The Small Screen Podcast, Episode 38: How We Ranted About HIMYM

"The Small Screen Podcast" is back for Episode 38. During our second episode of the week we covered what we've been watching and what we're looking forward to. Shows include: Castle, How I Met Your Mother, New Girl, Modern Family, South Park and more. Check out the episode breakdown to avoid any possible spoilers.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start - 1:06

What We're Watching: 1:07 - 35:40

• Castle: 1:07 - 5:20
• How I Met Your Mother: 5:21 - 23:50
• New Girl: 23:51 - 32:29
• Modern Family: 32:30 - 34:33
• South Park: 34:34 - 35:40

What We're Looking Forward To: 35:41 - 44:14

• Fringe: 35:42 - 37:12
• Homeland: 37:13 - 37:27
• Grimm: 37:28 - 38:01
• Revenge: 38:02 - 38:30
• Dexter: 38:31 - 39:07
• Hart of Dixie: 39:08 - 40:03
• More Dexter: 40:04 - 44:14

Closing: 44:15 - End

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



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

Quick Thoughts: HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, "Farhampton"

At this point, the show should rename itself to How We Spun Our Wheels For So Long and Alienated Our Viewers because the Season 8 premiere of HIMYM was more of the same nonsense that has infuriated me over the past two plus seasons.

Let me just be clear right off the bat, I didn't like anything about this episode so if readers are looking for me to look at the bright side, then I'd suggest they check out a different write-up. And on with the bitter rant.

When HIMYM plays with time, it's an indicator that we're in for a pointless ride towards nowhere because Thomas and Bays have yet to figure out that they've ruined their own gag beyond repair. It's a tell-tale sign that we're going to get stupid relationship malaise that doesn't add to the story or characters, but is there just to prolong the show's concept which has not been relevant for years. What's even more frustrating was the fact that this show used 49 episodes to progress the Barney's wedding arc (that was introduced during the Season 6 premiere) a few hours. If that's not a stall tactic, I don't know what is.

Pointless delays in storytelling aside, "Farhampton" just wasn't funny. Marshall and Lily's sleep deprived state was tedious and never once made me laugh. Robin once again being painted as a sad sack loser (until the show did a complete 180 by bringing back the cylon for no apparent reason) was infuriating. And to top it off, the show took one of its few likable characters in Victoria and ruined her. The sole highlight was Barney's summation of the non-sense that led us to where we are today, but that had more to do with Neil Patrick Harris than anything else. What an utter waste of talent and time.

I've thrown away so much time watching this show that I cannot quit it now, but by god I hope that this is the show's final season because I don't know how much more of it I can take.

The Small Screen Podcast, Episode 22: Shiny. Let's Be Bad Guys

"The Small Screen Podcast" is back for Episode 22. Sorry, for the break but sometimes life gets in the way of podcasting. During this installment, Kristal and I chat about a lot of TV news including the cancellation of Luck, renewals by FX and CBS and a Firefly reunion on Castle. We also brought back the Topic of the Week as well as shared what we've been watching and what we're looking forward to. Spoiler phobes can check out the episode breakdown below.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start - 1:30

TV News: 1:31 - 21:37

• Cancellation of HBO's Luck: 1:31 - 4:25
• FOX's Mid-Season Shakeup: 4:26 - 9:26
• James Spader Leaving The Office: 9:27 - 13:50
• Renewals: 13:51 - 19:07
• Firefly Reunion on ABC's Castle: 19:08 - 21:37

Topic of the Week: Other TV Reunions We'd Like to See: 21:38 - 24:27

What We're Watching: 24:28 - 41:32

• Breaking In: 24:28 - 29:34
• Smash: 29:25 - 38:05
• GCB: 38:06 - 41:32

What We're Looking Forward To: 41:33 - 43:53

• Community: 41:33 - 42:31
• The Vampire Diaries: 42:32 - 43:53

Closing: 43:54 - End

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

For more, follow us on Twitter:
Kristal: @kristal_bailey
Marcos: @poppas2cents

Top 5 TV Let-Downs of 2011

So, I've already put together my Top 5 List of TV shows, news, developments, etc. that were pleasant surprises, but the post-Christmas funk (not really, I just needed a reason to be negative) has me ready to throw out my Top 5 TV Let-downs of 2011.

5. Torchwood: Miracle Day

Admittedly, I'm not really a fan of this Dr. Who spin-off despite all of the good things I've heard about it, but I was excited for Starz's continuation of the series with Miracle Day. I even binged on Torchwood: Children of Earth as a way to prep for the series' debut, and that might have been a misstep because Miracle Day had no chance of following in Children's footsteps. From the start, even I could notice that something was missing, and the fact that MD tried to veer away from what made the franchise special (Captain Jack) during the early episodes in favor of hammy caricatures and a twisty but uninteresting plot didn't help the show's case. Now, Miracle Day did have some bright spots, but overall it was a dud. With that said, I'd be OK if the series was given another chance to right the ship.

