Halloween 2012: The Middle, The Neighbors, Suburgatory, South Park, Guys with Kids, The Big Bang Theory, 1313 Mockingbird Lane, Ben and Kate

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Although a couple of shows have yet to air their Halloween-inspired episodes because of multiple pre-empting conditions, I wanted to go ahead and give you guys recaps of all of the Halloween episodes I've seen this year. [except The Simpsons, who did theirs really early.] The episodes below appear in the order in which they aired. When shows like Go On and The New Normal finally run theirs, they'll be posted separately.

It's an interesting year for television in that I can't remember the last time that so many different shows actually featured Halloween episodes! I was pretty excited, actually, as they kept showing up in the descriptions on my DVR. One can only hope that Thanksgiving and Christmas will also bring us such festive storylines, but we'll see!

The Middle "Halloween III: The Driving" (S04E06): Brick tells the school that his mother isn't working so she's available to volunteer at the school Halloween carnival. [I find it hilarious that the Hecks don't have Called ID with all of the people they try to avoid!] Though Frankie winds up having to bring home a bunch of extra goldfish, she is able to get Mrs. Donahue to agree to take Brick trick-or-treating. [...what did they do with the fish?] The kid returns home with a huge Halloween haul - about 500 pieces! [holy moly!]

ABC/MICHAEL ANSELL

Frankie wants to send most of it to the soldiers overseas, so she tells him he can only keep it for 24 hours. [except she's TOTALLY the type of mother who would keep it for herself instead.] In true childhood fashion, Brick manages to eat ALL OF IT in that time period. He winds up acting semi-normal for a few days, very focused and social, only to crash from the sugar eventually. [but with Mike and Frankie now aware of this "trick," I can see them employing it more often than "special occasions"!]

Sue has her learner's permit, but is taking her time getting ready to drive an actual car, wasting time picking out a keychain and practicing puttering around the house. She freaks out on both Frankie and Mike, saying that they rush her, but on her third try things get worse - she runs over Axl's foot and is so distraught that Mike eventually has to throw her from the car and back up so the tire is no longer on Axl! [omg that's terrible!] Oh, and by the way, Axl is really taking his new responsibility as a registered voter seriously, so when both of his parents aren't home on Election Day (and he can't drive because of a broken foot), Sue manages to pull herself together and drives him to the polls (with Aunt Edie riding along to be the "adult supervision"). [good for Sue!]

The Neighbors "Halloween-ween" (S01E05): The Weavers have always wanted to take their children trick-or-treating in a neighborhood instead of an apartment building, so they're pretty psyched about the houses in the area. [Christmas! Thanksgiving! Halloween! was cute.] Max and Marty being Nemo and Marlin while Abby is being Rapunzel. Amber was the financial collapse last year and will be Obamacare this year, though the pun is for Debbie's sake - Amber is really doing Sexy Nurse. But, when Max and Abby talk about Halloween on the school bus, a girl invites him to trick-or-treat with her, so he wants to go as a zombie to fit in.

ABC/MICHAEL ANSELL

The Zabvronians are paranoid about people coming into the community on Halloween, so they set-up scarecrows and prepare for an invasion. Jackie asks the Weavers to teach everyone in the neighborhood about Halloween. Larry is skeptical, especially of weapons. When they open their gates to trick-or-treaters, the community panics, taking shelter at Larry's. He eventually decides to answer the door for a little girl, gives her a piece of candy, and then tells everyone to go ahead home to answer their doors. [Jackie as Effie Trinket?]

Meanwhile, Reggie wants to get in on Amber's costume, but he was thinking "Death Penalty" until she tells him to go as Sexy Doctor. This falls through because he dresses as a sexy nurse, plus Debbie and Marty are sad that Amber has "gone slutty" instead of topical. Their hands are still full, however, as they take Dick along, and he   dresses as Debbie (someone he admires), complete with a Marty puppet. [he NAILS it! that was hilarious and got better as time went on!] In the end, Amber and Reggie bail on a party and join the Weavers, who have reunited because Abby wants her parents to help her scam adults and Max wants to avoid Emma because she wants them to be boyfriend-girlfriend. [not the funniest ever but some poignant moments and a great bunch of Debbie/Marty jokes!]

Suburgatory "The Witch of East Chatswin" (S02E02): Dallas goes to the Country Club Halloween Party as Barbie, planning to get George to be her Ken. But, he doesn't think he can pull off the look, so she decides to take Dalia as Skipper. [hahaha! I'm glad to hear that Skipper still exists. I think Tutti/Todd, Stacie, Kelly, Chelsea, and Krissy have all faded, LoL.] George thinks about going as Jerry Seinfeld, but he can't do the jokes, so he decides to go as Noah after learning his best friend is shadowing him to get the mannerisms and voice accurate enough to go as him! [is this a thing? going as your friends? between these guys and Dick going as Debbie on The Neighbors, I'm not sure what's going on here.] At the party, The guys are shocked at how differently they're treated as one another. Dalia tells George about how her mother wanted to go to the party with him, and he decides to confront Dallas and ask her out.

