Monday, September 27, 2010

Week in Review: 9/19-9/25 (Wed-Sat)

Alright, finally get to the rest of last week! There is a lot to get to, so no witty intro today. (And yes, some stuff will get skipped. If I didn't talk about it this week, I hope to talk about it next week)

UNDERCOVERS: I'm not totally sold on this one, however I liked it a little more than I expected to. Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw are both gorgeous and talented indivudials. I really like their chemistry together and with the rest of the supporting cast. And when I started to fade at the end of the episode, Gugu loaded a rocket launcher with one hand while driving and then put it out the window and blew up the bad guy she was chasing. Bad. Ass. JJ Abrams likes his chics bad ass, and she definitely lives up to that. Speaking of JJ Abrams, you know how I knew he directed the pilot? Two words: Solar. Flares. Seriously, the guy LOVES them. Final word: still watching it. Interested to see how the first non-exposition episode plays out.

BETTER WITH YOU: Positives: Joanna Garcia, Kurt Fuller, Josh Cooke and the rest of the cast (those are the 3 better halves of each couple, IMO). Some jokes are very funny. Negatives: Some jokes are really bad. Laugh Track. And that last one is a BIG negative. Final word: I'll give it another episode. Either the funny will outweigh the laugh track, like HIMYM, or not. We'll see.

HELLCATS: How do you know you are a big fat nerd? When on a CW show a pretty blonde cheerleader gets a law class assignment with the name Kobayashi in it and the first thing I said (to myself on the couch) was, "It's a fake test! There is no way to win it!! But I bet she's gonna go all Captain Kirk and find a loop hole!" And was I right? Yep. Did it make it less entertaining? Nope. Speaking of the law class, Gale Harold is playing Marti's professor - did anyone else notice something non-professor/student like going on there? Just me? Maybe I've been watching too much LUX and PLL. Ok then. In another relationship: can we please end the love triangle with the "adults." No one cares. Oh, and there is no way that Jeff Hephner is 6 years older than Sharon Leal.

MODERN FAMILY: Hurray! The best comedy on television is back (according to the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences). And they are better than ever. I loved the storyline with Cam and Jay trying to keep Mitchell from helping build Lily's princess castle. Why? Because Mitchell is the most dangerous man ever to hold a tool. Just ask Jay. He says building shelves with Mitchell "It was my Vietnam. And I was in Vietnam." I could list so much more, but needless to say, the point is this show is still on fire. They didn't start phoning it in because they won a bunch of awards. If you somehow have never watched this, please do. Unless you hate to laugh. Then don't.

(STILL) COUGAR TOWN: Or so says the tounge in cheek title card, on the second half of a very funny hour of television on ABC. If you like the funny and tune in for Modern Family, stay for Cougar Town. I discovered my new favorite game on the season premiere. The two movie game. For example: A group of kids solve mysteries in a van in racially charged Brooklyn is Scooby Doo the Right Thing. Get it? Love. And the premiere was extra fun for Friends fans, because Jennifer Aniston starred as Jules' crazy ass therapist. Grayson and Jules are still going strong. Even if Jules won't let him be alone for 3 minutes. But it turns out, even if she does give him space, he just misses her anyway. Because they are adorable. If you like ridiculously child-like adults who still manage to be good people (unlike some other sitcoms) you'll love this. It brings me joy for 22 minutes every week.

THE DEFENDERS: This was cute. I really like Journee Smollet (the ex-exotic dancing lawyer) and Natalie Zea (the prosecuter). Jerry and Jim are both good too. Not sure if I like it enough to keep tuning it. We'll see, I guess.

COMMUNITY AND 30 ROCK: I could literally just transcribe both of these shows right here. I just laughed my ass off for the entire hour. (I haven't gotten to The Office yet, but to be honest I didn't miss it even half as much as I missed these two). These shows make up what is officially the most meta hour of television. Between lines on Community like "That was so season 1" or on 30 Rock Liz Lemon waking up and saying, "Season 5. Here we go!" This shows are aware of their place in pop culture, and pop culture's place in their show. It's fantastic. And the seasons are just going to get better: 30 Rock is going live (with Jon Hamm!!) on October 14. And Community has a zombie Halloween episode, and a claymation Christmas episode on the way (like the old Rudolph and Frosty cartoons). If Modern Family and Cougar Town are the hours of television that make you think "oh good, other people are crazy like me too", Community/30 Rock makes you think "oh thank god I'm not that crazy." And yet, you love all of them!

BONES: YAY!!!!! Bones is back!! And Booth! (See what I did there? I wasn't talking about the show, I was talking about the character. Anywho....) Cam is in trouble because she can't prove the remains she found are those of a missing boy, so Caroline, the greatest DA ever, gets the gang back from all the corners of the earth. Bones and Daisy are on a dig in dlkjflsla (does anyone ever actually catch the name?). Booth is in Afghanistan. Hodgins and Angela are still in Paris. And Sweets is in a piano bar. With a hat, longer hair and a goatee. So cute, Sweets! Anyway, of course they solve the case. Or cases as it turns out. But what's important is that A- Booth has a girlfriend now and B- Ang is knocked up. Let's go good news first: how cute was Bones' reaction to Ang telling her she was pregnant? I expected something almost clinical, but she was genuinely excited. Some growth! As for that other thing.... well the only good news is that whether or not Bones realizes she is jealous, her face shows that she is. She loves Booth, and I just don't think her mind has caught up with her heart yet. My favorite moment of the episode is when Booth said he was going to be like a flea and Bones got the look of a teenage girl when her crush says her name. But, best line was:
Bones: Booth fell in love in Afghanistan.
Angela: Oh, Sweetie, I'm so sorry.
Bones: Why? Are you in love with Booth?
Angela: Well, a little bit. But that's not what I mean.

