How Not to Pick Up Women: The Ryan King Dating Story

   Matthew Perry is back home with another hit sitcom, Go On. NBC's new comedy tells the story of  widowed, sports radio talk show host, Ryan King (Perry) and his journey to recover, emotionally, from his wife's death. He is put into group therapy where he meets some strange people that, over time, he has grown to love. Well maybe not love, but he definitely likes them now. It's like Friends but instead of choosing to spend time together because they are actually friends, they have to be there because they're crazy. Made up of some familiar faces and some not-so familiar, this quirky cast has so wonderfully brought humor to the sad realities of life. It's perfect for everyone because you can either relate to the scenarios of the people in this group, you love sports and humor put together, or you just love Matthew Perry! Or maybe all three! Either way, click here and start watching it now because this is one show that will be around for a while.

   Tuesday night's episode brought us to Ryan feeling that he is ready to get back out there and try to start dating again. Every morning, he sees the same woman run past his house but can't say anything because, it turns out, he was never good at dating in the first place! As any normal widowed man would do, he recruits the help of his friend, Misty May-Treanor, to try and get comfortable around women. She lets him play volleyball with her and some of her friends and Ryan makes a complete fool of himself. He starts asking these grown women about Twilight and ends up throwing his back out. He goes over to Lauren's (the leader of the therapy group) house and without thinking, tries to kiss her while she is giving him advice. She is flattered and explains that it happens to everyone and points out her gifts from everyone else in the group when it happened to them. Her chiropractor boyfriend, Wyatt, laughs when Ryan feels guilty about trying to kiss Lauren. Of course Ryan tells him after he fixes his back. Wyatt understands that the 'saddies' (as he calls them) go through this and cling on to Lauren. While the show has definitely created some sexual tension between Ryan and Lauren, I'm not sure if the writers will ever take it in that direction. A part of me wants it but then the other part loves them staying exactly the way they are and Ryan finds someone else outside the group (hint hint bring back Lauren Graham!). In the end, Ryan realizes he is going to have to go very slow when it comes to dating again, but takes his first step by taking off running behind the girl who goes by his house every morning. How cute! And a little creepy if you think about it, but mostly cute!

The Big Bang Theory - The Parking Spot Escalation

   The Big Bang Theory is by far one of the best shows on television. It is smart, witty, and has a killer cast! I believe Jim Parsons is just one of those acting geniuses. I know a lot of film actors have also been on the Broadway stage, whether for a musical or play but, to me, it's a bit more impressive when a TV actor does it and is successful. I'm not sure why but it just is. Anyways, with the other shows I've been introducing I've done a quick summary but it is impossible to sum up Big Bang quickly. So, if you haven't seen the show, find someone who does and go watch it with them! I only say watch it with someone who does because you might need them to explain a few things, for example, Sheldon Cooper.

   Last night's episode was a great battle between Howard and Sheldon. Their great battle even caused a battle between Amy and Bernadette! That's how great it was! So you know how Sheldon hates when people are in his spot? Well, Howard got to see just how crazy Sheldon can be when someone is in his spot and won't leave. The University decided to give Howard his own parking spot since he is now a big deal (apparently going into outer space means you're cool or something) and they end up assigning him the parking space that has already been assigned to Sheldon. Now, you say, doesn't Sheldon not have a car or even know how to drive? You are correct! Apparently this university doesn't need you to meet those requirements in order to be assigned a parking spot, you just have to be super smart. So, since Howard refuses to give Sheldon his spot back because, let's face it, that's stupid, Sheldon declares war on him. Howard's argument was that Sheldon wasn't using his parking spot so, Sheldon takes Howard's Iron Man helmet because, to use his own argument against him, Howard wasn't using it. I think you can already tell this is going to get out of hand. In retaliation, Leonard, Raj, and Sheldon come home to see Howard, sitting on their couch, in Sheldon's spot, naked. Also, Sheldon's laptop was sitting on his crotch to cover it up. Personally, I thought Sheldon would explode right then and there but no, he decides to have Amy park her car in Howard's spot; they also changed the name on the spot to say 'S. Cooper'. Because Bernadette and Amy got caught up in the fight between their beau's, Bernadette had Amy's car towed, and scratched it a little bit. So Sheldon just moves his office outside to the parking spot so that he would be using it. Well, when a man with a car goes up against a man in a rolling chair, it doesn't end well for the man in the chair. Sheldon's last resort was to get in Howard's car right then and sit in the driver's seat, naked. For those of you wondering, yes, he looked like a crazy man-child. Raj talks Howard into being the bigger man and Howard goes and apologizes to Sheldon and lets him have his spot back. Not to be defeated, Sheldon does not accept that and decides he himself is the bigger man and he will let Howard use his parking spot until he learns how to drive. Which, after his last few attempts, I'm hoping will be never.

