The Sing Off: An Unfortunate Hit

I'll admit, I didn't start watching this show with the best attitude (i.e. I went into it knowing that I would hate it and wanting to hate it).

Well, the show definitely didn't change my mind. Now, dont' get me wrong, I didn't want to not like it because I thought the performances would be god awful, but because, and let's all be honest with ourselves, Nick Lachey was hosting and the commercials for it always had the hot girl saying, "You're like a real life Glee." They couldn't have tried harder to make it a real life glee even if they tried, and they clearly didn't try too hard with this show.
Also, Nick Lachey starts out by saying that this is the "toughest all vocal contest." Toughest... really?... have you seen American Idol? Maybe you missed that fad, but let's start checking what you're about to say before you make a complete ass out of yourself and the show. Do you really want to follow in the footsteps of Mario Lopez and be viewed as a gigantic tool? Oh, everyone already thought that about you? Well, I guess you found the perfect job then.

Unfortunately, Mr. Lachey isn't the worst thing about the show. The groups "all about us" video montages are the absolute worst part of the show.

Okay, yes, all reality shows have that cheesy portion of the program where they try to get the audience to relate to the contestants, and yes, usually it is over the top and a bit ridiculous, but this show crosses a line that isn't even visible to the other shows. I think it all stems from how unoriginal the show is. We have our singing show already in American Idol (which is just going to be sad this year with Steven Tyler, J.Lo, and Randy Jackson as the judges. [I still can't believe Randy Jackson is the only original judge left. How could you leave us with the most annoying judge in the history of shows, dawg?]). We already have our group singing show, Glee, which I realize isn't a reality competition, but, come on, they're obviously going to trump any of these vocal groups. Sure, a group from the show's previous season is now on Glee (for 2 songs, mind you) and they weren't even that featured since the new hottie gay steals the show. Anyway, I digress. Back to my main point that these montages are disgustingly disgusting.

I must say that my favorite/actually least favorite ones were the Berkeley group, the Yale group, and the group that was comprised of people from the season before that must now work through their own bull shit voices to create something new (OMG that's JUST like Glee! how exciting!).

First off, the Berkeley group (I don't care enough to remember the actual group name) and the Yale group seem to be in a competition of their own racing for the prize of "We're the douchiest a capella group." And honestly, Berkeley wins. Why? Because here is how they come off, "OMG we go to Berkeley, so we're like, REALLY well trained and more musically talented and uber trained and just way more skilled than anyone else!"  Congratulations, d-bags, on not having personalities, but I should commend you that you could make the entire female, and some of the male, population feel fresh.

Yale. Now, obviously when they said they were from Yale everyone watching instantly prepared themselves for a douche-a-thon. First off, they, of course, have to claim they "invented" a capella groups.  Then they quickly switch to them playing golf and wearing their tuxedos and eating at a fancy restaurant. Now, this may seem douche-ier than the previous group, however, I'm going to give them a little bit of credit and say that the show wanted to see this as a spin, whereas the Berkeley group just talked about how amazing and talented they were. Also, I'll admit, the guy who sang Grace Kelly by Mika, well, I'd put a ring on it. But still, wearing the suits on stage too, douchey.

A few of the other groups tried, just oh so hard, to make them look like a "real life glee" including a high school group full of students who would have never talked to each other had it not been for their love of singing! They had a prom king and queen, a nerd, a jock, and any other clique you can think of in their group. Essentially it came down to a line sort of like, "OMG I would never talk to any of these freaks if we weren't in the same group, so I'm like, a really good person for doing that and being so open to people's differences."

Then there was the all male group who sings AND does sports. WHOAH! You mean... guys can be athletic and have a soft side??! What a twist!

The other groups were boring ranging from, "My group needed another lead singer, so I brought my daughter in. How precious are we? Singing together brings us closer!" And then the daughter wasn't even the lead vocalist in the song they sang leading me to believe it was all a publicity stunt. Shocker! (and not the fun kind), and leading to a group based on being a born again Christian... All in all, I would have rather watched Nick Lachey just stand there saying nothing over listening to these groups rattle on about how they're unique.

Also, I don't think its really saying much for the show when it airs all its episodes within a three week span.

All in all, horrible show.

Fennopian

It's a Tie!

Whatever, I don't even care that I'm writing about Glee A-gain.

If you aren't watching this show, you need to catch up now. If you are watching this show, congratulations on being awesome.

So, what's the big deal with this episode? Well, they went to sectionals, bitches. I'm sure everyone was expecting this to be a big Rachel and Finn vocal episode since last year at sectionals they rocked it. Thank God (was this an appropriate use of the word God. Apparently I don't use it appropriately. Thank you, religious zealots.) they didn't use Finn at all, and re-created the Rachel/Kurt or Kurchel if I'm to follow Finn's speech from the episode previous. The whole episode was about the unsung stars of this show who have been getting more and more camera time taking away from the mundane and annoying story line of the boring love story between the two "stars" of the show.

Obviously, the episode was amazing with number like Time of My Life sung by Dianna Agron (Quinn) and Chord Overstreet (Sam). I have to say, Dianna Agron has some of the best minor facial expressions in this show. She has perfected giving just the perfect nuance of expression during performances. Transitioning right into Santana's song just made me so excited. I bleeping LOVE her voice. It is so raw and fantastically amazing to listen to. Plus, who doesn't love watching her in general? (Maybe I'm biased. She has said in an interview that she doesn't get much attention from the public except from the gays...)

Now, the big question on every person's mind is, "Are Kurt and that hottie dating?" Who knows. They haven't shown them hooking up or anything, but its not like Glee would really shy away from that. I don't think they're officially dating, nor do I think they will actually date. I think the Warblers are just a way for the show to expore Kurt's personality and his options in life: Does he stay an individual where he will be confronted with prejudice, or lose his individuality in an environment where he'll be accepted, but subdued. (Also, could that bird have been any more of an obvious metaphor for Kurt...) Obviously he's going to choose the former, so let's just have him do it sooner than later and get that wierd ugly chick out of the Glee club.

Aaaand in the end of the episode of course lots of drama happens in 3 minutes. The red-head and the dentist are married (left field), but she seems to regret it, Finn and Rachel are together no more because Rachel's a dumb bimbo and Finn has emotional problems. Don't care though. Just want more of Mercedes in the next semester of the show. That girl's voice is so underutilized it's sickening.

Remember when they used to have that other awkward dancer in the show but then he "transferred"? Yeah... me either.

Worst moments of the episode: The old people. What the hell was up with that? Did they think that was going to be a funny gimmick? Well, it was more just really awkward to watch, and really we all just wanted to watch the legit groups sing.

Aaaand the tie? Really? Great cop-out, Glee. I just hope this doesn't mean Kurt's going to be a different school the entire semester. That'll be super annoying.

Fennopian

New Directions Indeed

Remember when Glee had only two characters: Rachel and Finn? Well, thank God they finally put those two (at least as a couple) on the back burner as a sub-plot. Right now all I want is more Kurt. GIVE ME MORE KURT. Oh, wait, they are? You say that's all they've been focusing on? Well, that's fine by me.

What I'd really like to know though is how much of this bullying storyline they were going to have before the bullying started in real life. It seems too serendipitous to be believable. Either way, I'm glad it is happening. Even as a college graduate I appreciate this story line as though I were a gay little high school student finally able to watch a hero modeled after the challenges not only I, but gays across the country have faced. (I'm not saying I got shoved against lockers or death threats, but the general idea of being singled out, without like role-models, and ultimately searching for a place of complete acceptance [which for me, was the bubble on college hill of Brown University]).

