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 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

Animal Legal Defense Fund

I know that Wednesdays are supposed to be for funny pictures and what not, but again I'm being lame and feeling motivated. I saw this commercial while catching up on Gossip Girl on Hulu and it was really sad to me. I think the fact that all these things they're saying here are true is very disappointing. This is a non-profit company that helps enforce animal rights through the court systems. I feel any lawyer who'd want to practice this kind of law could shed the negative stereotype of lawyers. I was actually very offended with one episode of Parks and Recreation. When Leslie was running, they showed a candidate who was passionate about animal rights and made him out to seem like an idiot. I love this show but felt very sad that they paint people out like that. It's the reason animal rights doesn't move forward.

I remember looking into a lot of animal-related fields where maybe I could use my degree upon graduation. There's animal law, but law has only recently recognized this as a legitimate form of government so there's not enough jobs out there yet. Vet technician salaries are also underwhelming. I hope that I can help once I graduate.

Last year, I was asking at the local shelter to volunteer. They said they would only allow court-mandated community service, which I found ridiculous. Thanks to local advocates, they're on the road to building a new shelter, have set up a new website, and actually do normal things like ask for donations and plan adoption events around the city.I don't know if it's because I still feel a certain level of guilt over having to surrender a dog I had (Toby) or if it's because I have two dogs I deeply love but I do care a lot more about this than I did growing up.  Hope you guys will care too one day.

'til next time, stay classy!♥
-M