Matt's Take
This season is a big one for SNL so I thought I'd start commenting on the show every week here on OTC. We enter this season of Saturday Night Live with the election looming and a number of old-line cast members spending their final few episodes with the cast. Amy Poehler will be around until she has her baby at which point she will leave to begin work on her new Greg Daniels' sitcom. Maya Rudolph will reportedly play Michelle Obama whenever needed.
And of course there's the conditional return of one SNL's biggest stars, Tina Fey. Apparently Lorne Michaels has struck some sort of arrangement with Fey to bring her in on a regular basis this fall to portray Sarah Palin, a character she debuted in the opening sketch of this week's show.
To say that bringing in Fey to play Palin was a good move is an understatement. It's sheer brilliance. I say this to you as a conservative who wants to kick Seth Meyers in his smug little shit-eating grin after every lame, Daily Show-wannabe cheap shot he spits during Weekend Update. What Fey has done with Palin is exactly what Will Ferrell did with George W. Bush. She has captured the pre-existing public persona and fleshed it out to perfection. In an election with so few funny characters (Obama and McCain just aren't funny), Fey's Palin is the one chance SNL has to really create an iconic comedic moment during this election. As long as she understands that conservatives will laugh as long as she doesn't get too mean, this is a character that will have all of America laughing.
Other thoughts and observations (SPOILER ALERT):
- Michael Phelps was a good idea but was absolutely awful on SNL. One of the worst hosts in years and should have been in WAY fewer sketches.
- Funniest moment of the night: Andy Samburg as Cathy. "Aakkk!"
- Worst sketch of the night: The Charles Barkley Show. Yikes. It's glaringly evident that it's time for Keenan Thompson and Darrell Hammond to go.
- Kristin Wiig is a genius. I love her. The home school mom in the game show sketch, brilliant. But she's funny because she's constantly coming up with new ideas and characters. It feels wrong to make her repeat a character as they did with the "I said weee!" girl. Yes, it was still pretty funny the second time around but it just feels like she's capable of better.
- Digital Short was so-so. They'll do better next week.
- Two very good commercial parodies. Love to see that.
- Let's talk about Weekend Update: reports are that when Poehller leaves, Seth Meyers will take over the Update desk on his own. This would be a COLOSSAL mistake. The guy is without question the least charismatic person to ever sit behind that desk. He brings nothing to the table other than being a sniveling angry liberal comedy writer trying to vent his frustrations into bad jokes.
Mark my words: if Lorne Michaels lets Seth Meyers anchor Weekend Update on his own, it will go back to being what it was before Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon took over: the point at which everyone turns off SNL for the night.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Fringe - Pilot (1.1)
Matt's Take
It's been a while and there's been a baby but we (or at least I) have decided to take up our blog once again for the fall 2008 season, beginning with this little gem from one of OTC's favorite television masterminds, J.J. Abrams (LOST, ALIAS).
FRINGE was perhaps the most heavily hyped new drama heading into the fall season, marketed as a sort of updated version of THE X-FILES. Being a massive X-phile myslef (yes, we call ourselves that) I approached this pilot with both enthusiasm and skepticism, knowing that the bar was set extremely high by Chris Carter and his team during their 7 season run.
While it may not be fair to compare FRINGE to THE X-FILES, the comparison is inevitable. You've got a two person investigative team (male and female) working for the FBI to expose a massive conspiracy tied to supernatural activities and bizarre pseudo-science. But that's basically where the similarities end. These two shows share the same basic premise but a great television series needs so much more than a good premise. You need a great cast, a great story and great writing.
In a lot of ways, FRINGE shares more DNA with LOST than it does with THE X-FILES. When Abrams co-created LOST, he kicked it all off with a pilot that became the talk of the town (just like FRINGE). He built a great premise but set sail with a mediocre cast and a less than spectacular writing staff. Those weaknesses haven't kept LOST from become a great show, thanks to phenomenal plot twists and storytelling and a cast that has developed and improved since the pilot.
FRINGE comes to us with an interesting premise: an FBI agent discovers an international conspiracy known as "The Pattern", a series of disastrous events caused by technology appearing to originate from the same lab. That lab was run by a man named Walter Bishop who is locked up in a mental ward as the show begins. FBI Agent Olivia Dunham (who tells us her name is Olivia Dunham about 12 times in the first half-hour of the show) has to convince Bishop's son, played by Pacey from Daswon's Creek, to take his crazy father out of the mental hospital so he can use his crazy old methods to figure out a way to solve the mysteries.