The Big Bang Theory airs Thursday nights at 8pm on CBS

The Mindy Project

   With The Office in it's last season, Mindy Kaling had the opportunity to take her amazing writing and acting skills somewhere else--to her own show! The Mindy Project, in it's first season on FOX, has become one of my new favorite sitcoms. Kaling plays Mindy Lahiri, an Ob/Gyn in her early thirties, that wants her life to be like a romantic comedy. She went to a great school, became a doctor, and is now a partner at her practice. But her love life has not been what she wanted it to be, so we join her on her journey for love, and get to meet all she encounters along the way. At her office there are two other doctors, Jeremy Reed (Ed Weeks) and Danny Castellano (Chris Messina). At the start of the series, Jeremy was a causal rebound for Mindy after being dumped by her boyfriend, but it quickly stopped after she realized from her best friend, Gwen (Anna Camp), that she needed to get her life back together. Danny is the macho-man of the office who doesn't have time for Mindy's personal problems, which she is always brining to work. However, there have been a few subtle-but-obvious hints dropped that the two will get together at some point during the series. The office is also joined by the two receptionists, Betsy (Zoe Jarman), who is a small town girl living in NYC and Shauna (Amanda Setton), a beautiful New Yorker who is very sweet but makes Betsy, and even Mindy sometimes, very jealous of her looks. Then there is Morgan (Ike Barinholtz), the nurse, who despite his big heart, causes some awkward situations. The cast together makes for an unlikely and quirky group but they are making it work extremely well. I'm glad to see Mindy Kaling in a more grown up role than her character Kelly from The Office. She has taken the funniness of Kelly, which was how she handled her emotions and life in general, and put it into a well-educated, strong, and self-sufficient woman. Add an amazingly hilarious cast and you've got a hit! Well, at least in my eyes.

   Tuesday night's episode had Mindy giving her 15 year-old neighbor, Sophia, some advice on her love life, or more specifically, her sex life. Mindy is shocked that Sophia even thinks she is ready to have sex, but agrees that if she can meet Sophia's boyfriend and she approves of him, Mindy will prescribe her birth control. Meanwhile, Danny has to deal with a complaint of lewd behavior between two co-workers. An anonymous letter accused Morgan of ogling Shauna's breasts, but when confronted about it, Morgan seems to think he's actually in trouble for keeping stray dogs in the office. See what I mean about awkward situations? Shauna admits she was not the one who complained and didn't notice anything with Morgan. Danny later finds out Betsy was the anonymous accuser, but she only did it because she doesn't feel men find her attractive. Danny struggles trying to comfort her, as he rarely shows emotion towards his co-workers. And by struggle, I mean it would have been easier for him to climb Mt. Everest with his bare hands.

   Mindy goes to Sophia's school to meet her boyfriend, Henry, because, as she says, she looks 18 and can get in with no questions. Once there, we find a very unrealistic perspective of high school (history of dub-step class, slime as an accessory, lounges for the kids with bean bag chairs) but I think they did that for the reason of showing Mindy (and metaphorically adults) how much high school has changed since she was a kid. Or at least I'm hoping that's why because otherwise, these writers need a serious reality check. Or I could be way over-thinking it and they wrote it that way just to be funny, because it actually was really funny seeing these kids act this way. Anyways, while being questioned about his future, Henry explains to Mindy that he doesn't need to go to college because he can just make an app and get rich, his argument being Mark Zuckerburg dropping out of Harvard. Mindy's retort that Mark Zuckerburg got in to Harvard in the first place, doesn't seem to change his attitude and, among other stupid remarks, causes Mindy to disapprove of him for Sophia. Of course Sophia gets angry and explains how they love each other and they are going to be together forever! After a talk with Gwen, Mindy realizes that while she doesn't approve of Henry, she knows she can't stop Sophia, or any teenager for that matter, from having sex with someone they believe they are in love with. So she does what she can do (which lands her in "school jail") to make sure that Sophia will at least be safe if she decides to have sex with Henry. In the end, Sophia and Henry decide to wait and Mindy even gets her own slime. Which is so slime!

The Mindy Project airs Tuesdays at 9:30 on FOX

New Girl - Who Would Win, Me vs. Gorilla?

   The answer is gorilla. The answer will always be gorilla. FOX's hit comedy New Girl, now in it's second season, has been a non-stop laughing fest and I'm sorry it has taken this long for me to get it on the blog! If you have been living under a rock and haven't seen the hilarity coming from this downtown L.A. apartment, I'll tell you what you're missing out on. Jessica Day (Zooey Deschanel) broke up with her boyfriend and moved into an apartment she found on Craigslist that, to her surprise, was occupied by 3 guys. Nevertheless she decided she wanted to move in with them and much to their hesitation, they let her. Schmidt (Max Greenfield), Nick (Jake Johnson), and Winston (Lamorne Morris) accepted Jess into their lives, along with her model-best-friend CeCe (Hannah Simone), which was no doubt one of the reasons she was allowed to move in with them, and I'm so glad they did. There are so many little details of the show I could explain but that would take too long. You just need to go buy the DVD of the first season and you can thank me later.

