Dear Santa: A Commentator’s Wish List

Dear Santa,

It’s almost Christmas. I promise I’ve been good this year…you can even check my social networking accounts. So, I’ve put together a list with my special Christmas television wishes.

All I want for Christmas is…

• An invitation to Sunday night dinner with the Reagan family on Blue Bloods.

• That Mike & Molly’s wedding goes off without a hitch. Although, realistically that probably won’t happen.

• For Wade (Wilson Bethel) and Zoe (Rachel Bilson) to get together on Hart of Dixie. Also, for Lemon (Jaime King) to stop trying to be so perfect. She’s much more likeable when she’s more relaxed.

• For 2 Broke Girls’ Max (Kat Dennings) and Caroline (Beth Behrs) to get some new diner uniforms. That mustard yellow is just atrocious.

• On a similar note, some new clothes, or at least some longer running shorts, for Schmidt (Max Greenfield) from New Girl because he always seems to be half naked.

• For Chuck (Ed Westwick) and Blair (Leighton Meester) to be okay following that car accident in the Gossip Girl fall finale. Also, that these two lovebirds finally tie the knot.

• More shirtless Steve McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) on Hawaii Five-0. Plus, there’s always room for more McGarrett-Danno bromance.

• Mrs. Suit’s aka Elizabeth Burke (Tiffani Thiessen) safe return on White Collar.

• For a satisfying series end to In Plain Sight in its fifth and final season. It’s also probably about time Mary (Mary McCormack) & Marshall (Frederick Weller) got together.

• For Smash to be a hit! NBC could use one.

• For Modern Family to just keep on doing what it’s doing. Ditto with Happy Endings. These shows can do no wrong and just keep bringing the funny.

• Parenthood’s Amber (Mae Whitman) to realize that her calling is to work with kids who have disabilities, like her cousin Max (Max Burkholder) who has Aspergers syndrome, instead of continuing to work at the coffee shop.

• Please don’t let Poppy Montgomery’s show, Unforgettable, be cancelled. She deserves to be on television.

• All episodes of Homeland to be available On Demand or online so I can catch up on one of the most popular new shows.

• For Red Riding Hood (Meghan Ory) to be featured in an episode of Once Upon A Time. I think she’d have a pretty awesome storyline.

• That USA Network continues to air Elf before Christmas. There can never be enough Buddy the Elf.

 

Love,

Allison

PS- Since it is the season of giving…please give all Poptimal readers their own Christmas television wishes too. I’ll make sure I leave out extra cookies. Xoxo

 Images Courtesy of JoJo Whilden/CBS and Colleen Hayes/USA Network.

NBC TCA Press Tour 2011: Network Reboot

NBC’s seasonal TCA Press Tour is the network’s most major attempt to wow the media with their upcoming slate of programming for the fall schedule, which involves a fresh and expansive slate ranging from high-concept dramas to classically structured, multi-cam sitcoms. The tone was one of high hopes and new beginnings as NBC enters yet another season in last place (against the other big three networks), prime to reclaim lost thunder.

The first morning’s event kicked off with a presentation by new network chairman Robert Greenblatt, who announced an aggressive new approach to their comedy development, forging deals with near-sure things Greg Daniels and Gary Sanchez Productions. The Daniels deal will focus on animated programming, where Daniels gained his footing while running King of the Hill with Mike Judge. “We are very fortunate to continue our productive creative relationship with Greg Daniels, a gifted and extremely versatile producer-writer,” Greenblatt confirmed. The deals with these comedy powerhouses are inspired and will hopefully bring some new flavor and edge to a network whose comedy crow’s feet are beginning to show. After Greenblatt’s announcement, the whirlwind tour began and packed an all-star punch.

Free Agents seeks to be the Californication of NBC, a single-camera comedy based on a UK export that revolves around the aftermath of two co-workers (Hank Azaria, Kathryn Hahn) sleeping with one another and the awkwardness that ensues in the aftermath of the hook-up. The two principles are supported by a ridiculously strong supporting cast including Anthony Head, Natasha Leggero, and Joe LoTruglio. The State alum LoTruglio may have been a bit confused, but nonetheless enthused, exclaiming, “I have to say, for my first Comic-Con, you guys look amazing!” Joking, of course, but breaking the ice enough to delve into the sexual nitty-gritty of the show. Whereas the vast majority of shows build and build a male/female relationship undoubtedly towards romance, Free Agents completely eschews the notion, getting all that nasty sex out of the way in the pilot episode. But who would make such a rash decision? How about anyone? “He’s just a wreck,” Azaria explains of his character. “And men are more and more being allowed to show their vulnerability and admit they have no idea what they are doing.” Hahn, too, delights in the flaws of her character. “She has a lot of pride, and I think that it is kind of her armor. And underneath she’s a mess. Just a mess,” she admitted. Lending an extra dosage of uncomfortability is the consummate Anthony Stewart Head, reprising his role from the British export. “I’m just inappropriate. His behavior is undoubtedly inappropriate on every level,” he said. Look to see gobs of up-tempo, fast-talking, His Girl Friday-style freak outs in which the creatives see an infinite amount of possibilities. “We could take it so many different places,” Hahn muses. “This will ebb and flow. There’s going to be a instant push-pull I’m sure.” Executive Producer Todd Holland smiles in agreement. “Sooner or later,” he said, “when you’re all trapped in one space, somebody is going to sleep with somebody.”