ABC/ADAM TAYLOR

"It's Stripper Shoe Season!" After Tessa tries to get Dalia and her friends to not objectify themselves this year, she thinks that someone is following her, even planting a creepy book in her backpack. [it was a bit odd, let's not lie.] Sheila burns the book, saying it's from "a witch," a girl who took shop class, opened her own pudding cups, and ruined a doll. [why does Tessa have an office in the school bathroom at this point??] Tessa decides to seek out this "witch," and runs when she sees a "coven of witches" over a cauldron. [I liked Tessa as Daphne, Lisa as Velma, and Malik as Fred for the Scooby-Doo gang. Ryan also dressing as Fred was only slightly funny.] Turns out, Paula was just running a book club, and she tells Tessa that she's also into female empowerment. [haha, Chatswin sees witches and feminists as the same.] Sheila leads a mob towards them, but Paula disappears. [does Tessa have a new friend as well as a new cloak? hmmmm...] Tessa realizes that her mother was a brave feminist to "leave the world that was thrust upon her,"though George doesn't see it that way. [and, neither do I.]
 
South Park "A Nightmare on Facetime" (S16E12): Randy buys a Blockbuster, still full of DVDs and BluRays. He makes the family work with him, and nobody comes the first two days that they're open. You get the feeling that renting DVDs is so antiquated that young children no longer know what it means. By the fifth day, someone comes in to rent Turner and Hooch... but it turns out to be a ghost... the first of many. The next day is Halloween, but Randy won't let Stan join his friends to celebrate. [Butters as a were-prechuan was great, but I should have seen Jimmy as Gangnam Style in advance!] Stan is to be the Captain America to go along with Kyle as Thor, Cartman as the Hulk, and Kenny as IronMan. But, using iPads, Stan trick-or-treats via FaceTime, moving forward on a skateboard somehow. [I didn't like how that part wasn't explained.] People don't get that Cartman is the Hulk, thinking he's Honey Boo Boo or Bruce Vilanch or Chas Bono. [so odd! I feel like it's really easy to guess, especially in the context of the other kids!]

photo courtesy: Comedy Central

The kids decide to try stopping a convenience store robbery, but when there are more villains than they expected (and a dead cashier), they split, but Stan-via-Facetime is captured and tortured, via scratching the glass. [odd. funny. kinda suck. interesting all around!] The bad guys dump the iPad in a field, where a couple finds it and brings it to the hospital. Stan explains that the robbers are going to the Monster Mash at the community center, and he goes "in disguise" as GangamStein. [loved the jokes about the "Monster Mash," and everyone dressed as Gangnam Style is funny.] Meanwhile, at Blockbuster, Randy talks to an employee ghost, then goes after the family, taking over Stan's FaceTime until he's thoroughly shot. [this was too weird.] The battery dies before Stan can help the Avengers win the costume contest, Shelly burns down the video store, and we're back to status quo by the end. 

Guys with Kids "Apartment Halloween" (S01E06):  The building's co-op president died, and the new president, Linda, takes down all of Nick and Emily's Halloween Haunted Hallway decorations. ["what do I look like, the grim reaper?" was weak. cute change in font for the credits, tho.] But, she's really into Chris (immediately giving him extra storage space for no reason), so Nick and Sheila decide to team-up and use Chris to get what they want - Halloween decor for him and permission to alter the apartment for her. Sheila and Nick set up Chris with Linda, saying that they'll only be friends if he helps them, so he turns it around and forces them to share food and hug, like real friends would. [hahaha!] However, all bets are off when it seems that Linda wants Chris to dress like her father. In a possible future storyline, Emily and Sheila both proposed to run for co-op president next time.

(Photo by: Vivian Zink/NBC)

Because the now-dead president was Gary and Marny's neighbor, they want to buy that apartment and expand their own place... but it has to be on the market for a week before a current tenant can buy it. [is this a common rule?] The family goes crazy trying to get people to hate the apartment by spreading a story about how the previous tenant died via explosion, and her body was eaten by ants for two weeks before it was found. [gruesome!] Of course, this winds up backfiring when the boys are scared to live there because of the stories, and the lights mysteriously flicked off when the family was taking a look at the place. [I was only half on-board with this plotline. If the family is to expand, I wouldn't do it so early in the series!]

