Normally I’d use my editrix powers to wax philosophical here about the nature of television and entertainment, but I’m feeling mighty under the weather, so we’re going to jump straight to the good stuff this week.

So here’s what we thought about this weeks shows and sporting events–tell us what you thought in the comments.

Ellen

This week, in Shows I Don’t Watch: The NFL!
Despite growing up in football-crazed Wisconsin, I nearly always found better things to do with my Sunday afternoons than watch the silly men in their tight pants. Frankly I should be way more than agnostic on the Super Bowl between the junk food and the year I met my boyfriend while watching it, but instead I steeled myself for XLIV by framing it as a sort of patriotic duty. And I have to say — not bad! I went in with no particular alliance but the Saints stepped up their level of play in the second half, punctuated by Louisiana native Tracy Porter’s 74-yard interception. Watching the Colts throw away their fourth-quarter chance to make the score slightly closer gave neutral spectators like me the satisfaction that the “right” team won last night. As for the ad scene: In appealing to insecure masculinity, Dove did it best; Bud Light’s Autotune piece is an appropriate eulogy for the form; and Grizzly Bear, Tracy Morgan and VW make an odd trio.

Dennis

30 Rock: “Verna” and Modern Family: “Moon Landing”
I’ve heard a few people say that they hope Modern Family finally knocks 30 Rock off of its Best Comedy Emmy throne this year, and while initially I was all “No, 30 Rock is still awesome,” I am starting to see why: While no amount of SNL/Designing Women alum Jan Hooks could save this week’s Rock (not when Frank and Pete get as large of a chunk of plot as they did Thursday), while Family has been consistently brilliant in recent weeks. This week’s episode culminated in a fake-mustached Ty Burrell trapped in a Porta-John, Ed O’Neill rubbing his bare ass on a complete stranger, and Sofia Vergara standing over a smoldering car wreck that involved a giant cupcake. Yep, I’m almost ready to declare Family the funniest show on television, though there is one other contender…

Parks and Recreation: “Sweetums”
I’m so happy Parks and Recreation recently got picked up for a third season, since it’s been firing full blast on the funny this season. Leslie’s ongoing rivalrly with the “punk-ass book jockey” librarians made me LOL! Tom’s iPod-attached-to-a-floor-vacuum named DJ Roomba (and later, after Jerry steps on it, the sheet-covered “Ghost of DJ Roomba”), was OMG funny. Then, the nutrition queries Ann had to face at the town hall meeting including “If sugar’s so bad, how come Jesus made it taste so good?” and “What’s so bad about corn syrup? It’s natural. Corn’s a fruit. Syrup comes from a bush,” made me ROFL! This show is helping my writing regress into that of a 13-year-old’s, but it’s X-O-X-a-Okay.

The Deep End: “To Have and to Hold”
Just some random stuff to say about this week’s episode of The Deep End: First, Norbert Leo Butz’s character appears to have gotten addicted to crack in between episodes, and I approve. He spent much of the hour playing the ukulele and/or drinking imaginary pina coladas. Second, yay for a guest star appearance by Julia Ling! Her Anna was my favorite part of Chuck, until the show stupidly dropped her as a regular in between seasons, and I’m happy to see she’s getting work elsewhere! Lastly, I’m still inexplicably enjoying this show. From what I understand, it’s doing sort of bad ratings-wise, but I hope ABC pulls a Men in Trees or (groan) October Road, and gives this show a sophomore season if only because they have nothing better to fill the hour.

Lost: “LA X Parts 1 & 2” and RuPaul’s Drag Race: “Gone with the Window”
Alright, these two season premieres had absolutely nothing in common, I just thought I’d put them together in hopes that this would separate this from every other likely inevitable Lost mention this week. Though, maybe there’s still time to get Drag Race guest judge Kathy Griffin on the island as a long-lost Lostie? She can’t be anymore annoying than Jack or Kate. Oh, by the way, I don’t like either one of those two. Still, I keep watching for almost every other character (except Ana Lucia, not looking forward to her alternate reality return), even the random tertiary characters. Speaking of which, a “welcome back” to Frogurt and (I guess a double welcome back to) Cindy the stewardess. I missed all these characters (and the show), so their return almost makes up for taking Juliet away from me. I said almost.