4. The 1960's

On the surface, the 1960's felt glamorous to me, but I blame Mad Men's stylized look and all of the hype that surrounds it for this halo effect. Because of this, I was somewhat excited for the two Mad Men rip-offs that were gracing network television in 2011. Now, NBC's The Playboy Club was a bad show out of the gate, but I still gave it a shot, and while it wasn't as bad as all the critics were saying, it was clear that it was not long for this world. On the other hand, ABC's Pan Am was a major let down because it had more potential and really didn't capitalize on it. The few episodes I watched focused on the nostalgic aesthetic over interesting character and story, so I quickly lost interest. Since the two shows never caught on, and Mad Men's continued ratings slump (even by cable's standards), it's clear that the 60's are over and we all need to move on.

3. The first-half of The Walking Dead: Season 2

One of the Internet's primary functions is to be an outlet for outraged viewers to complain about TV shows, and while I do that from time to time, I try to keep things mostly positive on my blog, but it's hard to give the first handful of The Walking Dead's second season episodes a pass. After a stellar premiere episode, The Walking Dead quickly got stuck in the mud and spun its wheels until the mid-season finale, and instead of getting plot and/or character development, audiences were subjected to endless debates about morality, faith, and leadership. Now, spending time on these topics should be interesting, and some of the scenes were ... the first three times we watched them. Now, I'm not sure how much of The Walking Dead's sophomore slump has to do with the change of showrunners, or the cut in budget, or AMC's need to split the season into two chunks, but so far Season 2 has not been able to deliver like Season 1 was able to do. Thankfully, we still have the second half of the season, and hopefully the show will able to make things right.

2. CBS

Oh how the mighty have fallen ... out of my good graces but not out of its ratings dominance. While I was never a big supporter of CBS, I did watch my fair share of shows like How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, and Hawaii Five-0, so I did have some vested interest in the network so much so that I was willing to give its new sit-com, 2 Broke Girls, a fair shot. To date, I've been so disappointed by the Eye that I've either given up on shows (Hawaii Five-0), taken them out of my regular viewing rotation (The Big Bang Theory), or stubbornly hung on the belief that the show will improve (2 Broke Girls). No show has bummed me out more than How I Met Your Mother, which was No. 2 last year, because it insists on spinning its wheels while throwing red herrings and insulting twists at the fans. Watching HIMYM is no longer a joy, but rather a chore yet I keep coming back with hopes that it will return to its glorious roots. But I said the same thing last year.

1. The Benching of Cult Favorites

I'm not one of those television viewers who has unrealistic expectations of the medium. I know that TV is a bottom-line business, which means that some times good shows get unfavorable treatment, but usually that treatment is justified. On paper, I can understand why ABC and NBC would bench its two critically acclaimed but ratings-challenged comedies, but as a fan of Cougar Town and Community, it's a hard pill to swallow. I get why they have been put on indefinite hiatus, but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it especially when they're replaced by Work It and Are You There, Chelsea? Luckily, those two shows feel like flops, so we might have the Cul-de-sac Crew and the Study Group back on our TVs sooner than later.

There you have it, my Top 5 TV Let-downs of 2011. I'll be honest, it took some time to come up with this list because 2011 was a pretty decent year for television, and here's to hopes that 2012 will be too.

The Small Screen Podcast, Episode 13: Will We CHUCK THE WALKING DEAD?

"The Small Screen Podcast" is back for Episode 13. This time around Kristal and I talked about Captain Kirk beaming in on Psych, the return of FX's Archer and Justified, The Walking Dead, Chuck, and what we're looking forward to.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start - 1:30

TV News: 1:31 - 6:50

• William Shatner on Psych: 1:31 - 3:54
• Premiere Dates for FX's Archer and Justified: 3:55 - 6:50

What We're Watching (SPOILER ALERT): 6:51 - 28:46

• The Walking Dead: 6:51 - 23:49
• Chuck: 23:50 - 28:46

What We're Looking Forward To: 28:47 - 46:39

• Glee: 28:47 - 37:39
• How I Met Your Mother: 37:40 - 46:39

Closing: 46:40 - End

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

For more, follow us on Twitter:

Kristal: @kristal_bailey

Marcos: @poppas2cents

Quick Thoughts: HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, "Tick, Tick, Tick"

This week's episode of How I Met Your Mother had me torn. I did not think that "Tick, Tick, Tick" was funny...at all, but I did find myself respecting the direction that the show was going in when it was all said and done. While I wasn't happy with the final product, at least I wasn't angry afterwards.

The ending of "Disaster Averted" had me all riled up because the writers once again went to the Barney and Robin well which is more contaminated than the one on Herschel's farm on The Walking Dead. I've never cared about them as a couple, and after "Tick, Tick, Tick," I'm convinced that I never will. Having them make out was one thing, but having them cheat on Kevin and Nora just turned then into horrible people who I cannot root for. Yes, I know that Kevin and Nora were not supposed to be permanent partners, and the writers really haven't given us a reason to care about either of them, but that doesn't excuse Barney and Robin's behavior.

