Review - COMMUNITY 4.04: 'Alternative History of the German Invasion'

The fourth episode of this fourth season, which I believe was actually shot as the second episode, is perhaps the most classic feeling one of this Dan-Harmon-less season. Does that make it good? Read on.

There have been some complaints by our dear readers that my grades and comments related to this season have been unfair. These people feel I've given Dan Harmon too much credit and that he was at the helm for bad episodes in the past. Episodes that these people claim are worse than any of the first few of this season.

Let me address those comments in this review.

NUTS!

Dan Harmon is the GOD of the COMMUNITY universe. He created it and put himself into every episode (and by that I mean he didn't just let writers have their way with a single episode). With his departure, the new show runners, no matter their qualifications or talent, are at best demigods of that universe. And up to this point, they've helped deliver what amounts to mediocre/bad fan-fiction.

If you think any season 4 episode has been as good or even better than ANY season 1, 2, or 3 episode of the series, then that's your problem. We have totally different perspectives on quality. I'm not suggesting mine is more accurate than yours. My perspective is the one that comes from this mind, this soul, and expressed via these fingers right here (I'm holding them up for you). You don't have to like it. In the same way I didn't like the first three episodes of this season.

That brings us to the fourth episode which I previously mentioned was shot second (as far as I know).  And that's what is very strange about it. Because I'd have thought it was shot much later in the process, after the writers and actors had worked out all the kinks.

This time most things feel very familiar. Comfortable.  That's not to say the episode stands out as one of the best, but at least it can sit alongside those Harmon-era episodes that felt unusually below average.  We get the return of the Germans, Chang (and his Changnesia),  and geek-centric dialogue that doesn't feel (too) forced.

When the Germans figure out a way to take the study-room away from the group, our heroes suffer the consequences until they figure out a way to take it back (if god was still running this show, I'd detail that for you, but I don't make that much of an effort for demigods).  Unfortunately for the gang, the Germans make themselves the victim and rally people to a protest the study group.  And hilarity ensues. Followed by a message delivered by Hitler-Jeff.

This isn't an epic episode but it does have fun dialogue that works with our characters. It succeeds on a most basic level, never achieving greatness but works because of familiarity. This is one of those cases where if Harmon was still running the show, it would earn a much worse score. But because these try-hards are behind it, I'm actually inclined to praise them for it.

QUOTABLES

Reinholt: Don't worry. If there's one thing Germans don't do it's hold a grudge.
Abed: Unless we're talking about DIE HARD 3.
Jeff: Or the 20th century.

When the Dean reacts to the return of Chang, off in a different part of the school...
Abed: I just felt a strange disturbance.
Britta: Did you have dairy this morning?
Abed: Could be that. Or it could be that great evil's nearby. I'll take a provisional lactate.

Troy: I don't understand any of these puns. I think I need to learn history. 

After Jeff gives a long speech...
Abed: You had me at 'ruse'.
Jeff: That was the last thing I said.
Abed: Good thing you said it.

And some other stuff. I'm super lazy tonight.


If I had to rate this episode, and I don't mind doing so, I'd give it:

81 out of 100

Though, after I subtract 50 Dan-Harmon-is-god points, the score is a 31 out of 100. So a failure. Sorry, I didn't make up that rule.

(so I made up that rule)
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Review - WHITE COLLAR 4.15: 'The Original'

Coupled with last week's absolute clunker, this has quite possibly been the worst two-episode stretch in four years of 'White Collar'. This week's installment wasn't horrifically bad or anything, but for a few moments there I was in danger of falling asleep out of pure boredom.

At least it gave me 40 minutes to catch up on Twitter, so that was a plus.

Wow, a case involving Neal producing a forgery to catch the bad guy!? We've never seen that before! Except for the other five or six times that we have, that is.

Wow, Neal lying and being deceptive to Peter about something on the side!? Who could've seen that coming?

 Wow, Neal being caught by his mark, but still figuring out a way to get the evidence they needed to close the case!? Shocking!

Instead of writing all this, I should have just saved some time and picked a random review I wrote a few months back and copied and pasted it. I hardly doubt anyone would have noticed.

As for the new boss, Amanda Calloway, it was abundantly clear from the beginning she was going to be in Senator Pratt's pocket. It was Pratt who got Hughes fired in the first place, OF COURSE he had a hand in who replaced him. How Neal and Peter didn't assume this is beyond me.

Even though it's never been this show's strong-suit, I've somehow always cared about the season-long arcs. I'd get excited when we'd get little bits and pieces of new info each week, but at this point I don't give a crap about his dad or what's in that damn evidence box. Whatever.

The only thing that saved this episode from being another disaster was Mozzie's always delightful presence and the good scenes between Neal and Sam.

Somehow I had NO IDEA that this was the season's penultimate episode until I saw next week's preview. That makes this week's episode even worse.

Please don't suck, season finale.

QUOTES OF NOTE:

--NEAL: "Mozzie has a permit."
--PETER: "I'm sure."

--PETER: "I guess that answers the age-old question of nature vs. nurture."

--NEAL: "Little pinky-swear action?"

--SAM: "Mozzie calls it mint chocolate tracking chip."

--NEAL: "He's been more of a father to me than you ever were."

--NEAL: "You asked me why I don't have original art. I've had three different names and a dozen different aliases because of you. And to be an artist, you have to know who you are."
--SAM: "You're my son, and I'm very proud of that."

RANDOM RAMBLINGS:

--When nude models are around, Neal causes them to smile and Peter trips over furniture. Appropriate.

