HIMYM: Weekend at Barney’s

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER: 8.18 “Weekend at Barney’s”

You know, this has been a pretty weak season. I watch the episode, find myself moderately entertained (or rolling my eyes) for 30 minutes, and then when I think back on it to write on it, I can’t remember what happened. That’s not the best thing for a TV show. Especially one that used to be one of my go-to shows.

On the bright side, we got rid of Jeannette in this episode. Seeing as they hinted at their explosive ending (haha, pun) a few episodes ago, I thought we’d have to wait forever to find out how and when this relationship ended. Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait too long. Jeannette wasn’t entertaining to me, and Ted was just a bore. The running gag that Jeannette would do something off the rails and Ted would just accept it happily got tired rather fast. So I’m glad she’s out of the picture.

Was it done well? Eh. It was…blah. The highlight of the entire relationship was seeing those red cowboy boots charred and falling to the ground.

Meanwhile, we had Barney, who still has his playbook. Here, I felt we were rehashing what we already put to rest. Didn’t Barney already burn the playbook? Yes, but that was just the fancy one. There was another original copy. Uggh.

Just do something and live with it already, writer team. Don’t keep creating loopholes because you’ve run out of material.

The only good thing about this was seeing Barney convince Robin that he loved her and that the reason that they work out is because of all the deception and lies he’s done up until now, all the while doing magic. It was a great moment. If only it was in a better episode.

Now, if you asked me what Marshall and Lily did in this episode, I can’t tell you. Really. I just can’t remember. That’s how good it was.

So overall, I give this one a thumbs down. But maybe now that we’ve nixed a few storylines, we can finally move forward.

HIMYM: Bad Crazy

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER: 8.16 “Bad Crazy”

What an episode. It occurs to me that while I’ve been thinking about this episode for two days, I really don’t know what to say about it. It felt like your typical filler episode — the episode you film just because you need to fill up 22 episodes in a season and its sole purpose is to give you a little teaser of what the writers think will be a better episode to come (namely, whatever makes Ted’s new galpal light something on fire, leaving them all on the curb staring at the ashes).

I think you all know that I care little about the episodes that revolve around Ted’s dating someone that is not the mother. The only relief here is that we were told that Jeanette is officially the last person Ted dates before the mother. Huzzah. But seeing as we still have a season and a half until the end of the series, who knows how long we’ll have to sit through this one. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t mind the character of Jeaneatte. She seems caricaturish and ridiculous to me, so I can’t take her seriously. But she’s no Zoey. And that’s a bright side, right?

Remember the days of Stella? When we really didn’t know if she was going to be the mother because the show was precariously waiting to be canceled at a moment’s notice? I miss that.

Anyway, the highlight of the episode here was not with Ted, but with Robin, which is strange, since she really was handed a weak storyline herself. Because I know Robin’s aversion to kids, I can see how she has never held Marvin for eight months. That being said, let’s be realistic here: Would that ever really happen? Sadly, I read the description of the episode before watching it, so it spoiled me by telling me that Robin did eventually hold Marvin and she wouldn’t be able to let him go, and I was wondering throughout my watching when that would happen. It kinda took away some of the sentimentality at the end of the episode. That being said, while I’m not a fan of Mike Tyson (gee, he’s making the rounds as a guest star, isn’t he?), I did enjoy that little spin on Robin’s tale.

Overall, though, the episode didn’t do much for me. It’s not one that I’m going to go back to and remember, recall, reminisce, and in the end, rewatch. It was just there for 30 minutes of enjoyment or distraction (depending on your tastes), and then it was done.

Much like this review…as it turns out.

The Walking Dead: The Suicide King

THE WALKING DEAD: 3.09 “The Suicide King”

The Walking Dead is back for its mid-season premiere, and sadly, I did not like this episode nearly as much as the last few before the break. It was slow, plodding, and unconvincing.

My biggest objection was with Merle and Daryl’s fight to the death. Before the break, the Dixon brothers were put in a tough spot, facing off against each other in a fighting pit, with angry residents of Woodbury (and some harnessed zombies) thirsting for blood just on the outskirts of the pit. It looked like the brothers might have to make some tough choices, and it seemed like one or both of them might not make it out of the fight in one piece. Instead, though, after exchanging a couple of rabbit punches, Rick and Maggie appear deus ex machina style, toss a smoke grenade, shoot a couple of people with their assault rifles, and liberate the Dixon’s without much of a fight. This was a cheap way to weasel two important characters out of a nearly impossible situation. Am I supposed to believe that the Governor and his people, after already being attacked once on the same night, would be lax enough to let two people sneak up close enough to a gathering, open fire, and cause enough mayhem to free two prisoners? The Governor and his henchmen have so far seemed much more ruthless can capable, so I don’t see how they could have been so careless. On top of that, the entire situation was resolved so quickly, in the first five minutes of the episode I think, that it sucked out a major point of tension that could have been used to keep the rest of this rather boring episode interesting. Finally, the scene itself just looked cheap and unconvincing. The extras running around in the background looked like they were strolling rather than running for their life in a hail of gunfire, and I just don’t see how Maggie and Rick, who were taking cover in the same location, rather than splitting up and attacking from two different directions, could have caused enough chaos to allow Merle and Daryl to escape. There was smoke everywhere, how did the Dixons even know which direction to run in?

