Jamie's Finale Follow Up - Thursday Night Comedy

I know, I know... I need to watch Once Upon a Time.  I will get to it.  I was on a train because I went to visit my mother.  So quit telling me how #&#^&#$-tastic it was.  I have to go to work.  I will get to it soon.  In the meantime, here's my follow up for the best TV on Thursday nights (note: I also love Liz Lemon, but that finale is next week)

Parks & Recreation
Lived up to the Hype?: Election results always do.  A recount and a drunken finish always make for an exciting election night.
Excitement for Next Season?: Of course! How will the Parks department work now that Leslie is on the city council?
Questions Remaining?: Is Adam Scott (Ben) going to leave?  Can’t he just stay?  I want him to stay.  I hope that this adventure to D.C. for Ben is short lived.
Standout Performances/Character Moments: Honorable mentions to Ann Perkins as her results delivery was brilliant, and April hiding under the table after losing some files (I love it when April cares, just a little).  However, as always, the standout was the incomparable Ron Swanson.  Explaining to Leslie why they all did it (barely able to get out that they care about her, not about all the time they put into the race), and then following it up by suggesting she drive because he’d had 11 whiskeys.  (How did he get there?)

The Big Bang Theory
Lived up to the Hype?: Sure.  I mean, space and a wedding.  Plus the return of Amy’s tiara.
Excitement for Next Season?: Hell yes!  I mean, I assume they aren’t killing off Wolowitz, but the man did just launch into space in a questionable machine.
Questions Remaining?: As always, the future of Leonard & Penny, but whatever, it’ll be funny and awesome.  Really though, my only question is, when will we get to see Leonard & Sheldon’s moms again.  They are my favorites.
Standout Performances/Character Moments: This episode so perfectly captured all of the characters during the wedding scene (I LOVED that they all got ordained to perform the ceremony together).  And then the end scene with the hand holding was pretty significant all around.  I love that a show that doesn’t shy away from dirty jokes and ended last season by having two characters unexpectedly get drunk and hook up, can also give us three quality moments using some good old fashioned hand holding.  

Books read: 27

Coming Soon: Sarah writes a campaign plan for Sheldon, who will be running for supreme commander of the universe.   

Jamie Watchs Too Much TV

I do, I know I do.  Not only that, but I get really attached.  So that when season finale time comes around, it is high stress (not to mention, when you don’t know if shows are coming back for another season or not).  Here’s where I’m at (in order from Sunday – Saturday), as we approach the end of the season:

Once Upon a Time: When this started, I was very concerned about where they would go once Emma believed (and potentially broke) the curse, but then I got so wrapped up in what was happening each week, that I didn’t have time to dwell on that, I was too focused on how much I wanted to throw something that would go through my TV and hit Regina in her smug, evil face.  Now that we are a week out from the finale and it looks like Emma might finally believe, I am back to the original question.  However, I have decided to have faith in the writers (who say they have a plan for where to go from here).  I am guessing they may go a little the way of Heroes (only w/out the writer’s strike to throw off the flow in the middle) where each season wraps up a particular storyline, and we get something slightly new, but of course with the same characters, each season.  As opposed to making it more like Lost where there is build up each season toward one thing, which ultimately ends up disappointing a significant portion of the audience (except me, I am like the only person I know who likes the end of Lost, or the later seasons of Heroes for that matter).  I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

**That was way too long.  Let’ s keep these a little shorter from here on out.

Sherlock: Just started, only 2 episodes to go, why is this show so amazing??

How I Met Your Mother: There’s gonna be a baby!!!  And maybe a wedding?!?!  I can’t say this has me super stressed, nothing like certain other Monday night shows.  But I am VERY intrigued.

Two Broke Girls: No stress, just laughs, and it’s renewed for next season.  Can’t wait to laugh at these ladies all over again next season.

Hart of Dixie: Stop judging me.  Mostly, I just hope that my favorite guilty pleasure of the season comes back next year.  Come on CW, all of your ratings are low, just keep this adorable little show.  Also, Team Wade for life.

