We need a Wikipedia page for Fat Dog.
This is an incredibly entertaining episode of Community, and it’s nice to see the show get down to the basics again. Sure, it can pull off the big emotional moments and the concept episodes nicely, but sometimes, we just want to see good ‘ol Community.
Oh my, what a colossal shit-show of a finale.
I hate bashing this show. I really do, and I’ll reiterate my love for Asylum. However, when I’ve just wasted nearly 13 hours of my life hoping that the show would capture some of its earlier magic, you can imagine I’d be disappointed with the outcome. What we get with “The Seven Wonders” is a sloppy, rushed, and unsatisfying conclusion to a mediocre season.
“I was thinking…aren’t you a little short for a Stormtrooper?”
Although this episode seems to be a placeholder of sorts, it’s crackling with energy, humor, and tension; it may just be the best episode of the season thus far. It’s certainly the most entertaining. I mean, when you have Tim Gutterson in your episode, that’s an automatic A-.
Beautiful.
That’s a word that I don’t throw around a lot, especially given the downward trajectory in quality of this show. However, that is a perfect description of tonight’s momentous 200th episode, one which brings the laughs and the tears and is, for sure, one of my favorite episodes of the series.
Alright; now, let’s count down the top 22 episodes of 2013, and you know what? Let’s rank ’em. It should be known that I have a “one episode per show” policy for this list, which promotes variety and prevents half the rankings from being taken up by, say, “Breaking Bad’. Why are there 22 episodes on this list, as opposed to 20 or 25? I don’t know.
22. Six Minutes, “The Killing”: In one of the biggest surprises of the season, “The Killing” turns things around in its third season; “Six Minutes”, the Ray Seward execution episode, is absolutely devastating, featuring Emmy-worthy performances from Enos and Sarsgaard.
21. Liberty/Enemy of Fate, “Fringe”: “Fringe” ends its excellent 5-year run with an emotional, thrilling finale that gives us things like Fauxlivia and a gorgeous, thematically resonant final shot.
This is my favorite episode of the series thus far.
I know it’s only been three episodes, but man, what a start it has been. Every episode is revealing more and more about our characters and shading in yet another element of the atmosphere, and I continue to be impressed. With that said, let’s get to the episode itself.
As I’ve said before, the show is handling the central Marty-Rust relationship in a nuanced and compelling way. I find it interesting how Marty always seems to comment on his partner’s “showiness”–his elaborate speeches and unique demeanor–calling Rust out whenever he gets the chance. These are two people who’re able to analyze each other and pick out certain flaws, but when it comes to their own lives, it’s different.
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HETEROSEXUAL FIGURE SKATING: ROAD TO SOCHI--Okay? I have mixed feelings on this; on the one hand, the premise isn’t particularly great, but on the other, the visual of Pharoah, Moynihan, and the rest trying to skate is good from some hilarious moments. GRADE: C+
MONOLOGUE: Hey, Jonah Hill. He comes out and everyone starts asking questions about DiCaprio, and there’s Leo himself! I wasn’t sure he would show up–thank you, Jonah Hill–but he does, and the interplay is fantastic here. The Titanic moment is great, and I’m hoping Leo can come back sometime with an Oscar to his name. GRADE: B+
Happy 100th, The Vampire Diaries.
I haven’t written about this show since the season 5 premiere, but I thought I’d drop by and see how our lovely Mystic Falls residents are doing tonight. It’s been a fairly disappointing season thus far, but the show’s 100th episode delivers all the goods; it’s mostly fan service, but in a good way.
I’m going to miss you, Troy Barnes.
When Troy sails off on the Childish Tycoon at the end of this episode, it’s hard not to get choked up; he’s been an integral part of this show and a beloved character, and it’s not easy saying goodbye. But alas, people come and go, and that’s a major theme tonight. When do we decide that we need a change? When do we have to let go of our pasts, to reinvent ourselves without losing hold of who we are inside? When do we decide that we have to fall into a pit of lava in order to come out unscathed on the other side? For, that’s the very choice Troy has to make in “Geothermal Escapism”, and it’s a big one.
Man, that picture up there looks a lot more exciting than how it really played out, eh?
That’s really emblematic of this entire season, which, thankfully, is over next week. As for this episode, although the plot finally starts to motor forward a bit, the problem is: I just don’t care. I don’t care who the next Supreme is. I don’t care if anyone is killed off. I don’t care about any of these characters.
It’s sad, really, especially coming after Asylum, which was a truly great season of television. There, the stakes felt high. There, when something happened, it affected the outcome of the season. There, when we finished the finale, we felt like we’d seen a whole story. Going into the final episode of Coven, what exactly has changed? Fiona’s heading on out and we’re about to pick a new Supreme. Hooray.
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