The rest of the episode was a lot of talk that didn’t really amount to much, though I have to say I am (surprisingly) enjoying Herschel’s transformation from helpless old fool to wise sage and advice giver. His scenes with Tyreese, and then Maggie and Glenn were really good, and the scene with Glenn was particularly touching. Andrea, on the other hand, remains with the Governor, though it’s clear that she’s not trusting him all that much after learning that Glenn and Maggie were held captive without her knowledge. While the Governor seems solely focused on revenge, she tries to rally the remaining citizens of Woodbury with a with a speech about sticking together that I found rather unconvincing. Maybe it was just her delivery. But speaking of revenge, didn’t the Governor send a group of his lackeys over to the prison to attack it just before the ambush? Or did those guys never get a chance to leave? An assault on the prison, just as Rick’s mental health and leadership seems to be totally crumbling, would make for an interesting second episode, though I won’t hold my breath. The Walking Dead seems to have just as many downs as it has ups, and this episode ranked as a down in my book.

Switched at Birth: Dressing for the Charade

SWITCHED AT BIRTH: 2.04 “Dressing for the Charade”

It’s been almost a week since I last posted. I’m glad I’m my own boss. Otherwise, I’d have some ‘splaining to do.

Much like Angelo and Regina had this week on Switched at Birth (did you like that segue?). Is it just me, or does anyone else keep forgetting that Angelo and Regina are in a sham marriage? It’s already a terrible plotline, but for some reason, I keep blocking it from my memory. So when an episode like last night’s comes around, it takes me a minute to adjust to the issue again. Right. They’re married. Right.

Now, this sham seemed so ridiculous it was almost humorous. Was it supposed to be humorous? Or dramatic? Either way, seeing everyone stall (and not well) and rush to get things looking like Regina has moved out was just silly. And in the end, it took a half-naked deaf kid to finally convince the immigration guy that it was real. Out of curiosity, where was Daphne and Travis expecting to put everything after they hid everything in her room? And wouldn’t the immigration officer wonder why Daphne didn’t move with her?

Anyway, all that is nothing compared to the pregnant lady carrying Angelo’s child showing up at the exact wrong time (speaking of, instead of pretending why Regina and Angelo would be arriving, wouldn’t they all just say they’re there for dinner?). I would think that would make the officer think more stuff is suspicious, not walk away thinking there are so many problems that it must be real.

Overall, I just don’t like this story, and I wish it would go away.

In other stories that I don’t like and wish it would go away: John running for office. Sheesh. Seeing him and Kathryn bicker all the time is just intolerable. Plus, he’s such a boring candidate. He’s not doing anything but barking orders. As someone who’s seen the guy on my TV for the last year and like him, even I wouldn’t vote for him. What’s he standing for anyway? He’s planning to run for office…on silence? Uggh.

I do, however, like the development between Travis and Daphne. I don’t know what I’d think if he did actually move in (I don’t know if that’s off the table after Bay and Daphne both discussed it), and with his family life, I’m nervous about what will happen with him next. But darn it, he’s a nice kid. Almost as nice as Emmett was for a while there.

Speaking of Emmett, did anyone else miss him this episode? Personally, I say, let’s get more stuff going on with the kids and less with the adults. They’re much more interesting.

Switched at Birth: The Door to Freedom

SWITCHED AT BIRTH: 2.01 “The Door to Freedom”

Switched at Birth is back — finally starting its second season (and yes, I just said starting its second season). We last left with Angelo winning five million dollars in the case against the hospital and a mystery pregnant woman showing up, wondering where he was.

Well, as expected, this woman says Angelo is the father of her unborn child. Sigh. Cliche storyline with sigh-worthy drama. I’m actually a little disappointed in this story. Yes, it’s because they’re adding this woman into the mix (and a new baby), but because I just care very little for Angelo. I don’t really care about his relationship with Regina (I somehow blocked the idea that they had that false marriage), and the tension between him and Daphne and him and Bay is just growing tiresome. I guess I just don’t like Angelo.