Double-fisting the Wednesday night funny with Free Agents is Up All Night, a show that has a pedigree that any comedy would die to be born from. Executive produced by Lorne Michaels, birthed from a seasoned SNL writer, and starring Will Arnett, Christina Applegate, and Maya Rudolph, Up All Night has already become NBC’s most touted new comedy this side of Whitney and looks to have expectations just as high. Rather than being ripped from the headlines, the show’s inspiration instead lies within the life of creator and SNL writer Emily Spivey. “It came from having a baby, getting promoted at SNL…and thinking, ‘Oh, I can do this..’ and it was just a real trial,” Spivey explained. What wasn’t so much a trial was getting Lorne Michaels on board as an Executive Producer, who warmed to the idea immediately. “It didn’t feel like it was well-trod territory. I know Lucy had a baby and people have been having babies on television for a long time, but it is always just off stage. And this was…what it’s like to be a modern parent at this moment,” he said. The show also has a rich pool from which to draw material, with all of the main cast officially parents themselves. Case in point, a story line currently in development that spawned from a story Applegate retold about deciding on what she and her husband decided to call the baby’s “no-no place.” Comparatively, Arnett’s brow furrows at the thought of parenthood. “I was legitimately Up All last Night,” he quipped. Rudolph smiles, commiserating. “I feel like any point that we’re all together, one of us can say that and it’s actually true.”

Switching gears to drama, the peacock presented its newest take on the procedural, cop-drama Prime Suspect. Adapted from the Helen Mirren starrer of the same name, the show follows the exploits of Jane Timoney, an iconoclastic female detective who must carve her own path within the male-dominated NYPD Homicide division. At the thematic forefront of the show is the inherent sexism that will come with everyday interactions amongst the characters, though Executive Producer Alexandra Cunningham ensures that it will not be a hard and fast focal point. “I think some of the characters will react to her in a traditionally sexist way, and other characters will just not like her because of the person she is, that she’s very rude and uncompromising and ambitious.” Cunningham also promises to be in spirit with the original series, but won’t be beholden to it, a method that has garnered praise from none other than original Prime Suspect creator Lynda La Plante. “She couldn’t be happier that Maria’s shouldering the character now, and she said a lot of stuff that brought a tear to my eye,” Cunningham said. Maria Bello also couldn’t be happier about the role, explaining, “My favorite shows growing up were Baretta and Columbo and Kojak. They were all detectives that had a little weird thing, their own quirk. And we haven’t seen a woman like that on television, a woman detective. So I feel really lucky that I get to explore her.” Also adding a touch of grit and realism to the show is Executive Producer Peter Berg, who also directed the pilot. “The two things that were really important to us were, ‘A: Casting’, but the other, frankly, was to make sure we protect a certain audience expectation and that being a procedural expectation,” he said. So in short, expect a Case-of-the-Week type structure with more attitude and dramatic grit than you can shake a police baton at. “These are all extraordinary actors,” Berg stresses. “They don’t look like a bunch of Abercrombie & Fitch models running around solving homicides in Miami, all backlit with greens and blues.” It seems that Bello is primed to make considerable waves both off and on camera. How long her character, and the show for that matter, can last before breaking is anyone’s guess.

Free Agents and Up All Night debut Wednesday, September 14 at 10:30/9:30c and 10/9c, respectively, on NBC.

Prime Suspect premieres Thursday, September 22 at 10/9c on NBC.

Stick with Poptimal for more coverage of the NBC fall schedule.

Images courtesy of Keith Kuramoto for Poptimal and NBC.

Anthony Stewart Head of "Free Agents" Anthony Stewart Head of "Free Agents"	Anthony Head leaps across the pond for US version of "Free Agents" Anthony Head leaps across the pond for US version of "Free Agents"	Anthony Head reprises his role as Stephen in "Free Agents" Anthony Head reprises his role as Stephen in "Free Agents"
The cast of "Free Agents" The cast of "Free Agents"	The cast and producers of "Free Agents" The cast and producers of "Free Agents"	Hank Azaria, star of "Free Agents" Hank Azaria, star of "Free Agents"
Kathryn Hahn, star of "Free Agents" Kathryn Hahn, star of "Free Agents"	Lorne Michaels, executive producer of "Up All Night" Lorne Michaels, executive producer of "Up All Night"	Lorne Michaels of "SNL" fame and "Up All Night" Lorne Michaels of "SNL" fame and "Up All Night"
Maria Bello, star of "Prime Suspect" Maria Bello, star of "Prime Suspect"	Maria Bello stars as Jane Timoney in "Prime Suspects" Maria Bello stars as Jane Timoney in "Prime Suspects"	Maria Bello talks "Prime Suspects" with Poptimal Maria Bello talks "Prime Suspects" with Poptimal
Maya Rudolph of "Up All Night" Maya Rudolph of "Up All Night"	Christina Applegate, star of "Up All Night" Christina Applegate, star of "Up All Night"	Peter Berg, executive producer of "Prime Suspect" Peter Berg, executive producer of "Prime Suspect"
Peter Berg of "Friday Night Lights" promotes new series "Prime Suspects" Peter Berg of "Friday Night Lights" promotes new series "Prime Suspects"	The cast and producers of "Prime Suspects" The cast and producers of "Prime Suspects"	Left to right: stars Maya Rudolph, Will Arnett, Christina Applegate and executive producer Lorne Michaels of "Up All Night" Left to right: stars Maya Rudolph, Will Arnett, Christina Applegate and executive producer Lorne Michaels of "Up All Night"
Cast and producers of "Up All Night" Cast and producers of "Up All Night"	Cast and producers/creator of "Up All Night" Cast and producers/creator of "Up All Night"

The Office Review: Search Committee

Creed’s the man. Who’d have thought? No one, at least not until he rolls up to the office parking lot in a Porsche Boxster proclaiming, “It’s a beautiful morning at Dunder Mifflin, or as I like to call it, ‘Great Bratton’.” Unfortunately, he’s totally out of his mind, or at the very least, senile. Scranton needs a new manager, STAT. The search starts at Will Arnett’s feet. The search team, comprised of Jim, Toby, and Gabe begin interviewing candidates in earnest and we begin watching in a similar fashion, knowing that none of these guest-stars are really going to be the show’s new hire. After a while it feels like an exercise in futility and unfortunately, this is the structure of 70% of the episode which begins to grate even through many funny bits.

