Clone Club, Attack! Orphan Black is Back!

Have you ever felt like if you have to make one more decision, you'll just explode? Lately, that's how things have been for me - like I'm in a batting cage and the baseballs are coming at me faster than I can swing at them. Sometimes I knock one out of the park, but more often than not I feel like I've been missing them left and right. With so many big choices to make about my job, my future, and my finances lately, little decisions, like what to have for breakfast, have me agonizing like never before. I just wish there was a little genie sitting on my shoulder who would proclaim "YOU SHALL HAVE THE MINI-WHEATS!" when I'm standing paralyzed in front of my fridge in the morning. Sadly, he has not appeared out of any of my discarded Tropicana bottles yet, so I've had to figure out other ways to keep myself from spinning into orbit...

My mantra in times like this used to be, "Relax! At least you're not Fiona Gallagher." This little Shameless-inspired speech would often put things into perspective for me, because no matter how terrible my day was going, at least I didn't have to dig up a dead body, find my drunk father in a crack house, or raise my six siblings at age 19. As all of us Shameless fans know, Fiona had a tougher year than ever - girl's got problems for sure - but ever since I fell in love with last year's BBC America cult hit, Orphan Black, I have a new mantra: "At least you're not Sarah Manning."

While Fiona may have struggles I'll never begin to understand, Sarah's got problems that are not of this stratosphere. Since Season 1, she's been dealing with impersonating a dead cop, keeping her daughter safe from mad scientists, running from her murderous identical twin and her fellow religious extremists, discovering whether or not she can trust her shifty foster mother, OH, and finding out she's part of an international cloning conspiracy, and that her genetic code is officially property of the Dyad corporation. Phew. Not having enough for rent doesn't sound so bad now, does it?

With a whole year to wait for Orphan Black's return, it felt like we would never know the result of Sarah's biggest problem: finding Kira. Well, we're officially three episodes in to Season 2, and Sarah's got a whole new mess of issues to deal with already, most of our burning questions have yet to be answered, and my heart hasn't stopped pounding since minute one. In fact, Season 2 has wildly exceeded my expectations (not like I ever expected Orphan Black to have a sophomore slump, but to be this consistently good seemed almost impossible). So, what do you say, Clone Club? Shall we dive into this year's first three episodes? Good TV waits for no woman - I say it's time.

WARNING: There are a TON of spoilers down below for any newbies out there, so if you haven't watched yet and want to, please don't let me ruin the awesomeness for you - go binge now and come back later! I'll still be here with my crack-pot theories when you're done.

Where to begin? All of the clones have really interesting story lines this season, but it's my girl Sarah who's got the most crazy stuff going on, so let's start there. On the hunt for Kira and Mrs. S., Sarah escapes getting kidnapped by two Neolutionist henchmen (reminiscent of the soap drinking scene in the pilot episode - which was also the moment that got me hooked on the series - Sarah again outwits life itself by bashing through a bathroom wall with a fire extinguisher!) and heads over to the Dyad institute in a pretty convincing Cosima costume to kick some ass. After beating the crap out of Rachel - and cementing her status as my favorite clone, #sarah4eva - she discovers that the Dyad doesn't have her family, but manipulative Rachel used her maternal guilt to trick her into coming in. Sarah's not having it. Instead, she finally comes clean to Art about the clone-spiracy, and while enlisting his help to find Kira, she gets kidnapped and thrown in the trunk of a car by a potential Prolethian who turns out to work for...DUN DUN DUN...Mrs. S!?! She took Kira to a compound - the same one she took Sarah and Felix to when they were kids - in order to "keep her safe", but I'm not buying it (and neither is Kira, apparently). Sarah takes Kira in the middle of the night, and thank god, because the bird watching nuts who were supposedly on their side sold them out to the Prolethian religious extremists, but don't worry they both end up dead by a gun-toting Mrs. S. who knows more than she previously let on about Project LEDA. Who's side are you on, lady? I guess we won't find out for a while since S stays behind, and Sarah, Kira, and Felix go on the lamb, crash an old farm house, and, surprise! the person who lives there is Cal, the rustic weed farmer with a great beard who also happens to be Sarah's ex-lover/mark and Kira's DAD (one question answered, 200 million to go...) and also he and Sarah did it, it was super hot, and let me catch my breath because we're not even done yet! In last week's episode, Sarah was kidnapped by Daniel, the sunglassed-fake-lawer-fake-detective who has been on her trail since the end of last year. But don't get too worried, the previews for tonight's episode indicate he won't be around for much longer...

