TV Review: Community -- Basic Lupine Urology

So it looks like mobile meth labs are the new Chekhov's gun, huh?  If you don't know what I mean, you clearly haven't watched last night's episode of Community, and you probably shouldn't read this spoiler-filled review.  Just a friendly suggestion.

Still here?  OMG, right?  So we had some speculation that a character was going to be killed off, but most people were betting on token old guy Leonard, so the demise of Star Burns was at least a little bit shocking.  The way it was announced, however, perfectly befit the episode's Law and Order theme, with the grim revelation coming just before credits rolled.  Now the question remains as to how Greendale will deal with the death of one of its own--rumor has it a funeral in the cafeteria is in the works for next week-- but if I know this show at all, they'll make it funny, but in an "I shouldn't really be laughing at this" kind of way.

But let's back up and talk about the fantastic homage to NBC's long-running drama that comprised the 20 minutes prior to learning Star Burns' fate.  Troy and Abed were great as the lead detectives, competing for the best one-liners and occasionally experiencing bursts of needing-to-break-stuff anger; Annie and Jeff did well as the "lawyers" on the case; although I think my favorite was Britta with her photolab skills and over-eager offers to psychoanalyze the suspects.  On the whole, this episode did what this show has really honed its skill in, which is taking an absurd scenario (in this case, a destroyed science project) and making it something into which the characters (and the audience) become truly invested.  That, and the way they never wavered from L&O's trademark structure and conventions made this a near-perfect episode of Community (I realize I've been throwing out claims like this a lot lately about this show, but hey, they've really stepped it up). 

This episode is one of those where I could go through, scene by scene, and gush over every little detail, OR you could take my sage advice and check it out in all its hilariousness for yourself.  Let's go with the latter this time.

TV Review: Parks and Recreation-- The Debate

An episode both written and directed by the dynamite Amy Poehler could only ever be amazing, right?  That's the attitude I went into watching "The Debate" with, and even so it managed to exceed my high expectations.  I think a lot of the reason the writing works so well in this episode is because Poehler clearly knows and understands all of the show's characters, not just her own.  She takes time to highlight the best and most interesting aspects of each player's personality, sometimes within the space of only a few lines or moments. 

This episode, as the name probably indicates, features Leslie's much-hyped political debate with her opponents, including Bobby Newport (played even more fabulously in his second appearance by Paul Rudd), Pawnee's own local porn star Brandi Maxx, and two others who don't really merit me looking up their names but who provide some auxiliary amusement nonetheless (one is a literal gun-nut, the other is a wildly hyperbolic animal rights activist).  As we've established in previous weeks, Leslie needs this win, and she needs it bad.  Both she and Ben are equally focused and determined to win, and rather than creating tension between them, this energy is something that seems to enhance their affection for one another, as well as remind us just how well they complement each other. 

Of course, that can only lead us naturally to the couple on this show who never has and (in all probability) never will compliment each other:  Tom and Ann.  They finally appear to be broken up for good, and somehow Tom seems surprised by this turn of events.  No one else is actually surprised that this breakup has occurred, and Chris even takes the opportunity to promptly capitalize on it by hitting on Ann.  What is surprising is that, following weeks of halfhearted hints that they might be headed for a reunion, she turns him down, declaring that she might just never date anyone ever again.  To me that sounds like a pretty good solution at this point-- we've been down this road with Ann before, and swearing off dudes the last time didn't seem to force her to learn from her mistakes, so maybe a second attempt will do the trick.  That, or she'll find herself hooking up with someone even more absurd than Tom, and we'll be having this discussion all over again.

Many of our other favorite characters are performing at full throttle in this episode, supplying us with lots of laughs.  Andy, April, Ron, and Donna (what an odd team) have been tasked with treating Leslie's wealthy donors to a party to show their gratitude, featuring a viewing of the debate.  Of course, this hardly goes according to plan, and I have to say, I think this episode is worth watching simply for this secondary (even tertiary, really) story line, just to see Andy and April's view of how rich people behave and Andy's go-to method of entertainment when the cable goes out.  Chris Pratt had better be submitting this one for Emmy consideration, that's all I'm saying.

