Tag Archives: recaps and reactions

TV Time: Parks and Recreation 5.03

Posted on by
2

Title How a Bill Becomes a Law

Two-Sentence Summary As Leslie works to pass a bill to help a Pawnee youth swim team, Chris creates a 311 system to deal with queries from citizens, which leads Ron to a single mother and possible new love interest. In Washington, April and Ben’s spur-of-the-moment trip to Pawnee is derailed when a presidential motorcade leaves them stuck in a parking garage.

Favorite Line “Ron and Diane, sittin’ in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i. Did you hear that bird?” (Andy)

My Thoughts This episode helped me see that Parks and Rec is back on the right track after a slow start to the season. Though it still felt a little disjointed at times (I just really need Ben back in Pawnee with Leslie), it was the funniest episode of the season so far—and the one that felt most like the Parks and Rec that I love.

I have such a strange soft spot for Tom (he’s probably my favorite character besides Leslie and Ben), so I can never get enough of seeing him interact with Leslie. Their A-plot was well-executed and found a nice balance between celebrating Leslie’s idealism and showing the challenges that idealism faces in her new role in the government. I love when we get to see Tom’s good heart, so it made me smile to see him defend Leslie the way he did in the end.

There were some details I loved in Leslie’s storyline and some that I wasn’t so crazy about. I adored her photos of inspirational women in her office, but what I adored even more was that she included herself (you inspire me too, Leslie Knope). I laughed out loud at Councilman Milton originally running on a platform to de-integrate baseball. And Leslie’s porpoise sounds cracked me up (anytime Leslie interacts with kids I find myself thoroughly enjoying it). However, I didn’t care for the overused bathroom humor (just not my style). And I thought the half-perm sight gag was trying a little too hard to be funny.

Continue reading →

TV Time: Castle 5.02

Posted on by
4

Title Cloudy with a Chance of Murder

Two-Sentence Summary The murder of a local TV news personality provides the backdrop for Castle and Beckett’s first case together after her suspension is over. Their plan to pretend to be single (because of the NYPD’s rules about partners dating) backfires when a flirtatious talk show host sets her sights on Castle.

Favorite Line “Excuse me, it was you that was trying to sleep with me…Don’t tell me you dress like that for Esposito.” (Castle)

My Thoughts I think I summed up my thoughts on last night’s episode of Castle in the most succinct way I could on Facebook after it aired: “Another Monday night, another perfect episode of Castle.” There really is nothing else that needs to be said. I know this season is only two episodes old, but I really feel like the writers and the actors are operating on another level right now. Not only are they working to disprove the “Moonlighting Curse” and the belief that a show’s quality deteriorates once you get your will they/won’t they couple together; they’re working to prove that the opposite is true: If put in the right hands, a show can actually improve once the unresolved tension becomes blissfully resolved.

Continue reading →

TV Time: Once Upon a Time 2.01

Posted on by
5

Title Broken

Two-Sentence Summary With the curse broken and all kinds of emotional reunions experienced, the citizens of Storybrooke face a new threat when Rumplestiltskin unleashes a powerful wraith meant to suck out Regina’s soul as punishment for what she did to Belle. In a portion of Fairytale Land untouched by the curse, a wraith is also responsible for the (possible) demise of Prince Phillip, leaving Sleeping Beauty and her new companion Mulan alone to travel to a “safe haven”—until they discover Snow White and Emma, who fell through the Mad Hatter’s hat in their attempts to lure the wraith back to Fairytale Land.

Favorite Lines
Snow: We talked about things we probably shouldn’t have even talked about…One-night stands and the like.
Charming: One-night stands?
Snow: Whale.
Charming: Whale?
Snow: We were cursed!

My Thoughts I have a serious case of mixed emotions about this premiere. I’m torn between liking it more than my sense of logic says I should, and not liking it as much as my sentimental heart wants me to like it. Overall, I loved the performances we got out of the actors in this episode, but I thought the plot was pretty weak.

In my opinion, a season premiere should set up the upcoming season in a fairly clear way, answering more questions than it asks. The time for asking questions is the finale; I like my season premieres to have a sense of clarity of purpose about them. I thought the pilot episode of Once Upon a Time did just that, but this premiere threw me off balance from the start and never quite righted itself.