Meanwhile, Cosima is investigating her biology at the Dyad with the very shady Delphine, and the introduction of a new clone, Jennifer, who died from the same disease Cosima is suffering from. Watching Cosima perform the autopsy on Jennifer, a literal carbon copy of herself, was one of the most intense and sad moments of the series to date. Tatiana Maslany has been serioulsy crushing it this season, and her understated performance as the strong, science-minded, but suddenly vulnerable Cosima has been one of my favorite things about these past few episodes. While Cosima's been wrestling with questions of clone fertility and her own iminent death, Alison has been dealing with the fall-out from Ainsley's death, and it hasn't been pretty. When she discovers - long after we have - that Donnie has always been her monitor, her guilt over letting Ainsley choke to death leads her back to some heavy self-medication, and a scary fall from the stage on opening night of her musical (the rehersal scenes have also been some of the funniest of the season, but now that Alison has officially unraveled, it's time for some more time with her and Felix, don't you think?). Then we've got the biggest surprise of all: wait for it, HELENA'S ALIVE! That's right folks, she's a mirror image twin, which means Sarah's shot to the heart didn't actually kill her, since her heart's not on that side! Instead, she's been rehabilitated and freed from the grasp of Tomas (dead, you know) and put into the care of some people who, shockingly, are even more terrifying. These science-loving religious extremists (??) are itching to impregnate her, and Helena's drugged-out-forced-marriage to their leader was some really harrowing stuff. I have no words for how disturbing the lead-up to her unseen rape was...it was just horrific, and nauseating, and almost too much. But damn, Orphan Black takes it there, further exposing the way women's bodies are still so often seen as just a means to an end. With the clones' exploitation and infertility, and Sarah's continued sacrifices for her daughter remaining as major themes this year, Orphan Black brings a desparetely needed feminist (don't worry, Shailene Woodley, I'll explain that word to you later) viewpoint to TV and a unique twist on the sci-fi genre that never stops surprising me.

Now it's time for those crackpot theories I promised! Theory number one: We know Mrs. S. knows more about the clone's origins then we once believed, but I don't think she's still on the Neolutionist's side at this point. My theory: she's "the original" (or the one whose genes were used to create the clones), but after the experiment took off, she had second thoughts and decided to protect Sarah, the only one she had access to, from being monitored by the Dyad. Theory number two: I've said this before, but I bet you Felix is also a Project LEDA clone, and his look-a-likes will be appearing very soon. And finally, Theory number three: The Dyad has clearly tricked Cosima and Alison into signing their lives away, but I have a feeling once Cosima discovers the key to the clones' biology, the tables will be turned in a big way - there's a clone revolution a'brewin', and between Alison's gun connections and Cosima's "crazy science", these two are going to be at the forefront from the inside (just don't tell Delphine ANYTHING, Cosima! She's giving your blood away to Leekie for god's sakes, she's a traitor!).

What do I want for Season 2? More of Jennifer's video blogs please! They're tough to watch, but even with her short time on screen, she's already become a very interesting character I'd love to learn more about. And how about some Felix/Cosima interaction? I'd love to see more of the two of those characters on screen together, since as of now their dynamic is pretty much unexplored. Plus how about less time with the cops (Toronto PD, you're done here, this is above your paygrade) and no more Kira/Sarah separation! I can't - it's too emotional!

Wait, Felix! We don't have to say goodbye just yet! For more Orphan Black awesomeness, check out NPR's interview with Tatiana Maslany here and get ready for episode 4, tonight, May 10th at 9PM on BBC America! I'll be recapping episodes each week until the season ends (a la Shameless and Leah's epic Under-the-Dome-caps!) so Clone Club can keep meeting all summer long!

NEXT WEEK: I'll be checking out USA's new series, Playing House, and talking about some of my favorite lady friendships on TV! See you then!

Come Cry With Me: A Parenthood Season Finale Recap

Hang on while I grab a beach towel to dry my tears after that finale...

Phew. Now that was a good hour of TV.

Parenthood always knows how to tug at my heartstrings, but last Thursday's, "The Pontiac", really knocked me out. From Victor reading his winning essay, to Zeek and Camille's last dance in their empty home, the moments here were all so beautiful, and to quote my mom, "so human", the quality that in my opinion defines Parenthood and makes it so special. My mom and I have been watching Parenthood since it started airing back in 2010, and it's something I've always felt so lucky to be able to share with her. In college, every Tuesday night at 11, I'd call her from my kitchen and we would unpack everything that happened to the Bravermans that week. No matter how soapy or goofy some of the stories got at times, there was always a realness there and a genuine compassion for and between the characters season after season that would keep us talking late into the night. What I've always loved about this show is how you can see the perspective of almost every character - no one is inherently good or bad, people are just human and they make decisions that aren't always the best, but their family is there for them whether they succeed or screw up royally. That's all we can hope for in life, right? To know we have a group of people behind us who accept us for who we are and love us even if we do dumb things. No one is perfect, but we all have the potential to be better to each other, and if there's one thing to take away from the characters on Parenthood, it's to never stop trying, even when it's hard.

Every year the show gets better and better, and the ensemble cast (who is shockingly NEVER recognized at awards season for their incredible work - WAKE UP EMMY VOTERS!) has been tighter than ever this season. I'm always blown away by the chemistry this group of people have with each other, and how incredibly real their conversations are. The Bravermans are the only family on TV (aside from the Belchers of Bob's Burgers) who talk like my family when they get together, and the cast has said that the ability to improvise together is what makes those big group scenes so natural and close to home for viewers. Between the top notch acting and the soundtrack that never fails to blow me away every week, this season has been a joyful, tear-filled journey that was hard to say goodbye to.

