Category Archives: Television

The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (2/3 – 2/10)

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In the spirit of starting new things around here, I was inspired by Heather’s fantastic “Episode of the Week” posts over at TVexamined to write a little something each week about my favorite thing I saw on television. Sometimes it’ll be serious; sometimes it’ll be silly. Sometimes it’ll be a huge moment; sometimes it’ll be a little detail. Television has the power to make us really happy, and I want to take a minute each week to single out something that brought me joy.

This week, New Girl introduced us to the “panic moonwalk,” and we’ll never escape awkward situations the same way again:

 

 

So tell me, what was the best thing you saw on TV this week?

TV Time: Parks and Recreation 5.12

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This week, the beautiful tropical fish Heather takes the reins and shares her thoughts on Parks and Rec! 

Title Ann’s Decision

Two-Sentence Summary When Ann decides she wants to be a mother and is willing to do it on her own, Leslie steps in to keep Ann from making a rash decision. Elsewhere in Pawnee, Ben picks a caterer for his and Leslie’s wedding and April channels her inner Leslie Knope at a public forum.

Favorite Line “Tragically, we are both heterosexual.” (Leslie, about her friendship with Ann)

My Thoughts The main focus of this week’s episode was on Ann’s decision to have a baby with herself and Leslie’s reaction to her decision. Leslie felt Ann was rushing into the decision, especially considering the quality of guys from whom she was considering getting sperm. If there is one thing that is undeniable about Parks and Rec, it is how much Leslie loves Ann and wants her to live a beautiful, happy life, and so Leslie makes it her mission to stop Ann from going through with what she sees as a big mistake.

Without the final scene between Leslie and Ann, I would have been disappointed by Leslie’s actions. I never doubted that Leslie wanted the best thing for Ann, I was just sad that she thought she should make that decision rather than Ann. I recognize that Leslie is always going to think her way is the best and often will go to ridiculous lengths to prove that, but I also know she is also capable of recognizing when she’s gone too far, especially when she’s hurt someone she loves, which is why I was grateful for that final scene. I’m glad Leslie was both willing to admit that the way she went about things was wrong and openly tell Ann that she should take a little more time with this. To me, that is what makes their friendship the best one on television. Ann recognized that Leslie had her best interests at heart, and Leslie recognized that it was okay if her friend chose something in life other than what she would have chosen. At the end of the day, they will always love and accept the other for who they are, and that’s what a good friendship is all about.

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TV Time: New Girl 2.16

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Because I’m apparently looking for more to do, I’m now adding New Girl to my weekly reviewing/recapping rotation. This will take a little different format from my usual TV posts, but I love the show so much that I can’t keep my feelings to myself anymore.

Title: Table 34

Two-Sentence Summary: Nick and Jess deal with the fallout from their kiss by trying to pretend it didn’t matter to either of them, but it matters to Sam enough for him to dump Jess. Meanwhile, Schmidt attempts to win Cece back at an Indian matchmaking convention.

Favorite Line: “You look like the fortune teller in Big.” (Winston, about Schmidt’s outfit for the matchmaking convention)

Episode M.V.P.: Schmidt. He was hilarious (“I will Calcutta bitch!”) but also genuinely sweet, which is my favorite way to see Schmidt. Max Greenfield is at his best when he’s able to show the soft heart underneath Schmidt’s false bravado, and he got to do that to great effect with his beautiful (but also perfectly awkward) speech about Cece. It didn’t surprise me at all that she left the Indian dating convention with the Jew in the turban. I would have done the same thing.

Favorite Moment: Though I will never get tired of Nick panic moonwalking, awkwardly dancing to Taylor Swift, or looking hotter than ever before going in to almost kiss hug Jess, my favorite moment had to be when Nick and Jess put together their indestructible table. That scene allowed Zooey Deschanel and Jake Johnson to play off each other so wonderfully, their banter crackling with sparks we’ve never seen this intensely before. And if you didn’t laugh while watching Nick attempt to break the table, then your sense of humor is broken. But the thing I enjoyed most about this scene was the surprisingly symbolic nature of it. Jess said to Cece that the reason she’d choose Sam over Nick is because Nick breaks things. But then we get to see him build something with Jess that even he can’t destroy. Nick often tries to break things he built—he sabotages his own happiness— but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t break what he built with Jess. As I said so eloquently (or not so eloquently) today on Tumblr: “New Girl just got deep y’all.”

