Synopsis: Jay and Gloria attempt to escape contact with the family on Thanksgiving by pretending to be in Mexico, but when the rest of the family barges into their house to eat their Thanksgiving dinner, they must figure out a way to "surprise them by coming home early." Meanwhile, Phil has an up and down romantic relationship with his smartphone, Manny has some awkward sexual interactions with Haley, Claire prepares a backup turkey "in case" Phil's fails, and Mitch scolds Cam for being too soft on Lily.
Review: This episode captured some of the mass convolution magic that was in Modern Family's legendary "Las Vegas" episode last season. It was particularly fun to watch Jay and Gloria try to get away with their ploy to escape the family, same with Claire trying to hide her back up turkey from Phil. I've noticed that some of the best jokes on the show arise when these individual stories brush up against each other. For example: Jay turning a blind eye to Mitch and Cam wearing dresses as he tries to get to his bedroom to rescue Jo. This is why there is such a correlation between the best episodes and the episodes where the whole family is together. I wonder if the family unity is something that could play out more often.
Cam and Mitch remained the lame duck of the bunch, but there was one sign of improvement. Mitch and Cam function best when they are working towards a common goal, rather than bickering and arguing with the other and this episode was helped by the former dynamic. This episode had them trying to collaborate on a way to make Lily less spoiled. They had disagreements within how to do that, but they were acting as one parental and it was all the funnier to laugh at their unified parental ridiculousness (putting dresses on over their suits to show Lily how stupid she looked through example).
Another quick bicker I have is that the kids in this episode seemed to be guilty of some especially bad acting. It was passable when they were younger, but hearing Luke, Manny, and especially Lily talk just gets worse and worse.
"Three Turkeys" is an impressive showing, and I commend airing it prior to a re-run week. I think it will keep us satisfied for a week off.
My Grade: A-
Nielsen Rating: 3.2 (9.83 Million Viewers)
Reviewer's Quote: "This kind of clockwork created a frantic farcical energy reminiscent of “Las Vegas,” but “Turkeys” wasn’t nearly as successful as that episode, in part because “Las Vegas” benched the kids and employed a host of guests to build its elegant structure. “Turkeys” aims for the same vibe, and nearly achieves it, but is done in by the familiarity of the characters, which allows for far less options by which to assemble the comedy of errors effect." -Joshua Alston (avclub.com)
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Modern Family S6 E7 "Queer Eyes, Full Hearts"
Synopsis: Cam's success as a football coach lands him as the subject of a TV news story that makes Mitch feel under appreciated. Gloria pushes Manny to learn to speak Spanish from a sexy male language instructor that makes Jay jealous. Alex struggles with sleep derivation from a 24/7 study schedule and what appears to be a romantic relationship between Andy and Haley turns out to be practice sessions for job interviews.
Review: The re-integration of Andy and a new emotional dimension for Gloria made for a stand out episode in a Modern Family season that started off very slowly. As if out of no where, Andy started showing up at the Dunphy's house to mysteriously disappear into the basement with Haley. Contrary to Claire's wild imagination, they are actually practicing together for job interviews. They were both able to nail their respective interviews as Andy was hired into realty as Phil's assistant and Haley was hired by a big shot fashion designer thanks to her impeccable fashion sense. I'm happy to see that Haley can finally be something other than the lazy loser child and her new job has great potential for future content. Similarly, I think that Andy as Phil's assistant good potential for upcoming episodes as they share a similar happy-go-lucky goofiness.
This episode revisited Gloria's consciousness of her difficulty articulating her thoughts in English. It makes for an emotional situation because Gloria thinks little of herself when she stumbles over words in her second language. She says, "I'm smart when I speak in Spanish." Her outburst cues Jay to sweetly surprise her by taking Spanish lessons with the tutor, making for a very sweet moment when he stumbles through telling her that he "loves her in every language there is" in Spanish.
Mitch and Cam's world is still being milked by the fact that they are both employed this season. This different way of life may have been interesting at the beginning of the season, but it has not really gone anywhere. It has basically gone on for seven straight episodes so I do not know what to say about it anymore except that something has to change.
Also, it should be said that this episode had some of the wittiest and fastest firing jokes I've ever seen on Modern Family, so that boosted it a letter grade.
My Grade: A-
Nielsen Rating: 3.2 (9.83 Million Viewers)
Reviewer's Quotes: "What a smart choice to keep the audience in the dark about what was going on between Haley and Andy, given when we last saw them, Andy was rocking Haley’s world with his surprisingly skilled make-out technique. It’s a well-earned, winning twist, and proof the show still has potential if it dares to push its characters out of their respective comfort zones." -Joshua Alston (avclub.com)
Review: The re-integration of Andy and a new emotional dimension for Gloria made for a stand out episode in a Modern Family season that started off very slowly. As if out of no where, Andy started showing up at the Dunphy's house to mysteriously disappear into the basement with Haley. Contrary to Claire's wild imagination, they are actually practicing together for job interviews. They were both able to nail their respective interviews as Andy was hired into realty as Phil's assistant and Haley was hired by a big shot fashion designer thanks to her impeccable fashion sense. I'm happy to see that Haley can finally be something other than the lazy loser child and her new job has great potential for future content. Similarly, I think that Andy as Phil's assistant good potential for upcoming episodes as they share a similar happy-go-lucky goofiness.
