Episode Review: HAPPY ENDINGS, "In the Heat of the Noche" and "The Straight Dope"

After two months off the air, Happy Endings debuted in its newest Friday night timeslot with two decent enough episodes in "In the Heat of the Noche" and "The Straight Dope."

In the first episode, Brad roped in Jane, Alex and Dave to help save the kiddie gym he works at to keep it from closing while Penny and Max tried to avoid texting their significant others by taking illegal cough syrup that knocked them out for an insane amount of hours.

During "The Straight Dope," Alex decided to better herself by replacing her trash TV and tabloids with scholarly books and newspapers after being teased for her tastes in entertainment, but her new-found intelligence impacted her relationships with Dave and Jane since she was now smarter than them. Meanwhile, Max started dating a woman named Katie (Abby Elliott) so he could go to Bulls games and other events.

Admittedly, neither episode stood out from a story perspective because they both focused too much on what makes these characters unlikable like Penny and Max drugging themselves in order to have the "power" in their relationships, and Jane and Dave wanting dumb Alex back so they could feel good about themselves. Sure, they all learned some sort of lesson at the end, but none of them came off looking swell when it was all said and done. All of that said, there were some good jokes here and there, and "Noche" did give us the chance to watch Dave sing about fecal matter and Alex temporarily run a sweatshop. Unfortunately, "Straight Dope" was lighter on laughs, but I did get a kick out of Penny exposing Max as a fraud.

Other Odds and Ends:

• Props for the Requiem for a Dream homages.
• "The Power of Love"
• A Face/Off reference too!
• I actually found Abby Elliott cute and charming, but to be fair I didn't know who she was until she guested on How I Met Your Mother and that show didn't do her any favors at all.
• Are the writers trying to turn Dave into the biggest d-bag on television? If so, success.

While "In the Heat of the Noche" and "The Straight Dope" were not the strongest Happy Endings outings and probably didn't convince those looking for Tim Allen to stick around, it was nice to have the show back, and here's hoping that ABC was serious about its "Save Happy Endings" campaign... or TBS steps in.

Quick Thoughts: GO ON, "Matchup Problems"

You'd think that a Ryan and Anne heavy episode would be a slam dunk, but "Matchup Problems" didn't gel enough for me.

Maybe I just have to admit that I do not find Courteney Cox funny because she added next to nothing as Talia. I guess it was nice to see Monica and Chandler on the same screen again, but whatever chemistry they had on Friends was absent this time around. You could've placed any other actress in that role and it would've played the same. Pretty disappointing.

Yolanda's B-plot was just odd, and even Lauren couldn't save it. It's been pretty clear that Lauren and the guy from Perfect Couples were doomed, so her flirting with some random dude via webcam had zero impact. That said, I'm glad that she's in to Asian guys because that's combination you rarely see on television nowadays. Go Team Lauren... or is it Team Steven.

So, "Matchup Problems" was a swing and a miss, but you can't blame them for stunt casting. Hopefully it'll work better the next time they try it.

Quick Thoughts: NEW GIRL, "Chicago"

There was a lot to like about "Chicago," but there were also a few hiccups that kept me from loving this episode.

Good stuff first, I pretty much loved everything that involved Nick deal with the death of his father and how Jess tried to be there for him. Admittedly, it felt like it was too soon for Jess to help Nick handle his grief but it all worked because of the right combo of silly and sweet. Add Mags Bennett, and it's golden.

On the other hand, I could've done without most of the Schmidt and Winston nonsense. To be fair, I didn't mind Winston especially when he lost it during the funeral, but Schmidt's become so cartoonish over the last couple of episodes that he's more insufferable than usual. Oddly enough though, I would've liked their subplot more if Winston was the one scared of death because it would have at least been some sort of character development, but Max Greenfield needed all of the physical comedy bits so he was tapped.

From a Nick and Jess standpoint, "Chicago" was great and one of my favorite episodes, but it also had too much Schmidt-iness at the same time. So close.

Episode Review: JUSTIFIED, "Peace of Mind"

After last week's phenomenal episode, Justified slowed things down and spun its wheels ever so slightly with "Peace of Mind" which was clearly a table-setting installment prepping the audience for next week's season finale.

Now that Drew Thompson's in custody, the hunt for Ellen May was on because he would not cooperate with the feds unless she was safe. Since she was the key to everything, the Marshals, Boyd and the Detroit mobsters were all on her trail which led them to Noble's Holler, Johnny's bar, Nicky Kush's place, and finally Cassie's church. Everything culminated in a face-off between Ava and Ellen May (with Colt and Cassie looking on), but the future Mrs. Crowder couldn't pull the trigger. It looked like Colt was called up to do the deed when Tim showed up and took him out once and for all. When it was all said and done, Drew and Ellen May were reunited while Detroit shifted its focus onto Winona.

Honestly, last week's episode was so riveting that I completely forgot about Ellen May and how important she's been to this entire season. And while it was nice to revisit her and some other stray threads that were introduced earlier on in the run, "Peace of Mind" couldn't keep up with its predecessor. That's not to say it was a bad episode because it had some strong moments like Limehouse talking some sense into Ava, and her realizing that she might not be cut out for this new life of her's. Even the wild goose chase had some entertaining bits, but it also felt like we were traveling on a well-worn path since most of this season's dealt with Raylan and Boyd looking for someone. Adequate but far from great.

Other Odds and Ends:

• Natalie Zea was back, and her brief appearance made me hope that her Following character doesn't survive so she can come back to Justified... assuming Winona makes it past the finale.
• I could watch Raylan and Art fight all day.
• I've come around on Limehouse over these last couple of episodes, and that's something I never thought I'd admit to after last season.
• Am I the only one who was expecting more from the Tim/Colton showdown?
• Also, why did Tim take Colton's sunglasses? Trophy? Sign of respect?
• Raylan: "Winona, I don't know shit about girls."
  Winona: "That it so sweet. Saying it like I don't already know."
• "C'mon, this is what we do. Did you not wake up this morning thinking today was another opportunity to mess up some bad guy's day? I did."

All-in-all, "Peace of Mind" was a decent enough episode albeit a few notches below "Decoy," but it did get me excited for the season finale, so I guess it was at least successful in that regard.

Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "If I Only Had a Raw Brain"

"If I Only Had a Raw Brain" had me splitting hairs once again because it had some good moments but was far from an all-time great.

I'm kind of over the Aidan and Kenny stuff, but I have to admit that I'm intrigued by the fact that Aidan's bite might do more harm than good. Elsewhere, I've been mostly lukewarm on Sally and Max, so I'm glad that they're over and excited that we're getting back to the witch and Ray's reanimated corpse. I could've done without her taking a bite out of Adian though. And I'm usually a fan of whatever Josh gets into, so I liked his spats with his sister and Aidan.

In the end, "If I Only Had a Raw Brain" was good enough but could have been better, and that's fine by me.

Episode Review: THE WALKING DEAD, "This Sorrowful Life"

Last week, The Walking Dead spent all of its time and energy on Andrea and Woodbury, and "This Sorrowful Life" was in some ways the spiritual sequel to "Prey" since it did the complete opposite and focused on the prison as it prepared what what's to come.

Rick decided to give Michonne to the Governor despite the fact that both Hershel and Daryl were not completely on board with the idea. For some reason, Rick thought that they needed a fourth, so he recruited Merle who agreed to go along since he figured Rick wouldn't have the stomach to sacrifice her. After Rick caught a glimpse Lori, he changed his mind but he was too late... Merle took it upon himself to deliver Michonne to the Governor. Daryl headed out after them.

While on the road towards Woodbury, Michonne had a heart to heart with Merle and tried to convince him that they could just go back to the prison even though they're both clearly outsiders. It looked like she got to him because he let her go but continued on to the meet-up. Before showing up, he lured some walkers and used them to ambush the Woodbury militia. During the chaos, he took out some of the armed men, and had his sights on the Governor and was going to take him out once and for all, but the kid from Tyreese's group got in the way. Martinez and the Governor were able to find Merle's location, and they worked him over until the Governor went truly nuts and bit off his fingers before shooting him.

As Merle led a one-man assault on Woodbury, Daryl ran into Michonne who told him that his brother let her go and he was alive. The younger Dixon continued his search and insisted that Michonne not let anyone come after him. Unfortunately, he didn't make it time and Daryl had to put down the zombiefied version of Merle. Meanwhile, Michonne made it back to the prison and Rick saw her in his scope as she walked up to the gates.

