Community The Psychology of Letting Go

The Psychology of Letting Go
　
　
We start with the death of Pierce’s mom where he takes it surprising well, and Troy was taking it pretty hard. Everybody is concerned with Pierce as an argument about religion breaks out and Jeff uses one of his speeches to calm the situation. Pierce continues to get worse though, as he buries himself into a crazy cult like religion.

With Professor Baur (Betty White) on a leave of absence, do to the incident with Jeff, Professor Duncan is forced to take over the class, which he has no idea what he is doing. This also sets up a great little story between him and Chang that stems from a mutual hatred and restraining order.

Paton Oswald guest stars in this weeks episode as the clinic’s nurse where Jeff goes into for a routine physical, and finds out that his cholesterol is a little high. Jeff doesn’t take this very lightly as he claims he is a perfect specimen. Overreacting about his test results Jeff becomes very cynical about life, and only upsets the group with his comments.

I was worried at the end of last season that Ken Jeong’s character would be phased out since he was no longer a teacher, but instead as a student it has given him more opportunities to use his comedic charm. I like the ongoing story of him trying to prove himself to the group to become a part of it, and the little moments where he goes a little crazy.

The great thing about this show is that is doesn’t have to focus on Jeff as the main character, instead it has a great supporting cast that in any episode can have the feature story arc. This episode is one of those cases, where Jeff is there, but is the secondary story line. This episode didn’t have that much of Troy and very little Abed, and hope that isn’t a trend that will continue. The pop culture references from Abed always add to the show because they are always well done. The scenes, especially the last one, between Annie and Britta were also very entertaining, and it looks like Alison Brie will continue to be a bigger part of the show.

Once again, I cannot stress this enough, this show is great, everyone must watch and tell there friends to watch. Do it, now, don’t wait!

Chuck Versus the Cubic Z

Chuck Versus the Cubic Z
　
Morgan is now the new store manager of the Buy More, and is getting the store ramped up for a big new video game release. This week features Stacy Kiebler as the new Greta.
　
Chuck and Sarah had a very romantic mission planned in Monaco, but it is abruptly cancelled when a transport vehicle breaks down and the prisoners need to be directed to Castle. Sarah is relieved to hear this as she is hesitant about where the relationship with Chuck is heading after he mentioned last week about the future and possibly having kids.
　
The prisoners that will be staying at Castle are non other than Hugo Panzer (Stone Cold Steve Austin) and Heather Chandler (Nicole Richie), two foes of Chuck and Sarah’s past respectively. We saw Hugo as the bad guy in Chuck’s first solo mission on a flight to Europe, and Heather was an old classmate turned evil spy and nemesis of Sarah.
　
Chuck flashes on Heather and finds out she may know information on his mother. They have bigger problems as the discover Hugo is on the lose in Castle, and he is after Heather, and revenge on Chuck will be a bonus. Heather gets under Sarah skin by putting doubt in Chuck’s head about the relationship.
　
After some hand to hand combat, and some gun fight, the convicts get detained again, and Heather starts to talk about what she knows about Frost, which isn’t much, but it is a lead. Chuck and Sarah finally get to have their chat, and they come to the agreement that they need to take things slow. Until something happens….a teaser for next week.
　
Once again I think the Greta character is a waste, and would like to see a little more than just a nerd nod. Relationship problems once again is too much of the focus, I would prefer more search for Volkoff and for Chuck’s mother. It was also unbelievable that the Buy More would only have 6 copies of a very popular game, and that they only new that shortly before launch date.
A pretty good show, nothing too remarkable about it. An average episode among another above average season. Not as many funny moments as in the past two episodes but I am glad to see Big Mike back.

Community Accounting for Lawyers

Accounting for Lawyers



Rob Corddry guest stars on tonight’s episode as one of Jeff’s former colleagues, Alan, that is there for a narcotics anonymous meeting. Drew Carey also guest stars as the head of Jeff’s old law firm.

Greendale is celebrating Oktoberfest again this year but adding a twist, they are having a pop and lock contest, and the study group wants to join, but as always, Jeff is reluctant. Chang is apparently a pop and lock genius, and knows that Jeff won‘t do it, so he uses this opportunity to get in the group. The group is late, but shows up to save Chang who has survived to the end. When the stop moving to have a heartfelt hug, they get disqualified, since they didn’t win, they still didn’t let him in.

Jeff is blowing off his study group as he continues to hang out with his old buddy, and misses being at the office. Annie recognizes him from their meetings and heard Alan confess that he got Jeff disbarred, but he doesn’t believe them, and instead just insults them.

