Episode Review: HAPPY ENDINGS, "The Ballad of Lon Sarofsky" and "Un-sabotagable"

After taking a week of due to breaking news, Happy Endings was back and this double dose wasn't the show at its very best, but there were enough laughs distributed between the two episodes to keep my happy.

In "The Ballad of Lon Sarofsky," Penny rebounded with the Car Czar in spite of his piggish behavior while Alex and Dave coached Max to win a gay male beauty pageant. The craziness continued in "Un-sabotagable" which saw the return of Chase (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) who made it his mission to ruin Max's life but couldn't because it already sucked. Meanwhile, Dave challenged Alex to use all of her Groupons to curb her impulsiveness, and she roped in Brad and Penny to help her.

"Un-sabotagable" was by far the strongest of the two episodes because it brought back the amazing duo of Jane and Max as she helped him get his life together, and also leaned on the chemistry between Dave and Penny without taking things to the "will they/won't they" zone. Plus, it was just funnier.

From the get-go, "The Ballad of Lon Sarofsky" was not my cup of tea because it relied too heavily on the Car Czar, who's one of my least favorite minor characters but that's because I don't find Rob Corddry funny, and Penny hooking up with him never made sense. Granted, most things on Happy Endings don't make sense, but this one was a pretty big misstep. Also, the whole "Brad and Jane act like they're Penny's parents" gag was too Sitcom 101 for my liking. That said, the Mr. Super Gay Chicago pageant was worth a few chuckles.

Other Odds and Ends:

• Why is it that Alex getting excited about Max buying a frog costume makes her even cuter?
• So, Dave won pageants as a young adult? That explains a lot.
• Was that Sonny Bono and Lady Gaga? I'm so confused.
• Puppy party!
• Max does clean up nicely.
• Is it too soon to start a Guest Star Emmy for MPG campaign? He does have this Happy Endings stint AND his Apt. 23 cameo. Think about it.
• "You should take him to Bone Town. You know, that rib joint on Holston? I love that place."
• "This is the first time I've been attracted to a woman. I want to put a baby in you."

While "The Ballad of Lon Sarofsky" and "Un-sabotagable" weren't anything special, they did make me laugh thanks to some classic Happy Endings antics, and that's enough for me.

Episode Review: HAPPY ENDINGS, "She Got Game Night" and "The Storm Before the Calm"

While nothing particularly new or exciting happened during this week's double dose of Happy Endings, there were enough laughs sprinkled among the familiar plot points to keep me happy.

In "She Got Game Night," Penny wondered whether she knew enough about Pete to get married, so she challenged Jane to a couples game night. Of course, she and Pete did amazingly well at all of the games (along with Max and Scotty) while Brad and Jane struggled. Even though she knew facts about Pete, Penny realized that she didn't love him and called off the wedding. Meanwhile, Dave and Alex tried to find a psychic to tell him whether he should leave his food truck behind for a job in an actually restaurant.

Even though the inevitable happened, Penny decided that she should not marry Pete, the actual game night was the source of some laughs which proved that watching friends compete against one another will usually be funny. It's just a shame that the break-up really didn't mean anything since we all knew that Pete was a placeholder for someone else, and we all knew this was bound to happen. As for Dave's B-plot, it was just another attempt to make him one of the most unlikable characters of television and it's getting boring.

"The Storm Before the Calm" introduced the fallout caused by Penny's decision to break things off with Pete. She used the theatre as an outlet to express how horrible she felt, but she didn't know that's what she was doing because it's a TV show. Brad and Dave helped her realize what she was doing while Max and Alex were tapped to be taste makers. Jane wanted in on the gig until she figured out that it was all a scam.

Much like "She Got Game Night," there were plenty of tried-and-true tropes being wheeled out in "Storm" like Penny's play. I guess I appreciated the fact that the writers kind of hung a lampshade on its obviousness but it still felt a little stale. Thankfully, there was another cliche that did work and that was "straight guys love the theatre." Max and Alex as taste makers was a little too meta, but I always get a kick out of that combination so I let it slide.

Other Odds and Ends:

• Scotty!
• Karate Kid (not the stupid remake) references never get old.
• Aww, Max was actually sweet.
• How many shows are going to make the all-white production of The Whiz joke?
• Derrick!
• "Winners don't get touched."
• "Tush in play!"
• "You got them thangs. Everybody knows that."

So, "She Got Game" and "The Storm Before the Calm" may not have been strong in the originality department, but enough of the jokes landed and that's all that really matters.

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.

Episode Review: HAPPY ENDINGS, "The Marry Prankster" and "Our Best Friend's Wedding"

I must be an in odd mood because I thought that this week's double dose of Happy Endings had some funny moments, but I didn't think either episode was all that great.

In "The Marry Prankster," Dave was hell-bent on getting Max back for some prank he pulled involving his food truck, and the obvious course of action was to rip-off The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. When the joke backfired, Max pledged to make them pay. While all of the craziness was going on, Brad got a new job at a kid's gym while Pete proposed to Penny. And it turned out that Alex Keyser Sozed them all by being the instigator of the entire prank war.

Now that Penny's engaged, nuptial related hijinks ensued in "Our Best Friend's Wedding." Of course, Jane insisted on being the wedding planner, but Pete wanted to elope in order to bypass all of the stress and chaos that comes along with big ceremonies. Cue the standard "what she wants vs. what he wants" fight and shenanigans. Penny and Jane decided to convince Pete to give in by fooling him into going to a bridal expo where Alex and Dave fought about their wedding day, and Brad and Max pretended to be a gay couple to get free stuff. Since this is a sitcom, everyone kissed and made up by episode's end.

When I think about it, the reason I didn't care for these two episodes as much as others had to do with the fact that they highlighted what's wrong with Happy Endings. I've been pretty upfront about my low tolerance with show's that focus on unlikable people at their worst, and that's a card these episodes played way too often. Jane was too controlling. Penny was too selfish. Dave was too douchey. Max was too much of a sociopath. Thankfully, Alex and Brad saved the day with their hot hands, but even their impeccable comic timing couldn't wash out all of the bad tastes that the other's left in my mouth.

Other Odds and Ends:

• Max's Pranks: Brad = glitter in his lotions and creams, Jane = an exploding waffle, Penny = slimed twice (and a mistaken fake proposal), Alex = pranking herself, Dave = faking his death in a car explosion.
• Usually, my enjoyment of Happy Endings is closely tied to whether or not I feel sorry for those around the gang, and I really felt bad for Pete this time around.
• Speaking of Pete, he stole my dream wedding and he won't even get to have it because the guy's always supposed to give in. That explains why I didn't love the show tonight... I'm bitter.
• No Lines of the Night this week. There were plenty, but I didn't feel the need to regurgitate them here. Sorry.

Look, I don't need characters to be perfect or saints or even good, but I do have to root for them and that's not something I was able to do during these two episodes. That's not to say that I want these miscreants to change because I don't, but Happy Endings needs to find the right balance to be successful, and "Prankster" and "Wedding" were too wobbly for my liking.

Episode Review: HAPPY ENDINGS, "The Ex Factor"

The one characteristic that I appreciate the most from a comedy is self-awareness. I just think that a show's at its best when it knows exactly what it brings to the table and is able to mock itself. "The Ex List" was the perfect example of a great show being able to just that.

Over the last couple of years, it seems like television has wandered into an era where it's elevated unlikable people for doing horrible things to one another. Some programs make this formula work, and some don't. Thankfully, Happy Endings has been able to use this trend to its benefit because at the end of the day these six people are not the nicest human beings, but the show knows that and has been able to use them to hilarious ends, just like it did this week.