This episode revisited Gloria's consciousness of her difficulty articulating her thoughts in English. It makes for an emotional situation because Gloria thinks little of herself when she stumbles over words in her second language. She says, "I'm smart when I speak in Spanish." Her outburst cues Jay to sweetly surprise her by taking Spanish lessons with the tutor, making for a very sweet moment when he stumbles through telling her that he "loves her in every language there is" in Spanish.
Mitch and Cam's world is still being milked by the fact that they are both employed this season. This different way of life may have been interesting at the beginning of the season, but it has not really gone anywhere. It has basically gone on for seven straight episodes so I do not know what to say about it anymore except that something has to change.
Also, it should be said that this episode had some of the wittiest and fastest firing jokes I've ever seen on Modern Family, so that boosted it a letter grade.
My Grade: A-
Nielsen Rating: 3.2 (9.83 Million Viewers)
Reviewer's Quotes: "What a smart choice to keep the audience in the dark about what was going on between Haley and Andy, given when we last saw them, Andy was rocking Haley’s world with his surprisingly skilled make-out technique. It’s a well-earned, winning twist, and proof the show still has potential if it dares to push its characters out of their respective comfort zones." -Joshua Alston (avclub.com)
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Modern Family S6 E6 Commercials
I didn't review the commercials last week and, because there was no new episode on November 5, I figured I could review the commercials for "AwesomeLand."
"Okay, Google"- Google puts forth an ad that is familiar with Apple's ad campaign for the iPhone. The idea is to juxtapose visuals of intimate couple and family moments and incredible adventures with using the talking feature of a smartphone. It certainly seems that people are able to live more exciting and thoughtful lives when they can gain any information they need from their smartphone. It is a smart tactic to get away from the idea that smart phones remove us from the world around us. This commercial says it enhances our experience in the world around us.
"Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice"- They've been running this ad with people standing in a river of cranberries as long as I can remember. This particular ad borders on being an anti-advertisement as they start off by saying something like, "We are here to tell you why Ocean Spray makes for such a great drink." By acknowledging the fact that its an advertisement, the ad seems to be leveling with the viewer.
"Geico Pinocchio" - Most insurance company's smartly show an ad that has little or nothing to do with insurance (since the concept of insurance is quite boring to watch). The ad can be effective with a joke and showing the brand name at the end. The advertising game is all about making consumers see the brand name several times to get it in their heads. Geico consistently uses jokes like Pinocchio's nose growing while telling a class that they all have great potential to hold the viewers attention, and, then, they associate the joke with Geico.
"Swanson Chicken Noodle"- No tricks here. If it weren't for the resolution and house decor featured in this ad, I could believe that it was plucked right out of the '50s or '60s. It is just a series of intimate testimonials from families who claim that "they make the best chicken noodle soup," all of them holding up Swanson's product.
This collection of ads shows that the demographic attracted to Modern Family is, appropriately enough, modern families. Parents are typically concerned about the quality of food that they feed their children and Ocean Spray and Swanson aim to make their food products popular among American families. Google, meanwhile, appeals to the desire of parents to educate their children by showing children asking Google questions. Now set with feeding and educating their children, Geico the insurance company comes in to have peace of mind if anything were to happen with a family's possessions. Because families are the interested demographic, Modern Family ads are everything relevant to the parents of children.
"Okay, Google"- Google puts forth an ad that is familiar with Apple's ad campaign for the iPhone. The idea is to juxtapose visuals of intimate couple and family moments and incredible adventures with using the talking feature of a smartphone. It certainly seems that people are able to live more exciting and thoughtful lives when they can gain any information they need from their smartphone. It is a smart tactic to get away from the idea that smart phones remove us from the world around us. This commercial says it enhances our experience in the world around us.
"Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice"- They've been running this ad with people standing in a river of cranberries as long as I can remember. This particular ad borders on being an anti-advertisement as they start off by saying something like, "We are here to tell you why Ocean Spray makes for such a great drink." By acknowledging the fact that its an advertisement, the ad seems to be leveling with the viewer.
"Geico Pinocchio" - Most insurance company's smartly show an ad that has little or nothing to do with insurance (since the concept of insurance is quite boring to watch). The ad can be effective with a joke and showing the brand name at the end. The advertising game is all about making consumers see the brand name several times to get it in their heads. Geico consistently uses jokes like Pinocchio's nose growing while telling a class that they all have great potential to hold the viewers attention, and, then, they associate the joke with Geico.
"Swanson Chicken Noodle"- No tricks here. If it weren't for the resolution and house decor featured in this ad, I could believe that it was plucked right out of the '50s or '60s. It is just a series of intimate testimonials from families who claim that "they make the best chicken noodle soup," all of them holding up Swanson's product.
This collection of ads shows that the demographic attracted to Modern Family is, appropriately enough, modern families. Parents are typically concerned about the quality of food that they feed their children and Ocean Spray and Swanson aim to make their food products popular among American families. Google, meanwhile, appeals to the desire of parents to educate their children by showing children asking Google questions. Now set with feeding and educating their children, Geico the insurance company comes in to have peace of mind if anything were to happen with a family's possessions. Because families are the interested demographic, Modern Family ads are everything relevant to the parents of children.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Modern Family S6 E6 "Halloween 3: AwesomeLand"
Synopsis: Phil tries to thwart Claire's horrifying Halloween plans by setting up "AwesomeLand," a less scary and perhaps more lame Halloween alternative. However, Claire's competitive drive causes her to take Halloween back to scary when their new next door neighbors put a wager on who can have the scariest house. Cam struggles to come through for Lily's school Halloween parade because of his coaching job keeping him busy and Mitch encounters difficulty working his court case when a stenographer dressed as a spider distracts the jury. Jay dawns a prince charming outfit with a full head of hair and he feels nostalgia for the old days when his glorious mane made him feel invincible.
