NEW SHOWS:
The Oscars (B)
Though it ran way too long and I thought they botched the Bond montage and musicals tribute, I thought this was a fine Oscars and a step up from Billy Crystal’s tired shtick. Seth MacFarlane as host totally gets a thumbs up from me.
Girls – “Video Games” (B)
Would have been a great episode if we didn’t have to deal with Hannah’s boring crap. Read my review here.
The Americans – “COMINT” (B+)
While the mechanics of this show are getting very familiar, it still finds a way to make the story more complex and disturbing and still keeping you sympathetic to all the characters.
Community – “Alternative History of the German Invasion” (B+)
This column proves I’m not alone in thinking it’s way too early to jump ship. In fact, I thought this episode was pretty hilarious, and reminded me a lot of the show’s first season. I’m committed for the long haul, even if I’m the only one. Plus, I love that Pierce gets offended at not being compared to Hitler.
Lost to the time to get caught up in a marathon: Legit (poor Jim Jeffries. I’ll catch up one day!)
DVR BINGE:
The Following – “The Siege,” “The Fall” (average: B+)
After that rather silly business with magnets, I was ready to give this show one last shot. Turns out this two-parter is the best the show’s done yet, though I’m still startled with just how mind-bogglingly stupid the FBI is to lose the upper hand like they did. But I absolutely love Agent Parker’s cult backstory.
Modern Family – “Bad Hair Day,” “Best Men” (average: B)
The former was your typical high-end Modern Family episode. The latter represented everything I don’t like about the show. Read my review of it here.
Parks and Recreation – “Correspondents’ Lunch” (B+)
A silly and seriously edgy follow-up to the perfect sweetness of the wedding episode. Drugs! Sperm donors! Email hacking! This one has it all.
OLD SHOWS:
The Simpsons (Season 5) – “Homer and Apu” (B+)
“Who needs the Kwik-E-Mart? I doooooooooooooooooo.” While the episode’s second and third acts feature one of the show’s best songs, a convenience store Dalai Lama AND a time-traveling James Woods, it pales in comparison to Homer’s bottomless appetite for expired meats and a camera so small it can fit inside a novelty-sized cowboy hat.