Can we have class OUTSIDE?!

Now call me a skeptic, but I’ve never quite bought the whole Barney/Robin thing. Plus, in the short time they’ve been “together”, Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) has gotten a little less funny and Robin (Cobie Smulders) has become a tad whiny. It pains me to even TYPE those words, given the fact that How I Met Your Mother is one of my favorite shows and Barney and Robin are my two favorite characters. I’ve LOL’d many a time at Barney’s legen-wait-for-it-dary antics and I’ve always enjoyed the boldness of Robin’s character and her refusal to conform to most stereotypical “girl” traits. As Lily put it best in this week’s episode, “Robin Sherbatsky is many things… but she is no crazy, jealous stalker bitch!” I’d just hate to see the writers trade in that great comedy for something with a little less punch. Hooking up two seemingly random cast members for some added spice is a move straight out of the Friends playbook (Chandler and Monica, then briefly Joey and Rachel), and while it worked there I’m still not 100% convinced it’ll work on HIMYM.

However, the naysayer in me was silenced (temporarily) after watching Monday’s hilarious episode, “Robin 101.” Robin is worried that Barney is not attentive enough as a boyfriend and Barney begins secretly taking night classes with Ted (Josh Radnor) to learn the, err, ins and outs of dating Robin Sherbatsky. Convinced that Barney is cheating on her, since he goes missing after work to go to this secret class, Robin breaks into his briefcase to find clues as to his whereabouts only discover his notebook and thus everything Ted is teaching him. Suffice it to say, hilarity ensues.

The episode plays heavily on Robin’s unique (and uniquely Canadian) personality, and any time the writers venture into that territory, they hit the comedy jackpot (two words for you: Robin. Sparkles.) Ted teaches Barney everything he learned while dating Robin, from deciphering her many faces, distracting her when she’s upset and – my personal favorite – that butterscotch is to Canadian women, what chocolate is to American women. Can I also say, that I am LOVING Ted as a college professor?? It’s yielding some great moments (how do you spell PROFESSOR again?) and it's temporarily giving him a much needed break from his quest of finding the love of his life.

As brilliant as Ted and Robin are in “Robin 101” (and as delightful as Lily (Alyson Hannigan) and Marshall (Jason Segel) are as the sidekicks that get stuck with the B-is-for-barrel storyline), it is Barney that actually shines the most. When he perfectly answers Ted’s rapid-fire pop quiz, and most importantly in the show’s closing moments where he opens up to Robin, I totally jumped on board the Barney-Robin express. I think I may even sit down, get comfy and see where this goes.

Mercy Mercy Me

- Lauren

I’ve come to the realization that Grey’s Anatomy is like a bad relationship you can’t get out of. No matter how many times I’ve tried to break up with this show, I still find myself getting sucked back in even though I know things aren’t going to get any better. This week’s episode, which had the distinct odor of FILLER emanating from it, was mediocre at best—yet I find myself addicted and ready for more. This is definitely TV crack.

Our second ep of the season (or third, technically, since the premiere was really two episodes) deals primarily with the anxiety over the impending merger of Seattle Grace and Mercy West—and the subsequent firing of many yet-to-be-determined employees in order to accommodate this change. Everyone is on their best behavior, working 48-hour shifts to prove their worth to the Powers That Be and pouncing on any trauma that comes rolling in the emergency room doors. Not surprisingly, the biggest suck-up in this scenario is Cristina, who goes so far as to beg to put on Arizona’s pediatric service—working on children pretty much involves everything, Cristina figures, and besides, who can fire someone who puts little kids back together?

Izzie, also fearful for her job, is back at work three weeks ahead of schedule and sporting the most hideous wig I’ve ever seen—though I must say Meredith and Cristina’s expressions as they try to hide their horror may have made my having to lay my own eyes on that monstrosity totally worth it. Alex worries that Izzie is taking on too much too soon and spends the entire day hovering over her like an overprotective mother hen to make sure she takes her medication on time. I know there’s no realistic way out of it, but can we just drop this cancer storyline already? Izzie is going to be a very exhausting character to follow if she is defined in some way or another by having cancer for the rest of her existence.

