This blog was originally published on elkharttruth.com on May 14, 2014.
It’s hard to keep coming up with fresh ideas year after year.
TV shows have this problem annually. Many second seasons aren’t as good as the first, so much so that shows often are talked about in terms of “sophomore slump.”
“The Big Bang Theory,” a consistent ratings darling, avoided a sophomore slump and has managed to keep the ideas flowing for seven seasons … for the most part.
It was a good ending to show, featuring so many of the great characters of Stars Hollow, all coming together to honor Rory (Alexis Bledel), who’s about to go take a job traveling for Barack Obama. (Side note: That’s a pretty cool parallel.)
Plus it features a reuniting of Luke (Scott Patterson) and Lorelai (Lauren Graham), giving us all hope for the future.
There is always tension between Lorelai and her grandparents, but in season 1, it was very apparent since they were seeing each other more often.
This tension seeped into Rory’s life when she turned 16. Emily throws her granddaughter a fancy party…with all her Chilton friends, whom Rory hadn’t formed friendships yet.
Then the grandparents come to Lorelai’s house for Rory’s other party, and it makes Emily (Kelly Bishop) realize she doesn’t know her daughter (or granddaughter) at all.
Also, this is the episode when Dean gives Rory the bracelet she wears throughout their relationship.
Lane (Keiko Agena) gets married! Twice! To Zach (not Dave)!
Showing another family with generational differences, Lane’s Buddhist grandmother comes to the wedding, so Lane and Zach have to take part in a Buddhist ceremony.
Then, everyone smashes into the church for the Christian wedding (58 seats and 62 Koreans!).
And lastly, after Mrs. Kim and her friends leave, Lane and Zack have the reception they want, with booze, hot dogs and Hep Alien…oh yeah, and a very drunken toast from Lorelai about not getting married.
Now, I don’t think Max Medina, one of Rory’s teachers, was the guy for Lorelai. I don’t even like how he proposed (in a fight).
But the thousand yellow daisies was a beautiful sentiment.
What I love most about this episode is that Rory finally has the courage to tell Dean she loves him…and even the “idiot” part is perfect to her character. And Tristan, who toyed with Rory often, has to watch it.
Lorelai and Rory never seem to turn food away, but this Thanksgiving episode puts their stomachs to the test.
With four dinners to attend, the mother-daughter duo make pit stops at Luke’s, the grandparents, Sookie’s and the Kim’s. And each place has its own set of quirks and goofs…and a fight about Yale.
After so much back and forth, Luke and Lorelai finally get together in the season 4 season finale.
The plot centers around the practice weekend at the Dragonfly Inn, so everyone is on edge.
Richard (Edward Herrmann) and Emily are fighting, so Lorelai uses family obligation to get them to come, but then Emily and Lorelai fight in the lobby.
Rory and Dean rekindle their romance, for better or for worse. And Kirk runs out of the Dragonfly naked and screaming.
As much as I love Luke and Lorelai (how could you not?), the vow renewal of Richard and Emily is perfect for them.
Emily bosses people out of jobs and rooms, while Richard woos his wife with jewelry, song and dance.
Of course this wedding also includes some meddling, so thanks Emily and Christopher for breaking Luke and Lorelai up…and catching Rory and Logan in an inopportune moment, bringing out the protective qualities in Luke and Christopher.
This blog was originally published on elkharttruth.com on Oct. 31, 2014.
Costumes, jack-o’-lanterns and scares … it must be October.
While you can watch Halloween-themed movies, shows and more throughout the month (See ABC Family’s 13 Nights of Halloween or AMC’s Fearfest), here are five TV episodes that will give you a laugh or smile instead of a scare.
While the title of this “HIMYM” episode focuses on one costume, many other outfits also make an appearance, thanks to Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) and his desperate attempts to attract women.
Barney, being the ultimate player that he is, changes costumes throughout the night to continue hitting on the hottest girl at the party.
The episode focuses more on the lead’s character development, but seeing all the costumes makes the episode fun.
Mostly taking place in a mall, this episode is worth watching for the parts when cousins Will (Will Smith) and Carlton (Alfonso Ribeiro) compete for a girl.
Oh yeah, and Aunt Vivian (Janet Hubert) gets lost in the music at a recording booth in the mall.
This Melissa Joan Hart-starring show features many Halloween episodes, for obvious reasons.
In this Halloween-themed episode, Sabrina hosts a party when her aunts Hilda (Carolina Rhea) and Zelda (Beth Broderick) are away. Which would be fine … if the portal to the Other Realm didn’t keep transporting monsters to her house.
But hey, at least she got to counsel Frankenstein and his bride, right?