I don't really even know where to start with talking about how damn good this episode was. Glee clearly is showing that bullying should not be tolerated in any sense, and Sue Sylvester, like a vampire with a soul (I've been re-watching Angel recently...) starts to show, not even what I would call her soft side, but showing her intolerance for intolerance. Thank you, Sue, for being the beacon of light for justice.

While Sue and most of the Glee guys stood up for Kurt, even taking some punches for him in Sam's case, Finn, in his eternal uncomfortableness with anything gay, just gets relentlessly sh*t on by everyone in the show for not sticking up for Kurt. At first, it seemed justified, but then it was just almost randomly, like when Tina pointed out (I think multiple times) that everyone, "except Finn," fought for Kurt. Even Puck wanted to, but couldn't because of his probation.

[Side note: I can't wait to see what they do with Puck's character as they start to portray him more and more as a kid who feels no one cares about him and thus almost quits school, but I'm guessing Schuester will show him the exact opposite and Puck will come around as a shining student.]

Aaaaand back to Finn. The guy could not have redeemed himself more with his wedding speech, and Chris Colfer could not be doing a better job overall reacting so appropriately to every situation thrown at him. I hate that I hated this guy right away. I thought it was going to be just another queeny caricature, but he has turned the character into one of the most believable in the series. I'm sure he'll be a huge gay icon for the rest of his life.

Now, my dad pointed out that the storyline in Glee is getting ridiculous and unbearable. This came about mostly after Sam pre-pre-proposed (Arrested Development anyone?) to Quinn. At first I was inclined to agree with him, that this story line was ridiculous and a waste of time. HOWEVER. With a show that doesn't exactly glorify sex, but in a large part emphasizes high school students having sex, these two should be a breath of fresh air for the more conservative crowd watching the show. As cheesy as it may seem, there's something to be said about portraying high school students who are choosing to wait to have sex (even if Quinn already popped out a child from down under). I say, see where this goes, and hopefully it doesn't become cheesier.... hopefully.

Ultimately. Ending that episode with Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are" was easily one of the most beautiful moments this show has had yet, and I'm sure they'll just keep on coming.

Also, I'll leave you with, what I wouldn't call their best song ever, but Kurt's new bf singing Soul Sister. (I have to say though I love Rachel's interactions with Finn. She clearly isn't as self-involved as the show makes her out to be sometimes... okay all of the time/ the picture on Hulu makes it look like Santana has some hot singing to do this week at sectionals. BAM.)

Fennopian

This is an Armageddon only Buffy could stop...

Everyone. Let's say this together.

Worst. Idea. Ever.

Apparently some bimbo named Whit Anderson is planning on remaking Buffy. Okay, that would be fine except... Joss Whedon wants no part of it. Apparently he's said that it is something better left untouched by him. I'm guessing this means, "I can't believe someone would remake this character after I perfected it. Now there's nothing I can do to stop them, but I'm certainly not going to help either. I'll sit back and watch the train wreck."

Let's be real. Buffy sans Whedon is like Fargo without snow. It just doesn't happen. It wouldn't be the same and it certainly can't be better. (Yes I realize what this is implying about Fargo, but I don't care. I like snow. It's nice here, even if it does get to -40 F... and C!) 

Who wants to see anyone but Sarah Michelle Gellar play Buffy. SMG is Buffy. Buffy is SMG. Watching another actress (pah. more like wannabe) try to create this character anew is a fidiot. Also, if they pick someone famous to play her, well then they're totally screwed. If you're going to reinvent Buffy make everything about it new including the actress. Every person that's part of the production had better be a fan of the show and know how to give credit where credit is due.

How will she create a love interest that gets even close to reaching the throne of Angel or the seat of Spike? She won't. So already we have strike one.

Who is this villain going to be? The First? Already done it. Someone close to her? Been there. Done that. Twice. A super evil vampire? ooo... original. Give me a break. (Seriously though, if you have kit-kats, I'll take 'em.)

Also, try to make her best friends as awesome. I dare you.

If you do want to pay tribute to the show, wanna maybe give her a sister, name her Dusk, and then kill her off in the beginning, which is what Whedon should have done with Michelle Trachtenberg (who, by the way, has her own detective show coming out on the CW... seriously CW... you've just become that lazy that you're giving her her own show? [ Which apparently is just like Veronica Mars starring Kristen Bell, who is infinitely better in every way than Trachtenwhore.

Ultimately. Shame on you Whit Anderson for even considering doing this project.

As for whether I'll go see the movie or not... Undecided. I would love to go and rip it apart, but I also don't want it to taint my memories of the show. (BTW I haven't seen the original movie which the show is based off of [both by Whedon], but that's only because it doesn't have SMG... we might get married.).

Fennopian

The Big C

Nothing has made me cry so hard and like such a little baby than this shows season finale. It was a real tear jerker at the end of episode already, but the final minutes, after being built up for two episodes, broke the dam which held my tears back, and the only reason i held back the audible sounds was as to not alert my roommate that I was expressing so much emotion.

I had heard great things about this show, but decided to wait until the entire first season was over to watch it, and watch it I did. One day. 13 episodes. Me and this show grew intimate. The relationship started out rough, but she grew on me.

Premise: Cathy, played by Laura Linney, has stage 4 melanoma. She hasn't told anyone she knows including her husband, son, and brother. She takes a new stance on life and treats the idea lightly making jokes and using it to justify her actions.

I initially was bothered by the acting, or, the directing. I say acting because initially you can' see any pattern in the way the characters interact with each other, but as the show progressed on I grew more accustomed to the way Laura Linney was essentially narrating every thought that went though her head, and I suppose, when you know you have a short amount of time to live, why wouldn't you just begin to express your feelings, view points, and what not to everyone around you since it could be the last way you could affect the world.

She has a brother, Sean, who is initially a very weird, unsettling character. He's chosen to be homeless and dumpster dives for food. Basically, he's a Brown student, I'd like to say exaggerated to the max, but I'm not sure it's even necessary or true.

Her son. Her son gives me the most conflicting emotions ever. The actor is the absolute worst ever. However, it is his character that gives this show it's best moment, which, will honestly be extremely hard to top, although not necessary to top either. It's unbelievable. The whole season is worth watching if just for that one scene.

That girl from Precious is occasionally on the show as well. I never saw precious, but if her acting was just as bad in that movie as it is in this show, well, Mariah Carey and that other woman's performance must have been ridic. Her character also isn't that dynamic in the show, so, I feel like they almost added her just to claim that they had the actress.

Eventually the lesbian from Sex and the City, Cynthia Nixon, joins the cast and is actually a breath of fresh air. We get a pretty real character, with perfect casting.

Oliver Platt plays her husband with whom she's separated since she found out she had cancer. She kicks him out of HIS house, however, you don't really ever care for him. I feel you're not really supposed to care about anyone in this show except her and how everyone reacts to her.

The beauty of this show comes from how well it pulls you into the life of someone living with terminal cancer. Her choices always seem justified, her actions are never truly reprehensible, even when she cheats on her husband, you are coerced into somehow agreeing that she isn't doing anything wrong, because why shouldn't she be able to experience whatever she wants, which is what the show really comes down to, new experiences, experiencing life how you want, and not giving a rat's ass what others think of your actions. No feelings of being judged.