Jane's ex-girlfriend was coming into Chicago for a visit, and Brad wasn't bothered by the fact that she was a woman, but he did not react well when he learned that Jane had loved someone before him. Instead of being an adult, Brad sabotaged dinner by inviting over one of his exes. Of course, drama ensued but Jane was able to reassure Brad by telling him that he was the one she loved the most.

Elsewhere, Max got a new roommate named Chase (played by Mark-Paul Gosselaar). Max, Dave and Alex got attached to Chase after he classed up the apartment, and they started to worry when he didn't come home after he left for the gym. They hunted him down to a restaurant where he was with a beautiful woman, and they confronted him just to find out that Chase was renting the place because he needed somewhere to take his mistresses. On top of that, the woman he was with was his wife and his cover was blown. After she left him and he lost his job, Chase vowed to make Max suffer for what he did.

While all of this craziness was going on, Penny was forced to hang out with Pete's friends who turned out to be normal people and thus totally mundane to her. When it was clear that she was not going to fit in, Pete agreed to hang out with her friends. He even admitted that they were more fun because of their crazy antics, which Penny took as they'd only hang out with Pete's friends if the gang was busy.

The common thread throughout the episode was how these six people are so clueless and self-involved that they cannot help but ruin the lives of those who get caught in their wake or even care about how their actions effect others. This approach to comedy can be tricky to pull of though because they could be extremely off-putting if not calibrated right (like they were in last season's "Everybody Loves Grant" or like everyone on Girls), but they could also be sources of comedic gold if everything comes together. Thankfully, "The Ex List" was more the latter than the former. While Jane and Brad's fight was childish, it was just another excuse for them to show how much they love each other. Even the debacle with Chase was somewhat redeemed by the fact that there was a seed of care buried in the dirt that was their selfishness.

The only aspect of the episode that didn't quite work for me was Penny's co-dependence and inability to allow Pete to enjoy time with his friends. Now, I'll give her credit for even trying, and I'll even admit to being amused by her failing miserably, but that final scene where she pretty much told her boyfriend that the people in his life are not important to her and shouldn't be to him either was over the line and made me dislike her for the first time in a long time. I'm sure some will say that it was only a throwaway joke, but it was a telling glimpse into her character, and I didn't care for what I saw.

Other Odds and Ends:

• I don't even want to know why Max owes Brad and Jane three cats.
• Nice Uncle Jerry callback.
• Max and Alex rattling off random cop-related acronyms was brilliant.
• Hopefully, we will be seeing more of MPG in the future.
• Speaking of Zack Attack, it's a shame that Franklin & Bash is doing so well because he could totally have his own low-rated sitcom on ABC that the network screws over for multiple seasons. He could even get pointers from James Van Der Beek.
• "Shups for life!"
• "Someone's scoring our life!"
• "OK, a real gentleman saves someone from a well and never mentions it again."
• "So, nothing else happened? No obstacles you had to hijinks your way out of? No one brought a minature pig to a car dealership to prove a point about gender roles?"
• "You know I'm not good at dramatic swivels."
• "Oh, c'mon! Is everybody a lesbian now?"
• "Thank you, nice ladies."

While watching "The Ex Factor," I wondered if it was too presumptuous to crown it Happy Endings' best episode ever. After over-thinking it while putting this recap together, I've fallen on the side of yes because the Penny stuff dragged everything down a bit, but it was still one of the strongest Season 3 episodes to date which is still pretty impressive.

Episode Review: HAPPY ENDINGS, "Kickball 2: The Kickening"

Last season, a scheduling snafu led to an episode of Happy Endings being left unaired in the States, and it finally got the chance to see the light of day (on this side of the pond), but it had to go up against the Golden Globes on a Sunday night. Way to rub salt in the wounds, ABC.

As a way for her to get the word out about her boutique, Alex signed the gang up to play in the annual kickball tournament. After some initial protests, everyone was on board except for Jane who had agreed to play for an auto shop. This act of betrayal brought out the worst of the Kerkovich sisters, Jane's competitiveness and Alex's jealousy, so it was on. After the obligatory montage of grown-ups drunkenly playing a child's game, the siblings faced off once and for all, and Jane's team won after she played some mind games. It looked like Team Xela was done for good, but it was revealed in a last minute swerve that the body shop's team was DQed for corking their shoes with steel, and they'd be going on to the finals to face a gang of Russian manicurists. Thankfully, Jane had returned to her friends (after she squealed on her old team) just in time to play in the championship game, which of course they lost.

By Happy Endings' standards, "Kickball 2" was a pretty straightforward episode that fits in well in the current irony-obsessed landscape where it's acceptable for adults to waste time playing schoolyard games. It didn't juggle too many plotlines while also cramming in an over abundance of pop culture references, and it was all the better for it. That's not to say that it was unfunny, because it was, but it was resonating on a very different wavelength compared to some of the other outings, and this more grounded method of storytelling made for a fun and coherent episode. Plus, it expanded on Jane and Alex's very underutilized relationship. Sure, we've gotten a few examples of them being sisters, but I always get a kick out of learning more about their childhoods and when the show taps into their sibling rivalry.

Other Odds and Ends:

• In a very minor subplot, Dave had to fight the yips he picked up after he hit Penny in the head during a previous kickball game. Down-and-Out Dave's my favorite version of the character, so watching him wildly miss a slow-rolling ball was pretty entertaining.
• Dave's yips also gave us an oddly sweet moment between him and Penny, which would've played much better last season when they were both single and the chances of them hooking up were higher.
• I miss Scotty.
• Bunt Cake!
• Nice Lance Briggs cameo. Who's next? Urlacher? Rose? Kukoc?
• Jane should always be in a cut-off tee and tiny baseball shorts.
• While the jokes were not as rapid-fire as usual, we still got some good sports movie shout-outs/cliches.
• Jane: "You see, I like to win. So, I'm taking my talents to Southside Kaz Auto Body Shop."
  Penny: "That is cold-blooded, LaBlonde Jane."
• "Unbelievable folks, a gigantic homerun from a child-sized woman!"
• "And I hate being humiliated by Jane unless it's on my terms... with safe-words."
• "You got the right guy Max because I despite Soviets. You know why? Because they rendered every single one of my old globes obsolete."

Ideally, "The Kickening" should've aired in its natural spot because it would've been a nice addition to Season 2, but I'm just glad we got a chance to see it in spite of the continuity issues. But I suppose it doesn't matter anyway since most people probably won't watch it because they're unaware that the show's on Sundays. Thanks again, ABC.

Episode Review: HAPPY ENDINGS, "Ordinary Extraordinary Love"

As much as I love Happy Endings, I have to admit that recapping it twice a week is going to get old fast, especially when the episodes drastically vary in terms of quality. That's not to say that "Ordinary Extraordinary Love" was a bad outing for the show per se, but it couldn't keep up with the one that just occurred just two nights ago.

Now that Jane's the breadwinner thanks to her job at the Car Czar and Brad's continued unemployment (despite the fact that he had a job when the season started and quit for some reason), he's feeling like his manhood's being threatened. To prove that he still wears the pants, Brad decided to fix a dimmer switch instead of calling an electrician and of course Dave had to be involved. When things ended horribly, the two friends accused the other of being the reason due to their lack of machismo, and ended up staging the Man-Am Games, which was interrupted by Jane who eventually healed her man's bruised ego.

Speaking of Jane, she was off on her own adventure with Max and Derrick. Max was still in a rut and didn't know how to meet guys. The solution was for him to figure out which gay subculture he fit into, but he was struggled with finding his place. Leave it to Jane to plan a night that involved the three of them hitting up every event being thrown by various categories of gay males, but Max didn't feel a part of any of them. Instead of moping, he decided to create his own niche (optimistic, red-velvet walruses) by throwing a mixer. Just when it looked like his plan was a bust, a cute guy wondered into the bar because he was curious about the name and because he too didn't fall into the pre-existing types.

