This week I have a question: what do you like to watch more, a comedy or a drama? Theoretically, I’m a drama gal all the way. My favorite shows tend to be an hour long and have gravitas. But lately I have been finding myself enjoying my regular comedies more than my regular dramas. It feels like an identity crisis. So, if you have a definitive answer, let us know in the comments–along with your thoughts on this week’s TV!
Dennis
RuPaul’s Drag Race: “The Grand Finale” and “Reunited”
After Pandora was eliminated (way too early, if you ask me), I only had Juju to root for these last few weeks. Unfortunately, she was a bit of a non-starter in this episode, leaving only “the frosty bitch” herself, Raven and young Tyra to face off for the crown. I never quite understood the appeal of ultimate winner Tyra. Sure she showed moments of personality, and the one episode she perhaps inadvertently faked out the contestants with a never-used dress made out of muppet fur, but she was no Pandora Boxx. Still, it was nice to see Pandora (adorned in a dress of toy cars) awarded “Miss Congieniality” in the reunion special. Between that, and a firework-filled faceoff between rivals Tatianna and Raven, “Reunited” almost made me forget the drag (sorry, I had to get one more drag pun in) that was the finale decision.
Community: “The At of Discourse”
There are some weeks when I fear watching Community is going to be a chore. Too many cutesy meta references, not enough actual funny. This is not one of those episodes. So many funny moments in the Jeff/Britta and Pierce/Shirley plots. Britta has a discman! Jeff romancing Lisa Rinna! Bigoted Shirley invited Jewish Annie to a “pool party” that turned out to be a baptism. Britta accuses someone of still saying “the world wide web.” Since Pierce mistakes every black woman for Shirley, she makes sure Pierce doesn’t mistake her for an Aunt Jemima syrup bottle when she enters the computer lab! Then, Pierce and Shirley have a moment of understanding, and naturally Pierce takes it as an invite to try and kiss her. I enjoy when this show let’s all its characters shine.
Modern Family: “Travels with Scout”
Community beat Modern Family in this season’s epic “freshman funniest” battle this week, but MoFam at least elicited a few good laughs via Gloria, Jay, and Manny. Jay is fixing the continuously ringing doorbell and a horror movie-traumatized Manny wonders if “maybe a demon is ringing it.” Then Jay talks about his childhood during the Cuban missile crisis, saying “I slept with a butter knife under my pillow in case I had to fight some Soviet Colonel.” Gloria: “Why would they send a soviet colonel to get a little boy.” Jay: Because I could identify every commie plane.” Gloria: “What are we talking about?” I don’t know either, but it was hilarious.
Glee: “Home”
I disliked this episode so much I actually almost forgot I watched it. I was hoping after last week’s “Power of Madonna” episode that I enjoyed, Glee would do good again with this Kristin Chenoweth-guesting episode. But that requires a level of consistency that Glee has never reached. As it turned out, Chenoweth was shoe-horned into this episode for no apparent reason. (Um, she didn’t go to Branson or rehab, instead she runs a roller disco, and then decides to buy the school auditorium or something, and announces again she’s leaving town). Meanwhile, Kurt pines for Finn some more, until he takes all his dad’s attention, while Kurt creepily watches outside a window. Oh yeah, and everyone says and sings the word “home” (also the episode title) like 950000 times for also, no good reason. If home is where the heart is, it sure as hell ain’t in this episode.
Zoe
Community: “The Art of Discourse”
I enjoyed last week’s episode, but I liked this week’s a lot more. I don’t know if it’s worth overanalyzing why (I know, shocking for me to say!), just that it’s true. This week addressed some of the things I dislike about Pierce, had a good C-plot with Abed, and had Jeff and Britta working together, rather than poorly pretending to be attracted to each other. Thumbs up all around.
And yet, I can’t help but agree with the chorus of online people who found the high-schoolers absolutely intolerable to watch. In that regard, they were remarkably well-written and well-acted. I disliked them from “go”. But it also wasn’t enough to see them get humiliated at the end. I want vengeance. I wanted blood. And, sure, maybe when I show is making me think about hitting supposed minors I should step back. But maybe it taps into what wonderful anger the truly irritating high-schooler can bring out in us all.
30 Rock: “Argus”
Can there ever be enough Grizz or Dot Com? I doubt it. Seeing them get plotlines already meant I was going to be liking this episode, but the rest managed to turn a solid fare, placing it high above the “alright” I felt last week. I mean, yeah, the transphobia in Jenna’s plotline bothered me, but it was also handled…not well, but better than I thought it was going to be (I was cringing).
That said, all the ramping up expectation for the finale makes me wonder the ways in which it might let us all down. But three weddings! At the very least, I will be able to enjoy many men in suits.
Scott
Justified: “Blind Spot”
I’ve been strangely silent on this show, given that it stars one of my favorite leading men (Timothy Olyphant, with a much juicier role than the square he played on Deadwood), is on my favorite network (former 24 rerun house FX)and is part of my favorite genre (westerns). It’s hard for me to imagine someone who wouldn’t enjoy the hell out of “Justified”, what with its snappy Elmore Leonard dialogue, lovable cast and evocative Appalachian locations in Harlan County, Kentucky. And when Olyphant engages in verbal duels with the great Walton Goggins as the charismatic white trash guru Boyd Crowder, you’re seeing TV at its very best. Goggins took Crowder a step further this week, actually imbuing his religious ramblings with an air of authenticity in the episode’s final scene when he seems sort of ready to take a prison shiv in the name of Jesus. Will his “conversion” continue? I’ll be watching, that’s for damn sure.