Lexie is probably the most panicked about her future at Seattle Grace, and her storyline gets the most focus in this week’s episode as the show continues transitioning into Lexie Grey’s Anatomy with Meredith’s screentime now reduced to virtually nil. Lexie is a good character, but I prefer her in small doses and kept somewhat on the sidelines. Having her shoved down our throats only reinforces the fact that she is better suited to fulfilling the sidekick or comic relief element, as she is just too cartoonish and overdramatic to be taken seriously as the central character who carries the storyline. I truly dread the upcoming block of episodes when Meredith becomes really marginalized, because if this episode is any indication, I can honestly say that I’d have no problem breaking up with Lexie’s Anatomy.

Webber continues to be utterly pointless and increasingly ridiculous. Holed up in his office again—honestly, what is he doing all day?—he totally ignores the state of panic that the hospital is in as all of his employees are in full-on panic mode over the merger. Derek tries to break through to him and get him to take some action to regain control over his staff, but Webber blows him off and asserts that he owes Derek absolutely nothing. Why am I feeling like the wrong character got hit by a bus?

The first round of job cuts is finally announced at the end of the day—via e-mail, for crying out loud. Seriously, I know this is a computer age and everything is done e-style, but how can you fire someone in an e-mail? Olivia, aka Syph Nurse, is among those who gets the ax, along with three-fourths of Lexie’s resident class including Intern Steve’s now-wife Megan. Not surprisingly, all of our main characters survive the cut. For now.

Next week: Meredith and Lexie’s dad arrives at the hospital for a medical emergency. Here’s hoping he slaps Meredith in the face again. You know, just because it’s funny.

Knowledge is Power!

It's no secret that I am a giant nerd. I love spending my weekends watching episodes of The Universe, American Experience, Planet Earth, or pretty much anything about dinosaurs (the little boy in me still gets ridiculously excited anytime I see a T-Rex) or sharks("Live every week, like it's shark week!"). There’s something extremely satisfying about curling up on the couch and immersing myself in documentaries on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Today, I happened to catch The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, Ken Burns’ new film series on PBS. Burns is a master of the format and this project is just as fascinating and beautiful as any of his other works. So, if you're a dork like me and enjoy learning that doesn't really feel like learning then definitely add National Parks to your DVR list.

My Crew

To help me in my gargantuan project of trying to blog about everything on TV, I've enlisted the help of two fellow writers to offer insight, contribute reviews and recaps and add some unique perspective to the site.

First up is...Lauren!

Lauren is smart, sharp and devilishly funny. She knows more about television than 99% of the people out there and I can't wait to start reading her blogs. We used to bond over TV trivia and our obsession with various 90’s sitcoms. Lauren will post a Desperate Housewives recap on Mondays and a Grey's Anatomy recap on Fridays. Come January, she will also be my cohort in following the craziness that is American Idol. Plus, if she feels like making fun of something on TV or bitching about a show, she'll make sure to post as well.

Next, we have...Jason!

Jason is a TV junkie in every sense of the word. His humor is matched only by the best of the best in the sitcom world, and that's a compliment he would definitely appreciate. If any man respects the amazing-ness that is TV, its him. Jason currently writes on tumblr which you should check out here to get a sense of his style. For this blog, he’ll be writing more generally about TV instead of recapping a specific show each week, though he may follow a series for us if he has the time.

Look for new posts from these great writers very soon! Till then, you’re stuck with just me…bwahahaha!

LOL! OMG! WTF?

The family sitcom, a once dominant force in American television, has all but vanished. There have been many attempts at reincarnating the genre over the past decade, with varying success. We’ve had dysfunctional gems like Arrested Development (fantastic!)and ratings hits like Two and a Half Men (a show whose popularity I’ll never fully understand) but for the most part, TV has handed the sitcom over to the single friends and the co-workers and relegated families with children to dramas or dramedies.

Enter Modern Family, ABC’s brilliant new comedy airing Wednesdays at 9pm. MF chronicles, in mockumentary format, the lives of three different types of families, all of which are connected. First, there’s Phil and Claire – the “traditional” (and I use giant, Empire State Building sized quotation marks there) family with three children. Phil (played by the hilarious Ty Burrell) is the father who insists on being the “cool dad”. He knows all the dances to High School Musical (much to the dismay of his children), he surfs the web, and – in one of the pilot’s funniest lines – boasts about being fluent in texting lingo. Claire (Julie Bowen of Ed), is Phil’s slightly overprotective wife. Next, are Jay and Gloria – Jay is Claire’s father and Gloria is his fiery, much younger Columbian wife. Gloria has a son, Manny, from a previous marriage. Ed O’Neil (of Married with Children fame) plays Jay with the perfect balance of uncomfortable old curmudgeon and well-intentioned softy, yielding some of the shows most poignant moments. Lastly, there's Mitchell and Cameron, a gay couple who recently adopted a baby girl from Vietnam. Mitchell is Jay’s son, and Claire’s brother. Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) have an incredible on-screen chemistry and deliver their lines with such finesse that you honestly can’t tell if they’re improving or reading off a script. Each character is so layered and so complex, that they seem incredibly real. We can easily recognize members of our own families, and ourselves, in the cast.