Ultimately, I'd love to go deeper into plot lines and the such, but honestly, you NEED to watch this show. It is absolutely amazing and it ends with a conflicting concoction of emotions.

Fennopian

Weeds. Season 6 Finale. H'oh my God.

 

Cliffhangers definitely help some shows survive (like True Blood this season which would expectedly have a boring episode with a huge cliffhanger that was quickly and efficiently solved within the first 5 minutes of the following episode). Weeds has perfected this though without the overkill that other shows rely upon. The beginning of the season begins with a jolt at the beginning lagging off of the previous season finale, but quickly dissipates to a calmer more serene yet mysterious scene. Gradually as the episodes go by the stakes inevitably get higher and the end of the episode makes you want more and more with each episode. The show has essentially perfected the art of being a tease. Every time I watch the show it just builds up so much except without the relief at the end like a great... massage.

What is plan C? What the hell is plan C? (Put in a really bad Plan B joke here if you want, but I'm better than to subject you to that.) I felt like yelling at the TV every time Nancy or Andy mentioned the ominous plan C. We get that its dire. We get you're stressed. But thank God they didn't say anything till the end, because plan C was well worth the wait.

For how unrealistic the show's plot may be, the characters reactions, except maybe Andy's, always come off like, "I totally get why she made that decision, because if she were a real person, that's what she would do." Instead of, "Oh, I get why they wrote him to do that, so they could advance the plot this way." I know we're going to get an explanation for Nancy's bold, death sentence decision, but even more important than that are the other characters reactions to her actions.

Estaban's slap. That bitch totally deserved it. She stole his damn child. Who wouldn't slap her?

I wish they had explored Silas finding out who his real father is a bit more. I don't care about the actual dad, I just want to see Silas react more long term with Nancy about the whole thing. Maybe they'll somehow be able to bring that as a semi-major story arc next season, but I doubt it. His choice in the end was easily predicted, but I'd say he's probably the most reliable character on that show.

I loved how they brought in the old creepy guy who used to be Nancy's teacher and still is Nancy's admirer/stalker, and then made ya feel kinda bad for him in the end while still helping out Nancy's family. That's some real dedication.

Also, leave it to Jenji Kohan to address some huge political issue's most taboo subjects like America's treatment of the Mid East, and obviously not Michigan! 

Ultimately, I think that ending actually outdid Season 5. It was unbelievable. 

Jenji says that next season will most likely be the final season.

I'll now leave you with this to Ponder from 

http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/11/16/weeds-creator-says-next-season-may-be-the-last/

"In my mind, it is [the final season]," Kohan told TV Guide after last night's season 6 finale. "Everyone's contract is up next year, [including] the actors and mine. Seven years is a good run, and I'd rather leave while on top. I'd never say never, but I have a feeling this might be it."

So how will it end? Kohan has an idea -- but she's not going to tell you. "I would never reveal [my plans]," she said. "There are two versions of the end of the series that I've had in mind, and it would be figuring out which way to go."

One of those ways could see Nancy dying."Potentially. In a blaze of glory."

I can't wait to see which way she decides, either way though, I know I'll be a completely satisfied customer.

Fennopian.

Looks Like TV is Starting to Come Out of the Closet...

Glee may have started out by catching their audience with flashy song and dances and Lea Michelle's voice, but it has evolved into something so much more than that for so many people across the country now. They were smart to solidify a base audience before they started cracking open that closet door allowing these more serious and seriously gay story lines (also, I find it ironic that Fox has their ultra-conservative tea party lovin' news station, but their network broadcasting station possesses a show with one of the most honest depictions and story lines of a homosexual ever [barring Queer as Folk because obviously on cable you can show a LOT more and boy did they ever]).

Basic run down for those who don't watch Glee (mistake, beeteedubs): Kurt's gay. Kurt has been feeling very alone being the only out kid at his school (already a solid story line that could have been explored on its own). Kurt starts to get bullied constantly by one kid and kind of stands up at one point, but backs down. He hears about an all boys school. He meets new gay kid there (who sings Teenage Dream and everyone swoons, and by everyone I mean everyone who was watching.) New kid tells Kurt to stand up like this new guy didn't. Kurt does, football guy kisses him and then runs away and continues to beat Kurt up (and by beat up I mean shove against a locker).

Okay, so, what issues have been tackled here: Loneliness for the homosexual strong enough to be out in high school; said homosexual gets bullied; said homo searches for others like him that are accepting; said homo fights his bully; said bully is actually gay; Kurt gets his first kiss, from the bully, (not ideal, been there done that sort of. unpleasant.)

What is even more important than the actual issues that they dealt with is how they actually dealt with it in the show. It wasn't like Kurt just stood up to the bully and everything was perfect in Glee world. No, instead even after he approached, with his new beau in tow, the bully, the bully still shoved him against his locker and Kurt knew it wasn't over yet pointing out that bullying doesn't just stop. It is going to be there, and it probably always will, but the important thing is how we deal with it. Do we let the bully win, or do we stand up for ourselves even if it doesn't affect our immediate surroundings?

Blaine, Kurt's new boy toy, is brought in to show Kurt a path he could take, which is the easy way out. Blaine ran away from his old school where he was bullied to this new all boys school. Blaine encourages Kurt to stand up for himself instead and not to run away like he did, which is something he regrets every day. Some have criticized that this gives Kurt too easy of a route having some sort of support system (because no one at the school, including the staff, was helping him out with his problem). I don't think this character should be viewed as a cop-out but rather as a tool to show the audience the two paths one can take: fight or flight. Kurt decides to fight, and I must say  I never imagined so much rage coming out of that scrawny little twink.

Finally, the last major issue they dealt with through Kurt was the idea of faculty not stepping up and understanding the situation enough to help the students who are being bullied or feel different. Scheuster doesn't know how to deal with Kurt when he's upset about having to go on the boys' side of the competition or when he's being bullied. Essentially Scheuster's all, "dude, you're gay, your life is going to be harder, deal." In reality, yeah, this is true, but at the same time it isn't. I mean, yes, homos are going to have to deal with issues that 90 percent of the population will never experience, but at the same time, everyone has their issues to deal with in different ways, but the important part is that people may know how to handle different problems, but when it comes to gays being bullied, we're living in a society where we don't know how to deal with it properly. Hopefully, and I'm sure it will happen, Glee will deal with the administrative side of this issue as well as show how other people are bullied as well.

And I'll just end with this. The kiss between Beaste and Schue was absolutely the most awkward thing ever, and I'm also not sure it was appropriate. Beaste had never been kissed so Schue just takes it upon himself to kiss her even though she didn't ask for it, especially after he went on this rant about how it opens doors to other things, so unless they're planning on those two starting a relationship, bad call, Glee.

Fortunately the rest of the episode was phenom. Can't wait for next week's episode with Gwyneth Paltrow!

Fennopian

In the meantime...

So, yeah, it has been a couple weeks since I've been on here. Unfortunately, for some shows, this hiatus hasn't helped them at all.

The Event - This show still stands to be the worst thing on television right now. The plot has done nothing, the characters have not developed, bar one, the director of the CIA who we recently found out was married to a spy (and in the episode he was all worried about a mole within the CIA blah blah blah ooo look parallels.). I cannot wait for this show to be cancelled. It is a disgrace to NBC to even have it on still.

