Wreston's All Right

Parks and Recreation, S05E08

Leslie and Ben got a decent person to build their new park, but because he was  from Eagleton, Leslie resisted hiring him against obvious proof that he was superb in his work.  Tom had his friends helped him set up his Rent-A-Swag store, but he was so focused on being responsible and frugal that he was neglecting his style and flair that was necessary for his business to succeed.  Andy found his security guard work to be boring and April came to play with him.

I think most people were wanting for Wreston to turn out to be a bad guy after all, but luckily he was a genuinely nice guy.  It's funny to see someone as sweet as Leslie fighting a nice guy tooth an nail to prove he's a scumbag.  Maybe I sort of wanted her to be right so she wouldn't seem so crazy.  But logically after Wreston's employees had sent Ben and Leslie that horrible model for the park anyone would have thought they had been duped.  Thank goodness Ben had a major man-crush on Wreston and refused to believe he was that much of a snake.

I loved how much Ben fell for Wreston.  He even slipped in an invitation to their wedding, having only known the man for a few hours.  It's weird because Ben doesn't really seem to take a shine to people so easily, unless they're related to something nerdy like accounting or maybe comic books or something.   It was also funny because Leslie was annoyed by it.

I'm still a little worried that Wreston being from Eagleton is going to bring some trouble somehow.  I don't know.  If his employees can go behind his back and send a fake model, who knows what else his staff might do when his back is turned?  I think that Leslie's suspicions sort of rubbed off on me.

I'm not too worried about Tom's store, though.  First all, he had all his friends working there, so at least he can count on them working to their best abilities.  His first penny-pinching version of the place was a little drab, but after using the investment from his friends and pieces from his house, it looked more like a place you would buy swag.

My favorite thing about that story was Chris learning woodwork from Ron.  I love when these two get together because they are such opposites!  Chris was so eager to learn, while Ron sounded like he couldn't be bothered to tell Chris the simplest thing to do.  I loved when Ron tried to give Chris busy work to keep him from bothering him with millions of questions:

[Ron] Here. I have designed something very important.  Why don’t you start work on that right away?
[Chris] Yes, sir!
[Ron to the camera] It’s a flight of stairs that leads to nowhere.

Ron, the master of getting overly enthusiastic people to be distracted.  It was nice that the stairs, though, ended up being a nice display piece to use in Tom's store.  Chris assumed that was Ron's plan all along and Ron didn't correct him.

My second favorite line from Ron was when Tom had set up a pathetic pizza party with a small toppings-less pizza, two drinks, and had turned off the majority of lights.  Only Ron was the one who seemed impressed by this:

If there were more food and fewer people, this would be a perfect party.

Chris also had a good line concerning the first version of Rent-A-Swag.  Everyone was commenting on how bad it had looked, but Chris almost was the sole voice of positivity:

[Chris] I think what’s important is we all had a goal, and we achieved it.
[Ann] So you like the place?
[Chris] Oh, no, it’s quite terrible.

I love how honest Chris is.  He might try to see things in the best light, but he's also not going to straight up lie when asked his opinion about something.

 In the April and Andy story, I wasn't that surprised that Andy was bored out of his mind.  I thought it was adorable that April came and they were playing around like kids.  It really reminds you how perfect they are together.  It's almost a shame that April had to make him realize that he had to retire the fantasy version of himself as an FBI agent for the real version of himself who helps lost kids find their mothers.  April's a really good wife to not just make him see his potential, but also give his imaginary character a final decommissioning session.  That was over the top, but really cute.

 I hope that Wreston continues to be the dream come true that saves the new park idea from being squashed before it's even started.  It would be pretty disappointing if Ben's new best friend turned out to be one of those evil Eagleton jerks.  I can't wait to see what kind of customers come to Tom's store and maybe he could move out of his store sooner rather than later with good sales.  I think that Andy will like his security job a little more, even without playing make-believe.  But there probably needs to be a robbery or something soon because he's too ADD to be kept content forever by the "glory" of saving one little boy.

Oh No, Bernadette Didn't!

Big Bang Theory, S06E09

 Sheldon and Howard began a war over territory and possessions when Howard was assigned Sheldon's unused parking space.  Amy and Bernadette also began to fight, both wanting to stick up for their men.

I knew there would be trouble once Sheldon made it known that Howard was occupying his old parking spot.  While I was thinking about Sheldon and his most famous territorial stake, his spot on the couch, I was delighted to see Howard sitting at said spot completely naked.  This was not just a funny response to Sheldon taking his Iron Man helmet, but a rightful one.  I mean, Sheldon was sort of being a bully.  I'm sure in Sheldon world it looked like Howard was coming along and taking things that were his, but the rest of the world would have to agree that Sheldon taking Howard's things is pretty childish (and a little illegal).  But then again, Howard playing along with his childish games makes him just as much a child.  I don't blame Howard, though--you gotta beat Sheldon at his own game or Sheldon will own your ass forever.  I was less surprised that Howard had to give up his parking space before Sheldon would allow him there than I was that Sheldon retaliated at one point by sitting naked in Howard's car.  Wow.  Somehow it was grosser than Howard on the couch.  I guess it's because I would never expect a germaphobe like Sheldon to sit his naked ass on anything that was disinfected first.

The boys' battle was pretty good, but it had nothing on the residual fight between Amy and Bernadette.  You could sense that a storm was brewing between them, but I still had hope that they would be mature enough not to let their emotions get in the way.  However, once one of them suggested that their man wasn't worth as much as the other, the cat fight began!  The best thing was how vicious Bernadette got, which I loved because she wasn't about to let someone talk trash about Howard.  Not only did she have Amy's car towed, she admitted to scratching it as well with not an ounce of shame.  But Bernadette really took out her claws when she told Amy the following:

Gosh, Amy, I'm sensing a little hostility.  Is it maybe because like Sheldon's work your sex life is also theoretical?

Wow!  That had my jaw dropping that was such a good burn.  Amy may have gotten a jab in suggesting that Howard and his mother were so close that it was like he wanted to be back in her womb, but Bernadette really brought the heat and could have unabashedly snapped her fingers after bringing up Sheldon and Amy's sex life.  If I was Penny at that moment, I would have been like, "It's over--just bow out, Amy."

Penny got a bruised nose out of the fight, even though she was just in the middle.  I think that's more of a hazard of being friends with someone who carries a can of change in her purse rather than the fight, really.  Amy's nutty and obviously not afraid to swing her heavy purse if you push her far enough.  I feel a little bad for Penny.  It was hard for them to stop fighting even after Penny had gotten hurt in the crossfire.  Penny should probably rethink the advantages of having the two around.

I liked this episode a lot, but I would have liked to see Raj doing something better than arguing about zombies and mummies.  It is cute that he keeps bringing up that topic, but come on.  It could have been funny to see him help Howard get back at Sheldon or something.  Although, maybe Raj is too smart to get involved in that pointless squabble (he's learned his lesson sharing an office with Sheldon).

Sheldon at least pretended to be the bigger man, and that's all we can ask of him, so it was a great ending.  Penny got the raw deal being neutral in Amy and Bernadette's fight, but she probably got off easy because making an enemy of Bernadette is obviously not something you do lightly.  I'd love to see Bernadette tell someone how it is again.  That sort of thing is almost as good as watching Sheldon getting his just desserts.

Domestication And Friendship Not So Bad

Suburgatory, S02E06

George's old friends from New York came to visit while they were doing business in town and made fun of George for adapting so well to the suburban life.  Tessa wanted to enjoy spending time with her tablet alone, but Lisa wanted to spend all her time with her now that she was single again.

I think that George still has a little of his edge left from life in the city, but now that he is becoming "twinsies" with Shelia, I could see how his friends would think he was a sellout or too domesticated.  However, I absolutely hated how they were coming down on Dallas, who despite her looks, is a very smart and caring person.  I fell more in love with George when he not only admitted that the all-over phony woman that his friends pointed out was his girlfriend, but when he also defended her when they continued to talk shit about her.  I was worried that he was going to cave into peer pressure and try to relive his days as a "real" man as his friends envisioned it, but George stood by Dallas's side.  To me, that's a real man.  The best kind of person can own up to what they really love and not try to hide it because someone tries to make them feel bad about it.

Equally as great was when Dallas gave George the idea to bid against his friends for some architecture project.  George would have never thought of that on his own.  Plus, Dallas assisted him both in the concept and the presentation--they are a great team!  I was really proud of them as a couple to see them working like a dynamic duo!  They didn't end up winning the bid, but at least they made some waves and impressed the clients.  I could definitely see Dallas and George getting together on some good business deals in the future.

