Category Archives: NBC

parks and recreation recapping: halloween surprise

Previously on Parks and Recreation: Sex Education

This week has been a great week for comedies; they seem to be getting into their groove, plot-wise. This was a great episode, with a pretty solid plot and great dialogue.

The episode begins with Leslie putting a bid on her dream house, as she and Ben plan on moving in together. Halloween festivities are occurring in Pawnee; Ron taking Diane and her daughters (plus Andy) trick-or-treating; a screening of Death Canoe 4; and several surprises!

Ron is unused to the loudness and excitement–and general presence of children–and doesn’t know how to take care of Diane’s daughters. During the screening of Death Canoe 4 Donna sends live tweets (perfectly meta considering Retta’s penchant for doing the same thing), Ann and Leslie try to scare Tom but send Jerry into a mild attack instead. Ben is about to come home but is offered another campaign job–this one in Florida. Leslie goes to say goodbye to her dream house, believing that Ben took the job in Florida. Ben shows up in the house and proposes to her!

Opinions, Thoughts, and Quotes 

  • I loved the character development of Ann getting rid of belongings from the phases of each boyfriend.
  • Ron trying to bond with Diane’s daughters by teaching them to saw.
  • The more that we get to know this couple, the more that I enjoy it. However, I do really like Tammy 2, played by Megan Mullally, his wife in real life!
  • Just when I got worried that we would have more of the same-old same-old Ben’s away campaigning plot, they switch it up! In a great way.
  • It was touching to see Leslie crying when Ben proposes. And her reaction is typical Leslie. I just couldn’t stop thinking about how sad that scene was, as she just broke up with Will Arnett.
  • I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of Tom’s Rent-A-Swag idea. And I’m looking forward to it!

Leslie: So this house has no trampoline room?

Real estate agent: Correct. Like all the houses in the world, there’s no trampoline room.

***

Ben: Great work, all of you.

April: Especially me!

Ben: Especially everyone. This was a team effort, really.

April: But I was the best. Thank you.

Ben: You were all fantastic.

April: Most of all, me, April Ludgate, the real hero. Thank you, and you’re welcome.

***

Donna: In the fifth one, the canoe’s actually the hero. It’s a crazy twist.

***

Tom: [to Jerry, who continuously farts loudly while having his fart attack heart attack] Jeez, did a dinosaur just fart?

Seriously, did you eat farts for lunch?

***

Tom: I just want to hear the doctor say that Jerry had a fart attack, is that too much to ask?”

***

Donna: [After Morris complains that Donna ruined the movie by tweeting spoilers] If you don’t like what I’m tweeting then don’t follow me.

Morris: What are you doing?

Donna: I’m live tweeting this dumbass conversation.

Emily enjoys lots of things: laughing and watching television being the top two. She loves smart comedies involving witty repartee, loud actions and gestures, over-the-top theatrics, and a solid plot. 

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the office recapping: here comes treble

Previously on The Office: Work Bus

If you hadn’t guessed from the title, this Halloween-themed episode mainly revolved around Andy and his Cornell a capella group “Here Comes Treble.”

I think it was a pretty solid episode, with lots of laughs and the beginnings of a plot arc, however strange and lackluster as they seem.

Comedic icon Stephen Colbert stars as Broccoli Rob, the mentor of Here Comes Treble; the man who has regaled current Treble members with tales Andy’s college escapades. But the catch? Broccoli Rob has Treble convinced that all of Andy’s nicknames, highlights, and quirks are his own. We learn that, to Andy, Treble was and is his life. With this identity taken away from him, he believes that his life has lost its entire meaning. His first solution to the problem? Move back out to Cornell with Erin, a plan Erin is adamantly against. Instead she convinces Andy to donate money instead. Andy calls up his mom for money and finds out that his parents are broke. Here’s hoping that wherever the writers are going with this plot arc, it’s not a depressed Andy searching for existential answers, somewhat similar to Rob Lowe’s horribly depressing–and unnecessary, in my opinion–role as Chris Trager on Parks and Recreation

Other notable plot and happenings included Pam and Jim arguing because Jim spent $10,000 on his new sports marketing job, twice the amount they agreed upon. Dwight finds out someone in the office is taking depression pills and, with the help of Nelly, tracks down the owner. (Spoilers: It’s Nelly.) Oscar is caught by the cameras making out with Angela’s husband.