Cool premise, lots of cool special effects, plenty of room for humor and great inventive storylines. As far as the quality of the production, FRINGE blows X-FILES out of the water. A lot of that just has to do with television production budgets these days but nonetheless, some of the effects sequences, particularly the opening sequence, are on par with Hollywood films.
Where FRINGE still needs to prove itself is in the quality of the people involved. The cast did not blow me away in the pilot, particularly the lead female Anna Torv. She's a forgettable face and a mediocre actor but pilots are rarely a fair point of judgement since it takes time for an actor to put their own unique spin on a character. Joshua Jackson is...good enough. He's sarcastic and dark and somewhat brooding but kinda funny. He's Pacey from Dawson's Creek, okay? The old kooky Dr. Bishop is great. He will be the emotional center of the show.
The writing, meaning the dialogue, has got to improve as well in order for the cast to shine. The pilot was very pedestrian and utilitarian in terms of writing. The characters tell us what's going on and who they are and what their motivations are. We don't have time for character development just yet.
FRINGE is promising but it's got to give us audience members some reason to care beyond the fun and cheesy mythology/premise in the first four episodes. Here's hoping.
It's been a while and there's been a baby but we (or at least I) have decided to take up our blog once again for the fall 2008 season, beginning with this little gem from one of OTC's favorite television masterminds, J.J. Abrams (LOST, ALIAS).
FRINGE was perhaps the most heavily hyped new drama heading into the fall season, marketed as a sort of updated version of THE X-FILES. Being a massive X-phile myslef (yes, we call ourselves that) I approached this pilot with both enthusiasm and skepticism, knowing that the bar was set extremely high by Chris Carter and his team during their 7 season run.
While it may not be fair to compare FRINGE to THE X-FILES, the comparison is inevitable. You've got a two person investigative team (male and female) working for the FBI to expose a massive conspiracy tied to supernatural activities and bizarre pseudo-science. But that's basically where the similarities end. These two shows share the same basic premise but a great television series needs so much more than a good premise. You need a great cast, a great story and great writing.
In a lot of ways, FRINGE shares more DNA with LOST than it does with THE X-FILES. When Abrams co-created LOST, he kicked it all off with a pilot that became the talk of the town (just like FRINGE). He built a great premise but set sail with a mediocre cast and a less than spectacular writing staff. Those weaknesses haven't kept LOST from become a great show, thanks to phenomenal plot twists and storytelling and a cast that has developed and improved since the pilot.
FRINGE comes to us with an interesting premise: an FBI agent discovers an international conspiracy known as "The Pattern", a series of disastrous events caused by technology appearing to originate from the same lab. That lab was run by a man named Walter Bishop who is locked up in a mental ward as the show begins. FBI Agent Olivia Dunham (who tells us her name is Olivia Dunham about 12 times in the first half-hour of the show) has to convince Bishop's son, played by Pacey from Daswon's Creek, to take his crazy father out of the mental hospital so he can use his crazy old methods to figure out a way to solve the mysteries.
Cool premise, lots of cool special effects, plenty of room for humor and great inventive storylines. As far as the quality of the production, FRINGE blows X-FILES out of the water. A lot of that just has to do with television production budgets these days but nonetheless, some of the effects sequences, particularly the opening sequence, are on par with Hollywood films.
Where FRINGE still needs to prove itself is in the quality of the people involved. The cast did not blow me away in the pilot, particularly the lead female Anna Torv. She's a forgettable face and a mediocre actor but pilots are rarely a fair point of judgement since it takes time for an actor to put their own unique spin on a character. Joshua Jackson is...good enough. He's sarcastic and dark and somewhat brooding but kinda funny. He's Pacey from Dawson's Creek, okay? The old kooky Dr. Bishop is great. He will be the emotional center of the show.
The writing, meaning the dialogue, has got to improve as well in order for the cast to shine. The pilot was very pedestrian and utilitarian in terms of writing. The characters tell us what's going on and who they are and what their motivations are. We don't have time for character development just yet.