Alan takes Jeff to an office party where he tries to use him to talk him up to his boss to make him a partner. The whole study group crashes the party with an invite from Allen, they use Annie to get into his office so they can find proof of the email he sent to the state investigators. Even after the proof, Jeff still doesn’t care because he still says that he is a good lawyer, not a good friend, and to do that you mustn’t care. Jeff decides not to let Alan know he knows the truth, but wants to use it as leverage, and realizes he needs his friends at Greendale.


The quick conversation in this show allows for quick hits in its comedy timing, and the bumbling nature of Pierce is hilarious because of context and delivery. It was weird seeing Drew Carey so skinny as compared to his days on his old ABC show where he must have been about twice as big. I was caught a little off guard, it kind of made him look a little old, at least older than I imagine him to be. The scene with Annie, Troy and Abed as they get caught in the office is one of the funniest moments I can recall in the show. This was a great show, many great moments, this show must be watched by all!


This is a great little video trailor remix from DJ Steve Porter.  Enjoy!

Chuck Versus the Suitcase

Chuck Versus the Suitcase
　
This week Chuck and Sarah go undercover to Milan for Fashion Week to seize a high-tech weapon, while Chuck discovers a flaw in his relationship. Guest stars continue in the second episode of the season with Lou Ferrigno (Incredible Hulk, King of Queens) as the model’s guard.

A little disappointed that Olivia Munn was underutilized in the first episode as Greta, and just like that she’s out and Isaiah Mustafa (Old Spice Guy) is in for this weeks Buy More CIA Special Agent.

Karolina Kurkova plays an arms dealer working for Volkoff that uses these fashion shows as means to meeting her clients. Chuck and Sarah are sent to Milan to seize what are known as “smart bullets”. After returning home they find that what they recovered were fakes, but after a new lead, Chuck and Sarah return for the last day of the show, before the model is able to escape with the micro chips for the bullets.

Chuck and Sarah relationship continues to be a little tenuous as Chuck is concerned with Sarah’s packing habits, that is, while still living together, she has yet to unpack.

Morgan starts to worry how well run the Buy More has become, now that it is completely controlled by the CIA. Captain Awesome is bumped by how well the Buy More is run and suspects that Chuck is still involved with the CIA.

After pointing out the obvious flaws, General Beckman agrees, and allows Morgan to recruit. This leads to the return of Jeffster to the show. Outlaws and on the run after their suspected involvement in the destruction of the old Buy More, Jeff and Lester are tracked down by Casey and Morgan and persuaded to return to their old jobs. Morgan successfully gets much of the old Buy More employees back and the CIA is very pleased as they make Morgan the new store manager.

Sarah finally settles in and accepts Burbank and Chuck home, but Chuck can’t stop himself, and unknowing starts what will test the relationship further.

The show focused way to much on the unpacking issue, and seems to like there always being a little bit of tension between Chuck and Sarah. I am enjoying the guest stars, but I worry that they are taking away from the story a little. The little nods to the geek fan base is quite entertaining as I enjoyed the quick funny little cameo by Balki (Pronson Pinchot from Perfect Strangers).

The show has another spy vs. spy fight involving Sarah and another female spy, this time taking it to the catwalk where everyone just thinks it is two models fighting. I also enjoyed the continuation of skimpy outfits and the occasional bra and panty scenes with Sarah and other female spies. This show really knows how to pander to its audience, and does it well.

The show didn’t deal much with the search for the Bartowski’s mother, but it deal with Casey and his unease with getting to know his daughter Alex. Overall all it was another solid episode, but then again I don’t think that I will be disappointed very often in a show that I am quite biased over.

Community Anthropology 101

Community has quickly become one of best comedies on television. A show that you immediately care about and connect with all the characters. A part of what was once the best night of television, NBC’s Thursday nights are now being challenged. The juggernaut from CBS, The Big Band Theory, has moved and is now in direct competition with Community.

The basic premise of the show is that Jeff Winger, played by Joel McHale (Informant!, The Soup), was a lawyer who was disbarred after it was found out that he lied about his schooling. Attempting to regain his position, Jeff enrolls into Community College and starts a study group to get closer to Britta Perry, played by Gillian Jacobs (The Box, Choke).

Other members of the study group include Pierce Hawthorne, played by Chevy Chase (Caddyshack, Vacation), Troy Barnes, played by Donald Glover (Mystery Team, 30 Rock), Annie Edison, played by Alison Brie (Mad Men, Scream 4), Shirley Bennett, played by Yvette Nicole Brown (500 days of Summer, Tropic Thunder), and Abed Nadir played by Danny Pudi (ER, Gilmore Girls). Another raising star is Ken Jeong (The Hangover, Knocked Up) playing Senor Chang.

At the end of the first season of Community Annie was preparing to leave Greendale, Troy was in search of a new roommate, a Jeff was being fought over between Professor Slater and Brita. The show added another twist when Jeff left the dance and ran into Annie and they kissed.

