Week 2: NBC TV + Video

Photo courtesy of tvequals.com

The Office, Season 9, Episode 11 "Suit Warehouse"

The storylines:
This episode chose to focus on Dwight and his attempt to lock in a sale with (dude) by posing as father and son. Pam and Daryl also traveled to Philadelphia to see Jim (Daryl was there for an interview and Pam was just surprising him). However, she was the one who ended up being surprised since the "little" start-up looks pretty legitimate when she arrives. Daryl is also intimidated, especially since he usually does really bad in interviews. Also, in the sub-plot I mentioned last time, Erin tries to avoid Pete by distracting herself with a delivery of pens.

Thoughts?
I think that the whole Dwight storyline was a nice try at picking up on the whole Dwight Jr. scenario but it felt pretty forced on Rainn Wilson's part. He's really good normally, but the first scenes in the business were so rehearsed to me. Granted, that was probably the point but I just miss the chemistry with old characters I guess. Pam starts to look really unsure about the move to Philly as Daryl lands the job. I really liked the way they set up the whole Athlead studio for Jim. It felt good to see him in a more professional setting and the fact that the staff was so welcoming to Daryl was pretty cool too. Erin also seems to feel guilty now that it's pretty obvious she has feelings for Pete. She stays away from him the whole episode and uses the pens as a metaphor for her refusal to cheat on Andy. As for the rest of the staff, they distract themselves at work by trying out all the flavors of the new espresso machines. When I first heard Steve Carell was leaving, I thought this would be a good opportunity for the rest of the characters to get some face time, but now I feel that they were in the background for a reason. It doesn't really seem they can carry on a large chunk of an episode by themselves. The highlight of the episode for me was Daryl killing some fish during his interview. It was pretty hilarious. This is definitely one of the better episodes of the season.

Photo Courtesy: thetvcritic.org

Parks and Recreation, Season 5, Episode 10 "Two Parties"

Storyline:

Ben and Leslie are each having their respective bachelor/bachelorette parties. While Ann is trying to make the best of the night, Leslie is distracted because she realizes the plot of land she wanted to use is now being turned into a Ponch Burger. So, she throws Indian artifacts in the site's land to halt construction. Upon realizing how illegal and wrong that is, the girls try to clean house and get Leslie to confess. Meanwhile, the guys are playing board games and drinking beer for Ben's night, when Tom tries to livened up the night by taking them to a trendy new club. What starts out as an attempt to make Ben's day special turns into a bachelor party for all the guys, since none of them had a party of their own. Jerry had his turn at the ice cream shop where he met his wife, Tom's was at the club, Ron's was at St. Elmo's Steakhouse (where guest star Roy Gibbert gets the tab), and Andy's was at Lucas Oil Stadium, where the gang meets the Colts owner, Reggie Wayne and Andrew Luck. After a night of fun, the guys realize Chris (who instigated the whole idea) didn't get his turn so they team up to give him a treat of their own.

Thoughts:
This is possibly the best episode of the whole show. The guy's night out was so endearing, Chris is finally appreciated for his optimism and consideration, and Leslie has her ass saved by an awesome Indian. Everyone wins in this episode and it's so fun to watch. As always, for me, Andy takes the cake with his ridiculous lines. When Ben asks the gang if eveeryone's thinking what he's thinking, Andy says," Buy Chris a pet snake and then I keep it." lmao. The rant Andy goes on as they give Chris his gift is also hilarious. Great, amazing episode.

Photo Courtesy: hitfix.com

30 Rock, Season 7, Episode 10 "Florida"

Storylines:
Jack is still feeling the bliss from his victory over Kaylie by being on the brink of being named Kabletown's CEO. Before this happens, he's off to Florida and takes Liz along with him. What started out as a visit to fix his mother's estate after her passing ends up being a revelation for both Liz and Jack. Jack finds out his mother has been a lesbian for the later part of her life, and Liz realizes that what Tracy had told her was true...she wasn't spontaneous. That lands her in Harry Potter jail and Jack pondering his happiness. Back at the studio, Tracy and Jenna were in charge and had to get signature to prevent a sexual harassment lawsuit from Paige. Everyone but Kenneth signs because he doesn't want to lose his integrity. After some easy convincing, he signs but doesn't act the same after. When Liz comes back, she impulsively takes two adopted children under her care and Hooper comes into her office to inform her that now TGS is being shut down (due to the lawsuit). Next Friday is her last day....