What are your favorite Halloween-themed TV episodes?
If Shonda Rhimes had her hand in “Conviction,” it would probably air on Thursdays instead of Mondays.
This drama has scandal, backdoor deals, politics, investigations…all under the umbrella of a newly created Conviction Investigation Unit. The CIU investigates claims of innocence by convicted people, but it’s not as nice as it sounds.
Set in NYC, the head of the CIU, Hayes Morrison (Hayley Atwell, “Agent Carter“) is a former first daughter, and the district attorney hires her as a bargain after she’s arrested. And guess what? They have chemistry, because of course they do.
The show is a mix of politics and crime, but it doesn’t grab you. The end of the pilot highlighted many of the characters’ backstories, but I’m not sure the show will have time to uncover it all.
For a show that’s steeped in historical events, “Timeless” is quite a thrill ride.
A quickly put-together trio of a historian, soldier and coder travel back to time to find a rogue agent, though he might not be the bad guy.
This drama combines sci-fi and history and questions how much one event can change time. Hints of government overrule and security issues pepper the drama, which seems timely.
For those whom enjoy history, it gives a personal touch. I doubt the show will last more than a season, but the mystery will intrigue some.
“Frequency” also deals with how changing events affects time, and it’s based on a movie with the same name.
It’s a cop drama, though instead of a father and son communicating 20 years apart through a radio, it’s a father and daughter.
The pilot focuses on saving the father’s life, which of course affects numerous other events in time.
It’s heavy-handed with its foreshadowing and a bit predictable, but since only part of the movie was covered in the pilot, it might deviate from the movie plot in time.
A man (Joshua Sasse, “Galavant“) thinks the world is going to end, so he has a bucket list. He meets a girl who isn’t sure what she wants and has a health scare during the pilot.
He tries to control her and get her out of her shell, frustrating her, but eventually she stands up for herself.
It’s all a bit cliche, especially the cliffhanger ending, but it’s cute and fits in at the CW.
If you’re not skinny, you must be real. Or at least that’s what this sitcom tries to proclaim.
Katie Otto (Katy Mixon, “Mike & Molly“) is the center of the the story, and she’s one of the fattest woman in Wesport, Conn. And yes that’s a huge part of the storyline.
She’s also the narrator, though half the narration was unnecessary and made the character unlikeable.
The sitcom could’ve been good, but it’s full of characters who are fake and superficial. The concerns about weight and family are real, but the show doesn’t come off that way.
When I finally sat down to watch some episodes of “Girl Meets World” a few weeks ago, I was disappointed.
I’m a huge fan of “Boy Meets World.” I’ve seen every episode multiple times. I hate when Cory and Topanga aren’t together. I love how the parents take care of Cory and his friends.
But “Girl Meets World” does not have the same dynamic.
Yes, it’s a family show. Yes, Riley (Cory and Topanga’s daughter) and her friend, Maya, have similar characteristics to Cory and Shawn. But the show comes off as a cheesy rehashing of the original, with copied to-the-tee plot lines and forced moral lessons, which came off so naturally on “Boy Meets World.”
Part of the problem with “Girl Meets World” is simply the passage of time. Cory and Topanga were wonderful to watch as kids and students, but they aren’t as relatable as adults. Not everyone who watched “Boy Meets World” is at the stage in life where kids are on the horizon, much less in middle school — which is where Riley is.
This is probably why “Friends” will never return. As much as fans clamor for a reunion, co-creator Marta Kauffman has made it clear the show is about being in your 20s — when your friends are your family — so a movie reunion will never happen. Chandler and Monica had a family at the end of the show’s 10-year — why would we want to watch that?
If the key to the “Girl Meets World” was Cory and Topanga, it failed. They aren’t young anymore. They have responsibility, and it was more fun to watch them struggle through life than to see them have it all together.
That’s why “Full House” shouldn’t be revived. Word on the street is Stamos wants to bring the show back and many cast members are on board.
If you are going to bring a TV show back, it needs to have value and purpose. Besides nostalgia, a “Full House” revival doesn’t have value or purpose, and it’s not a fresh idea, either.
“Boy Meets World” and “Full House” still do well in reruns on various networks. It’s partly for nostalgia, but it’s also partly for the fact that the shows are timeless, minus the fashions. (I hope feathered bangs never come back.)
But let’s stick to reruns only, please. Or funny Jimmy Kimmel Live staged reunions. Enjoy.
I think my expectations are too high for this show.
It’s a mostly Latino cast, which broadcast networks haven’t seen in awhile. And it’s Eva Longoria’s return to acting on TV (she’s a producer on Lifetime’s “Devious Maids”).
But the premise, a group of people surviving life while working on a telenovela, seems cliche.