While I do not excuse what Barney did, his character did not take a massive hit like Robin's did and that was what angered me more than anything. I have always been a big fan of Robin's, and I have not been happy with what they've been doing with her over the last couple of seasons. Now they've not only turned her into a cheater, but she also toyed with Barney's emotions and threw him under the bus. What the hell?

All the complaints aside, I do have to commend the show for actually going there though. Having your main characters do cruel things to one another is not a trick most shows can pull off, so most do go that route. What Robin did to Barney was uncool, especially after that last scene of him packing up the rose petals and blowing out the candles in her room, but sometimes it's important for comedies to remind the audience that life's not always funny, and sometimes you hurt those you love the most.

I may have not liked most of Robin and Barney's A-plot, but at least it had some redeemable qualities which could not be found in the the B-plot about the concert, "sandwiches", and getting old. One things that irks me about HIMYM is the fact that it loves to run a joke into the ground whether it's funny or not, and that's why I'm not a fan of the "sandwiches as pot" gag. It was worth a few laughs back in the day, but bringing it back just felt lazy. The same can be said about the unfunny quest for nachos which also wore out its welcome fairly quickly. Even the 2-minute reveal fell flat in my opinion.

It's pretty easy to tell that I did not care for "Tick, Tick, Tick" because it was just another weak offering from this once great show. I'm glad that it's still willing to take some risks, but now it needs to focus on being funny again.

Quick Thoughts: HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, "The Slutty Pumpkin Returns"

In a lot of ways, the deck was stacked against "The Slutty Pumpkin Returns." How I Met Your Mother had the disadvantage of airing its Halloween episode after stronger episodes like the ones from Happy Endings and Community, so it had an uphill battle.

Right off the bat, everything was wrong with this episode. While, I'm a Katie Holmes fan, her appearance on the show was such blatant stunt casting that I couldn't take anything involving her seriously because we all knew it wasn't going to add up to anything. It was also frustrating to watch Ted complain about yet another potential suitor. I get that she wasn't supposed to be the mother, and how she was supposed to symbolize how holding on to the past can be a bad idea, but why should I invest any emotion into a one-shot character who we'll probably never see again? I just didn't find myself caring about anything Ted said or did in the episode.

The same can be said about the whole Marshall-Lily plot line as well. I've pretty much come to terms with the fact that I will never be invested in them as a married couple, but unfortunately that's their role to play from now on. Their story line also suffered from HIMYM-itis which occurs when the show tries to force new pop culture phrases/concepts onto the audience. This time around it was pregnancy brain, which was half-baked at best. All of the jokes that revolved around this gimmick fell flat and made it hard to watch the episode.

Even the Robin-Barney B-plot, which stayed away from the shippier elements, didn't do it for me because the writing felt lazy. We're still getting Canada jokes after all this time? Seriously? Apparently the writers cannot give Cobie Smulders better material after six seasons. At least I didn't have to watch her mope about Barney, which is always appreciated. Speaking of the Barnacle, the only highlight of the night was seeing him dressed up as Apollo Creed. That visual gag almost made up for the horribleness of the rest of the episode...almost.

It also didn't help that Happy Endings got the drop on them. "Spooky Endings" already covered the "married couple debates about moving the suburbs" trope, and their take was funnier by far. Heck, Marshall even had a line that was pretty much delivered verbatim by Brad (wanting to be inside of an inanimate object). I'm not trying to say that HIMYM ripped off Happy Endings, but it was just proof that it's getting on in age and cannot keep up with the new kid on the block.

It's Broken Record Time because I once again questioned why I wasted my time on HIMYM. I was even planning on skipping it altogehter because I can be disappointed another time, but I still tuned in despite my hesitations. It's my own fault for giving in, but there's still a tiny part of me that believes that this show can be good again, but I may be playing Ted to the show's Naomi.

P.S. - I was disappointed that the title of this episode was not "It's The Slutty Pumpkin, Ted Mosby". They probably could not have gotten the clearance to begin with, but it felt like a missed opportunity.

The Small Screen Podcast, Episode 8: ONCE UPON A TIME, There Were THE WALKING DEAD

"The Small Screen Podcast" is back for Episode 8. This time around, Kristal and I talked about the Return of Trouty Mouth to Glee, Happy Endings on Yahoo! TV, Once Upon a Time, our favorite Halloween episodes, what we've been watching, and what we're looking forward to (i.e. Chuck).