A New Girl GIF* for my New Girl Feelings: 

dancing new girl nick

“Table 34” was the perfect followup to last week’s stellar “Cooler.” It was realistically awkward, it was hilarious, it was heartfelt, and it was fun. In short, this episode made me want to do my own happy dance (hopefully one that looks better than this).

*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. 

TV Time: Castle 5.13

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Title Recoil

Two-Sentence Summary When the death of a young woman points to Senator Bracken, the man behind the murder of Beckett’s mother, Beckett sees her chance to finally put him behind bars. However, circumstances change dramatically when the murder investigation leads to a planned attempt on Bracken’s life, forcing Beckett to act as his protector.

Favorite Line “I wouldn’t have done it. You know…what she did. I would have stood and watched.” (Castle)

My Thoughts This was the best Castle episode in quite some time. I have loved every episode in the “Johanna Beckett Arc” since we first learned about Beckett’s mother back in Season 1, and this was no exception. There’s something about the raised stakes that come with these episodes that seem to bring out the best in the actors, magnifying what’s good about the show while leaving you so captivated by the plot that you forget about the show’s flaws.

I know some might vehemently disagree with this statement, but I like dramatic Castle episodes on the whole more than the comedic ones. That’s one thing this season has shown me over and over again. Don’t get me wrong; I love when Castle is fun—especially when it’s nerdy fun. But I can’t help but feel that the filler episodes we’re sometimes stuck with seem even worse when viewed alongside any of the fantastic dramatic episodes this show has given viewers over the years. When so much character development can happen within the course of one hour, it’s hard to watch a few weeks’ worth of episodes where relatively little momentum happens.

Let’s get back to “Recoil,” shall we? I loved the moral dilemma presented in this episode and the way it asked not only the characters but everyone watching what they would do in Beckett’s situation. What’s more important: Vengeance for yourself and your loved ones or justice for strangers? It’s not an easy question, and there is no easy answer. And the fact that Kate Beckett realized there was no easy answer for her showed just how far she’s come.

When it came to her mother’s case, Beckett used to be blind to anything except her own need to find closure through revenge. In this episode, we finally see her with clear eyes—but human eyes. I loved the fact that Beckett hid the letter but then came clean to Castle about it. I also loved the fact that she didn’t shoot the suspect but ultimately saved Bracken’s life. I often joke that Kate Beckett is my favorite superhero, but that’s not because she’s superhuman. In fact, I admire her all the more for being human—for having moments of weakness that she must fight through, for facing temptation and struggling with it. The reality of Beckett’s internal, moral struggle makes her strength all the more inspiring.

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TV Time: Parks and Recreation 5.11

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Title Women in Garbage

Two-Sentence Summary Leslie and April attempt to tackle the rampant sexism in the Pawnee government, beginning with the sanitation department. Meanwhile, Tom attempts to learn how to play basketball in order to appeal to his Rent-A-Swag demographic, and Ron attempts to watch Diane’s daughters.

Favorite Line “I LOVE NOTHING!” (Ron)

My Thoughts Although this wasn’t a groundbreaking or standout episode of Parks and Rec, it was still plenty of fun. Leslie’s impassioned feminist side is always something I’m happy to see explored, and it created some great moments of satire in this episode. I’m also always happy to see Ron grow and develop as a character, which he did in a big way. However, these two great storylines made the Tom/Andy/Ben basketball plot feel a little thin. There just wasn’t enough time for it to develop into something as hilarious as it could have been. But, to quote the great Meat Loaf, “Two outta three ain’t bad.”

The way this episode directly tackled sexism in politics was a real treat for a feminist like myself. I loved the parallels between Leslie’s struggles and those of Hillary Clinton as well as the infamous all-male panel debating reproductive rights and Mitt Romney’s “binders full of women.” The writers dealt with these very real issues in a funny but pointed manner. I laughed, but at the same time, I hoped that people were paying attention. It may have been satire, but it’s not too far from the truth.

There were some fantastic details in this storyline: The male councilmen keeping track of Leslie’s menstrual cycle, the man who mistook Chris for a woman because of his beautiful face, April’s very in-character love for garbage, Leslie attempting to sneak up on the refrigerator, and Leslie posing for Google Earth pictures were some of my personal favorites.

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Something Like That (aka The One with All My New Girl Feelings)

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So this happened last night.

And it was amazing.

I don’t talk about New Girl enough around these parts. It’s charming, relatable, and more laugh-out-loud hilarious than almost any other show on TV right now.

And it just had its finest hour last night.