Opinions, Thoughts, and Favorites 

  • I’m enjoying Pam and Jim’s camaraderie. It’s the best their relationship’s been since before they were married and had kids.
  • Even their “Monster Mash” dialogue and arguments were great!
  • I loved how Nellie dressed up as Toby–which tricked Toby into thinking he fancied her, until she took off her wig.
  • I mentioned it earlier briefly, but I loved Stephen Colbert’s cameo! Great guest star 🙂

Quotes/Favorite Scenes

Dwight: [After getting his head stuck in a pumpkin] I mean, the pumpkin should rot off of my head in a month or two. Right?

***

Creed: [Came to shirt with blood splattered all over himself]  It’s Halloween. That is really, really good timing.

***

Meredith [Dwight throws a huge net over her head, believing she is the drug user] Stop baggin’ my head!

***

Clark: Where’s the band? ‘Cause there’s no way you guys are making this magic with just your mouths.
Creed: That’s what she said.

***

Andy: [When he argues that his trademark song is George Michael’s Faith, not Broccoli Rob’s] Who did you think I was dressed up as?

Treble member: I thought you were [dressed up as] Adam Lambert.

***

Kevin: [Jim and Pam argue about their money using the song Monster Mash as their analogy] It turns out Pam really, really hates Monster Mash.

Kevin: Pam was like, “No. Hate it. Stupid.”

Emily enjoys lots of things: laughing and watching television being the top two. She loves smart comedies involving witty repartee, loud actions and gestures, over-the-top theatrics, and a solid plot. 

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30 rock recapping: stride of pride

Hold your head up high, intrepid and hilarious characters of 30 Rock. This week you battled sexism, defended sex idiots, and fought the misty middle ground between Hollywood jailbait and Helen Mirren-esque hotness. What more can viewers ask for?

Jenna vs. Aging

A tabloid article erroneously reports Jenna’s age to be 56. The staff of TGS freaks out, only to belatedly discover that Jenna herself planted the article. She knows her status as a hip teenager is pushing the bounds of believability, so her solution is to skip middle age and head straight for the “looking good for ­­#” territory of the hot older woman.

Liz vs. Comedy Sexism

Tracy declares that no woman has ever been funny (in the history of the world) and that, in fact, monkeys actually rank higher on the comedic totem pole. Liz seeks to disprove this ridiculous claim with a comedy skit. The entire TGS cast gives the skit an enthusiastic standing ovation. Of course, Tracy admits he only found it funny because a woman pretended to be a doctor and Jenna tried to look young – but Liz takes what she can get.

Jack vs. the Sex Idiot

Meanwhile, Jack balances dates with everyone from the heiress of the Sbarro franchises to a simpering moron who has double jointed hips. His world is rocked, however, when he realizes one of his girlfriends might be giving him the same two-timing treatment. The Sbarro heiress introduces him to her sex idiot, Ryan Lochte (in a performance on par with his Olympic showing – if for much different reasons). Jack learns to accept his status as the “father figure” in relationships along with its sedate benefits.

Quotes

Jenna: You look like that flash card they told me means sadness.

­­———-

Tracy’s tweet: I agree @TheRealStephenHawking women are not funny. Never have been. Never will be. #PlotPoint

———-

Liz: Lizzy Lemon has had a little awakening in her bathing suit area.
Jack: Lemon, I’ve seen your bathing suits — that could be anywhere.

———-

Cerie: Sorry Liz, I’m not even sure if they serve brunch after . . . the 90s.