Lastly, Alex sold a dress to a famous pop star, and Penny brainstormed an idea to use it as a way to get some publicity for the boutique. Since Alex knew where the singer was going for dinner, Penny slipped that information to the paparazzi. After being mobbed, the pop princess went ballistic and ended up breaking a camera before jumping all over Penny's car while screaming the name of Alex's store. Not to be deterred, Penny spun the bad press into an opportunity by promoting the shop as ground zero for the meltdown.  Things were going well until the girl they scorned showed up and made them feel bad for what they had done. As a way to make it up to her, Penny and Alex plotted a way to distract the photographers while she and her date get a nice quite evening to themselves on Dave's food truck.

In some ways, "Ordinary Extraordinary Love" was a cross-section of Happy Endings episodes because you got every flavor of the show. There was the off-the-wall insanity plotline involving Penny and Alex which relied heavily on pop culture. You had the oddly sweet version with Max and Jane as he tried to figure out who he was while being supported by his friends. And then there was the story we've seen a million times before thanks to Brad and Dave.

Now, I've always said that using familiar ideas is not a sin, and Happy Endings has been able to spin some into gold, but for some reason this one just didn't work. For one, Brad's never seemed to be the most masculine character to begin with and that's been part of his charm, so him getting all upset because he lost the role of breadwinner didn't feel in character. Things were not helped by the fact that we once again got competitive Dave whom we just saw a few days ago, so even his role in the episode felt stale. Plus, the whole "guys fixing stuff around the house to prove they're men" routine's lost a lot of its charm over the years, so I was not happy to see it show up here.

As for the other two plotlines, they worked fairly well but the strongest of the two was Max's struggle with where he fit in. It was just a different take on a character we've known for a while, and seeing him in a more vulnerable state was the right change of pace that the show needed. My only real squabble with it has to do with the fact that he's known which sub-group he belonged to in the past (he's referred to himself as a cub numerous times), so his identity crisis came off as drama for drama's sake, but it all worked out in the end.

Other Odds and Ends:

• What I will say about the Penny and Alex story is I'm always in favor of opportunities that allow Casey Wilson to sing... which she also did two nights ago.
• So, Alex can barely function but she's a wiz when it comes to female anatomy. She's an enigma.
• Aww, I've missed D-Rock.
• A Lance Armstrong joke... too soon?
• Max's inability to say that he's attracted to women might be his best moment in a while.
• I'll give the Brad and Dave shenanigans some credit, it did have some funny moments like the paint on the pants and the meta joke about stud-finders.
• Funniest Gay Subculture of the Night: Sitcom Gays
• "Smashmouth she ain't."
• "I know what you're doing. You're Gay Yoda-ing me. Wait, is that redundant?"
• "The only Orlando I like starts with Tony or ends in Bloom."
• "This manhood stuff is all in your head. I mean you could not be acting more like a man right now. Stupid, stubborn and smelly."

So, had this episode aired a week after this one, I may have liked it more because it would've felt fresh rather than like a series of re-treads, but it still had enough moments that made me laugh and I cannot really blame the show for that. Damn you, ABC!

Episode Review: HAPPY ENDINGS, "Fowl Play/Date"

Right before the holidays, ABC broke the news that it would be replacing 666 Park Avenue with its Wednesday night comedies. While some were excited about getting two new episodes of Happy Endings a week, it was a clear sign that the network's lost faith in the show and needed to burn it off as quickly as possible. It's just a shame that "Fowl Play/Date" was a pretty strong outing for the show and most fans probably didn't even know that it was on.

When Alex got tickets to the Rom-Com Con, Penny and Brad helped her get ready for her trip (and he had a treasure trove of memorabilia that needed autographed), but things took a wacky turn when they accidentally broke one of her childhood heirlooms. Instead of coming clean, they concocted a scheme to fix it while Alex was away, but it only got crazier when they ended up killing her racist parrot with glue fumes. From there, Penny became the mastermind of a massive cover-up that hinged on Alex believing that Tyler plummeted to his own death after becoming fed up with her diverse group of friends and trying to fly off but couldn't because of his clipped wings. At Tyler's memorial service, guilt took over and Penny and Brad came clean, but it turned out that they were not responsible because the bird died of alcohol related complications due to fact that he was Alex's drinking buddy.

Meanwhile, Jane and Dave sensed that Max was down in the dumps because he was lonely, so they decided to fix him up with a couple of their friends. Of course, their good intentions quickly morphed into a competition to see whose suitor was better for Max, but it turned out that neither was because they were too much like them and Max had no interest in dating Dave or Jane. It didn't really matter anyway because Max was able to find a guy on his own, but everything was ruined when Jane and Dave's inability to accept Max's rejection of their fix-ups ended up interfering his date. Luckily for them, Max was able to forgive them for their meddling, and he may have dodged a bullet because his guy was a tad bit off to begin with (or at least by Jane and Dave's standards).

Admittedly, neither storyline sounds all that original or captivating, and the Jane and Dave B-plot was a little too sit-commy for its own good, but the performances once again made everything work, as did the non-stop jokes that were flying at the audience at a bajillion miles a second. Honestly, the amount of set-ups and punchlines zooming across the screen was a bit overwhelming even for someone who's calibrated to appreciate this kind of comedy, but the sheer insanity of it all somehow elevated the episode to the next level.

Speaking of taking things to the next level, Casey Wilson and Damon Wayans, Jr. were an insanely hysterical tag-team who took an inherently silly idea and sold every bit of it. These two don't usually get a ton of time on their own to make magic happen, which is a bummer since they worked so brilliantly off one another. That said, their lack of screen time together may be a blessing in disguise because trying to keep up with them was dizzying.

Other Odds and Ends:

• I don't want to dwell on it, but the Max/Jane/Dave storyline didn't quite land for me because it was too broad and a little lazy, and Dave being all competitive felt out-of-character. I'm probably wrong about that last bit, but seeing him get all huffy because Max didn't pick his guy was jarring.
• I was surprised that it took so long for Tyler to make his return. I suppose it was good that the show didn't overuse the gimmick, but his introduction was one of the highlights of Season 2 and I wish we had seen more of him.
• Alex and Brad's love for romantic comedies was another good callback that hasn't been utilized to its fullest potential.
• And we got the return of Dave's poor songwriting skills!
• The random diner's annoyance with the gang's convention gag was a nice bit of meta commentary. Sure, seeing their antics on TV's funny but it would probably be annoying in real life.
• I'd watch Heat 2: It's Getting Hot Up in Herr.
• Of course Alex eats birthday cake every night.
• When did we all turn on John Mayer?
• A sex dream involving the Van Gundys? Shudder.
• "On behalf of all Navajo Cubs fans I say, not cool bird!"
• "Give me my VHS!"
• "Ty-ty's a little ti-tired, arentcha?"
• "We have all the same interests. Love Ryan Reynolds, hate Ryan Reynolds' movies."
• "Butt full of bigotry."
• "I don't control the clouds! I'm not Thor!"
• "I had to give Tyler ritas, it was Taco Tuesday. He hated Mexicans, but he loved their food."

ABC's decision to air Happy Endings on Sunday nights doesn't bode well for the show's chances at a fourth season, which would be a real disappointment because it's one of the best comedies on television when its firing on all cylinders, and "Fowl Play/Date" was a good example of how genius it can be in spite of some minor flaws.

Episode Review: HAPPY ENDINGS, "No-Ho-Ho"

I'll say it again. Happy Endings really knows how to pull off good-to-great holiday episodes, and thankfully "No-Ho-Ho" kept the hot streak alive.