In Tessa's story, I was a little distracted by the open advertising for the Microsoft Surface tablet.  Nothing new to see products in TV shows, but I hate when it's all up in my face.  She even listed some of the great features of the thing at one point.  Wow.  Can't I get a little more of a break from the commercials?  Still, I've been interested in the Surface, so I wasn't too outraged.  I'm sure that they only did the advertising because it was necessary.  If it keeps the show going, I can't be too mad.

I felt Tessa on her desire to be alone with her tablet, though.  It's been a while since Lisa has sort of kidnapped Tessa's day to make her do some kind of dorky activity.  Lisa literally pulled out her trunk of tricks in this story.  If I was Tessa, I might have cut her off the beginning in the hopes that being alone would make her miss Malik.  It's obvious that Lisa is trying to fill her loneliness with Tessa.  I'm glad that even if Lisa isn't aware of it, she's not over Malik yet.  If she was, I'd doubt she'd need to try to shove a smoked fish down Tessa's throat.

I don't know how I feel about a "friendship fish." I thought it was cute that Tessa finally agreed to eat it with Lisa.  No surprise that Tessa got food poisoning from it, though.  I would be pretty nervous about someone pulling a fish out a trunk and asking me to eat it.  But she must really wanted Lisa to be her friend is she's willing to puke out her guts for the sake of friendship.  Her tablet is a nice alternative, but I guess only real friendship is worth all that suffering.

I'm also unsure what Ellen's prolonged stay at the Altman house will bring.  For a woman who knows that her daughter is a mess, she sure doesn't seem to like George too much.  Maybe she wanted to raise Tessa in the absence of her daughter?  I don't know.  But I don't see them getting along too well.  No matter what, George is a good parent, so I think she should at least respect that about him.  But I'm sure as a grandmother, Ellen's going to have a lot of suggestions for parental improvement.

This was a cute episode about George and Tessa sort of coming to terms with what they have become.  George has changed, but it doesn't mean that he's become some kind of pathetic loser.  And I definitely think with Dallas's help, he is going to continue to change and grow for the better.  Tessa's grown in the sense that she can't just sort of fend for herself and has to stick by the friends she's made.  She can't just callously cast them aside for some some wires and a shiny screen.  Lisa, as I said before, needs to hurry up and take Malik back.  Not just for her sake, but so we don't have to see Tessa suffering while wearing an airbrushed shirt and a watermelon hat.

Try To Help, Get Zip Tied

The Mindy Project, S01E07

 Mindy tried to help her neighbor and friend Sophia make a smarter decision about going on birth control and having sex with her boyfriend.  Danny had to deal with a complaint about lewd behavior in the office. 

At first I really liked that Sophia and Mindy seem to have a nice bond, as if they were sisters or something.  However, the moment that Mindy tried to get too involved in Sophia's decision about sex, Sophia became a bit of a pain.  I get that no teenage wants an adult to tell them what to do about having sex, but I felt like Sophia was being a little too mean-spirited when Mindy was both trying to help her consider the weight of her first sexual experience and doing her a favor at all by possibly supplying her with birth control in the first place.  The latter was done without parental consent, so Mindy could have gotten in more trouble when helping her.  Mindy got way too involved, but at the same time, it was Sophia who went to her in the first place.  She couldn't have possibly thought that she could just ask Mindy for the pills and Mindy would have just threw some at her with no thought.

My least favorite part was when Sophia got the chance to question Josh, and Josh showed that he was no better of a boyfriend than Sophia's guy.  In fact, he wasn't really thinking of a future with Mindy at all.  It wasn't so fair to put him on the spot when Mindy and he had only been dating for a little while, but still.  I didn't like Josh too much there.  I mean, I felt like he could have worded his uncertainty about Mindy in a better way.  I'm still far from being his fan, and I don't think the two of them have forever on their horizon.

It was kinda funny that Mindy got restrained at the school for handing out condoms.  I'm thinking that's more of a no-no because she was unauthorized and parents would complain.  But seriously, what the hell is the harm?  It wasn't like she was pimping out the girls or something!  Geez!  I felt that they didn't need to zip tie her up!  Extreme!  But Mindy was dancing on the line of creepy being at the school and doing what she was doing in the first place.  She really should have just stayed at work (and did the job she seems to be able to not do at will--must be nice to be a partner).  It's amazing how Mindy can look like a criminal so many times when she's not exactly trying to do anything illegal.

As far as Danny's story went, it was okay.  I knew that it was Betsy who had written that complaint.  It was cute when Danny had Morgan in his office and he kept talking about the dogs he kept at the office.  I really like him for some reason.  He has this boyish charm.  Anyway, Danny was being so inappropriate in the way he was trying to up Betsy's confidence.  I can't believe he complimented her so much on her physical traits.  I really hope that doesn't end up blowing in his face anytime soon.

Oh, yeah.  I also loved how much Ben loved Mindy.  She made a fast friend of him and it was adorable, although it is very weird.  But not nearly as weird as that slime all the kids were playing with.  Kids are so strange.

This episode was okay.  It was hard to watch Mindy going around a high school as if her presence there was normal.  I don't think she should ever skip work again.  I'm not any closer to loving Josh, even though I know he's making an effort with Mindy.  I just don't have much faith in his commitment to her, and I doubt that will ever change.  Danny is sort of useless when it comes to handling people.  Although I like he is a bit of a mess himself and Mindy is surely not alone in that department.

Ticking Clock

New Girl, S02E09

Jess decided to find out how many eggs she had left after her friend Sadie suggested that her age was putting her at a huge disadvantage to get pregnant.  Nick tried to finish his zombie novel, but was procrastinating at the zoo and interrupting Winston's sleep.  Schmidt failed to satisfy his boss in bed.

This episode wasn't as much funny as it was a little sad.  You had Jess freaking out about not being able to have any good eggs left by the time she met someone she loved to father her child, Nick wandering around drunk at a zoo in an attempt to live the life of a writer, and Schmidt defeated in the place he's most confident about--the bedroom.  You even had to feel a little bad for Winston because he was just trying to get to sleep and Nick kept bugging him with his novel (although, I think he just needed the support from Winston).  I just kept hoping there would be a little ray of hope at the end for them all (not so much Schmidt, though).

It was good that Jess ended up being a better egg producer than she feared, but it was sad that Cece found out that she was on a much shorter clock than her friend.  And when she talked to Robbie about having kids, he was imagining it a decade away.  Wow.  Ten years??  How old is Robbie?  Or is that just a guy thing and they just don't really feel the pressure to hurry up and have children like women do?  Man, I felt even worse for Cece at that point.  I mean, I don't really love the idea of her even having kids with Robbie, but to hear that he wasn't thinking about kids any time soon at all was disappointing.  It also made me think that if she were still with Schmidt, he'd probably jump at the idea to have her child.  I mean, he was so gun-ho when the two of them had that scare last season.  Also, he was the first to volunteer his sperm to Jess (barf!).  I'd hate to see Cece miss out on motherhood if it's something she really wanted, even if it meant that there would be a Schmidt baby running around.  I think after a while Cece's happiness would outweigh the ick factor of the father.

Nick was kinda funny with his inability to write, but not so much that I laughed aloud.  I think his funniest moment was when Jess came into his room while waiting for Winston to finish reading his novel and he jokingly (maybe?) told her that he knew she would pick him to father her baby.  I also liked that Jess played along with him for a moment and mocked trying to kiss him.  Those two are so cute...  But I was a little disappointed that his process of writing a horrible zombie novel wasn't funnier.  It felt like all the pieces were there, but it didn't really come together.  It was a little funny when Winston was reading a some of it.  I would have liked to hear him read more in that voice of his.

Winston's other almost funny moment was when he suggested that he would be the best father for Jess' baby on the grounds of the best looking features.  I never imagined that Winston would jump in there and offer to get her pregnant, but I guess it was slightly an opportunity to brag about how handsome he was, so it didn't seem too odd.  Plus, all the guys have admitted that they have thought about sex with Jess before, so it's not that crazy.  Although, sex and a baby are two different things.

This episode definitely could have been funnier.  It was a little more serious than I wanted it to be.  I think that now that Schmidt has realized the depths of his love for Cece and Cece is more conscious of her baby clock, the chances of them getting back together is a little higher than before.  I don't know if Jess will get more serious about finding the right guy, but I wish that she could see that Nick could be that guy.  There were little hints of their attraction, as always, but I want another episode where the two of them have to really explore their feelings for each other and do something about it already.