I'll be honest, I liked "This Sorrowful Life" a lot more than "Prey" because it had nothing to do with Andrea and had very little Woodbury. Since those two elements have been the weakest links this season, I'm all for taking a break from that side of of the story, and yet there were other things to like besides the absence of my least favorite character. We all knew that Rick wouldn't go through with sacrificing Michonne, but I still enjoyed those brief moments of doubt and watching his evolution as a leader. Also, I'm never going to complain about an episode that focuses on the Dixon brothers AND gives the characters some depth. All that said, I could've done without the Governor becoming a total monster.

Other Odds and Ends:

• In a minor C-plot, Glenn decided that he wanted to marry Maggie, and he asked for Hershel's blessing before ripping off a walker's fingers to get an engagement ring. She said yes after he placed the hopefully sanitized ring in her hand.
• Also, Rick finally came to his senses and realized that a dictatorship was not the way to go and installed a democratic system that allowed everyone to decide on how they wanted to live and die.
• With a show like The Walking Dead, someone's always going to die before the finale, but offing Merle was kind of a waste.
• That shot of Walker Merle's eyes before Daryl stabbed him in the head a bunch of times was haunting.
• That first conversation between Michonne and Rick is going to be awkward.

So, after a minor slip up The Walking Dead was back on track just in time for the season finale. Let's just hope it can stick the landing.

Episode Review: SPARTACUS: WAR OF THE DAMNED, "Separate Paths"

I knew that the last couple of Spartacus episodes were going to be nuts and that we were going to lose some beloved characters along the way, but I was not expecting what we got during "Separate Paths."

After months of debate, Crixus and Spartacus decided to part ways with the Gaul leading a band of rebels towards Rome while the Thracian shepherded the rest over the Alps to safety. Agron decided to side with Crixus, but pleaded Nasir to stay close to Spartacus, and Gannicus stayed with the Rebel King to make sure Sibyl stayed safe. The former gladiators had one last hurrah, which included another raid on a Roman villa, and heartfelt goodbyes were shared the following day.

Meanwhile, Camp Crassus was in disarray as Marcus reeled over Kore's betrayal. The Roman leader was not thinking clearly, which led to some questionable tactical decisions and him beating down his backer in the Senate, and Caesar tried to blackmail Tiberius into guiding his father in the right direction. When Caesar confronted the younger Crassus about why Kore left, Tiberius made it clear who was in charge by having his henchmen hold Caesar down while he forced himself onto his foe. When it was all said and done, Crassus was convinced to abandon his pursuit of Spartacus and point his forces towards Rome to assist with Crixus and his hoard.

Crixus and the others made a bloody path towards the capital, and were at the doorstep when a battle broke out. Crassus' legion showed up just in time, and Tiberius was responsible for taking down both Agron and Crixus. The latter was wounded yet still breathing when Crassus decided to make an example out of him by having his son behead the undefeated Gaul while Naevia watched.

For weeks now, I've been dreading the day when one of the main characters died, but honestly I didn't see Crixus falling before the series finale or him being taken out by Tiberius. That said, it was the perfect time for the Gaul to bow out especially since it occurred during such an emotional episode that highlighted everything that makes Spartacus special. From day one, this show's main themes have been love and brotherhood, and both were front and center during "Separate Paths," from Agron and Nasir to Crixus saying goodbye to Gannicus and Spartacus. Sure, not having Crixus around is going to be hard, but I'm sure his death will reverberate throughout the final two episodes and it will not have been in vain. It's just too bad Caesar wasn't at the other end of the sword.

Like the rest of the season, the Tiberius scenes did not quite resonate with me. I got that his assault on Caesar was supposed to makes us hate him even more, but he continues to be such a one-note villain that his actions lack any real punch. At the end of the day, Tiberius is nothing more than a spoiled child, and that's not enough to make him a reprehensible big bad. Thankfully, Caesar and Crassus have been formidable foes, and it's a shame that they're just toys in Tiberius' sand box at this point.

Other Odds and Ends:

• This Week in Shipping Spartacus: Castus continued flirting with Nasir, apparently Gannicus and Sibyl officially changed their relationship status on Facebook, and Spartacus and Laeta finally got it on.
• Speaking of Spartacus and Laeta, they were involved in a small but interesting subplot that included Kore being found out but the latter begging for mercy.
• Agron - Nasir = Heartbreak
• While I do think War of the Damned has been using its ten episodes efficiently, I do wish we had a few more so we could've seen Team Crixus on its own a bit longer.
• Seriously, Tiberius bested both Agron AND Crixus. Leave it to a disciple of Whedon to twist the knife.

Another strong hour as Spartacus comes to an end, and while it's not going to be the same without Crixus and Agron, I cannot help but feel that we're in for one heck of a ride over the last two episodes.

Quick Thoughts: COMMUNITY, "Economics of Marine Biology"

"Economics of Marine Biology" may not have resembled one of Community's "high-concept" episodes, but it was a decent enough outing that reminded me of the show's roots.

Now, I didn't love the main plot about the dean and Annie trying to land the slacker son of a rich guy because Pelton's right up there with Chang on my list of Community characters I could do without, but Britta's outrage made the whole thing tolerable. By far the highlight was Jeff's warming up to Pierce even though I'm bored with all of the daddy issues. Troy and Shirley's adventure in P.E.E. was harmless and it had its moments, as did Abed's fraternity running gag.

This one may not have been Community at its "best" but it was the show at its least off-putting which is fine by me.

Episode Review: GLEE, "Guilty Pleasures"

This week, Glee pushed the pause button on the Will/Emma/Finn drama and allowed the other characters indulge in their guiltiest of pleasures in an episode that was one of the better outings of the latter half of Season 4 but still paled in comparison to earlier attempts.

In Lima, Will's out sick so Blaine and Sam came up with "guilty pleasures" week as an assignment so the gleeks could open up to one another and build bonds before Regionals. It was also a way for Kitty to do some image rehabilitation by letting her guard down for a brief moment. For some reason we also got a lecture on Chris Brown, but that unpleasantness was counterbalanced with a great Blam storyline that allowed Blaine to open up about his feelings to Sam who was totally OK with them.

Meanwhile, Santana continued on her mission to open up Rachel's eyes about Brody but Kurt wanted to keep a lid on the truth since Miss Berry had so much on her plate. And for some reason he had a creepy sex doll which was only a chest and an arm. Of course, Santana couldn't keep her mouth shut for very long and she spilled the beans, which led to the break-up of Rachel and Brody.

I'm sure readers are getting tired of me complaining about NYC because I'm tired of harping on it, but the entire Rachel/Brody/Santana debacle was boring and it dragged the episode down a few pegs. I just do not care about these characters anymore or about their adventures in the big city, and it's too bad that we're probably in store for more of these tone deaf plotlines if Glee continues on for another season. After everything I've put up with, that would probably be the final straw.

On the flipside, I got a kick out of the Lima stuff (except for the unnecessary Chris Brown debate) mostly because it centered around a relationship that I do care about: Blaine and Sam. Pairing these two up was by far the best development of Season 4, and I'm glad that we got more of it as the year winds down. Plus, we got another episode of "Fondue for Two" which finally took a step towards humanizing Kitty. Fun stuff all around.

Other Odds and Ends:

• I love it that Sam's a pasta art savant.
• Sam called out Tina for vapo-raping Blaine! Nice!
• Has Glee ever done a pure '80s pop episode yet that wasn't dedicated to one artist?
• Sam coming out of the Fanilow closet was some of the best stuff this show's done this season.
• Blaine should always play the piano while singing.
• I wish Jake stuck to his guns and sang Chris Brown or was at least aware of the fact that Bobby Brown was just as bad.
• What was with the random Small Wonder shout-out?
• The breath mint gag was the biggest laugh of the season.
• At least it wasn't as out of nowhere as "Mamma Mia."
• Musical Highlights: "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" and "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)"
• "You shut your mouth!"

"Guilty Pleasures" may not have been the best episode of the season, but it was mostly fun and entertaining and sometimes that's enough. Count it.

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Quick Thoughts: THE NEW NORMAL, "Blood, Sweat and Fears"

The New Normal continues to be a show that I sorta like but want to love, and "Blood, Sweat and Fears" didn't really help its case.