The Big Bang Theory "The Holographic Excitation" (S06E05): Raj offers to help Stuart throw his 9th annual Halloween party, going so far as to theme the menu, "foods that go bump in the night," to include "Halloweenies" and "Draculoni and Cheese." [a little cheesy but I like the concept.] Raj goes as Indian Jones, Bernadette and Howard go as Smurfs, Penny goes as a sexy cop, Leonard goes as Einstein, and Stuart goes as Willy Wonka. Amy asks Sheldon to dress in a couples costume, and he agrees a bit readily, though he wants R2D2 and C3PO to her Romeo & Juliet or Cinderella & Prince Charming. [other ideas included Hewlett & Packard, Batman & Robin, Jobs & Wozniak, Kirk & Spock, Arhtur Dent and Ford Prefect, The Doctor & a Dalek, Salt & Pepper, Raggedy Ann & Andy, and Dharma & Greg. You can figure out who suggested which!] In the end, Amy goes as Raggedy Anne and Sheldon as Raggedy C3PO, which is a robot with a wig. [funny and disturbing.]

Warner Bros.

Howard gives out autographed, framed photos of himself in his NASA suit, leading Leonard and Sheldon to see if they can talk about any single topic without Howard bringing up his space trip, but it's not working. [haha at Sheldon shaking Leonard's p0wn fist!] Bernadette decides to try telling Howard that he shouldn't bring it up in every single conversation, but he's bummed out until Raj sends Howard a video of Buzz Aldrin handing out candy (Milky Ways and Moon Pies!) to trick-or-treaters, telling each child he went to space.

Penny goes to Leonard's lab to see him work on a hologram that you can move with your hands, and they end up getting frisky. The next thing he shows her is a levitation thing (through magnets), with the same result. [okay, so they're definitely together, got it.]

Mockingbird Lane (Special): [note that I'm calling this a special, though technically it's a pilot to 1313 Mockingbird Lane, which may never see the light of day again.] On a camping trip, a bear snatches a couple of scouts and the rest run to the car for the night. In the morning, young Eddie is out there, and the situation causes the family to move unexpectedly to 1313 Mockingbird Lane, a condemned home that was scheduled to be torn down because a serial killer took out his aggression on hobos there. [creepy! also, this appears to be in the San Francisco area... interesting.] Movers deliver rats, which combine to form Grandpa. [um, what??] Smoke comes out of an accompanying box to showcase Lily, who calls upon spiders to wrap her dress. [neat!] Herman and Lily talk about Eddie's "baby bear attack" and think that two more rounds will happen (every 29 days?) before he becomes majorly suspicious. But, Lily winds up talking about how she tries not to eat things but sometimes it happens, and Herman explains that Eddie WAS the baby bear... though he's really a werewolf. Eddie is freaked out, as he had just decided that he didn't even want to eat meat anymore. [I felt that scene came out of nowhere... perhaps something was cut?] To help the boy cope, his parents get him a pet dragon to help protect him from eating anything the next time it happens. [is it partially invisible?]

Herman collapses as his heart gives out from loving too hard. [awww. #firstworldproblem?] Grandpa puts in a new one but Herman demands the old one be put back inside, only to later need a transplant... from another person. Enter Steve, who is the pack leader of Eddie's new scout troop and has no family. Grandpa invites him over with the intention of devouring him, which Eddie knows because he has seen his grandfather transform into a pterodactyl of sorts to eat a mountain lion. Sure enough, Steve's heart is put into Herman and Grandpa drinks the blood. [creepy!]

Photo by: Jordin Althaus/NBC

We also learn that Grandpa can pause time at the snap of a finger when he and Marilyn (a cousin) take some cookies (into which Grandpa put blood) to the neighbors. 

Ben and Kate "Scaredy Kate" (S01E06): BJ wants Kate to be wh0rish for Halloween, and she decides to go for it when a neighbor is throwing a party. So, she foes as a Babe Ruth / Bader Ginsberg mix, with a sluttier baseball costume underneath. With BJ's coaxing, she even kisses the host immediately. But, she realizes that she's not being herself, leaves, and on her way home meets a guy with whom she has a lot in common, and they call the police over the party noise. [I understand that Kate is supposed to be an incredible goody-goody (hello, massive emergency kit?), but this storyline was very curtailed, I thought.] She also manages to finally scare Ben by pretending that a razor blade cut up her mouth. [gotta admit, that was a bit horrifying!]

Cr: Jennifer Clasen/FOX

Tommy wants to go to the club, but Ben thinks they should answer the door for trick-or-treaters and hit on hot moms. [haha!] But, Tommy eats a couple of BJ's candies, which are from Amsterdam. [hint, hint.] Tommy wants to go to the hospital, but Ben decides to join him in ecstasy, and after one set of trick-or-treaters, they decide to bail on that plan. [omg, BLTs are the ONLY sandwich I eat with mayonnaise! I'm like Kate, LoL!]