As Arnett begins to crash and burn mid-interview, the rest of the office has turned into a high school campus  during campaign week, with virtually all rolling the dice and fighting for the coveted manager spot, from the sheepish (Andy quietly wears an “Andy For Manager?” button) to the savvy (Darrell’s self-proclaimed strongest skill: “I’m blaaaaack!”). Dwight, however, has pulled a complete 180 and is no longer even working, instead opting for the silent protest of sitting around in his pajamas and reading the newspaper at his desk, more specifically the classifieds. Yes, Dwight is thinking about moving on.

Enter James Spader, who is hands down the most awesomely hilarious candidate of the episode. For the team, interviewing him is like looking down the barrel of a gun as his misdirected intensity sucks all the air out of the room. Consider his answer to a basic interview question: “There is no such thing as a product. There is only sex.” Post-interview, Jim breaks the silence and admits, “He creeps me out. But I think he might be a genius.” Minutes later in the building lobby, Dwight overhears Spader ripping on the company to an incoming Ray Romano. It’s a truly weird scene in a lot of ways, most pointedly being that James Spader could very well be Dwight Schrute’s Bizzaro-World doppelganger, or more specifically if Dwight popped one of those transparent pills from Limitless, he would become Spader. But the belittling of Dunder-Mifflin is more than enough to set a hatless Dwight off and gives him a sudden burst of inspiration. “See my hat?” he challenges. “That’s because I just threw it in the ring.”

It’s about here that the structure of the episode begins wearing thin and it feels like everyone is on auto pilot. The Manager interviews continue their round-robin of ridiculous. Cue the talking-head segments. Back to interviews, rinse and repeat. Every so often a gust star like Ricky Gervais will come in and quell the monotony, but it is short lived. Jo (Kathy Bates) arrives after the interviews have wrapped to assess where the branch is at. She is immediately pounced on by Dwight, begging for an interview she does not grant. This doesn’t stop Dwight though, and he goes to great lengths to try and get his foot in the door, going so far as to wrap himself head-to-toe in bandages, playing the (burn) victim, but fails gloriously. Despite his insanity, Jo allows Dwight to interview (“I like a little crazy”), the fallout of which leads to an open forum on the office floor, with everyone airing their grievances and opinions of who they want as a boss. The search team reconvenes to make a decision…and it just kinda ends.

Unfortunately, the biggest misstep of the entire finale is the ending, by which I mean there is none. That’s not to say it’s lacking some sort of finality or cliffhanger- its not (Mad Men’s finales by comparison are structured similarly, but there’s always a sense of closure). It simply fails to move forward at all and fully shows how the episode more or less runs around in a circle chasing its tail for an hour. The entire episode is built around finding a new boss, but there isn’t even a loose decision made by the time it’s over and it simply just feels like a waste of time. The show would have been much better off ending the season with Michael’s departure, leaving these last few episodes including the Ferrell arc to kick-start the new season next fall. All in all, the finale wasn’t a total misfire, but it came frustratingly close, especially when you expect some sort of answer and are led on for an hour to end up not getting what was promised. Bummer.

Season 7, Episode 23: “Search Committee” (originally aired May 19, 2011)

Is The Office lost without Michael Scott? Post a comment in our discussion boards below!

Click here for more Poptimal coverage of The Office.

Images courtesy of Chris Haston for NBC Universal and IMDbPro

 

 

 

The Office Review: Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager

Sometimes dreams really do come true. Sometimes, a worst nightmare is brought to life. In the case of “Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting Manager),” both happen for Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) and the rest of the office when he is delegated interim manager. With D’angelo (Will Ferrell) in a coma and the office in a state of flux, the Scranton branch has been able to self sustain without a manager to great results; orders are going out on time, stress levels have dropped. There’s even a foosball table in the manager’s office. Life is good. That, of course, lasts all of fifteen seconds and when Jim passes up the opportunity to stand as acting manager for the office as to not ruin a good thing, the offer is brought to Dwight, who takes it with the dramatic reverence of a Shakespearian melodrama. It is both the dream and the nightmare horribly come to life. Pam’s quiet question to Jim speaks for us all: “What have you done?”

A week passes and in that brief amount of time, Dwight has turned the office into a Socialist’s fantasy playground. Everyone must punch in via an ancient time clock; oversized business cards have been distributed, their titles, all, “junior employee”; lunch breaks are painfully staggered (Jim’s is at 10:30 in the morning); the day starts by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance beside a hokey acrylic portrait of Dwight. All drama does not fall at the feet of Dwight, though. Still feeling threatened by Andy’s (Ed Helms) pseudo-friendship with Erin, Gabe drags him into the conference room for a good ol’ tongue lashing, though he pretty much ends up crying like a baby. Andy promises they are friends, whether it is true or not (spoiler alert: NOT). Gabe later professes his love (again) to Erin in the middle of the office, but Erin later reveals in an interview segment that she isn’t looking for a relationship and, regarding Gabe, “It was a challenge being touched by him.” Ouch.

Meanwhile, the Iron Curtain continues to fall on Scranton: everyone has copy codes. Coffee is on an Honor payment system. Stringent filters have throttled internet use. As if it couldn’t get any worse, Dwight is gifted a holster from his uncle and begins ambling around the office with the leather accessory hung low across his waist, with an actual gun resting in it. Needless to say this doesn’t exactly go over well and the office insists that Dwight stow the hand cannon. He finally gives, but not before spinning it around moronically…and accidentally firing it, nearly hitting Andy. Dwight down-plays the accident as Andy struggles to find perfect pitch. “I can’t find perfect C!” he wails. From here, you can more or less point to this as the moment when Dwight’s perfect little world begins to implode. Andy is rushed to the hospital after a WebMD diagnosis crashes and burns after hitting one of Dwight’s Internet filters and Toby begins to file an accident report. On top of this, Jo Bennett (Kathy Bates) is due to stop by the office to check in on things now that Michael has left.