Aren't we all a little bit in love with Booth? Or a lot a bit? Oh - and I hope they keep the Wooly Mammoth.

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: First things first: ALARIC!!!!! Oh, how I've missed your pretty face. And so has Aunt Jenna, but she played it cool. Until the end when he laid a big fat kiss on her. (adorable) Alaric goes on a road trip to Duke with Damon and Elena, who is not happy for all the time with Damon. But Stefan is busy doing vamp training with Caroline (more on that in a second). The road trip is to Duke to find Isabella's research to get more information on Katherine and what she could possibly want. At Duke they get help from Isabella's assistant, after she tries to kill Elena with a cross bow (Damon takes the shot. swoon). Damon tries to win back at least a little of Elena's friendship, after that whole almost killing Jeremy thing. But in the end, he admits he didn't see the magic ring, but regrets it and is glad Jer is okay because he couldn't have lived with himself otherwise. All this doesn't move Elena - she says their friendship is lost forever. Don't count on it, Elena. This show would be sad if there was no Damon/Elena fun. As for the other Salvatore brother, he was a busy man. First he had to convince Bonnie to make a magic ring for Caroline (bonnie is such a pain) and then he has to train Caroline to not be such a super jealous neurotic, epsecially with Matt.  It doesn't work. She ends up nearly killing Matt, and then deciding to force him to break up with her. Poor Little C. (I'm changing her name since she appears to have stolen Little J's makeup artist from GG). Oh... and Mason is a werewolf, and chances are so is Tyler (when he turns 18, perhaps?) and a were bite can kill a vamp. EEK!

BIG BANG THEORY: This show is still funny. And Mayim should be back full time. That's all I got this week. :)

GREY'S ANATOMY: This show is still on fire following the phenomenal season finale. Derek is messed up - but still functioning a little, as he finally quit being chief and gave Webber his much deserved job back. The Twisted Sisters (as Owen calls them) are the two that still haven't been cleared for surgery. But that doesn't mean they aren't doing alright. Christina is hiding in her wedding to Owen (so sweet) and Mer has yet to tell anyone that didn't already know about her miscarriage (including Der). One of the best parts of the opening for me is that April and Jackson are now just part of the crew. No more Mercy West/Seattle Grace separation. So glad for it, by the way. I like Sarah Drew, and would be happy to like April, and we all know how I feel about the hotness monster! My favorite part of the episode was when Lexie finally tells off Alex for being a total douche. I cheered. Alex needs a swift kick to the nuts.

PRIVATE PRACTICE: Ummmm.... it was a good episode, but I don't have much to say. Although I totally called Sam and Addison still together and just not talking about it. So hurray? Whatever. These people are so messed up!

FRINGE: I Love Olivia and was genuinely sad when she started to fade and Fauxlivia started to break through. But I loved, Henry, her cab driver and was glad to read he would be on more episodes. But none of that sadness on the other side measured up to the way my heart broke when Pacey, I mean Peter, gave Fauxlivia a kiss. I'm dreading this weeks episode because. Oh, and the director of the episode, Joe Chappelle, apparently went to the JJ Abrams (creator of the show) school of directing - the episode was very  solar flare heavy!

NIKITA: The episode was good, and I really liked guest star Julie Gonzalo (Veronica Mars, Eli Stone). But the best part was when the tech guy said he was like "River Phoenix is Sneakers." Bonus points for that awesome reference.

SUPERNATURAL: I'm SOOOO excited this show is back. You have no idea. Well, I know a few of you do. Anyway, that being said, this episode was not the best. The montage at the start that went back and forth between Hunter Dean and Domesticated Dean was great and made me sad. I was even more sad later when I realized just how much of Domesticated Dean we would be getting. My biggest issue was that there was just a whole lot of Dean saying "Wait, what?" or some form of that. I felt so bad for him when he realized that even Bobby knew that Sam had been back the whole time. And I will say that seeing Lisa going the way of Mom and Jessica (ceiling, bleeding, fire) was upsetting and made me giggle. (I actually like Lisa, but I want her gone so I can get Dean back!) It was also creepy seeing Azazel again. But I liked all the throwbacks to the old stuff. Biggest question: WTF is up with Grandpa Campbell (and the cousins)?! Why didn't he kill that chic? What is going on there? Considering Sera Gamble, Eric Kripke and the rest of the crew have been saying "it's back to monster of the week," this episode seemed to be going the route of mythology. That is not a bad thing, by the way. Just curious as to where it is going....

SNL: Amy Poehler rocked it! So great. And so was Katy Perry in the Brooklyn Beat skit. So fabulous!! Also loved Jimmy, Tina, Maya, Rachel and, of course, Justin Timberlake!!

Alright, friends. What did you think of this past week? Let me know!

2 comments:

Erin wants punch said...

"I've got some cookies and Hawaiian punch for you and you're little friends!". The spanking on the Office deserves a tiny shout out too no?!?! I about peed myself, maybe because my dad totally spanked Eric years ago and that was hysterical. Loved everything about Bones per usual. Nice review!

Anonymous said...

I think there will always be a sexual frisson between Gale Harold and female scene partner, if only because he never drew an unsexy breath in his life. As for the triangle, I'm with you: boring. Maybe the fact Vanessa fessed up to Derrick about the past means they'll drop it, and we'll see a lot less of Jeff Hephner's annoying smirk.