Before, I've said that this show's better when it jumps off its soap box and focuses on the family aspects. By that logic, I should've really enjoyed the episode because it had zero politically commentary and a lot of Bryan and David coming to terms with fatherhood. The thing is, most of the half-hour fell flat. Bryan not having the stomach to be in the delivery room was too convenient, as was the rally to arms moment when David had to deliver someone else's kid. It all felt very cliched in my opinion, and Rocky's sub-plot about being in over her head didn't break the mold either.

I guess I liked the bits involving Goldie renting space to start up her own store because it was some much needed plot development for someone this show's forgotten, but the fact that she's been mostly a prop for the majority of the season meant that the last shot of her opening the door to her new space for the first time didn't have the impact it should have. If The New Normal gets picked up for a second season, Adler and Murphy need to figure out what to do with Goldie and fast... but I thought the same thing about Quinn years ago.

I guess in the end, "Blood, Sweat and Fears" wasn't an offensive bad episode of television. It was just kind of a bore, and sometimes that's an even worse transgression.

Quick Thoughts: NEW GIRL, "Quick Hardening Caulk"

I don't know if "Quick Hardening Caulk" was "good" episode of New Girl, but it was definitely one of the funniest.

First off, I'm loving the approach that the writers are taking with Jess and Nick. Part of their charm's how different they are and how they annoy yet arouse each other, so her getting all tingly because he actually put effort into being a better man was gold, as was her rattling off a list of sexually suggestive hardware items. Heck, even having them give in momentarily worked when it probably shouldn't have. That said, as much as I dig Zooey Deschanel, Odette Annable's some serious competition.

The Schmidt/Winston bits didn't work as well for me because I'm still over the idea of him being with Cece, so him misplacing his emotions onto a fish didn't work in my opinion. Thankfully, there was that great scene between Winston and Cece when he asked her to back off for a bit since it was destroying his friend. Good stuff from both Lamorne Morris and Hannah Simone.

Like I said, "Quick Hardening Caulk" will not go down as one of the greatest New Girl episodes ever, but it had me in stitches and that's all that matters.

Quick Thoughts: GO ON, "Go For The Gold Watch"

I know that Go On was only off for a week, but it felt like it's been forever since it's been on, and thankfully "Go For The Gold Watch" was a decent offering.

This show's taken a much need upswing ever since the Simone arc ended because it's allowed Ryan to reconnect with the rest of the group. His intervention with Danny and Sonia was one of those sweeter storylines that a show like Go On can hit out of the park, and it did especially at the end as he comforted a heartbroken cat lady. It's these kind of moments that I watch this show for, not stunt casted love interests, but it looks like we're in for a doozy now that Monica's going to reunite with Chandler. Another highlight: T.O.

Everything going on around Ryan, Danny, and Sonia was more hit and miss. For one, I never thought about the pairing up Lauren with Steven since the show telegraphed her hooking up with Ryan from the beginning, but I can get on board with this one since it allows Ryan to end up with Carrie for a few episodes. Unfortunately, we got another Mr. K heavy story that just didn't work for me even though it was an excuse for Anne and Owen to team up.

All-in-all, "Go For The Gold Watch" had things that Go On does well along with stuff it doesn't which I'm totally fine with.

Episode Review: JUSTIFIED, "Decoy"

Things on Justified are steamrolling along now that the Drew Thompson mystery is over, and "Decoy" was easily the best episode of the season if not the past couple of years.

It's up to the U.S. Marshals to get Shelby/Drew Thompson out of Harlan County before the Detroit mob killed him. This conundrum led the feds pulling out all of the stops, which included a fake caravan led by Tim and Art that was ambushed by Colt while Givens and Rachel moved Shelby from place to place. Meanwhile, the Crowders decided to stand their ground and work for Theo Tonin rather than run, so it was up to Boyd to figure out how to find Drew before it was too late. Since he knew Raylan so well, he was able to pin point every stop they made. Unfortunately for the bad guys, they were not expecting Constable Bob to show up and prove his worth by taking a beating AND figuring out a way to get Drew out of town. When it was all said and done, Shelby/Drew was riding the rails out of Harlan with Rachel leaving Boyd and the mob empty handed.

There were so many things to like about this episode from Bob taking on one of Tonin's henchmen to the good guys outsmarting the villains at the very end, but by far the most entertaining parts had to do with the cat-and-mouse nature of the action between Raylan and Boyd and their constant one-up-manship. It's these kind of moments that make you realize how special this show truly is. Of course, the back and forth between Tim and Colt was also amazing and made all of the build up worth while, and we all know there's another epic showdown between the two of them to look forward to. Amazing stuff all around.

Other Odds and Ends:

• Seriously, how badass was Bob?
• Mike O'Malley was back as Nicky Augustine and did a wonderful job harassing Ava about her line of work, which was deflated by Johnny's deception and declaration of love. It's amazing that this is the same guy who plays Burt Hummel. Talk about range.

With only two episodes left, it looks like Justified's been able to refocus itself long enough to put its best foot forward and I cannot wait to see how the season ends.

Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "For Those About to Rot"

"For Those About to Rot" was one of those Being Human episodes that had me torn. On one hand, most of the Josh and Sally stuff worked, but then there was too many Aidan flashbacks which have been largely problematic this season.

I've slowly gotten on board with Sally's zombie arc this year, and one reason why I warmed to it was the additions of Nick and Stevie. By bringing those two in, it gave Sally more notes to play and Meaghan Rath has yet to disappoint. On top of it all, we got some great moments between Sally and Josh, which have felt few and far between, and the cold truth that the entire supernatural world rests on his shoulders. The only part of Josh's story that I didn't care for was the vampires feeding on Pete, but that's mostly because I started to like the hippie wolf. At least it's bound to cause even more friction between Josh, Nora, and Aidan.

As for Aidan, I'm growing tired of all of the flashbacks even though they do shed some more light on his character. I guess I just don't care about his old life at the expense of his current one. Also, I'm not quite sure I understand his whole blackout episodes just yet, but I'm sure they'll all make sense sooner or later. Honestly though, he's far more interesting when he's fighting off Liam than dealing with old ghosts.

I cannot say that I loved "Rot" because of some of the slower parts, but I'll gladly accept any episode that gives us good scenes between the roommates, and the Josh/Sally ones were top notch this time around.

Episode Review: THE WALKING DEAD, "Prey"

Nothing halts momentum more than focusing an entire episode around an unlikable character or people viewers barely know. Unfortunately, The Walking Dead did both in "Prey."

Andrea decided to finally kill the Governor after learning his true intentions for Michonne and the prison, but Milton talked her out of it and convinced her to leave and warn her friends. She made it over the wall, although she was confronted by Tyreese and Sasha, and was on her way until the Governor figured out that she left and went after her. He stalked her to an abandoned warehouse, and it looked like he bested her, but she unleashed a herd of biters that were trapped in a stairwell. She finally made it to the prison and was about to flag down Rick when the Governor grabbed her from behind. By episode's end, she was back in his clutches and tied up in a makeshift torture chamber while he continued to lie to everyone around him.

Meanwhile, Tyreese started to wonder about the Governor after he was warned by Andrea. In preparation for the meeting between Woodbury and the prison, the Governor asked Tyreese and his people to help Martinez with the task of collecting biters. Initially, Tyreese was not on board and refused to help, which caused added tension between him and Allen. While this new group of survivors were trying to do whatever they could to stay in Woodbury, someone torched the collected biters, but the Governor ruled out the newbies and set his sights on someone else.

Obviously, my biggest issue with "Prey" had to do with the fact that we were asked to care about these marginal characters all of a sudden. Granted, Andrea's not a marginal character, but more on her in a bit. Up until now, Tyreese and his people have been a group of random plot devices plopped in to further muddle up what was going on in the prison and pushed to the back burner once they decided to join the Governor. If the show had taken some more time to make them fully realized characters, then I would've responded better to watching Tyreese struggle with how things are done in Woodbury and his spat with the other guy, but right now he and his group feel like wasted potential.

As for Andrea, it's not a secret that I don't like her at all, so I'll admit that my enjoyment of this episode dropped a few notches when it became clear that it was going to be mostly about her and the Governor. Now, I'm sure that there are some Andrea fans out there who loved "Prey" and are tried of people like me bashing her, and I'm glad that they're in her corner. For me, she's just too far gone to be worthy of my sympathy or time. That said, the sequence involving the warehouse did have some genuinely creepy/scary moments, and it was a standout performance by Laurie Holden.

