Posted Nov 23rd 2009 4:01PM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S03E09) "I had a plan, I did, but it just didn't work out the way I thought it would."/"What? You thought he'd (Hank) do a good job of being in charge?" - Karen to Becca
Remember watching
Friends and feeling that great sense of heavy letdown when you realized that week's diversion of reality would be a "Joey-heavy episode"?
That describes this week's
Californication to a tee, except the great sense of heavy letdown doesn't quite sit on top of your soul with the girth and grim sadism of an evil sumo wrestler.
Continue reading Review: Californication - Mr. Bad Example
Posted Nov 23rd 2009 2:14PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Animation, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
The "All Seth, All the Time" block of animation on FOX is getting stronger every week. I think this may have been the most wholly satisfying episode of
The Cleveland Show we've had yet. The show finally knows what it is, the characters are settled in and established, and it even knows where it's going to derive its humor.
There's a sweetness to
The Cleveland Show that is more reminiscent of
King of the Hill than either of MacFarlane's established shows, and I'm glad to see it. My biggest fear was that Cleveland's star vehicle would be nothing more than
Family Guy-lite, but after a very rough start, I'm able to see and appreciate it for what it is.
Family Guy may have found their replacement for Cleveland in this week's episode. I hope the boys do find a new "fourth," and I don't think I'd mind if it's the guy they find themselves hanging out with this week. On
American Dad, Stan discovers rock music, and he'll do anything to hang out with his new favorite band: My Morning Jacket.
Continue reading Sundays with Seth: Auntie Momma, Jerome and My Morning Jacket
Posted Nov 23rd 2009 1:46PM by Annie Wu
Filed under: Other Comedy Shows, Animation, Adult Swim, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S04E06) This episode was a rare star-studded treat for
Venture Bros. Really honing in on the idea of adult aftermath in the lives of boy adventurer types, Jackson Publick introduced a robot boy, boy detective brothers (Seth Green and John Hodgman), former Wonder Boy (Patton Oswalt) and the return of Action Johnny (Brendon Small). Never before have so many guest voices (okay, four) been crammed into an installment, bringing the entire audience to an immediate nerdgasm.
Continue reading Review: The Venture Bros. - Self-Medication
Posted Nov 23rd 2009 1:15PM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: The Simpsons, Animation, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S21E06) This was a pretty well-structured episode, in that it might even give Bart some hope and direction for his own life. Who knew that Skinner and Willie were once cool and beloved, and that Willie was the swim teacher for Springfield Elementary? Okay, as most of you know I've been out of touch with
The Simpsons for years prior to this anniversary season, so if this was already revealed, it's new to me.
The bulk of the episode dealt with Bart learning that there was a prankster before him, and one who was even his superior. So of course, Bart seeks out this 19-year old malcontent to learn from the master and come back stronger and better than ever. Too bad, as Lisa is so quick to point out, they're both still losers.
Continue reading Review: The Simpsons - Pranks and Greens
Posted Nov 23rd 2009 8:38AM by Jonathan Toomey
Filed under: OpEd, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(
S07E10) "It's the
Seinfeld reunion! That's a big deal!" - Cheryl
Yes, it
is a big deal. A little over eleven years after we saw Jerry, Elaine, Kramer, and George behind bars, the reunion we've all been waiting for has finally arrived. I'm not sure if this even counts as a category to classify TV shows, but last night's
Curb Your Enthusiasm season finale was easily the best "show within a show" episode I've ever seen... of
any show.
Jane was kind enough to step in for me and write up
last week's penultimate ep and I actually waited until last night to see that one as well -- I watched them back to back. I was struck by how well it all flowed together; how much it actually felt like we were watching a real episode of
Seinfeld, even during the table read. However, seeing it play out, scene by scene, in the finale? Talk about nostalgia.
Continue reading Review: Curb Your Enthusiasm - Seinfeld (season finale)
Posted Nov 23rd 2009 4:59AM by Danny Gallagher
Filed under: Dexter, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S04E09) "Everything is exactly the way it should be. Perfect." - Rita Morgan
The season is almost over and that means things are bound to ramp up as Dexter moves in closer to kill the Trinity Killer. But this week, we get treated to a special Thanksgiving episode. Think of it as a sordid cross between the "Thanksgiving Day" episode from
Father Knows Best mixed with the director's cut of any episode of
Twin Peaks.
After explaining his identity, background and own "Dark Passenger," this week's episode dove head first into his family who aren't as Norman Rockwell as Arthur Mitchell might want Dexter and the rest of the world to believe. It turns out they are probably the most interesting aspect of Mitchell's twisted life and could turn out to be a huge asset to bringing the man down, now that he no longer has them in his upper hand.
Continue reading Review: Dexter - Hungry Man
Posted Nov 23rd 2009 1:25AM by Jackie Schnoop
Filed under: OpEd, The Amazing Race, Episode Reviews
(S15E10) I mentioned last week that the remaining teams on
The Amazing Race are really feeling the pressure as they're getting closer to the win. Well, there were no fisticuffs, no elbowing, but there was an underhanded incident ... or two or three.
Unlike
Survivor, this show doesn't depend on sneakiness or scheming. In the end, it's how well they run the race around the world, how well they read the clues, and how well they complete the tasks. While getting along with the other teams is always a good thing, there's no popularity vote at the finish line. But they are competing. Sometimes some sneakiness just sneaks on in.
Continue reading Review: The Amazing Race - We're Not Working With Anybody, Ever, Anymore!