Continue reading →

TV Time: Parks and Recreation 5.02

Posted on by
4

Episode Title Soda Tax

Two-Sentence Summary As Leslie struggles with whether or not to vote for a tax on soda in Pawnee, she leans on Ann for support, and Ron motivates her with some surprising information about his impression of her during her first year working for him. Ben has struggles of his own with his interns in Washington, and helping Andy train for the police academy brings back feelings of loneliness for Chris.

Favorite Line: “I’m never gonna be a cop. I’m gonna have to be a robber.” (Andy)

My Thoughts Though it was funnier than last week’s premiere, this episode showed me that Parks and Rec still has some growing pains to work through before it reaches the near-perfect levels of television comedy it was consistently producing for the last two seasons. The show still feels too fractured, too segmented. I love Parks and Rec the most when all of the characters have the opportunity to interact with each other, and that’s still missing right now. I especially miss the warmth and humor between Leslie and Ben. The wonderful chemistry (both comedic and romantic) between Amy Poehler and Adam Scott was one of the things that really got me hooked on the show, and I missed getting to see that in any capacity this week.

Continue reading →

TV Time: Castle 5.01

Posted on by
10

Episode Title After the Storm

Two-Sentence Summary As Castle and Beckett begin a romantic relationship four years in the making, they have bigger things to deal with than just keeping the change in their partnership a secret. The estranged duo of Ryan and Esposito help them finally track down the man who orchestrated the murders of Beckett’s mother, Captain Montgomery, and many others, but when Beckett finally confronts this senator with presidential aspirations, she chooses to seek justice instead of vengeance, deciding to take back control over her own life and shifting the balance of power in her favor.

Favorite Line To represent the expert blending of comedy and drama in this episode, I have two favorites.

Comedic: “Just act normal – if that’s even possible for you.” (Beckett)

Dramatic: “I’m done being afraid. It’s your turn now.” (Beckett)

My Thoughts In the last few years of my media-consuming life, I’ve tried really hard to keep from labeling things I’ve just watched/read/experienced my “favorite.” With that being said, this was my favorite episode of Castle to date. I’ve been religiously watching this show (and re-watching it during hiatuses) since the pilot episode in 2009, and I can honestly say that I don’t think there has ever been a better example of what Castle is as a show when it’s firing on all cylinders than “After the Storm.”

When Castle is at its best, it mixes comedy, drama, and romance in a way that no other show on TV can do as successfully. The best Castle episodes are the ones that make you laugh out loud one minute and wipe away a tear the next minute. This episode did all of those things, and it added an element of suspense that rivaled anything I used to see during my days of watching Alias and other action-driven TV shows.

The major question people had going into this season was: Could Castle break the dreaded (and ridiculous, if you ask me) Moonlighting Curse? I think by the first commercial break that question was answered with a definitive yes. Those opening scenes took everything that makes Castle and Beckett such a dynamic pairing (their smart banter, their humor, and the indescribably potent chemistry between Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic) and turned it up to 11.

The dynamic between Castle and Beckett at the start of this episode was filled with the sparks and sharp dialogue that made the show so enjoyable in its first two seasons. But as the episode went on, we got to see that there is now another layer to their relationship that we finally get to explore. We’ve seen the spark, we saw the heat, and now we get to see the warmth.

Continue reading →

TV Time: Parks and Recreation 5.01

Posted on by
2

Episode Title Ms. Knope Goes to Washington

Two-Sentence Summary Leslie experiences “small fish-big pond” syndrome when she and Andy visit Ben and April in Washington, but a pep talk from a surprising source reminds her that, despite the condescension she was treated with during her visit, she’s “Kick-Ass Leslie,” and she’s an important person who works tirelessly for the town she loves. Back in Pawnee, the annual Parks Department barbeque goes awry when Ron takes the reins, and Tom and Ann try to hide the fact that their relationship ended in order to win a bet with Donna.

Favorite Line “Could we just real quick stop at the nearest place that has free pants?” (Andy)

My Thoughts Though this wasn’t my favorite episode of Parks and Rec, it did what needed to be done in order to set up major story lines and conflicts for the beginning of this season: the challenges Leslie is going to face in her new role as city councilwoman and in her long-distance relationship with Ben (especially with Ben in such a high-profile line of work); the new responsibilities Ron is going to have to deal with now that Leslie has taken on her new role; and the adjustment period everyone is going to go through after the big events of last season’s finale.