The tide turns quickly and everyone starts using the gun shot as leverage to revert the office back to the way it was: no copy codes, no honor system coffee, no paintings. Jim’s request: for Dwight to work in “Shagadelic, Baby” into a conversation with Jo and to do jazz hands whenever he coughs. It’s a special torture in concentrated form and it’s awesomely hilarious. Amazingly, Dwight finds the willingness to come clean not because it’s the right thing to do, but because he loves the middling position of office manager so much that he won’t even let himself do it half-assed. Jo is none too pleased and immediately removes him as acting manager and decides to replace Dwight with someone based only on seniority, leaving Creed in charge. Dwight is crestfallen at losing his dream job, but Jim warmly reassures him that work during his tenure was good and maybe even “shagadelic.” It’s small moments like these that remind us that everyone within the office is one big family, no matter how at odds they are with one another, even Dwight.

Next week’s episode not only marks the season finale, but also the reveal of who will replace Steve Carrell. Not sure if it’s supposed to be some kind of big mystery, but between the massive guest stars, barring some secret left-field announcement, my money is on Ricky Gervais. Ray Romano already has a gig, Will Arnett isn’t high profile enough (though really, I desperately want him on this show), and Jim Carrey is just there to plug his inconceivably ridiculous new movie.  Seeing how Dwight is going to deal with the new hire is going to be way more interesting than seeing who it actually is, me thinks.

Season 7, Episode 23: “Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager” (originally aired May 12, 2011)

Discover the identity of the next Michael Scott on The Office season finale, next Thursday, May 19, at 9/8c on NBC

Images courtesy of NBC Universal and IMDbPro

The Office Review: The Inner Circle

Changes abound in the office and it’s not just a monumental personnel shift.  D’Angelo (Will Ferrell) schedules a meeting and, with great authority (“If you don’t like it – this is called a door, you can walk right through it. I live to leave at five.”), sends Darrell to business school, gives Toby a new chair, and integrates “Ice Cream Thursdays” into the schedule.  But the changes don’t stop there; an inner circle has formed with Jim, Gabe, Darrell, and Kevin where they discuss important office matters, much to the chagrin of the other office-ites, but most specifically Andy (Ed Helms). Despite the inner circle, D’Angelo does his best to make nice around the office, extending the olive branch to Dwight time and time again, only to have Dwight deflect every single gesture much to the new boss’s dismay. “It’s like my relationship with my son, except there, I’m the Dwight,” D’Angelo laments. The rubber hits the road when the two talk in the break room, ending with D’Angelo insisting that he will win over Dwight, shortly before fleeing back to his office.

There is some inconsistency with D’Angelo’s character, specifically between his random, crazier antics of last week (double-fisting cake, shoving marshmallows into the coffee maker) and this week, which feels like the EPs weren’t quite sure where to take his character, though it’s worth mentioning if the rumors are true regarding his full arc, it’s going to be one fucked up ending to the season. That said, the craziest thing D’Angelo does in this episode is perform a “motivational juggling” routine without any juggling props. It’s an awesome scene that shows Will Ferrell in his element, totally improvising the entire sequence, all to the tune of some guilty-pleasure nu-metal, courtesy of Evanescence.

While the employees on the main floor grapple with their new boss, Ryan (B.J. Novak) has woven an intricate lie that has him supervising Kelly (Mindy Kaling) even though the two are on even-footing. The ruse forces Ryan (or, if we’re being honest, just enables him) to reprimand Kelly for imaginary infractions whenever D’Angelo is around, but it is short-lived; Kelly can only take so much and quickly outs him, “Ryan isn’t my supervisor. He’s like Rango.” Ryan’s rebuttal? “I…have not seen Rango.” Impossibly, the entire argument goes over D’Angelo’s head and he decides to just keep Ryan as Kelly’s supervisor regardless.

Venting about D’Angelo in the break room, Angela calls him out as a sexist since he doesn’t ever talk to any of the females on the staff and no one can deny that she has a point. Jim takes the initiative to talk to D’Angelo about the issue, which turns into another inner circle meeting, but ultimately seems agreeable to addressing the complaint. Out on the main floor, he asks the oft-poignant question, “Raise your hand if you have a vagina. Raise your hand if someone you love has a vagina.” In a feeble attempt to douse the controversy, he hires a beautiful, inexperienced female as his assistant, but this of course doesn’t exactly work, though Dwight is actually willing to side with D’Angelo, “NBA. WNBA. One is a sport, and one is a joke. I love sports and jokes. What’s the big deal?”

Later on in the day, the inner circle receives texts for another meeting, except for Jim. Because of his feather-ruffling, Jim has been removed from the circle, made all the more clear when he crashes the meeting and is greeted with an uncomfortable silence which remains until he slinks out of the office. Meanwhile, Dwight continues to refuse D’Angelo’s gestures, even when they are liaised by his new assistant. “D’Angelo, tell your whore to leave me alone.”

Jim’s ostracization from the inner circle is short lived, being asked back in during a ridiculously intense game of office-basketball in D’Angelo’s office. Rather than accepting, he instead proposes an exhibition, calling out D’Angelo’s statement that he can dunk like Jordan. He reluctantly agrees to the challenge and the office reconvenes in the warehouse where a regulation-size hoop sits. He makes his dunk in half a suit (below the waist, it’s all athletic wardrobe) and shouts successfully, “The Doctor is in!” just before the hoop doubles over and collapses onto him violently. An ambulance whisks him away, leaving the office in another state of limbo and opening the door for another possible replacement.

