For the 23th Special, Pretty Good

The Simpsons, S24E02

A black hole that Lisa had a hand in bringing about was sucking everything in Springfield into it.  Homer filmed some paranormal things going on in the house, revealing a demon that wanted to take Maggie.  Bart went back in time to buy a comic book for less and ended up changing the present to his benefit but to Homer's disadvantage.

Surprisingly, I enjoyed this Treehouse of Horror this year.  It wasn't one of my favorites of all time, but it was definitely good enough that I felt like I'd like to see it again to see what little things I missed in it.  My favorite of the three was probably the last where Bart went into the past and made it so that he was Artie Ziff's son.  However, I will say that the second story, where they spoofed Paranormal Activity was a close second.

The first story where a black hole was sucking everything had a lot of good parts.  In a way, I felt like it was kinda spoofing Gremlins because Lisa specifically told the family not to feed it and they all kept throwing things into it while knowing the danger.  My favorite thing thrown in was Bart's homework that kept getting spat out, and Bart finally gave up and threw Mrs. Krabapple (or should I call her Mrs. Flanders?) in there.  The best line of the story was when Homer said:

A black hole?! (whispers) I'm sorry, can we call it that?

Anytime someone says something like that, I pretty much enjoy it.

The second story was a pretty good spoof of the aforementioned movie.   In general, I just liked seeing Homer and Marge act like the couple in that movie, but putting their own funny spin on it.  Specifically, I liked when Homer tried to "comfort" Lisa when she asked why all these horrible things were happening in their house:

Oh, sweetie.  Sometimes a mysterious, invisible being from Hell waits for a family to go to sleep then kills them.  Now, go to bed.

I really like when Homer says things in a comforting way, but his actual words are doing the direct opposite.  I almost always laugh when he does that.

I also thought it was funny at the end that the demon wanted a threeway with Homer and another demon if he wanted to save Maggie from being taken.  That's not what I thought would happen at all!  Then Homer was sort of a little too into it to the point that the demon wanted him to stop whatever new sex thing he was trying out.  Gross, but damn funny.

The last story was probably my favorite because I like when they do stories in different timelines.  Also, this is the second time that Bart has met Homer in the past (another was in the episode that spoofed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), and it was so easy for Bart to screw up his parents' first meeting.  I really liked how angry Homer got at Bart and how repulsed Marge was by his treatment of him.  Then it just got better when Bart easily accepted that Homer was out of his life when he returned to the present to find he was rich and a Ziff (plus he just looked so cute with that little afro).  It continued to be entertaining when teenage Homer traveled forward in time with Bart and met his older self and they worked together to beat Bart at his own game.  I guess I'm a sucker for happy endings because I liked that even though Artie and Bart beat the crap out of all the members of the United Federation of Homers Through History, Marge realized her mistake and took in all of those guys into her home (I don't know how she'd feed them and pay for all the destruction they would do, though).  I liked all the different Homers and how none of them could find the time to take out the trash in a whole day.  Marge has to love Homer because there is no way anyone could tolerate more than one Homer at one time.

The opening animation about the end of the world according to the Mayan calendar was a little interesting, but not that funny.  I just like how it could have been prevented if Marge didn't help Homer and hadn't had Moe sacrificed instead.

I'm pretty pleased with this episode, and I hope that they deliver more stories like this in the season.  After last week's disappointment of doing New York City again, I'm happy that there's a glimmer of hope for this season yet!  Maybe there will be a hilarious episode down the road if I'm lucky.

Strippers Before Secret-Sharing Speeches

The Big Bang Theory, S05E22

Howard had his bachelor party where the main entertainment wasn't strippers (due to Bernadette's wishes) but the random speeches by his friends.  In particular, Raj told everyone several of Howard's secrets concerning his sexual experiences.  Howard had no idea that Will Wheaton had filmed the whole thing and Bernadette had seen it before she picked him up that night.  Since she hadn't known about these things before watching the video, she wondered if she really knew the kind of man she was about to marry.  Howard later convinced her that he wasn't the same person who would do those things Raj talked about ever since he met her.

