Monsters of Television

“I’m gonna eat ’til I’m belly full!”

"Jimmy, I can hear you breaking from here."

This week’s Saturday Night Live is hosted by Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin with musical guest the SNL house band. And it aired on Thursday.

30 Rock has always had sketch comedy in its genes, from the series’ meta-show premise to its producers (like Lorne Micheals) and figurehead (Tina Fey) pedigrees to it’s ever-shifting balance of actual show plot and cut-aways. In fact, the cut-aways are really just nano-sketches in the way that Twitter is nano-blogging, short bursts of non-sequitor entertainment.

But the “live” episode of 30 Rock feels especially sketch-like and I’m not sure if it’s intentional or not. Perhaps the format is made that way since that’s the way those producing the show know how to run live television. Or maybe it’s a brilliant way of executing something incredibly complicated: transforming a single-camera sit-com that leans heavily on editing into a multi-cam with comparatively few edits and fewer places for actors to hide before a live studio audience.

Whatever the case, I was reminded of SNL so let’s break it down the way I would’ve for an episode late-night weekend topical sketch comedy. Here are the good, the meh, and the ugly sketches. Read more »

“Objection. She’s clearly ramping up to something.”

I routinely do nothing but complain about how Commmunity, when it does these concept episodes, doesn’t ground itself in larger character beats and moments. It annoys me to no end.

But like a witness at the end of an episode on Law & Order, I’m going to go ahead and break on the stand right here and now: That really wasn’t an issue for me in “Basic Lupine Urology” (Get it? Tell me you get it. I’m not going to explain it to you).

This is, of course, because I’m heavily invested in the subject of the episode’s homage. As a result, I can see how “Basic Lupine Urology” could fail for people who aren’t steeped in Law & Order‘s inner-workings (GUYS, LESLIE HENDRIX!). I’ve had this happen to me before with other shows, and I know a number of people probably experienced a similar feeling of exclusionary-ness with Community‘s “Advanced Dungeons & Dragons” last season.

But, for me, this episode is was a big, gooey love letter to a show that I continue to enjoy in syndication, so you’ll have to pardon me while I gush about it. Because I’m going to gush.
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“Get out while you can. Just don’t go into retail.”

Every now and then, The Good Wife is a little one the nose, and “The Penalty Box” is one of those episodes. Even the quote above neatly sums up everything about the episode, which is concerned with people who need to get out of things and into other things before it just ruins their lives. Or, in Eli’s case, just kind of ruins a couple days of his life listening to why the firm should institute a slush fund to help clients get laid.

That being said, this episode was pretty tame, right (Kalinda’s steamy scene with Lana aside)? Especially for the penultimate episode of the season, not a whole lot of stuff, well, mattered, it seemed. I figured Peter’s run for governor would hit the backburner a touch, but I wasn’t expecting it to be reduced to a bickering married couple scene in the elevator (a great visual, by the way) (even more worrying: Matthew Perry’s pilot for NBC was picked up).

But let’s dive in and discuss the meat of the episode. Read more »

“Well, Dr Leary, I find your product boring.”

What a grown man hissy fit looks like in the 60s.

Knowing Don will turn your life into hot garbage.

Last week, we explored how knowing Don has ruined Pete’s life as he tries to chase an ideal that ultimately will lead to emotional ruin despite the outward appearance of success. Even Don tells him that his track is not a joyful or smart journey. But Pete isn’t the only one sucked into the Don Draper Mystique.

The same personality that gives us deeply-capitalist GIFs and helps us hit on girls is what dominates and affects the lives of everyone on the show. They’re all just orbiting Don’s cult of personality and, while he is a good example of someone chasing that Draper ideal, Pete’s not even the most obviously affected.

As the show turns to more classic format gimmicks this season (a fever dream episode?), “Far Away Places” is told in parts that chronologically overlap as we follow three different characters and how Don ruins their lives: Peggy, Roger, and Dick Whitman. I know, I know. Don’s purpose is to ruin Dick Whitman. But stick with me.

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“Ah! Stop! I want! To be! On! Your back!”

I was talking with sava earlier this week about the conclusion of Avatar: The Last Airbender, specifically Ozai’s fate. It wasn’t something I was particularly happy with it as I felt like it was something of a deus ex machina, while admitting that the show had very few options open to it in dealing with Ozai.

