The Week That Was 040225: Top 5 Posts & Top Chef!

Top 5 Posts in March

1. Game of Thrones 5x07: The Gift 

2. Game of Thrones 3x07: The Bear and the Maiden Fair

3. X-amining X-Man #28

4. X-amining X-Factor #135

5. X-amining New Mutants #87

The Week That Was 021025

 January Top 5, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and Review Round-Up

Last Week in Pop Culture #18

Around the Web
Two reviews from me this week, one for Ms. Marvel #1 (which was mostly excellent) and Wolverine #1 (which was mostly not).

Super Bowl XLVIII
Boy, that game sure did suck, didn't it? 

New Girl: Prince

I'm not the world's biggest Prince fan (despite being Minnesotan, I basically have no strong opinions on him), but I love the idea of casting him as some kind of impish relationship guru with magic powers and butterfly familiars, and in general appreciate that, as much as this was still Prince, the show made a character out of him, rather than just dropping him into their big post-Super Bowl episode for the sake of having an attention-getting guest star.

Last Week in Pop Culture #16

Around the 'Net
You can find my review of All New X-Men #22, the first part of the "Trial of Jean Grey" crossover, for Sound on Sight here, and my review of X-Files Conspiracy: Ghostbusters #1 here. 

Once Upon a Time: Think Lovely Thoughts.

How dumb is Henry? Wouldn't it be awesome if he was just dead now, and we were done with his character? 

I'm fine with the idea of Peter Pan being Rumplestiltskin's dad (they were obviously connected somehow), but the reveal would have been more effective if, once again, it didn't occur in the same episode in which we first meet Rumple's dad. And also if his desire for immortality/childhood had been more firmly established prior to their arrival in Neverland, whereas before then, he just seemed kinda shifty and irresponsible.

That said, I really like the idea that Neverland is just some place Pan dreamed up as a child before eventually going there to rule it, and the casting department once again outdid themselves in casting Rumple's dad and young Rumple.

Last Week in Pop Culture #14

It's been a couple weeks without much new TV, but things came roaring back this week, and I used that time off to catch up on a few things, and even finish one particular rewatch. 

The Simpsons: Steal This Episode

One of the funnier episodes of the season (bot the FBI's zeal to go after internet pirates and most of the Hollywood stuff had me laughing consistently), and one that wisely acknowledges it's tackling an issue with no easy answers. That said, this episode felt, at times like a retread of earlier episodes (in more specific ways than usual): I'm fairly certain Homer has gone on a rage-filled tirade brought on by all the pre-show junk at movie theaters before, and the whole "pirating movies" thing felt like a rehash of the classic "stealing cable" episode from season two, which just made Lisa's relative lack of involvement in this episode stick out. 

Last Week in Pop Culture #12

Short one this week, as I'm holding the Christmas episode of stuff I've watched for next week's "all Christmas" post. 

Top Chef: Like Mama Made

The timing of this episode worked out well: down to nine chefs, we can finally start to get know them a little better, and this challenge allowed us to do just that.

Anthony Mackie made for a surprisingly entertaining judge. He was funny, but seemed to know his stuff. I wouldn't mind seeing him back.

Even though Travis stepped up in the last episode, his elimination was another "head nod" elimination (in that it made sense as he seemed like the weakest remaining chef). Not many surprise eliminations this season: everyone seems to be leaving more or less at the seeming right time.

Last Week in Pop Culture #10

The Simpsons: The Kid is All Right

A surprisingly-measured look at friendship amongst political differences, this episode wasn't the funniest episode ever (most of the laughs came from the always-reliable over-the-top-ness of the Springfield Republicans and Lisa and Homer's joint dream of not-dead Democrat ghosts) but still managed to tell a good story.

Last Week in Pop Culture #9

A short one this week, as I have family in town and thus significantly less time to watch TV...

The Simpsons: Labor Pains 

Another meh episode, with an intriguing and original premise (for this show; it's a sitcom cliche, but The Simpsons have never really done a "deliver a baby in an elevator" story before) which the script didn't seem to know what to do with (along with a B-plot that played out in the most perfunctory manner possible). The funniest parts of the episodes were a couple running gags: the ongoing poker game at Carl's apartment (that Homer was increasingly ignoring) and the other guy in the elevator ("And the funny thing is, I’m a doctor."), plus a pair of lines I'll quote below. 