   On last night's episode 'Eggs', Jess and CeCe's O.B.G.Y.N. and her partner announce that they are pregnant and let it slip that by the age of 30, most women lose 90% of their eggs, but that there is a test you can take to let you know how much is left in you. Jess, of course, freaks out and decides to take the test, making CeCe take it as well. While waiting for the results, CeCe tries to calm Jess by saying everything will be fine and they both still have plenty of time to have kids if they want. The guys try to calm Jess another way--offering to get her pregnant and explaining why each of them would be the best person in the apartment to have a baby with. I probably would have jumped at that opportunity, mostly because I would jump Nick or Schmidt if they ever came near me, but Jess is smart and kindly turns them all down. At the end of the episode, Jess and CeCe go to get their test results and Jess finds that her levels are off the charts and she has more than enough time to have kids. CeCe, who wasn't even sure about kids in the first place, finds out that if she wants kids at all, it has to happen now, otherwise it will never happen. Seeing her boyfriend Robby's reaction to the question 'what do you think about kids' seems good at first but when he added "in 10 years or so", we all knew that the relationship would be ending soon. I like Robby but I want CeCe to get back together with Schmidt so I'd be fine if the relationship ended next week, but we'll have to wait and see. And since Schmidt realized he's in love with CeCe, after not being able to satisfy his crazy boss, I know he won't stop until he gets her back.

   Now onto the gorillas. Nick starts to hit his mid-life crisis a little early. Which now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure Nick has been in his mid-life crisis throughout the entire series. Winston, who has found his dream job, but is also now on an adjusted sleeping schedule, starts to push Nick's buttons without even knowing it. Nick realizes he doesn't know what he wants to do with his life but he has always wanted to write a zombie novel so he decides he's going to do it. He thinks he needs to start living his life the way Ernest Hemingway did so that's what he sets out to do. It really becomes more of a procrastination technique and he ends up dragging Winston out of bed (getting him off his adjusted schedule) and they go to the zoo (hence the gorillas). Nick, claiming Hemingway did it, pulls out a flask and gets uncontrollably drunk. And if anyone remembers the last time Nick got this way, you know it made for wonderful sitcom television. After trying to release snakes on Winston, Nick gets some harsh reality thrown at him--he doesn't finish anything and he never will. To everyone's surprise, (but not the audience's) Nick actually sits down and writes his zombie novel and Winston is the first to read it. Of course it's horrible; it includes a word search that doesn't actually have words hidden in it. But he finished it and that leads to everyone in Nick's bed with Winston reading the awful novel 'Z For Zombie' to them in his deep, sexy voice. Nick may not be a writer, but now he can say he finished something. Personally, I think he should go back and do more water therapy with Tran.

New Girl airs Tuesday's at 9pm on FOX. Photos courtesy of FOX

Ben & Kate: Recap and a Quick Look into the Show

   I said a few posts back that I was going to start adding more shows to the blog and I'm finally getting around to tackling Tuesday night television. So today starts the additions of Ben&Kate, New Girl, The Mindy Project, Go On, and The New Normal! We'll start with one of FOX's new comedies, Ben&Kate. First, if you haven't seen it, let me give you a quick summary: Kate Fox (Dakota Johnson) is a single mom in her twenties who dropped out of college when she got pregnant with her daughter, Maddie (Maggie Jones). She has a crazy brother, Ben (Nate Faxon), who pops in and out of her life unexpectedly, but has now come back for good to live with her and help her raise Maddie. Along with their two friends, Tommy (Echo Kellum), who is in love with Kate but isn't sure what to do about it, and BJ (Lucy Punch), who is just a beautiful, British, enigma, but also my favorite character in this new quirky sitcom, they are all just trying to find their way through life. While the show has not been a hit, it hasn't gone under yet (as NBC and CBS have already had happen with new sitcoms). It is a cute show with some lovable characters but let's just say I'm not going to be upset if my DVR screws up and forgets to record it. If you haven't been watching this show, you don't even have to start at the beginning to get into it. The show doesn't have much of an order to it, you can understand every character's role and purpose in the show in each episode. No, it's not a hit, it probably won't ever be, and I think it is definitely an acquired sitcom, but I do think it's worth giving it a chance. My guess is we will get 2-3 seasons from it, tops, so check it out while you know it's still around! I hope that it can grow into something more and get better with time, but when the announcement of it's cancellation comes, I won't be surprised.

   Now for last night's episode: Kate has started dating down-the-street-neighbor and single dad, Will (recurring guest star, the gorgeous Geoff Stults). While her relationship seems perfect, she knows something is bound to go wrong soon. Will invites her to come see his cover band, ZZ Scott, and when she and BJ show up to the concert, Kate finally finds the one thing wrong with him: when Will plays guitar, he makes his sex face. And it is NOT pretty. Later that night, Will is trying to get comfy with Kate but she can't stop laughing, and finally tells him about his face. Obviously this causes tension between the two, only to be severed by Kate's realization in the end that she has trust issues and she was just looking for something wrong with Will so she could push him away. Classic single moms, always looking to be let down. But, as all the good guys say, Will isn't going anywhere. Cue make-up scene! While Kate seems pre-occupied with her relationship, BJ starts to feel unimportant in Kate's life, which is not acceptable because BJ should be the most important person in everyone's life! According to her. She stumbles upon a Women's Support Group for divorced women and they welcome BJ and give her advice on how to handle what is going on with Kate. While this makes BJ into a wise and compassionate person for the first time in her life, I doubt it will be there next week.

