Chatswin's Valentine's Day

Suburgatory, S02E13

Tessa and Ryan went to see an art house movie that she wanted to see, and she was surprised that while she found it to be boring, Ryan identified with it and found it provoking.  George planned an expensive dinner for him and Dallas, but her botched beauty procedure made her hide her face at home.  Shelia's mother came into town and her mother's closeness with Fred made her realize the mistake she had made dealing with Malik as Lisa's boyfriend.

In this week's chapter of the Tessa and Ryan romance, the two argued over different opinions on a movie.  Considering it was a movie that Tessa had to cutely bribe Ryan into seeing with caramel corn and gummy bears, it was a real shock that Ryan was moved by the movie and it went over Tessa's head.  There are so many layers to Ryan that are revealed now that he's with Tessa.  I really loved that even though they were in a fight again, we got to see Ryan thinking deeply on a level that Tessa wasn't.  It was nice to see her on his lap, asking him to explain parts of the movie.  I want to see more of him in a position where he can teach Tessa, a change from her always being more informed than he is.

Also, I liked the beginning of their story where Ryan gave her that Valentine and he got so excited when she replied "Y" to it.  He's like a little kid, and I love it.  You would think his childish ways would get annoying after a while, but it just makes me like him all the more.

 I applaud George for not getting too upset about Dallas crushing his plans for dinner when he spent $600 on it.  I mean, he did try to get his money's worth by eating an 18-course dinner for two by himself, but he could have taken a much more negative route.  I guess it shows how much he cares for Dallas when he can be less concerned about the cost and more about Dallas herself.

As for Dallas' face, she looked like a freaking alien who had a face lift.  I don't think it was nearly as bad as Dalia had described it, but it was enough to make me cry out when I finally saw it.  I was just glad that George wasn't too horrified when he saw her.  It might have been due to the fact that he had a lot to drink before, but even so, she was a sight to see under any circumstances.   I wouldn't have blamed him if he ran out the door.

In Shelia's story, it was a little weird how much her mother liked Fred.  It's not that I couldn't see anyone infatuated with him, it's just that it's odd to see Shelia being pushed to the side.  She's usually so overbearing that few can ignore her.  But it was interesting that her mother troubles made her realize what she had been doing wrong with Lisa's former relationship with Malik.  I never saw it as Shelia butting into their business, but I guess it was that way.  Malik seemed to have been an ally to Lisa's mother instead of on Lisa's side, which explains better why she didn't think she could be with him anymore.  If Lisa ever needed to complain about her mother, Malik would have only defended Shelia.  Thankfully, Shelia butted in one last time to make things right and pretended to get upset when Malik stood up for Lisa.  Shelia might be smothering, but she does have Lisa's best interests at heart.  This was one of the few stories that I actually liked her because she seemed more vulnerable and helpful without being pushy.

This was a good Valentine's Day story.  It was too mushy or trying to be overly romantic.  I got to see some interesting development in Tessa and Ryan's relationship.  Tessa might be the smart one, but it doesn't mean that she understands everything.  I like seeing that Ryan has more to his mind than making out and football.  George's date with Dallas was a flop, but no more so than Dallas' procedure.  I really hope I don't have to see her face looking so horrific any time soon.  Shelia may not be my favorite character, but she helped Malik and Lisa get back together, which scores her a lot of points in my favor.  It's been way too long that they been broken up, so I'm eager to see them lovey-dovey again (well, as long as they're not too nasty together like last time).

Piss-Pants Coward

2 Broke Girls, S02E03

Caroline used Max as a shield when her life was threatened and peed her pants in fear of a robber.  Max took Caroline to the movies without paying for a ticket and hinted that she wasn't over being Caroline's shield.

