TV Report Card: Week of February 6, 2011

Here is this week's TV Report Card:

Sunday
Glee: "The Sue Sylvester Shuffle"

FOX gave Glee the coveted post-Super Bowl slot, and while the show didn't break any ratings records, they did give new and old viewers a decent episode. The Sue/Brittany story was a tad too over the top, but it wouldn't be an all-out Glee episode without Sue being Sue. I was more impressed with the Karofsky plot because having him be a part of New Directions, even temporarily, gave us some insight into his character. I still don't think he needs to going glee club full-time, or even morph into some good guy, but telling the bully's story could be very intriguing.

GRADE: B

Monday
Chuck: "Chuck vs. The Seduction Impossible"

The benefit of giving Chuck an initial 13-episode order was it gave the writers the chance to put together a tight story arc. The drawbacks included rushed storytelling, and a lack of stand alone episodes. While, standalones from Chuck can be hit or miss, "Chuck vs. The Seduction Impossible" was a big bullseye. Having Team Bartowski on an old-school mission to save Roan Montgomery, some actual funny jokes, and the trademark sweetness made "Seduction Impossible" one of the better episodes of the season.

GRADE: A

How I Met Your Mother: "Oh Honey"

I'm no longer a fan of HIMYM episodes where the writers spend too much time patting themselves on their backs, so I didn't really care for "Oh Honey". When the writers used to tinker with narrative structure in the past, it came off as creative, but now it's just a crutch to dupe people into thinking that the episode was better than it was. I could have done without Marshall playing phone tag with everyone, Ted and Zoey, and pretty much this entire episode. Even Katy Perry (who was wasted) couldn't save "Oh Honey", but I'm glad we're back to Barney's dad.

GRADE: D

Greek: "Fumble"

This week's Greek had a lot to like about it but also a lot to dislike. I'm glad that Cappie and Casey were able to address their unresolved feelings for one another, and it was fun watching them babysit all of the alums kids, thus giving them a glimpse at how they could handle a life together. The morning after pill subplot was much ado about nothing, but at least the show addressed such a controversial topic. As always, Ashleigh pretty much ruined the episode with her post-graduation whining, and her and Rusty is just a bad idea. Speaking of Rusty, his scavenger hunt to remember the night before had some laughs, but Calvin's involvement saved it from sucking. Another savior, Katherine.

GRADE: C+

Castle: "Luck Stiff"

For the first time in a long time, I didn't care for this week's Castle. The Case of the Week about a dead lottery winner wasn't all that interesting, and there was a severe lack of Castle and Beckett. Sure, things started to look up when the duo went undercover in that night club, but it was a little too little too late. There also wasn't enough Esposito and Ryan, but knowing that Kevin plays the same lotto numbers as Javy so they can share the money without things getting awkward was funny. Thankfully, we got one of the sweeter moments at the tail end of the episode when Castle offered to start up a scholarship in Beckett's mother's name. Too good.

GRADE: C-

Hawaii Five-0: "E Malama"

This week's Castle may have been lackluster, but its time slot opponent was surprisingly good. I really don't expect a lot from Hawaii Five-0. Just give me a vaguely interesting case, some nice shots of Grace Park, and amusing bickering between McGarrett and Danno. "E Malama" went above and beyond. Watching Five-0 track down a key witness while dodging trained assassins was intense, although seeing McGarrett in his full commando get-up was a tad too much. Also, Kono's girlfight didn't hurt either.

GRADE: B+

Tuesday
Glee: "Silly Love Songs"

The Super Bowl episode of Glee may have been the most mainstream one the show's cranked out in a while, but Tuesday's "Silly Love Songs" was vastly more superior of the two and one of the better episodes of the season. The Valentine's Day backdrop meant we were in for a lot of relationship drama, but none of the storylines were overly angsty. Puck and Lauren were by far the highlight of episode, and Santana was the MVP with her bad girl ways. Even the Finn/Rachel/Quinn/Sam quadrangle didn't feel as forced as it could've. Overall, "Silly Love Songs" was a big win for Glee.

GRADE: A-

White Collar: "Countermeasures"

It seems like White Collar has settled into a groove because the last couple of episodes have been good, but not great. This week's "Countermeasures" might have relied too much on guest star Billy Dee Williams because the story itself was adequate but not on the same level as some of the great WC episodes. The whole counterfeiting plot device was neat, but it just felt like a wasted opportunity and could've been used for a stronger episode. "Countermeasures" wasn't a bad episode, but it wasn't anything special either.