The pilot episode, chock full of gut-busting moments and wickedly funny dialogue, cuts between a day in the life of each of the three families and ends with the whole clan coming together at Mitchell and Cameron’s for dinner where they surprisingly discover that the couple has adopted their first child. The reveal, which I won’t spoil for you here, was one of THE funniest moments I’ve seen in a comedy in recent memory. The pilot was so brilliantly constructed, and so tightly woven together, that every scene and every line of dialogue seemed essential.

The second installment, which didn’t quite match the stratospheric heights of comedy reached by the pilot, was still fantastic and proved that Modern Family was not a one-trick pony. Phil decides it’s time his son Luke gets his own bike; Claire believes he isn’t responsible enough for one yet. When Phil thinks that Luke has carelessly left his bike on the street, he decides to take it in order to teach him a lesson. Mitchell and Cameron bring their new daughter Lily to a play group for the first time and Mitchell is worried that Cameron’s flamboyant personality won’t fit in with the other parents. However, much to their surprise, no one seems to mind. Jay and Gloria are planning a romantic getaway to Napa Valley and Manny’s father is supposed to take him to Disneyland. However, Manny’s dad ends up flaking out and Jay – in a genuinely touching moment – saves the day.

Modern Family singlehandedly redefines and reinvigorates the entire genre of the family sitcom, and is deserving of all the praise it has gotten so far. If you aren’t watching, you’re definitely missing out!

I'll leave you now with a clip featuring some comedy gold courtesy of Phil, after the jump. Check back soon for the recap of FlashForward.

Won't you take me to...Cougar Town

In the new ABC comedy Cougar Town (Wednesdays at 9:30pm), Courtney Cox plays Jules Cobb, a 40 year old recently divorced mom, insecure about being back on the dating scene and struggling to deal with the fact that she’s getting older. With the help of her much younger friend and party-girl Laurie (Busy Philipps), Jules is introduced to the exciting world of bars, cocktails, and hot younger men. The pilot, which sets all this up with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, sadly never really takes off and Cox is left to pretty much carry the entire show on her own. The script was rigid and inorganic, with the dialogue and story never quite feeling natural. That said, however, I did let out a few hearty “HA’s” during the course of the episode and that was mainly due to Cox’s sparkling performance. She has a hilarious way of fusing insecurity with a bold, manic energy. Cox is both endearing and empowering at the same time, which isn’t easy to pull off.

The second episode, which aired Wednesday, felt much more fluid. Jules realizes that since she became a mother at such a young age, she never had a chance to be wild and crazy, like everyone else did in their 20's. So, to make up for lost time, Jules sets out to cougarize the town, ends up pulling a Lionel Richie, and parties all night long. She bar hops, dances on poles, has a run in with the cops, and tops it all off by pigging out on a stack of gigantic pancakes – an adventure for Jules, but as any twenty-something will tell you, a pretty standard night out. It’s a great scene, hilariously told via a montage of cell phone photos set to Beyonce’s Single Ladies. Again, Cox’s performance was the best part of the show, and this time the script and the story managed to give her much more to work with, which was enjoyable to see.

The main problem with Cougar Town is that Jules has the misfortune of living on one of the most boring cul-de-sacs in TV land. The supporting characters in her life are - for the most part - uninteresting and flat, from best friend Elle (Christa Miller from Scrubs), who is wedged in between the unfunny roles of critic and grumpy wife/mom, to Grayson (Josh Hopkins), Jules’ smarmy, yet handsome across-the-street neighbor who is undoubtedly being cultivated for a future love interest. I’ve seen enough TV shows and romantic comedies to know that when a man and a woman hate each other that much from the very beginning, they’re going to end up having sex later. But, I digress. If Cougar Town is going to succeed – and it does have the potential to do so – Jules’ world has to get a lot more interesting.

After the jump, is the montage of Jules’ drunken night out that had me cracking up. I can’t say I’ve never had a night like that before! Man, 21 was a good year… Anyways, I’m working on the recap of Modern Family as we speak so check back soon for that post!