Also, Maddie is dressed as Marie Curie. [her previous costumes include Baby Ghandi, tiny Geraldine Ferraro and the Death of Print Journalism. mmhmm...]

19 Kids & Counting: July 4th, Fencing, Piano, Michelle's Birthday

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Well, the time has come. Do you think that we'll see the Duggars go on a second World Tour? Do you want to see them go to China and Japan? I'm not going to lie... I was NOT thrilled with what they did while in England, Ireland, and Israel. Maybe if a smaller portion of the family was going or something it would be better, but that huge herd of people not really understanding or caring about other cultures all around them is a bit disheartening. I know JimBob was angling for more episodes, but I don't know if TLC is going to give them to him or not. If the Asia trip was pre-negotiated, I guess we'll see it, and you'd think that it is because they mentioned it pretty intensely on the show and commercials... but, on the other hand, it could be a nice way to wrap-up and say goodbye to the mega-family in Arkansas!

19 Kids and Counting "Fencing & Fireworks" (S06E25): It's the Fourth of July, so the family heads to a fireworks stand to pick up some goodies. Each person has $7 to spend, so they pick out a wide variety of firecrackers and smoke bombs... plus, JimBob spends quite a bit himself. [I thought it was funny/disturbing he ignored his "buddy" for the day.] Josiah, Justin, and Jordyn went overboard - Josiah has to pay $4 of his own money, but in the end they have over 200 items! [I would have liked a little pop-up about how long it took to light them all!]

A friend of JimBob's has a fencing studio, so the family goes fencing, which most of the children don't comprehend at first. Everyone warms up, though some of the older girls decline, not wanting to mess up their hair or be embarrassed. [boring!] Michelle and Grandma Duggar go at it, and Justin duels with JimBob. 

Jinger plays "Amazing Grace" on two pianos at the same time, her left hand on one and her right on the other.

The family throws a 46th birthday party for Michelle. The theme is "24 Hours of Surprises," and the older girls plus Anna, Grandma, and Cousin Amy go shopping for supplies. [am I making this up? I could have sworn that they had a birthday box for this sort of thing!] The rest of the preparations and the actual party are in the next episode, found below.

19 Kids and Counting "Michelle's Birthday Makeover" (S06E26): Two days before Michelle's birthday, the family talks about putting together a nine-clue scavenger hunt that has Michelle going to different locations, leading to a house party and the announcement that the family is going Japan and China for media interviews. Jana makes cards with the kids and Anna organizes the writing of the clues. The first clue has Michelle shooting at a balloon target, then she and JimBob head off for dinner, in outfits chosen by their daughters. The car is decorated, and the girls even did JimBob's hair a little differently for once. [Michelle liked it! I thought that was funny. and did they even read those post-its on the car?] During dinner, Joseph and Josiah bring flowers and another clue - they're spending the night at a hotel which the girls decorated. [why didn't we get to see their reactions to the room?] The next morning, a bunch of the sons show up as faux-room-service. [cute!] Then, five of the children had to go to the dentist (Josie being the problem child) while Michelle goes to meet cousin Amy and Grandma for custard. [I guess it's early afternoon?] The next clue sends her shopping for a new outfit with Anna, Jessa, and Joy Anna (who would have rather had ice cream as she doesn't do shopping). [why have Joy Anna stationed here??] Next (it's the afternoon now), she goes to a coffee shop to meet Jana, Jill, and Jinger. Then, to a hair salon with her best friend, Cindy. She gets highlights, new makeup, and 6-8" cut off. Plus, they straighten her hair, which scares her. [I think she looks like Grandma!]

http://duggarsblog.blogspot.com/

She heads home and plays a trivia game - a question is asked and if she gets it right, she gets to pick a letter - if someone has it, they turn around. The letters spell out the news about the trip. [Michelle missed the first question - how old was Josh when he got married? She said 21, but he was 20.]

But, as they're packing for the trip, the youngest bunch, including Mackynzie and Michael, get sick. [the same five who went to the dentist are the sick ones... I also find it odd that a trip like this would be kept from Michelle... it clearly required some advance planning!]

Revolution: Nora Gets Help, Aaron Kills

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

This show is getting on my last nerve. I've mentioned before that I don't see it lasting and I originally thought it was a terrible concept, but I thought it would get better after seeing the first couple of episodes. I was wrong... and I'll be dropping it. I'm considering sticking it out for the four episodes left before its four-month hiatus between November 26th and March 25th, but no promises. Aaron was my favorite character and this episode did a lot to discredit his potential, so I'm left without much hope. On a separate note, I thought that the title was incredibly misleading. The previews even made it sound like Drexel was going to have Charlie as "payment," but never was sex really a thing (other than talking about other mistresses), and the only drugs we saw were the penicillin and adrenaline used on Nora. (and we heard about heroin. just HEARD ABOUT IT.) If NBC titled the episode to get viewers, I hope they were just as let-down as I was! 