Thoughts?
They are really prepping for the finale with this episode. There wasn't so many laughs and a lot of story development. I think the finale is going to be a lot more emotional than the usual episodes. I feel kind of annoyed that Jenna and Tracy actually cause the demise of the studio; I wish it would've been something else. I'm anxious to see what's going on with Liz.

The night's winner? Parks and Recreation! (Hands down, in my opinion)

(Here's a video to end off the week the recaps the Golden Globes.)

Have a great weekend!

'til next time, stay classy! ♥

-M

Week 2: Fox TV + Hope for Hump Day

Photo courtesy: sidereel.com

The Mindy Project, Season 1, Episode 11 "Bunk Bed"

Storylines:
Mindy is trying to bond with her best friend, Gwen, again while her husband is away. The only trouble is that Gwen has to bring her daughter along, who is demanding a bunk bed. That and the fact that Mindy doesn't even know how to build a bunk bed. Meanwhile, Danny brings in the staff on a Saturday to be a more competitive practice so they try to do everything possible to mess with him enough to cancel Saturdays. This started off with the basics: wasting time on Facebook, looking at pictures on People BUT they find a letter that he wrote to her ex-wife.

Thoughts?
The first thing I must say is that the opening almost made me close Hulu. Mindy is on a great date with this guy on a horse carriage. Just as things seem like they could lead somewhere, the horse has a heart attack. Then they shoot it...three times. I think that if you want to ruin a date, you could've picked a more awkward moment. I get that a horse dying is out there but it's also insensitive to actually consider that a real option on a national TV sitcom. Once I got over that initial offense, I was surprised. Another really good episode. I like how when a character receives texts on the show, they show it on the screen instead of cutting to the phone. I think this is the second time they do that on this show and it's a refreshing way to show texts. The first half of the episode, I thought they were going to push the Mindy/ Danny thing that they're done on and off but Danny ends up meeting a girl in the hospital. They also gave a lot of face time to Morgan this episode, which made it funnier. This is probably bias because I love Morgan's dialogue and his delivery. The highlight for me was when Mindy called him. He ends up sending the letter the staff found and the way the show ends, it seems like they're going to run with that storyline. We'll see what next week holds.

Photo courtesy: pastemagazine.com

New Girl, Season 2, Episode 13 "A Father's Love"

Storylines:

Earlier in the season, Jess's parents came to the loft after Jess tries to "Parent Trap" them. Now, Nick's dad stops by. At first, it seems innocent, until you learn the back story of him being a conman. He invites Jess to watch the horse races and convinces her to pitch in to buy a horse, named "A Father's Love", to make amends with Nick. However, after hearing Winston tell Nick his dad took $1100 dollars from him, both the audience and Nick can put two and two together as he tries to get his dad to pay her back. Back at home, Schmidt is teaming up with Cece's ex, Robbie, to try to get her back. Weird, huh? She's getting set up with a successful Indian man and they both spy on her. Then they head back to the bar to discuss their plan to get her back. 

Thoughts?

My favorite line was," There's more to A Father's Love than semen *pause* didn't mean for it to be sexual....poetic but gross." Hilarious. After last week's episode, I wanted to see more of Winston but he's pretty much gone in this episode. I can still appreciate the chemistry between Schmidt and Robbie though. There was also a cute moment between Jess and Nick at the end. You see why he's had trust issues growing up but Jess sees how much he's had to go through and how well he's come out of it despite all the junk.

Photo Courtesy: fox.com

Raising Hope, Season 3, Episode 12 "Lord of the Ring"

Storyline:
Sabrina is watching an infomercial with the Chance family and says how bad it is that women base their worth on an engagement ring. However, when she leaves, Bert says she's lying and that Jimmy has to do whatever it takes to get her an engagement ring (like he did for Virginia). Little does he know that Virginia has been pawning/rebuying it for 20 years when the family is broke. So while Bert is going crazy looking for it, Jimmy is going mental doing a bunch of medical tests for money. During all the chaos, Sabrina realizes she actually does want a ring because it'll represent her marriage to Jimmy. 

Thoughts?
I'm pretty sure they were spoofing The 40 Year-Old Virgin with Sabrina getting waxed and yelling "Clay Aiken" but don't quote me. Of course, they were also doing a take on "Lord of the Rings" and it was all hilarious to watch. Big Judy was actually my favorite of the night; she kept telling everyone about hints the whole time but the Chance family were a little slow to catch it. Ross makes an appearance again and is trying to hit on Virginia the whole time while everyone's looking for the ring. It's a really cute ending!

