Tag Archives: Joel McHale

Oct 17 2012
3 Comments
FX, Sons of Anarchy

sons of anarchy recapping: small world

Previously on Sons of Anarchy: Orca Shrugged

After the somewhat lightheartedness of last week’s episode with the wonderful Venus Van Dam, the season is back on it’s dark track.  New alliances are forged, death, and we have the answer to one of the biggest questions since the beginning of the season: Who is behind the home invasions?
Clay

Jax is currently in Oakland with the Sons of Anarchy handling club business. He meets up with Damon Pope to discuss the home invasions, which have recently escalated to the shooting of Roosevelt’s wife. Pope assures Jax that the home invasions are not from Oakland. Jax hesitantly begins to leave with a look of relief and troubling thoughts when Pope offers SAMCRO another deal. If the Sons double the cocaine they run for the cartel, Pope will distribute them quicker, and as a result, Pope will pay the Sons much more than what the cartel gives them on top of their current profits. Jax reaffirms that the club wants out of drugs, but Pope tries to sweeten the deal by offering Jax an extra two percent of profits for his own personal benefit. Jax agrees to bring the proposal to the table.

After the frightening home invasion, Eli Roosevelt learns that his pregnant wife did not survive the bullet. This drives Eli to believe that the attack was somewhat local–and personal–to target the sergeant’s wife. The former Chief of Police, Wayne Unser, reaffirms all of this because he also believes the attacks to be personal. The look on Unser’s face clearly demonstrates that he has an idea who is behind the attacks. It is later revealed that during the invasion, Rita clawed at her attacker, and DNA was recovered to be examined.
soa

As Gemma is preparing for her day, Nero’s bottom bitch, Carla, approaches her with a gun, and forces her into the bedroom. Carla calls Nero, and when Nero enters the house, holds a gun to him as well and forces him in with Gemma. Carla, who is clearly unhinged at this point, tries to force Nero and Gemma to do sexual acts in front of her, when Nero stands up to her. Carla then does the most obvious thing–say she only wanted to see him do his thing one last time, then commits suicide. Later on, Gemma is recovering from the ordeal at a bar. She is approached by a dashing man named Warren– played by none other than Joel McHale (you may know him from The Soup and Community).
joel mchale

Jax brings the deal to the table. Clay recounts Jax’s arguments by stating that the club being in business with Pope will get them even deeper than they are now in the drug trade and will basically become Pope’s bitch. After setting it to a club vote, it passes 6-5.  The new deal with Pope ultimately makes the Sons good with the Niners again.

To sweeten the deal with Pope, Pope sends one of his henchemen to Jax with an address to the guard who brought Opie in for the killing. Jax, Tig, Bobby, and Chibs break into the guard’s house, tie him and his wife up, and debate what to do with him. Tig, in an effort to prove his loyalty to Jax, shoots the guard’s wife as collateral damage. Jax decides that the best way to deal with the guard is to beat him to death with a laying pipe. When a laying pipe is not found, Jax uses a snow globe that plays “it’s a small world after all” while the guard is beaten to death.

After meeting with Pope and declaring that the deal is a go, the distraught Roosevelt attempts to pull over the Sons and confronts them about Rita’s slaying. Jax assures him that he is trying to figure out who is behind them, and that the police department and the Sons need to work together.

The episode ends with Juice giving Clay a ride home from his physical therapy session. Clay limps out of the van, but once out of sight, he rips off his rehabilitation gear and walks normally. He storms into the house, where three new members of the Sons are waiting, punches one of them in the face, and declares loudly “Idiots, you were not supposed to kill her!”

He’s Baaaaaaack

Oh Clay, you have once again proved what a psychopath you are. Clay has become equally just as evil as the villain Damon Pope this season. Clay has put on quite the charade by pretending his ailments were much worse than they really were, potentially evoking the sympathy from characters and diverting them from his evil schemes once again. But, the question is, why is Clay behind the home invasions? Is he trying to send a message to Jax, that athough he is not the President any more that he still has power? Or is he trying to prove that Jax is an inadequate leader by having these home invasions happen on his own turf? Furthermore, Clay was against the deal with Damon Pope that Jax brought to the table. The deal would obviously makes the Sons more powerful, even though it puts them right back into the arms of the cartel. My guess  is that Clay wants to continue to keep the Sons in their weakened state so that he can rise above Jax and reclaim his throne. Well played sir, well played.