Last Week in Pop Culture #7

The Simpsons: Four Regrettings and a Funeral

Look, you can either be structurally clever, or really funny (or, ideally, both). This episode tried to do both and succeed at neither.

In case you're wondering, Fox was supposed to air "Bart the Lover" in the 6:30 slot, in remembrance of Marcia Wallace, but apparently had issues getting the episode back from syndication, so they aired "The Ned-liest Catch" instead, making Bart's sad chalkboard message that opened "Four Regrettings and a Funeral" the best tribute of the night. 

Last Week in Pop Culture #6: All Halloween Edition

TV and movies make a big deal out of most of the major holidays, but Halloween, arguably, gets the biggest inflation in scope from "real life" to "fiction". Once you've outgrown trick-or-treating, there isn't a whole lot to the day. I celebrate it by going to a party (in costume, of course), listening to appropriately-themed music in the weeks leading up to the holiday, and watching suspense/horror/Halloween-themed movies and TV shows.

Yet while Christmas remains my favorite real world holiday, Halloween is probably my favorite when it comes to fictions about the holiday itself, as the stories, imagery and sensations on display in fiction are so much larger and impactful than they are in real life. And as much as there are some Christmas movies I love, and some fantastic Christmas-themed episodes of favorite TV shows, I have much more fun plowing through the fiction of Halloween every October than I do that of Christmas in December (in part because there's plenty more real world stuff to do associated with Christmas).

Anyways, here's my thoughts on some Halloween-themed TV shows I watched last week.

Sleepy Hollow: John Doe

So the lost colony of Roanoke is lost because the Horseman of Pestilence (aka Conquest) infected it with a plague then sent it forward in time so Pestilence could be unleashed on the modern world, but the colony was protected by the ghost of Virgina Dare, who gave the water healing properties, at least until one of the colonists was lured out by the Horseman and pierced the time barrier, entering the modern world and bringing the plague along with him?

Goddamn, I love this show.

Last Week in Pop Culture #5

Once Upon a Time: Quite a Common Fairy

Considering this is ABC/Disney we're talking about, that was a pretty surprising admission of Mulan's feelings for Aurora, wasn't it? I mean, it wasn't like they came right out and said it, but the subtext was darn near text for two characters ostensibly based on stars of animated Disney films.

Henry's line about his family having a thing about apples was pretty great, and as much as Henry often bugs me, I have to give him credit for actually trying to shoot Pan instead of play along (as much as we knew Pan wouldn't get hit).

And while it only portends more focus on Henry, I do like the idea that he is significant because he's the child of parents born of the greatest light and the greatest darkness. But I'm a sucker for stuff like that. 

Last Week in Pop Culture #3

The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XXIV

The much-ballyhooed opening, directed by Guillermo Del Toro, was easily the best part of the episode. Which isn't to disparage the rest of the episode, which was decent. The middle segment, in which Bart's head is affixed to Lisa's body, was pretty awful though, and displayed none of the usual wit or imagination present in the Treehouse episodes. The first segment was amusing and featured tons of clever word play even while it wasn't tremendously funny, while the third segment, my favorite of the bunch, was a pretty decent Freaks parody and featured some of the episode's strongest gags. Not the funniest episode (Treehouse or otherwise), but the opening and first & third segments were mostly clever, imaginative and fun.

Last Week in TV #23

Another quiet week as we continue to catch-up on some older stuff, and talk about the finale of Top Chef season 10.

Once Upon a Time: Manhattan

This show is always at its best when its forced to engage with its own mythology, and this episode was no exception. While Neal being Baelfire was the most obvious reveal possible (I mean, who else who could he be at this point?), that reveal was wisely gotten out of the way early, leaving the bulk of the episode to focus on the history between Neal and Emma, Rumpelstiltskin and Baelfire, and Henry and his birth parents. This led to some great scenes between all involved that were as good for what they didn't say as what they did say (showing a remarkable level of restraint on the part of the writers, I really appreciated that Neal didn't call back Emma's assertion that nothing good came of their relationship when he learned about Henry). The complicated, often bizarre history between these characters (wonderfully remarked upon in that brief scene between Charming and Snow in which they list off all of Henry's relatives) is far more engaging than random business about giants or fiery demon dogs.