Speaking of tiresome, I guess I thought we were going to forget about Jeff over the break. No such luck. Daphne is still head over heels, but Jeff isn’t having it. Despite my frustration with Daphne, there was one part of the episode that stood out to me: her conversation with Emmett’s mom. I loved that someone really broke it down for Daphne — the opportunity that she let go, the fact that she won’t get opportunities like that easily, that others have fought for the rights she’s taking for granted. Not only did Daphne need to hear it, but so did the viewers. Sometimes, since I’m comfortable now watching the series and I understand the characters, I forget what Daphne, Emmett, his mom, and other deaf folks are really dealing with. Their lives are different, and they have to both fight for and appreciate that.

As for everything else, well…

• A Kennish for Senate? Uggh. Please, no. Kathryn’s book fame was bad enough to deal with. I don’t think I can handle a political race.
• I was really invested in Bay in this episode. I think her going into the pilot program should be interesting. Curious to see where it goes.
• Angelo’s gifts…he’s going to run out of money fast, isn’t he?

Did I cover it all? What’d you think about the big return?

The Christmas Challenge 2012: Completed!

I did it! Challenge accepted and completed. The Christmas Challenge is over! And what a great — or at least harried — 25 days it has been.

But overall, I enjoyed it. It was rough to keep up with (and get my Christmas shopping done…let alone my day job), but I saw a wide variety of shows and episodes to represent the season. I watched old favorites and shows I’d never seen before. I watched August Christmas airings and post-holiday catchups. From Fridge Day to Festivus, I caught everything in between.

And now, as I look back at this vast amount of time that I used up, watching episode after episode, recommending what I loved and hated, here’s a brief list of what I loved most — and loved the least.

Naughty List:

1. Frasier: What a depressing “Christmas” episode. Bleck. Get me my 23 minutes back (and him a new sweatshirt).
   
2. Yo Gabba Gabba: I’m still trying to get over the horrific episode that was this one. Sadly, I can’t blame Christmas. Just the show itself.
3. Curb Your Enthusiasm: Not my type of humor. And I’m still getting over the certain hair that was stuck in his throat the entire episode.
4. Hannah Montana: Not very funny. And not very Christmasy Definitely skippable.
5. 30 Rock: It’s not that this episode was bad. It just wasn’t memorable. And at Christmas, that’s a problem.

Nice List:

1. Leverage: Parker’s Christmas spirit alone makes this one worth watching. Plus it snows at the end. How can you pass that up?
   
2. Full House: A great flashback to my youth while the Tanner kids were still cute. Worth revisiting.
3. Brothers and Sisters: For a series I was lukewarm about, this episode was a hysterical treat.
4. The O.C.: I had never seen this show before, but I loved the comedic moments. Great chemistry between the characters (just ignore the drama).
5. The Wonder Years: The coach as Santa? I loved seeing him in a more comedic, reactive role. Just great all around.

Honorable Mention – Bones: While a decaying Santa isn’t everyone’s choice for the holidays, this is the only one that made me teary at the end. A special kudos to you, Bones.

Overall, it was a great 25 days. Check out the slideshow below to see all the episodes I reviews, and check back next year, when I hope to do it again!

Merry Christmas!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Christmas Challenge: Leverage

LEVERAGE
The Ho Ho Ho Job

It only seems right to end this year’s Christmas Challenge with Leverage, given that tonight TNT’s airing the series finale of the show.

This Christmas episode of Leverage is one of my favorites of the series, combining the usual quips and camaraderie of the Leverage, Inc. team and an evil villain (recurring character Chaos, aka Wil Wheaton). But add in the Christmas spirit — donned and celebrated by Parker — and you’ve got a great Christmas episode. After all, who doesn’t want the angry Eliot dressed as Santa, grumbling under his itchy beard?

We go into every episode of Leverage, knowing that we’ll be getting a con, but with this episode, we get a con, a play, and another con. It’s a great combination. And with the jokes and asides along the way — my favorite is Chaos imitating Eliot, “They haven’t been gone long. Their cocoa’s still warm…ya’ll. Dammit, Hardison!” — and even the good natured spirit with a final snow scene and Eliot handing over a Rubbery Robby to the kid he’s tortured through the episode, it just makes for a well-rounded, smart episode.

Really, I just enjoy it. I’ll miss this show, and perhaps my heart was just a little sentimental and attached to the ending series when I watched it, which filled me with that much more warmth for the episode, but I think if you watched it, you’d enjoy it, too.

Recommendation: Watch it. And watch the finale tonight, too. This Christmas, let’s give this show a great sendoff.

Christmas Challenge: Curb Your Enthusiasm

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
Mary, Joseph, and Larry

Boy, did this make my head hurt. I mean, if I didn’t like Seinfeld, did you think I’d like Curb? Sheesh. This was… Sheesh…

So you can probably tell this is not my kind of show. Starting with Larry in the doctor’s office due to a pubic hair caught in his throat — ew. That’s certainly not very Christmas-y in my book. And every time I heard him try to clear his throat, it just reminded me why. Gross.