The night's winner? Raising Hope!

(Below is the hope to get you through hump day and beyond.)

You're not alone when you're thinking "where did all this time go?"

'til next time, stay classy! ♥

-M

Torn: Jud Wilhite

Author: Jud Wilhite

Pages: 224 pages

Publisher: Multnomah Books

Summary (from publisher):
When our world comes crashing down, it does more than steal our peace. Something inside us tears. We feel broken, stranded—torn.
 We naturally ask the question “Why?” when we’re hurting. But as pastor Jud Wilhite turned to the Bible in his own pain, he was surprised to discover that another question matters more: “Who?” Who is worthy of our trust when our trust when our lives are in pieces?
 You may be experiencing a time of such darkness that you wonder if you will ever find “normal” again or look toward the future with hope. In Torn, Jud explores your questions as well as God’s answers—and God’s mysteries. With a pastor’s heart, he looks with you at practical ways to fight for joy, deal with anger and depression, and make the million tiny decisions that add up to a life committed to God, even when your heart is broken. 
 It’s not about having better arguments for the purpose behind our suffering. It’s about our relationship with God—a relationship that can flourish even when our whys go unanswered.

Thoughs:
Everyone who has ever questioned God about the purpose of pain and suffering should read this book. Pastor Jud Wilhite writes from a refreshingly different perspective. Chances are if you choose to read this book, you have a "Why God?" moment in your life. I know for me, at the time, I was definitely feeling condemned. However, Jud's purpose of this book isn't to answer that "why". Instead, he's trying to get you to see the "how" to push through your circumstance and the "who" it is you're living for. 

If you are a pastor and wish for an emotional, loving testimonial  then this is the book for you. If you are a Christian and are going through pain and suffering and want to make sense of it all, this book is for you. However, if you're looking for an intellectual debate of the troubles and purposes behind evil, you're not going to find it here. 

Week 1: NBC TV + Video

Meredith going bald: Highlight of the episode ^ courtesy of tv.com

The Office, Season 9, Episode 10 "Lice"

The storyline:
In this episode, they are two stories going on. One is with Jim and the other with Pam at the office. Pam is experiencing being left alone with the kids for the first time. As if that wasn't overwhelming enough, Cece (her daughter) ends up getting lice. Pam brings lice to work by accident. That's all I'll say about that because I don't want to spoil it. She checks up on Jim throughout the week but little does she know, he's meeting his basketball idols and riding limos. 

Thoughts?
I read the comments on Hulu sometimes before I watch the episodes so this probably sends me in with a bit of a bias. I try to read after but this time, I couldn't help myself since there was a break mid-season. However, all the comments were right about the opening being horrible. I can't understand why the writers are running out of ideas. I will say that I think that this episode is definitely the beginning of an attempt to focus on Pam's insecurities. It seems that Pam and Jim are beginning to have different opinions for once instead of always being so in sync so it'll be interesting.  I feel like Jenna Fischer is really trying to make up for the lack of momentum this season has had but maybe that's just me. A funny thing that was also happening was Daryl trying to get dumped. Although he does make it happen, the other sales staff ends up butting in and ruining his plans. Also, there seems to be a sub-plot going on with Pete and Erin. I don't know if it's being done on purpose but Pete reminds me of a young Jim (even with the tone of his voice). He's been eyeing Erin the whole season and so far, this episode shows that their chemistry is pretty undeniable. It's not the best episode, but a decent try.

Photo Courtesy: northbynorthwestern.com

30 Rock, Season 7, Episode 9 "Game Over"

Storyline:

Jack has to come up with a way to convince Hank Hooper to give the CEO position to him instead of his granddaughter. In doing so, he teams up with Devon (Will Arnett) to try to take her down. It's the ultimate cat and mouse game as Jack tries to get DNA to prove Kaylie is not Hank's real granddaughter. There's a couple of twists here that I won't give away but just expect the unexpected. Tracy is off trying to make a Harriet Tubman movie but meets a star (Octavia Spencer) that's even more unpredictable than he is; he tries being Liz in order to control her but she goes off the rails and shuts down production. All this is happening while Liz is trying to weigh her options about pregnancy. She had never considered adopting an older child until this episode. You'll have to watch to see what happens.

Thoughts?

My favorite lines: 

• "Fertility shots? Is that a euphemism?" - Leo Spaceman
• When Jack says what a pleasure it is to see Kaylie, she replies, "Pleasure is the name of a horse I hate. This is business."