After Jane was busted with a fake I.D., she came clean and admitted that she changed her date of birth because she was originally born on December 25th and was tired of Christmas overshadowing her birthday. To show their support, the gang decided to postpone Christmas in favor of celebrating Jane-mas. It took a little bit on convincing to get her on board, but she eventually did as long as they didn't let Christmas creep in, which meant that Max couldn't imbibe eggnog and Alex couldn't fulfill her unhealthy need to open presents. Unfortunately for Dave and Penny, they were kicked out because of his ringtone and her socks, but they had their own storyline this week so no harm, no foul. In spite of a few slip-ups, things were going as smooth as possible until Max's eggnog-filled camel back was punctured and everyone got soaked. An upset Jane took off and ended up stumbling across a group of other Christmas babies celebrating their birthdays at a bar. It looked like she had finally found her place, but things took a dark turn when the mob wanted to go around wrecking people's holiday decorations. Her run in with the crazies made her realize that she didn't have it all that bad.

While Brad was trying to keep everyone in line, Penny and Dave went off on their side adventure to find Pete the perfect present. Dave fancied himself to be a gift-whisperer and came up with the best idea ever, tickets to Arcade Fire. He even had an elaborate scavenger hunt planned, but he found Pete's present to Penny (a big ass candle) while placing clues. Thinking that was a horrible gift, Dave bought an alternate present but Pete stuck with the candle. As it turned out, his gift was a heartfelt gesture with a story behind it. Something about Contagion, killing Penny if she was dying and lighting a candle as big as her heart. An impressed Dave could only admire Pete's thoughtfulness and declare him the gift king.

On the surface, "No-Ho-Ho" was nothing special. Christmas baby stories are not one of the most used comedic tropes in the world but they're far from uncommon, so basing an entire episode on Jane's real birthday could've been a real letdown, but leave it to Happy Endings to make it work with a barrage of jokes that were all on-point. The success was partially due to Damon Wayans, Jr. taking point, but the rest of the ensemble (mainly Adam Pally and Elisha Cuthbert) also brought their A-games. My only minor quibble was having two Jane-centric episodes back-to-back which threw off the equilibrium ever so slightly.

Even the Penny and Dave sub-plot, which could have quickly devolved into typical "will they/won't they" non-sense, was able to stay on track. Sure, there were a few hints dropped about how Dave and Penny would function as a couple, but I was pleasantly surprised how the episode mostly focused on her relationship with Pete. We all know that the inevitable's coming, but I appreciate Happy Endings' slow-play approach to Penny and Dave.

Other Odds and Ends:

• Brad's MILF fantasy was a tad disturbing.
• Hip-Hop Santa!
• I've never watched Tremé but I kinda want to thanks to Dave's explanation.
• Who wants to see Alex's Love Actually gingerbread window display?
• Apparently, Happy Endings' new approach to comedy writing is to name drop HBO shows. Are we watching Community all of a sudden?
• The Hip-Hop Santa Dance-Off was probably the television highlight of the year.
• Once again Nick Zano proved that he can turn in a likable performance with good writing.
• "I thought I was married to a MILF."
• Max: "You didn't like Ringling Brothers with Brothers?"
  Brad: "It would've been the greatest show on earf. Don't you dare laugh at that! OK, you can laugh a little bit."
  Everyone laughs
  Brad: "Racists!"
• "Happy Birthday, Jane. And Jesus."
• Brad: "Alex is going to keep her weird present-opening fetish under wraps. No pun intended."
  Alex: "I don't get it anyway."
  Brad: "And Max is going to be eggnog-stic for the day. Pun intended!"
  Max: "I'm not saying there is eggnog. I'm not saying there's not eggnog. What I am saying is there's no way to know for sure."
  Alex: "I really don't that one."
• "Jurassic Park. Jurassic Park. Newman gets killed bad." (to the tune of "Jingle Bells")
• "I'm glad we got tossed out because now we have time to find the perfect present for Pete. Although, what is going to open on Christmas? Gas station? Drug store? Israel?"
• "Is that egg nog? Are you back on the sweet 'n creamy?"
• "I didn't vote for Obama! I couldn't respect his March Madness bracket!"
• Dave: "Don't pepper spay my pee-pee, please!"
  Pete: "Please don't pepper spray my pee-pee. Please. I'm new, I'm just trying to fit in."
• "What are you doing? What is this, Oz?"
• "Recycle? What is this, Portland?"

This is going to sound sacrilegious, but part of me only wants Happy Endings to do holiday episodes with a few fillers here and there because this show really amps up the funny when it takes on these special times of year. And who knows, maybe that's exactly what we'll get when ABC cancels it and it ends up on some cable network. I'm looking at you, TBS.

TV Report Card: Week of December 9, 2012

There's no good excuse for the shoddiness of this week's TV Report Card. I was just lazy.

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.

Episode Review: HAPPY ENDINGS, "To Serb with Love"

While I have to give "To Serb with Love" some credit for being a capable episode of comedic television, it wasn't up to Happy Endings usual high standards and was the sit-commiest offering to date, which wouldn't necessarily a bad thing if the majority of the jokes landed. Unfortunately, there were more misses than hits this time around.

Mr. Kerkovich's mattress store was about to celebrate its 20th anniversary, so naturally Jane was in charge of coordinating the festivities. Everything was coming together nicely, but she was worrying about the speech she had to give because her father usually didn't respond to heartfelt gestures and was a hard person to make laugh unless mallets and watermelons were involved. She saw this as a challenge and was determined to come up with the perfect joke, but Brad ended up using it as an icebreaker after he was left alone with his father-in-law. While in panic mode, Jane went full Gallagher but ended up knocking herself unconscious when the mallet backfired. Luckily, her slapstick routine worked and her father got a good laugh from it.

While Jane was coming up with ways to make her father laugh, Alex was trying to dodge having to tell her family that she was back with Dave. Originally, she let him off the hook but Penny convinced him that Alex really wanted him there, so he crashed the party. Things were obviously awkward but Alex came clean, and Dave insisted on telling them but panicked after people started giving him a hard time for being left at the alter. In the end, he decided to also tell the truth and announced to everyone that he and Alex were officially a couple.

Finally, Penny and Max were off on their own little adventure this week. Max has been feeling left out because he's the only single person left in the group, but he counted on Penny ruining her relationship with Pete to make him feel better. When it became clear that the group's favorite punching bad was actually doing well with her new boyfriend, Max committed himself to finding a new hot mess to entertain him. Enter Nicole (aka Nickel since a nickel's worth five times of a penny). Much like Jane, Max's plan ended up failing but not before Penny once again sabotaged her relationship by making a list of Pete's shortcomings. In classic sit-com style, he found the list and it looked like things were over for P&P Romance Factory, but Max swooped in to save the day by helping Pete remember Penny's greatness.

Like I mentioned earlier, there was not anything egregiously wrong with "To Serb with Love" because it was a decent enough attempt, but watching the gang run through some very familiar paces ended up taking me out of the episode momentarily. Sure, I see some comedic value in Jane dressing up like Gallagher and owning the slap-stickiness of the routine, but it's still lazy comedy and the show gave into the same thing it was supposedly mocking. The same could be said about Dave and Alex trying to keep their relationship a secret from her family because it all ended up in tried, uncomfortable moments.

But the worst offender by far was Penny's plot about her once again ruining her relationship with a list of her boyfriend's faults no less. Now, I'm sure that Happy Endings takes a small amount of pride in being compared to Friends, but to rip off one of its plot points and actually make it less effective is no small feat. At least there was a point to Ross making his list; the same cannot be said about Penny. When it was all said and done, Penny's actions didn't feel organic to her character and they were just an excuse to stir up trouble. As for Max, I usually don't get too up in arms when he's at his most selfish but there was something off-putting about his antics during this one. Maybe I don't get as much pleasure out of my friend's misfortunes. But his nickel vs. penny joke was pretty funny.

