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Oct 17 2011
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Boardwalk Empire, HBO, Review, TV

boardwalk empire recapping: what does the bee do?

Camp Darmody

  • Jimmy makes a deal with Doyle to get alcohol.
  • The Commodore suffers a stoke while being “entertained” by Gillian.
  • Eli is scared that their operation is about to fall apart because Jimmy and Gillian are taking charge.
  • Jimmy and Richard head to Philadelphia to make a deal with Manny Horowitz (William Forsythe).
  • Gillian reminds a defenseless Commodore about when he took advantage of her sexually. She then begins to viciously slap the living hell outta him.

Nucky’s Empire

  • Nucky contacts Arnold Rothstein in order to obtain a port for his liquor shipment. He arranges for a port in Philadelphia.
  • Rothstein orders “Lucky” Luciano and Meyer Lansky to oversee the operation.
  • Nucky’s lawyer informs him that since Nucky shipped prostitutes across state borders he can make his case a federal offense. Which would allow the Attorney General to throw out his case.
  • Owen Slater makes a bomb for Nucky to blow up Doyle’s alcohol warehouse.

Chalky White

  • Chalky comes home from jail to learn that his daughter is to have a suitor over for dinner.
  • At a meeting held by influential members of the Negro community Chalky is pressed to make up for the deaths of the men killed by the KKK.
  • Nucky tells Chalky that he can’t help him right away and that he needs to be patient.
  • Chalky is drunk at the dinner and lashes out at his family and house guest. He removes himself from the dinner and stays outside for the remainder.

Margeret Schroeder 

  • Nucky gives Margeret money for the “weekly affairs” and to give the housekeeping staff a two dollar bonus for the week.
  • Margeret doesn’t like that Nucky is giving away money when things are tight.
  • When she gives the staff their bonuses they inform her that Nucky promised them a permanent raise when he came home drunk one day.
  • When Nucky informs her about the new federal charges she asks for $100 to get clothing for the kids but she puts it in her stash.

Angie and Richard

  • Richard comes the Darmody household to meet Jimmy but Angela is there painting instead. She asks him about being a model for her.
  • Richard tells Angie about the relationship he had with his sister in Wisconsin. He says that after he came back from the war things were never the same.
  • He says the she was the only person he ever loved. Angie seems to bond with Richard more so than Jimmy has done thus far.
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Oct 14 2011
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NBC, quotables, Recaps, TV, tvdm picks

the office recapping: garden party

Rock’n Roll Musician, Ricky Nelson, once wrote a song based on an experience he had at Madison Square Garden. Nelson was booed off stage for trying out some new, unfamiliar tunes, instead of belting out his classics that the audience came to listen to. In response, Nelson wrote “Garden Party,” a song describing his realization that “you can’t please everyone, so you’ve got to please yourself.”

The concept behind that song could certainly be used as a metaphor for this week’s Office, which shares the same title. The show certainly isn’t delivering many hits these days, and the new beats and sounds are hardly recognizable to its core audience.

 The writers nail the intro, as Andy finds out that his Sabre billboard campaign has been modified by vandals who apparently felt there wasn’t enough phallic representation in the original ads.

The show leads off with Andy planning a garden party, which will be held at the very prestigious Schrute Farms. It doesn’t take long to be reminded that the Office now marches to the beat of a different drummer, as Andy reveals a Youtube video of his brother (Josh Groban) and father (Stephen Collins) singing a duet. Once again, the cameo appearances are awkward and completely unwarranted.

We are treated to a glimpse of the past, as Jim and Dwight engage in their antics of yesteryear. Jim writes a “How to” book about throwing a garden party and anonymously dupes Dwight into purchasing it. Dwight’s compliance with the advice of the fictitious author, James Trickington, provides a few ridiculously funny scenes.

 Robert California returns after a one show hiatus, and delivers a speech about how he contributes nothing to the office, and acknowledges that it is his employees that make everything work. Anyone that has ever watched the show prior to Robert’s arrival would probably concur with his assessment. His character continues to churn out the same spiel week after week, and yet the producers of the show seem quite satisfied with themselves, as the tired act continues on.

Transitioning from one overkilled theme to another, we find ourselves sympathizing with Andy for a third consecutive week. First, we had to hold his hand while he struggled with the complexities of being boss. Then, he needed coddling from everyone when he got his Nard Dog tattoo. Now, the focus once again shifts right back to him, as he desperately attempts to gain approval from his parents by throwing this “high society” shindig.