Other Odds and Ends:

• The episode opened up with a flashback that gave a glimpse of Andrea's time with Michonne, but it was too little, too late. That's something we should've seen months ago so we could actually care about their relationship.
• Either Milton's a horrible liar or there's more to him than we've been led to believe.
• Someone please kill Allen already.
• So, the Governor's pretty much a horror movie villain at this point?

Again, I admit that my biases towards Andrea and the lack of development of Tyreese and his group impacted my interest level in "Prey" and it's hard to be objective, but I can also acknowledge that there were some strong moments too... I just wish I cared more.

Episode Review: SPARTACUS: WAR OF THE DAMNED, "Mors Indecepta"

Spartacus has done it again. As the series winds down, Steven S. DeKnight and Company have amped up the drama and tension to make War of the Damned the strongest installment yet and one of the most enjoyable shows on TV right now.

Morale was low in the mountains as Spartacus and his band of rebels tried attacking the trench and wall to no avail. Things got even worse when more of Crassus' men showed up on the ridge, but many were ready to take the fight to the Romans. Spartacus was able to calm them down because the soldiers were not there to attack but to wait for their leader. After Crassus' lodging was erected, Spartacus decided to sneak in and kill him in his sleep, but it turned out to be a trap because the only thing in the tent was Donar's corpse. Another skirmish broke out, and Naevia was injured, but everyone was able to escape. The misstep caused Crixus to doubt Spartacus even more, and the simmering tension finally boiled over, and the two traded blows. Meanwhile, a storm was brewing, and Sibyl partook in a prayer circle as others made preparations. Once the blizzard moved in, Gannicus and Sibyl were separated from the others yet again after he trekked out to find her. Luckily, there were able to find shelter and you can imagine what happened next.

Back at Camp Crassus, the imperator decided to reinstate Tiberius since his son had proven himself over the last couple of days. Sinuessa was even promised to Tiberius after Spartacus was crushed, and Kore would be stationed there with him. After Kore overheard an argument between Tiberius and Caesar, she approached the latter to see if they could create an alliance to take down their common foe. Caesar decided to take Kore to the Roman encampment on the ridge so she could talk to Crassus. Before she was able to tell Marcus the truth, he made it clear that he'd forgive his son for pretty much any transgression, so she figured that she was doomed and fled in the middle of the night to join Spartacus.

When the storm passed, Gannicus and Sibyl reunited with their comrades, but she was distraught because those she was praying with froze to death along with nearly a thousand others. Spartacus tried to comfort her by saying that their deaths were the key to their survival. It finally dawned on the Thracian that Crasssus' moves were built on deception, and he assumed that the Romans manning the wall were few in number. His next move was to fill the trench with dead bodies and take the wall. His assumption proved right, and the rebels once again evaded Crassus.

The brilliance of War of the Damned has to do with the fact that every episode's chock full of tension because any of these beloved characters could die at any time. Sure, that sounds like a clichéd and easy tactic, but DeKnight's been able to use it well over these last couple of hours. Every Friday, I find myself on the edge of my seat hoping that Gannicus doesn't die because he's too busy taking care of Sibyl, or cringing at the thought of Agron falling before he makes up with Nasir. And I logically know that these events will not happen until the last handful of episodes, but the writers have done a great job at building this type of suspense to the point where I'm happily freaking out on a weekly basis.

Now truthfully, War of the Damned's not perfect and it has its creakier bits. Right now, the prime example of what this show's not doing well is the Tiberius and Kore drama. I know that what he's done to her was supposed to be the unforgivable act that cemented him as the evilest of villains, but he's such a poorly written character that it all comes off as lazy. Obviously, the spoiled child's going to lash out at those closest to him when he doesn't get his way. OK, that may not have been fair since he did have to kill his best friend, but his actions up until now have been too cartoonish to take seriously. As for her, the scene where she hesitated to tell Marcus about how his son raped her had me screaming at my television because it made no sense whatsoever. Yes, it was supposed to set up her joining Spartacus, but it was unbelievable and such a stall tactic that it was just annoying.

As for the rest of the episode, all of the internal strife that exists in Camp Sparty is getting a little repetitive  namely the rift between the Thracian and Crixus, but I can let all of that slide because it's at least building towards something interesting unlike what's going on between Tiberius and Kore (the animosity between him and Caesar's a whole other story). Ditto for the would be love triangle between Agron, Nasir and Castus, but hopefully that's behind us. It's just a shame that we're in for another one now that Gannicus gave into Sibyl's advances. I know it's starting to sound like I was down on this episode, but I really wasn't. It was mostly solid from start to finish, and I'm just nitpicking at this point.

Other Odds and Ends:

• Don't ever call Crixus a coward.
• Laeta didn't let her wounds keep her from flirting and snuggling up with Spartacus. I just hope she's not playing him and is in league with Crassus.
• Poor Saxa, but she ain't no fool. Gannicus is going to be in trouble.
• Is it wrong that I'm rooting for Caesar at this point? I'm sure that's by design, but cheering for such a smarmy a-hole makes me feel dirty.
• "Do not fucking cast that look."

Spartacus has been able to keep emotions high and the storytelling strong over the course of its final run, which is a blessing since so many shows limp to the finish line. With only three episodes left, it doesn't look like Spartacus will be whimpering out as it meets its glorious death, and fans will undoubtedly benefit because of it.

Quick Thoughts: COMMUNITY, "Advanced Documentary Filmmaking"

I know that a lot of people have been complaining about how Community's not the same this season, but for the first time I thought that a Season 4 episode reminded me of the show's former self and not in a good way.

Personally, I thought that Community started to go south the minute Dan Harmon decided to make Chang a main character and centered episodes around him. Time after time, Chang heavy outings were my least favorite, so I pretty much hated everything about "Advanced Documentary Filmmaking" and it reminded me of when I used to wonder what people saw in this show to begin with. If I had to pick a positive, I'd go with Annie and Troy pretending to be detectives because I like that pairing and Donald Glover's the only reason I'm still watching at this point.

So very, very bad.

Episode Review: GLEE, "Feud"

Since everyone's fighting on Glee, I expected an over-dramatic episode (which it was), but I have to admit that there were a few a moments that I enjoyed, so I guess I cannot complain.

Much like this week's Justified, there were so many "feuds" going on, that I figured it'd be easier to break everything down by match-up.

Will vs. Finn
Will's still upset because Finn kissed Emma, and he took the petty route by making Finn do grunt work and making him jealous by praising Ryder. Of course, the only way to handle the tension was to sing about it, so New Directions assigned them to sing songs from famous musical rivals. At first, Finn just wanted to talk things out, but Will wasn't having it and delivered a low-blow by admitting that he only let Finn take over New Directions because he pitied him. The sing-off was on, and it was Backstreet Boys vs. N'Sync, but Will still wasn't ready to forgive Finn, so the latter decided to leave McKinley once and for all. As Finn gathered his stuff, Marley came by to say thank you before laying some hard truth on Mr. Hudson. She told him that he's a born leader who doesn't need to prove anything to Schue, and she even planted the idea that he should become a teacher.

Now, this is going to sound disingenuous  but I've been kicking around the idea of Finn becoming a teacher since he returned to Lima, and I think this could be the best move Glee could make. He's been Will's successor since the early days of the show, and his guidance made watching New Directions fun again. If this show's built for the long-haul (which I don't think it is, but that's for another day), then Finn becoming a teacher and taking over glee club down the line's a natural fit. Sure, it has a Screech goes back to Bayside feel to it, but they've already introduced the idea, so why not go full blast. As for the feud itself, I get why Will's mad but I just don't care at the point because he's kind of worn out his welcome (and that's coming from a longtime Will supporter). The sooner he's written out and Finn takes over, the better.

Ryder vs. Unique & Jake
In the card's handicap match, Ryder not only had to make things right with Jake for kissing Marley, but he also had to smooth things over with Unique since he messed with her girl and was insensitive towards her identity. You see, Ryder couldn't accept Unique as a girl since she's biologically a boy, and made a fuss of it after their feud assignment. Thankfully, he learned his lesson due to a mystery girl he met online and he asked Unique, Jake and Marley for forgiveness. It looked like things were going to be OK, but Unique came clean about being harrassed by some mean girls, and the calvary (including Kitty for some reason) circled the wagons around her.

