Monsters of Television

“I just wanna put it out there in case I inadvertently squirt pheromones in your direction.”

One of the reasons anti-The Big Bang Theory idiots people do not like the show is because it perpetuates negative stereotypes of nerds/geeks/etc. That’s a debate best held for anther day. There is another movement that this episode buys into that is becoming increasingly prevalent in the media: the emasculation of the male protagonist.

“The Irish Pub Formulation” featured an interesting role reversal that contributed to the pathetic downfall of Leonard this season. Being the only one in that group with a girlfriend is a very sad position to be in and with Bernadette’s failed attempt to set him up with one of her friends in last week’s episode “The Desperation Emanation” things were looking rather bleak.

Enter Raj’s sister, Priya.

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“Goodbye, Little J. I look forward to never seeing you again.”

Was anyone, character or audience, actually glad to see the return of Jenny Humphrey? While she may not be my favorite character I was certainly excited by her return. She always managed to screw Chuck stuff up as a regular presence and so her sudden return to the Upper East Side was sure to be rife with drama.

And it was.

Blair has blamed Jenny for her series of unfortunate events lately but it seems that her worst enemy is herself. “Easy J” explores how we’re often the harbingers of our own doom, a lesson that Serena, Juliet and even Chuck would have to learn.

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“You’re wrong again. If my superpower were arrogance my name would be Dr. Arroganto.”

The Big Bang Theory made great strides this week in overcoming some of the issues people take with the show. It featured serialized story, developed a character and remembered there are other characters on the show than just Penny and Sheldon. However, some gags that can only be described as “overly sitcomy” hampered the progress the show was trying to make.

The episode was funny, very much so, but after looking at the whole episode it feels as though it’s right back where it started. You do the math, see where we end up.

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“Turns out college is just high school with more expensive books.”

That is the smartest thing Serena van der Woodsen has ever said. And it’s so true too.

We have seen these characters move from high school to college and not much has changed. They’re all still petty and vindictive and selfish and wiling to walk all over one another to get what they want. They still fight over the same girls or boys, they still lie to one another, they still stab each other in the back. Nothing has changed.

Maybe that’s the point. Life doesn’t change much after high school. Sure groups of people may change and you’re setting eventually becomes a boardroom instead of a classroom, but you still deal with the same bullshit. God forbid we follow these terrible souls into the real world, I’m sure we’ll still find Serena and Blair competing with one another, Vanessa still vying for Dan’s affection, and everyone will still be sleeping with each other.

Life is just one long high school experience. Hope you guys enjoyed your time at Constance Billard, you’re gonna be stuck there for a long time. “Goodbye, Columbia” proved that much.

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“It’s ok, you can say it. Best sidekick ever”

The thing that’s going to keep No Ordinary Family afloat is something that the show has, in only two episodes, has proven it does extremely well: ground everything into relatable, realistic terms. Even on a show about people who can read minds and run at super speeds, the core of the conflicts and resolutions are rooted in real people.

Jim and Steph have a very believable marriage despite the fact that many of their recent arguments are somehow centered around the use of their powers. Jim has always been overzealous about the use of his abilities while Steph has remained more cautious. But a role reversal brings to light many issues average marriages face everyday: hypocrisy, lies and the need for validation.

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“Old Chuck, new Chuck. Bad Chuck, good Chuck.”

Everyone on Gossip Girl is a horrible person.

We love to watch the fights and the breakups and the schemes but when a real person, a legitimately good person is thrown into the lions den that is the Upper East Side it becomes very clear that the characters we love really are a bunch of vicious animals. Poor Eva. All the twists and turns of the episode tried just as hard to wreck her image as Blair was. But she really was an angel. And now she’s gone, leaving nothing but destruction and heartache in her wake.

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As part of the new fall season coverage, we’re doing what we call audition reviews for new shows. An audition review doesn’t necessarily mean the show will enter the normal rotation, but it will provide an initial reaction to a new series. Especially in light of time shifting practices, we think this is a valuable way to read brief reviews on new series to help you decide if you want to watch the show. For those who watch it live, it’s a good way to begin a conversation about a new series. These reviews will typically be shorter than our regular reviews, and may include thoughts from more than one of our writers.

Matt’s Take

You’ve all heard the pitch before: No Ordinary Family is a live action version of The Incredibles. There are similarities to be sure, but it quickly (a little too quickly) establishes its world and characters and dives into creating its own mythology.

Through the first act I was not too impressed. For starters, the 3 minute long trailer we were given over the summer made the show come across as cheesy and boring so of course that is what I was expecting going in. The exposition flies by at supersonic speeds, introducing us to the four members of the Powell family, their problems, and crashing their plane in the Amazon River all in about 5 minutes. I understand getting all of that out of the way quick and early but it felt rushed. To top off my early discontent: interview style narration.

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“No saws! One circumcision was enough.”

Amy Fowler is not Sheldon’s girlfriend. Now that we have that out of the way.

The move to Thursday had many (myself included) worried for the continued success of The Big Bang Theory. Tonight’s premiere was phenomenal and if it can keep up the quality it has a fighting chance to reign supreme over the already doomed My Generation, the self proclaimed comedy underdog Community, the “Will they, won’t they? Just kill me now” Bones and Twi-lite Vampire Diaries.

The Sheldon/Amy (Shamy. Genius.) relationship is sure to be a major arc for season 4 and for good reason. Not only does a female version of Sheldon add a whole new level of humor to the show but it’s a great catalyst for some serious character development. And not just for Sheldon.

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“Did you just say the word sexpionage?”

Having followed J.J. Abrams for my entire life it’s easy to see how he has gotten to Undercovers. It’s a little Mission Impossible III, a little Alias and yeah, some Felicity thrown in there as well. Abrams is at the top of his game with this action-packed, funny and just plain cool spy show.

I know I probably sound like a J.J. fanboy (and that’s because I am) but the show really does rock. Let’s break it down, shall we?

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“The wings of Daedalus. Good call.”

Warehouse 13 doesn’t go out with a bang so much as it just kind of goes out. “Reset” excelled where the show usually does but failed to hit with the same “umph” that a finale should. Cool artifacts, quirky characters and entertaining banter are all present and normally what I say to sell a person on the show. Unfortunately, pay-off may not be a characteristic I include.

The HG storyline was exciting from the beginning. The “is she evil or isn’t she?” game was interesting and flirted with tediousness without ever fully committing. I was excited to see what her season long long con would produce. Alas, the journey was far better than the destination.

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