Tara has become a weapon for the Sons

The new queen bee has proved her worth to the club several times over by arriving at all hours of the day to fix up injuries that the Sons have been inflicted with. This season, Tara has moved simply from doctor to negotiator. Tara is trying her hardest to get Otto to recant his testimony about the Sons of Anarchy and ultimately makes the Rico case against them disappear. Although she failed the first time around, it is obvious she is bound and determined to get her way. Sound like someone else from the show? Maybe Gemma, perhaps?

The Evolution of Jax

Jax has evolved several times in this season. He has jumped back and forth from wanting to end the running of drugs with the cartel, to striking a deal with Pope that would bring them in deeper in the drug world. Although Jax is doing this for the benefit of the club, he is also evolving from the person we saw in season one–the man obsessed with the peace that the club could hold, dictated by his father, John Teller. The death of Opie could be explained at the catalyst for this, as he has become hardened by the death of his best friend, and more determined to bring about retributions for the wrong done upon the club.
Jax

QUOTES:

“You’re an impressive man”-Pope
“I get that a lot”-Jax

“She called you ‘sweet brother’….”-Gemma
“She was my half sister”-Nero

“Remember me? I keep my promises.”-Jax to the guard

“Mind if I come by to check up on you? I can do a sweep for crazy bitches.”-Clay

“Fear protects me. Greed insures it.”-Pope

When not obsessively catching up with current and ’90′s television shows, aliciawrites19 enjoys nerding out to her favorite books and learning survival skills from horror films.

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Sep 23 2011
1 Comment
NBC, quotables, Recaps, TV, tvdm picks

community recapping: biology 101

Nicole’s P.O.V.

The episode began with Jeff flying and singing, it was like they read my heart and made an opening that reflected how I excited I was that Community had finally returned (and delivered the laughs I so sorely missed this summer). I loved that everyone thought Troy and Abed were announcing their man-love and not that they were just becoming roommates, as well as the Chevy Chase-less National Lampoon reference. I’m not biased (well maybe a little), but Donald Glover has the best comedic ad-libs of anyone.

We met Dr. Omar Little Chalky White Marshall Kane, who kicked Jeff out of class after berating him for his phone constantly ringing, but in his defense, Jeff was kind of a douche about the whole thing. Regardless, this secluded him from the group and inspired a Supernatural-esque look, but he also got a taste of what it’s like to be Pierce. Outside of the Jeff drama, the group spent most of its time tending to Abed’s comatose state over the mid-season start date for Cougar Town and Dean Pelton dealt with Fred Flintstone Vice Dean Laybourne.

Was this the funniest Community? Hell no. But this show’s B game is the humor equivalent of everyone else’s A game anyway, so it was a solid season opener. I look forward to the school dealing with the major budget cuts that are surely around the corner and what class Jeff takes while the rest of the group is in Biology (assuming he doesn’t get back in, but it looks like he will thanks to Starburns).

I’m also convinced that:

  • Inspector Spacetime is a Dr. Who spoof
  • The Dean tells the group news before telling anyone else in the school
  • Pierce is lovable again
  • Britta is proof that people who study people are a little crazy

Will’s P.O.V.

Although we were berated by the notion that things are going to be more normal at Greendale Community College this year/season during a campus-wide musical number (contradiction at it’s finest!) I don’t think I believe them all too much. Dean Pelton’s no-nonsense policy is doomed immediately when we find out that Chang is living in the venting units and “monkey knockout gas” is to be used to counter that issue, also Vice Dean Laybourne (John Goodman) of the Air Conditioning Repair School Annex is apparently much more successful than, and is funding, Dean Pelton and Greendale Community College.

Jeff is excited that Pierce is no longer in the study group because he didn’t take Biology 101 with everyone else. But Pierce, being the rich and conniving antagonist we’ve grown to (insert emotion of your choosing), bribes Professor Kane (Michael K. Williams) so he can get Jeff kicked out and replaced. Except, Pierce being the softhearted guy we never realized he could be only said he bribed the professor to help keep his “villain” role in the group intact. Jeff finds out that life away from the “magical” study group table is lonely and maddening – even if it has only been a few hours since he left. He even took a page from The Shining and went all fire axe on the table.

Abed finds out that his favorite show Cougar Town – he said it would get six seasons and a movie – got pushed back to midseason (true story :/ ) and he is desperate to find something to hold him over until then. Britta finds him the show that Cougar Town was “based” on from England, “Cougarton Abbey” (WARNING!!! NOT A REAL SHOW). But after the show comes to an abrupt end Abed shuts down until they find him another ridiculously fake show to reinvigorate him. All in all, everything is back to the way it’ll always be at Greendale.

