Monsters of Television

“You’re an OG Hater.”

Mark it down, folks. 3/4 of the Monsters of Television (sorry, Matt) kick off a podcast with sports. This week saw the most watched television broadcast of all time, Super Bowl XLV. Nick muses about his (World Champion) Green Bay Packers and they all discuss pre-game, half-time, and post-game Glee, as well as a number of other shows from this week, including Being Human and the pilot for Chicago Code. Check it out. And while you listen to that, I’m going to check out Sarah Walker bellydancing again.

Also, in case you’ve never seen the Cosby Show clip Noel references during the Community segment, you really should check it out.

Topic: Place in the podcast

Running time: 71 minutes

• Super Bowl XLV 0:00:51
• Glee: 0:19:10
• Chuck: 0:29:35
• The Office: 0:33:58
• Community: 0:40:16
• The Good Wife: 0:49:39
• Being Human: 0:58:28
• Chicago Code: 1:03:02

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“Oh, feelings. I see why you came to me.”

Alexei, you might be my favorite.

Two weeks ago, we watched “vs The Balcony” and its structure completely crumble around one of the most important plot arcs in the series. Up there with the Chucknsarah relationship and Chuck balancing a normal life with being the Intersect (regretfully, the latter of which has been hastily abandoned), the correlation between Chuck/Sarah and Orion/Frost has been the ultimate reflection for the future of the core relationship and the ghost that haunts it, even if the arc has defied Chuck’s general stance on being completely obvious about all plotlines. Of course, I flew into reactionary rage about it, whining about the show’s inconsistency and how one of the most important turnarounds the show has accomplished in four seasons was sullied by a “vs the Honeymooners”-esque level of camp.

However, the last two episodes have made up for it.

Granted, I’m a little disappointed we’ve come so far in this arc in the last two episodes but I’m also not at all surprised. Chuck typically likes to come up with a good idea and then burn through it like filler episodes are the sweet, sweet relief to the overexcitement that comes with story. From a different series, I might have expected something a little more drawn out so that the confrontation that happens in “vs The Push Mix” might actually occur closer to the end of the season. That felt like the natural progression for something like this, especially we’re only a little more than halfway through the remaining episodes.

But, to be fair, it appears Chuck has something else in mind for the culmination of the season.

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“Glee doing Michael Jackson is worse than Michael Jackson being a child molester.”

Even with not a whole lot going on (and down one partner in crime), the gentlemen discuss the week that was. I wish there was more I could say here but you really just have to listen to the podcast. I will say, though, that if you’re not caught up on How I Met Your Mother or Lost, you should probably get up to speed before listening or you might get — well, lost. Some items to help you with HIMYM references: The Gentleman, Slap Bet, A Gentlemen’s Agreement, Challenge Accepted. If you haven’t watched Lost — well, what are you doing here in the first place?

Topic: Place in the podcast

Running time: 64 minutes

• How I Met Your Mother (episode 0614): 0:01:22
• House: 0:07:38
• Chuck: 0:15:41
• Fairly Legal: 0:25:28
• CW Scheduling: 0:37:08
• The Office: 0:39:58
• 30 Rock: 0:45:32
• Parks & Recreation: 0:49:08
• The Rest of NBC Thursday: 0:50:11
• Downton Abbey: 0:52:31
• Showtime Programming: 0:52:38
• Cable news coverage of Egyptian unrest: 0:54:34

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“Let him man-serve you.”

Ms. Walker. You’re trying to seduce me.

Why do the big moments in Chuck and Sarah’s life have to be nestled in their cheesiest episodes?

It wasn’t always like this. Harken back to Seasons 1 and 2 and you’ll find plenty of important moments that are properly escalated, better structured, and surrounded by story that doesn’t crumble around the emotional core. In fact, the only heartbreaking moment in the timeline of these two crazy kids nestled into a campy hour prior to Season 3 that I can remember off the top of my head comes during “vs The Truth,” where a former East European gymnast armed with truth-serum/poison provides all the characters with their very own writer’s crutches.