Blurbs And Blood

2 Broke Girls, S02E08

Max and Caroline were excited to find a blurb about their cupcake business in Martha Stewart Living.  Fueled by their good luck, they tried to find ways to buy the soup kitchen for their business after it had been shut done due to a murder inside.  After failing to get a business loan from a small business organization and an investment from Sophie, the girls sought money from an egg donation clinic.

I was pretty surprised that the first time Caroline mentioned checking Martha Stewart's magazine that there would be something about their business in it.  It's nice that Martha came through for them and Caroline's phone was blowing up with cupcake orders.  I'm sure that would be plenty for them at this stage.  I was further surprised that Caroline was taking that momentum to buy themselves a space.  I thought that kind of conversation would come much later, but I guess you have to strike when the iron is hot.  I was surprised by that, but not much that they got rejected for loans and by Sophie.  Then at the end I was shocked again that Sophie changed her mind.  It's not so clear why she had a change of heart.  Maybe she just knew that they were down on their luck--we have really no idea.  I'd make a fuss about this being a little too convenient if I wasn't just happy for the girls overall.  Basically, I'm adopting a "don't look a gift horse in the mouth" kind of attitude with that plot development.

What I really liked about this episode was a few things.  I most liked when Max went into the soup kitchen and was so pumped about all the blood on the walls.  I have to say I might have wanted to do the same thing, even if it's a little twisted.  I mean, people did die in there, but it was also a bunch of drug dealers, so I couldn't be too sorry for the way things had ended up for those people.  I don't know if I would have wanted to start my business there, but you can't sneeze at the reduced rent you would have to pay there, that's for sure.

It also wasn't a bad scene when Max was left alone to pitch their business plan for their loan.  It was like she had shown up for a test, but had never studied a day in her life.  It was cute how she started to talk and her voice just got softer and softer until you couldn't hear her at all.  I don't blame her for having no confidence--that lady at the desk was an impatient bitch.  But again, no surprise that they weren't given a loan.

Caroline's blood-spurting scene was the last scene I particularly enjoyed.  I cried out when all that blood was coming out of her, and it only got worse when she knocked into a nurse and got blood thrown all over the walls too.  After seeing that I couldn't help but think who was going to clean that up?  I don't envy that person.

This was a good episode.  It looks like we may see their cupcake shop soon enough.  I doubt that they won't encounter a lot of problems along the way, but it should be a good ride.  After all, just buying a place isn't enough to get the business started.  It takes a whole lot before anything is up and running.  So I'm happy to see them moving along, but I'm also content to know they won't be too successful too fast and lose their title as "two broke girls."

Bringing Sexy To The Courtroom

How I Met Your Mother, S08E08

Marshall tried to prove that Brad's company had polluted Frog Lake, but Brad's sexy techniques were swaying both the jury and judge against Marshall's favor.  Ted, Lily, Robin, and Barney tried to determine who was the biggest badass as a teenager.  Robin and Barney tried to pretend that their awkward kiss never happened.

I can't help but love every second that Joe Manganiello was in this episode--he's not just good to look at but funny as a stupid ass.  I knew that Marshall was fighting for a good cause against some irresponsible people, but I still wanted Brad to win with his cheap tactics.  I think my favorite Brad move was his little video of Frog Lake where he was playing a saxophone and chilling in the water.  Plus, he was wearing no more than a wife beater and trunks and no less than his trunks.  You gotta love that.  It was just a really dumb video that was obvious attempt to win over the horny women on the jury.  I'm sort of surprised that they had an all-woman jury--why did it turn out that way?  Whatever the reason, Brad had everyone eating out of the palm of his hand, including the judge who seemed to be a little in the closet.  I loved when Marshall was about to turn the tables on the case and asked Brad to take his shirt off, which was given the green light eagerly by the judge.  So Marshall actually was able to use Brad's sexiness a little to his advantage.  Nice.

What was even nicer was that Marshall's win led to Brad quitting with that pharmaceutical company and joining Marshall's firm!  Yes!  Maybe we will see Brad again!  And although he's sort of a sneaky and cheap lawyer, at least his semi-effective moves will be used to help the environment instead of helping scumbag companies get away with stuff.  I have to say that I agree a little bit with Marshall that it is a bit of joke to only fine them 25 grand when they are clearly harming animals, but then again, to ruin a company with a huge multimillion blow when they hadn't exactly been blowing up bunnies with dynamite or something is maybe a little too much.  But I think they should have at least gotten a million dollar fine to make the issue seem serious.  25 grand is probably something the executives at that company spend on a car or other "toys."

I didn't care too much about the competition of who was the biggest troublemaker in the day because we all know that these guys are certified dorks.  However, when Lily told her story, I did sort of believe her because she's never hid the fact that she's a crazy-ass bitch.  I also just liked seeing Lily looking so pale and with dark makeup while she slapped cops and carried a bat.  They should show more flashbacks of that.

Barney and Robin were frustrating with their forced pleasantries.  Thankfully, Barney told Robin that he was just going to stop wasting his time trying to get her.  That is what any sane person would do.  Geez.  Robin is ridiculous.  She's not going to find a better match than Barney, but she just keeps on pushing him away.  So I guess it's up to her now to show that she actually wants Barney at some point?  I'm trusting that Barney really means what he says and isn't going to backtrack unless Robin proves her love for him.  I'm a little annoyed that they're wasting time when their attraction is so obvious, but this show is all about milking it, so I can't say that I'm surprised.

It's a no-brainer that I'm most excited to see what Brad will be up to at Marshall's firm.  I don't really care what Joe Manganiello is doing in any episode as long as he's there and possibly showing off his guns at least.  Haha.  Robin needs to hurry up and get with the program.  The viewers deserve to see Barbin become a real thing and not just a daydream we keep getting teased with.

Playing Burning Room Telephone

Once Upon A Time, S02E08

Emma and the others tried to contact Henry through Aurora to find a way to defeat Cora, but were interrupted by an attack by Cora.  Once Aurora was captured and they lost their connection to the other side, Snow used Mulan's sleeping powder to return to the burning room.  She met Charming there who had put himself under the sleeping curse so that Henry wouldn't have to go through the danger again.  Hook tried to get back on Cora's good side by making Aurora one of her pawns.

I never considered that it wouldn't be so easy for Aurora and Henry to communicate, even though they are only linked once both are asleep.  Once Aurora was taken and Henry was getting all burned up, I started to doubt that Emma and the others would ever learn that Cora could be defeated by the quill ink in Rump's old cell.  It was a nice turn of events that Snow would take Aurora's place and Charming would do the same for Henry.

It was kind of funny how Rump was mentioning that Charming was going to get to take the sleeping potion in the old fashioned way--the so-called way before the days of "poisoned apples."  I loved that.  I loved that as much as him saying that Charming was going to join a "distinguished club."  Yeah, a club of cursed people!  Rump is a laugh riot.  Also, why the hell was he spinning that damn wheel?  That wasn't necessary in order for Charming to prick his finger.  But it was a nice touch before Charming went under.

My favorite thing of all is simply that Regina went to Rump and Belle enjoying some burgers (that just tickles me by itself to see him hanging out) and told him that it was time for some teamwork.  Yes! I think that Rump is still resistant to the idea, but now that they have worked together to make a sleeping potion, I think that going back to strictly enemies is too late now.  Plus, Charming is out of commission until Snow gets back, so it's not like they will have a "mediator" anymore.

I don't know how Storybrooke is going to survive without Charming around.  The townspeople are a bit of wildcards.  Like something with Spencer could happen again--any person wanting revenge on another could take this opportunity to cause havoc.  I don't know if people like Red are really going to step in and do Charming's job to preserve the peace.

Anyway, Mulan is really starting to piss me off.  I know that her main goal is to protect Aurora, but it's wrong of her to steal that compass and run off while Snow was risking her life to go back to that damn fire room!  What a bitch!  I could understand her trying that if Snow and Emma were just sitting around not trying to fix anything, but they were getting important information.  I was really happy when Snow had Mulan on her back with an arrow to her throat.  I wouldn't have blamed Snow if she had cut her throat!  Mulan needs to trust people a little more.  She can't do everything herself.

Now speaking of Aurora, what a horrible thing that has been done to her!  She can't get a damn break.  Hook took out her damn heart and now Cora's using her like a puppet.  I never saw that coming.  I didn't think that Hook was really sincere about helping Emma and the others, but damn.  He really wants to kill Rump.  Not that he wasn't already a despicable person when he was just a pirate having fun.