What I love most about New Girl is that it’s about imperfect young people messing up, making mistakes, and having fun despite—and sometimes even because of—it. It’s a show that feels honest, genuine, and real. It’s a show about people whose hearts are in the right place even if things get messy along the way. And it’s a show that succeeds because of two very important and rare things in the world of TV: chemistry and perfect timing.

“Cooler” was a shining example of all of those things. From beginning to end, it was brimming with the quirky comedy and unexpected soul that makes New Girl a must-see for me every Tuesday night.

If I were grading this episode, it would be an A+, and not just because of the kiss. “Cooler” was New Girl‘s best episode for many other reasons, too:

  • Nick wearing a woman’s trench coat and loving every second of it
  • Winston finally getting a good side plot (featuring London Tipton!)
  • Schmidt using the word “discotheque”
  • A subtle but heartfelt hint that Schmidt and Cece are far from over
  • THE RETURN OF TRUE AMERICAN (“Clinton Rules: Pick your intern!”)
  • The fantastic editing that cut from Sam entering the loft to him cheering “Kiss! Kiss!” to Nick and Jess
  • Nick being perfectly awkward when trying to kiss Jess behind the “Iron Curtain” (his counting down and “Joker” smile were my particular favorites)
  • Have I mentioned the return of True American? (Now with Abu Nazir references!)
  • “Not like this.” (Aka the three little words that actually took my breath away)
  • Schmidt fainting when Nick climbed out the window
  • I’m not sure I said this yet…TRUE AMERICAN WAS BACK. (Cue your best Howard Dean scream!)
  • Jake Johnson’s heartbreaking face as he watched Jess and Sam go off to bed
  • Jake Johnson’s face in general (especially when looking at Zooey Deschanel)

And of course there was the kiss. As with any big moment in real life, timing is everything, and this kiss had perfect timing. It fit perfectly into the plot while still coming as a total shock. It was the right moment for these characters and their story, but it wasn’t overly telegraphed. Nick was right, their first kiss shouldn’t have been part of a game, forced under the thumb of drunken peer pressure. No, it needed to be something like that…a genuine moment of passion, of Nick summoning up the last of his “Trenchcoat Nick Guts” to show Jess everything he feels for her—the heat, the desperation, the tenderness, and the sadness, too. It needed to be real—and that’s exactly how it felt to anyone watching it.

I’m not sure if this post has a point or a purpose, if only to say that I just saw one of the best TV kisses I’ve ever witnessed last night, and I needed a place to talk about it. This is one of those rare TV-induced feelings that I want to live in for as long as possible, so indulge me.

2013 SAG Awards Favorites

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Last night, the SAG Awards provided some genuine laughs, some fabulous fashion, and some big surprises. In the spirit of the feel-good nature that accompanies this annual celebration of actors honoring their own, I wanted to share a few of my personal favorite things about the ceremony—from the dresses to the speeches.

Favorite Photo: Alias Reunion!

TNT/TBS Broadcasts The 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards - Show

My inner teenage Alias fangirl has been waiting for a photo of Jennifer Garner, Victor Garber, and Bradley Cooper since the 2013 award season began, and last night we finally got one (also featuring Garber’s very handsome partner Rainer Andreesen)! What a beautiful and talented cast that was.

Favorite Couple: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner

Source: Access Hollywood

Source: Access Hollywood

If this award season has taught me anything so far, it’s that no married couple in Hollywood seems more normal and adorable than Ben and Jen.

Favorite Hair and Makeup: Anne Hathaway

Source: Pichaus

Source: Pichaus

I wasn’t a huge fan of her see-through dress, but I thought Hathaway’s hair and makeup were absolutely stunning. She looked soft, elegant, and the very picture of Hollywood glamour.

Favorite Fashion Comeback: Jessica Chastain

Source: NY Daily News

Source: NY Daily News

After a big miss at the Golden Globes, Chastian hit a grand slam with this stunning Alexander McQueen gown. It was bold but classic, and just daring enough considering that old (and clearly incorrect) “redheads can’t wear red” adage.

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Nerdy Girl Predicts: The 2013 Screen Actors Guild Awards

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Tonight marks another important stop on the road to the 2013 Oscars: the SAG awards. This is one of my favorite award shows of the year because I love actors; I love acting. Everyone has their criteria for judging the merits of a film: Some make cinematography or direction their first priority; others care most about the merits of the script. For me, I’m always drawn to performances. The actors—the way their voices break, the way their eyes light up or go dark, the way they are able to create chemistry just by standing next to each other—are the ones who draw me into a film and make me care about it. So naturally, I love the award show that is all about my favorite aspect of moviemaking.