FRINGE is promising but it's got to give us audience members some reason to care beyond the fun and cheesy mythology/premise in the first four episodes. Here's hoping.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
The Office-Launch Party
Francesca's Take
All my disparaging remarks from two weeks ago? canceled out by tonights show. (oh yes, i'm actually writing this promptly after viewing. However, matt probably won't write his half for like a week so...). This one was funny. This one was charming (i have learned to accept and love jim and pam as a couple. It's sort of gotten them back to when we first, first met them: buddies with very little angst between them). And by george, it had a great musical number.
first, i would like to say that pranks on dwight are the best! Particularly when dwight feels threatened by them. The computer im-ing him was brilliant. I also really like that in this The Office (versus the original), they take pains to prove now and again, these people are actually fairly competent at their job. It's most striking when they do it with michael, since he's such a bonehead most of the time, but Dwight's BBC counterpart, Gareth (who was really a very different character), never seemed to do, um, anything. That said, this is not the place for the BBC vs. American debate, i'm merely saying i like that little hint at credibility.
For me, the peak of the episode came during andy's musical number. This was for a couple of reasons. 1) i don't know if i did it here, but i have said aloud, to anyone who would listen, that i predicted Andy making a move on angela. He did. I'm a genius. also, while he and dwight were charming as buddies (their victory dance was terrific) they were really pretty great as arch-nemisises...nemisisi. 2) i love abba and have a particular affinity for the song Take a Chance on Me. Also, i like acapella singing. 3) right as andy got to the big finish of the song, my cat, who had been resting gently in my lap, started awake, got big in the eyes, lept of my lap and threw up. Four times. on various areas of our carpet. Yay, tivo. And also resolve pet stains spray.
Another thing to love: i'm a big fan of them letting ryan eat crow now and again. he clearly got the job by default and i like that they're letting michael have little triumphs over him. It's nice. And i always like it when dwight and michael buddy up. They are a force to be reckoned with.
Dear The Office,
i love you.
your friend,
Francesca
Matt's Take
Very solid installment, but again a little too much of the hour is spent developing plot threads. The Office is about jokes and while some of those jokes are payoffs from long-developing storylines, most of them are quick hits.
Like Dwight and Andy doing a ridiculous impromptu celebration dance after defeating the online sales computer.
Or Pam convincing Dwight that the computer is alive.
Francesca and many others I've spoken to disagree with me, but I just don't find the Dwight-Angela story all that compelling. For a plot thread like that to be interesting, you have to love both characters or at least love to hate them. And the problem is, I don't know what to feel about Angela.
She's obviously an unlikable character. Like Dwight, she's odd and offbeat but unlike Dwight she doesn't make that charming or funny. She's just mean and cold and harsh. Maybe part of it is Angela Kinsey's performance, which I've never felt is really as strong as her co-stars, but whatever it is the character just doesn't work for me. The sign of great character is that you get excited every time they are on screen and for me I get bored and disinterested when Angela is on screen.
Alright, enough criticism. I want to mention a couple of transcendent moments this episode featured that were on par with the quality of this show's predecessor, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's original BBC version of The Office. I won't go too deeply into this today but essentially while I feel the American version of the show is an excellent comedy in its own right, the British series was a work of art that transcended comedy. It was some of the best narrative film making of this decade.
The American show under discussion today takes a much broader approach to the same concept the British show was based on but in "Launch Party" the show achieved a couple of moments that came close to the British series in tone. The first was Michael's defiant cussing out of Ryan over the video teleconference. The brilliant awkward tension of the situation was immediately cut by Kelly Kapoor smashing pizza onto the screen where her former boyfriend's smug face was trying to seem unflappable.
The second moment was the end of the episode, a simple long take that begins with Dwight and Michael improving an impression of Ryan their former underling. The impression turns awkward when Michael says "Ooh I'm Ryan, I'm so hot" and the two sit in silence on the hood of Dwight's car soaking the moment in.
There's a sense of triumph and positivity among the characters on the American show that never existed in their British counterparts and that's really the key difference between the shows. Both sets of Office workers are in rough situations but while the Brits either resigned themselves to eternal unhappiness (or in David Brent's case lied to themselves and everyone else about it) the Americans all really seem to have hope that there's a better future for them. Whether it's Jim and Pam dreaming to get out one day or Michael and Dwight dreaming that the corporations big plans will blow up in their faces, The American Office is about staying cheerful and defiant in the face of a bleak existence.