Caroline not only has the worst looking pee face I've ever seen, but is a straight up cold bitch for throwing Max in front of her when a gun was pointed her way.  Then the piss-pants coward thought apologizing twice was enough to compensate putting Max's life in trouble.  Seriously?  I can't believe her.  Then at the end when Max fled the scene when they were about to get caught without tickets, Caroline said they were even in selfishness.  Hardly!  Max could have died.  Maybe Caroline would have been locked up for a little while--but not dead or paralyzed from a random shot!  She was right that both girls are looking out for number one, but to say that Max is on the same par as Caroline is stretching it.  No, I'm gonna have to disagree there.

It's also interesting that Han is so young.  I mean, I thought he was maybe in his 30s, though, so it's funny that he's still in his 20s.  The running gag where everyone was shocked by his age was pretty funny.  And it was slightly funny to see Han pull out a gun from his fanny pack.  That was the last thing I expected him to pull out.  He is full of surprises.  Furthermore, it's surprising that Max now thinks he cool enough to hang out with in the future.  Haha.  She has his eye on him.  I'm pretty sure she'll be disappointed the day she decides to make good with that offer.

Good episode.  I have another reason to dislike Caroline, but it's not like I'm asking for her blood (because I know how she's supposed to be).  I'm glad they decided to show a little more of Han's depth since so far we don't know more about him than him being a dork who sometimes argues with him mom on the phone.  What else might we learn about Han?  I'll hope they continue to put a spotlight on him from time to time, rather than have us learn anything else about someone like Oleg.  I'm fine with him being as one-dimensional as possible.

No Debate About It--Leslie Is A Winner

Parks And Recreation, S04E20

Leslie finally had her debate for city council.  Bobby, despite having no idea of how to improve Pawnee, was a considerable opponent for her and her attacks upon his character only made her look like a bully at first.  Leslie did her best to present herself in the best light, but Bobby was the favorite of both the audience and the moderators.  Bobby looked like he had the debate in the bag when he claimed that Leslie's victory over him would cause the Sweetums factory to be sent to Mexico, killing the largest supplier of jobs in town.  However, Leslie won over the crowd (even Bobby) with a heartfelt closing statement that displayed her passion and drive to make Pawnee better and her determination to work toward that goal until the end.  Outside of the debate, Chris suggested to Ann that they try to date again, while Tom tried to convey to Ann that he deserved another chance too.  Andy also had to entertain Leslie's supporters while Ron had to steal cable for them to watch the debate on TV.

I felt bad for Leslie that she started to look like a monster when she told the harsh truth about Bobby.  However, Paul Rudd is just so adorable as Bobby, I can see how the audience was swayed by his positive, yet childish manner when he answered the questions.  It really spoke to the idea that a lot of voters are simple people who aren't smart enough to notice the difference between competent and charismatic.  Leslie has her own charm, but that was being stolen by the other female candidate, Brandi, who chose to copy Leslie in both fashion and policy.  I wanted to punch Joan when she made it seem like Brandi and Leslie were essentially the same.  Despite all of these roadblocks, Leslie pulled through with an amazing speech.  Even I was a little moved by her closing remarks.  I guess it's because she was being treated like some kind of heartless jerk and hadn't been given a fair chance to shine, so I was just happy to see her get the result that she deserved.

I kinda wish that Ann had thought about taking Chris back, but at least Chris didn't seem too bummed about her rejection.  I also felt bad for Tom who isn't the douche that he sometimes acts like.  He is sweet (although a bit creepy at times), so I was glad that he still has some hope to win Ann back one day.  But Ann was smart to break it off with him after him telling such intimate details over the radio.  What the hell, Tom??  He needs to kick that nervous and insecure habit fast.  He could be good for Ann, if only he toned down the "swag" as April put it.

I was disappointed Ron didn't have much of a chance to shine beyond being super handy in stealing cable.  He said he would pay for it later, and he went up the electric pole like it was something he did every day.  I thought he might get arrested before he finished that job, but luckily the siren we heard in the background wasn't meant for him.  Inside the house, Andy was pretty cute in the way he acted out his favorite movie scenes.  He has incredible energy.  I would have gotten tired of doing that after a few minutes.  He was so animated and lively about the movies he was talking about even Donna felt moved during his rendition of Babe.  Andy may be a dork and a moron, but he's too loveable for you to hold that against him.