HIMYM - This season has been a roller coaster of minor peaks and major lows. Luckily they have Barney and Robin who have most of the humor in the show as well as the only emotional story we care about, meaning Barney found out the guy he thought was his uncle is actually his father and Robin is the only other person who knows. I love me some major NPH.

Dexter - Okay, I wanted to not write about Dexter until the season finale, but Jesus Christ, Julia Stiles, get your acting together because you are Forrible. For playing such an important role in Dexter's development, you really don't understand just how great your role is in the grand scheme of things. Maybe if you had any sense at all about the show you'd be able to perform optimally instead of giving us a junior high rendition in a Showtime show.

Glee - This show keeps getting better. Rocky Horror wasn't exactly what I wanted, but you can't replicate the movie. However they really are makin' Santana and Brittany into some uber-dykes, or more appropriately a couple of super hot lipstick lezzies. And the scene with Emma and Schuester. Hot damn. I don't know who wasn't feeling some tinglin' in the nether regions when his shirt came off. The story is only going to get better now as Puck returns and Kurt gets his new bf who sings him some Katy Perry "Teenage Dream" tonight!

NBC Comedy Thursday - Okay, can we please get rid of Outsourced a.k.a. the least funny show ever. The Office has plateaued and 30 Rock is still on top of their game. The stand out however is easily Community. The zombie episode should have been an hour long and it still woudlnt' have been enough Community zombie-fest for me.

Really that's all that has happened since I last wrote so elegantly. Till next time.

Fennopian.

The Future of Television (Well, More Like the Present..)

Alright, so, every station promotes that you can watch their TV shows on their respective websites like www.abc.com etc. etc. So I assume that most people know how to do that. I was blown away though last night when both my roommate and this girl I graduated with were over and didn't know or understand what Hulu was. (My roommate has become slightly more knowledgeable about how to watch TV online after living with me for a few months, but the fact that she wouldn't have otherwise known, is disturbing.)

We're moving closer and closer to a time when the question of "when" doesn't even matter to TV shows regular airtime. Soon enough everyone will be watching television at their leisure because of the Internet. Already there are televisions that connect to the Internet and companies trying to jump ahead of the game by providing television services where you can download and buy specific episodes to view, however none have perfected this system and Apple has really fallen behind the competition of companies less well-known. The only reason I know the day and time shows air is because A) I'm obsessive and B) I have no life outside of work (and before you attack me for just not getting out there, try living in Fargo and have an exciting life at the same time. It doesn't happen). In college however all I did was watch shows after they aired. Anyway, I digress.

It may seem unreasonable that at some point television ploys like Thursday Night Comedy on NBC or ABC Family Comedy Wednesdays and other various marketing tools like that would leave because they are there to specifically draw in an audience so that advertisers will pay them for time on air. If you've ever used Hulu though you'll see that they're trying out a new method of advertising. You can choose between watching a long-form commercial, usually between 1.5 and 2.5 minutes, but then you don't have any interruptions during your show (so I usually just mute the computer and do something else before the episode actually starts). Even websites like www.Sidereel.com  have advertisements that pop up on their website. These don't air before any episodes though since Sidereel doesn't actually host the shows, they just link you to places that actually host the shows like Megavideo.

So, once advertising finds a way to make as much money on the Internet, broadcast television will become obsolete. Advertising has already taken a personalized spin by receiving data from Facebook information (e.g. I have interested in men on my profile so of course I get advertisements all the time for really gay things, or because my current city is Fargo I get advertisements for political campaigns specific to the area.), and Hulu always asks whether an advertisement is relevant to you. So now my Hulu ads are largely ads for Heineken and movies I want to see instead of Tampax Pearl commercials (I don't know if they actually advertise on Hulu, but it is definitley something that is the opposite of relevant to me.)

Ultimately what this whole rant comes down to: Start using Hulu and Sidereel and stop worrying about catching shows when they air. Go to Hulu for more recent shows that have aired (unless it was on CBS, because for some reason they still haven't caught up with everyone else), like current seasons and they usually have the last 5 episodes that aired (which is also helpful to shows to keep viewers up to date and interested). Go to Sidereel if you want to watch shows that haven't aired recently, or shows that are on cable channels like Showtime (for Dexter) or HBO (for True Blood). On Sidereel the options towards the bottom are usually best. This applies in general and to each category like whether the website you're going to is Megavideo or divxden or wisevid (three best options really). There are numerous places you can find shows online, but if you want an almost perfect way of finding the shows, go to Hulu first for the best quality and easy navigation, and try Sidereel after, where you have to look harder, but there are more results.

Fennopian

Thursday Night Comedy

So last night there were a couple highly publicized episodes. 30 Rock made "history" with their live episode which they performed twice, once for the East coast and the other for the West. The Office brought back all of his ex girlfriends because he had to warn them they might have herpes, or as Michael spells this sexually transmitted disease: "H... I.... .... R. P. E. E. S. Hirpees." Before either of these two though Community aired another classic episode where the gang gets trapped in a space launch.... simulator.

Community: I hate that I ever doubted this show. I'll admit that initially I figured it had T minus half a season to go before it was cancelled. It totes grew on me though. After the characters finally settled into their places and became more established, the show really started to take off for me. Initially I thought it took itself too seriously, but wow was I wrong. The episode that really launched the show was easily the paintball war episode. Community is going to have to work extra hard to come up with an episode as good as that one, and they were definitely close with this weeks.

The dichotomy in this episode, and really throughout the entire series, of placing events that could potentially have a huge significance in any other setting (say, a real college or institution) into a less impressive and prestigious setting (Community College...)  just makes it that much more hilarious. The crew in this episode must correctly simulate a space launching before another community college does live on TV giving that COMMUNITY college more prestige than another COMMUNITY college. It had all the classic Armageddon and all those other great space launch films references with Abed getting left behind but having to save the ship to Pierce getting some cabin fever. Twas a tale of epic proportions based in scenery of minute relevance. Priceless.

30 Rock (East) (West): So, I haven't watched the West coast feed yet, but I'm guessing it wasn't toooooo different. It looks like the white guy on the show sings at the beginning instead of Jenna, and I'm sure a few other things were different too. Overall though I wasn't overly impressed. It was a nice change of pace at first, but I found myself missing the higher quality version of the show. The episode really made me realize just how important the cinematography and editing are to the show. Of course everyone performed excellently, it just fell a little short comically from the rest of the series. But, whatever. It was a great idea and was executed well. Although did you notice that Tina Fey had a script in her hand the entire time? I wonder if that was her "character" holding that, which could easily be the case since she is a writer on a show, or if perhaps it was there to save her in case she ever forgot a line, or just needed to see what was coming next. Either way it doesn't matter. I'll still watch it again as the West coast feed.

*edit* While watching the West coast feed. I realized what threw me off was the audience laughing. Gives the show a completely different feel. Also, Julia Louis Dreyfus makes the show playing Liz Lemon in flash backs. Perfection. 30 Rock also needs to have Cheyenne Jackson in way more. He's so damn attractive.

The Office:  Okay. So, there really isn't much else to talk about this show besides the hilarious Michael Scott quote above, but this picture is too good to not post right now. I'm still curious as to what they're going to do once Steve (yeah, first name basis. We're tight. My freshman roommate's friend is like, Steve's nephew or something, so we're pretty much besties.) leaves. I mean, it is definitely a smart choice for him to leave. You wanna go out with a bang, and not drag on like the last 3 seasons of Friends. There are enough characters in the show to work without Michael, but it just won't be the same, so they'll have to reinvent the show somewhat and somehow. I'll probably still watch just like I did with Scrubs even though everyone saw that it wasn't going to work.