Eureka: Don’t tell me what’s happening!  I have one more episode from season 4.5 (oh Syfy, you and your silly seasons) and then I can catch up on this final season and start watching it as it unfolds.  Pros to shows being cancelled: not stressing about whether or not they’ll get to finish.  Cons: The show is cancelled.  Obviously, that sucks.

Bones: I’m behind on this too, but I have heard tale of excitement in the final couple episodes.

Castle:  I could not be more stressed out about what tonight’s season finale has in store.  Beckett & Castle in love, dealing with her shooting, are they finally going to be together, will they fight, will they make up, and will we have to wait all fraking summer to find out???  I don’t know if I can take another Castle cliffhanger.  Not like last year.

Hawaii 5-0: I am a little behind on this show, but they don’t seem to have any lack of intensity.  Ever. 

Glee: Is it okay if I don’t care?  I mean, I still enjoy Glee and all its ridiculousness, but I’m afraid I have only a passing curiosity as to what happens to them next season.  Just sing me some fun songs and throw in a few tearjerker moments, and I’m good.

NCIS: Again, I think I’m a little behind.  But things are finally coming back around, so I’m sure Gibbs & Co will have some sort of noteworthy finale. Plus, maybe Tony & Ziva will work on breaking rule #12?

The New Girl: Mostly, I just laugh. And laugh.  And try not to choke on my food (there should be a disclaimer at the start, warning you not to eat while viewing) because of the laughing.  But I am a little concerned that Nick is going to move out.  Come on Nick, get it together.  You have to stay at the loft. 

The Big Bang Theory: Will Howard & Bernadette get married? Will Howard go to space? Will Penny & Leonard stay together?  Will Sheldon & Amy…um, you know? Will Raj find a lady? 

30 Rock: I don’t have any questions, I’m just here to watch (my BFF) Tina Fey be Liz Lemon. 

Parks & Recreation: I think I am as concerned about this election as I am about the real elections in November.  Okay, not really, but I am definitely worried for Leslie.  Voters can sometimes make poor choices, and she just wants this so bad, and would be so good for the town of Pawnee.

Fringe: Astrid!!!!  Kacey says she can’t die, she was in the amber.  But what if something happened and now that doesn’t exist.  I find it all very stressful.  Is that definitely where things end up?  What is going to happen to Olivia?  Can they really wrap this up in 13 episodes next season?  I mean, of course they can, and thank the TV gods they get to do just that. (Don’t anger the TV gods when you are still waiting to hear on other shows)

Okay, so when I lay it out like that, I think it’s really just Once Upon a Time, Castle, & Fringe that are high stress.   And Hart of Dixie is the only show left on the proverbial chopping block.  And you’re probably still judging me for that.  But whatever.  I’m just going to go make myself a Team Wade t-shirt.

Books read: 24 (Finally! I still have a couple hundred pages of Clash of Kings, but in the meantime, I finished Jenny Lawson's (The Bloggess) Let's Pretend this Never Happened.)

Coming Soon: Sarah writes a Bones/NCIS/Eureka triple crossover episode where they find the remains of a marine whose crazy experiment threatens to destroy town of Eureka.

Jamie loves Parks & Rec

Okay, I am finally going to try and put into words what it is that I love about Parks & Recreation, in an effort to convince Kacey that it should jump to the top of her Instant Watch priorities. 