It broke my heart to see how Leslie was treated in Washington, and so much of that came from Amy Poehler’s typically brilliant performance. This is an actress who can put tears in my eyes from both emotion and laughter within the same scene—and maybe even within the same line of dialogue. In the moment where the woman in the Secretary of the Interior’s office names the list of different states that have cities named Pawnee you could almost see Leslie lose a little of that light that makes her such a beautiful, admirable character. Leslie and Pawnee are so intricately linked on this show, and to see the city be treated as nothing special only added to the pain of seeing Leslie treated as nothing special. But Leslie’s feelings of inferiority also brought about two of my favorite comedic moments in the episode: petite Leslie unleashing her jealousy about all of the tall women Ben is surrounded by (mainly because I have felt that same height envy often) and Leslie’s breakdown in a closet being interrupted by a perfect cameo from John McCain.

Continue reading →

Grading the Season Finales: Glee

Posted on by
2

Title Goodbye (3.22)

Written By Brad Falchuk

Major Characters Rachel Berry (Lea Michele), Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith), Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison), Kurt Hummel (Chris Colfer), Santana Lopez (Naya River), Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron), Noah “Puck” Puckerman (Mark Salling), Mercedes Jones (Amber Riley), Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch), Brittany S. Piece (Heather Morris), Blaine Anderson (Darren Criss), Mike Chang (Harry Shum, Jr.), Tina Cohen-Chang (Jenna Ushkowitz), Sam Evans (Chord Overstreet), Artie Abrams (Kevin McHale), Burt Hummel (Mike O’Malley)

What Happens As graduation day draws closer for the seniors at William McKinley High School, the Glee club finds itself back where it began – with Mr. Schue watching Kurt, Rachel, Tina, Mercedes, and Artie performing “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat,” just like they did in the pilot episode. Mr. Schue’s trip down memory lane concludes with a performance of Rod Stewart’s “Forever Young” for the group of students that he’s watched grow from underdogs to national champions. The nostalgia continues with Burt’s graduation gift to his son: his own rendition of the “Single Ladies” dance he saw Kurt perform when he was a sophomore, which he notes as the moment he and Kurt started to come back together as a father/son team.

Back in the choir room, Kurt serenades the boys of New Directions with Madonna’s “I’ll Remember,” and all of the seniors pass the torch to the underclassmen with the New Radicals’ “You Get What You Give.” As the episode reaches its midway point, we learn the fates of various New Directions seniors: Mercedes was signed as a backup singer and will be taking classes at UCLA; Mike is joining the Joffrey Ballet; and Quinn will be heading to Yale but keeping in touch with Rachel, her graduation gift to Rachel is a Metro pass to travel between New York and New Haven (Quinn has one for herself, too).

After a discussion in which Rachel reveals that she always thought Quinn would end up with Puck, Quinn realizes that she has to help Puck pass the one exam he needs to retake in order to graduate because she’ll always love him and they shared the experience of having a daughter together. After a kiss from Quinn restores his confidence, Puck passes his exam and is able to graduate (leading the “Glory Days” performance at graduation).

And what about Santana and Brittany? Brittany, it turns out, has a 0.0 GPA, so she’ll be sticking around WMHS for another year as a Super Senior. Santana was unaware of this but is aware that she doesn’t want to go to Louisville on a cheerleading scholarship anymore. She wants to go to New York and be a star, but is she ready to leave Brittany behind to do so?

Finn is still struggling with his discovery that his father did not die a war hero but rather a dishonorably discharged, broken man who left his family. He wants to pursue his acting dreams, but he still feels as if he’s letting his father down by not doing something to change his legacy. As Finn worries about his future and his impending marriage to Rachel, his support for his fellow Glee club members is praised with a rendition of The Beatles’ “All My Life,” by the New Directions underclassmen.

After graduation, Finn, Rachel, and Kurt all get letters from the colleges they hope to attend. We learn that Finn didn’t get into The Actors Studio at Pace University, and Kurt failed to get into NYADA despite a solid audition. But Rachel’s performance at Nationals was enough to make up for her botched NYADA  audition; she is the lone member of this trio to hold an acceptance letter. However, Rachel decides to turn down her dream school to stay in Lima with Kurt and Finn as they perfect their auditions for the next year.