Ricky Nelson got booed off stage for trying something new. It didn’t work, but he attempted to break his roots in hopes that his audience would still be engaged. The Office producers simply used auto-tunes, without ever giving us the opportunity to cheer or jeer at a new concept. They settled on a lazy and repetitive script, because they knew they could. The ratings were always there, which meant the celeb cameos would be there, but for how much longer will the audience be there? Like the line in “Garden Party” goes, “you’ve got to please yourself.” Perhaps I will, by switching to a different channel.

 

QUOTES

Jim – “Announcing guests as they enter is the height of decorum. The more volume displayed, the more honor is bestowed upon everyone present.”

Jim – “One of the host’s most important duties is as dance master. A proper courtly dance sets the tone for an entire afternoon.”

Gabe – “I cannot believe I didn’t think of toasting Robert. Get in the game, Gabriel. Why are you talking to Stanley’s mistress?”

Ryan – “I’d like to make a toast. To the troops—all the troops—both sides.”

Andy – “You can’t triple toast someone.”

Jim – “The tableau vivant is not only welcome but expected entertainment at any garden party.”

Robert – “You know difference between a crying baby and a manager? One day the baby will grow up.”

Dwight – “I can get you exotic meats. Hippo steaks, giraffe burgers.”

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Oct 10 2011
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ABC, Recaps, TV, tvdm picks

desperate housewievs recapping: watch while i revise the world

At some point during last night’s episode I realized I was writing down what was going to happen before it did. This doesn’t make me psychic, but it does speak volumes about the depressingly predictability of this episode. We may be moving along with this eighth and final season, it’s just too bad that there’s (mostly) nothing major happening. I’ll take this as my punishment for watching and loving (yes, still) a show that over-stayed its welcome.

Susan

Guilt can make people do bizarre things, including pushing two opposites together in a strange way. Carlos and Susan share an unspoken bond over what they’re feeling, and everything about their situation alludes to a budding romance. As they returned from their accidental midnight stroll, Mike was watching and spent the rest of the episode wondering what exactly was going on between his wife and close friend.

When Carlos asked Susan to lunch she told him she couldn’t because it might be too intimate. Somehow the level of intimacy was just fine when he went out of his way to do community service with her. Mike eventually caught the two and punched Carlos in the face, but not before the two realized the feelings that were developing. Given all that transpired this episode, anything budding between them may have been sufficiently nipped. But will Gaby find out about what almost happened?

Bree and Gaby

Gaby’s storyline was intrinsically connected to Bree and her relationship with Chuck. When Bree failed to end things with her detective beau, she had to explain things to Gaby and sure enough, the two concocted a plan to find out whether or not Chuck was the one who sent the letter. During the snooping, Bree found a picture of her hand and an envelope with her name on it. Although the evidence pointed to one thing, it was pretty obvious that Chuck wanted to propose.

After the requisite Desperate Housewives style sneaky antics, Bree and Chuck eventually end up at dinner. When Bree finds out that Chuck plans to propose, she realizes she has to break up with him. Chuck’s reaction to being dumped by the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with was natural…but also a little disturbing. Does he have anger issues? If so, are they one of the reasons his wife began sleeping with his former partner?

Rene and Lee

My first thought: “Why in the hell would Lee come to Rene of all people to take his daughter shopping for bras?!” She’s not one of the more maternal women of Wisteria Lane…something she immediately points out. Regardless, Rene jumps right into the pseudo-mommy role, much to Lee’s chagrin.

Jenny, Lee and Bob’s daughter, enjoys doing “girly” things with Rene, which she expresses she can’t do with her daddy. After a mini-blowup, Rene convinces Lee that he’s a great dad and that Jenny is very lucky. Aside from speaking on some of the hurdles that come with adoption, this storyline didn’t really do anything. We already knew last season that Rene had feelings of emptiness about not having kids. Maybe we’ll see more of Rene and Jenny spending time together. Will this all play out with Lee, Bob and Rene (aka a few of the show’s severely under utilized characters) getting more screen time?

Lynette

Lydia, Lynette’s loopy sister, came to visit. Lynette was prepared to greet her sister and help her recover from whatever emotional disaster she’d found herself in. Unfortunately for Lynette, Lydia is happily engaged and has come to help her big sister deal with her own crappy life and issues with Tom.