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start - 1:05

TV News & Discussion: 1:05 - 18:15

• Chord Overstreet's Return to Glee: 1:05 - 6:38
• Happy Endings Preview on Yahoo! TV: 6:39 - 10:20
• Our Favorite Halloween Episodes: 10:21 - 15:33
• Once Upon a Time's Ratings Success: 15:34 - 18:15

What We've Been Watching (SPOILER ALERTS): 18:16 - 37:03

• Once Upon a Time: 18:16 - 26:53
• Psych: 26:54 - 30:03
• The Walking Dead: 30:04 - 37:03

What We're Looking Forward To: 37:03 - 51:59

• Chuck: 37:03 - 46:42
• Grimm: 46:43 - 51:49

Closing: 51:50 - End

Check out the episode below or download it over at iTunes:

For more, follow us on Twitter:

Kristal: @kristal_bailey

Marcos: @poppas2cents

The Small Screen Podcast, Episode 5: The MEAT of the Fall Season

Week 2 of the Fall Premieres has come and gone, and Kristal and I tried to keep up. This time around we talked about ratings, the return of the sitcom, as well as the shows that we watched and what we're looking forward to this week.

Episode Breakdown:

Intros: Start-1:13

TV News: 1:13-13:15

• New Girl's debut ratings: 1:13-6:03
• The Rise of the Sitcom: 6:03-8:49
• NBC's Struggles: 8:49-13:15

What We're Watching (SPOILER ALERT): 13:15-49:46

• Glee: 13:50-23:37
• Nikita: 23:37-26:14
• How I Met Your Mother: 26:15-32:43
• 2 Broke Girls: 32:43-36:24
• Modern Family: 36:24-42:25
• Saturday Night Live: 42:25-44:56
• Revenge: 44:56-49:46

What We're Looking Forward To: 49:46-57:23

• Happy Endings: 49:46-54:01
• Suburgatory and ABC Wednesday Nights: 54:01-57:23

Closing: 57:23-End

Check out the episode below or download it on iTunes:

For more, follow us on Twitter:

Kristal: @kristal_bailey

Marcos: @poppas2cents

Also, send tweets or an e-mail if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or news that you want to hear on the show.

Quick Thoughts: HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, "The Best Man" and "The Naked Truth"

I haven't pulled any punches when it came to my disappointment over the last few seasons of How I Met Your Mother, and it looks like that's not going to change anytime soon. The hour-long Season 7 premiere was mostly lackluster, but it did end on a higher note.

"The Best Man" kicked off where Season 6 ended with Barney's wedding, but of course most of the episode was spent at Punchy's wedding instead so nothing was really resolved. Instead we got every aspect of this show that I dislike. Not only did we get more Barney and Robin shoved down our throats, but we also got a nice dose of Know-It-All Lily, Douchey Ted, and unnecessary fake-outs that didn't add up to anything. Oh, and a totally pointless dance number. The only thing that made me laugh was drunk Marshall, but he wasn't enough to salvage the episode.

"The Naked Truth" was slightly better than the season-opener, but again that had more to do with drunk Marshal (aka Beercules) than anything. One of the few story lines that has had any legs over the last few seasons of the show has been the maturation of Marshal and Barney (everyone else seems to be stuck in place), so seeing him deal with some of the silly mistakes he made in the past as he prepares for his future was relatable and worked within his arc. Also, since I'm not a fan of Barney and Robin, I'm all for Barney and Nora, so I was glad to get back to them. I could've done without Pretentious Ted and his non-stop journey towards the one, which bums me out since I was so invested in his story at one time. That being said, things may have taken a turn in a positive direction thanks to an unexpected return by someone from Ted's past.

After "The Best Man" and "The Naked Truth", I cannot say that I'm confident in the new season of How I Met Your Mother. I think that my allegiance to the show will have everything to do with who Barney ends up marrying, and my gut's telling me that I'm not going to be sticking around for much longer. Maybe I'll luck out and be wrong.

The Small Screen Podcast, Episode 1: The Pilot

Fellow TV junkie and pop culture blogger Kristal Bailey (from Too Interesting for Twitter & GeekTyrant.com) and I had this crazy idea of putting together a podcast about our addiction, and "The Small Screen Podcast" was born.

This podcast is just a fun way for us to share our thoughts on the TV shows that we're watching, what we're looking forward to seeing, and other television goodness. We're learning a lot as we go and ironing out the kinks, but our first episode was a blast to record, and we're really excited.

Check it out, and let us know what you think...

Episode Breakdown for Episode 1: "The Pilot"

Introductions: Start - 2:20

What We've Been Watching: 2:20-12:25

• Leverage: 2:20-4:25
• True Blood: 4:25-7:25
• The X-Files: 7:25-10:46
• "90's Are All That": 10:46-12:25

Our Most Anticipated Returning TV Shows: 12:45-49:55

• Glee: 12:45-22:22
• Castle: 22:15-27:57
• Nikita: 27:58-34:17
• The Vampire Diaries: 34:30-40:25
• How I Met Your Mother: 40:26-49:55
• Chuck: 46:05-49:55

Closing: 49:55-50:55

For more, follow us on Twitter:

Kristal: @kristal_bailey

Marcos: @poppas2cents

TV Report Card: Week of May 15, 2011

It was a busy TV week with Upfronts and finales, so I'll try to make this TV Report Card somewhat coherent:

Monday
Chuck: "Chuck vs. The Cliffhanger"

If NBC had not picked up Chuck for a fifth and final season, I think "Chuck vs. The Cliffhanger" would have been a decent series finale, but I am glad that we're getting more of this show because this episode rejuvenated what was a mediocre to good season. Chuck's mission to save Sarah's life was exciting even if it was predictable, and there were some good payoffs for the whole Volkoff arc in spite of Vivian. Even the ending was a great set up for what will be a fun Season 5, but I'm not 100% on board with the twist at the very end. We'll have to see how that works out.