Sadly, we are in the twilight of Will Ferrell’s arc on the show. Short-lived, but wholly memorable. It’s really a shame that he’s one of the biggest comedy movie stars in the world because he would be a great fit for the show. No doubt, his energy would be better spent donning once again his Ron Burgundy leisure suit, but Paramount are a bunch of bottom-line obsessed dick heads, so let’s just put that to bed (Tangent averted! Success!). In any event, D’angelo is quickly losing his shit, so it’s not so much wondering if he’s leaving, but how they’ll be hitting that jettison button. With only two episodes left in the season and a jam-packed guest starring lineup, that ousting is going to be anyone’s guess, but it’s probably going to be great.

Season 7, Episode 22: “The Inner Circle” (originally aired May 5, 2011)

Find out what becomes of D’Angelo Vickers and the Office-ites Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC

Images courtesy of IMDbPro and Chris Haston for NBCUniversal

The Office Review: Michael’s Last Dundies

D’angelo Vickers’ (Will Ferrell) integration into Dunder Mifflin continues this week with “Michael’s Last Dundies,” which executes what The Office does the very best- marrying comedy and sentimentality without being ridiculous about it.

In true awards fashion, Michael and D’angelo are up at the butt-crack of dawn (6am to be exact) to surprise the nominees of the 2011 Dundies at their respective doorsteps, which is basically the entire office staff. Michael’s OCD is on overdrive since this is his last Dundies and he wants everything to go perfect, but converting D’angelo is proving to be the bigger challenge; he’s unsure of whether the tradition is something he wants to keep around, especially after Michael announces him as co-host for the event, putting Dwight (Rainn Wilson) further into a corner. Michael tries to appease D’angelo, saying, “the Dundies are like the Golden Globes, but less mean,” but D’angelo suffers from a crippling wave of stage fright he needs help to overcome. Michael tries to lend a hand, or an ass, by sitting on a prone D’angelo and putting him through a round of vocal exercises. Amazingly enough, no one seems to notice or care, which is one of the subtle, funniest aspects of the scene. That is, until Michael puts headphones on D’angelo and turns an ancient early-90s Walkman on full-blast in an effort to distract him while he reads cue cards- sorry – SCREAMS cue cards.

Over lunch, Jim and Pam run into Erin (Ellie Kemper) sitting in her car and she frantically asks them to quickly get in. She confesses that she is unhappy with Gabe and hiding in her car is the only time away from him that he has and doesn’t know what to do. “I can’t just dump him. I’m not like you, Pam- I can’t be mean.” Despite the backhanded compliment, Pam tells her to be firm and break up with him.

That evening, the Dundies gets underway, starting off strong with a completely hilarious video intro which finds D’angelo on the hunt for Michael so he can host the show. Along the way, he runs into office workers, all portrayed by Michael in costume. The Angela and Phyllis impersonations are great, but the Jim scene is the most off-base and funniest. Ferrell also reminds us how awesome he is at acting badly, which really is an art unto itself.  Trouble looms when Michael and D’angelo take the stage, only to have D’angelo run off in a panic, headed straight for the bathroom. Michael chases after him and gives him a pep talk, complete with face slaps. It’s hard to tell what convinces D’angelo, the talk or the slapping, but he and Michael quickly return to the stage. Notable awards include “Most Promising Assistant Manager” going to Dwight, which he dedicates to a garbage can and promptly disposes of into said can; the “Diabetes Award” to Stanley; the “Cutest Red Head in the Office” award to Erin, where she uses her speech time to publicly break up with Gabe, “I just…I cringe whenever we talk…” , making for both the best and worst speech of the night. Michael even gives the “Best Dundies Host” award to D’angelo, who once again panics during his acceptance speech and turns to the aid of his Walkman, announcing full-bore, “THIS IS SUCH A SURPRISE. I WAS IN THE BATHROOM JUST VOMITING AND VOMITING,” at which point, the restaurant quickly shuts the show down.

Despite the setback, the team convinces Michael to finish out the show at the office, where in a night full of surprises, they give Michael the best surprise of them all- an impromptu (but secretly rehearsed) rendition of the Rent hallmark “Seasons of Love”, tailor-lyriced to Michael’s robust and storied career at the Scranton branch; “9 million 986 thousand minutes/that’s how many minutes that you’ve worked here.” Each person adds their own personal lyric to the song and it is quickly realized the effect that Michael has had on everyone, and more importantly, the effect everyone has had on Michael, good and bad. But mostly good. It’s an incredibly sweet, totally balanced moment- an “aw, shucks” realization that Steve Carell really is leaving for good and this isn’t just a Sweeps stunt. No doubt, the talent on the show are going to miss him as much as their characters and vice-versa.

Summing up the episode, in the eloquent words of Michael Scott, “Well, this is gonna hurt like a Motherfucker.”

Season 7, Episode 20: “Michael’s Last Dundies” (originally aired April 21, 2011)

Don’t miss Steve Carell’s last episode this Thursday, April 28 at 9/8c on NBC.

Images courtesy of NBC and IMDbPro

The Office Review: Training Day

“Training Day” marks a changing of the guard for The Office, not to mention Steve Carell’s swan song for the series. But Greg Daniels is not sending Carell out on a rail though and is instead finishing season seven in the strongest way possible: Will Ferrell.