All my disparaging remarks from two weeks ago? canceled out by tonights show. (oh yes, i'm actually writing this promptly after viewing. However, matt probably won't write his half for like a week so...). This one was funny. This one was charming (i have learned to accept and love jim and pam as a couple. It's sort of gotten them back to when we first, first met them: buddies with very little angst between them). And by george, it had a great musical number.
first, i would like to say that pranks on dwight are the best! Particularly when dwight feels threatened by them. The computer im-ing him was brilliant. I also really like that in this The Office (versus the original), they take pains to prove now and again, these people are actually fairly competent at their job. It's most striking when they do it with michael, since he's such a bonehead most of the time, but Dwight's BBC counterpart, Gareth (who was really a very different character), never seemed to do, um, anything. That said, this is not the place for the BBC vs. American debate, i'm merely saying i like that little hint at credibility.
For me, the peak of the episode came during andy's musical number. This was for a couple of reasons. 1) i don't know if i did it here, but i have said aloud, to anyone who would listen, that i predicted Andy making a move on angela. He did. I'm a genius. also, while he and dwight were charming as buddies (their victory dance was terrific) they were really pretty great as arch-nemisises...nemisisi. 2) i love abba and have a particular affinity for the song Take a Chance on Me. Also, i like acapella singing. 3) right as andy got to the big finish of the song, my cat, who had been resting gently in my lap, started awake, got big in the eyes, lept of my lap and threw up. Four times. on various areas of our carpet. Yay, tivo. And also resolve pet stains spray.
Another thing to love: i'm a big fan of them letting ryan eat crow now and again. he clearly got the job by default and i like that they're letting michael have little triumphs over him. It's nice. And i always like it when dwight and michael buddy up. They are a force to be reckoned with.
Dear The Office,
i love you.
your friend,
Francesca
Matt's Take
Very solid installment, but again a little too much of the hour is spent developing plot threads. The Office is about jokes and while some of those jokes are payoffs from long-developing storylines, most of them are quick hits.
Like Dwight and Andy doing a ridiculous impromptu celebration dance after defeating the online sales computer.
Or Pam convincing Dwight that the computer is alive.
Francesca and many others I've spoken to disagree with me, but I just don't find the Dwight-Angela story all that compelling. For a plot thread like that to be interesting, you have to love both characters or at least love to hate them. And the problem is, I don't know what to feel about Angela.
She's obviously an unlikable character. Like Dwight, she's odd and offbeat but unlike Dwight she doesn't make that charming or funny. She's just mean and cold and harsh. Maybe part of it is Angela Kinsey's performance, which I've never felt is really as strong as her co-stars, but whatever it is the character just doesn't work for me. The sign of great character is that you get excited every time they are on screen and for me I get bored and disinterested when Angela is on screen.
Alright, enough criticism. I want to mention a couple of transcendent moments this episode featured that were on par with the quality of this show's predecessor, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's original BBC version of The Office. I won't go too deeply into this today but essentially while I feel the American version of the show is an excellent comedy in its own right, the British series was a work of art that transcended comedy. It was some of the best narrative film making of this decade.
The American show under discussion today takes a much broader approach to the same concept the British show was based on but in "Launch Party" the show achieved a couple of moments that came close to the British series in tone. The first was Michael's defiant cussing out of Ryan over the video teleconference. The brilliant awkward tension of the situation was immediately cut by Kelly Kapoor smashing pizza onto the screen where her former boyfriend's smug face was trying to seem unflappable.
The second moment was the end of the episode, a simple long take that begins with Dwight and Michael improving an impression of Ryan their former underling. The impression turns awkward when Michael says "Ooh I'm Ryan, I'm so hot" and the two sit in silence on the hood of Dwight's car soaking the moment in.
There's a sense of triumph and positivity among the characters on the American show that never existed in their British counterparts and that's really the key difference between the shows. Both sets of Office workers are in rough situations but while the Brits either resigned themselves to eternal unhappiness (or in David Brent's case lied to themselves and everyone else about it) the Americans all really seem to have hope that there's a better future for them. Whether it's Jim and Pam dreaming to get out one day or Michael and Dwight dreaming that the corporations big plans will blow up in their faces, The American Office is about staying cheerful and defiant in the face of a bleak existence.