Honestly, the writers are not doing Blake Jenner any favors by blatantly making him Finn 2.0/Will 3.0 because it robs him of being a character on his own. Heck, he they even had him playing a ukulele AND the drums during this episode. It doesn't get any more overt than that. And the fact that Murphy and Co. are making him a copy of a copy wasn't even the worst of it because Glee once again admitted that it hates "nice" guys by having Ryder be a jerk to Unique after he kissed his boy's girlfriend. So annoying! That said, I am intrigued by his mystery girl and fingers crossed that she turns out to be The Glee Project's Nellie.

Santana vs. Brody
In spite of all the evidence that Santana found that pointed to Brody being a drug dealer, Rachel was still not willing to believe her even though she wasn't sure how she felt about him. Since it's Santana, she refused to give up until everyone saw things her way, so she confronted him at NYADA and busted out some Paula Abdul. This bold move didn't go over well with Rachel and Kurt, so they kicked her out, but she got her revenge by exposing his secret life as a gigolo and called Finn in to beat him up.

I'm just going to say it; this Brody storyline is the worst thing Glee's ever come up with and that's saying something. First off, he's still not a fleshed-out character and has pretty much been a plot device since the start of the season. Now, usually I wouldn't care about his insignificance, but the show thinks his presence means more than it really does, and it's getting annoying. Honestly, I'm not going to care when Rachel breaks up with him... at all. And it's kind of a shame because Rachel being with someone else should've been interesting, but leave it to this group of writers to completely miss the boat. Back to Santana, I'd like to think that she's out of the loft for good but we cannot be that lucky. And when did Finn join the C.I.A. because his random appearance in NYC was some serious Homeland stuff.

Blaine vs. Sue
Sue needed Blaine to be in the Cheerios, so she blackmailed him into re-joining by pulling out a fake contract that he signed or something. Obviously, with it being feud week they had their own sing-off. This time it was Mariah Carey vs. Nicky Minaj. Somehow Sue won, so Blaine was forced to be on the Cheerios, but it turned out that he and Sam had planned it so he could take Sue down from the inside.

At first, I really hated this particular sub-plot because it made absoutley no sense whatsoever. Now, I know that I shouldn't expect Glee to make any sense after some of the stunts it's pulled, but I can usually suspend disbelief long enough to just go with it. I wasn't able to this time around because Sue feuding with Blaine was so out of nowhere that I couldn't compute. Yet, the swerve at the end salvaged the entire thing even though I don't understand Sam and Blaine's motivation at this point, but I can let that slide.

Other Odds and Ends:

• Even though I'm not loving the spat between Will and Finn, the scene where Will took a verbal swipe at Finn was brutal and definitely the highlight of the episode.
• I'm shocked that took Glee this long to get to "Cold Hearted."
• Another high point: Finn and Marley. That's a bond I wish we had spent more time on, and hopefully this wasn't it for them.
• What was with that dream sequence involving an actual fight between Finn and Will? It was just odd.
• I liked how the episode hung a lampshade on the fact that the newbies will be the future of New Directions, and I'd much rather have them be the focus of Season 5 than an all New York season.
• Can we get away from the cheerleaders threatening to deny their true feelings in the real world? It's just lazy.
• Finn's "future wife" bit was too much.
• "Dude, you really need to grow a pair."

I'll admit that some of the good will that Season 4 cultivated early on has been spent, and these last couple of episodes are largely to blame, but I'm still entertained by Glee at the end of the day. Yes, "Feud" wasn't the show's best effort, but I got a kicked out of some of it, and I'm OK with that for now.

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Episode Review: JUSTIFIED, "Get Drew"

Now that Shelby's true identity has been revealed, the manhunt for Drew Thompson was on in the appropriately titled "Get Drew."

Since there are like six different entities trying to find Drew Thompson, I figured it'd be easier to sum up what each camp did individually. Let's hope this makes some sense.

Shelby and Ellen May
Now that his cover's been blown, Shelby made it a priority to get out of town ASAP, and Ellen May wanted to go with him but he couldn't stand getting her involved, so he gave her some money and took off. He was on his way to freedom when he saw a stray dog walking the streets, and that caused a change of heart, so he went back for Ellen May. The two tried to head to Mexico, but all of their avenues out of Harlan were compromised, so she suggested they seek sanctuary from Limehouse in Nobles Holler rather than give themselves up.

The U.S. Marshals
Raylan and Rachel took point on finding Drew, which took them to a small airfield where Shelby kept his plane, but the fugitives smelled something fishy so they kept going. Givens was smart enough to figure out Drew's second escape plan, but Thompson never showed up, and then it dawned on him that the key was finding Ellen May. Off to the whorehouse where they bumped into a bitter Cousin Johnny.

Johnny Crowder and Wynn Duffy
Since Johnny's been holding a grudge ever since Boyd stole the family business from under him, he thought it'd be a good idea to get into bed with the Dixie Mafia and Detroit. After telling Wynn that he knew who Drew really was but didn't know how to find him, he was assigned to do the legwork in Harlan to get his hands on the man. When Raylan and Rachel showed up at Audrey's, he vented his frustrations and decided to work with the feds.

Boyd and Ava
The Crowders were still on the lookout for Drew and Ellen May so they could get in good with Theo Tonin and cover Ava's tracks since she killed the guy who ran the whorehouse before her. Before Delroy, Audrey's was operated by guy named Nicky Kush, and he had a friendly relationship with Ellen May. Boyd and his thugs paid Nicky a little visit, and after the threat of torture, he blurted out that Ellen May would go to Limehouse for protection if needed.

Limehouse
Drew and Ellen May made their way to Nobles Holler, and he tried to strike a deal to keep Ellen May safe while he continued to run. Unfortunately, the money he was offering wasn't enough to cover what Limehouse owed to his customers, so he decided to give Drew up for a bounty. As luck would have it, Ava showed up looking for Ellen May, and Limehouse agreed to sell the two of them to Boyd for $150,000 a piece. Crowder then called Nicky Augustine and haggled for a price tag of $500,000 for Thompson. Once Boyd showed up in Nobles, Limehouse changed the deal and said the $300,000 would only buy one of them. After deliberating with Ava, the Crowders picked Shelby over Ellen May since he was vital to their future.

Dénouement
Before dropping off Thompson in a field for Augustine, Johnny alerted Raylan. The marshals showed up just as Nicky's chopper was about to land, so Tonin's henchman took off, thus leaving Shelby in the hand's of the U.S. government. As word spread that Thompson was in custody, everyone involved got spooked and figured out how to evade the wrath of Theo Tonin.

While I usually don't waste too much time writing elaborate recaps, I felt it was necessary to do so this time around since there was so much plot to get through and all of the twists and double crosses didn't help either. In spite of the fact that there was too much going on, which has become a point of contention for many this season, I still thought "Get Drew" was an entertaining episode. Admittedly, watching everyone try to outsmart one another did get a little tiresome after a while, but there was enough tension and anticipation that I didn't mind in the end. Plus, it was a great episode for Art, but I cannot help but think that his time's almost up.

My only gripe about the episode was at the end when everyone became instantly terrified about what Theo Tonin was going to do now, and he somehow became the big bad of the season. Now, I'm willing to go with it because the idea of the major antagonist being someone we haven't even seen yet this season has a compelling quality to it, but everyone's reactions were a bit much.

Other Odds and Ends:

• And we're back to the sexual tension involving Raylan and Rachel.
• Art's rant about how Shelby's a badass was beyond brilliant.
• This is probably sacrilegious to admit, but I didn't miss Limehouse one bit.
• "You should've been on the other side with me and your daddy. Oh, you'd still be able to shoot people and be an asshole. Your two favorite activities, except you'd be a rich asshole."
• "It's pretty badass."
• "Yeah, let's go find a whore."

Messiness aside, "Get Drew" was still a fun, thrill ride of an episode, and a good addition to the larger season. I'm sure it wasn't everyone's cup of tea, and that's fine, but I've appreciated the Drew Thompson mystery for what it's been and I'm excited to see where things go from here.

Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "Of Mice and Wolfmen"

Being Human kept chugging along with another solid episode that had me liking Sally's season-long arc for the first time in a while.