But it seems like the really well-plotted episodes of this series are increasingly scattered and episodes that should have a lot of emotional pay-off because of the events surrounding the beating heart of this show (no matter how many times I almost wish the focus would shift to Morgan and Casey) stumble in structure and execution. Yeah, “vs The Honeymooners.” I’m looking at you.

While not suffering from the same paralysis of subtlety that 0314 celebrated, “vs The Balcony” definitely has an unfinished quality to it. The A-plot (termed as the “sub-mission” for the episode) is never supported by any other elements of the episode, even when it’s necessary that it is in order for the A-plot to function. But, more importantly, the end of the episode lacks an emotional beat because of the campiness surrounding the rest of the story.

Let’s start off with something good about the episode, though.

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“I just hope it has nothing to do with a music box.”

Though we here at Monsters of Television might be pegged as pessimistic, sarcastic, snarky snobs, we can be positive every once in a while and we are with the upcoming season finale of The Walking Dead and the as-yet-unannounced return of Terriers. Less so for Serena on Gossip Girl and whatever the heck Chuck is doing (though let’s stop worrying about Emmy4Yvonne and jump on Timothy Dalton’s sure-bet Emmy win for this season). We also discuss auteur theory in respect to showrunners and featured episode writers (because we’re smarty-pantses), why Community might’ve felt weird and why that’s an awesome thing, and how now is the time to be watching Top Chef: All-Stars even if you’ve never watched an episode of Top Chef. Which would be a crime because of all the meals you missed them cooking. Yes. Because of the meals.

We also hint about the Terriers finale, beating around the bush as to not reveal anything to those that are waiting the absurdly long 8 days to watch it on Hulu. If that’s you, you can also drop the $1.99 at Amazon and watch it now.

Editor’s note: Noel wants to credit Kate Tripoli for planting the Firefly/The Walking Dead seed in his head. It was all her connection. He just agreed with it.

Running Time: 70 minutes

Topics: Place in the Podcast

• Walking Dead
  • Industry/”Writer Shake-Up”: 0:00:31
  • Episode: 0:10:16
  • Possible Comic Book Spoiler Alert: 0:18:52
• Terriers: 0:21:55
• Community: 0:31:48
• Gossip Girl: 0:42:18
• Chuck: 0:52:24
• Top Chef: All-Stars: 0:59:09

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“You are not getting bullets for a long, long time.”

Watch out for Sarah-gator.

Chuck is the ever-expanding sinkhole that constantly sucks his friends in, collapsing any sense of self-determined purpose within them.

Morgan is the most obvious example of this, especially in the beginning seasons (before they realized that Grimes could stand on his own). His character was forever the lackey no matter how horrible Chuck was to the little bearded man. No matter what Chuck did, Morgan was always there with an undying (and increasingly unjustified) bro-code. Letting Morgan in on the spy game was almost essential. Otherwise, his character would almost be too unbelievable. Who would stick around for that much punishment?

Casey’s heart has also melted a bit under the direct light of the Chuck Effect. His cold, harsh stance on Chuck’s incessant whining and lovesick decision-making turned a corner after years of the Intersect coming through for him. He’s come to appreciate the Sarah and Chuck relationship even if it does kind of make him gag.

But, by far and away, the one most bedraggled by Chuck throughout the series (understandably) is Sarah Walker. She went from being the exalted super-spy to the pretty accessory to Chuck’s antics. Her personality has been so diluted by her time in Burbank that it’s hard to define Sarah without using Chuck as a touchstone. She’s the spy Chuck fell in love with. Though it’s good for the show that her personality has evolved over the seasons (professional and intrigued to semi-professional but willing to surrender to hurt but healing to the current, more complex, lovefool), it’s unfortunate that her power has certainly switched from being mostly on her tough spy training to being the muse to Chuck’s formerly stagnant self.