And now that deus ex machina is back, and I’m forced to determine what, exactly, its role is here. After the jump, there’s going to be a discussion of it, and what it means, so spoilers for TLA‘s last episode are going to figure heavily into that, just as warning.

The episode, as a whole, however, is fairly solid as we see more of the seedy underside of Republic City, and there are a couple of interesting question going forward about where bending fits into this society. Read more »

“Cold-hard science, and a little misdirection, and now you champions of stagnation have become our agents of change.”

I’m letting the first season finale of Young Justice (don’t worry, the season 2 premiere is next week, in a prime example of the silly programming practices that mark kids program scheduling) off the hook a bit since the episode that preceded it have been good. This episode, on the other hand, is kind of a lacking, and feels more like an epilogue than a finale to the season.

And it’s not only the kind of “Meh” approach to the season’s previous events that the episode attempts to conclude, but that that the major throwdown between heroes and their sidekicks isn’t as exciting as it may have been (though, understandably so from a narrative standpoint since the team is outnumbered and outgunned (BUT THEY’VE ALSO TAKEN DOWN AMAZO).

Oh, and there’s more Roy silliness. Read more »

“You look like a Norm.”

If there’s one thing to like about Green Lantern: The Animated Series, and there is more than one, it’s the gradual unrolling of the yellow power rings. The fear-inducing, power draining properties of the yellow minerals are being developed across episodes, as opposed to just appearing with Sinestro (who hasn’t been seen or mentioned). I like this slow build about a very important aspect of the Green Lantern universe.

But that’s about all the good I have to say about “Fear Itself,” which I think is a remarkably dull and predictable episode. While I’ve been talking about how Green Lantern recycles tired and true plots of broader science fiction stories (and this one is no different), “Fear Itself” does little to alter the general scope of the “partners on different sides of misunderstood rival factions”, leaving it dead in the water. Read more »

“Is this a social cue?”

The cast, writers, and producers of Community were pretty concerned about “Virtual Systems Analysis” at PaleyFest, with Dan Harmon in particularly fretting about whether this episode was going to be the best or worst thing to happen to television ever.

Ego-stroking aside about being able to be the best or worst on television, “Virtual Systems Analysis” is really neither of those things. Like “Critical Film Studies” before it (but nowhere near as…I don’t even know…elegant, I think is the word I want), the episode seeks to offer some insight into Abed’s behavior, and this time adds in Annie to the mix. Running through scenarios in the Dreamatorium during a 3-hour lunch, the two come to grips with a number of things about their behaviors and their positions within in the group.

It’s not a terribly funny episode (though it does have funny elements) and I do appreciate the character work they do in the episode, but it was just like a bit…too much, maybe? Not in a bad way, but just in a way that I can see how the episode would’ve worked in less gimmicky way. Like “Critical Film Studies.” Read more »

“Then I am busy. Trying to become who I am.”

Nick was fully prepared to do a post about Girls. Noel was going to do a post about Girls for a Facebook group a number of academics on Twitter started (wait, why is it on Facebook then?). They decided to pool their thoughts into this conversation about Girls. So, yes, two guys are now going to discuss Girls. What could possibly go wrong with this arrangement?

(We wanted to ask Karen or Kelly to join us, but our hands were tied and it just wasn’t possible. If we get a second season, we definitely want to include one of them. Maybe both if the aforementioned hand-tier is cool with it. But it may have to wait until season 3.) Read more »

“I know cooler heads should prevail but am I the only one that wants to see this?”

In a different time, this would've been the best wet t-shirt contest.

Pete is a monster.

He’s always been unlikeable. He’s overly-competitive, backstabbish, conniving, rude, bitchfacey, and somehow more self-entitled than Hannah on Girls (which seems impossible). But this season has shown him making some moves and gaining some traction with those moves, particularly in respect to gaining ground on Roger. As the gray guard scrambles to keep relevant, it’s Pete that chases him all over the place, finding every way he can to erode Roger’s standing.

Becoming partner has inflated his ego to a level where he’s no longer just an annoyance or minor antagonist. He’s a full-on radioactive monster trampling through the city. He is the Game of Thrones Joffery before and after usurping the kingdom. He is the person for whom you are begging comeuppance.

He’s also the saddest guy on the show. This is an episode dedicated Pete’s treachery and to his continual emasculation. But that’s his own fault for stepping out on Alison Brie. The universe will not stand for that.

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