Review: Sure enough, the Dunphy's new weed dealing neighbors, the Lafontaines, made for some fresh fun. This time, conflict arose with the families' mutual passion for Halloween decorating. Claire tore down Phil's playful AwesomeLand theme to make an insane asylum that would beat their neighbors in the competition for the scariest house. However, the Lafontaines are not above playing dirty, as Amber tells the lie that she was formerly a patient at a psychiatric ward to make the Dunphy's disassemble the scary. Many of the Dunphy's story arcs involve taking them somewhere and I think that the Lafontaines can provide for several episodes of content. We still haven't even begun to explore the relationships between the children of the families and I think that will add dimensions to this neighbor relationship. And, if nothing else, the Lafontaines provide laughs with marijuana puns such as "the best house wins the pot."
In Jay and Gloria's world, we learn the seemingly out of character trait that Jay used to be a man who depended on a fashionable hairstyle for his looks. Opting out of Gloria's suggestion to be Shrek, he sticks a wig on to make himself feel young again and then Gloria tells him that she likes him just the way he-...wait a minute, this seems oddly familiar. I challenge the writers to induce a Jay and Gloria conflict that does not have something to do with their ages.
In this episode we learn that Cam has a hilariously hard time finding Waldo in the books, and, when Lily dresses as Waldo for Halloween, Cam loses track of her at her schools Halloween party. Combine that with his football schedule, and Cam ultimately doesn't come through for accompanying Lily on her Halloween party. Mitch has a courtroom story squeezed in, but it really was not given the necessary time for it to be interesting. This stems from my continuing complaint that Modern Family episodes often have too much story squeezed into a 22 minute space. Mitch's attorney stories get this treatment a lot because it would seem unfair to give one character a third of the episode. I think the writers should try possibly integrating Cam and Lily in Mitch's work life somehow. That could be fun.
My Grade: B
Nielsen Rating: 3.5 (9.92 Million Viewers)
Reviewer's Quotes: "There is a sense of momentum in this episode, a product of an appearance from Ronnie and Amber, who pop back up so quickly it’s as if they never left...I’m hoping there’s a plan to add some depth to the Lafontaines though, seeing as I’ve already had my fill of trailer-trash humor." -Joshua Alston (avclub.com)
Review: Sure enough, the Dunphy's new weed dealing neighbors, the Lafontaines, made for some fresh fun. This time, conflict arose with the families' mutual passion for Halloween decorating. Claire tore down Phil's playful AwesomeLand theme to make an insane asylum that would beat their neighbors in the competition for the scariest house. However, the Lafontaines are not above playing dirty, as Amber tells the lie that she was formerly a patient at a psychiatric ward to make the Dunphy's disassemble the scary. Many of the Dunphy's story arcs involve taking them somewhere and I think that the Lafontaines can provide for several episodes of content. We still haven't even begun to explore the relationships between the children of the families and I think that will add dimensions to this neighbor relationship. And, if nothing else, the Lafontaines provide laughs with marijuana puns such as "the best house wins the pot."
In Jay and Gloria's world, we learn the seemingly out of character trait that Jay used to be a man who depended on a fashionable hairstyle for his looks. Opting out of Gloria's suggestion to be Shrek, he sticks a wig on to make himself feel young again and then Gloria tells him that she likes him just the way he-...wait a minute, this seems oddly familiar. I challenge the writers to induce a Jay and Gloria conflict that does not have something to do with their ages.
In this episode we learn that Cam has a hilariously hard time finding Waldo in the books, and, when Lily dresses as Waldo for Halloween, Cam loses track of her at her schools Halloween party. Combine that with his football schedule, and Cam ultimately doesn't come through for accompanying Lily on her Halloween party. Mitch has a courtroom story squeezed in, but it really was not given the necessary time for it to be interesting. This stems from my continuing complaint that Modern Family episodes often have too much story squeezed into a 22 minute space. Mitch's attorney stories get this treatment a lot because it would seem unfair to give one character a third of the episode. I think the writers should try possibly integrating Cam and Lily in Mitch's work life somehow. That could be fun.
My Grade: B
Nielsen Rating: 3.5 (9.92 Million Viewers)
Reviewer's Quotes: "There is a sense of momentum in this episode, a product of an appearance from Ronnie and Amber, who pop back up so quickly it’s as if they never left...I’m hoping there’s a plan to add some depth to the Lafontaines though, seeing as I’ve already had my fill of trailer-trash humor." -Joshua Alston (avclub.com)
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Modern Family S6 E5 "Won't You Be Our Neighbor"
Synopsis: Phil is tasked with the unusual assignment of selling his former neighbor's house right next door. Unfortunately, a scrappy family of drug dealers falls in love with the house and overpays to secure it despite the best efforts by the Dunphys to drive them away. Meanwhile, Manny ends up bringing home a girl who is the granddaughter of the owner of "Closets Closets Closets," Jay's sworn business rival and the two enemies have a cow over the whole situation. In Mitch and Cam's world, Lily's nervous concern over the quality of her school work convinces Mitch and Cam that they should switch her to an easier teacher.