Wow, there was so many good things this week!  It was well worth the wait.  I don't think that Emma and the others will be able to beat Cora to returning to Storybrooke now that Cora has a spy within their group.  However, at least now if Cora and Hook do soon make their way to the other world, Rump and Regina are already in the beginning of a new alliance.  Seeing the two of them work together to help Emma or stop Cora is something I can't wait for!  I'm sure that will just as exciting as it will be humorous.

Thanksgiving Again?

The Cleveland Show, S04E04

Cleveland changed his mind about making Junior kill a turkey and helped his son try to protect all the turkeys left that Lester was trying to kill and sell.  Donna agreed to help Rallo decorate a float for the parade, but soon pushed him out of the process when she found out that it was for a competition.

I was a little surprised that they did another story that was about Thanksgiving, although this one was a lot more about the holiday than the previous one.  It's rare for a show to do that.  Either they do a nod to the holiday and move on or they chose not to do it at all.  It also didn't help that Thanksgiving was already over and I wasn't expecting anymore stories about it.  However, it wasn't too bad.

Although I say that, there is much that I particularly liked about this episode (but there wasn't anything that I particularly hated either).  My favorite quote was when Junior was trying to defend turkeys by saying that Ben Franklin thought they were noble and Cleveland said:

Benjamin Franklin was an atheist pedophile who flew kites to meet children.  That’s why God struck him with lightning.

There's something really funny about making up your own horrible story about a historical figure (although, there's no concrete evidence to prove that it's wrong).  The part at the end where he claims that even his contributions to electricity were just a fluke from divine punishment also makes me laugh.

As far as Donna and Rallo's story went, I did like when Rallo was trying to decorate the float just as a boy his age typically would with odd coloring, googly eyes, and macaroni.  There's nothing more I love than being reminded that Rallo is just a kid.  Because when he decides to be one, he's really childlike.  However, there wasn't enough of him to really make the story great.  It was just all right.

I probably still like this Thanksgiving story better than the Auntie-Mama one.  It wasn't really funny, but at least it wasn't frustrating to watch (or disgusting).  It just had stories you could watch without really reacting to them much, which for this show is sort of a success.  I dislike when I have to list all the things that made me want to shoot the TV screen.

Stewie Versus Sheldon

Family Guy, S11E06

Lois started acting like a 20-year old after Peter gave a speech at her birthday party that compared her to an old horse.  Peter was enjoying the perks of having a "younger wife" until he couldn't keep up with Lois' wild new behavior.  Stewie also got a new pet turtle who turned out to be stirring up trouble and trying to murder him.

This is far from the first time that Peter has mentioned in a not so tactful way that Lois is getting older.  So I didn't really have much of an reaction to his insensitive speech because that's what Peter does all the time.  I also didn't feel too surprised that Lois handled the problem in an extreme way because she's shown many times that she has a wild side.  The best part of the story besides when Peter decided to stop being a dick and appreciate Lois for the mature woman she has become was just seeing Peter so ragged from hanging out with Lois night after night.  He was having fun with her new attitude until his old body couldn't keep up.  Serves his ass right.  I could have been completely pleased with this story had Peter not went back to his regular jerk of a self by telling Lois to get out because she was older than 35.  There are only so many times I can watch a husband give shit to his wife about being old before the joke because tired and annoying.  We're definitely at that point by now.

Also, in that story, there was another cutaway to a Conway Twitty video.  I groaned more than usual to see the return of this gag because he was sporting some Bieber hair this time.  I don't know if it was because it was digitally altered so badly that I was annoyed or just annoyed that they would even try to put that on him.  Either way, it wasn't funny and I'm over those Conway Twitty jokes too.

The best part of the episode was definitely that Stewie had taken in Sheldon.  We don't know why the turtle was so damn evil, but it was pretty hilarious is a creepy way.  I would have never expected a little thing like that to be knocking over bookshelves and snapping seagulls' necks.  You would think that with Stewie being a bit of an evil person himself that he and the turtle would get along great, but I guess that just gave them a reason to have a fight.  I liked that Stewie was nearly bested by Sheldon (of all the people he's managed to defeat and a little turtle takes him down??), but at the end Super Mario appears out of nowhere and stomps on Sheldon.  And that was it.  Because it was Mario and very random, I had to laugh and enjoy that convenient conclusion to their fight.  Actually, that was the best ending I could think of.  After all, either Stewie or Sheldon would have had to kill the other.  I'm sure it wouldn't have ended up being funnier than a plumber dropping down on the turtle.  I just wonder if non-Mario fans liked that ending, though.

There were a few cutaways that I liked.  The first was when Stewie, as a king, was being mocked by a court jester and his response to the jester was unexpected:

In my office.  Now.

I had thought he might say off with his head or something, but instead his reply was much more contemporary, so it was a good joke to me.

Another good cutaway was when Lois was being tricked by Peter with a fake grocery store.  I don't know why, but when she knocked it over and was just standing around in the middle of nowhere with these huge cutouts, including the clerk who had just been talking to her, I started laughing.  I guess the idea of someone going to such trouble to fool someone (and someone falling for said trick) was just too ridiculous to imagine.

The third cutaway I liked stared Johnny Depp in his popular role of Edward Scissorhands.  You knew that as soon as he held that baby that it wasn't going to end well, but it still managed to be funny.  Especially since it was the actual actor and he was saying all these assuring things before he came back in the room immediately to tell the couple that their baby was dead.  How sick, but how nice to see them referencing one of my favorite Johnny Depp movies.

The only other thing I thought was kinda funny was when Stewie received Rupert's head in a box and then got an additional box with a stranger's head in it.  I just liked how Stewie was clueless of the guy's identity and indifferent to his death.  I don't know what Sheldon was trying to achieve with that.

I liked this episode.  For a story where Peter was making Lois feel shitty, it didn't make me that angry, so I was able to enjoy the comedy of it all.  I loved seeing Stewie fight a new pet and just watching that sinister turtle walking slowly around doing devious things.  I'm almost a little disappointed that Mario got him because I would love a round two.  Sheldon would make an excellent rival to Stewie in the same way that Chicken is to Peter (except not nearly as frustrating to watch).

Never Let Fischoeder In

Bob's Burgers, S03E06

Bob convinced Mr. Fischoeder to buy a mechanical shark from an old movie to use as an attraction at his park.  After the kids knocked over the shark, letting it loose to rampage on the streets, Bob took responsibility to stop it before it destroyed the town.

There were two things that really annoyed me with this story.  The first was Mr. Fischoeder.  I'm starting to think that whenever he appears that means there is going to be trouble for Bob in the disguise of something profitable.  Bob could have gotten some good publicity for his restaurant, being the person behind the idea for the shark attraction, but of course, Mr. Fischoeder (I'm gonna call him Mr. F out of convenience) barely even let him have that.  Then he just threw him under the bus as the one responsible for the shark going around town breaking things.  Technically, Bob's kids did knock the thing over, but it wasn't Bob who didn't make sure that there was someone to properly operate the thing.  Man, Mr. F is such an asshole.  The other asshole was Hugo.  Wow.  While offering no solutions to put an end to the shark, he was full of criticisms.  I really wanted him to shut up or get "eaten" by the shark.  Nothing worse than someone wanting to complain about an issue but not wanting to help make it any better.  Plus, his voice just makes it worse (although I enjoyed that voice in Home Movies).

The only thing I could say that I liked about this story was near the beginning when Bob was trying to remove a bike that had been parked on the street too long.  The owner didn't appreciate Bob doing so and tried to prove his point of ownership through showing his ass as a receipt:

[Bob] That's not a receipt.
[Louise] Where do you shop??

That was about the only good thing I found in this episode.  I sort of appreciated the fact that they were sort of spoofing Jaws, but it wasn't as if this was a really good spoof or anything.  It was just an obvious one.

Not a terrible story, but far from one of my favorites.  I'm really starting to hate Mr. F and am over seeing him for a while.  Hugo isn't someone I want to see very often either, but at least he's more of an irritating fly that won't go away rather than a wolf in sheep's clothing (Mr. F really "f's" Bob over when he gets involved with him).  I didn't mind the spoofing, but I didn't think it was the best parody of Jaws that I've ever seen.