Outsourced: I'm not even going to give you a link to this show because it just isn't worth it. I couldn't manage to watch this show with commercials. Least compelling thing ever. Clearly my two hours playing Mass Effect 2 was easily more productive than watching this show (yeah, that's right, watching TV can be productive...).  It is unfortunate this show won't work out (Parks and Rec is easily way better than this show, and has an established audience) because there are a few positive elements to it. Rebecca Hazlewood, for example, is so. damn. hot. Not just hot, but gorgeous. Flawless skin, stunning face, rockin bod. She's a triple threat. Sacha Dhawan and Parvesh Cheena are the only funny parts of this show. They could probably make a show succeed if they took these three characters and put them in their own show without any of the other cast. Overall, I just want this show to end so I can see Amy Poehler every week again.

Otherwise, Thursday night comedy was... pretty cool.

Fennopian

Glee: The Voice of Reason and Reality

Glee has officially hooked me into liking every aspect of the show. It took some time, but here I am praising not only Glee's musical talent, which I don't think anyone has questioned... ever. I always had a few problems with some of the characters though, well, most of the characters except maybe Quinn and Puck. This episode, based around duets, really let us see sides of the characters we hadn't seen before. Brittany has feelings (apparently for both Santana {um. hot.} and Artie). Artie shows off his true emotions about that little joke he made with Tina about how "it still works," referring to his manhood even though he's paralyzed. Rachel's trying to be less self-centered, but luckily Finn's there to point out what everyone was thinking, which is that even though she wanted the new guy to win so he felt like a part of the team, she did it because she wanted to win nationals.

Anyway, but I digress from the point I really want to make which is: The interactions between Kurt, Finn, and Kurt's father, was easily the best conversation about homosexuality and how it affects people in high school, especially in a highly homophobic environment.

Last season, you might remember that Kurt had a huge crush on Finn. He pushed it so far that Finn freaked out on him. Now, then it made Finn seem like the bad guy in the situation, which, there was no excuse to constantly keep using the word "faggy." However this episode we finally got to see Finn's side of the story. He was being pushed too much by Kurt to be something he wasn't and Kurt wasn't listening when he said no. Well, Kurt found a new guy, the new character who is supposed to be like a mentee of Finn's. He was convinced the kid was gay and tried pushing for them to do a duet. Well, Sam, the kid whose sexuality I still question, is nice and agrees to do a duet with him even after getting slushied in the face and getting a talk from Finn where Finn makes quite the strong argument that while someone shouldn't hide who they are, they have to play by certain rules because we live in their world. He's referring to the fact that, sure, its cool that Kurt's a homo, but he needs to play by certain rules. It all boils (Get it? Cuz, like, to get things to boil, you need heat, sometimes even a flame... flamer... this conversation is about homos... ya. Now you get it.) down to the ideal world versus the actual world in which we live. Sure, it would be nice if any gay high school boy could ask another high school boy whether gay or straight without being ridiculed or worse for doing so, but that's not the world we live in. Maybe you crazy liberal west and east coasters might think that your progressive schools and liberal atmosphere don't reflect the show at all, but take a step into the Midwest's Bible Belt and you'll see a whole new atmosphere.

Later Kurt had a conversation with his dad. Kurt assumed his dad would be on his side, but much to his surprise his dad sided with Finn for pretty much the same reasons. He pointed out that Kurt was being too aggressive (obvi) and that, and here's what I felt was the best part of the entire episode (except for Mercedes and Santana's song), Kurt would have to be strong and be alone most of the time until he found someone as brave and strong as himself to be with, and Kurt shows that he can go it alone as he sings a duet exploring the masculine and feminine... by himself.

Glee has been the most progressive show on network television regarding the subject of sexuality. Not only is there a major gay character, there are characters whose sexuality is so obscure, we can't really place it into any category except sexually diverse. I'm talking about Brittany and more emphatically, Santana. It has always been hinted at that they may be wesbian wovers (Baby Mama anyone?), but they actually opened a scene with them on a bed about to get it on! So. Damn. Hot. Now, this doesn't really mean they're lesbians because they both sleep with guys on the show too, but they're not really bisexual either... they're just. Sexual.  I'm also going to predict that Sam, although flat out said he wasn't gay to Quinn, might just be bisexual (I mean, did you see the way he kept looking at Kurt in an almost adoring way while Kurt performed?), and that fact might have come out at the school he transferred from. I wouldn't mind seeing Quinn and Kurt get into a cat fight over him.

Ultimately, I used to hate Kurt. I thought his character was just going to be this stereotypical flamboyant homosexual whose story line would push for gay rights and be the ideal life for an unapologetic homosexual (in regards to his relentless advances onto Finn who clearly was not going to reciprocate any of those feelings) in high school. Thankfully they turned him into a realistic, reasonable character facing the real world.

This episode couldn't have come at a better time either with what's been happening in this country lately. With all the suicides and gay bashings going on, I hope that those who may be depressed or feeling worthless because of their sexuality watched this episode and feel a new passion for life knowing that their time for happiness is coming.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, I was going to put links up to every song from Hulu, but they don't have clips up yet. So. The link to the episode is up top if you missed it and here are the times you should go to so you can watch the musical performances.
Rachel and Finn - Don't Go Breakin' My Heart: Elton John and Kiki Dee - 5:47

Mercedes and Santana - River Deep, Mountain High: Ike and Tina Turner - 15:29

Kurt and Kurt - Le Jazz Hot!: Victor Victoria - 20:52

Mike and Tina - Sing: A Chorus Line - 26:03 - This one displays Mike's humorous side with his inability to sing along with his talent for dancing

Quinn and Sam - Lucky: Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat - 33:29 (I totally called this one. Quinn's voice is so damn pretty in it too.)

Rachel and Kurt - Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy: Judy Garland and Barbara Streisand - 40:55

How I Never Met Your Mother

I wish this show had stopped sooner, or at least evolved in some way. I mean, if we look at shows like Modern Family (click for the latest most hilarious episode with Nathan Lane and the oldest daughter, Haley, is lookin hotter than ever. Good thing she's legal in real life for all you straight men out there), or the Office even the smallest things have changed over time, which is especially impressive for Mod Fam for only having one season. The changes Mod Fam made were purely set design differences. I would go into detail, but Alexandra Lange did too perfect of a job describing it in the NYT about a month back. Anyway, you may not have noticed these tiny differences, but I guarantee it adds to the overall effect of the greatness of the show making the episodes unique. The Office has evolved from a plain office where every character was only sort of there to making every single character memorable and having them move around positions and ranks throughout the series. (Jim was co-manager; Pam moved away from being a receptionist to being a sales person to having a new position which you can find out about here; Kelly is moving up as a minority executive; Darrell went from working in the warehouse to working in the office; and of course Ryan has moved all over the place from being an intern to a corporate executive.) The Office is probably the best example of watching the show evolve throughout time giving it a different dynamic every season.

