tominboston

Is it true that Sawyer has had that retro hat surgically attached to his head? Was he ever seen on camera without it? He seems like a decent kid who genuinely enjoyed the experience, he's a decent singer, and the girls love him, so I wish him well and hope that he doesn't get swallowed up by the corporate music weasels. Koryn was my favorite of the final 4 because she too seems genuine and appreciative for the opportunity and I like her bluesy/gospel style and material. I see that the teeming millions of voters disagreed, but I'm glad for her that she can at least go on from here with a good foothold in a professional career.

That was a boring end to a boring season, even worse than TAR Family Edition, which at least had some cute little kids to root for. Once Mike & Rochelle were eliminated I had no interest in which of the three remaining teams won, which is a first for me. I'm beginning to feel that TAR has run its course and it's time to pull the plug.

The two remaining guys are talented singers. The two remaining women are Voices with a capitol V. I know the voting is based on popularity rather than talent, and the people have spoken, but I will find the inevitable coronation of Sawyer disappointing since he's simply not the best singer left.

Cece and Schmidt have known each other for a long time, so I think that after the most recent breakup left them both pining for each other they had both figured out what they wanted. It's not like Schmidt was proposing to a stranger. I really liked the way the show wrapped up the season. Aside from the surprise proposal, Coach's sendoff was sweet, the Jess/Nick sexual tension was well played -- I still want them to live happily ever after together when the show ends -- and Winston was wonderful as usual. And Ferguson the cat has a new mug.

That pretty much sums up my feelings too. There are relatively few ha-ha jokes, and they're usually in the form of what seem to be throwaway lines. But the show's sustained weirdness makes me smile, especially Carol's attitude towards the recent apocalypse. And I love Phil's ball buddies, even though the concept is a movie ripoff. So will all of the characters other than Phil and Carol disappear from next season?

Today's New York Times contains a very positive look at the show's direction this season: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/30/arts/television/cbss-mom-handles-issues-beyond-kissing-boo-boos.html

Absolutely. I think Kristen/Carol is the star of this show. I love the character. She's neurotic, obsessive-compulsive, and plain-looking, and could be really annoying, but she ultimately comes off as likeable and sympathetic because of her optimism and energy. She's always trying to make the best of their weird situation. Phil is a jerk but to her their "marriage" meant something and it was sad and poignant to watch her realize that it wasn't going to work. So how many more live humans and/or farm animals are going to show up in Tucson?

Fun episode. I thought Lamorne did a great job both with the script and the acting... loved the way Winston got all awkward and vague when he discovered that the attractive woman was going to an anti-police demonstration, but then decided to be honest and proud about what he does (police work, not stripping!). I was also amused by Jess as the world's least-ept golfer.

I thought it was altogether not bad as a start, and since I'm going to be watching New Girl anyway it's easy enough to leave the TV on Fox for another half hour. Relationship comedies involving goofy young (or in this case, a little past young) attractive singles in the big city are not exactly a new idea, but the cast and the jokes were enough to amuse me, and as one who had a Polish grandmother I smiled at the subtle Polish-American references.

This show isn't perfect but I enjoy it and it's on my list of things to watch every week. It's definitely not a laugh-out-loud sitcom, more a look into a really weird world, and in that way it's different from the other sitcoms I watch. I know the joke is a movie ripoff, but I love Phil's collection of spherical friends. I do find Carol to be both funny and sympathetic, especially when the poor woman is suddenly confronted with a hot blonde rival. Adding Todd to the mix has promise and I'm interested in seeing where the writers take it.

I hate to be a grump, but that was my reaction too. It's nice that the cast members all like each other and enjoy what they're doing, but it was basically a half-hour of self-promotion for a show that really didn't need it at this point in its run. I do have to note that the producers did a great job of casting all four kids, though.

About Gina... doesn't a comedy where every other major character is basically a wonderful person need someone who's a little nasty for balance? I find Gina entertaining and I think the character fills a role in the B99 universe. As for the April Ludgate comparisons, I think there's a big difference. I saw April as a shy and insecure person who used cynicism and apathy as a defense mechanism, as in, if you don't care about something, you're not going get hurt by failing. Gina, on the other hand, is a New York stereotype -- strong, cynical, pushy, and self-centered. But both characters have been shown to genuinely care about certain people, which to me makes them ultimately likeable.