For most of the season, I've felt that Sally's reincarnation has been another aimless story that she was stuck in, but I did start warming up to the idea of her as a sentient zombie but I don't know why exactly. I suppose part of it has to do with the fact that characters like Zoe, Nick, and Stevie are being brought back into the fold. Usually, I'm for less characters taking up valuable screen time, but I'm hoping that they'll add some extra layers to what Sally's going through.

While, I liked Sally's story more than I have in the past, Aidan's ongoing feud with Liam once again was the highlight even though it was a little clunky at times. As soon as Aidan was infected, the question of how the writers were going to get themselves out of this corner popped into my head, and for a second I thought they were really going to kill him off which would've been bold. Instead, we got the magically wolf's blood immunization, which felt like a cheat but I was ultimately OK with it. Thankfully, Josh and Nora did most of the heavy lifting, and while I'm glad she made up with Aidan, I liked the idea of him vs. her for the run of the season. And then there was Pete, who could be a nice addition assuming they don't make him a bad guy in the end (resurrected Ray?).

So, "Of Mice and Wolfmen" was not as flawless as previous episodes, but there were enough twists to keep me entertained and it kept the season humming along, so it's all good in the end.

Episode Review: THE WALKING DEAD, "Arrow on the Doorpost"

It seems like I write an awful lot about balance when putting together these Walking Dead recaps, and that's because this show in particular needs to fine tune its episodes for them to be effective. Last week's standout episode, "Clear," was a good example of everything just clicking, but I knew that it was an exception, and "Arrow on the Doorpost" temporarily halted the progress the season's made unfortunately.

The majority of the episode focused on a sit-down between Rick and the Governor, which was orchestrated by Andrea, while everyone left at the prison tried to keep Merle on a short leash since he felt the need to chase after his brother who accompanied Rick. After some posturing and exposition, the Governor tried to strike a deal with Rick: Woodbury would leave the prion alone if Rick gave up Michonne. Rather than divulge the truth, Rick prepped his people for war, and the Governor revealed his plan to kill everyone anyway. But Rick was not completely devoid of emotion because he came clean to Hershel hoping that the old man would talk him out of serving up Michonne.

On paper, everything that transpired during "Arrow" should have really captivating and exciting, but the episode stumbled when it came to execution. In a lot of ways, it once again exposed The Walking Dead's weaknesses because it relied too much on dialogue, rants about surviving in this new world, and weak characters. Now, it could easily be argued that "Clear" did the exact same thing, but at least it packed an emotional punch that was lacking in "Arrow." On top of it all, there was also an absence of action and tension. Sure, we got a zombie-killing pissing contest between Daryl and Martinez, but it wasn't enough.

Other Odds and Ends:

• I'll say it again, The Walking Dead is at its best when no one talks, and the opening where Rick, Daryl and Hershel arrived at the meeting was by far the highlight of the episode.
• Honestly, I probably would've liked this episode more if it had less Andrea.
• Maybe I'm giving the writers too much credit, but I did appreciate how the representations of each camp's psyche were paired up: Rick and the Governor (ego), Hershel and Milton (super-ego), and Daryl and Martinez (id).
• I was seriously crushing on Beth before, but her firing a gun in the air to stop Glenn and Merle's fight cemented my love for her. She's at least 18, right? I hope so because I don't want to sound all pervy.
• Speaking of pervy, Glenn and Maggie. That's all I'll say.
• Andrea picking Woodbury over the prion was a clear indication that she's up to something.
• As for scheming, Rick just needs to tell Michonne what's what so she can be apart of the plan to take the Governor down.

I'll admit that I'm probably being too harsh on "Arrow on the Doorpost" because it wasn't able to follow-up "Clear" in an equally mesmerizing fashion, but The Walking Dead's in the homestretch and it needs to finish strong, and this episode just wasn't at this show's highest level in my opinion. Maybe it can rebound next week.

Episode Review: SPARTACUS: WAR OF THE DAMNED, "Spoils of War"

Man, Spartacus is pulling out all of the stops as the final season makes its way towards the finish line, and "Spoils of War" was a fine follow-up to last week's roller coaster ride.

Agron, Saxa, and a rebel named Donar were able to escape the Roman onslaught at the main gate and rejoin the others. Spartacus made the call to retreat, but it was clear that they did not have enough time to abandon Sinuessa, so Gannicus and Donar volunteered to stay behind to buy the rest some time. While Gannicus and Donar were causing distractions, and bumping into Sibyl, Crassus had taken the city and summoned Laeta to join him. At first, he wanted to get an understanding of his enemy, and Laeta was a natural source since she spent so much time with Spartacus, but then he revealed that she was sold to Heracleo for his services.

After the pirate branded his new property at Attius' shop, Gannicus and Sibyl showed up to save the day, and they used a seal Crassus gave Heracleo for safe passage to get them through the city, but they ran into Caesar who knew something was off. Another skirmish broke out, and Laeta was wounded, but the rebels were able to get away. Gannicus, Sibyl, and Laeta made it to the new camp in the mountains, but Spartacus had to break the news that Crassus ensured that they could not pass by digging trenches and building walls.

Elsewhere, Tiberius continued to torture Kore while he organized a celebration in Caesar's honor, which culminated in showdown between an imprisoned Donar and the future Roman dictator. The ex-slave put up quite a fight before killing himself to rob Caesar of the satisfaction.

If you think about it, an episode of Spartacus that barely had the Thracian in it shouldn't really work, but "Spoils of War" was successful because it smartly focused on Gannicus, who has been one of the best developed character this franchise has ever had. Sure, someone like Crixus has been there since the beginning, but he's largely the same person we met during Blood and Sand, whereas Gannicus has grown by leaps and bounds since Gods of the Arena, and that's due to Dustin Clare's amazing portrayal. I was initially skeptical when Sibyl was added to the mix since it felt like the writers were pushing that particular romance, but they did have some great scenes together, so I was able to deal. That said, I'm still pulling for a big brother/little sister dynamic. And then there was the swerve that landed Laeta in chains, which I didn't see coming at all. Good stuff all around.

Much like last week, and for most of the season for that matter, the Tiberius moments didn't quite land because watching a petulant child whine and complain is not as interesting as the creative types would like you to believe. And I really do want to care about Kore, but she's still a non-character at this point so it's hard to. Thankfully, Caesar's perpetual shit-eating grin made some of this plotline tolerable.

Other Odds and Ends:

• I'm getting a little tired of the Agron/Nassir/Castus triangle.
• Caesar got a shave and a haircut. Honestly, I preferred the scruffy look, but he did have to create a fashion trend, so I suppose it was inevitable.
• Kore has to kill Tiberius at this point, right?
• I try to keep the perviness to a minimum when I write about Spartacus, but Anna Hutchison's body is banging.
• Was I the only one who thought, "Darth Gannicus" when he had that hood on? Come to think of it, Dustin Clare would be a great addition to the Star Wars universe.
• Poor Donar, we all knew he was dead the second he opened his mouth.
• Gannicus and Saxa are kind of cute together.
• Now that Laeta's joined Sparty's camp, maybe their romance is back on the table.

I was initially hesitant when it was announced that War of the Damned would be the final ten episodes because I wasn't sure that would be enough time to do the series justice. I have to admit that DeKnight and Co. have been able to use the little real estate left to put together a strong finish, especially after these past two episodes, but that's not going to stop me from being greedy and wanting more. Alas, it's not to be, but these last four hours should be pretty epic.

Quick Thoughts: GRIMM, "Face Off"

After almost four months off the air, Grimm came back to Friday nights with a solid episode that didn't shy away from mythology or what makes this show special.

It would've been easy for those in charge of Grimm to put out a more accessible episode that featured the procedural aspects of the show as a way to hook more viewers, but it decided to progress the season long story and push things along by exposing the fact that Renard's been keeping tabs on Nick since day one. You got to respect that move, and it was a nice pay off to top things off as we saw the captain confess that he's not really the enemy. Plus, it was nice having Rosalee back in PDX, and of course Monroe was amazing as always. I could've done without Juliette and Renard's kinky foreplay, and that last shot of Adalind looking at a pregnancy test was too much, but it's Grimm so I guess I can let it slide.

So, it was a nice return for Grimm, and it was good to have the show back. Let's just hope it can keep its modest ratings level so we can get a third season.

Quick Thoughts: COMMUNITY, "Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations"

Maybe Community fans can calm down now that we've gotten at least one season four episode that vaguely resembled the Harmon era, which is to say that "Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations" was good but not great.