GRADE: A

TV Report Card: Week of May 8, 2011

Here is this week's TV Report Card:

Monday
Chuck: "Chuck vs. The Last Details"

After a pretty entertaining "Chuck vs. Agent X", things took a step back with "Last Details". Some of the pop culture references were fun ("The Imperial March"), but there was too much Vivian Volkoff who has turned out to be a half-baked character who cannot add up to her father. I was intrigued by all of the connections between the two families, but this whole Vivian arc has fallen too short of my expectations.

GRADE: C+

TV Report Card: Week of May 1, 2011

It's late, I'm tired, so I'm going to keep the TV Report Card as bare-bones as possible:

Monday
Chuck: "Chuck vs. Agent X"
Chuck felt like it was finding itself again with "Chuck vs. Agent X". The episode was Volkoff heavy, but it benefited from just having Riley and not Vivian, and even though the big twist was very cliched, I was still entertained. "Agent X" was even able to bring Ellie into the fold, and used the Buy Morons just enough. It won't make my favorite episodes of Chuck list any time soon, but "Agent X" was one of the better outings of Season 4.

GRADE: B+

TV Report Card: Week of April 10, 2011

So, after weeks of repeats and debuts of mediocre mid-season shows, most of the shows that I watch regularly came back, and to be honest a lot of them were just OK.

Sunday
Breakout Kings: "Like Father, Like Son"

The Fugitive of the Week was a redneck, right-wing, nut job who wanted to take down the government who was also an explosives expert, and the Kings had to capture him before he took out a city block due to his mommy and daddy issues. While the actual bad guy was nothing more than a cliche that we've seen time and time again, this episode did have some interesting character moments that involved Lloyd.  Jimmi Simpson is by far the best aspect of this show, so getting to learn more about his character, and the teased relationship with Julianne is a nice little twist. Breakout Kings as a whole is starting to get a bit formulaic, but there are enough good performances (although Shea and Erica are still one-dimensional) to keep me around.

GRADE: C+

TV Report Card: Week of March 20, 2011

Here is this week's TV Report Card:

Sunday
Breakout Kings: "The Bag Man"

I didn't watch Prison Break, so I wasn't familiar with T-Bag, but he did make for an interesting bad guy on Breakout Kings. That being said, the novelty of the show is starting to wear thin since it's too dark for my tastes, and hasn't broken free of the traditional procedural tropes. I'll be giving Breakout Kings one or two more chances, but it's not looking good. GRADE: C+

Monday
Chuck: "Chuck vs. The Muuurder"

Like last week's "A-Team", this episode of Chuck showed a lot of promise but didn't follow through. I thought the idea of Chuck mentoring a new Intersect could have been a great plot line to take us through the rest of the season, but it was quickly dropped for the Volkoff arc. While I don't mind the Volkoff storyline, it's starting to get stale, and I'm more concerned about how the show is going to wrap up its legacy rather than a season long plot line. GRADE: B-

How I Met Your Mother: "Legendaddy"

This week's HIMYM was a big deal because we got to meet Barney's father, played by John Lithgow, and boy did it not disappoint. First off, Lithgow was great as Jerry and a good addition to the cast, but NPH hit it out of the park. I know that there are some fans out there that want Barney to stay as a one-dimensional cad, but I'm loving his evolution as a character, and I'm excited to see where we go from here. If NPH doesn't win an Emmy after "Legendaddy", then there's no justice. Plain and simple. GRADE: A

Castle: "One Life to Lose"

After a somewhat griping two-parter, Castle was back to its old self with another Case of the Week that explored the soap opera world and shippers, which led to some fun moments. Seeing Castle needle Beckett about her love of soaps was cute, and his name for Esposito and Lanie (Esplanie) was classic. Unfortunately, the case wasn't all that interesting and we really didn't get much in terms of Caskett. Every episode doesn't have to focus on their WTWT, but it is the selling point, and I was expecting more of it this time around. GRADE: C+

Hawaii Five-0: "Ne Me'e Laua Na Paio"

The main case about the death of a comic convention attendee wasn't all that interesting, but getting more information about the murder of McGarret's father was a good way to come back from hiatus. Seeing Alex Mack (Larisa Oleynik) was a nice surprise, and I hope she'll be sticking around for a few more episodes. My only real gripe is it seems like they're going to pair up Danno and Kono, which just seems lazy. GRADE: C+

Wednesday
Modern Family: "Boys' Night"