MyPad Is All You Need

The Simpsons, S24E06

After Homer was feeling down about his recent bad luck, he won a Mapple myPad and found happiness using it excessively in his daily life.  When he destroyed it from a myPad-distracted accident, Homer was depressed again until he found a message written on a tree in sap.

I think that in general stories about Homer using some kind of technology or sophisticated device is pretty good because everyone knows that Homer is an idiot and will use it in a funny way.  I can't help but be reminded of the episode where he bought a new computer and quickly tossed it in the trashcan after failing to master it within a few seconds.  Homer today can operate an iPad knock-off like a pro, using it to entertain as well as a working tool.  My favorite part was when Homer used the translating app to have a conversation with Mr. Burns:

[Mr. Burns] Simpson!  Unhand your Edison slate and bring your gold-brickery to a caesura![Translator] Put down your myPad and get back to work.[Homer] Sorry, boss.[Translator] Your remonstrances are a welcome boon and surely will redouble my diligence.[Mr. Burns] Excellent![Translator] Awesome![Homer] Woo hoo!
[Translator] Pip-pip! 

Another quote that I liked was a little later was when Marge was getting concerned about him using his myPad for anything that he could:

[Marge] Homie… it looks like you’re putting all your eggs in one basket.
[Homer] What would you have me do?  One basket for each egg?
[Marge] Hmm, I guess you’re right.  I guess I’ll have to scratch that off the list of things I say.

That part made me rethink that phrase.  Haha.

Some other scenes that that worked for me was when Homer threw Bart back into the lion's den after Bart had tricked him, Homer playing a distracted driver game, and Steve Mobbs scaring Homer into submission by bring up Hewlett-Packard products.  The last one was a little clever.  I mean, I hate HP stuff (although I stay clear of Apple stuff because it's a little cult-ish nowadays), so if someone were to bring up that point to me, I might jump to push the submit button as well.

The last thing that I liked was a quote from Dr. Hibbert:

This is the part of the job I hate most.  Talking to crazy people.

I feel like any job that has some level of customer service, you'll feel that way.  There's always some crazy people that come along.

I don't know how I feel about that little segment at the end where all the ads and products from the Simpsons World were alive.  It wasn't bad, but it was just weird.  Obviously they had to fill in a few more minutes, so they threw that in.  I would have preferred something that was related to the previous story.  But it was a little interesting to try and catch all those ads like Buzz Cola and Mister Sparkle that were shown over the years in this show.

This wasn't a bad episode.  I was surprised that the message on the tree was done by a sleepwalking Homer and not Flanders, though.  I mostly enjoyed Homer overusing his myPad to the point of destroying it.  Plus, he was able to overcome the funk he was in without having to rely on an electronic distraction.  That was a good message I could appreciate.  It's not the strongest commentary on the issue of people"s reliance on technology nowadays, but I still liked that they gave an effort.

Real World Days

Happy Endings, S03E04

While everyone was having dinner at Alex and Dave's place, Max played the unaired season of The Real World that Brad and Max were cast in.  The episode where the others visited Max revealed a lot of truths that caused tension among their group.  Dave also went looking for clams and got subjected to a lot of unpleasant events that made him feel like he was experiencing the Native American struggle.

I was once again hoping that Max would salvage this episode and he did by bringing out the DVD of their gang's appearance on reality TV.  I was a little excited to see them as their younger selves, particularly Penny as Max's girlfriend.  We haven't really seen any flashbacks or the sort when Max wasn't being completely true with himself.  Besides that, I just liked seeing Jane in her pink hair and punk-like style.  Everyone else looked a bit of a mess (except Max who never wasn't a mess), but it was still interesting to see a glimpse of how they were.

I liked that the stuff they saw caused trouble between Brad and Jane and that both of them were guilty of something bad during the filming of the show.  The best thing they showed, though, was that Max's historical coming out was a fizzle because with the food in his mouth it sounded like he had said, "I'm Greg."  That wasn't funny enough to laugh out loud, but I liked that Max's moment was diminished because he was busy stuffing his face at the time.  Classic Max.  The worst thing that was revealed was Penny's long-time crush on Dave.  Ugh.  Can't we just let that go?  I mean, I can't imagine Penny and Dave being a worse couple than he and Alex, but still.  I couldn't care less about how she feels about the V-necked fool.

Speaking of that fool, his little journey to get clams was so stupid.  The only decent moment was when he actually got the clams and tried to barter for them because some couple dressed as Pilgrims had stolen his car and money.  The guy's response to Dave's offer of a non-monetary trade made me laugh:

This is a real store.

 In the end, Dave's clams didn't even turn out to be worthy of eating, so his whole ordeal was really a waste of a side-story.  It also showed once again how much of an idiot Dave is, but not in any humorous kind of way.

There was one other thing that was a little funny.  I liked when Jane and Brad were inspecting Alex's dubiously cooked turkey.  Jane mentioned that it was poorly seasoned and most likely dry, while Brad commented:

 She's clearly been making it dance.

Either those two know their turkeys too well or they know Alex too well because that's incredible that Brad could tell that.  It was cute that they swapped out her turkey for the perfect one Jane had made and no one even noticed (really?  who would believe that Alex could cook anything?).

I wish this episode had been nothing but a complete flashback to their Real World days.  Somehow it was the focus of the episode and still seemed like we got to see little of the DVD.  I guess it was because everyone was too busy being angry at someone else.  I wanted to see more of how dumb they were back then and less of how irritating they are now.  And I hope we don't have to see another Dave-only side story any time soon.  He's bad enough paired with someone else--he's a disaster by himself.

Dunno Which Dinner Was The Best

The Mindy Project, S01E07

Mindy spent Thanksgiving at Gwen's house and got into a fight with Gwen after she hit on Dennis.  Jeremy spent the holiday at Betsy's house where she was sick of being treated like a little girl.  Danny spent the holiday alone at the office.

Well, there wasn't much that I liked about this episode.  It was good there were multiples stories because all of them were a little boring to me.  I don't think I could pick a favorite.  Even with Danny being alone the whole night save a damn mouse was about on par with Mindy going after someone else's boyfriend.  I might say Jeremy and Betsy story because it was a little sweet how he comforted her in accepting the way her family treats her because it could be worse (like how he suggested his own family was).

What I was most annoyed about in this episode was Josh.  I'm getting less and less convinced that he is a great match for her.  First of all, after he made a slightly gross dinner for her made entirely on panini presses, he set her apartment on fire was pretty damn useless in taking care of that situation.  Like I couldn't believe that he just sort of stood next her and kind of wanted her to do something about it.  Wow.  Didn't think he could be more unimpressive than his cooking skills.  Second, he didn't want to be exclusive with her.  I don't know why, but I was a little shocked.  You come to cook (by your own definitions) a meal for a girl, but you don't want to be exclusive with her?  Why the hell even go to the damn trouble??  Yes, later he found out that he missed Mindy and wanted to officially be her boyfriend, but I don't appreciate that he sort of swung her emotions around like that.  Especially since it encouraged Mindy to make out with Dennis (although I guess Morgan was the one who told her she didn't need to stick to one man either) and made the fight between Mindy and Gwen worse.  I just don't like the way Josh puts up a front--can't he be  a little more straightforward with his feelings?  It's frustrating and frankly makes him a little less manly in my eyes.

Related to Mindy seducing Dennis a bit, how dramatic was the fight between her and Gwen?  First Mindy jumps to conclusions about Gwen replacing her with another Indian girl (I wonder if she would have felt as threatened if she wasn't the same race), and then Gwen nearly kicks Mindy's ass after she sees her making out with Dennis.  I was really surprised that Gwen got so violent and loud.  But I guess she was just tired of Mindy's shit during a holiday dinner.  Wow, I would not want to piss her off.  I guess her voice makes you think she might be sweet and nice, but apparently she can bring it when necessary.  Learned a good bit about her character in this story.

I also learned that Jeremy doesn't seem to be much of an ass.  I mean, the more I see him with Betsy, the more I think they should hook up.  They would be a weird pairing (okay, well, she's just weird), but I think it might work.  She's definitely not so sneaky and sexually loose as he is, so maybe she could balance him out.  

As for Danny...  What a loser spending Thanksgiving at the office.  I'm surprised that he even texted back Mindy when she sent him a picture.  I guess he sort of missed her.  It wasn't like he was getting any love from anyone else that day (not even a mouse, haha).

This was one of my least favorite Thanksgiving stories I've seen, but I'm not really surprised.  This  show is still getting its act together, so I never expected them to blow me away.  I guess the best thing about the story was that perhaps Mindy has a confirmed boyfriend now.  I wonder if we'll see a change in Josh that will allow me to like him a little better.  Because of right now, I can't wait for someone better to stroll along for Mindy.