Fortunately, it was Joseph (of Nativity fame) who finally got it out. Ok, so the fight wasn’t all that humorous, but I actually did enjoy Larry’s interaction with Joseph. Something about Joseph’s straightforward, earnest tone just made it funny. Unfortunately, that’s about it.

Well, that and Larry explaining why he shouldn’t have a Christmas tree. I did like that, too.

But tipping the help was just eh. And his eating the Nativity cookies was just silly. And I could care less about his friend’s relationship with his wife. Or the U2 concert (that one especially felt reminiscent of Seinfeld — not surprising, given that this is Larry David’s show).

Recommendation: Not my kind of show. They lost me at “pubic hair.”

The Return of the Christmas Challenge!

It’s December 1. ABC Family may be starting their 25 Days of Christmas today (despite their playing Christmas movies for the last few weeks — but I digress), but I know what you all are waiting for…

THE RAKED CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE!

It’s the second annual Christmas Challenge, which means I’m on day one of watching 25 holiday-themed episodes this year, reviewing one each day. Thank you to all of you who provided suggestions (and you’re welcome to leave more). They’re certainly helpful.

This year’s going to be a tough one. I haven’t done nearly enough prep work. There are disks to track down, online viewing to secure, and a list of shows to decide on. And, of course, rules. Yes, there are a few rules, so here goes:

• The show can’t be from the current airing season of a show. That means, if HIMYM decides to toss in a Christmas episode this year, it doesn’t count. I’ll be reviewing it anyway, and the point is that I watch more TV and revisit the past.
• It can be from a currently airing show. This means that previous seasons of shows like Parks and Rec, The Office, and even HIMYM count. They just have to be past seasons. Of course, shows that are no longer on the air are encouraged.
• It cannot be one of the ones I reviewed last year. Now, this one’s a toughie because I chose some of my favorite episodes last year. They’re ones I love to watch year after year. And they don’t count? Ouch. No Studio 60 or claymation Community for me. (But you, I’ll watch them anyway…I just won’t tell you about it…and it won’t be part of the challenge.)
• One show, one review, each day. Wish me luck on this one. It may be the hardest of all!

Alright, here goes. The Christmas Challenge starts today! Happy holidays!

Vampire Diaries: Memorial

VAMPIRE DIARIES: 4.02 “Memorial”

I wanted to write about tonight’s episode of Vampire Diaries while I’m still reacting. And by “still reacting,” I mean that I very well could burst into tears just thinking about the end of the episode again. It was hard enough for me to stop in the first place.

What a fantastic episode. I mean, really fantastic. And it wasn’t one I was looking forward to. Perhaps it’s because I’ve seen so many people transition, whether on this show or other vampire series (including things like, ugggggh, Twilight), but I just thought that seeing Elena’s struggle would be boring. It doesn’t help matters that she’d be going through this with Mr. Boring himself, Stefan Salvatore.

But it was actually the opposite. While I’d never really recommend adding vomit to spice up a series, Elena’s struggle to keep down blood that wasn’t from the vein was a great move on the writers’ part to keep our attention. Clearly, it’s not going to be so easy for Elena (I doubt she’s 100% ready for vampire-dom after this episode, no matter what strides she took), and I was really enjoying watching it. Of course, seeing her rely on Damon — myself being a Damon/Elena shipper — certainly didn’t hurt.

Meanwhile, we had a new vampire hunter in town. Though many people were wondering (much like a certain commenter on this site) whether Damon had a hand in the reverend’s death, we did ultimately find out that it was part of a master plan. The vampire hunter, Connor, though… What’s his story? Other than violently (and openly) wanting all vampires dead, no matter what he needs to do to assure it (including murder in a crowded room), we don’t really know where he came from or how he found out about Mystic Falls. All we know is that he’s rather ruthless and lethal. We’re just lucky that Tyler can’t be killed in traditional ways.

Plus, it’s clear that there’s more to him that meets the eye — literally. Jeremy was able to see hidden ink on Connor, something no one else can. What is he a part of?

But all that action and mystery isn’t what we were left with at the end of the episode. It was the grief. The grief that we’ve held onto for years at this point that, as Elena pointed out, we never got to release. As they named name after name after name, it was shocking to really think of all those characters that TVD lost (or killed off) in recent years.

And while those lanterns were lovely, it wasn’t what made the tears start flowing. Damon’s speech at Alaric’s grave really hit home. His one close friend and confidante — the one that he was unable to kill when he needed to last year — is gone, and Damon’s left to pick up the pieces. To make matters worse, we had Alaric sitting there, listening to every word, knowing that Damon wasn’t really angry. He was just hurt. And he missed his friend.

It was a touching moment and a wonderful one for Vampire Diaries. I’ll tell you what: I’ve complained about some things about TVD in the past, but the big, poignant moments, they know how to do right.