After a few weeks off, Modern Family came back with a vengeance, and "Boys' Night" was one of the stronger episodes of Season 2. The definite highlights had to do with Jay hanging out with Mitchell and his friends, and it didn't hurt that Gloria and Manny were barely in the episode. I do think they missed a great opportunity with Haley and Cam, but the Phil/Claire/Luke/Mr. Kleezak story picked up the slack. GRADE: B+

Thursday

Community: "Critical Film Studies"
While I don't usually agree that Community is the greatest show on TV today, I do have to admit that it can be the most ambitious when it's not resting on its pop culture laurels. Focusing an entire episode on an obscure movie like My Dinner with Andre while sidelining the better known Pulp Fiction was a ballsy move, and luckily the show pulled it off brilliantly. "Critical Film Studies" was the show at its best because it was character driven, bittersweet, but still funny. Not many sitcoms can pull that combination off. GRADE: A

30 Rock: "Plan B"

The NBC comedies were on fire this week as 30 Rock also gave us one of the better episodes of the season. I'm a big fan of the show when it focuses mostly on Liz and Jack and less on the supporting characters, which was what "Plan B" did in spades. Not only did we get some great moments from the two (as well as from Will Arnett and Aaron Sorkin), but their storylines were also timely and effective. Good stuff from the 30 Rock crew. GRADE: B+

NOTE: Since most of my shows are going to be in repeats over the next couple of weeks, the TV Report Card will also be on hiatus.

TV Report Card: Week of February 27, 2011

Since I'm on vacation, I'm going to keep this Report Card short and sweet:

Monday
Chuck: "Chuck vs. the First Bank of Evil"
I enjoyed watching the evolution of Vivian's relationship with Chuck and the rest of Team Bartowski, and I'm interested to see which path she ends of taking. I could've done without Morgan and Casey's joke of a subplot, and all of the Buy More antics. GRADE: B

How I Met Your Mother: "A Change of Heart"
I'm a big fan of the idea of Barney finally growing up, and his teaming with Lily was a nice change of pace. Since I'm very anti-Barney & Robin, I hope we haven't seen the last of Nora. The Scooby B-plot was silly but worth a few laughs. GRADE: B-

Greek: "Agents of Change"
It seems like it's taken Casey forever to realize that being stuck in her ZBZ days is not a good thing, and it was interesting that Frannie was the person to help her wake up. I also think it's interesting that the show continues to make Evan a conflicted character instead of just an out and out bad guy. GRADE: B-

Castle: "Countdown"
The finale of the two-part arc was OK, but nothing too special. There were some good Esposito and Ryan moments, but I wasn't too happy that Beckett's boyfriend ended up sticking around. I don't mind her being in a relationship with someone besides Castle, but this back and forth junk has to stop. I feel Bones-itis afflicting Castle. GRADE: C+

Tuesday
White Collar: "Power Play"
An interesting case, watching Neal and Peter swap roles, Sara and Neal giving into their emotions, and setting up the return of Alex all worked, and "Power Play" was a fun episode of White Collar. GRADE: B+

Wednesday
Modern Family: "Two Monkeys and a Panda"
For once the Cam and Mitchell story was the strongest of the bunch with the Dunphys in a close second. As always, I couldn't care less about Jay and Gloria, but I did appreciate the last scenes between Manny and Jay. GRADE: C+

NOTE: I will add Supernatural once I'm caught up on this week's episode.

Quick Thoughts: HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, "A Change of Heart"

I was extremely frustrated after watching "A Change of Heart" because it was an example of How I Met Your Mother at its best, but I was also bummed that it fooled me once again, and the show insists on jerking the audience around.

I've said if before, and I'll say it again: I'm not a fan of Barney and Robin as a couple and I never will be. I've always felt that their relationship was forced and was based on a fluke. Part of me will always believe that Barney was just supposed to be a tiny roadblock on Robin's journey towards Ted, but Cobie and NPH had such great chemistry that the shippers went wild and the writers had to hook them up. I also feel that the characters are more interesting a part then they were together.

This mini-rant comes from a place that is irked because I saw "A Change of Heart" as the first step towards really putting these two back together and Nora was just a plot device, which would really bum me out because I genuinely like her as a character. I also believed that Barney would fall for Nora, and if he does end up with Robin then this whole mini-arc was a giant tease to add to all of the other giant teases that this show has given us.

The thing is, I really liked this episode on a base level. HIMYM can really serve up some good character development when it's not too busy coming up with witty sayings/Barney-isms, and "A Change of Heart" was a perfect example of this ability. I truly believe Barney needs to grow up, and settle down, and I'm glad that the character is starting to feel the same way. There will be some resistance to Barney in a committed relationship, but I think what makes him special is his sense of humor/lack of shame rather than his womanizing ways. I'm sure there's a way you can have him in a healthy relationship without altering his innate characteristics. If this episode was the first real step towards this version of Barney, them I'm all for it; I just hope Robin/Barney is not the end result.

I even liked the whole Scobby sub-plot more than I should have because I'm usually not a fan of the more sitcom-y versions of the show, but the gang really brought the funny with their string of dog related puns and saved what could have been a horrible premise. Sure, the bit got stale towards the end, but at least it was worth some serious laughs at the start.