   As for Ben and Tommy, they just keep getting themselves caught up in bad situations. Actually Ben causes bad situations and Tommy bails him out. This time was a bit different. Tommy scored Ben a job at the country club he works at so he could earn some extra cash while thinking up his next 'great idea'. Unfortunately for Ben, the only job Tommy could get him was the snack girl job. And yes, the title of the position is actually 'Snack Girl'. Ben finds out from some golfers that the best way to earn cash is to poach for golf balls in the middle of the night and sell them back to the golfers. It's also illegal because he would be trespassing but that doesn't stop Ben. Even Tommy's begging doesn't convince him it may be a bad idea. As Tommy follows Ben and tries to stop him from poaching, the police show up and both of them get fired from the club. Ben, being the smooth talker he is, tries to get Tommy his job back but the boss doesn't care. As any normal person would be, Tommy is furious with Ben and stops talking to him. After multiple failed tries to call him, Ben decides there is only one way for him to make it up to Tommy--have Tommy hit an entire bucket of golf balls at Ben at short range. Because that is clearly the best and only way this can be fixed...oh boys. As expected, they only get through one ball before Ben keels over and Tommy forgives him. In the end it kind of works out. I say kind of because they are not very clear on whether Tommy gets his job back but I'm going to assume that he does. They do, however, get their first investor in their new business idea, which honestly I don't even know what it is. Something with trains... Anyways, as with every episode, everyone lives happily ever after! Until next week when Ben will screw something up again.

Photos courtesy of FOX

A Bro-down in the Courtroom

   On last night's How I Met Your Mother, Marshall had the biggest case of his career. Mostly because if he lost, his boss was going to fire him. And no one knew it would turn out the way it did. If you recall from last week, Brad (played by Joe Manganiello), a law school bro of Marshall's, returned and tricked Marshall into getting his strategy for his big upcoming case against a pharmaceutical company. Turned out Brad represented the company Marshall was suing. So not cool bro. This week we saw how the case went down. Ted, Lily, Robin and Barney all called in sick at work so they could go to court and support Marshall. Well, it was more like Ted called in for everyone and then told them about it afterwards. However Barney's massive hemorrhoids are definitely real. Anyways, in the midst of Marshall's trial, the gang gets caught up in reminiscing about the old days when they were all teenage bad-asses. Of course they're all lying but its fun to see 35 year-olds dress up as 16 year-old rebels! Turns out Barney was in a 'Magic Club', Robin was the nicest Canadian pop-star ever, and Ted was just a nerd. Lily might actually have been a badass who turned preppy, mama's-boy Jeff into failed-umpire Scooter (played by the beautiful and talented David Burtka--have I mentioned how much I love when he's on the show? The answer is a lot) but we'll never know since her rap sheet has apparently 'disappeared' from the system. But back to Marshall! He finds himself fighting a losing battle in court since the judge and the all-female jury falls in love with Brad. I mean who wouldn't? Joe Manganiello is gorgeous! Marshall might be telling the truth about Gruber Pharmaceutical polluting Frog Lake but Brad has all the right moves. Even Marshall's sick baby duckling couldn't hold the women's attention for more than a few minutes. Brad's sexy video of himself swimming in Frog Lake captured everyone's eyes, but luckily for Marshall, it also became Brad's downfall. Just when he thought there was nothing left, Marshall calls Brad to the stand as a witness and asks him to remove his shirt. While Brad objects, no one else does and the judge orders the shirt to be removed immediately. Once he opens the top few buttons, everyone sees the awful dermatitis that has broken out on his chest from swimming in Frog Lake, proving Marshall right. Marshall's firm was suing for $25 million, and while the jury found Gruber guilty, the judge only fined them $25,000. Marshall becomes distraught at the outcome but realizes he can't do anything about it. Later, he sees Brad at McLaren's. They make up and schedule a bro-brunch but their conversation about always fighting for the little guy gives Marshall an idea. So he goes in front of the New York State Judiciary Committee to ask for an appointment to a judgeship.

   This was such a great episode because we have never seen Marshall in court before, we only see him at the office. Especially with a show like this, which shows grown men and women who spend what looks to be about 15 hours of their day at a bar, it's always nice when they put a character in a real-life work situation. I also loved it because this was one of their morality story lines  Showing Marshall fighting for the little guy, doing everything he dreamed of doing, but then having him do what it takes to make even more of a difference in the world. Becoming a judge is going to be hard, and waiting around to see if he gets it will be difficult for him as a character and us as an audience! But I hope the writers make this story have a happy ending, because I think Marshall deserves it. Since we know the show is nearing its end, whether it's this season or the next, I want to see Marshall suited up in a judge's robe and throwing down some justice by the time we meet the mother. Besides, who else has better hope, vision, and integ than Marshall Eriksen?