Don't get me wrong, I liked the deeply personal stuff involving Jeff and his estranged father, and I thought the homage to prison breaks/Shawshank was amusing, but the actor playing Jeff's half-brother was beyond annoying and robbed those moments of any real subtly. Other than that, the episode was decent enough.

While I wasn't afraid of Community losing its way thanks to the new showrunners, I am hoping that they've righted the ship enough to keep fans happy so I don't have to keep reading how the show's ruined for eternity.

Episode Review: GLEE, "Girls (and Boys) On Film"

After a few weeks off the air, Glee's back with "Girls (and Boys) On Film." Honestly, I was fully prepared to dislike this one because "movies" as a theme felt lazy even by this show's standards, but at the end of the day it was a pretty typical episode of Glee, which is to say that there were some good things and stuff that just didn't work.

Will woke up after a Fred Astaire inspired dream and decided that movies would be a good way to prepare the glee clubbers for Regionals, so he assigned them to sing songs from movies in the annual girls vs. boys mash-off. While Will was distracting himself with work, Finn took it upon himself to help find Emma so his friend could win her back. He and Artie even tricked Emma's parents into help by posing as members of an anti-ginger bullying club. Schue showed up to where she was at, did his best Lloyd Dobler impression, and it looked like things were going to work out until Finn confessed that he kissed Miss Pillsbury.

Meanwhile, Rachel and Kurt had to put up with Santana now that she's squatting in their apartment and stirring up trouble like messing with their relationships with Brody and Adam respectively. She also confronted Rachel about a pregnancy test she found while going through their stuff, and cue the tear-filled breakdown. Also, Marley was trying to figure out who she liked more: Jake or Ryder.

If you remove the utterly useless theme-of-the-week, there were some things I actually liked about this one. I've been on pins and needles waiting for Finn to finally come clean to Will, and I thought that their final scene worked as Will just walked away in disgust, but we all know this is far from over. Heck, I even liked the love triangle moments involving Marley, even though it's hard to truly feel for a cute girl picking between two good looking guys while Sugar has to settle for Artie. Is it all cliched and contrived? Sure, but I'm genuinely interested to see where things go from here.

But alas, "Girls (and Boys) On Film" was not immune from the season-crippling virus that's New York City. I know I'm beyond broken record territory, but I hated pretty much every scene that transpired in the Big Apple. First and foremost, Santana needs to move back to Kentucky because her presence only dragged down this side of the Glee-verse, and I didn't even know that was possible. Also, I'm already over the Rachel pregnancy stuff and Brody being a drug dealer/gigolo/whatever. So stupid. OK, I'll admit that I found Adam charming, and I'm pulling for him over Blaine at this point. Actually, I think I'm pulling for Adam AND Blaine over either of them ending up with Kurt. Rant over.

Other Odds and Ends:

• I'm sure "honest Injun" was faithful to something, but I couldn't help but cringe a little.
• That said, I'm always a sucker for those spinning-axis set numbers.
• Wow, that was HeMo's booty.
• Artie and Finn as redheads!
• The Tom Cruise mash-up was brilliant while the girls pretty much ripped off Moulin Rouge! verbatim.
• We all know I love the self-aware humor, so Will shining a spotlight on how awkward it would be to talk to Emma with his students standing around was one of the biggest laughs of the night if not the entire season.
• On that note, did New Directions need to accompany him if he had the boombox? He could've just pressed play.
• Lea Michele really is a bad crier.
• Watching Sugar get upset because of the tie was another highlight.
• "Footloose" was fun, but was it really the right song to go out on?
• Musical Highlight: "Shout"
• "We should do The Artist so we don't have to sing."
• "The kids at this school don't even seem to think about what college they want to go to until about a week before graduation. That's weird. You're supposed to figure that out when you're a junior."
• "Boys are like lumps of coal. They're dirty and cheap, and they get hot when they're rubbed, and some turn into diamonds. So collect as many as you can."

Maybe it's because I was prepared for the worst, but "Girls (and Boys) On Film" was not a total trainwreck. It wasn't all that great either, but it could've been a lot worst, and in the end I was happy that it was just a middling version of what this show's been for sometime now.

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Quick Thoughts: GO ON, "Double Down"

Now that the Simone arc's done, Go On felt like the show I enjoyed at the start of the season.

Admittedly, giving Ryan a gambling addiction felt a little lazy because of course someone like him would be susceptible to that particular vice, but it was a good way to reestablish some of the relationships that got lost thanks to Piper Perabo. The Ryan/Anne bond was one of the pleasant surprises from the early episodes, but it suffered when the show had to spend time on him and Simone, so it was nice to see them reconnect and that final scene where they released their rings into the air via balloons was great. Also, I was happy to see her progress by dating Brittney even though it was short-lived.

Another relationship that benefited from the departure of the coyote was the one between Ryan and Lauren. I appreciate how the writers have eased off the romantic tension between the two of them and re-focused their energy into making them good friends. Plus, her being a shark was totally hot.

Everything else going on around these two pairings was decent enough but nothing special. Sure, it was refreshing to see Ryan get some quality time with Fausta, but that's never really going to bear too much fruit. And the whole Owen bit was much needed silliness but wasn't anything earth-shattering.

I get that Ryan's journey towards getting over Janie's death and living his life is a big part of the show's appeal, but I'm much more invested in his platonic relationships than his romantic ones, so I'm a little bummed that Courteney Cox's going to show up out of nowhere since she's also going to get in the way of the bonds that I care about. That said, I don't blame Go On for this bit of stunt-casting because it needs as much help as possible... and The Voice.

Episode Review: JUSTIFIED, "The Hatchet Tour"

The plot definitely thickened this week as the writers pulled out even more tricks to connect all of the free-flowing dots while also unmasking the real Drew Thompson.

Raylan hijacked Hunter Mosley's prison transfer with hopes that he'd be able to shed some light on Drew Thompson. Givens even took Mosley to Wynn Duffy thinking that the Dixie Mafia had hired Hunter to kill Arlo due to his connections to Thompson. When that move led to a dead end, Givens and Mosley headed on until they were stopped by Shelby. Since Raylan wasn't supposed to transfer Hunter, and Art was afraid he'd do something rash, the boss put out a search for our favorite marshal. Raylan's next move was to take Mosley up to the Clover Hill boys, and Shelby decided to come along, but they drove up to a firefight involving the rich snobs and Bob Sweeney (who was there on Raylan's behalf). While Givens was trying to smooth everything over, Bob said something that made him realize that Shelby was in fact Thompson, and that hunch was confirmed when Shelby chatted with Hunter and thanked him for keeping his secret. He even gave Mosley a set of handcuff keys before disappearing.

Raylan and a group of law enforcement staked out Shelby's place when Boyd showed up looking for Ellen May, and then the truth dawned on Crowder. The reason Boyd was sniffing around Shelby's with hopes of finding Ellen May was Colton had to come clean about losing her after Cassie (the preacher's sister) showed up at the brothel looking for her because she got a message. On top of all that, Colt also had to deal with Tim, who was on his trail after he learned that his buddy was killed at the drug dealer's house.

Like I mentioned in last week's recap, I wasn't fully on board with the "Shelby as Drew Thompson" theory until now because it was the worst kept secret for these two hours. Thankfully, Yost and Company didn't shy away from the reveal and turned completely into the skid by solidifying what everyone knew, and I have to respect that move because it's one that most showrunners would've put off until the last handful of episodes. The big question now is, what's the rest of the season's going to look like? With Shelby and Ellen May and the run, it's easy to see a manhunt in the very near future, but it could get muddled up by the fact that Boyd's also looking for them, and this could all turn into a war with Raylan, Tim and Drew on one side and the Crowders on the other. Now, that'd be a twist I'd love to see.

While I've been really enjoying most of this season's story arc, "The Hatchet Tour" was another example of the show's biggest weakness this time around, which's too much plot. Now, I understand and respect the fact that everything's connected now that the mystery of Drew Thompson's been solved, but elements like the return of Cassie, Colton's mistake, and Tim's involvement all seems excessive. Again, it all makes sense now, and I'm sure it's hard to fill thirteen episodes with just one story, but it would've been nice if some of the fat was trimmed.