One thing we’ve learned about Lynette is that she can’t handle seeing someone she loves have any success if she’s not having her own (i.e., Bree in season five). Another thing we’ve learned over the past eight years is that Lynette has never been the “warm and gooey” type. The impact of her own separation and seeing her sister in a healthy relationship brings out the bitch in Lynette, something she doesn’t realize she’s even doing until AFTER she breaks up their engagement.

Of course she goes to repair things and all is right again. But at some point Lynette’s going to move past simply addressing her issues and actually doing something to fix them…right? It’s frustrating seeing her do all of this horrible stuff to her nearest and dearest relationships, only to have these annoying moments of introspection in hindsight. Is it too much to ask that all of this is a great setup for her genuinely working on her issues and winning Tom back?

Major Shockers

Carlos and Susan told Mike about why they’ve really been so secretive. Mike didn’t take it well, but this was probably due to his wife lying to him. I think once he has time to move past that particular, he’ll be way more understanding.

Bree dumps Chuck. Chuck gets angry. But not “my girlfriend dumped me angry” more like “I’m going to make you regret this because maybe I know a few of your secrets”. I genuinely didn’t see the breakup coming, but I don’t think it bodes well for Bree and company getting away with murder.

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Oct 07 2011
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NBC, quotables, Recaps, TV

the office recapping: lotto

By: Joe Finch

Growing up, there were always adults throwing around clichés that I never quite comprehended, and to be honest, still don’t to this day. What rule does one’s thumb carry? If I can have cake, why can’t I eat it too? And I would never pick a bone with anyone, because it seems a bit intrusive and kind of gross. While these phrases continue to mystify me, the latest episode of The Office finally made sense of one of these adages—addition by subtraction.

I wouldn’t go as far as saying third time’s a charm, but it took Season 8 three episodes to retreat back to its roots of good old fashioned comedy. The show opens with Oscar bashing in someone’s car window (an assumed snowboarder pothead, based on the vehicle’s bumper sticker) for leaving their dog unattended. 

Following the intro, the show hits the snooze button and does its usual lag, before providing more laughs. We learn that all of the warehouse workers resign after hitting the lottery collectively (playing Darryl’s birthday, who wasn’t included on the winnings), leaving Andy with shipment orders and no shippers.

Andy and Darryl team up to recruit new workers, which is a painfully boring scene that is finally rescued by humor when Darryl reveals that he has developed a soy allergy at 35, and Stanley realizes his lunch has been eaten by one of the interviewees.

As the botched search for new employees continues on, Jim, Kevin, Dwight and Erin team up to carry the workload in the warehouse to fill the void, only to find out that their moving methods can’t quite handle the task (Kevin oiling up his body and being slid across the floor with packages on him went into the good idea category). Darryl and Andy resolve the warehouse crisis, but only after they address their personal conflicts. Darryl lets Andy know that he deserved the promotion over him, only to be surprisingly and refreshingly combated with a strong response by Andy that satisfied even Darryl.

This episode should satisfy Office loyalists for eliminating a good portion of what is wrong at Dunder Mifflin Sabre. Robert California isn’t in this episode, which allows us to watch the original cast interact without the nonsense that he contributes to the show. Also, the writers finally let Andy Bernard be Andy the Manager and not Michael Scott Jr. (with the exception of a random Mr. T impression, which was familiar to Michael’s random outbursts). His uninspired and awkward leadership is still hard to digest, but it felt natural watching him attempt to manage.

The approach of simplifying the format of the show is both effective and rewarding. Clearly, the producers felt the need to make a splash once Steve Carell announced his departure, so they pulled out all the stops (another idiom that’s origin is still unclear to me) and brought in a heavy artillery of celebrities. Now that the transition is fully in place, hopefully the Hollywood noise will subside, and the focus can once again be on the people who put Scranton, Pennsylvania on the map in the first place. I can only hope that future episodes are as consistently funny as this one was, but I won’t count my chickens before they hatch.

 

QUOTES

Kelly – “You want to just let him die, you scumbag?”

Meredith – “We’re looking at one suicide and one weird sex thing.”

Dwight – @Jim  “I know what you’d do with the money. “Hey Pam, let’s buy expensive bathrobes and hug.”

Jim – “I’m a barista in your fantasy?”

Meredith – “Get. A. Divorce.”

Darryl – “Hide is investing in an energy drink for Asian homosexuals.”