I assumed that their boys-night out at a vineyard or whatever silly thing they ended up doing instead of strippers was just going to be embarrassingly lame and nothing more.  That's why I think that Bernadette probably should have allowed Howard to have some strippers there anyway.  The odds of any of the men in attendance getting into trouble with them would have been slim (except possibly Wheaton since he's been on TV).  But I liked that Howard, who usually has the filthiest mind, didn't seem to mind at all listening to what Bernadette preferred.  That was refreshing not just for him, but in general as a man who could have been easily pressured by all the other men in attendance who wanted strippers.  Plus, it would have been funny to see strippers around Sheldon, a man who could barely take a sip of whiskey without a Robin-esq  swear.

Besides all of the horrible speeches, I liked that Kripke seemed to only be there in order to see strippers.  When it was his moment to give a few words about Howard, he remarked that it was basically false advertising to have a bachelor party and not have strippers of any kind.  I really like Kripke because you know if he's around that it's either to cause trouble or any other motive besides actually wanting to hang with Leonard and the gang.  I respect his honesty.

So the speeches, as I said, were terrible.  Leonard made it about himself, only wanting to boast about how he had sex with Penny on the beach (wow--who gives a damn).  Stuart's speech was so full of underlining jealousy, I was surprised he didn't stab Howard and try to assume his life as his own.  It was a little funny that he later stole a dollar from Raj that Kripke had given him.  Sheldon's speech was just annoying with his failure jokes and confidence that he was giving the best speech ever.  I was ready for him to sit down after his first "zinger."  What I did like about Sheldon was that he was miffed that Will Wheaton was in attendance because he thought Wheaton was exclusively his own friend, not Howard's or the others'.  Ha.  I wouldn't mind if they became enemies again.  Sheldon has the dumbest but amusing enemies.  Raj had the best speech because he did actually talk about Howard from the heart (maybe too much like a former girlfriend) and the fact that he revealed the secrets that no one needed to know.  Raj seemed pretty pleased that he had a threesome with Howard with an overweight girl dressed as Sailor Moon.  That image is hilarious.  Only Raj would be proud of that.  Then again, with Raj's record with women that probably is the best thing he could expect to brag about.

I think that Bernadette got too upset about the things she found out about Howard.  I mean, he is disgusting, but she knew that when she started dating him.  I think that she was just nervous about the wedding in general and was easily influenced by the tiniest thing that wasn't right.  Thankfully, Howard went to her and said the right words to fix things.  It's true that he has changed since meeting Bernadette--he's nowhere as near revolting as he was in the earlier seasons.  He's pretty pleasant.  I'm glad that it didn't take much for him to be forgiven because it wasn't that big of a deal (though I wouldn't want to have sex with him for a while after hearing about him and his cousin--eww).

Good episode.  Strippers would have been nice than the string of inappropriate speeches from Howard's friends, but they were effective in getting out the truth that Bernadette didn't know about her husband-to-be and that's important.  I'd hate for that to come out when they were walking down the aisle.  As their wedding fast approaches, I have to say that I'm a little more excited to see them hitched than I thought I would be. They're pretty perfect for each other, and I think they will be an amusing married couple as well.

Prolonged Stubborness Turns Into Awkward Sexual Development

Loved last night's New Girl!  The 12th episode brought me everything I was looking for, except for some really good moments with Schmidt.  But that can easily be overlooked.  We got more evidence that one day Nick and Jess are going to get together!  Yay! 

Jess and Nick were fighting about whether people are ultimately good and if given enough time, people will show their best side.  No need to tell you which side the 2 were defending.  Jess might have won right away after she sweet-talked a man with a gun to let them have a parking space Nick was battling for.  Of course, Nick wasn't about to back down.  Winston and Schmidt don't really help him with his argument, agreeing that Nick is one of the most negative people they know.  However, Winston does agree with Nick's viewpoint of the world:

I mean, he's not wrong though. Because life is generally terrible.

Good point, Winston.  After the sink acts crazy, Jess thinks it's about time for her to visit the landlord.  The guys vehemently tell her not to do that.  It just wouldn't be Jess if she didn't believe that a plate of cupcakes and a positive attitude will get things done.  So off she goes to landlord's lair with her baked goods.  The landlord is a Gary Busey-looking guy, whittling an edge to a broom as she enters.  I have to say that Jess' positivity borders on sheer bravery because this sounds like an opening scene for a murder or a rape, at least.  With all the signs saying "Get the hell out of there!" Jess only hightails it out of there after she blurts out that she is the fourth tenant of a 3-tenant apartment.  There goes her mouth again. 