Fool, I think, is the proper term since she sounds more and more like Chuck, particularly when he has his Brunette of the Season. A focused, emotional, protocol-breaking, on-the-edge persona emerges in this episode. And I love it.

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“Whoa, whoa. That sounds like candor.”

If it weren’t for the Dragon*Con photos, I’m not sure I would believe that Summer Glau knows how to smile. Combo Breaker!

Why can’t we start off our seasons with episodes like this? Instead we have to wade through so much garbage before we start to get the story going, right about at the threshold when people stop caring about the show.

It wasn’t perfect but just about everything hit: the spy story, Chuck’s situation, the best Greta yet, even the Chuck and Sarah story had good reveal. There was a point when I even said, “Oh snap.” Out loud. Yeah, I brought that back that’s how good it was.

Okay, I’ll be honest. “Oh snap” never really left my vocabulary. But you can see how impressive that is for Chuck this season. I can’t even think of a moment beyond the past two episodes where an “oh snap” would be appropriate. Maybe they know something we don’t. Maybe they have reason not to worry about ratings and make a bunch of horrible episodes to scare away the riff-raff. And then at the quarter-season mark, they bring out the goods for the True Believers. Excelsior!

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Well, well, well. It’s an All-Monster Podcast. It’s like Rampage but better because we have four monsters tearing up your town instead of just three. These week, Karen, Matt, Nick and Noel discuss a range of topics across the television landscape including The Walking Dead, the Mad Men finale (yeah, we know it’s old news — but it’s our show), how cable has disappointed us by having the nerve to cancel shows (Rubicon, Caprica), the USA brand (popcorn/beach-reading), how Life Unexpected is gross probably because they need to keep up with the rest of the CW, and Conan’s pedestrian return, among other things. It’s an interesting hour of witness. Listen to the podcast at the bottom of this post or subscribe to the podcast feed.

Running time: 75 minutes

Topics: Place in the Podcast

• The Walking Dead: 0:00:58
• Rubicon: 0:10:23
• Mad Men: 0:16:21
• Cable as a Haven: 0:21:42
• The USA Brand: 0:25:53
• House: 0:29:52
• TV Actors: 0:35:59
• Chuck: 0:37:41
• Nikita (and other spy dramas): 0:44:51
• The CW/Life Unexpected: 0:51:41
• Parenthood defense: 1:04:25
• Conan: 1:06:21

Brief note from Nick: I know that Chuck didn’t air this week because of the Lauer/Bush thing. I meant last week.

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“Oh, cool. A tiny weapons standoff!”

Interesting that Chuck’s Brunette that Ruins Everything of the season is actually his mOH MY GAH did they light Frost so that her hair would look blonde like Sarah’s to further beat the point into us?

What is this I’m feeling? There’s this disquiet. Loudness in my voice after the show ends. I — is this — actual anticipation for next week?

Chuck finally dished out an all-purpose good episode. There might have been a few stumbles here and there but, for what we get, I think finally shows some direction and gets into what this season is supposed to be.

But why am I surprised? Chuck did the same thing last season with its slow start. They are the San Diego Chargers of television, constantly digging out of the hole they put themselves in so they can make the playoffs. It’s like they have the talent to field and the pieces in place but they just can’t make it all come together until everyone’s written them off for the season. Maybe that’s why NBC picked up the back half of their episodes since they know the show is capable of making a run. Hopefully, Chuck won’t leave its audience the way the postseason usually leaves Philip Rivers: broken-hearted. End extended sports metaphor.

But what is it about this episode that makes it different from the rest? Why is it so good that we curse Matt Lauer for pre-empting it next week for a dumpy interview with a former president? Stakes, my friend. Or at least what appears to be stakes. Ten dollars says what was lost in this episode will be regained within the next couple. But there’s also ten bucks in meowing loud enough to make that old guy turn around.

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