HIMYM however has just suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucked the big one for a while now. Last season was atrocious. The jokes were bad. The characters have become so repetitive (yes, I even got annoyed by Barney). And the story was non-existent. It really turned into a string of episodes that had nothing to do with each other and no connection to the larger story. I don't know if the creators just weren't sure what to do with the story, or if they knew that because they had another season they didn't want to move too quickly, but whatever it was, it was unacceptable. Honestly the show is lucky that it had such a great first 3, maybe 4, seasons to keep me watching. (It also doesn't hurt that it has NPH and Alyson Hannigan {who I'll always be loyal to after being in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She can do no wrong in my eyes. [Except maybe Date Movie, but we'll ignore that]})

Now. After that rant about how awful the show has been. I'd like to say that it is something to look forward to this season. Why? What changed my mind? Well, the last two episodes of the last season solidified that it is indeed a great show. Ted bought a house (finally, his story is going somewhere {unfortunately it doesn't lead to his gravestone}). Lily and Marshall are going to have a baby after seeing every doppleganger. Robin is the only person who has a story which I have no real idea where it is going, but that's fine because she's really grown into her character and made it much better from it was in the first couple of seasons. One BIG thing for Robin though is that we get to see another Robin Sparkles music video. She's done her break away pop hit, her ballad, and I am quite excited to see what the third is going to be. Barney is just Barney, and I'm fine with that. I mean, who DOESN'T want to just stare at NPH. No one. That's who.

The biggest teaser for this season though is that Jennifer Morrison is joining the cast and may in fact be the mother. Now, this is all speculation that is buzzing around the internet. I'll believe it when I see it. But at the very least its been said that she is a very large part of the character's lives. I just hope this doesn't turn into another Stella debacle where I sooooooo very much wanted Sarah Chalke to be the mother because the show needs someone to be funny while Ted kills the show.

So ultimately. The show went downhill for a while. Probably almost lost its entire fan base, but has redeemed itself for now. I'd say keep up with it the best you can, but definitely not worth wasting your time catching it when it airs.

Fennopian

Seth MacFarlane... Get Over Yourself.

Jesus. After watching these past two episodes of Family Guy, I don't know what I was doing hoping that Family Guy would get better. And then, to top it off, The Cleveland Show and American Dad are just embarrassing for him that this was like his premiere Sunday after last weeks hour long boring train...

Seth, you're not going to be The Simpsons, please, if Family Guy makes it to 22 seasons, you must really have that much control over FOX.  Your social commentary will never be anything compared to South Park. Sorry, but no one cares about Rush enough for you to not really make fun of him. And your songs? They're. Not. Good. You epic failed that song about down syndrome. I understand that nothing is off limits, but an episode dedicated entirely to that with a song? It's not funny. You're not funny. Get. Over. Yourself. A song about Republicantown? Everyone gets that you hate republicans. At least South Park comments on both sides of an issue instead of endlessly attacking one side. Do you think your show influences the way people think? Iiiiiiit doesn't.

(Keep in mind that it doesn't take me much to laugh at a TV show.)

Okay, one positive thing you did recently? Killed off a bunch of characters and it stuck (there's a new female anchor). Wait, didn't you then have murder be a huge theme throughout the American Dad episode by breaking the 4th wall and having the audience count how many people die drawing the audience into the action. Oh! Then you also did that in the premiere of The Cleveland Show by having a "live" (oh, yeah, we get the joke right away, its live but it's a cartoon. That joke was funny for... 2 seconds. ) episode, which lasted the entire 30 minutes. It ended up like SNL with everyone on the stage saying good-bye, with a dead Julia Roberts who had just gone through a string of saying the titles of her movies while trying to make it fit into the scene (a technique used in horrible sketch comedy and old sitcoms). Juila Roberts died and so did Seth MacFarlane's short lived reign of comedy.

Fennopian

The Only Good Thing About SNL This Week...

Sorry Bryan Cranston, SNL gave you a shitty script. However, there was one redeeming skit with new cast member Vanessa Bayer portraying Miley Cyrus. ITS PRETTTYYYY COOOOL.

Caveat: The guy who plays Johnny Depp is horrible. absolutely horrible.

*edit*

And, I forgot, this was hilarious. Bros icing bros... sort of.

What Looks Actually Good This Season

Alright. So. There are a whooooooooooole lotta shows premiering this season. Too many that I don't even care about, and thus just about the same amount of horrible shows out there.

(I gotta say, I just started writing this and decided to pop on an episode of Six Feet Under {a show you have to watch if you want to be considered legitimate, oh! look at that, Carlos from Desperate Housewives is on [much better than it has been recently]}) ... yeah that many sidetracks just happened.
 
Anyway. So, shows to actually watch. Let's start with FOX, who might have finally done something right with a comedy in years, and totally making up for the awful awful awful (and disappointingly so) show Running Wilde starring Will Arnett, ruined by Keri Russell and the pitiful excuse for a cute girl that plays her daughter.

So, FOX, they're trying this show out Raising Hope. The general premise: Real dumb redneckish guy has sex with a girl he thinks he saves. 'Parently she killed people. So she goes to jail, but 8 months later has a baby. He now has to take care of it and his family is clearly quite dysfunkshinal. A mom who can't pronounce things correctly, a cousin or something that never wears pants, some form of father, and a grandma with dimension who randomly gets batches of lucidity about what's going on around her and the family has to deal with it until she goes back into her semi-permanent crazy state. Well, there's a longer rundown than I planned.  Anyway, it is pretty pretty funny. None of them either know how to take a baby or don't want to. It is a pretty straight forward type of humor. I mean, think of the dumbest people you know, like common sense wise, and imagine them trying to raise a baby. Also, watch the first episode, but also watch the second, it is much better with the characters having a more solid form rather than establishing the scenario like the first episode does.

An even better show to watch is The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret. Now, I may be partial to this show because it matches up Will Arnett and David Cross again (Running Wilde tries to be funny by doing the same, but the rest of the show is too painful). The shows got its American humor goin on and throws in some Brit chuckles with the show being set in England and half the cast are natives (in the show at least.. haven't done my homework on the actors' origins.... yet!).

The Whole Truth -  Alright, so, anyone watch ER? Me either. But any episode I did watch I was instantly attracted to Maura Tierney. (Her hair is shorter now too). She's pretty bad ass in this show. A power house commanding a law firm and always works opposite the defense attorney played by Rob Morrow.  They used to be old law school buddies and now are pitted against each other every week, but still manage to be friends. (Totally bet there won't be a story line where one trial pushes one of them over the edge and they're no longer friends.... that'd sure be surprising.. I need to figure out a better way to *roll my eyes* other than using asterisks.)He's been on Entourage a few times or whatever. But damn he's sexy. He's got like, two small piercings in his ears right next to each so that the small flat studs or whatever in them look to almost make one earring. It. Is. Awesome. Anyway, it's worth watching if you get bored and want a good detective(?) law(?) type show or whatever. It's good.

Fennopian

That Big Gay...

noooooo! not me. Kiss. Remember that big gay kiss? On Modern Family? Mitchell and Cam? (Even though I totally wanted it to be Phil and Jay.) Well, you might have missed it. Which is absolutely perfect. "Why?" might be what's goin on in your head right now, well, let me answer your little inquiry. (I'm not okay with what I just said... right now I'm going to try to write pretty much exactly what goes through my head... so... expect quite the trip.)

Anyway, Tmobile has a horrible commercial and Diet Coke has just a great one. Okay, back to MF.

