is at and opens a lot of doors for developments in the weeks to come.  In other words, this is the ideal kind of episode to lead in to November sweeps, and the potential game-changers that entails.

November Sweeps: Picking Up the Pace

I've once again failed to review this week's episodes individually, and I think at least part of that has been due to the relative lull in excitement in their respective plots.  However, we are about to roll into November sweeps, one of the most wonderful times of the (television) year, and I have high hopes for all of our favorites.  After all, the pieces are in place for some major hilarity and development, they just seem to require a nudge in the right direction.  And I'm just about as lacking in concrete clues as the next person, but I am more than happy to speculate on what we might see over the next few weeks.

How I Met Your Mother:  The show has been just a little off its game the past few episodes, which I'm sure can be attributed to an unbalanced cocktail of somewhat awkward guest star appearances and trying just a little too hard for laughs in some cases (the storyline of "Noretta" stands out particularly in my mind).  However, if I were a betting man (this would require me, of course, to be both a man as well as someone who gambles), I'd say we're about to see no small amount of drama in Robin and Barney's respective relationships.  I don't think we'll get any hints of the two of them together any time soon, but I do think both of their liaisons are going just a bit too well at the moment.  I definitely think it would be interesting to see either Kevin or Norah (or both) have a reaction to the obvious continued closeness of Barney and Robin's relationship.  What I don't want is to see Barney cheat on Norah, though; I feel like last season made such a commitment to him moving past that part of his personality that it would be a huge waste to send him so many steps backward.  And as for Ted, I'd like to see something happen for him soon that feels like a concrete step toward actually finding the mother.  The Slutty Pumpkin episode definitely felt like an apt set up for something like this, so I'll be interested to see how they use it.

2 Broke Girls:  I have definitely seen an improvement in this show the past few episodes, and they have been gaining that forward momentum I was worried they might lack.  It has been nice to see the girls' business actually make tangible (albeit tiny) steps forward, rather than being a plot line that is forgotten and then picked up every once in while when it's convenient.  I'm still hoping that Max and Caroline will acquire another friend outside of their little duo (I'm hoping even more that it'll be Johnny and his newly introduced sidekick), because both of them play so well off of others and each other that it's fun to see them interact with new people.  I will also admit that I am pulling for that Max/Johnny romance to get off the ground (and what do you know? perfect bait for sweeps!), and for Caroline to meet someone of her own.  Also, I think I'd be happy with anything more involving their boss, Han, because he is just too adorable for words.

Up All Night:  This is a cute show that is cute.  That's what I've gotten from this season so far.  Maya Rudolph continues to pull the bulk of the comedic weight, but hey, I will continue to watch her do it because she's hilarious.  I'm a little bummed that they didn't do a Halloween episode; I would have thought that'd be a great potential scenario for the new parents, but maybe the week off means they're preparing for something big to come.  Actually, scratch that.  I don't need it to be big, I just need it to be charming and funny.  This show has lost it's way a little bit (I think having the flashback to the birth was kind of a jarring choice, honestly), but I do think that it can be steered back, and with no extraordinary strain. 

Community:  Okay, two hypothetical/fantasy based bottle episodes in a row stretched my patience a bit, I'll admit.  But I will be more than willing to forgive if this show delivers during sweeps.  From Community I don't necessarily want gimmicky plot twists for the sake of snagging attention, I just want to see some genuine development for the characters.  I feel like season three has seen almost all of them standing still, and it's got to stop soon or we're going to be facing a completely static season (and at some point, the situational comedy just won't be able to compensate).  We were promised a lot of development with Abed, particularly concerning his living situation with best friend Troy, and I'm hoping that this has been saved up for November so that we can get a sure to be humorous episode (you saw their apartment in the chaos theory episode, right?), with a dash of something just a little more serious.  Also, Britta's taken a bit of a beating lately, so I think it'd be more than okay to back off her for an episode or two.

Parks and Recreation:  I admittedly have a bit more intelligence on what's coming on this show than the others, solely because I have a habit of going hunting for tidbits when bored, but in this case it's a good thing, because the next three episode descriptions have me absolutely psyched for what's next.  We're going to see Pawnee riding out a potential end-of-days scenario, and Andy has a bucket list!  I cannot be the only person who sees so much potential hilarity in the possible items it contains.  Also ahead (I don't want to spoil everything):  we'll see more of Leslie and Ben interacting (finally), Tom's journey as Entertainment 720 meets its end, and a very small victory for one Leslie Knope.  As long as these stories are supplemented by a sharp increase in Ann screen time and a reduction of anything involving Chris, I think we may just have ourselves a couple of near-perfect episodes just in time for the holiday season.