   Side story: Barney and Robin had an intense moment last week but Robin stopped it before it went any further. They were awkward throughout the entire episode and in the end, Barney said he was done. He's done with trying to get Robin and they will just go back to the way things were, being friends and nothing more ever again. While we know that isn't true, it had never occurred to Robin that there could be something left between them. Until now. DUN DUN DUN! No but really that's how it ended.

Want to see last night's bro-down or other episodes from this season? Click here! 

Photos courtesy of CBS

Holiday Happenings

   I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Mine was very simple and calm (mostly because my whole family got sick) but it ended up being one of the best Thanksgiving weekends we had ever had! I did go out on Black Friday but only because I had to work. Luckily I got nice customers and no psychos. What did you think of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? As usual, I loved most of it. There are always a few people I either don't know of don't like but I had two favorite parts this year (and surprisingly, neither of them were the number from Elf the Musical). My two favorite parts were, first, the marching band that had robot-like uniforms on. They had some of the craziest formations I have ever seen, even on a football field! And yes I love watching awesome marching bands, I did color guard so I have a bit of band geek in me. My other favorite part was during the 'Elf Yourself' float and all the kids were clogging, there was a little girl who the camera stayed on most of the time and she was so good! She also looked like she was going to keel over once her feet stopped moving 50 miles an hour.

   I was so happy to see Karmin perform, and see Jimmy Fallon and The Roots rock out! To be honest those are the only bands I remember. Clearly I didn't really like any of the others. The Rockettes kicked their legs up as always, but other than that their performance wasn't that impressive. It was good, don't get me wrong, but nothing stood out as really really awesome. And I don't know about you, but I did not love the group that did a song and dance about how there are Santa's all over the world. I thought there was only one! You know, like the one that came out right after that song to end the parade and tell the world it is now socially acceptable to play Christmas music in public? If I was a child, I would have had a lot of questions for Mom and Dad after that number... anyways, the real end to the festivities for me was seeing the dog show come on after the parade, which I stopped watching after the beagle was passed over.

   I didn't mention this before the holiday but I decided that I wasn't going to do any posts while on break. So now that break is over, I'll be back will my normal stuff tomorrow. No reviews or recaps for you but I do have a few things to share. First, Partners was cancelled! :( I was so upset when I heard, especially since I had only done my first review the other week. But mostly because it was such a good show! There are about 7 episodes that have already been filmed but CBS will not be airing them. Reruns of other CBS shows (Two and an Half Men, Rules of Engagement) will play in it's 8:30 time slot until they find something else to fill it. I don't see why they can't at least follow NBC's lead and show the filmed episodes before completely cutting the show (as NBC did with their new comedy flop Animal Practice). If you are like me and want to know what the other episodes were going to be, here is a link that will tell you.

   In other news, Chevy Chase is leaving Community, surprise surprise. While his character's exit from the show is unclear, he will be in the season 4 finale. In better news, Jaime Foxx is hosting Saturday Night Live this Saturday, December 8th! I would say I really hope it's going to be funny but with a man like Foxx, he will make sure it's funny. Also, probably anything he does will be funnier than everything Jeremy Renner did a couple weeks ago. In the best news, Disney will be doing a Boy Meets World spinoff titled Girl Meets World, which follows Cory and Topanga as parents raising their teenage daughter. That's right, the best show on television is returning! Kind of. To read more about the new show and my ecstatic feelings about it, click here!

Girl Meets World, aka Sequel to the Best Show in the World

   We all remember the reunion episode: Feeny was retiring, Cory and Topanga were wonderful parents to a baby girl, Shawn and Angela were great writers and who kept missing their chances to be together, Jack was a successful business man, and Eric...well Eric married a moose. But what if we got to see some of that story actually play out? Disney has signed a deal with Boy Meets World creator Michael Jacobs for a spinoff, Girl Meets World, following Cory and Topanga (reported to still be played by Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel) as parents raising their young teenage daughter. Now for me personally, this is the best thing to happen to television since Nickelodeon started airing reruns of their best 90's shows at night. The biggest reason I want this to happen is not only because Boy Meets World was hands down the best show on television from 1993 to 2000, but because kids these days don't have a show like this! Everything on TV today for kids is about 11 year-olds who can sing and dance, or are ninjas, and go to an unrealistic school for such talents. This show would allow children to watch realistic life situations in a not too dramatic way, but without being cheesy. I mean, these kids need to hear advice from Mr. Feeny! There is no one who couldn't benefit from a fence-side chat with the famous teacher.

   While the 90's are gone, this project can bring back some of the magic from TGIF, as long as the proper protocols are followed: Uncle Eric teaches his niche the Feeny call, Shawn comes back regularly, and Mr. Feeny has come out of retirement to teach the newest addition to the Matthew's family until she herself is out of college.