So, there was all this controversy over MF being homophobic or whatever because they never showed Cam and Mitchell kissing. Which, I'd say is pretty legit. However I just read an article or interview or whatever with the creators and they discussed how they haven't done it for a reason and that we would soon see it happen. Now after that and after seeing the commercials for the episode, one would especially be led to believe that the gay kiss is going to be the big thing. Buuuuuuut instead it was Mitchell and Jay, which was perfectly awkward. (Speaking of awkward The Office is on tomorrow) Okay, where was I going with this (sorry, distracted by commercial for Beauty and the Beast, easily my favorite Disney animated movie ever. ever.)... sooo... oh yeah. My take on why the creators did what they did.

Oh, yeah, this isn't going to be like a long ass explanation or anything, so, don't expect something deep and philosophical, more it states the obvious? But I felt compelled to do this. So, here it is... It was in the background because it isn't a big deal. Thanks MF. (Good, right? You're welcome. I know you're glad you made it this far.)

Aaaaannnnddd Tomorrow - Community ---> 30 Rock ---> The Office ---> Outsourced

Fennopian

10 Bucks Says "The Event" isn't That Mind Blowing...

Remember how just absolutely ridiculous LOST was? I mean ridiculous in a good way (clearly, because I'm talking about LOST, and to all you LOST naysayers out there, step. off. No one cares what you have to say.). Remember how you never really knew what was going on, but it didn't matter because it would string you along giving you hope of figuring out exactly what "the Island" was, but we never REALLY got a straight answer (which is completely cool because the ending couldn't have been more perfect. And you're an idiot if you thought the ending was horrible, because you obviously didn't understand, and don't fault the plot because of your own ignorance). Remember all those commercials this summer about how "The Event" wasn't a plane crash, or any of the other occurrences that weren't "The Event"? Remember how everyone was talking about how this show is definitely going to be the next LOST? (Give up now, there will never be another LOST). Well, you might as well forget about all of that now, and really just forget about this show, because it is:

A) Nothing like LOST even though it tries super hard to ALMOST mimic what LOST did. (I mean, they actually tried to start the series off with a plane crash, but TWIST it didn't, so even LESS exciting. And on top of that after the first segment of the episode the flash to the Title "The Event" appearing in a similar fashion as LOST did and THEN at the END of the episode the do it again! OH! And on top of that the whole plot is revealed through flashbacks ranging from 15 years to 7 days. But instead of giving character depth they just try fill in the blanks of what is happening in the "present". We get it, time is fun to mess with, but I don't care.)

B) I'm not sure if I could care less about the characters.

(Except this one, but really only because she's enjoyable to look at, and well... I wouldn't say no to any propositions from her)


C) The pitiful story lines and acting do not help. I mean, one of the main characters (Who, I am pretty sure, they are trying to make into a Jack Shephard type character except they fail. like. epic fail. He is neither A) as good looking as Jack, not even close, nor is he as compelling of an actor, who happens to be John Ritter's son) is on a trip with his girlfriend (the hot one up above), about to propose, and he hears a man yelling for help. This caricature of a California hippie has a broken arm and his girlfriend has fallen off a cliff, so this guy who was about propose just jumps off the cliff and saves her, naturally. Then it cuts to the four of them sitting around a table drinking and instead of being extremely grateful, the girl who almost died just brushes it off like it was nothing but comical. (Now, I get that these two probably have something to do with a sinister plot to ruin this guy's life which we see happening later, but without any characters being compelling, I just can't care if he gets screwed.)


Apparently the writers have pointed out that there are going to be a lot of questions. (Clearly). But they also stated that viewers should just have faith because it will lead to something. It won't write the story so that in season 6 (I doubt this show will make it to season 2) you don't have questions about season 1 like LOST did. But that's what made LOST so great. There were so many arches and story lines that were left unanswered that it allowed the audience to draw their own conclusions and led to the mass forums discussing what must have happened. They also stated that the characters will pull you in from the first episode... not even close. So here are there two biggest problems:

1) They're trying to be like LOST but NOT be like LOST. I think that by answering questions too soon, the plot line will get too ridiculous too quickly and alienate (I swear. If this show is about aliens... I mean... we already saw what happened with V, and we definitely don't need a show that's a mix of Flashforward and V, two absolutely horrible shows.) the audience with an over-the-top plot (They want it to be 95 percent set in the real world and 5 percent not... this isn't going to turn out to be a very good ratio.) Its the difference between progression and evolution. LOST evolved, completely changing itself from the first to sixth season and constantly reinvented itself. This show seems to only move the plot forward with one goal in mind, What is the EVENT? instead of, "Why are these people on the island? How were these people connected? Why hasn't anyone found the island? Is there something strange going on? If so, what?" On top of all of these questions though we were given a completely different realistic plot - How are these people going to survive the day to day now that they're stranded? How will all of these characters interact? Who will take charge? And so on... And the supernatural stuff at the beginning of LOST (like Jack seeing his dead father who's body was on the plane that crashed) could be perceived as Jack being a little crazy after crashing on an island instead of just throwing us into a weird sci-fi world. Lost started out being relatively realistic (who hadn't imagined what would happen if a plane crash landed on an island?)and evolved into a supernatural phenomena that had everyone demanding to know what was happening. The Event basically dismisses the first part of this formula and and only took one half of it. No one makes a cake and adds only the dry ingredients.

2) Poor characters. We've got a president. Some criminal who most likely is a supernatural being of some sort who is locked up for some reason. A happy couple about to be engaged. A cop or spy or some government official who (god, i couldn't even take this character's plot line. Who chases a plane with their car and thinks that's going to work while not actually being THAT frustrated that he just missed his chance to stop a terrorist, oh yeah, there's a terrorist on the plane, way to play into the fear that reached its peak years ago.) And a few other random ones that don't matter because they're just not good. But pretty much none of these characters interact, so we're just pulled from person to person with very little time to get invested in any of them. If you're going to be showing flash backs anyway, you might as well jump to where these characters all finally meet and work from there instead of spreading the show too thin by trying to throw too much at the audience at one time. LOST threw a lot at its audience, but it did so in small bits easing you into new plot lines and twists. This show was just twist after lame twist.

Ultimately, I'll probably watch the next episode. Why would I do that after ranting about how horrible the show was? It was like a train wreck. You can't help but keep watching because it is THAT horrible. I also always try to give shows the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the first few episodes, but I do NOT have high hopes.

Oh. One final comment. The show actually ended with the line "I haven't told you everything." Really? Have you not told us everything? Wow. Great cliffhanger. Couldn't have figured that one out...

Also, having the ENTIRE story blocked out (the creators made a bible because they clearly knew the pilot wouldn't sell) doesn't leave room for allowing an audience to react and affect where the show goes, which characters test well, and what subplots they should pursue in more depth. A rigid story in an environment where everything is constantly changing does not make for a great show.
Okay, still not done. I'm assuming if you didn't like LOST you'll unfortunately LOVE this show. Its like LOST, but for the less intelligent audience.

Fennopian

The Event airs Mondays 9 PM EST

Now That NBC Comedy Thursday is Back...

... I can finally move on with my life instead of being stuck in Summer with some of the worst television programming ever (except True Blood and eventually Jersey Shore).

So, I don't like the new order these shows are in... 30 Rock was great showing last, it kept an audience waiting until the end for the best show (well, maybe not the best with The Office still being on, but still). Instead they moved 30 Rock up an hour and put the new, borderline ignorant (and not the funny kind of ignorant where it's pointing out how stupid ignorant people can be) show Outsourced. However Community and The Office stayed the same. Eventually Parks and Recreation will be back when Outsourced gets cancelled, and I can't wait for that day.