Just like I did for the Golden Globes, I’ll be live tweeting the red carpet and the ceremony starting at 6 p.m. on the NGN Twitter. And I’ll have a recap of the ceremony along with my best and worst dressed stars tomorrow.

Now it’s time to make some picks for tonight’s winners. (Hopefully I’ll be a little bit more accurate than I was for the Golden Globes.)

FILM

Male Actor, Lead
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln
John Hawkes, The Sessions
Hugh Jackman, Les Misérables
Denzel Washington, Flight

My Pick: Daniel Day-Lewis. DDL’s triumphant march to Oscar glory will continue tonight. There’s almost no doubt about that.

Male Actor, Supporting
Alan Arkin, Argo
Javier Bardem, Skyfall
Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook
Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master
Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln

My Pick: Robert De Niro. While I think the award could definitely go to Tommy Lee Jones, I think De Niro is going to be rewarded by his peers for his nuanced, beautiful return to form as a father struggling with his son’s bipolar disorder and his own demons. His performance was heartfelt, layered, and very honest, which is something I think his fellow actors will appreciate more than any other voting body.

Female Actor, Lead
Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty
Marion Cotillard, Rust and Bone
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Helen Mirren, Hitchcock
Naomi Watts, The Impossible

My Pick: Jennifer Lawrence. This is the race I’m most torn about. While Jessica Chastain has huge amounts of critical acclaim and a lot of respect from her peers on her side, I just think Lawrence’s performance is too emotionally gripping to ignore. What she was able to do with the character of Tiffany—the maturity, the powerful stillness, the believable but intense range of emotions, the total vulnerability, the surprising humor—is acting at its finest. In Silver Linings Playbook, she did what great actors are supposed to do; she made me feel for this woman in a way that made me forget she was a fictional character.

Female Actor, Supporting
Sally Field, Lincoln
Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables
Helen Hunt, The Sessions
Nicole Kidman, The Paperboy
Maggie Smith, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

My Pick: Anne Hathaway. Her dedication to this role is something no one can deny, and her passion for making Fantine feel like a real woman rather than just a tragic symbol of the downtrodden gave her performance a raw edge that has become many viewers’ lasting impression of Les Mis. Hathaway—like Daniel Day-Lewis—is on her way to well-deserved Oscar glory this year, and tonight’s results will almost surely confirm that.

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TV Time: Once Upon a Time 2.12 and Castle 5.12

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After a much-needed “Treat Yo Self” day yesterday (featuring shopping, Starbucks, and a TON of inauguration coverage), I apologize for being a bit behind in my recapping duties. In order to catch up, I’m going to combine my thoughts about this week’s Once Upon a Time and Castle episodes. And remember, you can always catch my thoughts as they’re formulating on our shiny new NGN Twitter.

ONCE UPON A TIME 2.12

Title In the Name of the Brother

Two-Sentence Summary Dr. Frankenstein’s past comes back to haunt him as the residents of Storybrooke struggle with whether or not to kill the stranger whose car crash brought him into their world. Rumplestiltskin and Regina each face struggles of their own as they deal with fallout from Cora and Hook’s appearance in Storybrooke.

Favorite Line “Keep smiling buddy. You’re chained down. He’s on his feet, immortal, has magic, and you hurt his girl. If I were to pick dead guy of the year, I’d pick you.” (Emma, to Hook)

Five Fast Observations
1.) The cinematography in the flashback portions of this episode was incredible. I loved the choice to film Victor’s world in black and white because it works on multiple levels: It’s a nice homage to the original Frankenstein films, and it also reflects the fact that this seems to be a colder world, a world without the vibrancy that magic gives to Fairytale Land. That was reflected in the brilliant decision to keep Rumplestiltskin in color even in Victor’s world.

2.) I love the idea of Red and Victor forging a close friendship, if not a romance somewhere down the line. Before this episode, I had never really thought of how similar they are, but now I really like that these two “monsters” have each other to lean on. For as much as Snow loves Red, she could never fully understand her guilt and her dark side. Victor can understand that, and he also gives her an outlet for the side of her that wants to take care of someone, to be someone’s support system. Red is such a beautifully complex character, and this episode showed me that Victor is also incredibly complex. They both want to make a fresh start, and I’m definitely behind the idea of them making a fresh start together (and not just because their chemistry was already so rich in this episode).