Other Odds and Ends:

• Speaking of Nicole, I hope we see her again.
• I'll say it again: Alex eating is never not funny. And I was glad to see the origin of her eating habits.
• It's just too bad that they pulled out the trusty "mother/daughter saying the same thing at the same time" joke.
• That said, seeing Alex and her mom seduce the carver was worth it.
• It's a shame that Kiefer wasn't available to play Mr. Kerkovich.
• Honestly, Penny's bit about talking to herself in the mirror made me want to see her get taken down a notch or two.
• How is it that Nick Zano is so much better on Happy Endings as Pete than he is as Johnny on 2 Broke Girls? Wait, I answered my own question.
• Best Sight Gag of the Night: Alex rolling around her gigantic sausage. It's actually sexier than it sounds.
• "Oh my god, you're insane. And I love it. And I want to party with you forever."

Look, I don't expect Happy Endings to transcend comedy because that's a tall order for any show, and I don't even mind that it sometimes has to rely heavily on well-worn tropes, but it needs to really bring the funny to make up for it. At the end of the day, "To Serb with Love" let the clichés do all of the work and that's not what I watch this show for.

TV Report Card: Week of December 2, 2012

I was so behind on my television watching that I didn't have time to put together a full fledged TV Report Card this time around (and for a second there I wasn't sure if I was going to post one at all). I know, I'm the worst.

Sunday
The Walking Dead: "Made to Suffer"
For a mid-season finale, "Made to Suffer" didn't have the pop of last year's but it was still an improvement over most of what we got in Season 2. I thought the assault on Woodbury was decent enough, and I really liked Carl's role this time around, but I could've done without Michonne and the Governor brawling. GRADE: B

Homeland: "Two Hats"
Boy did Homeland cause an uncalled for ruckus? I for one didn't hate "Two Hats," but what do I know. Sure it was silly but I don't tend to watch the show so closely that I get distracted by the implausibilities. Was it great? No. Heck, it wasn't even all that good but Homeland didn't deserve the backlash either. GRADE: C+

Monday
How I Met Your Mother: "Lobster Crawl"
To some extent I can overlook the stalling and how unfunny this show has become because it has far worse sins, namely ruining Robin as a character. She's no longer the independent, strong woman that Ted stole a blue French horn for. Nope, now she's a stereotypical "want what you can't have" crazy person. What a shame. GRADE: D

Castle: "Secret Santa"
I guess having a dead Santa was kind of entertaining, but this one didn't quite click for some reason. I guess it had to do with Rick's over-enthusiasm for Christmas and Kate's Scrooge-ness that didn't sit well with me. It could be argued that they were in character but it felt lazy. GRADE: C+

Tuesday
Ben and Kate: "The Trip"
I thought that the reason for Kate and Will's fight (and possible break-up) was weak because we've seen it all before, but I did like that we got a BJ/Tommy story that had little to nothing to do with what the Foxes were up to. GRADE: B-

Hart of Dixie: "Sparks Fly"
After an unintentional absence due to my oversight, Hart of Dixie's back on the Report Card with an OK episode. The farcical nature of the bachelor auction probably wasn't needed, but it did create some funny moments. I just don't know how I feel about Zoe and Wade at this point. GRADE: B-

Happy Endings: "P&P Romance Factory"
Penny's trouble with men has gotten stale, but I liked everything else especially Brad going off the deep end while being a cliched trophy wife.

Go On: "The World Ain't Over 'Til It's Over"
I could watch Ryan and Anne trade barbs all day, but the rest of the episode left a sour taste in my mouth. I didn't buy that Yolanda and Sonia would care enough to sabotage Wyatt's proposal, and I don't think Mr. K's strong enough to head up his own story as this point. GRADE: C+

New Girl: "Bathtub"
Still don't care about Schmidt and Cece, and unfortunately the rare Jess/Winston sub-plot didn't quite gel either. Thankfully, we got more Jake Johnson genius and Olivia Munn as a stripper. GRADE: B-

Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23: "Whatever it Takes..."
Usually, I don't complain about little things but watching an episode that was clearly from Season 1 was distracting. Luckily, JVDB was back in DTWS mode (and we found out how he became close to June's mother), but everything else was too out of place to ignore. GRADE: C+

The New Normal: "Baby Proofing"
I liked the fact that Bryan was not in soapbox mode and in my life is about to change mode because it suits him better. As does a less politically incorrect version of Jane. Didn't care for David though because his obsession with safety felt out of character. GRADE: B

Wednesday
Arrow: "Vendetta"
Even though they rushed the Huntress arc, and it was accompanied with some horrible acting on both parts, I have to admit that I liked what they did. As for all of the stuff going on around Oliver and Helena, I could've done with out most of it (i.e. Tommy and Laurel). GRADE: B-

Nashville: "Where He Leads Me"
I'm still digging the new direction that Nashville's heading in. Juliette's more interesting when she's not boffing Deacon (the same's true for him) and I kind of like her QB boyfriend. I wasn't jazzed about the proposal but I'll roll with it since she's up to something. I even liked the continuation of the young'uns love triangle which is rare. Let's just ignore the political stuff, OK? GRADE: B

American Horror Story: Asylum: "Unholy Night"
Ian McShane as a Santa suit wearing serial killer. That is all. GRADE: B+

Thursday
The Vampire Diaries: "We'll Always Have Bourbon Street"
I'm still over Damon and Elena. I still hate her. And I still love Caroline when she's not tied at the hip with Tyler. That pretty much sums up my thoughts on this one. GRADE: C

Glee: "Swan Song"
I didn't love or hate "Swan Song"... I just didn't really care about it at all. It spent way too much time in New York pretending that it's a magical place where somewhat talented people have their dreams come true with little to no effort while putting the more interesting collapse of New Directions on the back burner. Yawn. GRADE: C+

Elementary: "You Do It To Yourself"
I'm never going to turn down learning more about Sherlock and Watson, so the issues she had with her ex were good enough to establish her character. I just wish this show would incorporate more interesting cases week in and week out. GRADE: C+

Friday
Nikita: "Sideswipe"
We all knew that Sonya was the mole, so I'm glad they got it out of the way even if it only introduced another insider. At least Amanda's a more entertaining villain than she was last season, and I liked the introduction of Cyrus. As for Alex's return to drugs and Sean... moving on. GRADE: B

As you can see, no 30 Rock this week because I still haven't watched the latest episode. Again, I'm the worst. Sorry.

Episode Review: HAPPY ENDINGS, "P&P Romance Factory"

After a week off, Happy Endings was back with a pretty standard yet highly funny episode in "P&P Romance Factory."

Penny was forced to wear a helmet for a month due to fact that she's a bit of a klutz and constantly hits her head on things. While out buying some protective headwear, she bumped into a cute guy named Pete who asked her out. Initially, she was hesitant because of her situation but decided to go for it anyway. Unfortunately, her self-consciousness led her to come up with crazy dates that required a helmet of some sort. It eventually got to Pete, and he was about to call things off which forced Penny to finally come clean. Instead of running, he seemed totally fine with it and even crowned his new queen with a crown (i.e. a pink bike helmet).

Meanwhile, Jane was frustrated at work because she couldn't get into the Car Czar's boys club so Brad took it upon himself to help his boo out. They had all of her co-workers over, and the plan was for him to get her an in via guy talk but it failed miserably. What ended up happening was Brad clicked with all of the wives and Jane saw her window of opportunity: she decided to join in on the verbal spousal abuse. Of course, she took things too far and upset Brad, so he got back at her by going full trophy wife on her and made a scene at the car dealership. She realized that she was betrayed her partner and refused to keep playing the Czar's games.

