While two of my favorite shows (Castle and New Girl) were still on depressingly long hiatuses this week, my week in television was still an emotional roller coaster. I watched Sean make his final choice (and I believe the right choice) on The Bachelor, and of course I got a little choked up watching the proposal. (Yes, I am a ridiculous romantic at heart. Judge away.) Once Upon a Timekilled off a major character and added a dark new layer to my favorite character, in addition to making me cry multiple times. (Thanks a lot for that, Robert Carlyle.)
But the single greatest moment on TV this week came from Parks and Rec. Nothing I saw this week made me smile more than April, Ann, and Donna breaking into a pitch-perfect “Time After Time” sing-along. It was a big moment for April’s character and her relationship with Ann, but, more than anything, it was just a lot of fun. Parks and Rec can make me happy like nothing else on TV, and this was one of those moments where I was reminded of that in a truly creative way.
Sadly, there’s no video of this scene on YouTube anymore, but thank God once again for Tumblr. Enjoy!
Two-Sentence Summary Leslie’s attempts to get the Pawnee government to help a struggling “cultural institution” (aka video rental store) bring her into conflict with Ron and his staunchly anti-bailout views. Meanwhile, Ann and Chris both look for ways to cope with his impending decision about being her sperm donor—with Ann choosing to blackmail April into a week of friendship and Chris testing his parenting skills with Tom.
Favorite Line “I’m sorry, guys. No one ever lets me talk this long, I just got lost.” (Jerry)
My Thoughts While this wasn’t my favorite episode, it did contain at least one (possibly two) moments that would be sure to make my list of All-Time Favorite Things to Ever Happen on Parks and Rec. (Maybe I should actually write that list down sometime…Possible summer hiatus project?) I didn’t care as much about the Leslie/Ron A-plot as I wanted to, but I was okay with that because the secondary plots were so strong.
While I loved Jason Schwartzman cinema-snob video store owner (I almost cried laughing at his reaction to having Michael Bay movies in his store), something about that whole plot fell a little flat to me. I usually like episodes that feature Ron and Leslie butting heads over conflicting ideologies (“Pawnee Rangers” did this the best, in my opinion), but for some reason I just didn’t care about the political satire in this episode. Maybe it’s because it didn’t really move either character forward at the episode’s end. However, I understand that not every episode can be a huge episode for every character, so I’ll take the little gems that this plot provided and enjoy them.
And there were plenty of little gems in this A-plot: Andy’s story about the hornet’s nest, Leslie’s love for Finding Nemo (excellent taste, Ms. Knope), Brandi Maxxxx’s existence in general and her adorably awkward one-sided friendship with Leslie, Ron ordering a party platter of meat for only himself, and Perd Hapley’s 1.5 star review of E.T.
I think some of my disinterest with the bailout story was because I wanted more of April and Ann’s story. In the same way that I said I would have watched a whole movie featuring the rotating bachelor party shenanigans from “Two Parties,” I would gladly sit through hours of watching Ann and April dance around on the edges of friendship. I am absolutely loving the way Ann is being written right now. Rashida Jones plays enthusiastic awkwardness so well, and I’m so happy the writers seem to be running with that this season. I laughed way too hard at all of the clichéd “BFF!” things she was making April do—from their matching braids to making White Russians in their pajamas. But what I liked most about all of those over-the-top actions was that they came from a genuine place of desperation to take her mind off of Chris’s lack of a decision about donating his sperm. And when she finally revealed that to April, we got what is probably one of the highlights of the entire season.
Two-Sentence Summary As Cora plots to stab the dying Rumplestiltskin and become the Dark One herself, we uncover the twisted history between them during flashbacks to Cora’s life as the miller’s daughter who was taught dark magic by Rumplestiltskin before betraying him, ripping out her own heart to allow herself to do so. That heart becomes the means by which Cora ultimately meets her demise at Snow’s hand.