Now it's time to get into that finale! I wouldn't call Parenthood a "spoiler heavy" show, but if you haven't gotten a chance to watch yet or if you've never seen the series before, just know that I will be giving away some important things below.

The only real miss-step that the show has done recently was essentially forgetting about Haddie entirely, but they sure tried to make up for her disappearance in this episode. Turns out, Haddie hasn't been calling as much from college lately because she's in a relationship with a girl (played by Rookie founder, Tavi Gevinson!) and was nervous about coming out to her parents. The scenes between her and Kristina and Adam were played to perfection, and after her long absence, it was great that they actually gave Haddie an interesting story to go out on. Both Sarah Ramos and Mae Whitman have been excellent at showing the similarities between their characters and their respective mothers (Mae Whitman and Lauren Graham are so similar it's easy to forget they aren't really related) and I liked how in these scenes we really saw some of Monica Potter's speech patterns and facial expressions reflected in Ramos' performance.

The Holt family also had some interesting romantic developments this week. Drew and Natalie (BOO) are officially a couple in love, and thanks to Zeek - in another water-works moment - Drew is now the proud owner of the Pontiac he's been fixing up all season. Miles Hizer is just so adorable (his thin chain - I just can't.), and his drive up to Portland was a great way to complete his character's journey this season, even if the girl he was driving up to be with is less than my favorite. Amber has also moved forward with Ryan after taking care of him in the hospital, and while we don't know if they're getting back together as of yet, her calm purchase of a pregnancy test at the drug store speaks volumes about what she really wants (another shout out to Mae Whitman - she's not only the best crier in the business, but she's consistently hilarious and perfect in her role - just watch her and Hizer pretending not to be high at a family dinner in this year's "Limbo" and try not to crack up). And the biggest and most exciting thing of all - Sarah and Hank are together again!! Lauren Graham and Ray Romano have the best chemistry on TV right now, and their honest conversation in the car about his Asperger's and its potential effects on their relationship was wonderful. After Sarah tells Hank her concern that he can't look at her sometimes, Romano's quiet reading of "I look at you" just killed me, and I expected that to be the end. But of course this is Parenthood after all, so Sarah marches into the photo shop and silently kisses Hank, bringing me more happiness than I knew what to do with.

Ray Romano, you never stop surprising me with this performance. Floored. Every week.

If that isn't enough heartwarming wonderfulness for you, we also have Victor's adorable essay about fixing the car with his grandfather (did anyone else feel bad that he won't be getting the Pontiac? No offense Drew, but you didn't even help build it, just saying), and the potential reversal of Julia and Joel's "conscious uncoupling". I like that the season didn't end with Julia revealing to Joel that she had sex with Mr. Knight (sorry Zachary Knighton, but you'll always be Dave from Happy Endings to me), since it wouldn't serve the story at all, and in my opinion, if you're separated and your husband doesn't want to get back together, then for god's sake, get it girl! Instead, we got a sweet moment between Julia, Joel, and Sydney, but no big "they're getting back together!" moment either. In fact, Joel wasn't even at the last big dinner at Adam and Kristina's (the torch has officially been passed and their backyard is the new Braverman hang out, as it should be) but we can decide for ourselves what might happen with those two for now, and I like that.



Finally, we get a great send off to the Braverman home with a hilarious Adam and Crosby stair-sledding scene, and the aforementioned Zeek and Camille living room dance that had me reaching for the tissues. I think we can all agree there's nothing sadder than seeing an empty house (especially one that we've spent the last five seasons in) but that scene took the classic TV trope and made their leaving a beautiful tribute to the memories they made there together (plus they're moving to a beautiful home in San Francisco with an awesome deck, so let's not get too sad).


I truly hope this isn't the series finale, but if I'm being honest with myself, it would make a pretty damn good one. A lot of important things were wrapped up, but then again, like life, some plot lines, like Amber's potential pregnancy and Joel and Julia's reconciliation, weren't tied up so neatly. Still, I just can't imagine a world without Parenthood on my TV, and I'm kind of hoping that those plot threads were left dangling for a potential sixth season. So goodbye for now, Parenthood. Until we know for sure if you're coming back, there's always Netflix which is currently streaming seasons 1-4, so don't wait - for a much needed dose of optimism, start your marathon now! Watch it with your family - trust me, it'll get you talking...and crying. But you knew that already.

NEXT WEEK: Orphan Black! Orphan Black! Orphan Black is back, and we'll have two episodes to discuss! There will be clone-spiracy (nailed it!) theories, questions, and plenty of CAPS LOCK EXCITEMENT. Get pumped, Clone Club - it's time for Season 2.



How I Stopped Worrying And Learned To Love The Mindy Project

Have you seen The Mindy Project this season?

If you had told me last year that I would be as big a fan of The Mindy Project as I am now, I never would have believed you. In fact, I really didn't like this show when it first premiered in 2012, and decided to bail after watching just the pilot episode. When all of Season 1 was available on demand last spring, I figured I'd give it another shot, and I'm so glad I did. Now, we're far into Season 2, and Mindy has proven to be one of the funniest sitcoms on TV (another win for Fox - you go Fox!). With four episodes having aired since the winter hiatus, Mindy and Danny are in a completely different place than anyone would have guessed after that hot airplane kiss back in February, but judging by what a main character coupling has done to New Girl this year, maybe that's a good thing? Let's discuss.