And of course, there's the debate itself, moderated by Pawnee's own Joan Callamezzo and Perd Hapley (because really, could you have imagined anyone else?).  Not only does Leslie remind us why she's someone who needs to be involved in government with her last-minute save, she brings out some compelling arguments from Bobby Newport ("I'm against crime, and I'm not afraid to say so") along the way.  Both Poehler and Paul Rudd are phenomenal in these scenes, with the latter playing his character as such a hapless dope that if you weren't rooting so hard for Leslie, you'd almost want to support him, or at least give him a hug. 

Overall, by the end of this episode things are certainly looking up for the Knope campaign.  Since we've only got a few episodes left to the season, does this mean we might see a Leslie victory come May 10th?  I certainly hope so.

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

It's that time of year again, guys.  That wonderful, magical time when all of our wishes come true and we can't help but walk around with smiles on our faces.  Nope, I'm not talking about Christmas.  I'm not even talking about Halloween.  I'm talking about a little phenomenon that we in the obsessed-with-television circles like to refer to as May sweeps.  And though May sweeps have become inexplicably shortened as well as less and less hyped over the past couple of years, it's still a pretty safe bet that our favorite shows will use their last few episodes of the season to really try and impress us. 

This season has been an odd one with regard to scheduling shuffles, especially over at NBC Thursday (still a little bitter about that one), and so a few favorites have already retired for 2012 (such as Up All Night and Happy Endings), while some (Community, Cougar Town), appear to be running a little behind, and thus will have to cram a whole lot of material into just a few weeks.  As of right now, it looks like most shows will end their runs by the second week in May, which allows them just enough time to throw some game-changers our way. 

I've got some thoughts on the shows I regularly review on this blog, but also on some others that I don't spend a lot of time on here.  Most of them promise at least a little excitement in their final episodes, while others are only proving why they're perhaps overdue for retirement (lookin' at you, The Office).

Let's get started, shall we?

How I Met Your Mother

The two primary plots for this season's finale have long been known, basically since the season premiere:  Lily's going to have her baby, and Barney's bride will be revealed to the audience.  How we will get there almost doesn't matter at this point,with only one more stand-alone episode left before the two-part finale airs.  All the pieces are essentially in place, particularly concerning Barney--we already have him in a serious relationship (with the increasingly boring Quinn, and we all know what it means when a love interest starts to lose her initial appeal on this show), and thinking in terms of commitment, even discussing marriage in a recent episode. 

Is it just me, or does anybody else smell a bit of a red herring?  Barney has been thrown into this romance so quickly and is already in so deep it seems almost too easy to reveal him getting married to Quinn in the season finale.  In contrast, the writers have reduced his interactions with Robin (come on, you should've known that was where I was headed with this) to almost nothing, despite the fact that they seemed on relatively good terms following their November sweeps backslide.  I think we're being set up for a fake-out in the finale, perhaps with Barney proposing to Quinn in the present timeline, but revealing Robin as his bride in the vague future.  For me this is further evidenced by the recent confirmation of a timeline we received in "Trilogy Time," with Ted showing up with his baby.  If he has a months-old child in three years' time and is married, we've got a finite space in which to fit him meeting the mother (which happens at Barney's wedding).  Add that to the fact that next year is looking like it'll be the show's final season (at least, I certainly hope it will be), and all signs point to a concrete indication of whether Barney and Robin are endgame for this show.  I could say much more about why I believe this to be the case, but I won't bore you--just keep in mind that (not to sound too smug...) I predicted the Barney-as-groom reveal in last year's finale months in advance.