Favorite Line “You are a hero who helped your people. You are a beautiful woman who loved an ugly man—really, really, loved me. You find goodness in others, and when it’s not there, you create it. You make me want to go back—back to the best version of me… And that’s never happened before. So when you look in the mirror, and you don’t know who you are—that’s who you are. Thank you.” (Rumplestiltskin, to Belle)
My Thoughts Ever since I started watching Once Upon a Time, I’ve loved it for two reasons: its unashamed optimism in an age of television cynicism and its ability to create a world in which fairytales are no longer black-and-white but much more morally complex. It wasn’t until this episode that I realized having morally complex characters means that their actions won’t always inspire optimism. If I love Once Upon a Time because the villains aren’t 100% evil, then I also have to accept that the heroes aren’t always going to be 100% good—not even my favorite hero of them all.
“The Miller’s Daughter” was all about the choices we make and the reasons we make them—and what that ultimately says about who we are. No one in this episode was pure good or pure evil, and that’s how I like my Once Upon a Time. This episode was one of the richest, most well-written episodes the show has ever had, which should surprise no one after learning that Jane Espenson wrote it. This woman has a talent for character development and adding layers to the Once Upon a Time mythology that I’ve yet to see matched by any other writer for this show.
This was a relatively slow week in the world of TV for me. Most of my shows were on hiatus, although Once Upon a Time was new and incredibly well-acted and well-paced. However, “The Queen Is Dead” was just too sad for me to think of it as the best thing I saw on TV this week. It was beautifully executed, but it was such a heavy hour of television.
With that in mind, I chose something lighter and more fun for this week’s pick for TV’s best moment of the week. Last night, Justin Timberlake came back to host his fifth episode of Saturday Night Live, and it was as enjoyable as I’d hoped it would be. I was always more of a Backstreet Boys fan growing up, but ever since Timberlake began his solo career, I’ve become a major JT fangirl. Apparently I’m just a sucker for a good song-and-dance man (with the emphasis on dance).
Timberlake’s performances of “Suit and Tie” and “Mirrors” on SNL showed off his characteristic style of performing—making doing it all look almost ridiculously easy.
As I attempt to get through a hectic (to say the least) workweek, the lovely Leah has volunteered to share her talents with us once again as this week’s Once Upon a Time reviewer!
Hi, everyone! Once again I am back to talk with you all about Once Upon A Time, and this week was crazy as usual. So let’s get started!
Title The Queen Is Dead
What Happened? In New York, bonding time for Emma, Henry, Neal, and Mr. Gold is interrupted by Hook, who stabs Gold with his recently reacquired and poisoned hook and forces them to figure out a plan to get Gold back to Storybrooke before he dies from the magical poison. In Storybrooke, Snow White deals with the simultaneous anniversary of her mother’s death and her own birthday, and she and Charming discover Cora and Regina’s plans to cause havoc and control the town. In the flashbacks to Fairytale Land, we see the circumstances that surround the death of Snow’s mother.
Favorite Lines Charming: And we keep beating them. Snow: At what cost? All I want is our happy ending.
My Thoughts To be completely honest, this episode mostly left me sad. There was not a lot of humor, and as you can see by my favorite lines there were not many snappy one-liners to break up the dramatic tension, as the whole episode was mostly drama-filled. While I immensely admire and enjoy the way that the Once Upon a Time writers are able to tie everyone’s backstory together so well and create all these connections that have great continuity with the series as a whole, this episode left me feeling depressed. Which, to be fair, was probably the point, as it has to spark the catalyst for Snow White’s next story arc as well as truly set up the big clash of good and evil that is likely on its way.
First, let’s talk about Regina and Cora. The end of this episode left me wanting very badly for them to just disappear and leave Storybrooke alone, because they apparently only create despair for my favorite characters. I do, however, find them to be interesting and complex characters even though I hate them at the moment. (Bravo, Once writers; this is how you write good villains.)