First, that kiss. WOW. I knew Chris Messina and Mindy Kaling have some of the best chemistry around, but that last scene took it to the next level (if you haven't seen it, watch here - I'll wait). Then all of us had to be patient for weeks to find out what that was going to mean for our two favorite Docs, and I must admit, I had my concerns. Could the show stay funny after putting Danny and Mindy together so quickly? Turns out, The Mindy Project took a different path entirely, and broke the characters up during "Be Cool", the third episode after they got together! At first I was bothered by this, but when you really think about it, it makes total sense. Danny, who is so far from being in touch with his feelings, and Mindy, who is constantly analyzing hers, wouldn't be able to date in secret without someone getting hurt. People make impulsive choices and then regret them later, and a sexy hook-up in the back of a plane doesn't always lead to a successful relationship down the line. Of course there's always the opportunity for these two crazy kids to get back together before the end of the year (the season finale is titled "Danny and Mindy" so place your bets now), but it's nice to see that the show isn't rushing to pair off these characters just for the sake of all the shippers out there. I think we've got something more interesting here - the opportunity to see two friends trying to work together after their short-lived romance didn't work out as they expected. And that break-up scene? Another knock-out acting job by both Kaling and Messina (just don't make these tear jerker scenes a habit, Mindy Project - Parenthood and Call the Midwife are giving me enough to cry about lately).

Now lets talk about the most important thing: this show is damn funny. While the secondary characters were often problematic in Season 1, things have finally fallen into a comfortable groove at Schulman and Associates. The group scenes in the break room are some of my favorites, and between the always lovable Ike Barinholtz as Nurse Morgan and the genius addition of Adam Pally's Pete, the office feels more developed than ever. It's so easy to miss the incredible throw away lines that come up in every episode, and the cast's collective comic timing has gotten scary-good - Kaling's delivery of "I'm sorry that I have to admit this but I'm actually banned from Lincoln Center, because apparently there is a three strikes policy...for falling in the fountain there" had me rolling last week, and pretty much everything Xosha Roquemore's Tamra comes out with is perfection. It seemed like a long shot for the show to get picked up, but I'm beyond happy to report that we will all get to see this ensemble continue to grow and make us laugh every week next year for Season 3!

So what do I hope is next for Dr. L and the gang? I'm honestly loving the growing friendship and mutual respect between Mindy and Pete this season, but it would be nice to see Mindy with another strong girl friend to bounce off of (I know things didn't exactly work with Anna Camp, but that doesn't mean there's not another cool, fashion forward lady that Mindy can share her sour straws and Rihanna obsession with). Also, the few appearances we've gotten from Mark and Jay Duplass - as the slimy upstairs midwives - have been great this season. I'd love to see more reluctant teamwork between the offices this year, though. Maybe they can join the OBGYN's on their new, fabulous mobile healthcare bus?

"Why did you guys use a picture of me sneezing?"

There's only four more episodes until the end of Season 2, but you have plenty of time to catch up! For a Chris Messina/Aaliyah dance scene that you'll be rewinding over and over again, I highly recommend "Christmas Party Sex Trap", or check out my favorite episode of the season, "Danny Castellano Is My Personal Trainer". So I'm sorry for doubting you, Mindy Project, but I'm really glad I made the effort to "Try Again".

SHAMELESS SEASON FINALE RECAP: Season 4, Episode 12: Lazarus

I'm about to make the understatement of the century, but this season of Shameless has been rough. For the first time since I became a fan of the show, I didn't gobble up the episodes as soon as they were avaiable, and watching more than one at a time when I fell behind proved to be way too depressing. I wasn't sure if I was going to be happy last Sunday night, but I should have had faith because, damn. That finale was fantastic. I mean, who could complain about an episode where Fiona is finally back in her rightful place as Gallagher matriarch, Frank is back up and finding ways to ruin his new liver, and Lip managed to get through what was certainly THE WORST semester any college freshman has ever had. The biggest downer was in regards to Ian's bi-polar disorder - turns out his "drugged out" state was just one, long manic episode - but with his family's past experience and the new guy that Mickey has become, I think he's going to be just fine. And OH - did I mention the biggest mid-credits reveal ever? SUPER SPOILER: Jimmy/Steve/JACK(!!?) isn't dead! Seeing his face back on my TV reminded me what I felt Shameless had been missing this year, but now that the Gallaghers are in a completely different place from when he left, what new trouble is his return going to bring? I guess we'll have to wait until next year to find out! Thanks for watching along with me, Shameless fans. Now let's all get a beer at The Alibi - after that season, we need it.

OTHER STUFF:

This. Just this.

ORPHAN BLACK IS BACK: Saturday April 19th at 9 on BBC America. I know where I'll be!

NEXT WEEK:

Another big TV family says goodbye for the summer as we join the Bravermans on the season finale of Parenthood! Tune in on Thursday, April 17th and break out the tissues...just a hunch.