———-

Jack: I’m Great Escape-ing you. You have every right to do the same.
Zarina: My generation calls it Pokémon-ing. You gotta catch ‘em all.

———-

Jack: How many other Pokémons are there?
Zarena: Jack, the plural of Pokémon is Pokémon.

———-

Jack: There are no bad ideas, Lemon — only great ideas that go horribly wrong.

———-

Jenna: Just be the older person. It’s fun. You get to say racist stuff whenever you want. And people bring you soup!

Hayley has other interests besides just nerdy TV shows. She also is a big fan of thinking. She ponders the great mysteries of life, like how more of her time can be devoted to watching those nerdy TV shows.

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parks and recreation recapping: sex education

Previously on Parks and Recreation: How a Bill Becomes a Law

I think Parks and Rec is slowly finding its groove again; for a while there was a bit of a lack of plot.

Leslie is once again conflicted, as she feels that it is her duty, along with her Sex Avengers, to teach the older generations about sex education. Conservatives in legislature have previously passed a law saying that it is illegal for any public office worker to speak about sex education; there is also a conservative couple, Marcia Langman and her (completely heterosexual) husband Marshall Langman (played by Todd Sherry) promoting abstinence instead.

There were also a few side stories occurring: Ben and April thinking that Congressman Murray (played by Adam Harrington, The Secret Circle) they work is a robot, Ron trying to help wean Tom off electronics and Ann  slowly transforming into a cowgirl.

Favorite moments/Quotes: 

  • Jerry checking his email by going to Alta Vista and typing “Please go to Yahoo.com”
  • Perd, the loveable, brainless reporter, who calls his fans Perdverts. “There are some statistics I’d like to share with you now and they ARE numbers.”
  • Ben trying to act like act a robot during the after-credits sequence

Donna: It’s not my favorite shirt, but it IS my least favorite shirt.

***

Tom: [after getting a splinter] Ow! I got stung by the wood!

***

April: [mimicking Congressman]1, 1, 0, 1. Must consume babies for fuel.

Ben: Why would a robot need to consume organic matter?

Emily enjoys lots of things: laughing and watching television being the top two. She loves smart comedies involving witty repartee, loud actions and gestures, over-the-top theatrics, and a solid plot. 

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the office recapping: work bus

This episode was a refreshing burst of comedy. Highlights included famous comedic actor Bryan Cranston directing, and great moments from Jim/Pam and Jim/Dwight.

One of the best things about The Office is that their minor characters often carry large roles. Creed and Kevin were definitely the comedic highlights of the  night.

There is no reason to point out all the inconsistencies or lack of coherent plot. Instead, I’m just going to enjoy this last season for what it is — the smooth(ish) ending of a wonderful show.

The Plot

Jim pranks Dwight into believing their building has electrical problems. Instead of giving workers the day off, Dwight forces them into a bus to continue working. Wanting to get the best pie from LaVerne’s Pie Stand (where you can also get your tires fixed) — and wanting Pam’s forgiveness — Jim tries to convince Dwight to drive the bus there.

Dwight gets frustrated because he is not Angela’s child’s father, and climbs upon the bus’s roof. Jim crawls up on the roof to comfort him, telling him that the entire office is kind of his child, which appeases Dwight into crazily driving to the pie stand.

There’s also a Andy/Nelly/Erin storyline. Nelly wants to adopt a child and seeks the help of Erin. Andy is mean to Nelly about the adoption until he sees Erin crying.

Favorite moments/Quotes: 

  • Creed playing hooky from work and hitchhiking onto a bus, and then realizing that his coworkers were all on the bus
  • Kevin wanting Oscar to shove pie into his face

Jim: What do we want?

All: Pies!

Jim: When do we want it?

All: Pies!

Director Bryan Cranston hanging out with Rainn Wilson!

Emily enjoys lots of things: laughing and watching television being the top two. She loves smart comedies involving witty repartee, loud actions and gestures, over-the-top theatrics, and a solid plot. 

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