Chuck-Chuck Versus the Tango
Francesca's Take
Ok, so now we know how the naming is going to work: Chuck versus the Something.
Once again, Chuck shows itself to be very likable. Not so likable that i'm getting excited for it exactly, but it's a pleasant diversion.
In my mind, the only thing Chuck is suffering from, really, is that it shares so many similarities to Reaper. And i like Reaper better. So, while i enjoy Chuck on its own, i find myself thinking, "yeah ok, this is what's going down at Buy More. I can't wait until tomorrow to find out what's going on at The Work Bench." Not good.
of course, working to Chuck's advantage are more set pieces and prettier people. But i think that works to their advantage on the action side. Gritty works better for the comedy side and since i am more prone to like comedy to action, Reaper will always win.
Anyways, sorry this is a lame blog. it was a good episode. I like it and i will continue to do so. i really enjoy that they still come through with the sappy sibling stuff. You rarely get to see that on tv. But i will continue to be baffled by the decision to make-up the sister within an inch of her life. Who decided that the Elvira look screamed "good sister." i just don't get that.
Matt's Take
I want to take my portion of the blog to explore the striking similarity between Chuck and another new series that this blog has kept up with, Reaper.
For shows based on two very different concepts, they are incredibly similar in structure and in their target audience as well. I'll run this down like a laundry list:
* Main character is a twenty-something male with moppy hair, uncertain about his future (both extremely similar to John Krasinski's Jim Halpert from The Office).
* Hero character works at a big chain warehouse-type store (Chuck works at Best Buy, Tim from Reaper works at Home Depot)
* Wacky and somewhat disgusting sidekick (though Reaper's sidekick is much funnier)
* Both shows feature an ominous and threatening boss-type figure who turns out to not be that bad of a guy
* Both heroes have loving and supportive family members
What we're getting to is that this is almost exactly the same show aiming for the same audience. The question now is, which one of these shows will win the battle? On the one hand, Chuck is on a major network and has exposure that you just can't get on the CW. It also has higher production value and a better looking cast.
All that said, I actually think Reaper has a better chance of sticking it out for a second season. Anyone who's seen both shows will admit the writing on Reaper is much better. It's funnier, the weekly plotlines are more interesting and it features a much more interesting premise than Chuck's computer-in-my-brain gimmick. Despite lacking the financial advantages Chuck has, Reaper is overall a much more watchable show and in the end that could be all it takes.
We'll follow the developments here on OTC.
Ok, so now we know how the naming is going to work: Chuck versus the Something.
Once again, Chuck shows itself to be very likable. Not so likable that i'm getting excited for it exactly, but it's a pleasant diversion.
In my mind, the only thing Chuck is suffering from, really, is that it shares so many similarities to Reaper. And i like Reaper better. So, while i enjoy Chuck on its own, i find myself thinking, "yeah ok, this is what's going down at Buy More. I can't wait until tomorrow to find out what's going on at The Work Bench." Not good.
of course, working to Chuck's advantage are more set pieces and prettier people. But i think that works to their advantage on the action side. Gritty works better for the comedy side and since i am more prone to like comedy to action, Reaper will always win.
Anyways, sorry this is a lame blog. it was a good episode. I like it and i will continue to do so. i really enjoy that they still come through with the sappy sibling stuff. You rarely get to see that on tv. But i will continue to be baffled by the decision to make-up the sister within an inch of her life. Who decided that the Elvira look screamed "good sister." i just don't get that.
Matt's Take
I want to take my portion of the blog to explore the striking similarity between Chuck and another new series that this blog has kept up with, Reaper.
For shows based on two very different concepts, they are incredibly similar in structure and in their target audience as well. I'll run this down like a laundry list:
* Main character is a twenty-something male with moppy hair, uncertain about his future (both extremely similar to John Krasinski's Jim Halpert from The Office).
* Hero character works at a big chain warehouse-type store (Chuck works at Best Buy, Tim from Reaper works at Home Depot)
* Wacky and somewhat disgusting sidekick (though Reaper's sidekick is much funnier)
* Both shows feature an ominous and threatening boss-type figure who turns out to not be that bad of a guy
* Both heroes have loving and supportive family members
What we're getting to is that this is almost exactly the same show aiming for the same audience. The question now is, which one of these shows will win the battle? On the one hand, Chuck is on a major network and has exposure that you just can't get on the CW. It also has higher production value and a better looking cast.