3.) Speaking of chemistry, it doesn’t get any more fun than what’s going on between Hook and Emma right now. I love that Hook is so blatantly attracted to her, because we know that a huge reason for the attraction is the fact that Emma bested him and got under his skin with her cunning and strength. Colin O’Donoghue is so fantastic in this role; he’s so charming but so broken, and I love that he plays both facets of this character in such a real way. And I love that he brings out so many facets to Jennifer Morrison’s Emma, too. The scene between them in the hospital was flirtatious, contentious, and surprisingly warm. I love that Emma feels compelled to protect Hook even while fighting against his advances, and I’m excited to see what becomes of their relationship as the season progresses.

4.) I’m really happy that finding Bae is how Rumplestiltskin wants his debt repaid by Emma. I was fearing it would be something much worse. I’m looking forward to seeing these two characters interact through this storyline because Morrison and Robert Carlyle have always had a fantastically antagonistic kind of chemistry. Also, how amazing was it to see Charming spring to his daughter’s side as soon as Rumplestiltskin showed up asking for his favor? I loved seeing him go into “protective dad mode” because Josh Dallas plays that paternal side to the character so well, and we haven’t gotten to see much of it yet. The image of Emma being surrounded by her father and her son as she faced Rumplestiltskin made me emotional because she finally has the protective, loving family she’s been living without for her entire life.

5.) Once Upon a Time is a show filled with heartbreaking moments, but I think Belle throwing the chipped cup against the wall may have been the most heartbreaking moment yet. To know everything Rumplestiltskin went through in “Skin Deep” to get that cup back—to know everything that it means to him—made that scene almost unbearable to watch. I’m a sucker for symbols, so to see such a beautiful symbol of him and their relationship (imperfect but still worth saving, damaged but not lost) destroyed right before his eyes was so painful. And Carlyle was once again devastating in that moment, especially as he walked away from the cup without using his magic to put it back together (because why fix something that isn’t worth anything anymore?).

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TV Time: Parks and Recreation 5.10

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Title Two Parties

Two-Sentence Summary Leslie spends the first half of her bachelorette party attempting to use the strained relationship between the Wamapokes and the people of Pawnee to halt construction of a new Paunch Burger where Pawnee Commons is supposed to be, and then she spends the second half trying to undo what she did. Ben’s bachelor party is far more successful, with each of the men (Tom, Andy, Jerry, Ron, and, of course Ben) being treated by Chris to the bachelor party of his dreams.

Favorite Line “Maybe it’s April. Maybe I die—skydiving explosion—and then you go marry April. And it makes me sad, but if she’s gonna be with somebody, I’d like it to be you…Only I didn’t really die. I was faking it. And I come back. I spy on you from my red Corvette, and I’m planning to kick your ass. But I see how happy you make her. And I have to walk away, I have to. And I do…slowly, in a rainstorm…But as time goes by, it eats away at me—you’re out living it up with my wife and I’m alone in a cave training…I thought you were my friend! I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND!” (Andy, telling Chris that someday he’ll find the girl of his dreams)

My Thoughts I am in love with this episode. More specifically, I am in love with half of this episode and in a state of pleasant “like” with the other half. Seriously, if the half of the episode dealing with the bachelor party was a man, I would ask it to be my Catan-playing, vodka-flash-consuming, Colts-loving, ice-cream-dropping, steak-eating husband right now. I want more than an extended episode, more than deleted scenes. I want to petition whoever I need to petition in order for there to be a full-length movie of nothing but these fantastically rich supporting characters having fun together, toasting each other, and singing in Chris’s car.

The half of the episode dealing with Leslie was fine, but it paled in comparison to Ben’s half of the storyline. I loved that a sexy Abe Lincoln is one of Leslie’s fantasies, and I loved everything about both Donna and April in this episode, but there was something too predictable about Leslie’s arc.

I would have much rather had an episode that featured the girls having just as much fun as the guys, but I know that’s not possible. Stories don’t exist without conflict, and this episode needed Leslie’s conflicts. I guess it all just felt a little rushed to me. And because of that, the emotional connection to this half of the story felt relatively nonexistent (but maybe that’s because I was so busy tweeting and flailing like an excited kid over the other half of the episode).

Ultimately, I actually liked that we got to see someone else take on Leslie’s role as the emotional center of a group, and I loved that it was Chris. We’ve seen Leslie at the center of so many familial-feeling moments on Parks and Rec, so it was refreshing to see this episode take the time to show that men can have those familial bonds with their friends, too. Group hugs aren’t just for girls.

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