Here's my best attempt at 5 reasons why you should change the channel to NBC immediately following Sheldon on Thursday nights:


5) It's not The Office.  Before the show even started, there were comparisons made with The Office, which, don't get me wrong, is a great show.  It's funny, well written, well acted, etc.  But it never really caught my attention in a "I must watch every single episode of this show and tell everyone how much I love it" kind of way.  Steve Carrell is a wonderful actor, and Michael Scott is a great character for him, but there has always been, for me, too much of that "oh my god I can't watch this train wreck" stupidity with the show, mostly with Michael.  At least for me to want to watch week in and week out.  So, when Parks & Rec started I resisted because I wasn't interested in that type of show.  But it is so not like that.  Yes, it uses the same mockumentary style (like both the Office and Modern Family), and the characters all work together, but that is where I think the comparisons stop.  While the crew at Parks & Rec is dysfunctional and incompetent at times (okay, a lot), there is never that feeling that they won't be able to overcome the obstacle, or that there won't be a heartfelt attempt.  Even when they don't care about the task at hand, they care about each other (or one person in particular) to make it work.  But if you (like my mom) assume you will not like this show because you don't like the Office, well, give it a chance.
4) Brilliant ensemble.  I'll highlight some individuals later, but this is definitely a show that relies on every member of the cast contributing each and every week.  If you picked up any one of these characters on their own, I'm not convinced they would work.  But put them together, and it's near perfection.  Aziz Ansari's wannabe Tom Haverford is beyond annoying, but it works because everyone else laughs at him.  Chris Pratt's stupid but adorable and sincere Andy is too dumb to believe, but you fall in love with him right along with... um... everyone else.  And Nick Offerman's government hating Ron Swanson and Amy Poehler's government loving Leslie Knope need each other, and so does the Parks Department (if only people with opposing views worked so well together in Congress) 
3) Adam Scott, i.e. the addition of.  I have to be perfectly honest, I have a huge crush on Adam Scott, and an even bigger crush on Ben Wyatt.  I don't know where it came from exactly.  Perhaps the first part of that one Veronica Mars episode where he was the teacher that everyone loved but was then accused of having an affair with a student, and I just tuned out the end where he did actually have an affair with a student.  Regardless of where it started, it was definitely increased by the brilliant Party Down (which you should watch immediately if you haven't, but that's another blog entry all together).  He is the perfect cute nerd (if he played Nate Silver in a movie I would see that movie many, many times), and just avoids being a hipster.  I loved the first two seasons of Parks of Rec, but when they added the character of nerdy, former teenage mayor turned government wonk Ben Wyatt, they hit a whole new level of excellence.  No offense to Paul Schneider, who did a fine job in the first two seasons, but with the addition of Ben (and to a lesser degree Rob Lowe's overwhelmingly optimistic Chris Traeger), I barely remember Mark Brandanawicz.  And again, I loved the first two seasons.  They were awesome.  It's just that Ben is there now, and he makes it more awesome.
2) Ron & April.  These two together are hilarious.  The way that the writers and these actors have developed this father/daughter-like relationship for the head of Parks & Rec and his now-assistant is comedic gold.  Every time they have a scene together, I know I'm going to laugh.  Plus, their negative attitude are what make it possible for me to unapologetically love....
1) Leslie Knope - Like I said, this is an amazing ensemble, but there is only reason this rag tag group of government employees can pull it together, and it is the one and only Leslie Knope.  She's crazy and energetic to the point of annoyance, but her ambitious is contagious and she's just the type of unyielding person you wish would work in your local government.  Her co-workers (except Ben & Chris) find her enthusiasm to be draining, if not horribly annoying, but like the audience, they can't help but root for her.  When the shit hits the fan, they are all there to chip in and make sure that things get done for Leslie.  Even if they don't care about the project or whatever is happening.  They do it because Leslie is a genuinely good person who takes care of everyone else around her. She loves her job, her friends, waffles, and most importantly, the town of Pawnee.  So much that it makes you kind of love the town of Pawnee too.


This is why I've resisted writing this, even though I love this show week in and week out.  When I get down to it, it sounds so sappy and that is not the show at all.  People far more cynical than I am love this show.  I mean, just watch a few minutes of any scene with Ron Swanson (especially if there is a Tammy involved), and you'll see what I mean. 


Basically, I just love this show as much as Leslie loves waffles.  And you should watch so you understand how much that is.