All that said, I actually think Reaper has a better chance of sticking it out for a second season. Anyone who's seen both shows will admit the writing on Reaper is much better. It's funnier, the weekly plotlines are more interesting and it features a much more interesting premise than Chuck's computer-in-my-brain gimmick. Despite lacking the financial advantages Chuck has, Reaper is overall a much more watchable show and in the end that could be all it takes.
We'll follow the developments here on OTC.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Aliens in America-No Man Is an Island
Francesca's Take
Once again, this show has proven itself to be mighty refreshing. The best stuff is easily between Raja and Justin though the sister's storyline was somewhat reassuring. After the pilot, i wasn't quite sure why they needed her. i still need more convincing, but her story was fairly funny.
That said, the real chemistry is between raja and justin. Justin is pulled in two directions. On the one hand, hanging out with raja is pulling him even more into the depth of highschool society (this week, raja befriended "small paul", the eleven year old genius who dorks it up in high school, carrying a briefcase and volunteering to read the lunch menu on the school's television station.) When raja accepts an invitation for he and justin to attend small paul's slumber party, it's too much for justin. (though, to be fair, raja had already proclaimed to their literature class that the thing he would bring to a desert island was justin and also asserted their friendship in the buff in the locker room).
Justin goes to his sister for advice on how to shake raja. His sister advises that he does what she does to him: ignore him and pretend like they are in no way related or to be associated with each other. This gives her the very funny bit about "someone realized that you and i had the same last name. I told them we adopted you from a retarded family." Justin replies, dismayed, "the whole family had to be retarded?" She notes that you can't be too careful.
anyways, justin attempts to put distance between himself and raja. Raja doesn't resist. Justin realizes, after falling asleep in last period for five hours and no one noticing, that he really needs to have his one friend. a very amusing profession of friendship follows.
and i love this show. Sure, sometimes it's crude, but it is, unfortunately, crude in the way that high school students really are. And, once again, the classroom scenes are just great. oh, i like this show!
Matt's Take
This show keeps on rolling! I have to say, I'm absolutely shocked at how well this little-show-that-could has continued to provide consistent laughs on what could be a very sentimental and saccharine show.
In the same way that Justin abandons all hope for popularity and dives right into geeky happiness with Raja, this show continues to push its humor envelope forward because, well, it has nothing to lose.
Shows with big budgets like, oh I don't know, HEROES or THE X-FILES or even my beloved LOST almost always ultimately have to change the way they operate at some point appeal to ratings and the target audience and all the people who have a vested interest in the financial success of the show. When you have a small, intimate comedy like this you often see the show develop its own off-beat identity, embracing its geek appeal.
In that way, this show continues to remind me of shows like FREAKS AND GEEKS or even more kid-friendly fare like EVEN STEVENS or PETE AND PETE. Only with more gay jokes.
I have to say the sister character is one of my favorite parts of the show, particularly when it comes to her relationship with her mother. I love the way mom identifies so well with her daughter because she's essentially still the same as she was when she was in high school. She's shallow, petty, cold and ignorant. She hasn't grown one bit. Dark suburban comedy at its finest.
Once again, this show has proven itself to be mighty refreshing. The best stuff is easily between Raja and Justin though the sister's storyline was somewhat reassuring. After the pilot, i wasn't quite sure why they needed her. i still need more convincing, but her story was fairly funny.
That said, the real chemistry is between raja and justin. Justin is pulled in two directions. On the one hand, hanging out with raja is pulling him even more into the depth of highschool society (this week, raja befriended "small paul", the eleven year old genius who dorks it up in high school, carrying a briefcase and volunteering to read the lunch menu on the school's television station.) When raja accepts an invitation for he and justin to attend small paul's slumber party, it's too much for justin. (though, to be fair, raja had already proclaimed to their literature class that the thing he would bring to a desert island was justin and also asserted their friendship in the buff in the locker room).