Another great by-product of the episode was the re-teaming of Lily and Barney. These two characters really bring out the best and the worst out of one another which usually leads to comic gold. Oddly enough, Lily is at her least annoying when she's paired up with Barney because she doesn't come off as bossy/shrill but that's probably because she's reacting to him and his man-child ways are usually amped up and she seems more reasonable.

So, while I'll admit that "A Change of Heart" was one of the better Season 6 episodes, and one of my favorites in a long time, I cannot shake my annoyance. Just have Barney man up and realize that he's ready for an adult relationship; just as long as it's with someone besides Robin.

TV Report Card: Week of February 20, 2011

Another abbreviated TV Report Card this week:

Monday
Chuck: "Chuck vs. The Masquerade"

Another Mission-of-the-Week episode of Chuck that kicked off another mini-arc involving Volkoff's daughter was OK, but not spectacular. If anything the Morgan and Casey sub-plots were more entertaining than the main storyline. I'm interested in how Volkoff's daughter will factor in to the rest of the season, but I hope they don't go cliche and make her a baddie. GRADE: C

How I Met Your Mother: "Garbage Island"

After some OK episodes, HIMYM had to go back to its sucky ways with "Garbage Island". Out of the three storylines, the only one that I cared about was Barney's and that's because I'm smitten with Nora. I'm tired of Marshall's dead dad storyline, hornball Lily has always annoyed me, and I couldn't stand Ted's story with the Captain. "Garbage Island" wasn't funny and a waste of time with the exception of Barney (although we're being set up for a Barney/Robin reunion). GRADE: D-

Greek: "Subclass Plagiostomi"

All of the season long storyarcs were starting to come to an end during "Subclass Plagiostomi". Evan's in full douche mode, Ashleigh and Rusty's unbelievable relationship is inching closer, Cappie's thinking about his futur, and Dale's fake Omega Chi bid was revealed. This wasn't an outstanding episode of Greek, but I'm glad we're in the homestretch. Plus, I'm always in favor of an episode that features Katherine so much. GRADE: B-

Castle: "Setup"

After some subpar episodes of Castle, the show went back to its bread and butter: two-parters. Last year's "Tick, Tick, Tick" was one of the series' best, and you could tell that they wanted "Setup" to be just as memorable. I can't say that "Setup" was as good as its predecessor, but it was a good mix of storytelling, suspense, and shipper goodness. Still not on par with Castle's best, but still an improvement over the last couple of weeks. GRADE: B-

Tuesday
Glee: "Blame It On The Alcohol"

I was afraid that the show was going to be all PSA-y about underage drinking, but in a lot of ways Glee didn't take a strong stance either way (maybe leaning towards pro-responsible underage drinking). The lack of any real message kind of brought the show down, but there were enough big laughs and character moments to save the episode. Not a great episode of Glee, but not as bad as it could've been. GRADE: C

Wednesday
Modern Family: "Regrets Only"

After watching "Regrets Only", I couldn't help but be frustrated. I wasn't a fan of how the show continued to paint Claire as a shrew, and watching Gloria sing karaoke was not as funny as the writer's thought it would be. The only saving grace was Luke and Cam teaming up for his big benefit event, but even that story line was dragged down by unneeded miscommunication. Modern Family is just starting to look more and more sit-commy, and that's not a good thing. GRADE: C-

Thursday
Community: "Intro to Political Science"

The whole student body debate was just an excuse for Jeff/Annie shippers to swoon, but it really didn't give much insight to either character or really move anything forward. I'm pissed that they're still making Pierce the most unlikeable character since Jules Cobb, and are still not giving us a valid reason to believe that he should still be hanging around the study group since they don't even study anymore. The only highlights: Troy and Abed's commentary on the debate, and Abed's side story involving Eliza Coupe. GRADE: B-

Nikita: "Echoes"

After last week's Alex-centric, backstory episode, we got to delve deep into her current psyche which created a very twisty-turny ride. It was also nice seeing Amanda at her at her best because to date we've only gotten glimpses of what she's capable of, but seeing her probe Alex's mind was creepy. I'm also intrigued to see how the rest of the season plays out after seeing the end of "Echoes". Good stuff. GRADE: B+

30 Rock: "TGS Hates Women"

I didn't quite understand what was going on with the whole femoloution plotline, so it fell on deaf ears and was the low point of the episode. On the other hand, I loved pretty much everything about the Jack/Hailey story line, and Chole Moretz was one of the better guest stars to grace the show. I'm hoping we see more of her and her character as the season progresses. GRADE: C+

Friday
Supernatural: "The French Mistake"

While most of Season 6 has been sub-par due to the fact that every episode has been the same, "The French Mistake" was an example of the kind of episodes that Supernatural does well: the meta heavy version of the show. Seeing Sam and Dean be transported into the the bodies of Jared and Jensen was worth a few laughs, but some of the references may have been a bit on the nose, and the novelty wore off. I was glad that they mentioned the war in Heaven, and I hope they start focusing more on that arc since the Monster of the Week episodes have been mediocre. GRADE: B-