Last Week in TV #22

As promised, it's a shorter post this week thanks to Mrs. Teebore's absence this last week. Hopefully we'll do some catch-up before she leaves again in March. 

The Simpsons: Hardly Kirk-ing

Bart and Milhouse discovering that Milhouse can pass for his dad, then dressing him up like an adult is certainly an original idea. It's never gets anywhere close to the level of Bart getting a fake ID and taking his friends on a road trip to the Knoxville Wig Sphere, but it's definitely something we haven't seen before, and at this stage of the game, that's something.

Last Week in TV #21

A full slate this week. Next week may be a bit light, as Mrs. Teebore will be out of town, but I am planning on watching a few things while she's gone, so we'll still have enough for a post. 

The Simpsons: Love is a Many Splintered Thing

A largely frustrating episode. If the show wants to bring back Mary Spuckler twice in a season, fine, but do something different with the character then. I know that, being voiced by Zooey Deschanel, it isn't like she's going to hang around as Bart's girlfriend full time, but ending every one of her appearances with Bart heartbroken gets repetitive.

Last Week in TV #20

A short post this week, as most shows took the week off in fear of the Super Bowl and to gear up for sweeps (I also didn't find the time to watch Glee, and haven't seen the return of Community yet). But everything'll come roaring back next week, including Walking Dead. 

Once Upon a Time: In the Name of the Brother

As with the last episode, the flashback in this one was largely superfluous (though it's always a pleasure to see Gregory Itzin, even if he was especially hammy), more or less just filling in details of the larger story we learned in Whale's first flashback earlier this season. Thankfully, the non-Regina events in Storybrooke were interesting enough to carry the episode, focusing on the best way to handle an intrusion from the outside world and featuring some genuinely humorous remarks on the nature of the characters' situation.

Last Week in TV #19

Still catching up, but thanks to some pre-February sweeps re-runs, I'm not too far behind.

The Simpsons: Changing of the Guardians

It's kind of impressive that, this far into the show's run, the writers occasionally come up with a family issue the characters haven't yet tackled, but that's essentially what this episode does, as Homer and Marge try to find guardians for the kids should anything happen to them. The ensuing episode is perfectly cromulent, and while the resolution (that both the parents and kids have gained a greater appreciation for each other) is sweet and legitimately earned, the conclusion Homer and Marge take from it (there's no need to name legal guardians) doesn't exactly follow.

Last Week in TV #17

A couple quick notes. First, the snazzy new logo on the top of the post comes compliments of my brother Ian. I've long wanted some kind of image to lead off these posts every week, and he came through marvelously to spare you all from my pathetic MS Paint efforts. Second, this week and next (and probably the one after that) will be a little goofy, as things got busy this week (so I haven't yet watched this week's Once Upon a Time) and next week I'll be traveling for work and thus unable to watch much TV. So expect some double show or delayed posts as I catch up where I can. Hopefully, things'll be normalized again by the time Walking Dead returns in February. 

But enough blather! On to the TV!

Last Week in TV #16

The Simpsons: Homer Goes to Prep School

I haven't seen more than twenty minutes of any episode of the doomsday preppers show this episode is parodying, but nevertheless, I got a kick out of this. Pairing Homer up with a group of people similarly inclined to going to extremes led to some great laughs, and while the reveal that the world didn't end after all was so obvious it barely constitutes a twist, the reaction of the preppers to both the perceived end and the final act reveal was still pretty great.

Last Week in TV #15

And we're back! This week we'll look at some pre-holiday holdovers, including my mini-marathon catch-up on Glee, as well as the handful of new episodes that have aired post-Christmas. 

The Simpsons: To Cur With Love 

A perfectly cromulent episode, though a little underwhelming after the (admittedly unintentional) build-up following its initial preemption. The much-hyped "Homer becomes obsessed with a social media game" plot, intended to skewer things like Farmville and the Simpsons own Tapped Out (of which I am currently obsessed) also ultimately amounted to very little. Futurama's "Jurassic Bark" was a far more poignant dog story, but I'm enough of a softie (and dog lover) to still find this somewhat affecting, if, like Bart's casual and metatextual checking off of supporting character origins, pretty unexciting.