After Michael’s announcement that he will be leaving Dunder Mifflin, the company has finally found an adequate replacement in D’angelo Vickers (Will Ferrell) and the two plan to meet at the bar inside D’angelo’s hotel. In classic Michael Scott fashion, the two strike up a conversation without even knowing who one another is. Michael finally decides to give D’angelo a call to check in and when his phone rings, he steps away to answer the call. The scene becomes meta when they begin having another conversation on the phone, right next to each other, in the same bar without either of them being the wiser. The two eventually catch up with real-time and the ball officially gets rolling.

The next day finds D’angelo getting up to speed with the ins and outs of the Scranton office by shadowing Michael and getting to know the team; Andy becomes the “funny guy,” Dwight feels outcast by getting stepped over for the management position, and Kelly sets up a convenient “meet-cute” by bumping into D’angelo with an armful of files. The rest of the day is spent by the team in an all-out suck-up fest, each of them trying to put their best foot forward with D’angelo (“We only have one kid, but she poops for four!”, “The southwest? That’s my favorite region!”, “My boyfriend is a senator!”) All of this puts a bad taste in Michael’s mouth as he watches longingly from a distance as everyone seems to transition away from him much smoother than he could have possibly imagined. It’s as if they didn’t ever need him to begin with. He tries to interrupt the love fest with a classically weak, “You decide to have an orgy without me? I call middle!” but does little to turn the tide.

The two butt heads again when they passive-aggressively argue over how Erin should answer the phone (“Dunder Mifflin, this is Erin” versus “Dunder Mifflin, how may I help you?”) causing her to completely shut down, and the conflict accelerates further when D’angelo brings in the best reviewed barber on Yelp to shave him in the office and Michael buys a small can of Barbisol, getting Erin to shave him in an insane, hilarious one-upmanship competition. Meanwhile, Andy has woefully become D’angelo’s dancing monkey and every time he asks him, “Make me laugh,” Andy’s attempts at humor get more and more desperate, the peak of which finds him flailing about with cheese puffs and eating dish soap at the oafish request of D’angelo.

During all this, Dwight continues his secret coup but inadvertently discovers that Michael never referred him for the management position, which will no doubt come back to haunt Michael sooner rather than later. It all comes to a head when Michael starts passing out a mid-afternoon snack of PB&J sandwiches, despite D’angelo’s peanut allergy. “There are nut particles circulating all around this office!” D’angelo screams as Michael tosses the sandwiches freely about the room. D’angelo calls an emergency meeting in the conference room to get away from the nuts, but Michael tries to convince the office to not join. They do, of course, and Michael gives up, but not before D’angelo runs out and asks him for some pointers, which turns into a dopey heart-to-heart ending with the two hugging in what can only be described as “standing reverse-cowgirl”.  “Why did you have to be so good?” Michael laments as the homo-erotic euphemisms fly fast and furious.

Will Ferrell’s addition to the final episodes of this season is a real shot in the arm for the series. And even though his time is limited, or it at least appears that way, time with Will Ferrell is always time well spent.

Season 7, Episode 19: “Training Day” (originally aired April 14, 2011)

Don’t miss Steve Carell’s last days at The Office, Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC

Images courtesy of NBC and IMDbPro

The Bachelor Review: Pretty Bird.

Discovery: Brad= Will Ferrell doing George Bush.

This week on The Bachelor, we all got more stupider.

Vocab word of the season: Constitute. Wow, Brad! Those word-a-day calendars must really be working. Let’s get started because my brain is molding:

Alli: I am actually going to give Brad credit where credit is due based on how he dealt with Alli. I won’t begin with how dumb it is to keep a girl around this long without a one-on-one date (not sure if this is Brad’s fault or the producers’), but I will mention how cruel it is to take someone in a jungle cave when she is deathly afraid of bugs (definitely the producers’ fault).  I know Britt, aka Dik Dik, has never had a one-on-one either, but at least she has made out with Brad? And, has had a conversation with Brad. I personally thought Alli’s date was pretty cool at first (although I don’t understand the running theme of trying to scare the shit out of these girls on every date), and then I thought it was incredibly awkward.

Blame it on editing or blame it on Simple Brad, but that small talk was painful. “I live in Austin.” “I hate big cities, I think people who live in them are stupid.” Maybe I’m paraphrasing, but that is basically what happened. Then Alli professed to Brad that she is sooooo comfortable with him and really likes him, to which Brad responded that a good friendship does not constitute a love connection. I thought he was very diplomatic and he gained points in my book. But really, who didn’t see this coming? Well, maybe Alli.

Group Date: I am so over group dates. I know you hear me, Dik Dik. On this stupid group date, the stupid group repelled down a stupid waterfall and then jumped in a stupid hot spring. Michelle was a baby because Brad made a pact that he would never repel with anyone but her, and Emily told him that she sabotages every relationship she is in. Since all the girls were whiny weirdos, Brad decided with all his heart that he simply couldn’t give out a rose that night. Hearts were broken. Wah wah.

Chantal: Oh, Chantal. Chantal got another one-on-one date, which really doesn’t seem fair since Dik Dik and Alli have never had one, but whatever. By the way, I am going totally out of order on this episode. Apologies. Anywho, Chantal went on a date with Brad. I can’t even remember what they did it was so insignificant, but I do know that it involved a helicopter and another rainy picnic situation that turned into Chantal putting Brad’s shirt on as a Carrie Bradshaw style dress, and made all the women hate her when she got home. Oh, they went zip lining! Hazzah! Yeah, Brad said that he needed to do something fun with Chantal, since she got so dramatic last week. Although, in her defense, I bet she doesn’t remember most of it. I can’t tell if Brad is too simple or too d-baggy to see that human emotions aren’t always the same thing as drama. Maybe he was talking about how Chantal keeps threatening to go home if he isn’t sure that he is going to keep her around until the end. He has to listen to his heart, Channy!

In more stupid news: Michelle.