Critical Decision Time: Part 1 of the Most Ridiculous Series You Will Ever Maybe Read

As I settle into the relative monotony of adulthood (and the slow, steep slope toward the time when my elderly person tendencies will become socially acceptable), many important questions make themselves known to me.  What do I want to do with my life, you know, on the chance that my pipe dream of becoming a novelist fails to pan out? (Jury's still out on that one.)  Am I employable?  (So far, survey says NO.)  What am I doing to be the best possible version of myself?  (Um...does having lots and lots of fleeting, halfhearted ambitions count?)

But (probably) most important of all:  Do I need to watch the Star Wars movies?

Laugh if you want; I am at least 40% serious.  I, as a devout connoisseur of all things film and media, have never seen the original three Star Wars films.  I know, I know, it doesn't add up.  "Andrea," you say, "Aren't you a huge nerd?  Then it follows than you can't possibly have missed out on this huge piece of nerd culture!"  But I have defied logic for over 23 years, and have never even attempted to watch one of the films from beginning to end.  Given my current wealth of free time, it would make sense to set aside a few hours for this momentous viewing; however I've recently found myself wondering, will it be worth the effort?

Think about it. If I want the full experience I'll have to track down the films on DVD rather than waiting for them to show up on TV.  And since they're old, not on Netflix, and I hate Blockbuster, I'm either going to have to go through the library or borrow them from someone who owns them (and I hate asking people to borrow their stuff, probably because I hate lending out my own...but that's for another time).  This will take time, energy, and effort on my part, and if these movies aren't everything I've ever heard them praised as, I'm going to be one deeply disappointed camper.  The arguments for and against are plentiful, but what I'm really looking for is the input of a Star Wars viewer (fan or otherwise) who can guide me to the right decision, and settle this question once and for all.  Here are some of my considerations:


I already know a lot of the story details.  This is just how popular culture works, especially with the explosion of the Internet and the fascination with being "Meta" in film and television.  I know Luke and Leia are brother and sister, and that Darth Vader is their father.  I know that Han Solo is kind of a tool, but that he's also one of the heroes of the story.  I know that Yoda's syntax is weird and I will probably hate listening to him talk.  I know that something called the Millenium Falcon and something else called the Death Star come into play at some point.  I know that "the Force" is something very powerful and almost as cool as having magical powers.  And I know that it's really hard to decide based solely on Google Images photos whether ewoks are cute or creepy.

They're old.  I'm not completely against watching a film that was made before I was born, because a lot of them are darn good.  Unfortunately, there are also a lot that are darn terrible.  And I may not be an expert on CGI or any other such nonsense, but I'd hazard a guess that the special effects in these films are shoddy looking at best, laughable at worst. It's also set in space, and was written prior to a lot of knowledge we've acquired since.  I mean, are they going to reference Pluto as still being a planet?  (Because that'll just be heartbreaking.)

They're important.  Like it or not, Star Wars is part of cultural canon.  And I am definitely a person who hates being out of the loop on frequently made references.  So maybe I owe it to myself to just suck it up and endure six hours of a potentially ridiculous story in the hope of filling in some of the gaps in my mental pop culture encyclopedia.

Hype.  This could go either way.  I've heard so many rave reviews of these films from all corners that it seems impossible they could be less than amazing.  However, that's just it-- what if all the hype has made it impossible for these movies to reach my expectations?  I'm expecting a lot from these films based on the derision I've endured at my admittance that I've never watched them, and the idea that this anticipation might backfire is, well...it's annoying.


Random reasons that probably aren't important to anyone other than me.  (1)  I have been told on a couple of occasions that I have a kind of resemblance to Carrie Fisher/Princess Leia (and no, it was never clarified if this was an appearance or personality based comparison, but I'm guessing the latter), and I'd be interested to know if I was being complimented or insulted.  (2)  I think watching it might shut up some of the fellow nerds in my life who've been appalled by the revelation that I've never seen these films.  (3) Last, but certainly not least, if I see all three of the original Star Wars films, I will be able to more successfully and accurately make my case that the Harry Potter books/films are, in fact, far superior.

So is this something I need to do to enrich my probably unnecessary knowledge of popular culture?  Or is this something that, once I've gone more than 2 decades without experiencing them, I can simply continue to let slide?  Can I coast by on my limited knowledge of the most well-known factoids and trivia indefinitely?  This decision may not be weighty, but I feel a need for a justification either way.  And let's face it, I'm not making any other life-changing choices at the moment, but that's no reason to break the habit of considering things from all angles.

Oh, and one last factor.  I did see whichever of the new movies was released in about 1999 or thereabouts, and it was awful.  I've been told, however, that this is irrelevant to my enjoyment of the original saga.  Fact or fiction?