Lastly, the rest of the gang encountered a douchey guy named Brody who somehow offended Max by turning a fist-bump into a hand turkey (it's Happy Endings, what do you expect). As it turned out, Max was sensitive to handshake mishaps because he felt victim to the classic "one low, too slow" gag. When he opened up about his feelings, it was Dave's turn to overreact because he was convinced that he created "too slow" and was determined to make things right. Dave, a self-appointed handshake expert, took Max under his wing to show him how to get back at Brody. When that didn't work, Alex defended their honor by attacking the d-bag.

While we got some pretty good stuff from Casey Wilson, the Penny storyline was by far the weakest of the bunch because it was silly even by Happy Endings' standards. Her coming up with outlandish excuses, evading Pete's advances and all of the lies were just too much for my liking and the whole unlucky in love routine's getting a little stale. Thankfully, the rest of the ensemble picked up the slack. Sure, Dave and Max's obsession with fist-bumps and high fives was just as wacky but it worked much better. As did Jane and Brad's plot because the commotion he caused at Jane's place of work was brilliant. It's a shame that Damon Wayans Jr. doesn't get enough recognition or love for this role.

Other Odds and Ends:

• The gang talking slowly to mess with Penny was classic a Happy Endings joke. Mildly offensive, incredibly mean-spirited but very funny.
• A vuvuzela joke? What is this, 2010?
• A BCS vs. playoffs joke? When was this episode written?
• I could watch Elisha Cuthbert ramming her head into a wall all day.
• Sangria mouth.
• "Little girls be sharing."
• "You had to take her to a soccer game? It will never catch on here."
• "We need a legitimate playoff system!"
• "Ah, quaint? Isn't that the space between a gal's goal and her penalty box?"
• "His humor makes me uncomfortable."
• Penny: "This helmet just wasn't protecting my head. It was protecting my heart."
  Alex: "Is that a quote from Iron Man 2?"

"P&P Romance Factory" may not have been the best Happy Endings outing, but that doesn't really matter because it still packed in enough jokes to keep me laughing, so I really can't complain.

TV Report Card: Week of November 18, 2012

Thanksgiving seriously cut into my time, so this is going to be a very bare-bones edition of the TV Report Card.

Sunday
The Walking Dead, "Hounded"
I bought the bait-and-switch involving Rick and the phone calls, but I could've done without Woodbury and Merle's hunting party for Michonne. GRADE: B-

Homeland: "I'll Fly Away"
I'm always going to be a fan of Carrie and Brody on their own, but Dana's story took a slight step back, and who didn't see Nazir showing up at the end of the episode? GRADE: B

Monday
How I Met Your Mother: "The Stamp Tramp"
It wasn't the worst episode ever, but it still wasn't any good. When are the writers going to learn that trying to come up with new pop culture catchphrases and strained sports metaphors can only go so far? GRADE: D

Castle: "After Hours"
An episode that takes Kate and Rick into the depths of NYC after midnight should be exciting, but this one was only OK. GRADE: B

Tuesday
Raising Hope: "Candy Wars"
One of the funniest episodes of television so far. GRADE: A-

Ben and Kate: "Reunion"
I was happy that it wasn't a full Thanksgiving episode, and I liked that we got more of Will, but the BJ and Ben stuff was so tired. GRADE: B-

Happy Endings: "More Like Stanksgiving"
Happy Endings isn't the new Friends yet, but some more Thanksgiving episodes like this one and it could get there. Plus, The Real World: Sacramento and Dave facing the hardships of his Native American brethren. Funny stuff. GRADE: B+

Go On: "Dinner Takes All"
I was expecting more from Lauren Graham, and we did not get enough of Carrie. I have a feeling I'm going to be constantly let down by this show's criminal under-utilization of that character. GRADE: B-

New Girl: "Parents"
It was OK. I appreciated how the episode tried to subvert the idea of Jess and Nick, and I liked the dueling Schmidts, but overall it was decent enough. GRADE: B-

Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23: "It's a Miracle..."
Chloe was better this time around than usual, but James Van Deer Beek was wasted in spite of him having a few good lines and moments. GRADE: B

The New Normal: "Pardon Me"
This one was hard to sit through because the main characters came off as kind of selfish. Usually, that's not a bad thing, but it didn't work this time around. GRADE: C+

Wednesday
American Horror Story: Asylum, "The Origins of Monstrosity"
Sure, there was a lot of exposition but the episode was twisted enough to keep things interesting. Quinto was creepy as all get out, and we got to see a priest use his Rosary as a whip/garrote. GRADE: B

Thursday
Glee: "Dynamic Duets"
Probably one of the best episodes in a long time because it successfully meshed theme, music and story. Yes, Glee's always done that but it wasn't as clunky this time around. GRADE: A-

So, there you have a very rushed and to the point TV Report Card. Hopefully, I'll be able to dedicated more time to next week's. See you then.

Episode Review: HAPPY ENDINGS, "More Like Stanksgiving"

Happy Endings have proved that it can do holiday themed episodes very well, last season's "Spooky Endings" and "St. Valentine's Day Maxssaccre" were two of the show's best, so I had high expectations for "More Like Stanksgiving" because it could firmly cement the show's status as a  Friends for a new generation if it could nail it. I'm happy to report that it was a success... except for the whole Friends part. It wasn't THAT good.

Alex and Dave were so excited about their new place that they decided to host Thanksgiving even though Jane's been preparing for weeks. Since Dave's 1/16th Navajo, he insisted on creating an authentic meal as a way to pay homage to his background, so when Alex forgot to get clams, he set out on a quest to make his people proud. Along the way, he was robbed by pilgrims, traded his beaded coat for a contaminated blanket and was imprisoned for "scalping" tickets. Everything worked out for him in the end, and he was happy that he was able to get in touch with his roots by facing the same tragedies that they did. Or something like that.

Depending on who you talk to, Dave's the most problematic character because some feel that Zachary Knighton cannot keep up comically with the rest of the cast and because he was saddled with such a weak premise at the start of the show. I can sometimes understand these arguments, but I've always enjoyed Dave because he's a reliable straight man to the craziness that goes on around him, and I thought that his moments in "Stanksgiving" were pretty funny. Sure, him encountering the "hardships" that Native Americans faced was silly and probably a little offensive, but Knighton sold those moments with some decent timing and a commitment to the sight gags. Plus, it was kind of nice seeing a character carry a sub-plot on their own.

My only real issue with Dave's story had more to do with the way his character was written because he did start to veer into that annoying, self-righteous zone that's reserved for Ross Geller, Ted Mosby and Dr. Acula. I'm glad that Dave's been given more to do, but he cannot become the nice guy turned douche. He just can't.

Back at the apartment, Max thought that it would be a good idea to relive their past by watching the lost season of Real World: Sacramento which was how the gang met Brad. The episode in question was the one where they came to visit him in the converted firehouse (that was eventually burned to the ground by one of the roommates), but Brad was skittish about them seeing it. As it turned out, he was not a fan of Jane's when they first met and she initially wanted to hook up with someone else in the house, which obviously caused some friction. The Williams-Kerkovich clan was not the only relationship tested by MTV because it was also revealed (via confessional, of course) that Penny may have had feelings for Dave even back then. Alex started to wonder if Penny still liked Dave and was trying to break them up because she was poking holes in their living situation since he had yet to move his stuff in. Luckily, everything was smoothed over by episode's end after Jane helped Brad realize that their accidental hook-up was the best mistake they ever made, and Penny assured Alex that she would never hurt her.

Admittedly, this plot had some familiar Thanksgiving Day trappings since it's become a time for dirty laundry to be aired and zany antics to occur, but Happy Endings made it all work in its own bizarre way. The Brad and Jane fight could have been trite, but putting it within in the context of a misguided fling that happened at a Real World house kept things interesting enough to earn it some leeway. The same could be said about Alex and Penny's tiff, but they brought enough sweetness to the episode to also warrant a pass. The only one who got the short end of the stick was Max, who did have a minor C-plot about coming out on TV, but that's not necessarily a bad thing because he's sometimes easier to put up with in smaller doses.