Luckily, when Jess runs back upstairs and tells the boys what she said, they all leap into action.  I mean, you probably would not see people move so fast in case of a fire.  Their immediate solution is to toss out Schmidt's bed and a few things from his room to make it look like only 3 people lived there.  The landlord knocks on their door moments before Schmidt grabs his suitcase and pretends to be on his way out from a little vacation at their apartment.  It was a good plan!  I didn't know what they were going to do, nor did I expect the landlord to put down his deadly broom and go check out the situation right away.   But it was ruined when Schmidt snuck back in at some point while the landlord was still inspecting the place.  Now why did he have to go and do that?  I would have gone to the coffee shop and chilled out for at least a half hour.  It's not like Schmidt was doing anything at the time that he needed to get back inside right away.

OK, well, despite this, the only thing the landlord is displeased with is this drawing on the wall that Winston now must paint over.  That was a surprise.  Thought he'd toss Jess' ass out.  She was the one who brought up the extra tenant.  Furthermore, by asking nicely she gets the landlord to agree to fix some of the horrible conditions in their home.  When she was asking him, she called him by "Remy," which almost had me asking how she knew (I searched his uniform for a name tag I had missed) until the landlord asked himself:

[Remy] How'd you know my name?  They call you?

[Jess] I saw your tattoo that says "Hello, my name is Remy" and I just took a leap of faith.

Love it.  Nick still refuses to believe that Jess is right, despite that Remy is softening up and telling Jess about his difficult divorce while he fixes things around the house.  But after he sees Remy standing behind Jess to help her with a stuck sliding door, he confronts her with the idea that Remy is trying to get into her pants.  Nick is right, but he is so jealous!  No one would go so far as to show her an example (albeit a funny one involving how to use a mug) if they were merely concerned as a friend.  Nick, just get with Jess already!  He tries to prove his point further that "people are the worst" by sharing a childhood moment where his starting college fund of $5 (either he was planning ahead like crazy or anticipating going to the cheapest school ever) is stolen by a random bully on the street.  Jess counters that people just need to be given a chance by sharing her own memory.  What gumdrop neighborhood did Jess live in where creepy dudes rolling down the street in white vans are actually transporting their granny who has made too much candy and just wants to share it with some of the good children of the neighborhood?  Wow.  Her candy-coated view of the world started early.

Remy joins them for dinner later (Nick is the only one who demands to come not wanting Jess to be alone with the man), and brings some of his homemade wine.  I love when Nick declines having some:

Oh, I'm OK. Someone needs to stay sober to fight you later.

Nick and Jess's battle to be right leads them to the bedroom with Remy who assumes that they are going to have a threesome.  This was a better turnout than I could have hoped for!  They hesitate going in the room for a while before Jess digs in her heels deeper and charges into the room.  It is such a deliciously awkward scene.  Remy turns on some music and they dance around so stiffly and unnaturally that you can't help but laugh out loud.  Remy's little air fluting is a welcome addition to the madness.

The best of it all is when Remy gets behind Nick and starts sensually putting his hands over his body and describing what he's going to do to him.  Nick's face is priceless!  That is some commitment to being right!  Before Nick becomes "Captain Underpants," Remy pushes Nick and Jess together and asks them to get things started with some making out.  Who's the first to chicken out as their lips get closer together?  Jess. I was looking forward to them kissing, but there is the matter of Nick's girlfriend.  Whose horrible anger management would probably lead her to decimate Jess' cute face into an ugly crater if the two did the deed.  You're safe for now, Jess.  Despite that Nick and Jess have ended their battle at that point, Remy is still game for the threesome.  What stops it is when Winston passes by the door and asks what's going on.  Remy assumes that it's going to turn into a foursome, and that's just not something he's prepared for.  He promptly leaves.

They all agree that anything malfunctioning in the apartment is something they will have to live with.  However, they meet Remy in the elevator later, and he unabashedly lets them know that his door is always open.  Oh, God.  I hope that Remy makes a comeback in another episode.  He was simply delightful in this one.

After watching that disappointing HIMYM, I'm glad that New Girl more than enough made up for the funny in my week.  Now I can stand to watch a few more bad episodes of some other shows.  Can't wait for episode 13!