Revolution "Sex and Drugs" (S02E06): Our foursome take off in a wagon toward Ohio State University, for medical help for Nora's infected wound. After a faux hold-up (Drexel is bitter because after Miles defected, he, too, was seen as a traitor), Drexel agrees to help Miles & Co., with Miles donating his own O- blood to Nora, who is in septic shock. For payment, Miles offers to kill an Irish family up the road, but Drexel wants Charlie to do it, a task she accepts. [what does she have to live for, anyway? She has now torn up her postcards in a depression about losing all of her family.] She goes under the guise that she's one of Drexel's regular girls but he roughed her up, so he has to hit her for effect. After she's on her way there, Drexel tells Miles that the family will surely kill Charlie after she kills the guy, and Aaron asks Miles to go after her, even if it means that he and Nora die. [I love that we're supposed to see Aaron as so selfless at this point, despite what we later learn of his life shortly after the blackout!] Charlie plays the part of a potential informant and gets in to see the patriarch.

Meanwhile, Aaron and Miles work together to kill a handful of armed guards. Miles escapes to save Charlie (though she handles her own and was about to kill the guy when Miles shows up and stops her), while Nora is given adrenaline to wake up, and she and Aaron are told to shoot one another - whomever shoots first is told that they'll live. Nora is confused, and Aaron asks her to shoot him, as Miles and Charlie need her more than they need him. [is he supposed to be the epitome of selfless now??] When she won't, he shoots himself (using a concealed flask as armor), only to wait on the ground until Drexel hovers over him, when he shoots. He negotiates getting out alive, and they meet the others. [how the hell did the guards just let them walk out of there after killing their boss?]

Elsewhere, in Philadelphia, Neville brings Danny to Monroe, and Monroe gets a promotion. Nate tells Monroe that Aaron has the pendant, but Nate then hesitates because Monroe is planning to capture only Miles, killing the rest of the group. Danny is then brought to Rachel, and he's 100% shocked. [yeah, well, I would be, too!]

Flashback: Aaron took his wife out for their anniversary when the power went out. A doctor stumbled upon them and helps with her dysentery. Eight months later, they're attacked in the woods, and the doctor, Sean, saved them again. Then, Aaron feels bad because he can no longer give his wife everything - he can't hunt, make a fire, or keep her safe, so he decides to leave her with the group, saying that he can't protect her and she's better off without him. [this is so freaking ridiculous! I can't even talk about it because it makes me so angry!]

Breaking Amish: Not Amish Anymore

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

This was supposed to be the end of this show, but it seems that it will receive two more episodes... "reunion specials," if you will. In them, we will see Abe and Rebecca get married, and Sabrina two-time Jeremiah. Nothing fancy, nothing extravagant, and nothing all that interesting. Much like this episode, which largely ignored Sabrina, barely showcases Jeremiah, and has homeless, uneducated young people moving to another city. Oh, and Kate returning to New York to go try being a model.

Breaking Amish "Decision Time" (S01E08): Kate flies for the first time, back to Pennsylvania. [I guess she rode in a car or bus to Florida and back?] She wears English clothes to go see her friends, but they stop playing volleyball and walk away from her. She tries to talk to her parents, but her father won't see her, so she returns to New York to live in the model apartment. She has two castings her first day - one of just photos and measurements, and one where she's told to lose another five pounds to make her cheekbones more prominent. She also gets into trouble for having an injured elbow (apparently a car hit her when she was biking at home?), and is told that 80% of the models who move into that apartment don't make it. [I was weired out that she used her purse handle as a belt.] 

Jeremiah tries to see Ivy, his old girlfriend, but she slams the door in his face. When he goes to see his parents,we don't really know what happens, but it's assumed not to be positive. Jeremiah isn't planning to stick around for long.

Abe dresses in English clothes (because he doesn't want to be a hypocrite) when he goes to tell his family of his plans to stay in the outside world. His mother makes him eat alone. [Corinthians 5:11 says "You must not associate with anyone who call himself brother but defies God. With such a man do not even eat."] Abe doesn't think his brother should be angry with him as he has a short haircut that also goes against the traditions. [but that's a smaller sin, I would think?] His mother and brother ask him to leave after he's eaten. [it was awkward that the camera stayed in Abe's house when he left.]

