Being With Loved Ones

Suburgatory, S02E07

Ryan freaked out after learning he was adopted and stayed at Malik's house during his identity crisis.  George set up avacation package for Tessa and Alex to enjoy during the holidays, so they could spend time together.  Dalia wanted Carmen to come home for Christmas and made a music video that expressed her feelings.  Carmen and Jill didn't get along well, and Carmen considered whether she wanted to stay at that house.

Ryan was sort of acting like a mixture of the Hulk and some kind of wild animal once he found out he was adopted.  I knew he would be mad and confused, but I could have never predicted that he would jump on his parents' car and start banging on it in a fit of rage!  I really loved how he scared the hell out of his family.  It was so funny.  Especially when he went to Lisa's window calling her a liar and she quickly rolled up the window in fear.  He probably would have pulled her out of the car and started swinging her body around like a bag or potatoes.  Ryan is so crazy!  He even hit things like parking meters and lamp posts like some kind of maniac.

I loved that he somehow happened to be running on the street when Malik's family was driving by.  It was cute how Malik coaxed him into coming near with a Starburst.  He's such a simple guy!  Then it was really weird that Malik threw him into the trunk and closed it.  Malik's dad responded in a funny way:

Did you just put a human being in our trunk?

I'm assuming that Malik did so because there was no room in that little ass car for one more person, but I felt kind of bad for him.  But at least he had a place to go.  While there, he apparently had time to print out business cards with his new "opposite name," Eugene Goldfarb.  Horrible name.  Doesn't fit him at all.  It was funny that he had "no longer living a lie" written on there.

The best part of Ryan's story was when Lisa asked Tessa to go talk to him.  It seemed that she had straightened him out and made him realize that the Shays were his real family because they raised him, but he ended up running away.  However, I was so happy that Tessa admitted that she had a crush on Ryan too and kissed him.  It was adorable how happy he was about it because she had used tongue.  It was the only thing he wanted for Christmas--Aww!  Ryan and Tessa forever!

Speaking of Tessa, I'm surprised that she missed George so much.  She just seemed so gung-ho about spending time with Alex that I thought she would be super excited.  But I guess during Christmas you just really long for your traditions and those that you remember spending them with.  It just didn't feel like Christmas when she was in a spa and sitting in a hotel lobby with a mother she barely knew.  Also, there was that incredibly clumsy hug the two of them did.  Ugh.  It was nothing like the quick one George had to remind Tessa to give him before she left.  So it only made sense she would want to come back.  I was a little touched by her feelings because it reminded me of my own feelings for my father during Christmas.

There were lots of great things in the other stories, but Dalia blew away all the other stories with her music video "You Missed A Spot."  That was hilarious and cute!  She even had her stepmother in there sort of rapping in a futuristic flight attendant outfit.  And I loved seeing Dalia making a heart with her hands but seem so emotionless doing it.  I think I enjoyed every second of that video.  I had high expectations, but Dalia exceeded them.  Wow.

Another "wow' thing was that Dalia called George "Daddy Altman."  I don't know if she meant it sincerely (because her voice always sounds the same), but it was sort of sweet because it caught me off-guard.  Has she already started to think of George as a father figure?  Because that would great. He might have scored enough points to earn that right since he managed to get Carmen back for Dalia.  I thought he might, but I hoped Carmen wouldn't have to actually be in a box (she must love Dalia to sit in a box with packing peanuts just to surprise Dalia).  He also scored points with Dallas too--good job, George.

Great Christmas episode.  It's a little earlier than I was expecting, but I suppose it's all right since it's already December.  I guess that just means that they won't be showing any more episodes for a while?  I hope that Ryan goes home soon and gives up that stupid name he invented.  I'm happy that Tessa hasn't forgotten about her father in exchange for her mother.  Dalia's hilarious music video also helped get herself reunited with her loved one.   She really needs to have another reason to make another video again--I don't care what the song is about.

Lotta Hype, Not Laughs

Happy Endings, S03E03

Max started a new job as a hype guy for bar mitzvahs, and Penny suggested that Brad join him after she had gotten good reviews from their combined performance.  Jane tried to help rekindle the love life between Dave and Alex, which was getting way too comfortable and boring.  Penny got a lot of attention from the young boys at the bar mitzvah parties.

Somehow with Jane getting involved in Dave and Alex's kind of gross couple life, Alex and Dave weren't so annoying to watch.  I didn't want to see them find their love again, but I liked that their story ended with them all getting detained by airport security.  Alex was a moron to go to the airport with a fake ticket (although I don't know why she had be tied up just because she was trying to honor a ticket at an airline that didn't exist), but at least it helped Dave get tackled and Jane get tased and pepper sprayed.  It wasn't that funny, but I just liked it wasn't that boring.  There was, however, one funny line in this story when Dave commented that he should have called before interrupting Jane and Brad's role playing:

[Penny] I did call ahead and apparently it did not make a difference.

I love how Jane and Brad are so comfortable with their sex life.  And it's not really disturbing or gross.  It's just sort of cute how they mesh well with each other and you never have to ask why they are together.  Although I have issue with this show nowadays, the two of them might be one of my favorite TV couples of all time.

What I really liked about this episode was of course the story about Max and Brad.  They are my favorite duo for any story on this show and are usually the best combination out of the whole group.  This time they were in a group that had a name that was a pun of Boys II Men.  In general, I liked Max having yet another unconvential job that none of their friends had ever heard of before and Brad and Max having a fight, but the best thing was the very end where they showed a music video.  They should have just extended it and made it the bulk of the episode.

I really loved how they kept saying that some of the steps were secrets.  And then after they actually went back to naming real steps, they went on again to say like a series of the steps were secrets again!  It sounded like Max had written that song and was just too damn lazy to think of 50 actual steps.  So good. 

Penny was totally being kinda creepy hitting on those young boys.  It wasn't surprising that at the end they weren't interested in seeing her boobs, but wanted to go to the mall.  She never disappoints in the area of being pathetically unattractive to the right kind of guys.

This episode was okay.  I felt like I could have been more excited about the stories if they all had a little bit more (except Penny's because I don't want to see little boys flirting with her).  I wouldn't mind if they did another Boys II Menorah story in the future, but since it involves Max I couldn't see him sticking to one occupation forever.  I do like the idea of Brad joining him more often on his random ventures now that he's unemployed.  I'm looking forward to seeing what crazy thing Brad and Max can get into in another episode.