Darryl – “Who gets a soy allergy at 35? And why is soy in everything?”

Andy – “Does anyone get distracted easily by bubble wrap?”

Darryl – “My future is not going to be determined by seven little white lotto balls. It’s going to be determined by two big black balls. I control my destiny. I do.”

Jim  – “Senor Loadenstein.”

Toby – “I would spend a lot of time launching my true crime podcast, The Flenderson Files.”

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Oct 07 2011
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FX, quotables, Recaps, TV, tvdm picks

it’s always sunny in philadelphia recapping: sweet dee gets audited

Will’s P.O.V.

Dee got her “surrogate money” back and she is $30,000 richer and plans on writting off the child as a dependent for the next 18 years. What a  sweet scam for Sweet Dee, right? Wrong. She is being audited by the IRS. Dee panics and needs to prove that she has a child – the she doesn’t have – to the auditor. Charlie and Mac tell Dee that getting a child for Dee to borrow is no problem and they will have one for her by the time she meets with the auditor. Mac and Charlie hold their end of the bargain…kinda (not really). They show up with two crucifixes wrapped in a blanket with a recording on a child crying. Just enough to escape the meeting as Dee tells the auditor that the baby is sick. They then invite the auditor to a faux-funeral for the “baby” – Dennis’ plan. The plan ultimately backfires when Mac and Charlie open the casket at the funeral to show a dead and disgusting dog. I don’t think the bar Dee or Paddy’s Pub has heard the last of the IRS though.

Meanwhile, the boys are trying to make some changes at the bar. Dennis wants to learn the secrets of the business from Frank. Frank has been making illegal transactions and their “books” aren’t exactly IRS friendly. Since Frank is making all the decisions about the bar Dennis thinks it is smarter to align with him if he wants to a make a profit…and some “puss”. Mac and Charlie branch off and create their own party to vote against Dennis and Frank. After Charlie and Mac recruit Dee to their side to get the majority vote Dennis causes a rift in the newly formed “Pickle Party”. After Charlie and Mac compromise on putting a crucifix in the bar they then begin to argue on how much blood should be on it. After realizing that Frank and Dennis are making them focus on trivial things instead of money, Mac and Charlie decide to ruin the funeral. The gang then votes to not let Frank make all the decisions around the bar anymore and go back to their adopted method of “organized chaos”.

I didn’t like this episode all to much but I think the best parts were when Dee’s story was the focal point. The rest of the episode seemed more like filler with a lot of flat moments. The idea that the IRS is still looming makes me think that we might be seeing the end of Paddy’s Pub soon…eek!

Nicole’s P.O.V.

Sweet Dee getting audited isn’t as funny as one might hope. We start the evening with the guys having an emotional argument over where the money Frank takes out of their paychecks is going. They decide to remove emotion from the equation and argue everything in a rational manner, which of course means the near opposite when it comes to the gang.

Dennis and Frank partner up on a scam, while Mac and Charlie search for a way to settle a lime slicing debate. Sadly, none of this was all that humorous. Dee isn’t all that stealthy, so watching her try and come up with a real baby to match the fake one she’d been putting on her taxes was “meh” as well.

Mac and Charlie together is probably my favorite combo, so I was in full support of the pickle party. However, if Paddy’s Pub were real, I’d NEVER be fine with ordering a Corona with pickle…ever. The funniest part of the night for me was Sweet Dee with the chili pepper in her eyes. Not only did she cry True Blood-esque vamp tears, but also Kaitlin Olson really brought her best physical comedy game to that whole moment.

Always Sunny isn’t exactly the most plot-driven show on television, but even by its own standards, nothing really happened this episode. I can only hope the whole IRS bit was a setup for future troubles. I’d love to see them squirm out of tax fraud charges!

Quotes

“I’M GONNA PUT MY THUMB THROUGH YOUR EYE YOU LITTLE BITCH!” – Mac (to Charlie

“Charlie, you can’t just start your own party. You gotta talk to people about…” – Frank
“Yes you can! When you’re not as educated or informed, what u gotta do is start your own party and you yell the loudest.” – Charlie

“People don’t trust you Frank. You’re a piece of shit! And you’re ugly. And you ooze sleaze. And you’re very very ugly.” – Dennis

“You guys better all eat a dick. Cuz Sweet Dee beat the system.” –Dee

“Goddammit! I don’t know how to express myself unless through and personal attack.” – Mac

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