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/breaking-amish

Rebecca goes to meet some friends at a restaurant when she returns, but they leave immediately upon seeing her in English clothes. When she gets to her grandparents' home, she finds that they've left - the house is empty, and even her own things are gone. She uses the phone on the edge of the property to call a family friend, who explains that her family moved. [why is the phone still hooked up?] She calls Abe. [how? what number did she call?] The two decide to go ahead and get married and figure out their future together, moving to Lancaster to get out of Punxsutawney. [why move to another area that's heavily Amish??] They meet with a wedding planner to talk about the basics - hiring a caterer, not having dancing, etc., but were uninformed about the costs of getting married in America. Abe asks Jeremiah to be his Best Man, and Sabrina goes with Rebecca to look at wedding gowns, where she becomes the Maid of Honor. Sabrina talks about how she married a Mennonite in 2009 and they parted ways after a while. [...I didn't like how that was just so casually thrown in there!]

The New Normal: Guinea Pigs, Catholicism, Godparents

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Can we make this priest a recurring character, please? I kinda loved him. Of course, there was also no Jane, so it was a good episode for multiple reasons. The Kardsahians jokes at the end were rough, though. I thought that the "dead pet" storyline had no place in this episode, especially with two other plots already taking place. Shania being upset that she technically doesn't have ties to Bryan & David's baby was a pretty true moment, but I think that they could have done a little bit more with it. Plus, I would have liked to see Bryan and David trying to figure out which of their friends to ask to be godparents, and maybe even actually see them get shot down a second time, haha!

The New Normal "The Godparent Trap" (S01E07): Bryan records another video for his unborn baby, talking about how to put her to sleep, including Vespers. Rocky and Bryan tell David about godparents and how they help the child through spiritual guidance. Bryan and David then realize that they aren't spiritual, so they better get some great godparents lined up! [haha.] The talk to some friends and ask Victoria and Tiffany to be their child's godparents, but they aren't willing to help raise a baby when they can't have one of their own. [at first I thought that this was kinda selfish, but then it made good sense! also, I liked David's wording here: "religion requires faith, and I'm more based on facts."]

Bryan decides to go to church to talk to the priest about finding his own spiritual grounding, as he loved the tradition of Catholicism. He's told to find a church that accepts him, but Bryan doesn't want to be segregated... so he decides to "fight" and will bring his family to Mass every now and then. David also talks about joining a temple, and later says that he hasn't been since college, when he was lonely in New York. [awww!]

(Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)

Goldie has to go into the surrogacy office for a check-in, and she's told not to get too close to Bryan and David- once she delivers, her job is done. [that is kinda shocking, yeah. but, "say Craigslist"?? who says that when you're taking a photo?] Shania disagrees, wanting to be part of the baby's life. Bryan and David reassure Goldie that they hope they will always be a family. To reinforce her new family, Shania takes photos of Bryan and David for a project on "family" at school. She asks them to be her godparents, but they decline, as they don't have anything to offer in the "spiritual guidance department." [yeah, that can read as really rough to a kid!]

And in a third storyline going on, Marshmallow, the class guinea pig, dies under Bryan/Rocky's watch. David goes to perform CPR, but they end up having to buy another pet. This one, however, is female, and Shania notices. [figures. such an observant little girl!] Rocky explains that guinea pigs die, and they hold a burial in the backyard. David and Bryan decide to make Shania and Rocky the godparents of their child. [awkward. and how should Shania take that? first, she's looking for godparents and then becomes one? oh well, at least it cements her in the baby's life! also, Bryan's "families who have replaced a pet" list sucks...  he says the Bradys, Partridges, Seavers, and on Saved by the Bell... I don't think it showed up on The Brady Bunch or Growing Pains, though I can't speak for The Partridge Family, Slater's pet does die on Saved by the Bell, LoL!]

Fun Friday: Full House by Tom Hanks

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Jimmy Fallon apparently had Tom Hanks read/act a jazzy poem about Full House. I didn't see it on television, but thanks to the virality of internet videos, it came my way and I want to pass it on.

Ben and Kate: Zombie Apocalypse

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

What is that white dress that Kate was wearing?? Hideous! And, what, exactly, was the purpose of this episode? I liked where they were going with Ben not knowing what to do in an emergency, but much like how Charlie had to step it up when Jake got hurt on Two and a Half Men, I figured Ben would have to act responsibly after a mistake. Instead, there's a stupid sidestory about yet another one of Ben's old girlfriends. Now, this episode does appear to be third in production order, so it should come before both Kate's "21st Birthday" and the family scavenger hunt. But I don't think that helps very much, either. I still like the show but not as much as many people, apparently. What about you - what do you think of it at this point?

Ben and Kate "Emergency Kit" (S01E05): BJ flirts with Buddy, who owns the restaurant. He's freshly divorced, so she wants to make a move. She also continues to be a cheapskate, pretending there are screws or glass shards in the food so she gets free meals. [holy cow!] Kate convinced BJ to wait to sleep with him, which only turns him on more.