Posted Nov 22nd 2009 12:38PM by Annie Wu
Filed under: OpEd, Saturday Night Live, Episode Reviews
(S35E07) I imagine it played out like this: Joseph Gordon-Levitt was at home last week, trying to mentally prepare for his first go as
Saturday Night Live host by watching
January Jones. Her performance turned out to be wooden and incredibly low energy and, consequently, the laughs were minimal. This struck fear into Mr. Gordon-Levitt's heart, and, terrified, he dropped the pint of Phish Food that he was eating in my imagination. "I won't let this happen to me," I bet he said. "I'm going to eat two fistfuls of Pixi Stix at 11:25 p.m. Saturday night and have someone inject me with a near lethal dose of adrenaline. I'll also wear a lot of vests."
And that's how Joseph Gordon-Levitt managed to exhaust a seated audience through sheer enthusiasm and volume alone. Maybe.
Continue reading Review: Saturday Night Live - Joseph Gordon-Levitt/Dave Matthews Band
Posted Nov 21st 2009 12:01PM by Mike Moody
Filed under: Stargate, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S01E09) There was a lot going on in this episode, as the folks aboard
Destiny started to adjust to their new lives away from Earth. The adjustment, of course, is easier for some than it is for others.
Chloe has made new friends like Eli and has found a partner in Scott, who comforts her and makes her feel less lonely. So she's content to pass the time doing yoga on the observation deck. People like Young, Rush and Eli are busy exploring the ship and trying to unlock its hidden wonders. That at least keeps them occupied and somewhat hopeful.
But things aren't nearly as happy-go-lucky for people like Spencer (aka "Baldy"). He's running out of his medication (my guess is that he's taking anti-psychotics, or is that too obvious?) and it seems like only a matter of time before he kills someone, or kills himself.
Continue reading Review: Stargate Universe - Life
Posted Nov 21st 2009 2:52AM by Isabelle Carreau
Filed under: Other Sci-Fi/Supernatural Shows, OpEd, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S05E09) "I have a bad feeling about this one. A very bad feeling." - Melinda about the ghost in the closet
Melinda's bad feeling was, pardon the pun, dead on. Very bad things happened in this November Sweeps episode: Aiden was put in danger, the dead girl from the closet was front and center, the Shadows came back full force and in a way we hadn't see yet, Bedford gave more warnings to Eli, as a hurting Carl the Watcher gave warnings to Melinda.
Continue reading Review: Ghost Whisperer - Lost In The Shadows
Posted Nov 21st 2009 1:34AM by Brad Trechak
Filed under: Smallville, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S09E08) The whole alternate timeline or alternate future concept has been around sci fi for ... well, I don't know how long. The most famous example I can think of is the classic
Star Trek episode "Mirror, Mirror," though I'm sure there are many more. We've already had alternate timeline stories in
Smallville (such as Lana's "death" in the 100th episode), and now we have an alternate future story.
Although it used an old television and sci fi concept, this particular story served a dual purpose: it let the viewer know what happened to Lois between the 8th and 9th seasons and also let us know the stakes of a potential Zod victory (although we probably could have figured that one out on our own).
Continue reading Review: Smallville - Pandora
Posted Nov 21st 2009 12:55AM by Bob Sassone
Filed under: Other Drama Shows, OpEd, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S01E05) I don't think I've sighed as hard as I sighed during the opening scene of this episode of
White Collar in a long time. Caffrey and Moz find a note hidden by Kate ... in Grand Central Station? And not even in the station, but in the corner of the building outside. Did I miss some massive clue that Caffrey was following to find the exact location of the note shoved into a crack? Or are we just supposed to assume he's so smart and perceptive that he can find an old note within three minutes of showing up in front of the building? If I missed something, it was silly. If that's exactly how it went down, then it was kinda stupid.
Fun episode, though!
Continue reading Review: White Collar - The Portrait
Posted Nov 21st 2009 12:35AM by Allison Waldman
Filed under: OpEd, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free
(S08E14) File this one under be careful what you wish for ... I feel like Rod Serling writing that, but there was a bit of a
Twilight Zone feel to this episode of
Monk. It was Monk in an alternate universe, only it looked like the same place we'd been to before. Same with Natalie. More on how things were the same, but different, after the jump.
Continue reading Review: Monk - Mr. Monk and the Badge
Posted Nov 20th 2009 11:49AM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: OpEd, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free, FlashForward
(S01E09) I've thought since the beginning that Bryce was more one of the more intriguing characters on the series. The fact that he was on the verge of suicide when he had his flashforward was indicative of some deeper hurts that we hadn't explored yet, but this week he finally got his due. We also got to meet the mystery woman from his vision, and now his sketches.
I've also realized that a lot of you are right about one thing. The character of Mark Benford isn't working for me anymore. He's a dick through and through, and he absolutely proved that this week in how he handled trying to track down some information.
In fact, even though Olivia's a little better than Mark, I'd say the "first family" of
FlashForward are the two least likable or interesting characters on the show. I think the drama may have been better served by having Mark die in Al's place a couple of weeks ago.
Continue reading Review: FlashForward - Believe
Posted Nov 20th 2009 11:16AM by Jason Hughes
Filed under: OpEd, Episode Reviews, Reality-Free, Community
(S01E10) Hey, Jeff was kind of a selfish douche and then at the end he became a good person and did the right thing. Quick game: which episode am I describing?
I know I've complained about the predictability of this plot procedure in every episode, but for some reason it worked this week. Probably because even in the execution of it, you could see that Jeff had at least gained a sense of loyalty to his study group. In other words, he felt bad about what he was doing from the beginning. He still did it, but somehow that made all the difference.
I think the more shocking development was that Pierce offered to help Shirley with an upcoming speech she had to give, and she actually accepted. He also learned the "secret" to Jeff's power over the group, though I still think it's just confidence.
Continue reading Review: Community - Environmental Science
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