Review: Thanks to the introduction of some interesting new characters and witty writing, this episode is the best of Season 6 thus far. The hick, druggy family featured in this episode introduced some dirty, inappropriate story elements like the eldest son of the new family calling Alex "hot" and the parents of the new family suggesting an orgy situation with Claire and Phil. These are the first kind of characters I can think of being introduced to Modern Family's otherwise clean cut, wholly suburban theme, but I think it may be just what the show needs to cure the stale quality it has had lately. I just pray that this new family is featured more frequently than the old neighbors because I see the potential for many future shenanigans with this totally contrasting set of characters.
This episode allowed us to finally meet Jay's business rival of "Closets Closets Closets." It's always amusing to see Jay all fired up at somebody and his idea for a sock chute made for a humorous topic of discussion between he and his old enemy.
Even Mitch and Cam, who's story-lines have really been tanking this season, had an amusing scenario where their child was totally motivated to study hard in school while they were trying to make life easier for her (probably wrongfully, but with good intentions). This desire to work hard and learn provides some overdue character traits for Lily. She's starting to get old enough that the writers of Modern Family could actually utilize her personality and, up until this point, she really hasn't had one. Hopefully future episodes will delve more into this scholarly work ethic Lily has. I think she and Alex could really get along.
My Grade: A-
Nielsen Rating: 3.4 (10.16 million viewers)
Reviewers Quotes: "The biggest slumps in season six have come in episodes that keep the families separated, and yet 'Neighbor' is solid throughout despite the lack of family overlap, persuasive evidence of assured hands at the wheel." -Joshua Alston (avclub.com)
Review: Thanks to the introduction of some interesting new characters and witty writing, this episode is the best of Season 6 thus far. The hick, druggy family featured in this episode introduced some dirty, inappropriate story elements like the eldest son of the new family calling Alex "hot" and the parents of the new family suggesting an orgy situation with Claire and Phil. These are the first kind of characters I can think of being introduced to Modern Family's otherwise clean cut, wholly suburban theme, but I think it may be just what the show needs to cure the stale quality it has had lately. I just pray that this new family is featured more frequently than the old neighbors because I see the potential for many future shenanigans with this totally contrasting set of characters.
This episode allowed us to finally meet Jay's business rival of "Closets Closets Closets." It's always amusing to see Jay all fired up at somebody and his idea for a sock chute made for a humorous topic of discussion between he and his old enemy.
Even Mitch and Cam, who's story-lines have really been tanking this season, had an amusing scenario where their child was totally motivated to study hard in school while they were trying to make life easier for her (probably wrongfully, but with good intentions). This desire to work hard and learn provides some overdue character traits for Lily. She's starting to get old enough that the writers of Modern Family could actually utilize her personality and, up until this point, she really hasn't had one. Hopefully future episodes will delve more into this scholarly work ethic Lily has. I think she and Alex could really get along.
My Grade: A-
Nielsen Rating: 3.4 (10.16 million viewers)
Reviewers Quotes: "The biggest slumps in season six have come in episodes that keep the families separated, and yet 'Neighbor' is solid throughout despite the lack of family overlap, persuasive evidence of assured hands at the wheel." -Joshua Alston (avclub.com)
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Modern Family S6 E4 "Marco Polo"
Synopsis: Due to a mold infestation at their house, the Dunphys temporarily move into a cramped hotel room where they bump heads so much, Claire and the kids move to another room for more space. Gloria and Jay are surprised to find that Manny's first girlfriend is a beautiful high school senior. Unfortunately, this older girl was only using him to make her old boyfriend jealous and she tosses Manny to the wayside and gets back with her ex. Mitch, meanwhile, becomes slightly aggravated at all the attention Cam is getting as the high school football coach. When Mitch finally decides to be supportive, it seems that his presence at the football game is bad luck that causes the dolphins to lose.
Review: The stories of this episode were all satisfying. What was lacking from "Marco Polo" was comedy. Episodes from earlier seasons of Modern Family had me laughing out loud multiple times within an episode. I'm starting to think Modern Family was able to repeatedly reuse the relationships between the three main houses of the show because wow factor of the show was impressive wit and hilarious situations. After watching "Marco Polo," I really felt as though I had just watched three stories that were void of any jokes. At one point, I thought that Modern Family was on the decline because the stories were so redundant, but now I'm starting to wonder if there's just not as much "funny" as there used to be. Regardless, the ratings are staying up, so I guess I may be riding this one out.
My Grade: C+
Reviewer's Quotes: "'Marco Polo' features a few light twists, making it one of the season’s fleeter installments, and yet somehow there’s still a pervasive feeling of been-here-done-that weighing it down despite its charms." -Joshua Alston (avclub.com)
Nielsen Rating: 3.4 (9.71 million viewers)
Review: The stories of this episode were all satisfying. What was lacking from "Marco Polo" was comedy. Episodes from earlier seasons of Modern Family had me laughing out loud multiple times within an episode. I'm starting to think Modern Family was able to repeatedly reuse the relationships between the three main houses of the show because wow factor of the show was impressive wit and hilarious situations. After watching "Marco Polo," I really felt as though I had just watched three stories that were void of any jokes. At one point, I thought that Modern Family was on the decline because the stories were so redundant, but now I'm starting to wonder if there's just not as much "funny" as there used to be. Regardless, the ratings are staying up, so I guess I may be riding this one out.