How I Met Your Mother and then Everything Was the Worst EVER

WARNING: There is a blatant use of Caps-Lock in the following post. I'm sorry, I was angry. Proceed with caution...

Kids, I'm sorry that story wasn't worth the 9 year wait.

Ok. I'm sure if you haven't been living under a rock, you've seen a million articles about this online already, but WHAT THE HELL was that series finale, you guys??

I'm sorry, but as a fan of the show who stuck it out until the bitter end, disappointment doesn't even begin to cut it.

Let's back up: The ninth season of HIMYM was spotty, to say the least. It seemed overly long, often forced, and just straight up tired for the most part, but there were some really beautiful moments sprinkled in which got my hopes up just enough for them to come crashing violently down last Monday night. Pretty much all of my favorite moments of the season involved The Mother (Cristin Milioti) which made the final episode an even more bitter pill to swallow because, and I'm getting ahead of myself here but, MAJOR SPOILER ALERT: the mother has been dead this whole time.

I'm sorry, WHAT? I admit, I knew this was a possibility, but I always thought the series creators would think better of this and change the ending if, as it seemed, this was their plan all along. To add insult to injury, Ted ends up asking Robin out with the blue french horn from the pilot, effectively reversing all of his, and Robin's, growth as characters that we experienced along with them for over nearly a decade. Maybe this would have made sense if the show had ended after 1, 2, or even 3 seasons, but now? After 9 years, it seemed almost too terrible to do this to the fans who had been waiting to see Ted finally move on from Robin and be truly happy with someone else. And when that someone else was literally PERFECT and was able to elevate an entire season of the show every time she came on screen, it makes this depressing ending even more difficult to accept.

Not to mention, of course, the fact that we just spent AN ENTIRE SEASON suffering through Robin and Barney's wedding weekend, and minutes into the series finale THEY BREAK UP? Sorry, but I call bullshit. After what seemed like an eternity, Robin and Barney finally commit to being together, and then it's just too hard for them to make a life together? Sure, they were both narcissistic and clearly focused on their own goals, but I think we spent too much time watching them grow and mature as a couple to watch them completely reset to their default, Season 1 selves once again - and if they were just going to get divorced all along, then what was the point of that whole diversion filled, gimmicky season?

To make things even more depressing, Robin stops hanging out with the gang entirely, and yeah, yeah, I know, friend groups change as people grow up and have kids and it's completely natural, blah, blah, blah - but this is a TV show, people! We don't want to see that! I get that after the divorce, obviously a single and lonely Robin wouldn't want to hang around with her ex-husband and two happy couples, but what a sad place to take a character who had always been so loyal to her friends and so assured of what she wanted out of life. Barney's descent back into his past douche-bag playboy persona was even harder to watch, and NO, his "heartfelt" speech to his new baby daughter that he had with a woman who NEVER EVEN GETS A NAME does not make up for this pathetic, downward spiral (and no intervention from the gang? Really? At least give us that.). I'm sorry, but after an hour where Lily and Marshall have almost nothing to do, Barney and Robin are floundering from their late-thirties and beyond, and Ted ends up losing the titular mother with little send off and no emotional reaction to show for it, even after the truly sweet and heartwarming final meeting scene, I still felt empty, and like I had wasted my time.

Ever the optimist, I assumed that even with a messy past few seasons, HIMYM would pull it out in the end, and give me an ending that was worth waiting for. I had visions of my 14-year-old self crying on my aunt Nan's couch after the Friends series finale, feeling sad, but satisfied, and realizing for the first time how much the ending of a show you grew up watching can impact you if it's done right. Instead, 24-year-old Liz had a Will & Grace series finale moment (another "best friends don't talk for a million years until they're old" depress-fest), and threw an empty box of girl scout cookies at the TV while yelling "THIS IS SOME JACKED UP GARBAGE!" aloud to no one. Before the credits even rolled, I was on the phone with my best friend, Alison, who I had a hunch would also be watching live, and we had a half hour long, anger-fueled conversation about how cheated we both felt. We had invested a lot of time in these characters, like so many others, and we felt we deserved more than what we got. If anything, I guess that just goes to show how much this show meant to us, and hammered home how the journey was ten times more fun than the destination in the case of Ted, Barney, Lily, Marshall, and Robin.

Before I started watching on Monday, I called my boyfriend, Joe, to let him know what I was planning to do for the night. As a former fan who had jumped ship many seasons ago (and rightly so), Joe's response to my watching the HIMYM series finale was: "YOU'RE FINALLY FREE!". And I guess now I am. I'm no longer obligated to watch a show that I once loved circling the drain. I can move on, and choose to remember the good parts and why it meant so much to me. As a series, I give HIMYM an A. It was innovative, fun, touching, and a peice of pop culture that has influenced the way a lot of today's best sitcoms play with structure and storytelling. As for the finale, in my opinion, it's an alternate ending on a DVD box set at best, getting a C for effort, and a big fat F for execution. I choose to believe the series ended a long time ago, or at the very least at the end of last year, as Tracy (The Mother) bought her fateful ticket to Farhampton and everyone's lives weren't ruined forever.