GRADE: C+

Wednesday
Modern Family: "Bixby's Back"

One of the best episodes of Modern Family was last year's "My Funky Valentine", and this week the show was back for round 2. Like last year, Phil and Claire stole the show as they pulled out their alter egos in order to spice up their lovelife. The Dunphys are by far my favorite family on the show, so of course I loved everything Phil and Claire put out there. I even liked most of the Cam/Mitchell and Jay/Gloria moments, but of course Manny ruined Haley's D-plot. Not a bad V-Day episode, but "My Funky Valentine" will always reign supreme.

GRADE: B+

Friday Night Lights: "Always"

Sadly, this week witnessed an end of an era as Friday Night Lights hung up its cleats for the last time, and for the most part "Always" was the proper send-off. The episodes main goal was the give some sense of closure to all of the various relationships that we've grown to care about while setting up the next chapter of the Taylors' lives. I was satisfied with how the show wrapped up Tim, Tyra, Vince, and the Taylors storylines. I did think that the Matt/Julie engagement was premature, and I never quite bought into Jess as a coach, but their endings had a nice bow on top which is OK in my book. I doubt there will ever be another show like FNL, and the fact that it lasted this long is a miracle. I'm just glad I got to partake in the ride. Texas Forever.

GRADE: A-

Thursday
Community: "Early 21st Century Romanticism"

After last week's pop culture heavy D&D episode, Community went back to a more character/relationship driven episode which had its share of heavy and comedic moments. Britta's comeupance after being holier than thou in regards to her open-mindedness was worth a few laughs, but Troy and Abed's bromance pretty much trumped all of the other storylines. Jeff finally realizing that he wants the study group in his life was nice, but light on the laughs. I also would've cared more about Pierce's big twist if the show hadn't spent so much time making him so unlikeable. "Romanticism" may not have been LOL funny, but it's more character based moments easily made up for the lack of guffaws.

GRADE: B

The Vampire Diaries: "Crying Wolf"

I think I've finally figured out why I watch The Vampire Diaries: Caroline. While watching "Crying Wolf" I realized that I don't really care about Stefan and Elena because they're boring, I was glad Tyler left town, and Bonnie and Jeremy felt forced. The lone bright spot was Caroline, although I could do without her dating Matt, but I'll deal. Candice Accola just brings this energy to the show that makes sitting through the angsty drama bearable. The continued war between the vampires and werewolves was vaguely entertaining, but it's all been done before, so I'm hoping TVD will bring something new to the table soon. Or at least churn out episodes more entertaining than "Crying Wolf".

GRADE: C+

Nikita: "The Next Seduction"

I tried watching "The Next Seduction" twice and for some reason I really wasn't feeling this episode. The plot about Nikita helping Ryan intercept the weapon should have been more exciting than it was, but it was interesting seeing what Division made Nikita do during her time there. I also wasn't too happy with the tweaks the show was forced to make; I don't watch this show to see Nikita and Alex make out with good looking guys. Don't even get me started on the icky Alex/Michael dynamic that the writers are shoving down our throats. Nikita just needs to get back to telling intriguing espionage stories with good action and leave the shipper crap to the other CW shows.

GRADE: C-

30 Rock: "Double-Edged Sword"

After two pretty entertaining episodes ("Mrs. Donaghy" and "Operation Righteous Cowboy Lightning") 30 Rock's put out two decent but not amazing episodes. "Double-Edged Sword" had an interesting premise, the joys and drawbacks of getting what you want, but the follow through could've been stronger. The Liz/Carol fight was funny enough, but it was just another unnecessary break-up. Tracy running away from his EGOT induced fame was a dud, but Jack and Avery fleeing Canada was priceless.

GRADE: B-

Friday
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena: "Beneath the Mask"

So far, the prequel to Spartacus: Blood and Sand has done exactly what it needed to do: give us more backstory to the interesting characters we met last season. The mini-series might be spending too much time on new characters (Gannicus) or ones that are too minor (Asher), but it's Batiatus and Lucretia that we care about, and "Beneath the Mask" was the best episode involving the two. The big orgy was a bit much, but it was good way to expose Titus' disapproval of Lucretia, which in turn put her on the ambitious path towards the events of Blood and Sand. It's hard to believe that they're only 2 episodes left, and there's so much story left to tell, but so far Gods has been a success.

GRADE: B

NOTES: Parks and Recreation was by far funnier this week, but I'm still keeping it off of the Report Card for now. Also, missed Supernatural again, but I have a feeling I didn't miss too much.