Monsters of Television

We’ll discuss it later.

It’s been a busy week at Monsters of Television. This whole “summer-is-just-another-season/no-rest-for-the-weary” thing the networks are doing is wearing me out. But we can’t really complain about some of the great television we’re getting. Well, mostly great television. Hopefully Melissa & Joey doesn’t create a great abyss that sucks the life out of everything we hold dear. Forget the atomic collider in Switzerland: that show might obliterate the universe on its own, unraveling the fabric of time and space with ill-timed canned laughter and overacting that would make the cast of SNL blush.

Sorry. I digress.

We have some really great reviews for you to take a look at this week, from Mad Men to True Blood to Sherlock to, gods help us, that aforementioned pit of despair. If you missed any, it’s new to you!

We started the week with a little Mad Men, a particularly good episode with possibly the most literal title since “Guy Walks into an Ad Agency.” “The Rejected” shows all sorts of rejection: Allison dealing with Don’s rejection; Peggy rejecting Allison then later rejecting a woman that licked her face only to be rejected by some artsy-fartsy anti-shirt people; and, finally, Peggy dealing with her own rejection of what she could have had if she might have been a different, more manipulative, more desperate kind of woman. It even prompted an addendum piece this week based solely on Peggy’s time at a Warhol-esque-wannabe party.

Mad Men: “The Rejected” | Mad Men – Peggy and the Artists (from “The Rejected”)

Noel filled us in on the Season Finale of The Next Food Network Star where contestants made pilots for focus groups, focus groups whose composition may have been a little less than scientific. Tom deals Bob a blow that I feel is unfair for anyone (calling someone reminiscent of Guy Fieri is just uncalled for — that could scar a person) which makes me kind of happy his bags were packed as they announced the winner: Aarti! Congratulations! You’re in league with, you know, all those other NFNS superstars! Like Guy Fieri. Oh brother.

The Next Food Network Star – “Rachel Ray Directs”

Rubicon has had a bit of a rough run with some internet critics (particularly TWoP) who feel that the series is so very, very slow but people have to watch it because it’s on AMC and they do good things and you don’t want to be a schmuck when the show jumps off and you’re all like, “Dude, I was totally watching it at the beginning but then dropped off because it was boring and now I’m a pariah!” Noel cuts through it all for you, giving you what you need to know for two episodes in one concise review. And you learn something about MILFs in the process.

Rubicon – “Keep the Ends Out” & “The Outsider”

Matt recaps the Season (Series?) Finale of The Boondocks where Huey’s paranoia is not completely unfounded. The episode feels like one of those written for a show unsure of its future: a good way to end the season and a satisfying way to end the series if it is, in fact, the end of the road. It’s not Lost or anything but it’s good. It’s Matt so you know there had to be a Lost reference somewhere.

The Boondocks – “It’s Goin Down”

Ah, Bon Temps. A beautiful place to live, no? Besides the uncommonly attractive people, live and undead, wandering the streets of this sleepy little burg, there’s also a ton of excitement, what with all the murder and sexy orgies going on. Oh, you don’t really like the murder, you say? Drug trafficking? No? You’d rather just watch it all on your picture-screen? Wuss. True Blood is kind of the anti-Rubicon in that stuff is always occurring and Matt breaks down all the details as the show continues to beat all its characters about the knees. Except for Lafayette who comes out smelling like a rose.

True Blood – “Everything is Broken”

As this season of Sherlock comes to a close, Noel meditates on Moriarty and his portrayal. Obviously, being Sherlock’s nemesis (a frienemy even?) makes him very important to the series and the rabid Sherlock Holmes fanbase. Noel tells you why he’s not sure about this performance (one I believe @jmonjo called the dramatic version of the alien from American Dad) but also why he can live with it.

Sherlock – “The Great Game”

I don’t want to talk about it.

Melissa & Joey – “Pilot”

White Collar continues its discussion of the difference between criminals with hearts and criminals with guns, this time involving a Chechen mob boss as part of the former. Also, there’s some stuff about Kate but no one really cares (including Neal at first actually). Neal also plays some cards and we thank the heavens that White Collar wasn’t around before No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em jumped the shark with Dave Foley. Poor fella.

White Collar – “In the Red”

So I read Matt’s reviews of Warehouse 13 every week and I think I’m just going to have to watch the show. If you asked me what it’s about, I’m not sure I could give you the details you need to wrap your head around it. I mean, HG Wells is a woman and the Warehouse totally hates women. Did your mind just explode there for a minute? Mine did. Matt doesn’t have any trouble at all with it though and even provides you with a crazy theory/prediction for how this show is turning out. I’m going to go lie down for a bit.

Warehouse 13 – “For the Team”

Psych continues its meta-exploration this week as Shawn and Gus face themselves as old men. They lose but then they win. The cops look all impotent, Henry is grouchy, and Vick continues to have the weakest role in the series. So same ol’, same ol’. But the way they seem to be setting up the audience to notice the subtleties of the program, possibly to some great reward, is at least a little interesting, no?

Psych – “Viagra Falls”