Best Parent Trap Since Parent Trap

New Girl, S02E08

Jess' parents joined her and her friends for Thanksgiving, and she tried one last time to get them back together.  Schmidt fought with his cousin in a manly competition made by Winston for the right to be the true "Schmidt."

Um, I feel like this episode just kept getting better and better.  I had an easy time ignoring what Schmidt and cousin were doing for the most part because Jess' scheme and Nick's role in it was just so wonderfully funny.  I didn't expect that I was going to love the story of Jess' parents making their first appearance but Jamie Lee Curtis and Rob Reiner completely drew me in and had me wishing they could be around for every holiday.  My favorite moment with her parents was when there was a flashback of one of Jess' many attempts to parent trap her parents.  She made them think she was in danger so she could lock them in a room with romantic music.  I loved Bob's response:

Oh, damn it, Jess, that’s the second time today.

I cannot believe that she tried that many times to get her parents back together and was still trying to do so as a grown woman.  It was adorably naive, but not at all out of character for Jess.  It's amazing that her parents haven't given up listening to anything she says when she's been scheming for so long.  I would have always assumed that Jess was doing another parent trap any time both of her parents were involved in anything.

Probably my favorite thing in this story was that Nick revealed that he was a younger version of Jess' dad.  I laughed when she hinted that they would get along:

Nick, you’re gonna love my dad so much.  He’s so unhappy.

But I had no idea that when Bob and Nick were sitting on the couch talking sports that it would be like looking at Nick's future.  Their similarity wasn't just funny, but it also sort of gave another reason why Jess probably likes Nick in the first place.  It's not uncommon for girls to sort of like a man that reminds them of their father a little bit, and Nick certainly fits that category.

There was another indication that Nick probably likes Jess more than he even knows because Nick was getting crazily attracted to Joan within just a few minutes of pretending to flirt with her.  When Nick couldn't stop himself from sort of hitting on Jess' mother, I was laughing so hard.  It was definitely my second favorite part of the story.  It was a little weird, but I easily got past it thinking that Nick likes that kind of woman, which is roughly the same kind of woman that Jess is.  Plus, it was just cute to see him sort of falling for an older lady.  If I didn't like Jess the best, I would have said that Nick should have gone for Joan.

Lastly, I like that they poked a little fun at Twilight.  I mean, Nick basically created the same story without having any idea that it had already been made with vampires.  So to me, that doesn't say much about the complexity of Twilight if a moron like Nick can write the same thing.  I just love that Bob was there to tell him that his story had already been done (and it's so like Nick to not have heard of Twilight at all, but weird that he would enjoy writing such a romantic story).

The Schmidt versus Schmidt story was kind of dumb, but it had its good moments.  All of those were about Winston.  It was kinda funny that the last battle came down to kissing Winston, but I liked best when Winston had them doing a wheelbarrow:

[Cousin] All day. I can do this all day, Winston.
[Schmidt] I got all day, too!
[Winston] Hey, how long can you do this for?
[Cousin] I can do this all day!
[Schmidt] Yeah, I got all day, too!
[Cousin] Winston!
[Winston] Why are you yelling at me?

I don't know why but when they were yelling his name is was really funny.  Later, I liked how when emotions were bubbling over with Jess thinking her parent trap had finally worked when it hadn't and all the other issues at the table, Winston was the only one concentrating on the untouched dinner:

When can we start eating?

And somehow that was just as funny as when he very softly called out:

Turkey.

I just liked that he was so calmly, but sadly calling out to the food that Jess was angrily tossing into the sink.  It was kinda cute.


I don't think I would have changed anything in this episode--it's definitely in my list of favorites of all time.  It's certainly one of the best Thanksgiving stories that I've seen on TV lately.  I like that there was some hints of why Jess and Nick would make a great couple as well as plenty of laughs.  There was little food shown, but I don't mind that at all.  Seeing this sort of makes me hate the holidays a little less.

Max Is The Best Cougar Ever

2 Broke Girls, S02E07

Caroline was having problems getting Andy turned on and suspected that he was gay.  Max and Caroline also briefly took in some Amish boys to build a barn for them.

I had a feeling that Andy would feel intimidated knowing who Caroline really was.  It was kinda funny to watch her trying her hardest to attract him.  The worst thing she did was try to act like a classless, poor girl and was talking like a moron.  That was painful to watch.  However, when she got up and danced with Jacob that was the funniest thing I've seen all week (and even last week).  I don't know why but seeing how overly excited Jacob got while Caroline was shaking her ass all up on him was insanely good.  And it only got better when Jacob collapsed on the floor while holding his crotch.  Poor Jacob, but so freaking funny.

Speaking of the Amish boys, I loved how Max interacted with them.  As soon as they used manners on her, she took a liking to them:

“Ma’am”?  You know what, that’s kind of hot. I always thought I’d have to wait 20 more years to be a cougar, but, rawr, here I am.

She later "rawr"-ed again, which I also loved.  I don't know what it was, but Max checking out those clueless guys like pieces of meat was so funny.  I could totally see her with a boy toy.  It would just be like her to take command in a relationship and have someone wrapped around her finger.  Sophie was almost as funny as Max, but she was a little too aggressive, which made her border on being a little too creepy (but still funny).  I wouldn't have been mad at her if she had gone for one of them.  It would have been a little wrong, but Max can pull it off without looking like a degenerate.

I really felt bad for Jacob having to stay around Max and Caroline and being subject to such girls that made him have erections all the time!  At least they didn't make him feel like a weirdo because of it (because they were sort of turning him on purposely).  They just could have stopped wearing tiny shorts and showing their bras.  Haha.

This is one of my favorite episodes ever.  I just really loved how Max was acting and watching poor Jacob suffer while under Caroline and Max's care.  I sort of wish they could take advantage of some Amish boys every time.  Haha.  I don't care too much about Caroline and Andy because I think they'll be fine.  They way they were making out at the end, I'm sure Andy gonna be sticking around for at least a few more episodes.

Whether Bum Or Sneaky Lawyer--He's Hot

How I Met Your Mother, S08E07

Barney was being scouted by strip clubs after leaving his longtime favorite and hired Robin to be his agent.  Marshall vouched for an old law school buddy for a job at his firm and  lost credibility with his boss after the interview was a disaster.  Ted wanted to prove that he wasn't a "piggyback stamper" and desperately searched for proof he had vouched for something cool on his own.

Well, no such luck for Barney and Robin to kickstart their old relationship, but you definitely could see them clicking like they always have.  Anyone who could agree to handle Barney's strip club decision is a match made in heaven for him.  I think it's really weird that he puts so much money into strip clubs that they would be fighting over him, but Barney has always lived an abnormal life.  At the end where they were kissing, I got my hopes up that they would slid back into Barbin, but Robin wasn't having any of it.  Before I thought they should ease on into it, but after seeing how well they get along on something so ridiculous as strip club scouting, I don't see any reason they shouldn't be together already.  Barney seems into it--dunno what Robin's problem is.  If it's anything, it better be guilt.  She still needs to apologize for what she did.

I guess I forgot until I saw this episode that Marshall is a completely good guy.  He just sees the good in people, which makes sense that he has Ted as his best friend and can promote him, despite that Ted has a lot of annoying flaws.  It was cute when he actually gave his stamp of approval a stamp of approval.  Geez.  But the best thing about his story and this episode all together was that his old school buddy Brad was played by Joe Manganiello.  Holy crap--freaking Alcide from True Blood!  It's amazing that he can still look hot while in a hoodie and a mustard-stained shirt.  I was thrilled to see him, especially when he was telling Marshall's boss that there was no way he was six feet unless he stood on top of a pot of gold.  Not only did he make Marshall look bad but he also turned out to be on the opposing side of Marshall's biggest case.  Oh, snap!  That was a pretty shitty thing to do to Marshall who was just trying to be kind, but I just love that actor so much that I was just excited to know that he was possibly going to appear in at least one more episode.  I don't care if he makes Marshall cry--I definitely wanna see more of him!  Best guest star on this show ever!

Ted had another pathetic story.  He is really a sorry individual since being single.  The only thing I liked is that he sort of gave his original stamp of approval for Lily back when Marshall had only begun to date Lily.  He did backtrack on his stamp a little, but he mostly convinced Marshall that Lily was a good deal.  That was nice because I was just shaking my head at him spiraling into self-pity about himself.  I can't believe it's taken him so long to figure out that he's never really amazed anyone with his "discoveries" about things.