Other Odds and Ends:

• As much as I love Smart Ass Art, Pissed Off Art is equally as entertaining.
• Wynn Duffy has been Justified's secret weapon for some time now, but I didn't truly appreciate Jere Burns' take on the character until this episode. The corgi line gets me every time.
• We didn't get a lot of Raylan coming to terms with Arlo's death, but I did like the scene where Shelby gave him some insight into the man his father used to be.
• Are U.S. Marshals not allowed to make arrests? I figured Tim would've had enough to put Colt in cuffs at the very least.
• While I haven't loved everything involving Tim's part in the whole thing, the idea of him and Raylan as some sort of dynamic duo has a lot of promise.
• "You're calling 'cause Art's pissed?"
• "I can hurt him a little, can't I?"

So, there you have it. Drew Thompson's identity was finally revealed and now Justified has a whole new set of balls to juggle, and even though it's been fun to watch the writers keep everything in the air, I'd feel a whole lot better if they put down one or two of them.

Quick Thoughts: BEING HUMAN, "Your Body is a Condemned Wonderland"

Boy, does this season of Being Human keep click or what? Except for the usual missteps involving Sally, "Your Body is a Condemned Wonderland" took things to the next level awfully quickly and I honestly have no idea what's up next at this point.

Obviously, the episode's best moments had to do with Aidan getting picked up by Liam and Josh doing whatever he could to save his best friend's life. Now, I can't say that I was too shocked that Liam had Aidan chained up and tortured him, but what did surprise me was how Aidan refused to give up Nora, and how Josh got scratched by Liam's wolf. Honestly, we all knew that Josh wasn't going to be human forever, but I was expecting him to voluntarily turn himself back into a wolf to save either Nora or Aidan, and I guess that's what happened... but by accident. Regardless, I was floored by what transpired.

On the flipside, the show's still wasting Sally with this half-baked zombie arc that's yet to pay any dividends at all. I guess it was nice to see her cozy up to Max, but he's probably out of the picture now that he knows his girlfriend's literally falling apart. That said, I kind of like the idea of her limbo buddies finally getting in on the action, and that final scene between the three roommates was top notch, so I cannot fully turn on Sally. I mean, how could I?

So, "Wonderland" was chock full of twists and turns, WTF moments, and the trio doing what they do best. All in all, a pretty good episode of Being Human.

Episode Review: THE WALKING DEAD, "Clear"

Like so many things in life, good television needs balance, and sometimes a program like The Walking Dead can miscalculate its equilibrium by focusing too much time on zombies and action sequences and not enough on the development of characters and relationships. Thankfully, "Clear" took a step back from the war between the prison and Woodbury to take a longer look at some woefully underutilized people, the show's core bond, and how this new world has affected others. It was the right calibration of all of these elements than made "Clear" the standout episode of the season if not the entire series.

Rick, Carl and Michonne went out on a run that took the Grimes family back to their hometown. The initial reason for returning was Rick wanted to check out his old sheriff station's armory to find some weapons as they prepared for the impending clash with the Governor, but things took a very different turn when the cupboard was bare and they were greeted with walker booby traps and a masked person shooting at them. It turned out that the man behind the mask was Morgan Jones from Season 1. From that point on, Rick tried to convince Morgan to join him at the prison while learning about how this new world has destroyed his long-lost acquaintance, and maybe even helped him realize that he still has something worth fighting for.

Meanwhile, Carl and Michonne went on a side mission since he felt the need to grab a family photo from the local cafe, but of course that was not as easy as it seemed because the place was packed with walkers. Together, they were able to get the picture, but Carl dropped it while running from the zombies. Instead of letting him go back inside, Michonne went volunteered to retrieve it for him. Carl need the picture because he planned on using it to help his sister understand where she came from. This little adventure made Carl realize that Michonne was one of them and could be trusted, and he shared his revelation with Rick as they headed back to the prison.

It's no secret that Michonne has been one of the most underdeveloped new characters, so it was refreshing to see her get some much needed shading. I don't know if she's still a fully realized person after this episode, but I appreciated the slightest hints at her personality and the small footsteps that were taken, and it was nice to see her bond with someone besides Andrea. Let's just hope the writers can keep this momentum going forward.

The Rick moments were equally effective because not only was it good to have Morgan back, but the scenes shared between the two men gave us a better understanding of life during the zombie apocalypse and how it can go in very different directions. Even though it's somewhat understandable that Rick would crack under the pressure of losing his wife while leading this group of survivors, it was interesting to see someone who's suffered even more, and hopefully this was the catalyst that sets Rick back on the right path since it can always be worse.

Other Odds and Ends:

• The running bit involving the hitch hiker was another intriguing nod to how these people have changed.
• Lennie James was phenomenal in this episode and gave Andrew Lincoln a run for his money in the acting crazy department. I hope this isn't the last we've seen of him.
• Those poor rats and birds.
• I know we didn't follow Michonne back in the restaurant  but that whole sequence was missing something. And how did she get in and out so quickly?
• That small moment of shared understanding between Michonne and Rick might be the best thing this The Walking Dead's ever done.
• "The mat said, 'welcome.'"

The brilliance of "Clear" was the fact that it didn't abandon what has made The Walking Dead successful. We still got zombie kills, people shooting at each other, and tension, but it added a nice sprinkling of humanity that's sometimes lost in the shuffle. I know that it's probably unfair to expect the show to always be at this kind of transcendent level, but it's reassuring to know that it still can reach it from time to time.

Episode Review: SPARTACUS: WAR OF THE DAMNED, "Blood Brothers"

Holy crap!

Camp Sparty's still in disarray after the latest massacre, and loyalties were clearly split between those who agreed with Crixus and those who followed Spartacus. Matters were not helped when the Gaul learned that their fearless leader had gone out on a secret mission to pilfer Crassus' supplies. When Spartacus returned to Sinuessa en Valle, the Romans were at the gate, and Crixus was ready to take the fight to them but was rebuffed by the Thracian leader. Instead of attacking, Spartacus insisted that the captured Romans be freed, but there was a catch. This entire time, Spartacus planned on letting Laeta go so she could share his plans with Crassus. The idea was to appear disjointed and split the forces in order to engage the Romans on two fronts, but Spartacus couldn't show his hand so he had to keep Crixus in the dark.

Laeta did her part as she went straight to Crassus to tell him what she had learned, but he too had something up his sleeve. When Laeta admitted that she helped Spartacus gain favor with Heracleo to save her people, Marcus decided to test the pirate's loyalties, so he bribed him to turn on Spartacus. When Heracleo and his men docked near the city, Spartacus, Gannicus and a few rebels were ambushed while Crixus and Agron were split from the group. Caesar finally showed his true colors by killing Nemetes and joining the fight against the former slaves. Luckily for Spartacus, Crixus appeared by his side with reinforcements, but Agron and Saxa were left to fight off Caesar and his Roman friends. During their skirmish, Caesar lit the gate on fire and a massive battering ram came crashing through.

Not to brag or anything, but Spartacus' plans became pretty clear early on during the hour, but that knowledge did not take anything away from transpired during the past few episodes or from this one. Since Crassus prided himself on knowing his enemy, it was only a matter of time before he figured out what Spartacus was up to, and I liked how the show didn't drag out the action because the battle was filled with tension, and I was sure one of the main characters was going to die. My money was on Agron because he's been fighting with Nasir because of his jealousy, and I wouldn't put it past a Whedon disciple to kill off a beloved character while he's on the outs with a significant other. Thankfully, that didn't happen but it's only a matter of time (which I guess is true for all of them). If Agron somehow survives until the finale, then Saxa's the next to go because Gannicus has been way too happy as of late. I just hope I'm wrong.

Other Odds and Ends:

• There was a pretty substantial plotline about Tiberius being banished to the slave camp and taking out his anger on Kore in a particularly brutal fashion, but most of those scenes fell flat because neither are characters that I care about. That doesn't excuse what he did to Kore, but she hasn't been developed enough for that scene to land.
• So I guess a Spartacus/Laeta pairing is not in the cards?
• Sorry Naevia, but your apology to Gannicus for killing his friend was too little, too late.
• If Saxa does fall, I hope Gannicus doesn't end up screwing Sibyl. I think it be more interesting if they had a brother/sister type relationship. That said, I wouldn't blame him either.

"Blood Brothers" pumped me up for next week, and I cannot believe that we're already at the midway point. Starz, can we have just a few more episodes?