Sources: Entertainment Weekly, TV Line
Images courtesy of: DTV USA Forum, FanPop, ScreenRant

Partners: Recap and a Quick Look into the Story

   Partners has become one of my new favorite shows! CBS is really stepping it up in the comedy department, adding this show to a list of great comedy hits along with How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, and others. On this week's episode, Joe and Louis have to hire a secretary for two weeks while their's visits "the island of Nunya...nunya business!" With Ro-Ro gone on her secret getaway, Louis decides to hire Wyatt as their secretary, without talking it over with Joe beforehand, of course. Joe tries to warn Louis about how this will affect their home life badly, but Louis decides it will be a "win-win" for everyone! Even though he doesn't understand the meaning of "win-win". In the meantime, Ali has a party at her store that she has to get ready for and while it's very stressful, it all comes together in the end. Love her but her stories usually aren't very complicated... Wyatt's height and ability to organize makes Joe love having him around the office but as predicted, Louis starts to hate having Wyatt work with them. He has unknowingly taken over as the funny, cute, gay guy of the office which sets off Louis jealous streak and he makes Joe fire Wyatt. But, Wyatt's puppy dog eyes and sweet obliviousness overcome Louis with guilt and love and the next day Wyatt is back to work! Turns out to be a "win-win" after all! Well, if you ask Louis.

   If you haven't been watching Partners, you seriously need to jump on this comedy bandwagon. Since this is my first time writing about it, let me catch you up: CBS's new hit comedy is about two guys, one gay and one straight, who are best friends and business partners. They story is based on the relationship of the show's creators (who are also the geniuses behind Will&Grace),  David Kohan and Matt Mutchnick. The characters are Joe, played by David Krumholtz, and Louis, played by Michael Urie. Their close friendship and work relationship starts to get tested when Joe gets engaged to his girlfriend, Ali (Sophia Bush). Louis and his boyfriend, Wyatt (played by Superman himself, Brandon Routh), make for a wonderful 'opposites attract' duo against Joe and Ali. It's so fun watching the friendship of Joe and Louis try and change but then realizing it never will. So, their better halves adapt! Ali and Louis's friendship develops even more into the girl/gay bff relationship we all know so well and Wyatt...well Wyatt is a super hot, super sweet gay guy who apologizes for yelling when he doesn't even raise his voice. I love seeing how Wyatt humbles Louis, even if it's only for a minute. No matter what crazy stuff Louis pulls, he always realizes how lucky he is that Wyatt has stuck around and dealt with him. Partners airs Mondays on CBS at 8:30 pm EST.

Photos courtesy of CBS

The End of the Autumn of Break-Ups

   Don't you hate it when really really attractive people are really really stupid? It makes it so hard to break up with them. If only we all had Barney Stinson as a friend to swoop in and break up with our stupid boyfriends for us! On Monday's episode of How I Met Your Mother, we finally saw the last break-up of the 'Autumn of Break-ups'. After Nick suffered a basketball injury that prevented him from having sex for a few days, he and Robin started having some real issues in the relationship. Well, more like Robin realized that Nick is stupid and is only good at sex while Nick didn't realize anything was wrong at all. Hence, the difficult break-up. After multiple tries of every break-up cliché Robin could think of, she performed the ultimate cliché of taking Nick to 'Splitsville', the hippest break-up place in the city which also serves banana splits. Robin has the whole gang on speaker phone while trying to break-up with Nick (due to a time limit that Barney had given her, otherwise something terrible would happen) when he starts to explain that, while he can't play basketball for the rest of the season, they can have sex again. Her judgement clouded with lust, Robin becomes unable to break-up with him. And that's where Barney comes in. He shows up declaring his love for Robin (which we all know has been there forever) causing the inevitable break-up to finally happen. But Nick ends up okay. I mean, taking two beautiful women who have also just been dumped back to your apartment is ending up okay, right?Of course, after leaving, Barney denies the whole thing to Robin, but she knows, just like the rest of us, it was anything but a lie. Click here to watch a video of the speech (real or not, I would take Neil Patrick Harris saying these things about me any day!)

  I want to be sad for Robin about the break-up but this whole ordeal allowed us to get one step closer to her wedding with Barney! And that just makes me way too excited to feel bad for her. Sources say there is one more step left in the Robin-Barney-Ted love triangle, which is just annoying, Ted seriously needs to get over her, but then Robin and Barney are free to be together forever! And the side story of the episode: Ted, while a great architect, sucks at basketball. A lot. Marshall and Lily really need to get some time to themselves so that Marshall stops over-exercising and Lily stops turning boring situations into dirty ones involving a Danish slut named Nadia, which just makes everyone uncomfortable. Actually, Marshall can keep working out to relieve his stress, I miss his younger, thinner days. Plus watching him do pull-ups with little Marvin strapped to his chest or push-ups with Barney sitting on his back is pretty legendary.

Photos courtesy of CBS

Anne Hathaway Hosts SNL

   I was right! The musical monologue returned and there was a Les Misérable sketch, but I did not guess that they would put the two together! To be honest though, I really should have. This past Saturday, Anne Hathaway hosted Saturday Night Live. Like I said, the monologue was Les Mis themed, since Hathaway plays Fantine in the latest movie setting of Victor Hugo's famous story (in theaters December 25th, 2012). The whole cast was involved with singing a song, set to the tune of 'One Day More', that was about how they spend their Sunday's since it is the only day the cast and crew don't work. Jason Sudeikis started by singing the part of Jean Valjean, Taran Killam and Cecily Strong were Marius and Cosette, Hathaway jumped in with the part of Eponine, and the rest of the cast followed. While their harmonies weren't quite perfect it was very enjoyable for someone who is looking forward to the movie! 