I was thinking the same thing, but then I try not to think to hard about plausibility in surrealistic sitcoms. I didn't dislike the show at all... thought it had some pretty funny moments, actually. The problem, I think, is that the premise and the characters are better suited to a 90-minute movie than a weekly show. I'm guessing the good jokes will get used up fast, but maybe the writers will come through with enough twists to keep it going for a while.

The mud/obstacle course was a nice twist on what has now become the usual boring "run to your commercially sponsored car, drive to LAX, and fly to Asia" beginning of a race. I was surprised that a couple of the male racers seemed to be making no effort to help their struggling female partners through the obstacles... wonder if there was a "no helping" rule in place. Glad the racers were given a chance to shower off before getting in the cars. The blind date concept is simply stupid, the stunt casting of minor celebrities is annoying, and I miss the old days when teams were a cross-section of normal people. It's good to have TAR back for another run, but I suspect that the dating theme is going to get really annoying after a couple more episodes. And as one who is completely un-coordinated and hopeless when it comes to complex dance steps, I agree with the many folks above who note that anyone who kept trying the dance task after four or five failures really should have switched tasks. Even if your memory wasn't great, there seemed to be no penalties for wrong answers in the saki task and you could just keep going back to the bar until you got it right.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. I knew that everyone had to live happily ever after, and now that the details have been filled in I can say goodbye to Pawnee with a big smile. I'm looking forward to re-watching the finale tonight. Congratulations and well done! to everyone who was responsible for this unique show.

A nice sendoff from the TV critic of the Boston Globe: http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2015/02/20/pawnee-vision-knope-and-change/e6ZxNT2rTyZGs7B3MxF7nI/story.html

Sadly, P&R writer and Pawnee animal control officer Harris Wittels has died. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/20/arts/television/harris-wittels-television-comedy-writer-is-dead-at-30.html

I had been wondering when/if the show would deal with the loss of Carol Ann Susi. What they did last night was a very well framed remembrance of an actress whose character was never seen butwho had a powerful (and funny) presence. The final toast and the silence afterwards almost brought a tear to my eye. Goodbye, Mrs. Wolowitz.

I don't know what this show's prospects for another season are, but whenever it ends I want to see Jess/Nick and Schmidt/Cece back together and living happily ever after. Nick can be an irresponsible goofball but he really cares about Jess as seen in this episode. I always love Rob Reiner and Jamie Lee Curtis as Jess's parents, and the Portland visit and tour of Jess's special places in general was funny and at times poignant. When the writers have the whole gang interacting it can be really well done.

Leonard does actual science! And Sheldon isn't a complete jerk and actually acknowledges that Leonard had a good idea! That's quite a change from the way this show has been going lately. I think it's pretty neat that Steven Hawking does cameos on a sitcom; I know that he's been on BBT before. The guy must have a great sense of humor despite his extremely challenging physical situation.

The Boston Globe's film reviewer mentions it favorably in an overview piece on the Sundance festival: http://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/movies/2015/01/26/sundance-this-year-women-loom-large/sZhB1URdga4lS8sfYSiYMM/story.html Oddly, there's no mention of her connection to BBT, which is where probably 98% of readers would know her from.

I think I can appreciate dark humor, and as one who has a middle-aged female friend who is a recovering alcoholic I think this show generally handles the recovery issues well, but I hated to see a likeable character like Alvin killed off. Maybe a happy, lasting romance would have messed up the show's dynamic but I didn't like having him die just after he comes into his ex-girlfriend's/daughter's/grandkids lives.

I'm glad that the Ron/Leslie feud was resolved so quickly (and in a way that was both wonderfully funny and poignant) because I was having trouble accepting Ron as a bad guy. Up to this season's premier, he was a prickly, opinionated guy, but one with an obvious respect and affection for Leslie, and it just didn't work for me that they could suddenly be bitter enemies. Now knowing the background of how things fell apart makes it a little more plausible -- Ron's pride being what it is, his decision to approach Leslie about a job and then feeling that he was snubbed was a big blow -- but I'm still glad the feud didn't drag out all season. As a longtime April fan (yes, I know some here differ) I loved her asides last night and I'm also into the story of her quest for a job and lifestyle that she's comfortable with. And of course I love that she and Andy are still tight. Andy is a goof but a great husband.

Please, please, please, no baby on the show. It would totally mess up the dynamics. Go the Parks & Rec route and hide Zoe's pregnancy and let her mothering be kept in the real world.

The young actors on this show are as good as any I've ever seen, especially the kids who play Jack and Diane. Loved the animations, the grandparents, and everything else about this episode.