 

So goodbye, How I Met Your Mother! See you on Netflix and in syndication, but if this episode ever comes on, sorry, but I'll be switching over to Scrubs.

Want something to take your mind of the finale? Check out the most recent Inside the Actor's Studio with the cast of HIMYM for a great moment between Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segel singing "The Confrontation" from Les Miserables!

 

See you all next week for my Shameless SEASON FINALE RECAP and a look into the spring return of The Mindy Project!

Who Run The World? GIRLS.

Apologies to anyone who was anticipating a Parenthood post this week - don't worry it's coming! Unfortunately I got a little behind, and I have to talk about one of the biggest TV finales that happened last Sunday - GIRLS.

First of all, lets talk the season as a whole. Abandon the show completely after Season 2? Here's a brief recap of what happened with Hannah and Co. this year. Full disclosure, SPOILERS abound...

With her e-book in the works, Hannah (Lena Dunham) started out the season as calm and centered as she's ever been (and seemingly better off than all of her friends), on OCD medication and living in harmony with her knight in shirtless armor, Adam (Adam Driver). Meanwhile, Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) decided to go wild and have as many sexual experiences as she could before graduation, Jessa (Jemima Kirke) was doing a stint in rehab, and Marnie (Allison Williams) was recovering from her break up with Charlie, jobless and crashing at her mother's apartment. As the season went on, Hannah had her ups and downs, both professional and personal. She got a corporate writing job at GQ, which she subsequently quit; she had a stable and fulfilling relationship with Adam, which slowly fell apart. She experienced the death of her editor (and the resulting death of her e-book), the death of her Grandmother, and, in a sense, the death of her group of post-college friends. But by the end of the season, it seemed that this was all in the service of something bigger - the next step in her writing career: grad school at the Iowa Writers Workshop.

Overall, I'd say this was my favorite season of the show to date. If there's one complaint I have about this year, it's that while Hannah grew, changed, and felt more developed as a character, the rest of the girls just seemed to spiral out of control, landing in some very strange places at the end of the season: Shoshanna with no college degree, begging Ray (Alex Karpovsky) to take her back, Jessa assisting her new boss with a drug induced suicide, and Marnie without Ray or Desi, trying to get her singing career (?) off the ground. While I loved the return of Elijah (Andrew Rannells) and the fact that we got to spend more time with Hannah's parents (played by the always perfect Peter Scolari and Becky Ann Baker), I wish that the other three titular girls got some more interesting story lines to work through, especially Jessa who was totally underused this year in favor of more time with the similarly sociopathic Caroline (Gaby Hoffman) which I could have lived without.

Still, this season of Girls became the first thing I rushed to watch every week. The first three episodes of the season were some of the funniest the series has ever done, and the season on the whole had a much more comedic feel to it than the deeply dark and experimental Season 2, which didn't exactly work for me. Back then, the characters all seemed like insane caricatures, and the show was often simply unpleasant to watch. This year though, I felt like I was watching real people again. Hannah in particular seemed more real than ever, facing the kinds of tough decisions everyone in their 20's wrestles with. Should I keep this stable job, or should I look for something else that makes me happy and creatively fulfilled? Should I stay friends with the people I've known for a long time out of convenience, or should I find a new group who I can grow with? Should I be with this person who I love, or should I take an opportunity to go on a new adventure? Most importantly, the girls were all trying to figure out what kind of women they want to be, and what kind of lifestyles they want to have. To say I related to their struggles this season would be an understatement, and I often surprised myself at the emotional reactions that I had to so many of the episodes.

The one that got me the most? "Beach House". Man, that episode just killed me. I physically couldn't get up off the couch for a few minutes after watching that one. Have you ever seen a group of friends have a more gut wrenching fight than that on TV? And "Flo" which mostly took place in the Upstate NY hospital where Hannah went to visit her dying Grandmother (played by the amazing June Squibb), really explored Hannah's family by bringing up some mother-daughter conflicts that I'm sure hit close to home for much of the audience. Like "The Return" from Season 1, taking Hannah out of the city has yielded some of the strongest, and most interesting episodes of the series. If the smile that comes across Hannah's face as she hugs her acceptance letter is any indication, we may be traveling all the way with her to Iowa next year, which is something I'm all for.

Speaking of, let's talk about that season finale. While some other reviewers felt it was one of the weaker entries of the season, I have to disagree. For me, it really represented what may be a shift in the series - Hannah and Adam's fight behind the theater was pretty devastating, and while they might make up, I don't see this on-again-off-again relationship making it into Season 4. Instead, I think Hannah pretty clearly chose her career over her a future with Adam, and as someone who was never his biggest fan, I was pleasantly surprised. Meanwhile, Marnie's admission to Shoshanna that she slept with Ray (and right after she found out she was three credits short of graduating, no less - who does that, Marnie? GOD.) led to a great scene between Shoshanna and Ray that was equally as painful as the Hannah/Adam breakup. And Marnie got her millionth wake-up call that she is THE WORST from Desi's girlfriend, Clementine (Yay! Natalie Morales!), which will hopefully tone down her insufferable-ness when we see her again. Unfortunately, Jessa was the one left without much to do (except assist her boss with that suicide...and then call 911 after she changed her mind), but I'm holding out hope that the show will explore her new found sobriety and give her a bigger role again next year.