My Grade: C+
Reviewer's Quotes: "'Marco Polo' features a few light twists, making it one of the season’s fleeter installments, and yet somehow there’s still a pervasive feeling of been-here-done-that weighing it down despite its charms." -Joshua Alston (avclub.com)
Nielsen Rating: 3.4 (9.71 million viewers)
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Modern Family S6 E3 "The Cold"
Synopsis: In the interest of victory, Cam benches Manny, who had been the starting kicker for the school football team, and Gloria and Jay are left bitter at Cam. Phil and Luke attempt to edit the footage of Mitch and Cam's wedding so that their is no evidence of Phil sneezing on the cake and giving everyone his cold. A play-date between Lily and a highly intelligent six-year-old goes awry when Mitch calls Lily's friend a know-it-all. Claire attempts to go to work even though she is deathly ill and can hardly stand. Haley kisses Andy after a long talk about how it's a good thing that they resisted their attraction to one another.
Review: The first thing to be said about this episode critically is that there were just too many individual stories packed into it. I had to keep track of five different situations and, while Modern Family has always pushed the envelope as far as many different situations, this one had me wishing that I could toss out two of them so I could focus on the three that I liked. Claire's cold situation didn't deserve its air time. She merely stumbled into a lunch meeting looking quite ill and that was the end of it- no resolution or twist of any kind. Haley and Andy's kiss was thrown into this episode as an investment in continuing that story arc later this season, which should be enjoyable later, but it certainly didn't bolster this episode in any way. At least it wasn't totally useless like Claire's cold.
Focusing on the good three stories would've made a killer episode. It was quite funny to watch Cam start a ringer as kicker for the football game ahead of Manny, his desire to win beating out his desire to be a good uncle. Phil and Luke's edits of the wedding video were hilarious and seeing Mitch lash out against an amazingly talented six-year-old was thoroughly entertaining. At the end of the episode, I was just sad that I wouldn't get to see these scenarios play out further thanks to time taken up by the lame stories.
My Grade: B-
Reviewer's Quotes: "There’s more variety in “The Cold,” which starts a bit slow but hustles in its second and third acts. It’s also built on a theme, one which is not particularly observant, but makes “The Cold” nicely cohesive. Nearly every member of the family is killing themselves to look good for everyone else." -Joshua Alston (avclub.com)
Nielsen Rating: 3.6 (10.63 million viewers)
Review: The first thing to be said about this episode critically is that there were just too many individual stories packed into it. I had to keep track of five different situations and, while Modern Family has always pushed the envelope as far as many different situations, this one had me wishing that I could toss out two of them so I could focus on the three that I liked. Claire's cold situation didn't deserve its air time. She merely stumbled into a lunch meeting looking quite ill and that was the end of it- no resolution or twist of any kind. Haley and Andy's kiss was thrown into this episode as an investment in continuing that story arc later this season, which should be enjoyable later, but it certainly didn't bolster this episode in any way. At least it wasn't totally useless like Claire's cold.
Focusing on the good three stories would've made a killer episode. It was quite funny to watch Cam start a ringer as kicker for the football game ahead of Manny, his desire to win beating out his desire to be a good uncle. Phil and Luke's edits of the wedding video were hilarious and seeing Mitch lash out against an amazingly talented six-year-old was thoroughly entertaining. At the end of the episode, I was just sad that I wouldn't get to see these scenarios play out further thanks to time taken up by the lame stories.
My Grade: B-
Reviewer's Quotes: "There’s more variety in “The Cold,” which starts a bit slow but hustles in its second and third acts. It’s also built on a theme, one which is not particularly observant, but makes “The Cold” nicely cohesive. Nearly every member of the family is killing themselves to look good for everyone else." -Joshua Alston (avclub.com)
Nielsen Rating: 3.6 (10.63 million viewers)
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Modern Family S6 E2 "Do Not Push"
Synopsis: The Dunphys head off to Cal Tech for Alex to have a college visit. While there, the duller members of the family get very confused and dramatic when they sign up as subjects for a scientific experiment. Meanwhile, Claire pushes Alex towards Cal Tech because she wants to keep her close to home. When Jay and Gloria celebrate their anniversary, Jay steps out of his comfort zone by giving Gloria a clay bunny he made in a ceramics class. When Mitch and Cam try to take a new family picture including Lily, they are upset to find that Lily has a hideous smile for pictures.
Review: This was a very solid, very typical episode of Modern Family, the kind that leaves me totally satisfied. As far as humor goes, Phil, Haley, and Luke Dunphy took the top spot with the research test they signed up for. In waiting a room with just the three of them and a red button labeled "do not push," they began to have violent debates over what they ought to do. Quite hilariously, the tension was wiped out when it was revealed that the room was just a waiting room for a survey they were taking, and the red button just started a faulty vent.
It was fun to watch Alex explain her desire to go to the east coast for college to get away from her family, only to be convinced otherwise when an equally nerdy and attractive boy expresses his plans to attend Cal Tech. Their awkward flirting was quite humorous.
On Jay and Gloria's anniversary, it was nice to see a softer side of Jay in his attempt to break away from the materialistic gifts that he and Gloria usually exchange like jewelry and watches. The fact that he made Gloria a ceramic bunny made it that much more adorable. This situation nicely addressed one of my general criticisms of the show that Jay and Gloria fight too much to be a happy couple, especially considering their age difference. Jay trying for Gloria in such a sweet way makes it make some sense that they're together.