Other Odds and Ends:

• Once again, Alex + food = hilarity.
• Real World: Sacramento. Brilliant.
• An ergonomic work hammock. You got love Alex's obtuseness... for the most part.
• 2002 Penny's outfit: pink velour tracksuit, Uggs and the Rachel haircut. Classic.
• The Chola Gwen Stefani version of Jane's my favorite.
• I could watch Max avoid Penny's advances all day.
• Max was right. Him coming out as greg could have been a monumental moment in television history.
• Dave: "You guys wouldn't understand. None of your ancestors were at the first Thanksgiving."
  Jane: "OK, neither were the Navajo."
  Dave: "One of our many snubs."
• "Isn't it odd how our sixsome was basically forged on the Real World, and yet we never talk about it."
• "Trust your instincts, David!"
• "Reading's stupid. TV rules!"
• "There's so much sex, and um, it's aaall hetero."
• "Jane, come on. It was years ago. I was a moron, remember? I was using body lotion on my face."
• "And it was 2002. It was such a crazy time. We were all still reeling from the events surrounding the film Vanilla Sky."
• "Scalping! The pilgrims drove me to it!"

It's too bad that we don't have a holiday every week because then Happy Endings would always bring its A-game like it did during "More Like Stanksgiving." OK, maybe that's an unfair expectation but these kind of episodes remind me of how brilliant this show can be, so of course I'd want more of them.

The Small Screen Podcast, Episode 44: The One with All the Thanksgiving Episodes

"The Small Screen Podcast" is back for Episode 44. This time around Kristal and I talked TV and turkey as they chatted about the latest renewals and cancellations, the most recent episodes of Nashville and Don't Trust the B---- in Apt. 23, Thanksgiving themed television, and more. Check out the breakdown to avoid any possible spoilers.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start - 1:01

TV News: 1:02 - 17:08

• American Horror Story renewed: 1:02 - 6:12
• Guys with Kids gets more episodes: 6:13 - 12:12
• Partners, 666 Park Ave., Last Resort canceled: 12:13 - 17:08

What We're Watching: 17:09 - 33:03

• Nashville: 17:09 - 28:48
• Don't Trust the B---- in Apt. 23: 28:49 - 33:03

Topic of the Week - Favorite Thanksgiving Episodes/Specials: 33:04 - 42:37

• This is America, Charlie Brown: 33:04 - 34:48
• Friends: 34:49 - 39:16
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer: 39:17 - 42:37

What We're Looking Forward To: 42:38 - 46:49

• Happy Endings and Glee: 42:38 - 45:14
• Go On: 45:15 - 46:49

Closing: 46:50 - End

Check out the episode below, download it over at iTunes or stream it on Stitcher:



For more, follow us on Twitter:
Kristal: @kristal_bailey
Marcos: @poppas2cents
Screen Invasion: @screeninvasion
Invasion Radio: @invasionradio

TV Report Card: Week of November 11, 2012

Here is this week's TV Report Card:

Sunday
The Walking Dead: "Say the Word"

What Worked: It's starting to become pretty clear that the prison's the place to be this season because everything that had nothing to do with Woodbury was good. I especially liked how we got some great character moments from Daryl and Glenn to a lesser extent. Even Rick's psychotic warpath was entertaining and extremely disturbing.

What Didn't Work: As noted above, I could've done without all of the Woodbury scenes because they once again brought the episode to a halt. I don't care about Andrea's little crush on the Governor or how it's driving a wedge between her and Michonne because we've yet to understand what kept them together for so long. Andrea's choice of Woodbury over Michonne was supposed to be a huge betrayal, but it didn't play that way because we still don't know anything about the latter or their relationship.

GRADE: B+

Homeland: "The Clearing"

What Worked: Obviously, things are going to be good when the show puts Brody and Carrie together, and their little rendezvous in the clearing was another example of why Lewis and Danes won their Emmys. I was also relieved that Dana's silly hit-and-run arc blended well with the main storyline, and how great were Saul and Aileen.

What Didn't Work: I'm still not feeling Mike's amateur P.I. gig, but I was happy that it was addressed. Part of me wonders how much longer he is for this world. I'm sure there are some other things I could nit-pick about, like Quinn, but I'll leave that to the Internet since it just loves to complain about Homeland.

GRADE: B+

Monday
How I Met Your Mother: "Splitsville"

What Worked: Once again, not much. Maybe Barney's lie/truth that he used to help break up Robin and Nick, but that's a stretch since I never have cared about them as a couple.

What Didn't Work: Pretty much everything else. Like I've said over and over again, I hate Robin and Barney together so their final moments weren't cute but more of the same crap the showrunners have been shoving down our throats, and I can no longer tolerate it. I've also never liked pervy Lily, so her inappropriate comments throughout were annoying, as was Marshall. Oh, and don't get me started on how this episode made Nick into a complete idiot out of nowhere just to service the "plot." Ugh.

GRADE: D-

Castle: "Swan Song"

What Worked: I didn't love this episode, but that last scene where Beckett tricked the camerman into the broom closet and shut the door with a raspberry made up for everything else. To be fair, there were some fun jokes throughout, but I didn't care for the format.

What Didn't Work: Honestly, I'm surprised that it took Castle so long to do a documentary style episode since it's a trick that a few other procedural have used before. Off the top of my head, Leverage's "The Office Job" comes to mind but that was a straight play on The Office, so it worked better. Usually, I'm excited when cop shows do new things, but this one never clicked for me.

GRADE: B-

Tuesday
Ben and Kate: "Career Day"

What Worked: While I didn't think that "Career Day" was Ben and Kate's best outing, there were somethings that I liked about it. First, the show's been able to utilize Geoff Stults in an effective enough way to deepen my man-crush on him. Of course, Kate was as cute as ever, and Ben and Tommy were good together as always.

What Didn't Work: Having BJ in her own story was a misfire in my opinion because she works best with the rest of the ensemble and isn't a strong enough character to carry her own subplot. Also, this was one of those instances where Ben was too annoying for his own good and his sabotaging of Kate's date with zero comeuppance or true remorse was a little off-putting.

GRADE: B-

Happy Endings: "Boyz II Menorah"

What Worked: The combination of Max and Brad's always funny, so making them a bar mitzvah hype team was genius. I know that there are many out there who are not happy about Dave and Alex being back together, but I'm enjoying them for now, and even though their story was a little too cliched, I still got a kick out of their antics especially since it utilized the more tolerable version of Jane.

What Didn't Work: Like I mentioned, a lot of this episode relied too much on worn out tropes like slapstick comedy, people getting stuck in closets without phones, miscommunications and lies. That said, almost everything worked because of the rapid-fire nature of the jokes and most of them landed.

GRADE: B+

Go On: "Video game, Set, Match"

What Worked: It was nice finally getting some meaningful Ryan and Owen time since the show established it back in the pilot and we've seen only bits and pieces since then. If the writers play their cards right, these two can be the foundation for the show going forward, and that could only lead to good things.

What Didn't Work: At first, I wasn't too fond of the rest of the support group getting their own story, especially since it revolved around Yolonda. She has been one of the weaker parts of the ensemble because she's been playing the repressed Asian stereotype since day one. I'll give the episode credit for developing her and showing another side of the group's dynamic, and I did feel for her when she was ditched, but it would've worked better if both storylines meshed better. We also needed more Carrie.

GRADE: B

New Girl: "Menzies"

What Worked: Part of me wonders how much better this show would be if it was all about Nick because he was by far the MVP of this episode. His plot about venting to a silent, wise old man had me in stitches because it let Jake Johnson just riff and it was all gold. I know that New Girl needs the ensemble, but right now Johnson's the main reason I check in.