--If you want to learn more about Chicken-Sexing (and I don't know how you WOULDN'T), check it out on Wikipedia.

THE GRADE: D+

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Furycast 68 - Sad Birthday Boy

 
In this SUPER FAST AND SHORT episode, VladyGG and HGF discuss the new podcast format; HGF's birthday; Armed Assault 3; HGF's mom's birthday; Star Wars rumors; Metallica and Orion 2; the Oscars, Seth McFucklame, and Cuntgate; and Community without Dan Harmon.

All topics and times noted below.

PRESS PLAY to listen.


You can also RIGHT CLICK HERE and then choose to SAVE the mp3 file to your hard drive so you can listen later.

00:00 Intro - Metallica "Blackened" (...And Moderus For All version)

00:24 Opening - Explanation of the new podcast format.

02:06 HGF's crappy birthday and total lack of donations.

02:43 Armed Assault 3 Alpha release date announced.

03:36 My mom's birthday!

04:20 Star Wars rumors.

05:40 Metallica Orion Music & More 2 info, James going fuckcrazy, and Death goes stupid.

07:37 Oscars - Seth Mcfucklame, Jennifer Lawrence falling, and Cuntgate.

10:05 COMMUNITY sucks without Dan Harmon.

10:28 Ending - Goodbyes

10:40 Outro - Metallica "That Was Just Your Life" (Moderus III.2 version)
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Review - CASTLE 5.16: 'Hunt'

Props to 'Castle'.

It's not easy to deliver a great episode during "sweeps". The networks resort to "stunt-casting", spend a ton of money promoting the special episodes and shoot for the moon plot-wise with them -- resulting in unrealistic expectations for viewers. So it's easy to let them down, especially in a two-part episode like this.

Part 1 was good and left people excited for the conclusion and I don't think that anyone left disappointed with Installment #2.

While the majority of the episode left Beckett, Esposito, Ryan and Captain Gates on the sidelines (fairly surprisingly but understandably), we at least got some good dialogue from our friends at the precinct and yet another great scene from Beckett getting angry and physical in the interrogation room.

As sweet as that was, I'm sure the majority of you want to talk about the big reveal of who Castle's father really is and how Alexis was the target all along. The second James Brolin's character appeared on screen, I had already known that he was NOT "Jackson Hunt". (God damn interwebs always spoil the good stuff.) But for those of you who didn't know, that moment when he tells Castle that he's his father must have been pretty damn awesome..

Castle's dad provided some great moments: the reveal of his identity, the skeet-shooting of Castle's phone, the heart-felt conversations with Richard and the bad-ass plan he devised to get Alexis and Castle back to safety. Loved it all.

HOWEVER, as much as I enjoyed that plan and liked the execution of it, I can't help but think the episode would have been better and far more powerful if Mr. Castle had gone in there and taken a bullet to the head in exchange for Alexis as the kidnapper had asked. It would have been a noble sacrifice from a father who owed it to Richard, while also serving as a heartbreaking moment. It would have been great TV.

But they did the expected and cliche happy ending instead, which allows for James Brolin to return and re-visit his relationship to Richard. They clearly have more stories to tell there, so I understand why they did what they did.

"Hunt" had all the drama, all the emotion and all the "wow" moments you want from episodes like this. If you felt differently, let me know why in the comments.

QUOTES OF NOTE:

--MARTHA: "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
--CASTLE: "Getting my daughter back."

--RYAN: "What, so he's Liam Neeson now?"
--ESPOSITO: "Neeson? The dude is barely Ashley Judd."

--BECKETT: "Look, he's acting like a father and I have to act like a cop."

--BECKETT: "My partner's daughter is missing and YOU ... are in my way."

--CASTLE: "My daughter, my money -- I'm coming."

--JACQUE HENRI: "I value my life more than my word. If I had known who was really holding your daughter, who your daughter REALLY is, I would have NEVER TAKEN THE JOB."

--JACKSON HUNT: "Given how you feel so bad about your 200-buck phone, you might want to pick up that $3 million dollar briefcase."

--CASTLE: "Sounds made up."
--JACKSON: "It is."

--PAPA CASTLE: "Because she's my granddaughter. Richard, I'm your father."

--PAPA CASTLE: "What do you say, kid? You've been playing cop for years, you ready to play spy?"

RANDOM RAMBLINGS:

--"He's expensive." Why did that guy bother saying that to Castle? He's rich. Clearly he can afford any price and would clearly be willing to pay it.

--OF COURSE the one picture of the dead guy with a bullet in his head lands perfectly next to, and facing, his girlfriend in the interrogation room. How many throws of that folder would it take for that to actually happen?

--Is the same person in Hollywood used as the Police sketch-artist in all the shows? I need to know this.

--It drives me crazy when the main character of a TV show is one second away from dying and someone saves them. It's ALWAYS one second. It's more dramatic that way, you say? My counter to that: it's not dramatic when you know what's going to happen and the exact second that it's going to happen. Counter that, bitch!

--I know you were literally a second away from dying and all, but how could you forget about your briefcase with $3 million in it? Amateur.

--It was obvious that Jacque was going to back-stab Castle, but I still loved him. He was a bad-ass. 

--I came close to crying two different times. Now I'm a wuss, so that's not a surprise. But still means the episode did something right.

--Everyone's father is a spy except for mine.

--The on-location filming was solid. Always nice to see.

--VOLKOV! Really!? That villain name has been taken by a far superior show, dammit. I don't care that they spell it differently, still copying.

THE GRADE: A

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