Cam and Mitch got another lame story this week. They had a boring problem-solution plot where Lily's creepy smile was solved by them deciding to hang the picture up anyway. There was nothing creative about that one.
I've seen some amazing episodes of Modern Family, this one is just good.
My Grade: B
Reviewers Quotes: "'Do Not Push' is the type of episode Modern Family just can’t get away with anymore, at least without alienating its long-time viewers. The problem with the show’s stubborn policy of producing stand-alone episodes is that there’s never any sense of momentum or any consequence to anything we’re seeing." -Joshua Alston (avclub.com)
Nielsen Rating: 3.7 (10.56 Million Viewers)
Review: This was a very solid, very typical episode of Modern Family, the kind that leaves me totally satisfied. As far as humor goes, Phil, Haley, and Luke Dunphy took the top spot with the research test they signed up for. In waiting a room with just the three of them and a red button labeled "do not push," they began to have violent debates over what they ought to do. Quite hilariously, the tension was wiped out when it was revealed that the room was just a waiting room for a survey they were taking, and the red button just started a faulty vent.
It was fun to watch Alex explain her desire to go to the east coast for college to get away from her family, only to be convinced otherwise when an equally nerdy and attractive boy expresses his plans to attend Cal Tech. Their awkward flirting was quite humorous.
On Jay and Gloria's anniversary, it was nice to see a softer side of Jay in his attempt to break away from the materialistic gifts that he and Gloria usually exchange like jewelry and watches. The fact that he made Gloria a ceramic bunny made it that much more adorable. This situation nicely addressed one of my general criticisms of the show that Jay and Gloria fight too much to be a happy couple, especially considering their age difference. Jay trying for Gloria in such a sweet way makes it make some sense that they're together.
Cam and Mitch got another lame story this week. They had a boring problem-solution plot where Lily's creepy smile was solved by them deciding to hang the picture up anyway. There was nothing creative about that one.
I've seen some amazing episodes of Modern Family, this one is just good.
My Grade: B
Reviewers Quotes: "'Do Not Push' is the type of episode Modern Family just can’t get away with anymore, at least without alienating its long-time viewers. The problem with the show’s stubborn policy of producing stand-alone episodes is that there’s never any sense of momentum or any consequence to anything we’re seeing." -Joshua Alston (avclub.com)
Nielsen Rating: 3.7 (10.56 Million Viewers)
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Modern Family S6 E1 "The Long Honeymoon"
Synopsis: Mitch finds himself at odds with Cam's ludicrous level of romantic gesture as he tries to get back to his normal work schedule following their wedding. Meanwhile, the Dunphys are experiencing a blissful Summer with Alex out of the country on a mission trip. Upon her return all goes awry and her parents and siblings try to get her out of the house again, convinced Alex is a curse on the family. In Jay and Gloria's world, Gloria becomes so frustrated with Jay's lack of effort to look good for her that she goes to a business dinner with him with a lazy outfit, frizzy hair, and no make up.
Review: Nothing about this season premiere is very special. While the "Modern Family laugh a minute humor" is indeed totally present, the three story arcs in this episode are all issues that have become a bit stale due to overuse in previous episodes. These being the "Jay feels intimidated by Gloria's good looks because he's so old resolving with Gloria and Jay apologizing to each other," the "Alex, though being a child, is the most competent member of the Dunphy family and they realize that they need her around even if she does muck up the family chemistry," and finally (the most overused) "Cam gets a head full of steam to do something that he considers wonderful and Mitch becomes increasingly annoyed with it until he eventually can't take it anymore and he and Cam have a fight that leaves Mitch feeling bad and then he apologizes soon after." The specificity of these scenarios ought to speak to the fact that the Modern Family writers really need to figure out some new story-lines.
However, despite my gripes Modern Family was the best rated show among high income 18-49 year olds in its premiere week (even narrowly beating out The Big Bang Theory). This is probably because holds a uniqueness among other shows, and now in its sixth season, it has burrowed its way into the hearts of the American TV viewing audience, and man, that "mockumentary" humor is top notch.
My Grade: C+
Nielsen Ratings: 3.9 (with 11.38 million viewers) winning the night and helping out Blackish.
Reviewer's Quotes: "It’s unlikely the episode will rank in the top tier of season 6—probably no Emmy tape in its future—but it performs solidly and none of its three plots is disastrous. It plays with some fun, mischievous story ideas, and it’s pretty funny throughout. Modern Family’s B-game is far from perfect, and probably shouldn't be breathing the same oxygen as Louie, but what it does, it still does well." -Joshua Alston (avclub.com).
Review: Nothing about this season premiere is very special. While the "Modern Family laugh a minute humor" is indeed totally present, the three story arcs in this episode are all issues that have become a bit stale due to overuse in previous episodes. These being the "Jay feels intimidated by Gloria's good looks because he's so old resolving with Gloria and Jay apologizing to each other," the "Alex, though being a child, is the most competent member of the Dunphy family and they realize that they need her around even if she does muck up the family chemistry," and finally (the most overused) "Cam gets a head full of steam to do something that he considers wonderful and Mitch becomes increasingly annoyed with it until he eventually can't take it anymore and he and Cam have a fight that leaves Mitch feeling bad and then he apologizes soon after." The specificity of these scenarios ought to speak to the fact that the Modern Family writers really need to figure out some new story-lines.