The best show of the night was easily The Office. From beginning to end it was just packed with some of the most hilarious shit. I gotta say, that the intro, was easily one of the best things I've seen all premiere season. It was just an excellent way to get an audience laughing and saying "WTF why are they doing this?" I'm pretty sure from beginning to end this season is going to be one of their best since it is Steve Carrell's final season on the show (which is a completely different conversation altogether. I mean, did anyone watch The OC after Marisa died? How long did That 70s Show last after Topher Grace exited?) Anyway - Stand out of the episode I thought was definitely Kelly Kapur. During her summer she attended a minority executive training class at Yale through Sabre and now wears a bright pink "professional" suit. I soooooooo hope that she and Andy get into arguments over which was the better Ivy. Because, let's be real, Cornell isn't a real Ivy. Besides they've got their own claim to fame, a high suicide rate and a great hospitality program. But seriously, how could you not want to see the ditsy girl claim she now has a better education than Andy because she went to Yale for a TRAINING program? Maybe they're preparing for Kelly to be the new boss at Scranton. I wouldn't be opposed.
Erin should not be with the Sabre guy. I hope this ends like... now. But I will admit, I think he's doing a much better job at being funny now than he was last season where it was awkward, but not funny awkward, just. awkward.
Mostly, I'm just glad to watch new episodes of The Office. I was getting bored of watching the same five episodes on Hulu while anticipating the return.

Community - I would like to thank you for putting Joel McHale in only boxer briefs and working out in the beginning of the episode. Please let this be his only outfit for the rest of the run of the show. Thanks.
Also, thank you for giving Betty White a hilarious role, even if it was only for the one episode. (I got really excited that she was the professor and thought that perhaps she'd somehow be a season regular, or at least common enough that it seemed to be that way).
Finally - Betty White, Abed, and Troy rapping. Enough said.

30 Rock - Good enough. Of course I'll keep watching. Who doesn't want to watch Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey always?

Outsourced - I had such high hopes for this show. The previews were all extremely promising. The premise was a little far-fetched, but whatever, as long as it was funny that could be overlooked. Unfortunately I laughed... twice? Maybe three times.
Basically the premise is your average American gets sent to India to work a call center for a company that sells novelty items, like boobs that jiggly with music that you can mount on your wall, fake poo, and other various items that the Indian workers don't understand. Now, this is where the show tries to show what it is about: How American consumerism is viewed in a country that is supposedly the complete opposite.
Honestly, that's not even the worst part. The worst part is the main character. He's boring, not funny, horrible comedic timing (and the writing isn't anywhere near the level of the other NBC comedies, or really any comedy for that matter). I don't know on what level you're supposed to relate to this character. I don't relate with boring. Sorry. I'm not sure if you're supposed to feel bad for him for being forced into such a different environment than what he's used to, but it doesn't work. Nothing about this show really works all that well except for the hot Indian woman and the hot Aussie dingo (isn't that like the equivalent of calling someone a fox? but in Australian?)

Ultimately, Community, 30 Rock, and The Office are stellar which was totally expected. I had high hopes for Outsourced, but I definitely want Parks and Recreation back.

Fennopian

Saturday Night Live with Amy Poehler

So, I'm pretty sure I missed some skits, but that's because I watched on Hulu instead of when it aired, because, let's be real, as a 23 y/o I'm certainly not sitting home on a Saturday night to watch SNL even if I do like the show. In this day and age there really isn't any reason to have specific air times, just air dates so that everyone else knows what day to go on Hulu or Sidereel to find the shows they want to watch at their leisure.

Anyway, SNL last night definitely had its bumps, but overall it was pretty damn funny. Of course for the premiere it was smart to have Amy Poehler host, even though her show, Parks and Recreation isn't airing right now since NBC is trying out the God awful show Outsourced. They pulled in alums like the always hilarious Tina Fey, the always horrible Jimmy Fallon, Rachel Dratch, and thankfully they brought Maya Rudolph in for the skit Bronx Beat.

Winners
Kristen Wiig playing Christine O'Donnell in a skit with the RNC trying to uncover any other scandals that may come her way after this witch hunt, get it, cuz she "dabbled" in withcraft when she was younger... Anyway. If you've been keeping up with that story, its a great skit. If not, probably not as funny.

Bronx Beat: Really, this skit is always good. Who doesn't want to watch Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph pretend to be a couple of women from the Bronx? Their accents are hilarious, and their back and forth is perfectly executed. Katy Perry did a fine job of having lots of cleavage showing while poking fun at the "scandal" that her clip was taken off of Sesame Street programming because parents complained about her excessive cleavage.

REALLY?!?! With Seth and Amy: So, I'm sure everyone's seen or heard that el presidente of Iran stated that the 9/11 attacks were planned by America. Well they started with that and ended up on repealing DADT. Best line of the night basically came down to Amy Poeher: "Yeah, because a guy's gonna join the army get shipped half way across the world to risk his life every day to MAYBE catch a glimpse of a penis, I mean really."

Losers

Katy Perry: Okay, I like Katy Perry just as much as the next person, except my roommate who, I'm pretty sure, is trying to Single White Female her ass (which is gross since she's marrying Russell Brand, the ugliest and least funny guy to come along in a while). I'm going to start off by saying that on Hulu her links are tagged as "tone deaf" and "train wreck." Her performances were pathetic though. The vocals weren't even existent, she looked sad throughout all of "California Girls," the "song of the summer," and the stage was set up ridiculously with her backup singers wearing hats to make them look like life size Strawberry Shortcake characters. Her two dancers were complete opposites with one dancer smiling excessively the entire time while the other did the opposite and looked like she was almost growling the entire time trying to make the dance seem more bad ass than it was. Katy redeemed herself somewhat by singing well in the less than funny Boogerman digital short (Come on Andy, you had an entire summer to think of funny things and this is what you premiere with?), but then dropped back down when she butchered "Teenage Dream." All in all, I was so excited to see her perform live, since most of her live performances of her songs are amazing (Her MTV Unplugged version of "I Kissed a Girl" is ridic).


Worth Watching
New Cast Member, Jay Pharoah, Playing Will Smith: It was the only skit this new cast member was a part of, but man, he was perfect making fun of Will Smith's obsession with his children and how great he is.

Fred and Gov. Paterson: Now, SNL has constantly made fun of Gov. Paterson throughout his term, and not being from New York or really following the politics I know I didn't understand every joke, but I did get that they made fun of him being blind and for hating on New Jersey (which, even after living on the east coast for 4 years I still don't understand...) Well, they finally got him to go on and he was able to rip on SNL a bit. The best part was that he was willing to make fun of himself too and it. was. hilarious. It is always nice to see someone have a sense of humor about themselves. (Now if only they could get Christine O'Donnell to do a few spells on the show, perhaps a Charmed skit?) Anyway, if you're from New York, or have seen the other clips, it is definitely worth watching.

All in all it was a great beginning to a season which I hope will continue to be just as good. Next week looks promising with Bryan Cranston, probably most famous for his role as the father in Malcom in the Middle, and he now stars and won three emmys for his role in Breaking Bad, a show I've never seen. But with his comedic history, I'm sure he'll be a riot. Kanye West is going to be the musical guest and I'm pretty sure it'll be extremely better than Katy Perry's attempt at performing.

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