If Chantal is what Brad is looking for in a woman, then Michelle says that she definitely isn’t. Both of these women are bringing their own brand of crazy to the table. This week in a role reversal, when Chantal looked like Pebbles at the cocktail party (literally what she looked like, but in yellow), she dropped the L bomb. METHINKS THIS IS A LITTLE EARLY. Even though Brad is talking about his heart nonstop, this is a little nutters.

Oh right, Michelle. She went to his room to be more of a weirdo stalker after the unsuccessful group date,  and talked smack about all the other girls, only to later claim that Brad basically made her do that. Run, Brad. Run.

The others: Shawntel, Ashley.. .who else is even left? Dik Dik! Jackie didn’t get a rose, but I don’t think anyone cared. Is seems like she didn’t even have that one-on-one with Brad a couple weeks ago. However, I was very surprised to see that she was actually 27 this whole time. At least the producers are bringing the age postings back to the descriptions of the girls. The one thoughtful thing they have done all season.

I don’t know about this episode. Brad seems to already be in love with Emily, and is sold on Michelle’s crazy. Next week, Emily makes it seem like she wouldn’t introduce Brad to little Ricky. THINGS ARE GETTING REAL, PEOPLE. Also next week, for another emotionally scarring date, the producers make the girls do a swim suit photo shoot with Brad? Yeah. No sense.

But, does anyone else think that a crying, irrational Chantal looks like Marion Cotillard? A girl can dream.

Season 15, Episode 6: (originally aired February 7, 2011)

Are you in love with manipulated romance? Check out The Bachelor Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.

For another take on this episode, check out Lauren Tyree’s review here.

Images courtesy of Rick Rowell for ABC and IMDbPro

 

 

 

 

 

Megamind Review: DreamWorks’ Homerun Formula has a Lot of Juice Left in It

In the modern Netflix queue genre of “irreverent computer-animated hero comedy”, DreamWorks Animation has carved a Galactus-sized niche for themselves with repeated critical and financial home runs. Megamind is the studio’s latest submission to the oeuvre and with one of their biggest sluggers at the helm, Tom McGrath of the billion-dollar Madagascar franchise, DreamWorks has again worked their winning formula to near perfection. Visually stunning, incredibly detailed animation? Check. Self-absorbed, glittering, Johnny Bravo-shaped superhero? Check. Megalomaniacal, bumbling, Steve Jobs/Wile E. Coyote hybrid supervillian? Check. Breezy, familiar narrative that resonates with all ages? Check. A veritable Super Friends cadre of celebrity voice talent? Quintuple-check. While ticking all of the genre boxes so effortlessly could easily translate into a prosaic stroll through an animated backdrop, Megamind manages to avoid this pitfall through charismatic performances, efficient pacing, and enough slight twists, chuckles and cultural references to stay compelling over the entire 96 minute running time.

The story by Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons recounts the comically inadvertent rise of the titular main character, Megamind, from bumbling super-nuisance to accidental hero. Like many films in this genre, light-hearted winks and nods to other superhero movies can be found everywhere, particularly in the opening flashback when we are first introduced to Megamind (voiced brilliantly by Will Ferrell), and his eventual nemesis Metro Man (Brad Pitt) as infants both hurtling towards Earth after being jettisoned from an alien planet beset by certain, unarticulated doom. Sound familiar? When we next see the boys as adolescents, their vastly differing social circumstances play out in schoolhouse politics as the shy, bulbous-headed, super-genius teen Megamind, repeatedly fails to outshine teen Metro Man, now a super-powered, preppy peacock from John Hughes central casting. As time progresses, embittered by an inability to parlay his supreme intellect into the level of adoration enjoyed by Metro Man who grows into a beloved superhero, Megamind instead commits his brainpower to achieving the height of infamy as a supervillian, a role he inhabits with all the zeal, histrionics…and pyrotechnics of a professional wrestling heel. Naturally, Megamind and Metro Man are locked in an eternal paint-by-numbers struggle, typically commencing with Megamind kidnapping Metro Man’s favorite trap-fodder, investigative reporter Roxanne Ritchi (Tina Fey), and concluding with Megamind’s elaborate trap-du-jour in ruins and Metro Man carting him off to jail. The pattern is so routine in fact, that when one of Megamind’s schemes seemingly succeeds in finally ridding the city of Metro Man, Megamind’s genuine confusion and amazement is palpable.

Megamind’s confusion yields to euphoria, which eventually yields to boredom and depression at the realization that the adversarial tete-a-tete he shared with Metro Man is what gave his life purpose. There is something mildly amusing…and mildly masochistic about Megamind reminiscing over his daily pummeling, but I’m sure that will fly over the heads of this film’s intended audience. Equally amusing, and perhaps humanizing, is the fact that Megamind first attempts to fill the Metro Man-sized hole in his heart with a woman, Roxanne Ritchi specifically, wooing her in a humorously deceptive manner that appalls even his dedicated minion, the aptly-named, Minion (voiced by the excellent David Cross). When his deception begins to unravel, Megamind creates a Metro Man-like superhero named Titan (Jonah Hill) for his own amusement and to help everyone relive the good old days of witty super-banter and weekly super-throwdowns. Predictably, this proceeds disastrously as well, and Megamind is forced to become the one thing he loathes the most in order to prevent the complete destruction of his lifelong home Metro City.