On the way to what she thinks is her wedding to Finn, Rachel realizes that her fiancé is driving to an unfamiliar destination: the train station. Finn knows she should be in New York, so he bought her a train ticket to go with her dads to look at NYADA’s dorms. Despite Rachel’s tearful protests, Finn tells her that he’s setting her free to chase after the dreams she wants to put aside for him. Finn also discovered his own dream, and it’s in a place without Rachel: the army. Heartbroken and shocked, Rachel still boards the train bound for New York after saying goodbye to all of her friends, singing Room for Two’s “Roots Before Branches” as she walks, alone but finally smiling, through New York City – her new home.

Continue reading →

Grading the Season Finales: Parks and Recreation

Posted on by
9

Title Win, Lose, or Draw (4.22)

Written By Michael Schur

Major Characters Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott), Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones), Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman), Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt), April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza), Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe), Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari), Donna Meagle (Retta), Jerry Gergich (Jim O’Heir), Bobby Newport (Paul Rudd), Jennifer Barkley (Kathryn Hahn)

What Happens It’s Election Day in Pawnee, Indiana, the day Leslie Knope and Bobby Newport square off in a showdown for a spot on the city council. As Election Day heads into Election Night, various subplots unfold: Chris getting his groove back after a one-night stand with Jennifer; April and Andy panicking over the deletion of important parks department files; and Jerry fearing that his failure to make it to the voting booth on time could be the deciding factor in the election. At its heart, though, this is an episode about change, and the most important storylines in this finale deal with big changes that loom on the horizon for important members of Leslie’s team.

Change comes to Ben in the form of Jennifer offering him a job on a congressional reelection campaign. The new job requires him to move to Washington, D.C., for six months. At first, Leslie is less than supportive of this plan; she’d hoped they could finally have time to really enjoy being a couple after her campaign was over. Hearing this, Ben tells Leslie that he’ll turn down the offer. Leslie has bigger problems than just Ben, though; the initial election results reveal that Bobby won by a very slim margin. This triggers an automatic recount, and, while waiting for those results, Leslie has a talk with Ron that opens her eyes to the fact that caring about someone means supporting their dreams, just like her friends did for her.

With Ron’s words echoing in her head, Leslie finds Ben and tells him that he should go to Washington, and they’ll make it their relationship work despite the distance between them. As they contemplate what the future has in store for them as a couple, Ann delivers the results of the recount: Leslie Knope is Pawnee’s newest city council member.

After delivering a heartfelt victory speech (Ben reveals to her that he never wrote the concession one), Leslie joins her friends to celebrate the fulfillment of a lifelong dream to serve Pawnee as an elected official. As the victory celebration rages on, Ron declines Chris’s job offer (for the assistant city manager position). Andy, however, might be pursuing a new career path next season, as April encourages him to think about joining the police force. Ann and Tom drunkenly decide to move in together, promising not to take it back when they’re sober. Big changes are coming to Pawnee, indeed…

Continue reading →

Grading the Season Finales: Once Upon a Time

Posted on by
6

Title A Land Without Magic (1.22)

Written By Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz

Major Characters Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison), Regina Mills/Evil Queen (Lana Parrilla), Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin (Robert Carlyle), Henry Mills (Jared Gilmore), Mary Margaret Blanchard/Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin), David Nolan/Prince Charming (Josh Dallas), Jefferson/Mad Hatter (Sebastian Stan), Belle (Emilie de Ravin), August W. Booth/Pinocchio (Eion Bailey)

What Happens First, we’ll tackle the Fairytale Land side of this finale…Prince Charming escapes from the Evil Queen’s dungeon with a little help from the Huntsman (Jamie Dornan) and proceeds on his quest to find Snow White. However, the queen transports him to a forest that is impossible to navigate…without a little magical help, of course. That help comes in the form of Rumpelstiltskin, who offers Charming the Fairytale Land equivalent of a GPS device (he’s enchanted a ring given to Charming by his mother to glow brighter as he approaches Snow White). But of course, all magic comes with a price. In this case, Charming has to hide a potion (made from Charming and Snow’s true love) inside the dragon form of Maleficent. After a daring fight with the aforementioned dragon, Charming succeeds, and, as promised, Rumpelstiltskin gives him the ring, telling Charming that he has a vested interest not only in true love but in what true love creates.

What happens next is a second look at the opening scene of the pilot episode, with Charming racing to his beloved Snow White and restoring her to life with true love’s kiss. The finale takes this scene one step further with a marriage proposal and a promise to “take back the kingdom” from the evil forces that are now controlling it (King George, who Charming has to pretend is his father in an elaborate “Prince and the Pauper”-type story from earlier this season, and the Evil Queen).