Community

One thing I've learned about this show is that it never quite fits the mold, and that goes double (maybe triple) come sweeps time.  Oh sure, the final few episodes will be intriguing, hilarious, and perhaps even full of surprises, but all of those feats will be achieved on the show's own terms.  There have been a few rumors here and there of what's coming, namely this week's episode (not technically in May but close enough), where we'll see a nod to the nearly omnipresent NBC drama Law & Order, and sources confirm that there's going to be a death at Greendale (well, maybe not on campus per se, but a death that will impact our favorite study group nonetheless)!  Who will it be?  Nobody's saying--or even hinting-- just yet, but the smart money is on a more outlying character, although at this point there's a significant part of me (and many fans, I think), that would love for the deceased to be one Pierce Hawthorne.  The show has spent a lot of time on his fear of death and the confrontation of his mortality that it wouldn't be entirely out of left field, but still, it may be too grim for a season that has already had some very serious moments.



The Office

I could spend this portion of the entry talking about the recent teasers concerning some sort of season finale cliffhanger that the creative team is desperately leaking to the public, but rather than waste energy on that, let's face the sad facts:  This show has become the television equivalent of the horse that just needs to be shot and put out of its misery already.  I'm not saying there haven't been a few gems this season, or that the characters who have always been funny (mostly Dwight) have suddenly failed to make us laugh, but on the whole the creativity seems to have collapsed in on itself this season in Michael's absence.  As for loose ends, there are literally none left, unless you count the convoluted, half-forgotten twist of Dwight potentially being Angela's baby-daddy (and are there people out there who are legitimately invested in confirming that?).  Andy and Erin have been put back together; Jim and Pam have their happy little family; the leadership of the office has been outsourced to two recurring characters I just can't muster any caring for; and even Kelly and Ryan have (maybe) ended their long, needlessly tortured relationship.

Add to this the cocktail of changes happening outside of the show.  John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer have both flirted with the idea of going part-time next season.  Mindy Kaling is getting her own show.  Paul Lieberstein (Toby, also one of the writers) is headed out the door.  Dwight is possibly getting a spinoff?  Ellie Kemper and Ed Helms seem poised for increasingly successful film careers.  And Steve Carrell is just never coming back to save the rest of them.  I'm sorry, but this show just can't run on Stanley, Phyllis, Angela, and whoever else might be left to deal with James Spader (oh wait, he's leaving too, apparently).  Shut it down.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where I'll talk about some Thursday night favorites (including reigning champion Parks and Rec) as well as the most overrated freshman show of the season.

TV Review: Parks and Recreation-- Live Ammo

Oh Parks, I've missed you so very much.  And this episode was well worth the wait.  "Live Ammo" continued the slow heightening of the stakes in Leslie's campaign, this time with a nice healthy round of mudslinging on the part of Paul Rudd's Bobby Newport's campaign manager.

Basically, Leslie wants to save the Parks Department budget from potential cuts, but in fighting for it manages to lose funding for the Pawnee animal shelter.  It then falls to April, who has taken over Leslie's Parks responsibilities (and who plays the role with a perfectly April blend of reluctance and near-enthusiasm), to try and organize a Leslie-esque solution that will allow everyone to go home happy.  Cut to an adorable parade of puppies, kittens, and apparently, a pig, waiting to be chosen by the fine folks of Pawnee.  Unfortunately, even April's best-laid plans can't save the day, and the gang winds up with a gaggle of animals with nowhere to go. 

Of course, Leslie's first solution is exactly what mine would be-- bring all the animals home with her so they don't get sent to a farm upstate (that's what happens, right?).  And even though Ben adorably goes along with this plan for a bit, purchasing dog food in bulk with the Barack to his Michelle (that was one of my favorite lines of the night, incidentally), he convinces Leslie that they need a more sustainable solution.  Leslie comes up with one, but it's an answer that will require her to "commit political suicide."

Apparently this means a secret meeting with Bobby Newport's campaign manager, in which Leslie proposes that Newport announce plans to fund the animal shelter, a move which will give him an advantage going into their upcoming debate.  Now, at this point I may have tuned out the conversation a bit, because I remembered how excited I am to see this showdown in next week's debate-centric episode, penned by none other than one Amy Poehler. 