However, despite my gripes Modern Family was the best rated show among high income 18-49 year olds in its premiere week (even narrowly beating out The Big Bang Theory). This is probably because holds a uniqueness among other shows, and now in its sixth season, it has burrowed its way into the hearts of the American TV viewing audience, and man, that "mockumentary" humor is top notch.
My Grade: C+
Nielsen Ratings: 3.9 (with 11.38 million viewers) winning the night and helping out Blackish.
Reviewer's Quotes: "It’s unlikely the episode will rank in the top tier of season 6—probably no Emmy tape in its future—but it performs solidly and none of its three plots is disastrous. It plays with some fun, mischievous story ideas, and it’s pretty funny throughout. Modern Family’s B-game is far from perfect, and probably shouldn't be breathing the same oxygen as Louie, but what it does, it still does well." -Joshua Alston (avclub.com).
Saturday, September 27, 2014
How I Met Your Mother S6 E23 "Landmarks"
Synopsis: The "Zoey" story arc reaches a conclusion when Ted if finally forced to decide whether he wants to break ties with his girlfriend Zoey, or allow the destruction of the building she loves so dearly so that the building he designed may take its place. In short Ted chooses to knock down the building.
Review: This was a horrible yet necessary episode. The "Zoey and Ted" story arc was doomed from the very start and I see this episode as being the one that allowed it to finally come to a pathetic conclusion. Firstly, Zoey and Ted never appeared as though they were a reasonable couple: they spent their working hours in direct opposition of each others personal interests. Secondly, their conflict prompted a "side choosing" fiasco among the whole gang where Marshall awkwardly sided with Zoey even though he is an environmental lawyer (not an old building lawyer). This was a sad attempt at creating interesting tension in the group, but it was so uncomfortable that I would have to recommend that the group never engage in such a heated conflict where Ted, Barney, and Marshall's employment are at stake.
Besides the Zoey story arc that totally dominated the episode, the jokes in this episode seemed rather uninspired. The best example of that was when Robin lied and said she was playing chess in the park but then admitted she was playing Angry Birds at home. Lame!
All in all, this episode was the painful removal of the "How I Met Your Mother" wart that was Zoey. Even then though, writers (and creators of the show, no less) Carter Bays and Craig Thomas could not come up with anything as an attempt to polish this turd. The only redeeming quality of this episode is that we're finally done with Zoey.
Grade: D (Fs have to be saved for pure televised scum)
Reviewers quotes: "But Zoey's gone now, and I'm tempted to use Ted's parting line - "Sometimes, things have to fall apart to make way for better things" - as a cleanser and just try to hope that next week's finale is better, and that next season's big story arc is vastly better and not just more wheel-spinning to justify the two-year renewal." -Alan Sepinwall, HitFix.com
Review: This was a horrible yet necessary episode. The "Zoey and Ted" story arc was doomed from the very start and I see this episode as being the one that allowed it to finally come to a pathetic conclusion. Firstly, Zoey and Ted never appeared as though they were a reasonable couple: they spent their working hours in direct opposition of each others personal interests. Secondly, their conflict prompted a "side choosing" fiasco among the whole gang where Marshall awkwardly sided with Zoey even though he is an environmental lawyer (not an old building lawyer). This was a sad attempt at creating interesting tension in the group, but it was so uncomfortable that I would have to recommend that the group never engage in such a heated conflict where Ted, Barney, and Marshall's employment are at stake.
Besides the Zoey story arc that totally dominated the episode, the jokes in this episode seemed rather uninspired. The best example of that was when Robin lied and said she was playing chess in the park but then admitted she was playing Angry Birds at home. Lame!
All in all, this episode was the painful removal of the "How I Met Your Mother" wart that was Zoey. Even then though, writers (and creators of the show, no less) Carter Bays and Craig Thomas could not come up with anything as an attempt to polish this turd. The only redeeming quality of this episode is that we're finally done with Zoey.
Grade: D (Fs have to be saved for pure televised scum)
Reviewers quotes: "But Zoey's gone now, and I'm tempted to use Ted's parting line - "Sometimes, things have to fall apart to make way for better things" - as a cleanser and just try to hope that next week's finale is better, and that next season's big story arc is vastly better and not just more wheel-spinning to justify the two-year renewal." -Alan Sepinwall, HitFix.com
Friday, September 19, 2014
How I Met Your Mother S6 E10 "Blitzgiving"
Synopsis: On the eve of Thanksgiving, the gang is visited by an old college friend who has "the Blitz," a condition that causes him to ditch outings with his friends and consistently miss an amazingly fun time. However when Ted leaves the bar early that night, "the Blitz" is passed onto him and he misses an awesome night of partying. The next day (Thanksgiving), "the Blitz" continues to be passed around and Ted manages to put aside a longtime conflict with Zoey (a woman who has been trying to put a stop to his architectural ambitions) in order to save the gang's Thanksgiving.
Review: I give a lot of credit to this episode's writer, Theresa Mulligan, because this episode had jokes more concentrated than a laugh a minute. My favorite was "Boom-a-Wang," the term given to the dirty picture message response to Marshall's own picture of his junk, that he sent to a complete stranger on a dare. Of course, the focus of the episode was the condition of "the Blitz," and it created many hilariously outrageous spectacles such as a skateboarding dog and a beautiful woman strolling into the room entirely naked (all of which were missed by whoever had "the Blitz" at the given time). "The Blitz" concept is right in line with the spirit of the show, as How I Met Your Mother has deemed countless other terms for otherwise unnamed social phenomena.