This week was a fantastic end to what has been a great February sweeps period for all of the TV shows I regularly watch. Nick and Schmidt celebrated their 10th anniversary as roommates. Once Upon a Time ripped my heart out tonight with its Snow White storyline. Even the repeats shown this week were worthy of consideration for the best things on TV: Parks and Recreation offered a second showing of “Halloween Surprise” (and yes, the proposal did make me cry once again), and Saturday night gave up a second look at Once Upon a Time‘s excellent “Manhattan.”
The best of the best, though, came from Castle. “Hunt” was a suspenseful, dramatic, perfectly-acted hour of television. Combined with last week’s “Target,” this arc gave us Nathan Fillion’s strongest performances to date. His gift for subtle, real emotion was never more evident than in his scenes with his father, brought to life by the equally wonderful James Brolin. The two actors gave their scenes a depth and gravitas that lesser actors could never have found in such a common “long-lost father” storyline.
From Casino Royale to one of the most well-placed “Always” lines in the series, the scenes between Fillion and Brolin were the most affecting, layered, and all-around-best moments I saw on television this week.
What was the best thing you saw on TV this week? And what are you looking forward to most in the coming week in the world of television?
Two-Sentence Summary Nick and Schmidt celebrate their 10th anniversary as roommates with an elaborate party that goes anything but according to plan when Shivrang uses to occasion to propose to Cece. Jess tries to push her feeling for Nick away by dating a professional football player who’s open with his feelings…but he might be a little too open.
Favorite Lines Schmidt: It’s just really disappointing when things don’t work out the way you thought they would, you know? Nick: I do.
Episode M.V.P. Schmidt and Nick. This was an episode about their friendship, and it resonated so strongly because both Jake Johnson and Max Greenfield were so good at balancing the comedy and the drama of this episode. I love any flashbacks to college Nick and Schmidt, and the end of this episode featured what might be my favorite flashback yet. Johnson and Greenfield have great comedic chemistry; they banter with a speed and ease that’s not usually seen between two male characters. I loved both of their moments of sheer ridiculousness in this episode (especially with the porta potty), but what I loved most were their quieter, more emotional moments. Both actors really sold their respective heartbreaks, making them “Equals!” again, but not in the kind of way either of them would want. Greenfield was especially devastating in the seconds after Cece accepted Shivrang’s proposal. Their scenes alone after the proposal were the strongest in this episode in terms of their depth. I genuinely believe their friendship; it’s flawed and dysfunctional, but it’s real and full of a kind of love that’s not flowery or overly sentimental but is strong enough to last for 10 years.
Favorite Moment: I know New Girl is a comedy, but I think the dramatic talents of these actors should be recognized. My favorite moment this week was less of a singular moment and more of a pattern throughout the episode of broad comedy being balanced with heartfelt emotional beats. That has become one of New Girl‘s calling cards—its ability to make you laugh and then stop you in your tracks with a moment of genuine emotion. In this episode, I was especially struck by Greenfield’s delivery of Schmidt’s line about things not going according to plan. Gone was the overly confident mask and instead we see him show Nick the vulnerable, broken side of himself. I was also floored by Johnson’s face when Jess tells Nick that she likes men who are open about their feelings. You can feel the whole mood of the scene shift with one heartbroken look.
A New Girl GIF* For My New Girl Feelings
I thought this was supposed to be a fun, fluffy sitcom! How dare it suddenly make me have so many feelings! I just want the couples I root for to be happy, but I do love the storytelling and acting this angst is bringing out of the cast. While this was probably my least favorite episode since before “Cooler,” it was still a surprisingly emotional examination of most of the central relationships on this show, especially one that always deserves more screen time: Schmidt and Nick.
*I have no talent for GIF-making. Thankfully, I am highly skilled at searching Tumblr for the best GIFs. I take no credit for this beauty.
Two-Sentence Summary With Castle in Paris after going rogue in his quest to get Alexis back from her kidnappers, Beckett and the team back in New York City make the chilling discovery that Alexis was deliberately targeted by her kidnapper. As pieces to a puzzle long left unfinished are revealed, it’s discovered that Alexis was kidnapped as bait to lure an elusive intelligence asset—her grandfather (aka Castle’s dad).