In other news, Chris wants Ron to take over the responsibilities of Assistant City Manager (this is following a long string of odd tests, the last of which was a meditation challenge), but just as things are looking up for our favorite carnivore and his plans to "eliminate all departments" within Pawnee's government, we learn that the job may not be Chris' to give if Bobby Newport wins the City Council election.  Not only am I excited by the prospect of potentially dropping the increasingly tedious Chris (not to mention the famously douche-y Rob Lowe) from the show, or at least cutting down his screen time, but I like the way this changes the weight of Leslie's victory--she's now got the success of two close colleagues resting on her shoulders going into the final weeks of her campaign.  As for that whole thread where we were afraid Ann might lose her job, I have to say, it didn't worry me nearly as much as the stuff surrounding Ron-- after all, Ann showed up at City Hall often enough in the 2.5 seasons before she worked there; I can't imagine she wouldn't do the same if she went back to full-time nursing.


Also, this is the episode featuring a guest appearance by Bradley Whitford of The West Wing fame, and I can't decide if I like the understated way they used him, or if I was expecting something more exciting based on the hype. 

Although I don't have extensive thoughts on any of these things, I'd like to give honorary awesome points to a few little features of this episode, in no particular order:
1.  I loved Tom and April bonding, and him essentially mentoring her, not only because he almost never takes on that role, but also because she actually swallowed her pride and asked for advice.
2.  Tom's apartment.  You know the set designers and propmaster have been working on that one for at least a full season.
3.  Ben's embracing his role as essentially Leslies' "first lady," and his hilarious reactions to her more brazen behavior.

Overall, I'm just glad this show made its comeback chock-full of things we've always loved about it, as well as some new complications just in time for May sweeps and the final leg of its season.

TV Review: Community-- Virtual Systems Analysis

Okay, it's official:  the hiatus from this blog (the one even I didn't know was happening) is officially over!  My Internet connection has been restored, and with it my ability to watch and analyze TV in a prompt and expansive manner.  No one is more upset than I am that I missed out on recapping the epic pillows vs. blankets two-part showdown, but I'll have to make up for it with my thoughts on tonight's "Virtual Systems Analysis," the much-hyped episode taking place almost entirely within the Dreamatorium.

This was a near-perfect installment for those of us who really adore the, well, weirder episodes of this show.  In it we see Abed (reluctantly) take Annie into the Dreamatorium while Britta and Troy are out to lunch together (incidentally, I really like that the show sidestepped some shipper nonsense by not showing the meal itself, but rather Abed's projections of what might be happening).  While inside, Annie touches a nerve in Abed when she criticizes him for his inability to empathize with others.  After she "breaks" his mind in this way, they spend the subsequent time speculating on various parts of Annie's subconscious, with Abed assuming the roles of their other friends, thus forcing Annie to confront her subconscious--literally, at one point, when he plays Annie herself and forces her to an understanding of her feelings for Jeff.  For a relationship that has been teased almost to the point of overkill this season, this was an interesting and strangely satisfying development.  In a way, I'm just happy that Annie's not truly pining for Jeff in the way she's been previously painted.

I think what I appreciate most about this episode, though, is the way it expanded upon the thread that's been established in the past few weeks, the examination of how Abed interacts with the world and the negatives of his behaviors and perceptions.  I like that the show didn't forget what it's already done to touch upon these issues, and that it showed not only a deeper insight into Abed's struggles but seemed to genuinely help him progress as a character.  Dan Harmon promised way back in September that season 3 would deliver on a fuller exploration of Abed, and I have to admit, I doubted him there for a little while.  However, this episode has proven me wrong, and left me with an appreciation for the fact that, though there are still moments of seeming indecision in the writing this season, the powers that be do have a plan for this lovable band of misfits, and that plan will make itself known in due course.

Also, who didn't love Troy's list of things he doesn't understand?  I want to bookmark a video of just that clip to watch whenever I want.

