This Is Precisely My Problem With Television...

Right now, NBC is having to decide whether to renew their new show Friday Night Lights for a second season. The ratings haven't been fantastic, but it has gained a devoted following and great critical acclaim. Now, NBC President Kevin Reilly needs to decide whether to take a risk and see if it will get more ratings or be a financial failure despite all the praise.
My favorite TV show is Arrested Development. I own all three seasons on DVD (highly suggested) and have seen every single episode multiple times (it's sad, I know). Arrested Development was on FOX for three seasons and while doing so, won six Emmys and a Golden Globe. It also had better critical response than any other comedy on TV yet it only found a cult audience and failed to get widespread ratings and thus got cancelled after just three seasons and fifty three episodes.
This is one reason I don't watch much TV. I don't like getting attached to a show only to have it taken off the air. I told one of my friends this when Friday Night Lights started being aired oddly enough. With the Office, I am always fearful of it being taken off (but it's already been renewed for a full fourth season!). I just hate the risk of watching TV and I wish the networks would stay more committed to a show and more committed to great shows than ratings. But, it's still a business in the end....

The Office: Cocktails

A few immediate thoughts

• Why on earth is Jan attracted to Michael? I am dumbfounded by this. I can't really comprehend it. I like Michael, but it's more out of pity and empathy than anything else. The whole going in the bathroom thing to make out I would've expected from Michael, but definitely not Jan.
• Finally! We get on air confirmation that Andy is indeed in anger management. I just wish there was a timeframe on his return.
• I feel bad for Toby. He's always getting picked on by Michael and he's been trying to ask Pam out since the season premeire. But whatever happened to his friend from the gym?
• It seems like whatever line Creed says just steals the show, makes you laugh, and kind of creeps you out sometimes too. This episode was no exception. (although Dwight actually was probably even creepier this week)
• Haven't Stacy and Kevin been engaged since the beginning of the second season? I remember him saying she sometimes took trips away without saying where she was going and now it's complicated. This needs sorted out somehow
• When Roy said "Come On!" I could not help but think of G.O.B. Bluth from my other favorite TV show, Arrested Development.
• Whoa! I was browsing Office Tally and this is a priceless insight..
  "when Dwight was in that kid’s room, my first thought was 'Wait, the cameraguy was waiting around in there too.'"
• Finally, I am happy to see Roy out of Pam's life finally and if Roy goes crazy Jim could be out of her life too. I'm curious where the writers will go from here. The only thing I'm certain of is lots more unresolved sexual tension.

I Guess Andy Got That Promotion After All

Last night I posted about the absence of Andy Bernard in the latest episode of The Office without any explanation. I was frightened, but after doing some research, it turns out he ended up getting promoted.

Andy's character has now moved from recurring character to regular. I understand a lot of people don't like his character and find him annoying, but I am personally very excited about this. Don't tell me he isn't funny...

The Office: Ben Franklin

Season 3, Episode 14: Ben Franklin

Like I said in my last review, I freaking love Andy! (and that is not an overreaction!) I know he is annoying and a total suck up to the boss, but nearly every office, class, working environment, whatever has someone like that so I don't think it's unrealistic to have him in there. More importantly, it's like I pointed out before, this is a comedy show and what should matter is whether the character is funny and Ed Helms has done a fantastic time portraying this character and adding his own flair to it. He has been the highlight of this season to me and once again, I hope he doesn't leave. Last night's episode was not a good sign though. He did not even appear in the episode, his absence was simply ignored and not talked about. That makes me think he wasn't fired, but still, where is Andy?

Okay, after watching the episode my immediate thought was that it was subpar and not up to the standard of the rest of the season. Although a lot of this was because of my anger that they didn't use Andy, the more I thought about it, that was still a pretty good episode. There was no one moment that stood out but just a bunch of subtle things. The highlights for me...

• I always love it when Todd Packer shows up and his explanation of "seperate, but equal" was just amazing.
• Ryan's line about Michael's giggling in the adult store
• Dwight being 99 percent sure that it wasn't the real Ben Franklin
• Michael transforming into an awkward adolescent after the stripper arrived
• Roy finding Pam's art sexy
• The unintentional, homoerotic overtones (Dwight wanting Michael's manmeat, the hour long shower with guys, the GAI)

Also, more stuff with Pam and Jim and Karen and Roy. Roy is trying to win Pam back so badly now he's even calling her art sexy after he forbid her to go to an art school last season. The forced conversations between Pam and Jim and Pam and Karen were beyond awkward. Pam even went as far to ask Ryan to find her someone from his business school. I would say it's coming down to the wire, but it's not. More episodes of unresolved sexual tension are coming I'm sure.

The Office: The Return

This is the first review of the Office that I am doing since this is the first episode to air since the formation of this little writing guild. I'll do this weekly for new episodes or who knows, maybe I'll archive and do the old ones someday too.

Season 3, Episode 13: The Return

I have loved Andy since his first appearance on the show. He made me laugh and has had more signature moments this season than anyone else (calculator in jello, call of duty, acapella, rocking out to lazy scranton, nagasaki, etc.). There were few things he did in the first twelve episodes that didn't make me laugh, but now he has just become a full fledged, unlikeable character yet still I love Andy. After last night everyone wants him to leave after how he made Dwight leave, the stalking of Michael, and the hole in the wall, but I still love Andy and think he's a great addition to the show. There's speculation of him leaving now if not in the next episode then by the end of the season. I hope this doesn't happen even though I may be in the minority in hoping that...

Highlights for me...

• Dwight's presentation of three seperate (large) documents that made up his resume'
• Ryan making the lemonade "mexican" and confessing he liked himself better as the temp
• Dwight having "snow tires, chains, and exceptional hand-eye cordination"
• Andy's self recorded "Rockin' Robin"
• Andy fishing for a 'Big Tuna'
• Andy's "overreaction" (see below if you didn't catch it last night)
• Kevin's gay-cation joke

Also this sheds a new light on the Pam and Jim development. With a Karen/Jim breakup imminent now and a firing of Andy also possible could it be that the introduction of the Stamford branch was all for nothing basically? I sure hope not. We'll just have to wait and see...

the rules of shotgun and the foolishness of michael scott

I was just watching an episode of The Office entitled 'The Injury' and I heard Michael say...
"The rules of shotgun are very simple and very clear: the first person to shout shotgun when you’re within the sight of the car gets the front seat. That’s how the game’s played. There are no exceptions for someone with a concussion."
I decided to do a little bit of research and found out that this is simply not true. There is a gem of a site out there at shotgunguide.com where they go over basically every rule of shotgun you could ever imagine.
Some personal favorites included...

• If there is a tie when calling shotgun, the first person who touches the car wins.
• Shotgun may also be called under the following aliases: Gun, Shogun, Catgut, and Shotty.
• Once a passenger has called shotgun, another passenger may call "Recall Shotgun," thereby overriding the shotgun call and claiming shotgun for themselves. In order for this not to happen the first passenger must call "Shotgun, No Recall."
• If you have called Shotgun and are waiting for the doors to be unlocked, you are not allowed to lift the handle during the unlocking, causing the other doors to remain locked. This voids your right to Shotgun.

I am riding in the front seat basically for the rest of my life. I shall outsmart everyone.