Spartacus: Gods of the Arena: "The Bitter End"

Unfortunately, Andy Whitfield's battle with cancer led to the creation of Gods of the Arena, and while I wish Andy didn't have to endure health problems, at least something positive came out of the bad news. Gods wasn't a perfect prequel, but it did pick steam towards the end, and "The Bitter End" was a good way to wrap up the mini-series to set us up for Season 2. I do think the episode would've worked better if the last two thirds was swapped with the first third because a lot of the emotional tension was gone once Batitatus delt with Tullius. It also lasted a tad too long, but "The Bitter End" was still a fun hour of television. GRADE: B+

NOTES: I didn't get around to Hawaii Five-0, White Collar, or The Vampire Diaries this week so they were left off of the Report Card.

TV Report Card: Week of February 13, 2011

It's late and last week's episodes of the shows I watch were not stellar, so I'm going to keep this TV Report Card short.

Monday
Chuck: "Chuck vs. The C.A.T. Squad"
Chuck's homage to Charlie's Angels didn't quite work mostly because the Cats were clichés, and the plot was extremely predictable. GRADE: C

How I Met Your Mother: "Desperation Day"
"Desperation Day" was a solid Barney episode, and I'm interested to see how things go with Nora. It was also one of the better Marshall/Lily episodes that we've gotten in a long time. The only lowpoint was Ted and Zoey. GRADE: B

Greek: "Midnight Clear"
So I'm pretty sure "Midnight Clear" was Greek's attempt at a bottle episode mostly because they were confined to a handfull of sets for the entire episode. The snowstorm forcing the gang to confront the issues they have with one another has been done before, but I felt the episode was effective. The idea of Ashleigh and Rusty still makes me cringe though. GRADE: C+

Castle: "The Final Nail"
I'm starting to think that Castle is getting a little stale because "The Final Nail" was another weak episode with the exception of the tension between Castle and Beckett. You'd think that a case involving a friend of Castle's would be epic, but it was only OK. GRADE: C

Hawaii Five-0: "Powa Maka Moana"
"Powa Maka Moana" had a vaguely interesting but over-the-top case involving pirates, bad acting, and the most telegraphed plot twist ever attempted. The only real upside was watching Ray Wise play a character that wasn't a baddie. This episode of H5-0 had its moments, but was ultimately mediocre. GRADE: C-

Tuesday
Glee: "Comeback"
The show had a challenge of following up one of its best episodes ("Silly Love Songs"), and I felt that "Comeback" was a decent effort. The Sue/Schue stuff felt a little forced and/or manipulative, but I'm interested to see how the Finn/Sam rivalry pans out. It was also nice seeing glimpses of old Rachel. GRADE: B-

Wednesday
Modern Family: "Princess Party"
I honestly cannot remember much from "Princess Party". Yes, Fizbo made his return but his appearance was not as good as last season, and there was something about Claire's mom but I cannot pin point why she was there. GRADE: C

Thursday
Community: "Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking"
While I wasn't a big fan of the mock-mockumentary style, "Intermediate Documentary Filmmaking" was able to blend big laughs (thanks to Donald Glover) with some very dark moments. I don't know how the show will deal with Pierce's downward spiral, but it has definitely created an intriguing dilemma. GRADE: B

The Vampire Diaries: "The Dinner Party"
I actually liked TVD even though it didn't have any Caroline. I'm always a fan of backstory episodes, and the Elena/Elijah/Klaus arc took some intense turns. Could've done without Bonnie and Jeremy though. GRADE: B-

Nikita: "Alexandra"
It was flashback night on the CW as Nikita also gave us a Alex backstory episode. I was more entertained by seeing where Alex came from rather than her forced relationship with her neighbor, so "Alexandra" was already better than "The Next Seduction". It was also nice seeing Nikita and Michael teaming up again. GRADE: B-

Parks and Recreation: "Media Blitz"
The only reason I'm including Parks and Rec this week is because Ron and Andy have become one of the best comedy duos on TV. They have the chance to become the next Liz and Jack. GRADE: B+

30 Rock: "It's Never Too Late For Now"
The first time I watched "It's Never Too Late For Now", I didn't quite love it, but it grew on me. Really dug the Liz and Jack storylines, but could've done without Pete and Frank's band. They were still better than the Tracy and Kenneth combo though. GRADE: B

Friday
Supernatural: "Mannequin 3: The Reckoning"
Silly monster of the week, annoying plot twists, and forced dialogue pretty much dragged the episode down. At least Dean and Sam didn't spend the entire time bickering at one another though, so at least that was different. GRADE: D+

Spartacus: Gods of the Arena: "Reckoning"
The second to last episode of Gods of the Arena had to be the best as we finally saw the characters morph into the people we've come to know. There's still a lot of story to tell, but so far Gods has been a nice addition to the Spartacus universe. GRADE: A