Reading List Round-Up 2012: Books 19-25

 March's books wound up having two prevailing themes:  non-fiction (specifically non-fiction about comedy, which isn't as hilarious as you'd assume), and books I probably should have read a long time ago (and which I might have appreciated more back then). 

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind-- Shooting Script with Interviews
This reminded me of exactly why I love this movie so much.  I am something of a nerd when it comes to reading scripts for films I love (okay, a huge nerd), and this was no exception.  What's interesting is that the shooting script has a lot of pretentious moments (yes, more than in the final film), especially when it comes to dialog, with a lot of it sounding like things no one would actually say to each other, and in reading this it becomes clear just how much Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet brought to their roles in the delivery of the words on the page.  Credit also goes, I'm sure, to those responsible for those last-round edits that made the final product into the widely beloved movie it is today.  A recommended read if you're a film nerd or if you just plain love this movie and want a bit of a deeper look.

The War for Late Night by Bill Carter
Here's the thing:  400 pages is beyond the necessary length for an exploration of how all of the Jay Leno vs. Conan O'Brien went down by about 200 pages.  Again, this is a niche read-- if you're a die-hard Conan fan like I am or just plain interested in how major television decisions get made, this book provides a lot of insight and things to think about.  Carter is a bit too flowery at times, wanting this conflict to be much more the Shakespearean tragedy than it really was, but he certainly gets props for thoroughness.

Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare
The last 18 months or so probably represent one of the biggest hiatuses I've taken from the Bard since I started reading him.  I've read most of the popular choices, and when making my list of 100 books it seemed only fair that I include at least one of the less exalted works that I hadn't yet discovered for myself.  Measure for Measure is a comedy, but is decidedly atypical.  It's got a whole lot of misogyny going on, as well as some good old fashioned disguises and cases of mistaken identity.  Overall I enjoyed this one, though I thought the last scenes tied up a bit too conveniently and abruptly (which is saying something when it comes to Shakespeare).  Recommended if you like William S's comedies and a lot of hatin' on the ladies in your reading.

Live From New York by Tom Shales & James Andrew Miller

I admit I skimmed portions of this tome-- there's just so much to read, and to be honest I don't care a whole lot about NBC executives in the 70's or cast members who got fired after half a season.  The book does accomplish what it aims to, which is providing a vast in-depth portrait of the show, its inception, and the many ways it has morphed and changed over the years.  The style can be a bit off-putting at times, too-- while I love the idea of having all kinds of interviews with former and current cast and crew members, I think some of it would be much more readable condensed into some kind of narrative (there's a lot of repetition and insights that don't always feel quite relevant to the topic at hand.  This is a definite must-read, or at least a should-read, for dedicated fans of the show, but for more casual viewers it might be a bit much.

The Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Maybe I just really had to experience this one in middle school when everyone else did, but getting through this one was a Herculean struggle for me.  I was bored despite the surface-level resemblance to LOST, one of my favorite TV shows, I hated 99% of the characters and their actions, and on the whole I just didn't care about this book.  I know it's a classic, and I can see the value for younger readers (especially younger male readers, who I'm guessing were the target audience when the book was written), but for me it just didn't come together the way I'd hoped it would. Also, just as I finally motivated myself to embark on the last chunk of the book, a student I tutor totally spoiled the ending for me, confirming my suspicion that this one was always going to be a fail.

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
This book is the one that stuck with me the most this month.  In it we get a detailed account of one teenager's bout with depression and subsequent admission into a psychiatric ward.  The novel is based on the experiences of the author, who was hospitalized himself for a week during his own adolescence, and thus lends the story a credibility that adds considerable depth to what might otherwise be just another "sad adolescent" story.  But what the narrator/protagonist captures best when it comes to this experience is the feeling of knowing something is wrong with you/making you feel terrible, but never really being able to pinpoint exactly what that something might be.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
It might be surprising, given my obsession with dystopian literature and my own dabblings

Best Book:  Fahrenheit 451
Worst Book:  The Lord of the Flies
Fastest Read:  It's Kind of a Funny Story
Slowest Read:  Live From New York