Ben accidentally hurts Maddie with his new knife, and Kate panics, especially after it's clear that Ben has been abusing the supplies in Kate's emergency kit. [things like this make me paranoid that I'd be a mother like Kate.] Kate decides to test Ben by sending Tommy over and having him pretend he has ingested a peanut - to which he has a life-threatening allergy. Tommy doesn't think he's faking well enough so he admits it's a show. [hahaha!] While this is going on, Ben's ex-girlfriend, Louise, shows up at the house. He can't get rid of her, and when he tries, she just stabs the bouncy house the family is using. In fact, Louise doesn't leave at all, and Ben finds her in the garage while staging a Zombie Apocalypse to prove to Kate that there's no point in preparing for everything. [I hope we're done with her, though... she is crazy!]

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Cr: Jennifer Clasen/FOX

Maddie thinks that this is real, however, even though Ben had told her he was messing with her mom. [oh, kids!] Ben had told her to get to high ground in case of zombies, so she went up to the crawl space and the family has to talk her down because Ben and Tommy broke the ladder. [I'm surprised that Tommy would let these issues go unnoticed... one would think he'd tell Kate, as he adores her.]

Go On: Janie Planned Ryan's Birthday in Advance

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

So just a couple of quick notes on this episode... the B-story was weak and useless... it felt like they needed something different to do with Sonia for some reason and that's all that the writers could conjure. I thought that the entire concept was cute - a fun birthday planned for someone recently widowed, but it turns out that his late wife did think ahead a little in that respect. In the end, Anne and Mr. K dancing was pretty interesting but a tad unbelievable... how much do you have to love a specific dance to a song to take part in it with someone for whom you're not too crazy?

Go On "Any Given Birthday" (S01E07): Ryan doesn't want to celebrate his birthday this year because Janie always made a big deal out of it and he wants something more low-key. [while it sounds okay in theory, I would bet he'd miss a big event.] Yolanda pays a lot of money (everyone was supposed chip in TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS each!) to have a company organize a Ryan-themed scavenger hunt, which he decides to take part in anyway. ["chant" and "content" WERE a mess!] Anne, Lauren, and Mr. K are on Ryan's team, and the first task is to get Ryan's photo on the wall at a dry cleaners. (by the way, Sonia isn't competing because she's taking Ryan's place in helping Steven around, who just had a colonoscopy. Problematically, she lets him do whatever her wants, including dropping a ton of money while shopping. This was an odd storyline and that's all I'm saying.) He talks the guy into it and the next clue asks for someone to streak. Mr. K. (and Danny for the other team) take part before everyone heads to Ryan's office to use t-shirt guns to shoot at Ryan cut-outs. [funny!]

(Photo by: Vivian Zink/NBC)

Then, they hop in a limo, and Ryan tells Lauren that it's the first birthday he's enjoyed in years. Turns out, the limo isn't from the hunt but was a pre-planned birthday gift from his wife, which takes them to an elaborately decorated hotel suite. They give up on finishing the scavenger hunt, and Janie appears to wish Ryan his annual happy returns. [I wanted to see them finish!]

Giveaway Winner: The Walking Dead/Spartacus

We had a contest end yesterday for a The Walking Dead / Spartacus bag, so we want to go ahead and announce the winner! Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway! 

The fourth comment belongs to BK, so congrats to him! We have contacted him and look forward to getting out his prize!

Sorry we didn't have more entries or we would have given away a second bag! Stick around, we've always got stuff ready to give away! We hope that our new @TheTalkingBox followers and "Facebook Likers" stick around - hopefully you've been poking around and finding other articles you enjoy.

Switched at Birth: The Verdict, The Job, The Trip

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

A thirty-episode first season is finally complete. Now, we wait until January 7th to see what happens next. I gotta say, first off, that I wasn't as surprised by this episode as the internet marketing wanted me to be... I wasn't "shocked" at any of it (except maybe the monetary award for the Kennishes), and was barely surprised at most of it because of all of the preview scenes that have been airing throughout the week. I actually found the episode to be rather weak, especially toward the end. Think about it... Bay and Daphne talking about going to the same pizza place their whole lives  and they didn't know one another. EXCEPT, Regina knew what Bay looked like, so it probably wouldn't have been all that coincidental after all. And the pregnant woman looking for Angelo? Puh-lease. The looks on the girls' faces screamed "he slept around," when they're jumping to an improbable conclusion, in my opinion. And, "the day before your life changes feels like any other day." While that's almost as cheesy as "today is the first day of the rest of your life," but not as cliche so I kinda liked it. You?