Robert

Spartacus: Blood and Sand: “The Red Serpent”, “Sacramentum Gladiatorum”, “Legends”
I think there must have been some misunderstanding. Early on, I had read that Spartacus: Blood and Sand would be a gritty retelling of the legend of Spartacus, but this new Starz series is something far more ferocious. As we follow the nameless Thracian through his insubordination, being sold into a life of slavery and rise as a gladiator, we get a mish-mash of bloody, 300-inspired fights and gratuitous sex scenes/nudity with smatterings of plot and dialogue—either laced with F-bombs or spoken in the Queen’s English, as the Romans do—and all without so much as a wink for our troubles. On the other hand, there are some truly delicious moments from down-on-their-luck slave owners Batiatus (John Hannah) and his wife Lucretia (Lucy Lawless) as they scheme and manipulate their way into high society. I’m left thinking that Spartacus: Blood and Sand isn’t really intended to be anything close to thought-provoking but simply feast of bloodlust and titillation—and at that it succeeds in bounds. It’s a far cry from Raimi’s other past TV efforts (Hercules, Xena: The Warrior Princess) where there was just enough humor to turn the sword-and-sandals genre on its head and become truly entertaining, but if wanton debauchery and bloodletting are your bag, then give it a whirl.

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 1
Nearly two years ago, my SPJ cohort Paul pitched a story on Avatar: The Last Airbender for our little magazine with the funny name. I’d heard of Avatar before but never really paid it any mind, but Paul’s long-form profile on the show and its creators really sold me on its quality and its importance in the animation world. And so now I’ve finally had a chance to delve into the series and I’m sure this might be old news to a lot of you, but it’s a really good show. Currently at the halfway point with “The Great Divide”, I’m finding myself impressed at the amount of ground that’s covered with each episode so far. With a set goal—Aang and crew must journey to the other side of the world to the Northern Water Tribe to master “waterbending”—the show moves at a sometimes brisk, sometimes languorous pace and yet it always feels right. I was also surprised at the quality of writing as it balances light-hearted fun with epic adventure, and as it is with any good show, never loses sight of important character moments with Aang, Sokka and Katara. With the live-action adaptation The Last Airbender coming to the big screen this summer, I know expectations are mixed at best, but I’m holding out hope that it’ll be worthy of the greatness of its source material.

Lost: “LA X”
There’s so much to say and not enough space here to say it. A thing didn’t blow up/blew up and landed our Losties in 2007/2004 where they’re now looking for answers/their luggage. Confusing? I know! For the longer version, be sure to check out “Getting LOST“, with Scott, Armando, CJ and myself.

Zoe

Friday Night Lights: “Laboring”
FNL has always been about hard reality. It had epic, happy sports movie moments (Smash’s last appearance, especially) but those moments felt hard-earned. This last episode and, hell, the whole season, has been the saddest, most crushing, most depressing ode to that concept. The finale is this coming week and I see no way–no way whatsoever–that all plotlines end on any sort of totally uplifting note. Some will pull it out. But many others will end with a sigh.

And that’s ok. If anything, this brings FNL the show closer to FNL the book, which depicted a town that clung to football because of a recession, because it was all they had. A racist, economically hard, dream-killing sort of place. Yet what FNL does so well is allow us to get to know the humans in that place. And no where is that clearer than the story of Tim Riggins, especially this season. Gone from being a drunk hedonist, he has become, in an odd way, a moral compass. And, of course, he’s living the real life that most former football stars find themselves in–poverty, aimlessness, jail. It’s hard to watch–not least because for all his faults Riggins is a truly decent guy–but it’s all too real.

That said, if FNL wanted to throw him a bone this week, I’d appreciate it.