   The cold open was a slightly funny but mostly stupid look at how Mitt Romney acted after he lost the election. Jason Sudeikis played him standing on the balcony, sneaking drinks from a carton of milk while his wife, played by Kate McKinnon, and sons, all played by Taran Killam, tried to get him to stop sulking. Even after looking it up, I'm still not sure if the milk thing was because Mormon's don't drink milk or because that would be their alternative to alcohol (which I know they don't drink). Either way, the sketch went on far too long, especially with the joke that Romney couldn't tell the difference between his sons. Aidy Grant finally got a breakthrough with 'Girlfriends Talk Show' which featured her and Cecily Strong as BFF's and Hathaway as Strong's other BFF that Grant didn't know about. Grant was hilarious as the distraught friend who I know many girls could relate to. Then, there was Mokiki...Mokiki does the Sloppy Swish. Not only is the dance contagious, the tune is too! This week's short film had Kenan Thompson singing about the legend of Mokiki. Taran Killam played a...well let's just call it a mutant creature, that dressed in capri sweat pants, sandals, island shirts, and wore his long hair in a bun while dancing his dance. Hathaway falls in love with the Mokiki and she too becomes genetically mutated and they start a Sloppy Swish family. While it was extremely weird, I also found it to be really great and funny.

   There was a sketch about Homeland which was hilarious even though I've never seen the show but I have a feeling it would have come across even better if I had. The McDonald's sketch was nice just because the entire cast was in it and I love those sketches! Strong and Bobby Moynihan were two, ghetto-ish workers who decided to throw out insults and complaints about everyone they work with because they thought they were being fired. In end, they don't get fired, causing an awkward ending to a funny but long-running sketch. Weekend Update brought the return of one of my favorites, Drunk Uncle! Moynihan is just awesome as this character, "Spotify me, Spotify me." Seth Meyers talked to President Barack Obama (recently played by Jay Pharoah) and we got a look at what could possibly happen in real life: Obama doing things his way and not even listening to anyone. I don't want to make a political statement but that's just how it came across. While Pharoah's voice is much better than Fred Armisen's impression, I don't really care for his mannerisms. I'm pretty sure the POTUS doesn't dance around and move his shoulders that much. Kate McKinnon's portrayal of Ellen DeGeneres was sad. I love Ellen and if someone is going to impersonate her or 'make fun' of her, it better be a lot better than that. Hathaway's impression of Katie Holmes was good but overall the sketch wasn't great. The best impression of it was Vanessa Bayer and Nasim Pedrad as Sophie Grace and Rosie, two young British girls who have become famous guests of Ellen's. The American Gothic painting sketch was again, cute,  with Hathaway having to cross her eyes if she looked straight ahead but nothing too impressive. I would say the parody commercial that was played at the end should have been bumped up because it was one of the funniest things in the show but also having it at the end allowed the show to end on a high note. I wish Flaritin was real because I'm pretty sure their are people with fake allergies who just say 'I'm allergic' to things they just don't like.

Favorite joke: Bobby Moynihan as Drunk Uncle "Back when I was a kid, you couldn't vote unless you had suspenders-cane-monocle-top-hat-fancy."
Least Favorite joke: Kate McKinnon as Ellen

It's Christmas Time Again!

   They sang their way into the hearts of screaming girls all over the world and now they have done it again! And no, I'm not talking about those British wannabes. The world of boy bands has belonged to them since 1993 and they will never stop being number one. That's right, I'm talking about the one and only, Backstreet Boys!

   I know this blog is supposed to be about TV, but I am making an exception because my favorite band in the entire world, the Backstreet Boys, (that's right, I'm 19 and still love them and I always will!) has released a Christmas single!! I am so excited because they have never done a Christmas album and haven't released a Christmas song in a very long time. It is an original track titled "It's Christmas Time Again" and it is phenomenal! (Available to buy on iTunes and Amazon) I might be slightly biased but they truly are amazing. And what makes it even better, it is the first single that has been released since the return of the beloved Kevin Richardson!

   The boys have been hard at work on their new album, set to release next summer, but they surprised fans with an early Christmas gift of tweeting a link to hear a snippet of the new song. Just days before the release on iTunes and Amazon, the boys sent out a link to their AOL page allowing fans to hear the song in its entirety. I will admit, I thought this meant a surprise Christmas album would follow, but it's looking like we still have to wait until 2013 to hear the work that was done this past summer in London. I can't wait!! Until then, I will playing this song in my house non-stop, celebrating two of my favorite things, Christmas and the Backstreet Boys.

   For those of you that are curious (which is probably no one), this is my own personal history with the Backstreet Boys:
-I have seen 5 of their concerts: The Homecoming and Millenium concerts were recorded on VHS and are still watched, I attended the Black and Blue concert in Charlotte, NC, the what I call "Coming Back" concert (after their 2 year hiatus but before Never Gone was actually released) which was in Raleigh, NC, and the most recent NKOTBSB concert in Greensboro, NC.
-I have every CD they have ever recorded (that was released in America or Europe) and I am currently working on obtaining the Australian edition of 'Backstreets Back' because it has songs that were not released on the American or European versions and they are some of my favorites!
-Fun Fact: My age is the age of the band! I was born in 1993, they got together in 1993, and in 2013 they are celebrating their 20th anniversary!