Between the amazing music choices this season (my Shazam app was working overtime every Sunday night) and the scary-good acting from the main cast and the guest stars this year, I think I'm officially back in the "Girls Rules" camp. But don't take my word for it. Find your old roommate's cousin's HBOGo password and catch up for yourself! Then head over to Spotify and look up the Music from HBO's Girls playlist - I guarantee your spring cleaning soundtrack will be epic.

SHAMELESS RECAP: Episode 10 - Liver, I Hardly Knew Her

Fiona goes on a drug bender while on house arrest, officially becoming what she always feared the most: the new Frank of the family. Needless to say, her downward spiral has been beyond painful to watch, and I don't think I can take much more. In other news, Carl has found a dangerous new partner in crime (and potential love interest) in Bonnie, while Sheila's wedding plans for a nearly dead Frank get interrupted by a liver transplant scam. Kev and V's babies are finally here, and Mickey's out for revenge on Kev for taking his money. Jeez, Mickey. Just when I was starting to like you. With just two episodes left of the season, let's hope there's a light at the end of the tunnel - then again, could things really get any darker?

OTHER STUFF:

- So, would anyone be opposed if I just made this whole blog about Broad City? The season finale was hilarious, but the highlight of the season came in last week's cold open. I won't ruin it for you, just watch it here and thank me later. Now starts the long wait until Season 2...

- Get your DVR's ready...Like the long dormant flowers of spring, a ton of shows are about to return to brighten up your day. Sunday, March 30th, get ready for the return of Call the Midwife. On April 1st, The Mindy Project returns from it's winter hiatus, and Inside Amy Schumer is back for Season 2. Tune in April 13th for the new season of Showtime's Nurse Jackie, and AMC's Mad Men. Finally, Orphan Black makes it's long awaited return on April 19th. Just, don't plan on leaving the house any time soon to actually see those flowers.

NEXT WEEK:

It's the How I Met Your Mother Series finale! I know many of you are just watching out of obligation at this point (ok, sometimes I feel like I am too) but this groundbreaking series deserves a great send off. Break out the tissues - it's time to have a beer with the gang from MacLaren's for one last time.

Let's Take a Trip to Portlandia

Everyone grab your Advisory-Board-approved cashew milk! Portlandia is back!

Portlandia airs on Thursdays at 10PM on IFC.

The February 27th premiere started the season off right with sketches that hit the comedy sweet spot between the absurd and the mundane that the series does so well. Setting the tone for first time viewers and long time fans alike, the opening sequence featured Fred and Carrie as a ghost couple, haunting a house sitter (Kirsten Dunst) by giving her conflicting health advice and citing vague articles that they "just read". We also got the return of our favorite Battlestar Gallactica marathoners, Doug and Claire, who have recently decided to open a joint bank account, leading to a pool-sized hot tub purchase and excellent guest work from SNL's Vanessa Bayer. In my favorite sketch of the night, Fred gets grilled by "date fact checker" Kumail Nanjiani, who is beyond perfect every time he shows up in the Portlandia universe. Fred lies about everything from knowing TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe to having a "pretty messed up childhood" which a call from his mother quickly confirms to be false. The best part is that his deposition ends with him receiving a score "just above Sex Grifter" which is apparently good enough to warrant a second date!

Spending time in this world again and re-visiting these characters brought me so much joy, I have to give this season opener high marks even if the night's sketches seemed to tread over familiar ground at times. I'm not worried though - Fred and Carrie are two of the most creative people in the business, and there's still a ton of comedy to mine out of our favorite Portland residents. Now give me some Candace and Toni, ASAP!

Here are a few of my favorite things:

- In what may be the best unused Onion headline ever, we learn the ghosts' fate from the cover of Portland Weekly: "Couple Dies of Confusion: Husband and Wife Die After Not Knowing Which Things Are Good Or Bad For Them".

- Fred also lied to his date about not liking Juno, but his true feelings on it can be found on his MySpace page, last updated in 2007.

- The Milk Advisory Board commercials have been replaced by ads for the Portland Pet Haven. I'll miss Royce and Alicia (he's her boss), but I'm looking forward to learning more about James and Trish.

- The whole weird robot-product-placement-love-story was hilarious. I assume Sandra got "Kermit the Bag" on Etsy, but so far my search has yielded only vaguely similar results...

If you haven't jumped into the world of Portlandia yet, just watch five of my all-time favorite sketches below. You'll be pickling, biking, and eating local with Fred and Carrie before you know it!

"Around The World In 80 Plates"

"House Sitter"

"She's Making Jewelry Now"

"Sacajawea"

"Allergy Pride Parade"

Are you hooked yet? Get your binge on with Seasons 1-3 available on Netflix and the most recent episode currently streaming on IFC.com.