Before the first line of dialogue is spoken in this film, you can see that you are in for a treat. The animation in this film is superb, and the level of detail is absolutely staggering. It is so detailed, in fact, that the realism of the opening scene sunset shown over a body of water made me question momentarily if I stumbled into the wrong theatre. The bright colors and rounded character elements that typically characterize animated children’s movies are present, of course, backed by an impressive supporting cast of faithfully reproduced reflections, shadows, buildings and urban decay that rival City of Heroes for punctiliousness. Sharp attention to detail is clearly a recurring theme in this film’s production values, and it extends to the character models and the script as well. Most computer animators discovered long ago that the eyes are the centers of expression (study up, Robert Zemeckis), and the incredible range of subtle emotion these characters are able to produce through their eyes and facial expressions really goes a long way to keeping you enthralled. Through the convincing performances and settings, the director and writers are able to create an environment in which almost all of your questions are answered visually on-screen; a feat rarely seen in animation or live-action films. How did he slice that bus in half? Take a gander at the huge saw on his wrist. How can that guy fly all of a sudden? Check out the small jet pack strapped to his back. How does he know where he left his car if it is invisible? He doesn’t. As an animated superhero feature, the film is obviously not without its flights of fancy (did the death of Gwen Stacy pop into anyone else’s head as Roxanne Ritchi is being slung about by Tighten? Anyone?), nor should it be. By virtually eliminating the need for exposition, however, these touches gave the film a realistic feel and helped it maintain a fun, efficient pace that never felt forced or bogged down.

Keeping things light and fun is important in a film whose central premise revolves around the ostracism and paradoxical retreat from accepted mores in order to gain acceptance of the main character, and Megamind lithely dances across these heavier social themes while achieving its laughs. There are several teaching moments in the film, such as when Megamind finally realizes that his actions make him a villain, not his upbringing, or when Titan realizes that money and power do not automatically equal love, put the film is never preachy or idyllic. Depending on your post-racial orientation and level of cynicism, you may find it interesting to note that throughout the film, McGrath and the writers seemed to have consciously steered clear of any indications that Megamind is disliked solely because of his odd physical appearance. Rather, he is always shown orchestrating some grand catastrophe, be it accidental, or deliberate that causes people to recoil. In other words, the film makes it pretty clear that Megamind is socially-inept first and a blue-skinned alien second; sort of like a Daffy Duck to Metro Man’s Bugs Bunny. The film also plays with the concept of celebrity vs. infamy and the role the press plays in the sustaining of both, as well as the classic yin and yang of good balancing evil, or as I like to call it, “if I’m bad all by myself, does anybody hear it?”

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this film. While it did not have me rolling in the aisles with laughter, the product as a whole made me smile and chuckle through the entirety of the film. I usually am indifferent to big-name voice talent as a simple theatre-filling gimmick, but the cast that DreamWorks put together for this film definitely lent their individual personalities to the characters, and I can honestly say that it made me enjoy it that much more knowing who was behind the microphone. After two weekends at the top of the box office returns, it is clear that DreamWorks’ homerun formula has a lot of juice left in it, and hopefully Megamind can look forward to that most important of all superhero movie elements: the sequel.

The Other Guys Review: If Take-out Was Funny

We’ve spent all our lives hearing about the superheroes; improbable men with extraordinary talent called to save the world in impossible situations. But what about the other guys, the ordinary guys who go face-to-face with the impossible. This weekend, The Other Guys are brought to the forefront with a comedic film that has both substance and heart.

The Other Guys stars Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell as the comedic odd couple. Mark Wahlberg plays Detective Terry Hoitz, a macho tough guy and a good cop until he makes the monumental mistake of shooting Derek Jeter. So, in response to this boneheaded move Hoitz finds himself pushing paper patrol with new partner Detective Allen Gamble. Gamble is the complete opposite of Hoitz; he’s a happy go lucky accountant who couldn’t be less interested in working the field. This doesn’t sit well with Hoitz who is eager to prove himself out in the field once again. But then a simple case of paperwork takes our pair out of their comfort zone and deep into a world of corporate fraud, intrigue, and murder. Hoitz gets what he wants but how will these two fair up against the odds which quickly grow out of their favor.

Ferrell and Walberg have an easy spirit. Will Ferrell is crazy in a way that only Will Ferrell can be. Mark Walberg is brilliant as a guy just a screwed up as everyone else, but unwilling to see it. Eva Mendes is good as Gamble’s hot wife, Damon Wayans Jr. and Rob Riggle rock as wannabe superstars. Michael Keaton stars as the police cheif who moonlights at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Ice-T serves as narrator and Derek Jeter stars as himself when taking a shot. This movie also includes Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson as superstar cops Danson and Highsmith (respectively), whose reckless and destructive hi-jinks are as spectacular as their actual busts are not. These two are over the top and spectacular in this role. They think they’re superheroes and they made me believe it too.

I particularly liked the parallels of the Superstar vs Other Guy storyline. It may be a bit shocking and hard to swallow but it’s true to reality. And in this instance, I have to give The Other Guys a gold star. The whole, ‘it’s the guys that you don’t see flashed all over the television that are saving the world’ is a true and uplifting thought.  Sure, we get trapped in the whole superstardom thing, but it’s the real guys, the firefighters, the soldiers, the cops, who are saving the world. I particularly liked the fact that everything was against these two and still they struggled on.

I love the message of this film, and there were strong performances by all the actors. That being said, there is one small matter of contention. The Other Guys was funny, sure. There were plenty of chuckles though no moments of comedic genius that would really set this film apart from anything else I’ve ever seen. And that is my only complaint with this film: it’s good, but not great; funny, though not hilarious. It’s by no means mediocre but there is no single brilliant point on which to cling. It’s all too easily forgettable, which is dissatisfying to say the least. Maybe I am asking for too much, this film is exactly what it’s meant to be, a good-time buddy film with both action and laughs. This just doesn’t seem to be enough when almost an hour later I’m wondering what I did with the last two hours of my life. It’s a good movie, you’ll probably enjoy yourself in the theater, but just like take-out an hour later you’ll be reaching for something more fulfilling. And yes I do feel guilty in saying that.

Photo by Macall Polay – © 2010 Columbia TriStar Marketing Group

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