It’s funny and over-the-top, but it’s not the best comedy I’ve watched.
How can a hot topic become a farce? Put it in the hands of Seth MacFarlane.
The “Family Guy” creator is an executive producer on this Fox comedy, and its humor is in the same vein as his other shows.
Which is too bad. The show focuses on issues such as immigration and racism, but for many people, the stupidity of the jokes won’t allow this show to give an enlightening look to these issues.
Building off of “Arrow” and “The Flash,” this sci-fi/comic book show follows such a similar plot structure to “The Flash” that it’s boring.
Yes, there’s plenty of action, and I didn’t feel lost watching it without having seen all of the previously mentioned shows, but it seems rather predictable. And frankly, it’s a pain to keep up with that many TV shows to get the full effect.
These shows have captivated audiences, and even though they air for multiple seasons, they are a different show each time, with new cast members and premises.
With these shows drawing in viewers and big-name stars, it’s no wonder other networks are following suit.
Most movie actors have little desire to commit to a TV show since it could last many years. But an event series is a short-term commitment, leaving actors free to pursue other projects.
HIMYM had some great guest stars. This season six episode featured Katy Perry as Zoey’s (Jennifer Morrison) cousin, whose name wasn’t really Honey, but she was so naive everyone called her that.
The show uses phone calls and flashbacks to carry the plot to the moment when Ted and Zoey finally get together, but it never felt forced or static.
This season 7 opener was a moment of clarity for Barney and Robin. It forshadowed their eventual reuniting as a couple, but first Barney had to actually care about a woman and not use bad pickup scenarios, like pretending to be a prison escapee and wearing overgrown fingernails. Nora (Nazanin Boniadi), who called him back in this episode, helped him mature.
The episode also shows the day of Barney’s wedding, and we see Marshall ruin Ted’s friend Punchy’s wedding. But most importantly, Barney and Robin perform an epic dance to “Groove is in the Heart,” schooling everyone at the Cleveland wedding.
Lastly, this episode that has one of my favorite conversations from the show:
Robin Scherbatsky: “…You got chemistry, you only need one other thing.”
Ted Mosby: “What’s that?”
Robin Scherbatsky: “Timing. But timing’s a bitch.”
Brunch is supposed to a pleasant affair, but it’s not in this season 2 episode.
Ted thinks his dad cheated on his mom, Barney is mad at Ted’s dad for being a bad wingman, Lily and Marshall can’t handle not being together and Robin wants Ted’s mom to be honest about the fact that she and Ted’s father have separated.
It’s a mess of fighting told in different segments all leading up to a blowout after taking a nice group photo.
A lost phone number on Halloween leads to years of wearing the same “hanging chad” costume (referencing the 2000 election) and attending the same boring rooftop party.
This season 1 episode sounds like it could be a drag, but it’s an early episode that sets up a lot of character development.
Viewers see how Lilly and Marshall interact as a couple as they wearing matching costumes and share food. In contrast, viewers see Ted’s hopeful longing for “the one” and Robin’s inability to truly let someone into her life.
It’s too bad the season 7 episode The Slutty Pumpkin Returns (first aired Oct. 31, 2011) didn’t live up to its hype. Sorry, Katie Holmes, not even you could save that snoozefest of an episode.
Lilly and Marshall are an adorable couple, plain and simple. But, like many weddings, many things go wrong when the couple ties the knot.
But in the end, they have the wedding they originally wanted. And Barney almost cries as he, the master of playing woman, performs the ceremony, despite claiming he doesn’t believe in marriage.
By far the best episode of season 9, this episode gave viewers what they had wanted for years: the mother’s backstory.
Cristin Milioti did a fabulous job, and it was fun to see many of the clues viewers had seen throughout the show’s run from her character’s point of view.
1. Girls Vs. Suits (first aired Jan. 11, 2010)
The show’s 100th episode featured one hilarious song-and-dance number.
When Barney has to choose between his signature attire of suits and a girl, he dreams up his “Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit” fantasy, complete with a suit in the sky with angel wings and lyrics such as “Wingman I can wear/They’re oh so debonair/The perfect way to snare/A girl with daddy issues.”
Oh yeah, and Tim Gunn makes a cameo. According to IMDb trivia, he was the most welcomed star on set out of all the guest stars.
Obviously there are numerous good episodes of HIMYM. Let me know what your favorites are in the comments.
No weekly columnist would be able to afford that big of an apartment in NYC, much less all the designer fashion.
While it’s believable that her columns were turned into a book, it’s absurd to see her lifestyle unfold on TV knowing that even columnists work long, odd hours, and could probably never afford Manolo Blahniks.