And now to the events in Storybrooke…After eating a cursed apple turnover meant for Emma at the end of last week’s episode, Henry is rushed to the hospital while a helpless Emma learns from Dr. Whale (David Anders) that there is no explanation for his loss of consciousness. This triggers Emma to finally see that what happened to Henry is “like magic,” and upon holding his storybook, she finally believes everything he had been telling her all season: Storybrooke is a town filled with cursed fairytale characters and she is the daughter of Charming and Snow, the savior meant to break the curse cast upon them by Regina. This is confirmed during a raw, emotional confrontation with Regina, during which Emma (Henry’s birth mother) discovers that Regina (Henry’s adopted mother) can’t bring their son back to life because she used the last of her magic to create the apple turnover that Henry ate.

The two women then go to the only other person in Storybrooke with substantial power, Mr. Gold. He tells Emma that she needs to retrieve the potion that her father hid inside of Maleficent, who is being kept in her dragon form underneath the town. Before she confronts the dragon, Emma goes to see August, only to watch him return to his original form (a wooden puppet) right before her eyes. Emma defeats the dragon, but is tricked into giving up the potion to Mr. Gold, who experiences his own shocking twist when he comes face-to-face with his beloved Belle, who was thought to be dead. She was freed by Jefferson and sent to find Mr. Gold with the message that Regina is the one who had been holding her captive.

The happiness of this moment is soon forgotten when Emma and Regina receive simultaneous phone calls from the hospital: Henry is dead. While Regina looks on, Emma says her final goodbyes to her son, telling him she loves him and kissing his forehead. True love’s kiss proves once again to be strong enough to conquer all, waking Henry and breaking the curse cast upon all of Storybrooke’s residents. With their memories restored, Snow White and Prince Charming have an emotional reunion 28 years in the making – as do Rumpelstiltskin and Belle. However, Rumpelstiltskin has bigger plans than love at the moment, dropping the potion Emma acquired into a well and bringing magic to Storybrooke through what appears to be a purple version of Lost’s infamous smoke monster.

As the one who cast the curse, Regina knows she will have hell to pay and must go into hiding to save herself now that the townspeople remember who they are. Before she leaves the hospital, though, she pleads with Henry to believe that, no matter what anyone tells him, she does love him. Her tears upon entering her son’s empty bedroom fade to a cruel smile, though, as she sees the purple smoke of magic returning to the town, presumably restoring her powers as the clock strikes 8:15, the same time that Storybrooke was frozen at for 28 years before Emma came to the town in the pilot episode.

Continue reading →

Grading the Season Finales: New Girl

Posted on by
2

Title See Ya (1.24)

Major Characters Jess (Zooey Deschanel), Nick (Jake Johnson), Schmidt (Max Greenfield), Winston (Lamorne Morris), Cece (Hannah Simone)

What Happens? Nick wants to leave the apartment he shares with Jess, Schmidt, and Winston to move back in with his on-again, off-again girlfriend Caroline, also known as the woman who turned Nick into “an agoraphobic, turtle-faced borderline alcoholic,” according to Jess. Despite his roommates’ protests, Nick seems determined to move out, leaving the rest of them to interview for a new roommate. They settle on Neil, a self-proclaimed troubadour with his own interesting set of quirks, including a box featuring an unknown animal (“…something growled in that box,” Cece tells Jess).

As the male roommates drive with Nick to his new apartment, they get more than they bargained for when Nick gets cold feet and takes them on an unplanned trip into the desert. In a fit of catastrophic spontaneity, Nick throws his keys into the wilderness, which prompts Schmidt and Winston to call Jess and Cece to take them home (which proves futile after Jess also appears to throw her keys away). The five friends are then forced to spend the night in the desert, listening to mixtapes Nick made in the 1990s. While there, Schmidt and Cece decide to end their relationship because she thinks he doesn’t trust her and he thinks she’s too good to be with him. Nick and Jess also have a moment of their own, with Jess finally giving Nick her blessing to move in with Caroline because she cares about him and wants him to be happy.

In the end, we learn that Jess never really did throw away her keys, and after a night of desert bonding, the friends take Nick to his new apartment. It’s clear, though, that Nick belongs with his former roommates rather than with Caroline, and the episode ends with him returning home to the sounds of AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long.”

Continue reading →