Anthropology 101Season two starts a new school year with the gang back together. Now finished with their foreign language requirement, the study group will take anthropology as the next class to tackle together. Betty White, still riding the wave of her amazing resurgence, guest stars as the anthropology professor. Senor Chang, also was discovered to have bogus credentials, is now enrolled as a student and in the class.
Starts out a little awkward in the group, but the show deals with it great, Brita acknowledges mistakes were made, and Jeff and Annie talk about using discretion on what happened. Once in class Britta has become an idol to the younger girls as now she is the underdog after putting herself out there and then turned down.

To beat Britta at her own game Jeff must put himself out there, confessing his love for her, hoping that she will turn him down. She doesn’t and the stale mate beginnings, much to the dismay of Annie, who still has feelings for Jeff. Things start to go a little too far as Abed uses the situation to create a meta-wedding, things start to blow up when Annie finds out that Brita and Jeff slept together and she tells everyone that they kissed.

At the end of the day, Betty White as the professor gets suspended after attacking Jeff, and a lesson learned wraps up everything nicely from last season, and now a fresh start with everything seemingly back to normal.

Another great episode, everything that I loved from the first season and it doesn’t feel like there was any let down. If you aren’t watching this show, then why are you reading this? No, what I meant to say, if your friends aren’t watching this show, get new friends. Yep, that’s it.
　

The 2010 Fall TV Lineup

Fall 2010 has a lot of promise, with many fan favorites returning as well as some interesting new shows throughout the dial.  One problem that the networks will have is that each night is crowded and many new shows are already on the bubble.  Here is what the new primetime schedule is going to look like starting  the week of September 20^th:

Sunday	8:00		8:30		9:00		9:30	10:00
ABC	Extreme Makeover: Home Edition				Desperate Housewives			Brothers & Sisters
CBS	The Amazing Race				Undercover Boss			CSI: Miami
CW	Local Programming
FOX	The Simpsons	The Cleveland Show		Family Guy		American Dad			Local
NBC	Sunday Night Football

Monday	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30	10:00
ABC	Dancing with the Stars				Castle
CBS	How I Met Your Mother	Rules of Engagement	Two and a Half Men	Mike & Molly (New)	Hawaii Five-O (New)
CW	90210		Gossip Girl		Local
FOX	House		Lone Star (New)		Local
NBC	Chuck		The Event (New)		Chase (New)

Tuesday	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30	10:00
ABC	No Ordinary Family (New)		Dancing w/ the Stars: Results Show		Detroit 1-8-7 (New)
CBS	NCIS		NCIS: Los Angeles		The Good Wife
CW	One Tree Hill		Life Unexpected		Local
FOX	Glee		Raising Hope (New)	Running Wilde (New)	Local
NBC	Biggest Loser				Parenthood

Wednesday	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30	10:00
ABC	The Middle	Better with You (New)	Modern Family	Cougar Town	The Whole Truth (New)
CBS	Survivor		Criminal Minds		The Defenders (New)
CW	America’s Next Top Model		Hellcats (New)		Local
FOX	Lie to Me		Hell’s Kitchen		Local
NBC	Undercovers (New)		Law & Order: SVU		Law & Order: Los Angeles (New)

Thursday	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30	10:00
ABC	My Generation (New)		Grey’s Anatomy		Private Practice
CBS	Big Bang Theory	$#*! My Dad Says (New)	CSI		The Mentalist
CW	Vampire Diaries		Nikita (New)		Local
FOX	Bones		Fringe		Local
NBC	Community	30 Rock	The Office	Outsourced (New)	The Apprentice

Friday	8:00	8:30	9:00	9:30	10:00
ABC	Secret Millionaire (New)		Body of Proof (New)		20/20
CBS	Medium		CSI: NY		Blue Bloods (New)
CW	Smallville		Supernatural		Local
FOX	Human Target		Good Guys		Local
NBC	Who Do You Think You Are?/School Pride (New)		Dateline NBC		Outlaw (New)

Notable cable premieres:

FX:      Terriers Wednesday September 8th 10:00

            Sons of Anarchy Tuesday September 7th 10:00

            It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Thursday September 16^th 10:00

            The League Thursday September 16^th 10:30

Comedy Central:  South Park October 6th 10:00

                           Ugly Americans October 6th 10:30

AMC:  The Walking Dead Sunday October 31^st 10:00

HBO:   Boardwalk Empire Sunday September 19^th 9:00

            Bored to Death Sunday September 26^th 10:00

            Eastbound & Down Sunday September 26^th 10:00

Showtime:   Dexter Sunday September 26^th 9:00

Other notable network shows returning are NBC’s Parks and Recreation is due for a midseason return, and FOX’s Sunday Night lineup returns with The Simpson’s, The Cleveland Show, and Family Guy on September 26^th, and American Dad October 3^rd.