While Blitz carried the episode, a narrative where Ted is struggling to see eye to eye with Zoey lacked the same intrigue. This relationship with Zoey has spanned several episodes and it seems to me that Zoey should have either been written out of the show or she and Ted's relationship should have developed to something else by now. The writers are beating this conflict like a dead horse and I am eager to be done with it or have Zoey evolve somehow.
My Grade: B+ (Minus Zoey, this episode is an A+ for unrelenting hilarity)
Reviewer's Quotes: Robert Canning (IGN): "The writing has never fully made me believe or care about their conflict, so when Zoey shows up, it can be difficult to fully engage. But in "Blitzgiving," the curse and the fun flashbacks helped a bit. Seeing Zoey as more of a regular person than the extremes she had been portrayed as is helping to make the character more likeable. I still don't see her and Ted as a couple, but perhaps she can still work on an episode-to-episode basis, like in "Blitzgiving."
Review: I give a lot of credit to this episode's writer, Theresa Mulligan, because this episode had jokes more concentrated than a laugh a minute. My favorite was "Boom-a-Wang," the term given to the dirty picture message response to Marshall's own picture of his junk, that he sent to a complete stranger on a dare. Of course, the focus of the episode was the condition of "the Blitz," and it created many hilariously outrageous spectacles such as a skateboarding dog and a beautiful woman strolling into the room entirely naked (all of which were missed by whoever had "the Blitz" at the given time). "The Blitz" concept is right in line with the spirit of the show, as How I Met Your Mother has deemed countless other terms for otherwise unnamed social phenomena.
While Blitz carried the episode, a narrative where Ted is struggling to see eye to eye with Zoey lacked the same intrigue. This relationship with Zoey has spanned several episodes and it seems to me that Zoey should have either been written out of the show or she and Ted's relationship should have developed to something else by now. The writers are beating this conflict like a dead horse and I am eager to be done with it or have Zoey evolve somehow.
My Grade: B+ (Minus Zoey, this episode is an A+ for unrelenting hilarity)
Reviewer's Quotes: Robert Canning (IGN): "The writing has never fully made me believe or care about their conflict, so when Zoey shows up, it can be difficult to fully engage. But in "Blitzgiving," the curse and the fun flashbacks helped a bit. Seeing Zoey as more of a regular person than the extremes she had been portrayed as is helping to make the character more likeable. I still don't see her and Ted as a couple, but perhaps she can still work on an episode-to-episode basis, like in "Blitzgiving."
Sunday, September 14, 2014
How I Met Your Mother S5 E23 "The Wedding Bride"
Synopsis: A recently released Romantic Comedy movie titled "The Wedding Bride" presents a story eerily similar to Ted's relationship with an ex who left him at the alter for her own ex. The film, written by the husband of the woman Ted almost married, makes Ted out to be horrible and selfish marriage destroyer and Ted struggles to deal with the praise given to the film by his friends and current girlfriend.
Review: A significant amount of this episode's content was the movie within the episode, "The Wedding Bride." Footage of the fictional movie were actually produced for the episode with its own cast and it gave the writers a plethora of opportunities to poke fun at some stereotypical elements of romantic comedies, i.e. the love triangle where one clearly horrible man and one gallant, altogether righteous man fight over the love of an indecisive "wedding bride." The shear fact that there was actual "Wedding Bride" movie excerpts in this episode was the ideal way to hit the point home that this movie made Ted look like a horrible person and it made his situation that much more comical. It was also hilarious to have Ted's friends constantly raving about "The Wedding Bride" despite his expression that it made him very upset.
This episode also dealt with the idea of figurative baggage as it exists in a romantic relationship. The writers employed a visual device of actual pieces of luggage appearing on-screen with phrases written on them such as: "still in love with my ex" or "huge credit card debt." The film within the TV episode as well as this visual gag used throughout the episode set this one among the very best "How I Met Your Mother" episodes.
My Grade: A
Reviewer's Quotes:
Amanda Sloane Murray (IGN): "Some top-notch stunt casting, including several working romantic comedy actors, and an excellent job from the regular cast, rounded out this episode into one we'll be looking back to as one of How I Met Your Mother's best."
Review: A significant amount of this episode's content was the movie within the episode, "The Wedding Bride." Footage of the fictional movie were actually produced for the episode with its own cast and it gave the writers a plethora of opportunities to poke fun at some stereotypical elements of romantic comedies, i.e. the love triangle where one clearly horrible man and one gallant, altogether righteous man fight over the love of an indecisive "wedding bride." The shear fact that there was actual "Wedding Bride" movie excerpts in this episode was the ideal way to hit the point home that this movie made Ted look like a horrible person and it made his situation that much more comical. It was also hilarious to have Ted's friends constantly raving about "The Wedding Bride" despite his expression that it made him very upset.
This episode also dealt with the idea of figurative baggage as it exists in a romantic relationship. The writers employed a visual device of actual pieces of luggage appearing on-screen with phrases written on them such as: "still in love with my ex" or "huge credit card debt." The film within the TV episode as well as this visual gag used throughout the episode set this one among the very best "How I Met Your Mother" episodes.
My Grade: A
Reviewer's Quotes:
Amanda Sloane Murray (IGN): "Some top-notch stunt casting, including several working romantic comedy actors, and an excellent job from the regular cast, rounded out this episode into one we'll be looking back to as one of How I Met Your Mother's best."
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