I'm excited to see what impact Leslie's debate will have on her campaign.  She may have killed in the debate, but something easily could come up before the election day to damage her (especially with that high-priced campaign manager that Bobby has).  Hopefully, it won't be something that Leslie and her friends can't handle.  They are really becoming an unstoppable team!  I know it would never happen, but it would be the greatest show if you could take all the Parks and Recreation department and put them in the White House.  I'm just saying, a sequel to this show could be Leslie in the White House!  I'd gladly watch that!

Randall, The Roommate Worth Killing Over

Ugly Americans, S02E15

Thanks to a new trend of "going zombie," the DOI was overrun with new zombies to integrate into the city.  One of such, named Carl, was under Mark's care, and they quickly become the best of friends to Randall's dismay.  However, Carl wasn't interested in Mark at all (or even a zombie) and just wanted to get Mark out of the way so he could claim his rightful place as Randall's roommate.  Before Mark could meet a watery grave, he figured out Carl's intentions and Grimes (after gaining his senses from proper medical care for his head wound)e had him arrested.  

It was strange seeing Randall as a human again.  It's been a while since we've seen what he used to look like.  He wasn't that different from how is now, but he did seem to have more purpose.  It reminded me that I have no clue what Randall actually does to pay rent or contribute anything in their apartment.  It was also a mystery why Randall would agree to make Mark his roommate, especially when Mark had such a respectable job that Randall couldn't possibly care about.  I was glad to see that there wasn't a random speck of decency in him--he just thought Mark worked in some sex club.  That cleared up a lot about the oddness of them living together.

Mark's choice in movies makes him a bigger dork than I thought was possible.  John Cusack isn't a bad actor, but for him to love him to that extent is borderline creepy (especially with that little figure of him with the boombox).  To make his taste in movies worst, he admires the style of Tyler Perry movies.  Yeah, he has some good ones, but the way Mark described him, you'd think he was a genius.  I have to say that he's more of a one-trick pony.  The characters and the situation may change slightly, but he basically tells the same kind of story every time.  Like, fawning over Cusack is fine in a over-zealous fan kind of way, but I draw the line when you bring Perry into the mix.

Besides cringing at Mark's dorkiness, I had some really good laughs.  One was when Mark and Carl went to the zombie body shop to look at arms for Carl.  Mark found them to be pricey:

[Mark] These arms cost both an arm and a leg.

[Shop Worker] Get out.

Just love how the guy would not tolerate Mark's lame jokes for a second more.  He's my kind of guy.

Another gag that I liked was the landlord of Carl's apartment in Zombie Town.  He gave Carl a set of rules that were not allowed in the apartment and after he left and Carl was laughing about his evil plan, he added another that there was to be no maniacal laughter.  I loved that that rule applied even when his landlord was somehow fishing at the same time Carl and Mark were in a later scene.  He interrupted Carl's laugh again, warning him, "What did I say about the maniacal laughter?"  I like how this show has random things that make me laugh, not necessarily things that I would anticipate.  I get caught up in the gag factor so much that sometimes I forget that it's just silly and fun.

 It was interesting to see someone obsessed with Randall who had no idea how much of an asshole (and a curse, really) he is, especially if one is living with him.  I almost felt bad for Carl, but at least he didn't have to continue being Randall's roommate at the end.  Even though Grimes demanded there be no more flashbacks, I enjoyed them all (and his and Randall's dislike of the excess of them).  For a story that focused on Mark's and Randall's relationship it was a lot less irritating and funnier than I expected.  I guess that was because for once Randall wasn't the one stirring up the most trouble.  It's nice that once in a while Randall can be somewhat innocent in it all.