Sunday
Homeland: "In Memoriam"
Honestly, I can understand why this episode was so frustrating to some because it did continue to test plausability, but that's why I think I enjoyed more than others. I'm so tired of people complaining about this show that I've come to embrace and champion it silliness just to spite those who nit-pick. It once again was far from great, but I enjoyed it. GRADE: B-
Monday
How I Met Your Mother: "The Over-Correction"
I'm so tired of HIMYM wasting time patting itself on the back because of their clever terms like "over-correction." I don't doubt that there are douchey people out there who use these kind of things, but I wouldn't watch them week in and week out, so I don't know why I continue with this show. I also could've done without the return of the Playbook, Marshal and Lily's parents, and pretty much everything that happened during this episode. GRADE: D
Tuesday
Hart of Dixie: "Blue Christmas"
I've never been a fan of the "over-critical" parent visits episode, so I didn't really care for Zoe's mom showing up, but some of the Christmas themed antics were fun, and I appreciated the time spent on her and Wade. Elsewhere, I'm glad we're done with Lavon and Ruby for now, and George and Tansy continue to entertain. GRADE: B
Happy Endings: "To Serb with Love"
This wasn't my least favorite episode of Happy Endings, but it wasn't close to being one of the show's best. Everything was just too Sitcom 101 like the slap-stickiness of Jane's Gallagher bit, Dave and Alex keeping secrets, and Penny self-sabotaging herself with a list of Pete's faults. It's all been done before and better than this attempt. GRADE: C+
New Girl: "Santa"
The multiple holiday parties gimmick was fun for a bit, and I like how naturally Olivia Munn fits in on this show, although I was disappointed that we didn't get some kind of Perfect Couples mention since David Walton was also guest-starring. Speaking of Walton and Munn, why is this show wasting time with potential love interests that we all know will not last? Good stuff from Winston, but I'm still over Cece and Schmidt. GRADE: B-
Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23: "Bar Lies..."
I'll say it again, watching a Season 1 episode was distracting because it robbed the show of any narrative momentum. That said, I did get a few chuckles thanks to JVDB's DwtS stint and Chloe renting out his apartment while he was gone. GRADE: C+
Wednesday
Arrow: "Year's End"
Copycat plots can be interesting, and I actually liked what Arrow did with the trope, but it could've gone on a bit longer in spite of the fact that it was obvious who the dark archer was. So, I guess I should be thankful that the show did not unnecessarily string the audience along, but it could've been better executed. GRADE: B-
American Horror Story: Asylum: "The Coat Hanger"
After a crazy-bananas Christmas episode, AHS slowed things down by its standards with "The Coat Hanger" which didn't work as well as its predecessor but had its interesting moments. The idea of Sister Jude being captive in her own asylum could be interesting, as could Lana's miraculously unaborted baby. That said, present day Bloody Face hasn't captured the imagination just yet. GRADE: B-
Thursday
The Vampire Diaries: "O Come, All Ye Faithful"
As always, there were things I liked about this episodes and things I didn't. I'm still on board with the idea of Jeremy as a hunter and the possibilities that go along with Damon being his guide, but I dislike Elena so much at this point that I'm actually rooting for her brother to take her out. With no Elena, that means Stefan and Caroline can finally be together. Speaking of Caroline, why should I care about her and either Klaus or Tyler at this point. As for them, I still don't get why the hybrids are so important. GRADE: B-
Glee: "Glee, Actually"
Over the years, Glee's Christmas episodes have been a mixed bag, and while "Glee, Actually" was an improvement it still wasn't the show's best effort. Admittedly, I liked the Artie and Puckerman vignettes more than I should have, and the Sam/Brittany and Marley/Sue stuff was inoffensive in spite of the silliness, but the NYC story ruined the entire thing for me. GRADE: C+
Elementary: "The Leviathan"
Everyone knows that I'm a sucker for heists, so having Sherlock figure out how to break into a impenetrable safe was fun. I could've done without some of the cliched family scenes involving Watson, but overall it was a decent enough episode. GRADE: B-
Even though I didn't hate "Diamond in the Rough" as much as previous Modern Family episodes, I'm sticking to my promise to refrain from writing about the show. Like I said before, if it gets appreciably better, then I might add it back to the rotation, but for now I'm OK with taking a break from Modern Family.
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