Favorite Line
“I just want you to know, son, I’ve always been proud of you. Always.” (Jackson Hunt)
My Thoughts It’s official: Castle has grown up. Who would have thought five seasons ago that the show which began as a quirky take on the procedural genre would be capable of producing something as intense, complex, and riveting as these last two episodes have been? I’m not ashamed to say I never saw it coming. I’ve always loved Castle’s more dramatic efforts, but “Target” and “Hunt” surpassed even my high expectations for what this show is capable of. I think it’s safe to say I have a new favorite two-parter.
“Hunt” took all the best things about “Target” and added another powerful ingredient to the mix with the introduction of Castle’s father. This was the first episode to separate Castle and Beckett for nearly the entire thing and have me walk away impressed, which is a testament to both Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic’s great standalone performances as well as the impressive work done by the supporting cast, especially James Brolin and Molly Quinn.
The episode began with another quietly powerful moment between Castle and Beckett, building on the shift in their dynamic that we saw last week. Once again, it’s Beckett’s turn to bring Castle a cup of coffee as well as the reassurance and stability that comes along with it. The whole scene was a beautiful parallel to the moment Castle held her hand in the precinct in last season’s finale. This time, it’s Beckett’s job to remind Castle that he’s not alone. She’s not giving up on this case, on Alexis, on him. Because she loves him. It wasn’t the time for her to make that big confession, but it’s been there in all of the little things she’s done for Castle in the last two episodes.
I was especially happy to see Castle accept Beckett’s hand and hold it. To be honest, it wouldn’t have bothered me if he didn’t; the man has a lot on his mind that he has to face down on his own. But he held onto her hand; he let himself lean on her if only for a brief moment. This episode was Castle’s time to make a stand for Alexis, the person he loves more than anything on Earth—even more than Beckett. And this moment was Beckett’s way of showing that she’ll stand with him for as long as it takes. He’s done that so many times for her. It’s her turn now.
Throughout both of these episodes, I loved watching Beckett work to stay strong for Castle and help him in the only way she really could—by being a good cop. But we were able to see the strain it put on her in this episode. Katic made Beckett’s helplessness tangible. The scene between Beckett and Esposito in the precinct was heartbreaking because you could tell she was so torn between wanting to be with Castle and wanting to stay in the precinct for as long as it took to get Alexis safely home.
The relationship between Beckett and Esposito is one of my favorites on the show. From early on, he’s been her voice of reason, her guiding light when she’s searching for answers or the right path to follow. Esposito has always helped her see who she really is and what she really wants. I have such a soft spot for moments when he nudges her towards the man she loves, so I thought it was a great touch to include the scene between them where he basically tells her it’s okay to leave the case behind for the night to comfort the man she loves (him calling her “Kate” for the first time was a beautiful little detail to show how serious and personal the situation is for all of them).
From the moment Beckett and Martha discover that Castle is in Paris (I’m just going to try to forget how bad the backdrop of Paris was in that shot of him on the phone with them), the plot starts running and never looks back. There were so many twists, turns, and betrayals that it left me breathless. “Hunt” was a spy-family thriller in the same vein as the greatest spy-family thriller of them all, Alias.
This was a phenomenal week in the world of television. February sweeps has been beyond good to me as a viewer. From Nathan Fillion’s heartbreaking performance in the first part of this season’s Castle two-parter to a very meaningful interaction involving fish sticks and a no-nail oath on New Girl, this was a week filled with amazing acting, shocking plot twists, hilarious comedy, and heartwarming moments.
But there’s nothing better than a wedding, and, this week, Parks and Recreation gave us the most perfect television wedding imaginable. This was the feel-good episode to beat all feel-good episodes, and it’s one that I know I won’t be deleting from my DVR until I get Season 5 on DVD.