This is a smart, surprising episode. Everything is well-developed and the way Tracy and Liz's story influence each other is really well-written. The Jack/Kaylie duel was very satisfying and paced evenly. Everyone seems to be trying to move forward but still remaining true to their characters. The only annoying part was Jenna's juvenile need to be cool. It's been kind of bringing down the episodes in some cases, but not in this one. I'm going to be sad to see this show go.

NO PARKS & REC TONIGHT! :(

The winner? 30 Rock!

(Also, a video below to make up for lack of P&R)

Have a great weekend!

'til next time, stay classy! ♥

-M

Week 1: Fox TV + Hope For Hump Day

Photo courtesy: themothchase.com

The Mindy Project, Season 1, Episode 10 "Mindy's Brother"

Storylines:
It's a new year and Mindy is trying to follow through with her resolutions, partly because she wants to forget about Josh. She thinks that  robber hit up her apartment but it's really her younger brother, who she's happy to have around...until she finds out his "big announcement". Mindy freaks when she finds out that he's decided to drop out of Stanford to pursue rapping while Danny and Jeremy visit an old folks' home to talk to their landlord about their office rent (which has doubled). The boys are trying to help the landlord in his love life in exchange for some help; Mindy tries to talk her brother out of making a bad decision.

Thoughts?
Utkarsh Ambudka (from Pitch Perfect) guest stars and his raps are really funny. I think he was definitely the highlight of the show. This episode in general was very well written (although I felt the stress barfing was not needed). Of course, each episode also ends with a small lesson, but I can appreciate Mindy's commitment to creating meaning to her show. I am really pulling for her because I've loved her work on The Office and her book, but this season has had something missing in most episodes. I didn't get that feeling with this episode so congrats to Mindy on a great first episode after the holidays! 

Photo courtesy: sidereel.com

New Girl, Season 2, Episode 12 "Cabin"

Storylines:

The show opens up with Schmidt catching Winston chatting up with some black strangers. This sparks a revelation in Schmidt's head about letting Winston be "supported in being as black as he can be". Winston, who quickly takes advantage of Schmidt's naive and gullible thought, pushes to see just how far Schmidt will go. Jess, Nick, Angie, and Sam all go to a cabin for the weekend. Angie is a firecracker the whole time, instigating the gang to drink absinthe. Truths come out and things get a little messy, which prompts Angie to leave.

Thoughts?

This was Winston's best episode. He was soooo funny and Schmidt's ranting about race are hilarious. It was definitely the more entertaining half of the show, while Jess and Nick's journey was more about exposing their insecurities. Jess is scared to be vulnerable and alone with Sam, which is why she invites Nick along in the first place. Nick's struggle seemed to be that he was acting like he was okay with the relationship he has with Angie, when in reality, it was a lot more out there than he would admit. I hate to compare but this is a wayyyy more entertaining watch than Mindy's show. Mindy is an acquired taste and her fanbase is mostly fans that have followed her from The Office. New Girl always has really great writing that can appeal to everyone. 

Photo courtesy: screencrush.com

Raising Hope, Season 3, Episode 11 "Credit Where Credit Is Due"

Storylines:

Jimmy is trying to buy a new car. Partly because of Sabrina's nagging and also for Hope's safety. He goes and asks his parents about what he should do and they warn him about the dangers of buying new. That is where they say my favorite line of the episode..."If Sabrina tells you anything about getting a used car, tell her that when you met her, she had a boyfriend. You got her used." LMAO. After looking a lot of "diamonds in the rough" that fit in their $800 budget, Sabrina finally drags Jimmy to a car lot. As they finally make their choice about getting a new car, Jimmy is told he has a credit score of 91 (thanks to his parents stealing his identity when he was 5 years old to buy a hot tub). 

Thoughts?

Apparently, there's a lot of Back to the Future references but I don't get them because I've never seen the movie (don't judge me). Even as someone who doesn't know those references, there's plenty of stuff to laugh at. Raising Hope is an extremely underrated show. The writing is always on point, and there's usually a lesson too. I mentioned my favorite line in the storyline but there was also this part where Jimmy's parents say they are going to the bank to fix his credit and that's it..no more bad choices. Then, they suggest going through a cracked bridge to go to a Mexican/Indian restaurant that the city finally allowed to be re-opened to buy chicken that's really cheap because the lights were out for 18 hours...lol. I won't give the ending away but it all works out for everyone, including the special cameo. 

The winner? New Girl!

(Below is your inspiration to get you through the rest of the week.)

'til next time, stay classy! ♥

-M