Justin goes to his sister for advice on how to shake raja. His sister advises that he does what she does to him: ignore him and pretend like they are in no way related or to be associated with each other. This gives her the very funny bit about "someone realized that you and i had the same last name. I told them we adopted you from a retarded family." Justin replies, dismayed, "the whole family had to be retarded?" She notes that you can't be too careful.
anyways, justin attempts to put distance between himself and raja. Raja doesn't resist. Justin realizes, after falling asleep in last period for five hours and no one noticing, that he really needs to have his one friend. a very amusing profession of friendship follows.
and i love this show. Sure, sometimes it's crude, but it is, unfortunately, crude in the way that high school students really are. And, once again, the classroom scenes are just great. oh, i like this show!
Matt's Take
This show keeps on rolling! I have to say, I'm absolutely shocked at how well this little-show-that-could has continued to provide consistent laughs on what could be a very sentimental and saccharine show.
In the same way that Justin abandons all hope for popularity and dives right into geeky happiness with Raja, this show continues to push its humor envelope forward because, well, it has nothing to lose.
Shows with big budgets like, oh I don't know, HEROES or THE X-FILES or even my beloved LOST almost always ultimately have to change the way they operate at some point appeal to ratings and the target audience and all the people who have a vested interest in the financial success of the show. When you have a small, intimate comedy like this you often see the show develop its own off-beat identity, embracing its geek appeal.
In that way, this show continues to remind me of shows like FREAKS AND GEEKS or even more kid-friendly fare like EVEN STEVENS or PETE AND PETE. Only with more gay jokes.
I have to say the sister character is one of my favorite parts of the show, particularly when it comes to her relationship with her mother. I love the way mom identifies so well with her daughter because she's essentially still the same as she was when she was in high school. She's shallow, petty, cold and ignorant. She hasn't grown one bit. Dark suburban comedy at its finest.
Bionic Woman
Francesca and Matt's Joint Message:
after careful consideration, we have decided that we can't bear to watch another episode of this show. Sorry if you were looking for insight. You can just reread the first post about it. It's probably pretty much the same thing we'd say every time anyways.
after careful consideration, we have decided that we can't bear to watch another episode of this show. Sorry if you were looking for insight. You can just reread the first post about it. It's probably pretty much the same thing we'd say every time anyways.
Friday, October 5, 2007
The Office-Dunder-Mifflin Infinity
Francesca's Take
Ok, this is what i'm talking about. Last night was a solid show. And i couldn't help but think that this one should have been the premier. It dealt much more with alot of the stuff that had been left hanging in last season's finale. And, with my head hung low, i admit, they've charmed with with pam and jim. I think what sold it was when toby (mean toby! who knew!) outed them and everyone was so happy for them. That was really a nice moment. Another one of those, "aw, michael's really a great guy at his core" moments. The rest of the episode brought the funny and hard.
A few favorite moments: Michael driving into the lake despite dwight's protestations ("it's a lake! it's a lake, michael!"). Phyllis' snarky little comment about assigning new sales randomly (spicy!). Garbage, the cat. But probably the moment that made me laugh the longest and hardest was the confessional after kelly tells ryan she's pregnant. Kelly Kapoor shaking her head vigorously at the camera made me just about lose it. And then in short order it's followed by her next confessional, "we're going on a date!" Seriously, she might be my favorite character on that show.
I have to say, i'm glad they calmed jan down some. If they wanted to keep that character around, it's definitely good she's been somewhat cowed. Because the rapid downward spiral was difficult to watch, even on a comedy. And they've struck an almost functional relationship tone with she and michael and that could be interesting.
then there's ryan. Boy, he's become a jerk, huh? he's always been right on the cusp of it, but now he official is a (explative deleted). As matt pointed out, while it's not really fun to see now, it will inevitably have a good payoff of him getting knocked down a few pegs. We can only hope.
all in all, last night's episode seemed back in step with their best stuff. We spent some time with every character and thus, i didn't feel cheated like last week. I was elated. Like the good old days.
Matt's Take
That's more like it, Office. After a sluggish and utilitarian start to the fourth season of the best sitcom on television, The Office returned to form with a laugh-a-second gem entitled "Dunder Mifflin Infinity".
I could sit here a day later and quote to you all the awesomely funny lines and sight gags that worked in this episode. That's what this show is at its best, it's quick-hitting idiocy mixed in with heartfelt stories about lost and misguided people trying to find happiness with one another.
All my doubts have been allayed about the premises put in place for this season. Jim and Pam being together works...for now. It's cutesy but still fun and safe and with a little tension.