“I love you and I like you.” It’s the perfect way to describe Ben and Leslie’s beautiful, inspiring relationship. And it’s the perfect way to describe how I feel about Parks and Rec.
Two-Sentence Summary In “Leslie and Ben,” the title characters get married after an evening that doesn’t exactly go according to plan. “Correspondents’ Lunch” features Ben and Leslie returning to work, with Ben beginning a new job as the head of a Sweetums-run charity and Leslie dealing with the fallout from her email being hacked by journalists.
Favorite Lines Ben and Leslie: “In my time working for the state government, my job sent me to 46 cities in 11 years. I lived in villages with 8 people, farming communities, college towns…I was sent to every corner of Indiana. And then I came here and I realized that this whole time I was just wandering around everywhere…just looking for you.” (Ben’s vows to Leslie)
Correspondents’ Lunch: “I wish this office only had walls.” (Ron)
My Thoughts
I’m still having trouble formulating coherent thoughts about this week’s Parks and Rec event. I watched “Leslie and Ben” six times in 36 hours (a new personal record for TV episodes), and I still cry just as hard every time. I honestly believe that was a perfect 30 minutes of television—it made me laugh, it made me cry, and, more than anything, it made me feel good. If Parks and Rec would have ended forever after that episode like it was originally believed, I would have been devastated but ultimately satisfied; it was that good.
But thank the television gods it didn’t end, and “Correspondents’ Lunch” proved that there are still moments of laughter, kindness, and character development to be found even after such a brilliant high point like “Leslie and Ben.” While the episode wasn’t as good as the one that came before it, it still held is own. It featured Amy Poehler doing impressions, Retta being flawless, and a hopeful turn of events for Andy as a character—of course it was good. I may still not be crazy about the seemingly random “Ann’s baby-daddy search” storyline, but I have been missing her sharing scenes with Chris. So I liked their interactions in this episode. It was an episode worthy of its place, sharing a night with what I now think is one of the best sitcom episodes—and the best wedding episode—of all time.
There were a million little things to love about “Leslie and Ben”—the callbacks to previous episodes, the joyful feeling that permeated the whole thing (but was kept from being too saccharine by Councilman Jamm’s antics), the acting by each member of this incredible ensemble, RON F—–G SWANSON…I could write a recap to rival Leslie’s first draft of her vows in its length if I wanted to list everything that made me happy about this episode.
Ultimately, the thing I loved most about “Leslie and Ben” was that it was an episode about love—the love between a man and a woman and between the two of them and the friends who have become their family. And it was about the love between a show and the audience that has come to adore it over five beautiful seasons.
I’ve said it so many times, but it bears repeating: There is nothing that makes me happier than watching an episode of Parks and Rec where the characters join together to help one of their own. So it should go without saying that I was incredibly moved by the fact that every character had their place in this wedding; even Jerry played a part and played it well. As Leslie is so fond of saying, “No one achieves anything alone.” That’s such an important theme when it comes to this show, and it came to its most beautiful realization here.
Another important theme that makes Parks and Rec such a groundbreaking show is feminists can love and be loved, too—without ever having to sacrifice their feminist streaks. This wedding was so incredible to me because it was a celebration of the fact that strong, independent, ambitious Leslie Knope never had to give up any of those traits in order to find her perfect man. Instead, she found a man who finds the very idea of her submitting to him in any way—including taking his last name—so ridiculous that he jokes about it. She found a man who believes his entire career with the state government was just wandering in the wilderness until he met her. She found a man who sacrificed so much in order for her to achieve her dreams and did it for no other reason than the fact that he loves her more than he’s ever loved any job. And Leslie doesn’t just take advantage of Ben’s support; she does the same for him.
For all of us romantic feminists out there, Leslie and Ben are a sign of hope that it can happen—there are men out there waiting to help us, support us, surprise us, and make us happy.
Instead of continuing to wax poetic about every minute detail that I loved about “Leslie and Ben,” I’m just going to make a list of my favorite things:
Nerdy Girl Notes 