QUOTES

Annie- “Are we really doing this without Pierce? So sad.”
Jeff- “Yeah. We have parted ways with our closest, oldest, craziest, most racist, oldest, elderly, crazy friend. And he’s not coming back.”

Professor Kane (to Jeff) – “Get out!”
Jeff – “Seriously?! Hey dude, Sean Penn called he says to dial it back…Sean Penn is an actor w-
Professor Kane – “I know who Sean Penn is. I seen Milk. Now get out!”

Troy – “Why did everyone on “Cougarton Abbey” just die?”
Britta – “They only ran six episodes. That’s the greatest thing about British TV, they give you closure.”
Abed (in a key Mariah Carey couldn’t hold) – “AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”
Troy – “We’ll find you a new favorite show, we’ll find you a new favorite show. C’mon buddy. (To Britta) You are human tennis elbow. You are a pizza burn on the roof of the world’s mouth. You are the opposite of Batman!”

Abed – “We’re registered at Linens ‘N Things. We have plenty of linen, we just want the things.”

Dean Pelton – “If I wanted to run a monkey hotel, I’d install a banana buffet.”

Vice Dean Robert Laybourne (to Dean Pelton) – “You look like a white Louis Gossett Jr.”

*Thank you to dudemann over at Reddit for pointing out the things we missed.

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Sep 04 2011
3 Comments
Character Study, Preview, TV, tvdm picks

it takes a community…

I don’t know what I miss most about Greendale Community College. Could it be the the sheer joy of finding a magical trampoline? Building and organizing a dorm-wide “Blanket-Fort City” – a la EVERY awesome sleepover EVER?! Or maybe it was the school-wide paintball tournament? Either way, I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited to witness a group of people stay in school WAY longer than necessary like I have for the study group in Community.

I hope you see that scarf!

Jeff Winger (Joel McHale), the self-absorbed, faux-apathetic douche with all the witty “complisults” (compliment + insult). Jeff is always at the ready to tell the study group that he doesn’t care to deal with their shenanigans and always finds himself directly in the middle of the action and sometimes even spearheading the charge. Even though I feel this great ensemble cast doesn’t have a “lead character” Jeff has all the qualities to fit the bill.

 

Britta Perry (Gillian Jacobs), resident rebel with an adopted cause, is everything that Jeff is not but he just can’t get enough of. These two usually get tied together as the most polarizing forces in the study group. Britta has the ability to undercut any grandstanding with the surgeon-like precision of a veteran “Mean Girl”.

Pierce Hawthorne (Chevy Chase) is the epitome of what it means to be politically incorrect. Racial slurs? Sexism? General Jackassery? Pierce has more than enough to share with the class. Usually pegged as the antagonist of the study group – a role he fits perfectly – I’m actually starting to like his character more with each verbal/visual beating he gives me – because that’s healthy, right?

Troy Barnes (Donald Glover) is filled with a childlike exuberance – if you couldn’t tell by the picture – that is never annoying and always accepted. Whether he is making “dumb-blonde” statements or even a subtle facial expression, Troy takes advantage of all his screen time. Also, when you can throw this epic of a tantrum as a grown man you deserve some credit.

Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi) is the socially awkward and pop-culture poignant “android” character that spews information with no filter. He does a great job keeping characters in check because he only tells what he sees and doesn’t let characters build their ego too high before he makes them realize how blatantly mediocre they really are. Abed and Troy are one of the best “buddy” duos on television right now, and they even come equipped with their own handshake! Jealous yet?

Annie Edison (Alison Brie) is the young, straight-laced, naive beauty who usually has the best interest of the whole group in mind when she sets out. But this may change things a bit for the upcoming season. I actually like Annie’s character, maybe more than I should, and it’s not just because she is HAWT! She may feign oblivious to most her surroundings but she knows exactly what she wants and usually gets me it.

If Samuel L. Jackson's Pulp Fiction and Whoopi Goldberg's Sister Act had a baby...

Shirley Bennett (Yvette Nicole Brown) is the religious, sometimes single mother that is never opposed to gossip. She finds a way to know everyone’s business without shedding light on her own and passive-aggressively pits characters against each other. I like Shirley’s instigating methods because she can add a new twist to any episode with one line.

Get your #2 pencils ready class. School is back is session September 22nd on NBC.

 

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