SHAMELESS RECAP: Season 4, Episode 8: "Hope Springs Paternal"

Phew. Where to begin? After Liam's coke accident, Fiona is going stir crazy on house arrest, trying to prove to her probation officer (and Lip) that she's still fit to be a parent. Lip is attempting to be both a college student and a guardian for the kids, while Ian returns to the Gallaghers (and an increasingly lovesick Mickey) with a new, potentially drug-feuled, outlook on life. Meanwhile, Debbie begins to bond with her new older sister, Sammy, after "becoming a woman" and Carl has been suspended after beating up the kids who made fun of Liam on the bus...and then some others, just for good measure. Frank and Sammy are currently squatting at Sheila's (and conning people into putting cash deposits down on her house) and Carol decided to keep her baby (who else saw that coming?), so it looks like Kev and V are down to just two more mouths to feed. If you're like me, you were reduced to a puddle of tears at the end of the episode when Lip finally forgives Fiona for her mistake after a gut-wrenching phone call. Add that killer performance to the ERER (Emmy Rossum Emmy Reel) and file this one under "M" for "Macaroni Salad Sandwiches". I shudder at the thought.

NEXT WEEK: I take a deep dive into NBC's Parenthood, which recently returned from it's midseason hiatus! We'll talk tears, Ray Romano, Braverman family dynamics, and why it's consistently one of the best shows on TV. But don't take my word for it - tune in this Thursday at 10PM (you can tape Scandal just this once) to see for yourself!

Tonight, Tonight!

Hello all you sleep deprived night owls and bleary eyed midnight marathoners! Last week I joined your ranks, and I have to ask - how do you do it?

See, I'm the "needs her nine hours" girl, the first one to pass out at the sleepover, the nerd who fell asleep at the after prom party while people played beer pong over her (true story). In fact, Freshman year of college, my ability to sleep through anything became the stuff of dorm legend. I chose to look at it as my superpower: I'm Sleep-Girl! And my origin story is not worthy of a feature film. It's ok. That's just who I am and who I always will be, and I'm not about to change.

But.

There is one person who can make me stay up past my weekday bedtime. One person who is worth all the alarm snoozes and extra morning coffees in the world. And that, my friends, is Jimmy Fallon.

A super-fan since as far back as I can remember, and an avid Late Night watcher (usually on DVR the next day of course) I honestly can't say enough great things about this guy. I even got the chance to see him perform his monologue rehersal live last summer, and it was an experience I'll never forget. When I found out he would be taking over The Tonight Show - and bringing it back to New York no less - I was as happy as a raccoon pulling an all-nighter.

So for The Tonight Show's premiere week, I decided to watch the episodes as they aired (12AM due to Olympics coverage. Oofah.) and while it may have thrown my REM cycle completely out of whack, the experience was beyond worth it.

Let me start by saying Jimmy Fallon brings a real joy to late night TV that is desperately needed. In a genre that tends to embrace cynicism, Late Night always stood out to me as the most positive, good-hearted, and straight up hilarious of the bunch. When you watch Fallon interviewing someone, it's like he can barely hold himself together, he's so excited to have them as a guest on his show. That sheer ebullience defines him as a host, and it spills over into every musical number, pre-taped sketch, and celebrity game he does. There's no one on TV like him, and no one better to take over the franchise in my opinion.

Ok, ok. I'm going to stop fan-girling out right now and talk about the new Tonight Show. No surprise here, but it's pretty similar to Late Night, and that's just what I was hoping for.

Of course there have been some growing pains. I was a little thrown off by how big the stage was, and I found myself missing the intimacy of the Late Night set especially during the interview segments. I also know this is the Tonight Show, and NBC's not looking to change too much and turn Leno's viewers off, but I wish that the monologue segment could get cut in favor of something new and different, as it tends to be the part of the show where Fallon seems the least natural, and a little out of his element.

But these are only minor issues. Thankfully, Fallon has kept a lot of the same recurring segments from Late Night including "Superlatives", "Charades", and my personal favorite, "Thank You Notes". The wacky sensibility of Late Night still remains, especially in moments like his interview with "Harry Styles" (the always hilarious Kristen Wiig doing another impromptu celebrity impression) and the return of the recurring sketch "Eww" where Fallon dresses as a teenage girl, this time with Will Ferrell, interviewing Michelle Obama about living a healthy lifestyle. As expected, there have been some truly amazing musical moments in the first week too, from U2's Top of the Rock performance to Jimmy and Justin Timberlake's incredible History of Rap 5. Check it out below to see exactly why JF and JT are the Sammy and Dean of our generation.

 

Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor for the tenth time...

 

Phew, ok. I'm back. Well, it's safe to say I'm going to be a Tonight Show viewer from now on. At least it's on at 11:30. Normal adults can stay up that late right? Although...Late Night With Seth Meyers also premiered this week...hmm. I may never sleep again.

 

 

SHAMELESS RECAP: Season 4, Episode 7

I'm so sad, angry, confused and hurt, I honestly have nothing to say this week. Check back next week when I'm not so emotionally drained and I'll fill you in.

 

 

NEXT WEEK: Portlandia returns tonight, February 27th at 10PM on IFC! I'll be reviewing the fourth season premiere and talking about my favorite past sketches, so get your pickles ready!