I liked this episode.  I suppose Barney and Robin will really have to start having a conversation about getting back together in the next episode (I'd be pissed if they decided to just ignore that kiss).  Joe Manganiello has appeared as Marshall's rival and I freaking love it.  Really can't wait to see his handsome face again next week.  Ted, on the other hand, can hide his face for a few weeks.  I'm about ready for him to get his damn act together.  Can't take another story about him being a sorry son of bitch.

Just Call Roger "Daddy"

American Dad, S08E04

Stan kicked Roger out of the attic so that his newly widowed mother could live there and resisted at first when Roger and Betty were married right away.  Stan grew to love Roger as his new dad, but thought his mother was in danger when he saw someone had left a website open that offered advice on how to kill one's spouse.  Steve and his friends also found a lost script for a Fast and Furious sequel.

It took me nearly to the end of the episode to not be grossed out by Roger being involved with Betty.  He's just so nasty!  It's times like this that I'm reminded that he's an alien just playing dress-up and also has screwed more people than Stan's ever seen in his life.  It just made me skin crawl a little to see his hands all up on someone that closely related to Stan.  Stan seemed more angry about it than wanting to vomit, like I did, mostly because I guess he didn't like the idea of having a new dad.  I never expected Roger to try and fulfill that role to Stan nor did I think that he would be successful in establishing a loving (yet weird) father-son relationship with him.  I mean, Roger was a pretty good stepdad.  Knowing Roger, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop because Roger always has some kind of ulterior motive when one of his personas is doing something good for someone else, but he remained good until he had to kill off his character (which was really convenient).  I was a little surprised that Betty was trying to off Roger, but she is Stan's mother, so that crazy had to come from somewhere.

I think the only gag I really liked was where Roger kept having pictures of himself and Stan that had just happened or were about to happen.  It was really weird.  It reminds me of when I look at pictures in movies and such and always wonder who was there at that exact perfect moment to capture the pictures.  Because they would be too in the moment pictures for someone to have just casually happened to get them on film.  This joke wasn't hilarious, but I appreciated it.

I didn't appreciate too much the story about Steve.  Did not need to see the characters from those horrible Fast and Furious movies making out with each other.  I think we could have been all right not having a side story at all.

This episode was okay.  I think what I liked most was that Roger was genuine for a change.  He's usually such a bastard while trying to pretend to be a saint that it sometimes makes me mad.  Also, Stan learned a little that his mother isn't so perfect, so maybe we won't have to see her again anytime soon.  I wouldn't mind seeing Roger acting nice again sometime. He's disgusting and weird, but he really makes the show entertaining (He just needs to not be so conniving all the time).

Ya'll Messed Up The Grinch Story

Family Guy, S11E05

The man responsible for shooting Joe and paralyzing him escaped from the police after finally being caught after 15 years, and Peter volunteered himself and Quagmire to help Joe find him and bring him to justice.

The moment that Joe started talking about Briggs, I was like um, I thought the damn Grinch was the one that put him in a wheelchair.  Family Guy, however, is pretty good at addressing new stories that contradict old ones, so Joe explained that the Grinch story was just a coverup for the real story.  Boo!  I loved that the Grinch was the one that hurt him.  With that in mind, I couldn't really get into this story where Joe was trying to find Briggs.  Instead, I was just hoping he would capture him quickly and perhaps that would lead to a better story.  No such luck.

I think I disliked the stripper club part the worst where we saw a pair of twins that were fathered by Quagmire.  Ugh.  The last thing I want to see is a female version of Quagmire grinding up a man, saying his catchphrase.  I really wish he would use a condom sometime and stop having so many random children all around the world.  It was also sick that Quagmire made Tanya spit up in the air and catch it back in her mouth.  So freaking gross.  I had to look away before she caught it because that's the kind of thing that sickens me even if it's not real.

Also, when Brian was freaking fondling Lois' breasts--come on!  He needs to cut that shit out!  I'm glad that Lois woke up and didn't just overlook him acting like such a pervert.  Man, they really need to get him a damn girlfriend so he can stop drooling over Lois.  It's like his obsession with her gets worse and worse.  I seriously don't want to see that part again.

If I had to pick the part that was the funniest, it might be when Joe had shot Briggs in the legs and saw that he had killed him instead of just wounded him.  Quagmire very casually just slid over Briggs' body with his foot and said they could just kick him into Mexico like he wasn't even a person.  That was so wrong.  It was also messed up that Joe just killed the guy with no repercussions, but I guess that's not really shocking where this show is concerned.  A lot of people die and the other characters simply shrug about it.

All in all, this wasn't one of my favorite episodes by far. I guess there wasn't much hope for it since it was centered around Joe in the first place.  I can't think of any episode off the top of my head that was good where he was the main focus.  I'd also like to see even less of Brian sleazing on Lois if possible.  If not, there needs to be another story where Peter kicks his ass because Brian crosses the line too much.  Wish it was funny when he did, but it's far from that.

Thanksgiving Whores

Bob's Burgers, S03E05

Bob and his family agreed to pretend to be a cook and part of the Fischoeder family in exchange for five months free rent.  Although the charade was going well, Bob began to ruin it when he was angry that his family failed to spend any time with him doing the Thanksgiving traditions that he looked forward to every year.

What I was reminded of most in the episode was how much that Bob really treasures moments with his family, even if he likes to do cheesy things that his family doesn't care for.  I can understand completely why they would jump at the idea of getting free rent just for acting (because let's face it--this family loves to play characters and doesn't need much convincing to do so), but I couldn't help but feel like Linda and the kids were complete jerks in this story.  The kids were halfway motivated to ignore their dad because Fischoeder had bribed them with a Chuck E. Cheese like prize system based on how well they displayed their phony love, but I still couldn't forgive them.  I guess it was because Bob was acting so crazy getting drunk off absinthe and befriending the turkey he was cooking and looked really pathetic by himself.  Just felt bad for him and thought about how he has such an exhausting family to deal with.  It's funny that I still consider him the one who's most in touch with reality when he was the one mourning the death of cooked turkey that had been shot.

There isn't much else I responded to in this episode except Lina's horrible Thanksgiving song.  Her terrible voice only intensified the horrible lyrics.  It was really weird that when she was trying to sing it at the dinner table that all the kids decided that it would be a great time to do their individual dances of love for their fake father.  Why?  I mean, Bob was on the table trying to compete with Fishoeder to make a speech, Linda was destroying eardrums with her song, and the kids thought that was the best time to dance?  I don't know.  I guess it just shows, as usual, that this family is just crazy and that when one person gets out of control, it encourages the others to follow suit.  It was a little painful to watch and not too funny.

I did slightly like, though, when the family gathered around Bob when they thought he might be shot.  They regretted acting like rent/prize whores and ended the whole fake family thing.  At least when things get to the matter of life and death, they can put aside their greed or whatever and focus on what's important.  If they hadn't, I seriously would have been pissed.  They need to treat Bob a little better.  They way they just screw him over sometimes isn't too funny.

I think the concept of this story was pretty good.  I just wish I could have enjoyed Bob being neglected more (which could have been achieved by his absinthe illusions being funnier and less sad) and found the rest of the family funnier.  However, I will say that this was a pretty good Thanksgiving story that managed to not hit your head over with the holiday and focus more on the eccentricities of Bob's family and his landlord (and the weirdo women Fishoeder likes to date).  I think maybe I'll like the episode a little more if I watch it again.  It was just watching it that first time I just couldn't help focus on the selfishness of Linda and the kids.

We Need More Fat Tony

The Simpsons, S2405

Homer's new bowling pal, Dan, was made a temporary don for Fat Tony's gang and wanted Homer to help Dan stop himself from murdering the excess members.  Lisa tried to solve her iron deficiency by eating bugs, despite her strict vegetarian beliefs, and found that adding any kind of meat into her diet opened the door for others.

This episode was really lacking.  First of all, there was a lot of focus on Dan, who was played by Steve Carell, but his character wasn't that interesting.  Since he's the new guy, his personality and whatnot had to be explained rather quickly and I found that I didn't care so much about him until he went for Homer's help later.  Second, I was really annoyed that there was hardly any Fat Tony in a basically Fat Tony episode.  I might say he's my favorite non-Simpson family character.  Of course, they're not really going to show him serving jury duty for the whole episode, but I wish that he didn't have to be going to that at all.  Dan wasn't so funny that I wasn't wondering when Fat Tony or Homer was going to come back.  Plus, you know they are not going to do another Fat Tony episode for a while (or ever, possibly), so there's another disappointment there.