   All in all, the boys are back and I couldn't be happier! And my feelings are those of millions of people all over the globe! The world still needs A.J.'s rocker pipes, Kevin's fulfilling bass, Howie's sweet falsetto, Brian's soft yet powerful sound, and Nick's face. Just kidding! They wouldn't be the same without his beautiful pop vocals! But in all seriousness, can anyone imagine a world without his gorgeous face? Because I can't. The Backstreet Boys are timeless, and as long there'll be music they'll be comin' back again!

All photos courtesy of Backstreet Boys

Louie C.K. Hosts SNL

Can I just say how much I love when comedians host SNL? Yes it's impressive when dramatic actors can come in and kill it but when comedians are on, especially stand-up comedians, you know going into it that it is going to be awesome. Drawing away from the musical monologue (which I'm sure will return with this week's host Anne Hathaway--I'm also predicting a Les Mis sketch!), Louie C.K. was able to do his own stand up for his monologue and luckily for us, he's hilarious. The cold open of the sign language translators for Michael Bloomberg and Chris Christie during their Hurricane Sandy addresses just proved even more how Cecily Strong will be running this show in 2 years and how Nasim Pedrad is being way underused. The 'new' short films (not sure who is making them but whoever it is, you deserve a very large pizza party) are coming across wonderfully. Side note: I put new in quotes because if you know anything about SNL you know that they have had short films since 1975 but coming off of the Andy Samberg and Lonely Island reign of that part of the show, they are doing very well in replacing the Digital Shorts. Bruno Mars' 'Sad Mouse' and Louie's 'Lincoln' films have been the start of what I hope is a long run of awesomeness. And now, a message to the sketches Australian Screen Legends and whatever the Zod/horn thing was: stop. Clearly you do not have cast members who can do Australian accents, which I know with some things is part of the fun but for this, it wasn't. The only way Kate McKinnon could keep going was by making her eyes look like a Tarsier* (see photo at bottom for reference). And for the Nordic sketch (I have no idea what to call it), the only funny parts were when Louie brought the horn away from his mouth before the sound ended and when there was clearly an issue with the cue cards. If technical difficulties are the funniest part of a sketch, it should have died in dress. Alas, it was aired and hopefully they will never go back. Now back to the good parts! (If you sang that in Michael Bolton's voice from Lonely Island's 'Jack Sparrow', we are soul mates) Fox and Friends sketch! I will tell you that I am mostly Republican but trust me, I have problems with some of their views. Fox News is known for being more conservative and while I have never seen the actual show they are making fun of, I don't really want to because I feel like it would ruin the sketch for me. This is also one of the very few sketches I like Vanessa Bayer in. While they exaggerate "rationalizing" situations of Republican politicians (mostly Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan) and making everything President Obama does and says seem like the worst possible thing ever. The best part is the end when they roll the 'corrections' from the first two hours of their news show. If you actually pause and read all of the corrections they list, you will be rolling on the floor. Weekend Update was filled with political satire and some new characters including one of my new favorites "The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party". While her title is too long, Cecily Strong portrays the annoying girl we all know who talks about nothing just to hear her own voice. But she does it so well that we love her! While I love Aidy Grant, she has a little work to do on her new southern bell social media expert character, Kourtney Barnes. It was funny, truly! But there was just something missing that made it memorable. Favorite joke: In the cold open, Cecily and Nasim as the sign language interpretors pushing their ears out as the sign for Obama.

 *Tarsier                     Kate McKinnon

Election Outcome to Effect SNL Cast?

I know I'm not the only one glad that the election is over. As much as I will miss the recorded phone calls 20 times a day and the ridiculous ads running 24/7, there is now a much more important issue facing our country: will Jason Sudeikis leave SNL? The social media world (well the part of that world that cares about comedy) is buzzing with this question. Without the character of Mitt Romney, people are questioning Sudeikis' motive to stay on the show. My own argument is "What about playing Joe Biden?!? We still have a VP that needs to be made fun of on a weekly basis!" Yes his contract is up and all we know is that he is guaranteed through January. But then what happens? While Lorne Michaels describes Sudeikis as "fiercely loyal to the show and to him" he could still easily leave mid-season. This is Sudeikis' 10th season working on the show (8th as a performer) so he has definitely run his course on the show but, as with every superstar cast member that has ever left, I can't imagine the show without him. Unfortunately for us but fortunately for Sudeikis, he will most likely leave in January to pursue his booming movie career (not unlike Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg last season). While we will miss his dancing in a red jumpsuit on "What's Up With That?" and his hilarious and exaggerated yet somehow uncanny impressions of Wolf Blizter, Mitt Romney, and Joe Biden, just to name a few, I know we will see him on the big screen, making sure we are laughing ourselves onto the floor.