What Didn't Work: Having an entire episode revolve around Jess and her menstration cycle was old and unfunny, even if it did try to tie in to her larger arc, and even Winston using fake sympathy PMS as a way to cope with his break-up fell a little flat. As for Schmidt and CeeCee, I no longer care about them as a potential couple.

GRADE: B

Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23: "Sexy People"

What Worked: The idea of James Van Der Beek winning People's Sexiest Man Alive was novel enough and had potential, especially since it was able to give us more insight on his relationship with June. Her manufactured crush on him was worth a few laughs, mostly due to JVDB egging her on, but it was smart that the show squashed any real romantic avenues.

What Didn't Work: Even though Chloe played a vital role in the episode, she was still the weakest link. Once she got JVDB on the cover, the rest of her time at People stopped being relevant and that's when things started to wobble. Krysten Ritter was still good, but her actions meant very little after a while.

GRADE: B

The New Normal: "Unplugged"

What Worked: While I didn't love this episode, it was competent enough and wasn't a bust. For me, the best parts had to do with the Sing set visit and all of the Glee in jokes that probably didn't make sense to those unfamiliar with the show. I hope we get to see more of Bryan's worklife because we all know how much I dig self-deprecating Glee jokes.

What Didn't Work: The concept of the episode was tired right off of the bat. Yes, we live in a more plugged in world, but having the main characters go without their electronic devices is one of the newest comedic cliches and I'm already tired of it.

GRADE: B-

Wednesday
Arrow: "Legacies"

What Worked: I find that I enjoy this show more when Thea and Oliver are getting along and she's not acting like a total brat. That's to say that I kind of liked the first part of this episode, but it started to unravel pretty quickly. I suppose getting more glimpses of the island didn't hurt and Riggle's influence on Oliver's commendable but I didn't love this one.

What Didn't Work: It's too bad that Thea went back to her drunken, smart-ass ways, and to make things worse was the fact that she did it because of a schoolgirl crush on Tommy. As for him, I wonder if anyone truly cares about him and Laurel at this point because I couldn't stop rolling my eyes every time they should up on screen together. The thing is, I should've liked this one since I'm a sucker for heists, but even that plot was bogged down with heavy-handed themes.

GRADE: C+

Modern Family: "Mistery Date"

What Worked: Not much. Phil had a few funny scenes but anytime he was with Matthew Broderick, I cringed. I did like Alex and Claire together because that's a relationship that doesn't get too much exposure on this show and it should.

What Didn't Work: Anything that didn't involve the Dunphys just angered me. Heck, I don't even remember what Jay did this time around. Putting two of the most annoying characters together, Cam and Gloria, was a recipe for disaster. And my dislike for Manny was only heightened as he went on his idiotic quest to find the girl at the bar mitzvah. Thankfully, Luke was around to redeem that subplot but he could only do so much.

GRADE: C-

American Horror Story: Asylum: "I Am Anne Frank, Part 2"

What Worked: The second installment was a slight improvement over its predecessor but still had too much going on. It wasn't as frantic, but it still could do with one less plotline. I'll admit that I should've seen Bloody Face's true identity sooner, but I have to credit the the writers for duping me long enough to make the reveal work.

What Didn't Work: The alien stuff still isn't working for me, and even adding Grace to the mix didn't win me over. Also, I didn't quite buy Sister Jude's little outing but that might have to do with the fact that I started tuning out about mid-way through the episode. I'm sure if I re-watch "Anne Frank, Pt. 2," I'll appreciate more... maybe.

GRADE: B-

Nashville: "You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave)"

What Worked: I have to give it to Nashville because this was the first episode that I really liked. Juliette's road to redemption worked for me, and I was happy to see Rayna in an actual music-based storyline instead of watching her be torn between two men. Ditto for Deacon. I even warmed up to the mayoral storyline ever so slightly.

What Didn't Work: Let me clarify that last bit. I sorta liked Carlisle's end of the political bits, but I cannot stand Rayna's husband or father, so I got bored every time they showed up to twirl their mustaches. Unfortunately  I don't see this aspect of the show improving since it look like Carlisle might jump in the mud with his opponents.

GRADE: B+

Thursday
The Vampire Diaries: "We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes"

What Worked: As much as I enjoy this show, I have to admit that it's been frustrating me over the last couple of episodes. The only part of this episode that I enjoyed was Stefan and Caroline's scheme to free Elena but that's because I like those two together so much that I'll put up with them risking their lives to save one of the most annoying characters of all time.

What Didn't Work: I'm just going to say it: I hate Elena. She's whiny, sanctimonious, ungrateful and a pain in the ass. I'd go off on her for treating Stefan like crap over the last couple of weeks, but I stopped caring about their relationship seasons ago, and now he can go off and find someone more deserving of his affections (like Caroline or even Rebekah). Let Damon have Elena because she's just going to take him for granted too. I'll be honest, part of me wanted her to off herself. I'm not even going to get into the other stupid love triangle or whatever Bonnie's been up to.

GRADE: C+

30 Rock: "Aunt Phatso vs. Jack Donaghy"

What Worked: Watching Jack and Tracy go head-to-head over a character the latter created based on the former was fun, and it allowed for Tracy to get some actual character development and growth. Speaking of growing, I also appreciated Liz's dilemma and it looks like the end really is near since she's going to have to pick between work and life.

What Didn't Work: Hazel has been one of the worst things to happen to 30 Rock, so the fact that she had a major role during this episode knocked the grade down a full point. I just don't understand why the show felt the need to introduce this kind of character to an already outlandish show, and the sooner she goes away the better.

GRADE: C+

Glee: "Glease"

What Worked: Having the majority of the action revolve around the musical was another good move on the show's part, and I was glad that the new characters were given some more depth as a way to let them shake off their 2.0 status. It was also a pretty good episode for Finn even though I wanted more closure on what he said to Sue last week.

What Didn't Work: I realized that I no longer care about what's going on in NYC or about the former couples. The second the focus moved from Lima to Rachel, I lost interest, and I couldn't stand having to put up with a mopey Kurt. As for Cassandra's reemergence  who didn't see her seduction of Brody coming weeks ago? For now, I'd be happy with Glee sticking around Lima from now on but we all know that's never going to happen.

GRADE: B

Elementary: "One Way to Get Off"

What Worked: Like always, the Holmes and Watson moments worked for me, and it's been interesting ever since Irene Adler was brought up due to the friction that it's caused. We all know that the two leads will make up in the end, but this temporary rift has livened things up for now. I also liked how we got more of Holmes' bond with Gregson.

What Didn't Work: It's good that the relationships are keeping my attention because the case once again failed to deliver. I will say that the idea of a wrongfully accused serial killer had some juice, but it felt like the previous episode about the kid napped kid who ended up being the real bad guy. It was too familiar and was too much of a retread.

GRADE: C

Friday
Grimm: "Season of the Hexenbiest"

What Worked: It was nice having Monroe back at Nick's side as they dealt with Adalind and her band of Wesen assassins. Speaking of Adalind, her return was very much welcomed and I hope she can be the big bad that this season needs. I still see a Buffy/Spike vibe when it comes to her and Nick, but her being a pain in his ass could be entertaining during the short-term.

What Didn't Work: For the first time in a while, I didn't care for Juliette and Renard's arc because she was written so poorly that I wanted to see her killed off all over again. I still think there's some potential with these two and the spell that they're under, and I'm really excited to see what happens now that Nick knows, but this was a pretty big speed bump.

GRADE: B+

Once again, no Revolution. I'm two episodes behind and have no desire to catch-up so I don't know when or if it'll be back. Sons of Anarchy is still too frustrating to deal with so it's in the same boat.