It was a little interesting to see Lisa eating things like grasshoppers.  It was also a little gross.  I've never liked insects, so I didn't enjoy all the bug-filled dishes they kept showing nor when she planted all those grasshopper eggs.  Eww.  At the beginning of the story, I did like how Bart pointed out the song they were playing was from a Bugs Bunny cartoon.  As a kid, that is where I learned a lot of classic and famous music from.  I might not know the names, but I've definitely heard the songs in one of those classic cartoons.  My favorite line, too, came from this story when Bart was making fun of Lisa eating bugs and Homer chatised him:

Bart!  This is America.  Anyone can eat what they want as long as they eat too much.

See, we could have had more lines like that had Homer been more present in the episode.  But what can ya do?

This might have been a better episode if it was just about the freaking Pin Pals playing in another tournament.  I mean, seriously.  Lisa's cheating some on her vegetarian diet wasn't a bad story, but as a side story it didn't make up for Dan's story.  I know that they've done a whole lot of Fat Tony stories, but I can't help but want more because I just love Joe Mantegna.  Really hope he makes another appearance this season!

Rallo, The Wingman

The Cleveland Show, S04E03

Holt befriend Rallo and paid him to help him get ladies.  Cleveland, Lester, and Tim opened a second Broken Stool in the airport on behalf of Gus and were terrified that Gus would kill them if it wasn't successful.

I guess I liked that this was an episode around Thanksgiving time, but there wasn't too much about the actual holiday in either stories.  After all, they've already done a Thanksgiving story before that was pretty memorable (not in a good way because who wouldn't like to forget that Auntie Mama and Freight Train got it on?), so I don't see it necessary for them to outdo what they've already done.  Overall, it wasn't the best stories I've seen on this show, but it wasn't too bad.

I didn't like the story about Cleveland wanting to set up another bar.  I did like, however, how the story started with Holt rushing to make his flight and the airport trying its best to help him get to the gate in time.  How great would that be if that was reality?  I hate flying so much, so it was funny to see the staff letting Cleveland and company bypass security and to see the lady at the gate comforting Holt when she told him he had just missed his flight.  It would be impossible for all airport personnel to accommodate all people who weren't able to get to their flights in time, but it would be nice if there was an ounce of compassion about someone desperately trying to not waste time and money by missing a flight.  I don't think you can overdo the jokes about how bad it is to fly in America because it's a wonder why anyone would want to travel that way if it wasn't necessary.

The rest of the story was pretty boring with Cleveland getting drunk and taking a plane out until it ran out of fuel.   I can't really think of how that story could have taken a better route to comedy, but it surely wasn't by making Cleveland nearly die in a plane crash.  I'm also not sure how it was that no one at all knew it was him that stole and destroyed a plane.  Anyway, there wasn't one second that Cleveland and the others got to sell even one drink, so it made his endeavor really pointless.  Unless you want to count that Holt got to use his new "swinging skills" to save Cleveland.

Now Holt and Rallo's story was a lot better, but it wasn't incredible.  I liked that before Cleveland had to look after him, Rallo was watching something called "Mystery Science Magic Johnson Theater 3000."  A very funny blend of two very different things.  It was little funny to see instead of robots (or whatever those things were on that show) these ghetto-sounding guys were shouting throughout the movie, but it was even better that Rallo was annoyed by it:

Y'all shut up!  I'm trying to watch a movie!

I think that was my favorite thing Rallo had said in this episode.  I also enjoyed when he was trying to get Holt to stop singing about how he was paying for a kid for sex and other easily misinterpreted lines.   But the only other thing that was worth mentioning was when Rallo was sick of Holt's dad calling them maggots (and generally being a dick):

[Rallo] You know what--you're a maggot!
[Gasps] [Holt's Dad] I am a human being.

I just love that Rallo had had it with that guy and wasn't about to listen to him call anyone a maggot again.  He is just the coolest little kid around (definitely within Seth MacFarlane world).

This episode was only okay because it featured Rallo taking someone under his wing.  There was minimum Junior, which was disappointing, but also minimum Roberta and Donna, so that was ultimately a plus.  I don't know if I've ever really liked a story that was about Cleveland and his friends getting into some stupid business thing or scheme, but I certainly didn't like this one.  Or maybe I just wish the scheme was a little better attempted next time.  Otherwise, fill that time with more Rallo because I can't get enough of him.

Distraction Waffles

Parks and Recreation, S05E07

Leslie and April fought over using lot 48 for a dog park and ultimately had to stop Jamm from using it for a burger place.  Andy tried to investigate the disappearance of his computer and learned that police work might not be as exciting as he was imagining.  Ben went back to his old accounting job and tried to help Tom with his new business, but kept getting job offers.

I really liked that April sort of took the role of Leslie and Leslie had to slip into Ron mode a bit when the two were butting heads with each other.  My favorite part was when Leslie went to Ron for help:

[Leslie] Ron, thank you for agreeing to see me.

[Ron] I didn't.  You just walked in here and started talking--

[Leslie] I don't have time for a history lesson.

Ron continued to be hilarious when he explained how he got Leslie to cool her jets when she would be overly excited about a project.  He brilliantly used waffles as his best tool of distraction:

[Leslie] Those were distraction waffles?  I thought they were friendship waffles.

[Ron] Breakfast food can serve many purposes.

 I don't know how one man can be so wise and hilarious, but Ron Swanson does it.  I would love to get advice from him, especially if he could work the subject of breakfast into it.

Besides Ron being brilliant, as usual, there was a touching moment in this story when Ann got Leslie and April to make up.  Leslie grabbed April's hands and they both said they loved each other and it was just so damn sweet!   Particularly because April was being sort of shy about gushing with emotion like Leslie can do at the drop of a hat.  Leslie really is like more of a mother to her than her own mother and I love that they have that kind of relationship.  But I can't say that I didn't also laugh at them battling each other because they're both strong, opinionated women who don't back down easily, so watching them fight was pretty entertaining.

Also, Jamm is such an ass.  But he made the mistake of making not just an enemy of Leslie, but also of April and Ann.  He may have a lame catchphrase, but I don't think he's prepared to take all 3 of them on (which sort of reminds me when April suggested they all do a 3-way with him--what??).  They better take that jackass down.

I loved that Ben and Tom are set up to work together again.  It was cute that Tom was being jealous of Ben getting offered job after job.  And how funny was it that there was this pigeon next to Tom after he was feeling down about being rejected left and right while everyone seemed to want Ben to work for them?  It was like that bird was his only friend.  Haha.  But even though Tom felt bad about Ben's high demand, their little business trip made Ben see that being an accountant was a waste of his talents and life.  He might be worried about the job security thing and all, but I'm sure he'll one day thank Tom for leading him on a much more interesting career path.

Andy was pretty cute, too, while trying to figure out who took his computer.  What I liked best was when Chris got involved.  I love that everyone seems to be pointing out how good Chris looks, but Andy stating it so naturally really makes me laugh:

Don't play stupid and handsome with me.

Followed by a little later:

You're as guilty as you are sexy.

It was nice to see Chris in this story end up pumping someone else up instead of the other way around like it has been lately.   He not only suggested that they investigate who stole the gruff policeman's positive attitude (loved that), but offered Andy the job as city hall security to give him a taste of being a cop before he took the test.  I sense a little bit of a disaster with that as Andy is prone to an overactive imagination, but I love that Chris believes in him and is willing to take the risk.

Finally, Ben is just the best fiance ever.  I mean, first of all he wanted to go back to his boring accounting job so he could ensure he had money to pay for a wedding and a future with Leslie.  Second, he gave her the best engagement gift by letting her meet Vice President Biden.  Leslie was acting like such a dorky fan.  She even was feeling all up on his face and threatening secret service!  Wow.  I bet she would have put Biden into her purse and kidnapped him if Ben had left her there long enough.

The more I watch this show, the more I can't imagine it not filling my Thursday nights with happiness!  Like this show has so many characters I heart who are always making me laugh in unexpected ways.  I have to say that once Ron Swanson is no longer on the air it would take more than distraction waffles to help me cope.  Haha.  I guess next time I'm most looking forward to what Ben and Tom will accomplish together.  Last time they did business it was just too funny.  Even though Tom is a little smarter this time, I still anticipate that Ben and Tom are going to mix up some great comedy again.