Michael and Jan works. It's not too outlandish or ridiculous but really kind of functional. Jan is just crazy enough that she needs Michael and Michael is stupid enough that he can't see how crazy she is.
But most of all, what a great move it turned out to be to make Ryan the Temp the new bad guy. He's always had a sleaziness about him, a quality they really started stepping up more and more last season. Now he's just a full-on jerk. Since the rehabilitation of Andy, there's been no villain on the show, no character that brings everyone else together. Ryan is that uniting force. He's perfect for the job.
The only element of the show I'm still not buying into is the Dwight-Angela relationship. It's just not all that compelling or interesting to me. They are two nasty, ugly and largely unlikable people so any time we spend with both of them is not usually very fun. Angela and Dwight are characters we laugh at, not with, so it's hard to take anything from their on-screen relationship.
But I'm nitpicking, really. The second episode of the season proved all the doubters wrong. Yes, getting Jim and Pam together is a good idea. Yes, Ryan works as a bad guy. Yes, the hourlong format can work for this show. And yes, The Office is still the best sitcom on television.
Ok, this is what i'm talking about. Last night was a solid show. And i couldn't help but think that this one should have been the premier. It dealt much more with alot of the stuff that had been left hanging in last season's finale. And, with my head hung low, i admit, they've charmed with with pam and jim. I think what sold it was when toby (mean toby! who knew!) outed them and everyone was so happy for them. That was really a nice moment. Another one of those, "aw, michael's really a great guy at his core" moments. The rest of the episode brought the funny and hard.
A few favorite moments: Michael driving into the lake despite dwight's protestations ("it's a lake! it's a lake, michael!"). Phyllis' snarky little comment about assigning new sales randomly (spicy!). Garbage, the cat. But probably the moment that made me laugh the longest and hardest was the confessional after kelly tells ryan she's pregnant. Kelly Kapoor shaking her head vigorously at the camera made me just about lose it. And then in short order it's followed by her next confessional, "we're going on a date!" Seriously, she might be my favorite character on that show.
I have to say, i'm glad they calmed jan down some. If they wanted to keep that character around, it's definitely good she's been somewhat cowed. Because the rapid downward spiral was difficult to watch, even on a comedy. And they've struck an almost functional relationship tone with she and michael and that could be interesting.
then there's ryan. Boy, he's become a jerk, huh? he's always been right on the cusp of it, but now he official is a (explative deleted). As matt pointed out, while it's not really fun to see now, it will inevitably have a good payoff of him getting knocked down a few pegs. We can only hope.
all in all, last night's episode seemed back in step with their best stuff. We spent some time with every character and thus, i didn't feel cheated like last week. I was elated. Like the good old days.
Matt's Take
That's more like it, Office. After a sluggish and utilitarian start to the fourth season of the best sitcom on television, The Office returned to form with a laugh-a-second gem entitled "Dunder Mifflin Infinity".
I could sit here a day later and quote to you all the awesomely funny lines and sight gags that worked in this episode. That's what this show is at its best, it's quick-hitting idiocy mixed in with heartfelt stories about lost and misguided people trying to find happiness with one another.
All my doubts have been allayed about the premises put in place for this season. Jim and Pam being together works...for now. It's cutesy but still fun and safe and with a little tension.
Michael and Jan works. It's not too outlandish or ridiculous but really kind of functional. Jan is just crazy enough that she needs Michael and Michael is stupid enough that he can't see how crazy she is.
But most of all, what a great move it turned out to be to make Ryan the Temp the new bad guy. He's always had a sleaziness about him, a quality they really started stepping up more and more last season. Now he's just a full-on jerk. Since the rehabilitation of Andy, there's been no villain on the show, no character that brings everyone else together. Ryan is that uniting force. He's perfect for the job.
The only element of the show I'm still not buying into is the Dwight-Angela relationship. It's just not all that compelling or interesting to me. They are two nasty, ugly and largely unlikable people so any time we spend with both of them is not usually very fun. Angela and Dwight are characters we laugh at, not with, so it's hard to take anything from their on-screen relationship.
But I'm nitpicking, really. The second episode of the season proved all the doubters wrong. Yes, getting Jim and Pam together is a good idea. Yes, Ryan works as a bad guy. Yes, the hourlong format can work for this show. And yes, The Office is still the best sitcom on television.
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