Switched at Birth "Street Noises Invade the House" (S01E30):
Trial: Kathryn is asked if she wrote the book to make money. [interesting question.] She explains that she wrote the book to make sense of the situation, and that the proceeds are going to a children's charity. Then they bring up that Kathryn gave money to a nurse, and she says it was a loan and the right thing to do. The next question is about why she's suing the hospital when discovering the switch was a "blessing." [uh oh...] Kathryn talks about how she was happy to know that the daughter she gave birth to was cared for and that she doesn't want to miss any more of Daphne's life. So, the counsel then asks if she'd go back and want to undo the switch - she says no, because she wouldn't know Bay. [yeah, should've seen this coming...] So, it kinda sounds like Kathryn wasn't all that hurt by what the hospital did, but the jury finds favor for both the Kennishes and Angelo, but for different amounts - John and Kathryn are to receive one dollar while Angelo should get five million! John is happy, though, as it was never about the money, just the hospital being at fault. [think Angelo will share enough money with Regina that she can open her own salon? again?]

Daphne: At work, the restaurant owner asks about her relationship with Jeff - it's suspected that Jeff only promoted her to "garde manger" because she slept with him. [It took me a couple of tries to figure out what was being said so I could even try to find the correct spelling, LoL! But, now that I have it, I found a lovely breakdown of the roles in a professional kitchen, check them out! also, did we know that she was taking birth control pills? Regina doesn't seem surprised.] Daphne denies everything, but because Jeff is worried, she asks Emmett for advice, leading her to decide to just quit her job. Her reasoning is that there will no longer be a conflict of interest between her work and their relationship. [kiddo... this ain't gonna end in marriage so chill out!] Worried that she made things worse, Daphne decides to confide in Regina, but she tells her daughter to break up with the guy and keep the job, furious that Daphne thought she'd "understand" because of her own romantic choices. [not Daphne's worst call, but I don't see how she thought her mother would approve of the relationship!] Daphne goes to Jeff, who has to break it to her that they're not meant to be.

http://beta.abcfamily.go.com

While she's outside crying in her car, Angelo arrives, as Regina had informed him of the situation. Angelo hits Jeff before Daphne (or Regina or Kathryn, who were hot on his tail) can stop him, leading to more tears. In the end, Daphne chooses to cry on Kathryn's shoulder. [I thought Kathryn being able to comfort her daughter was really sweet, ]

Bay: Bay and Zarra drink beer as they talk about Zarra's desire to go to Mexico and join her father in becoming part of a famous artist's installation piece. [I find it so weird that the girls both drink on the show but Toby doesn't. I would've pegged him over either of them, LoL.] Some creeps who were arrested with Zarra come sniffing around the trailer park, looking for blood. Luckily, when Toby shows up to give Bay a bag, the girls run to his car, narrowly getting away from the gang. He drives them back to the Kennish home, where Bay is forced to talk to her parents. [we're not quite sure how long Bay has been at Zarra's, but probably not more than a week or so. loved Regina's shirt!]

The next day, Emmett sees Bay loading her car, claiming to be donating some of her art supplies. In reality, she finds Zarra and they head off toward Mexico, with no set return date. [...are YOU shocked? the only part that bothered me was that they didn't know exactly where they were going - Zarra hasn't heard back from her father.] Bay leaves the money in the car when they stop for gas, so it's stolen, along with her passport. They can't afford a hotel now, so they sleep in the car. That's where John and Emmett find them, as John tracks Bay's cell phone (and Emmett is there because Kathryn thought maybe he'd know something). Bay says that she's not stopping street art. John says they'll figure it out, having realized from Emmett that you have to ask the right questions to figure out what to do. Zarra splits, taking the rest of the money for a bus ticket. [hahaha, bet we'll never hear from her again!] Emmett rides with Bay back home.

Sneak Peak: South Park Halloween!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

With such a short turn-around time, it's not every week that we can preview the latest South Park episode, but today's a lucky day! Wednesday night's episode is called "A Nightmare on FaceTime" and is Halloween-themed! Watch the clip below as our favorite fourth-grade foursome goes trick-or-treating characters!

Tune in Wednesday!

Breaking Amish: Wrapping Up Everything...

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Many people believe that TLC has changed the second half of the season to show what the public has already discovered - most of the kids had been outside of their Amish communities before, Jeremiah has left and re-joined the Amish, and Rebecca and Jeremiah have respectively been married already. Maybe. And, even, probably. But other facts still exist that throw everything for a loop - like the idea that Abe and Rebecca already have a baby together and that Jeremiah has three children. I guess we'll have to wait for the finale to see how that will work, but I don't see that stuff coming to light, especially if Rebecca is shown to have no family left. I don't have any expectations or hopes for the finale, though I do think that TLC should nix any thoughts of doing a second season (whether following different kids or following up with these ones) as well as anything similar... these "curious religion" reality shows (like All-American Muslim) just aren't working out for them!

Breaking Amish "Final Days" (S01E07): It's the end of their time in New York, and before coming together to have dinner and talk about the future (going back will be worse for some of the kids than others), quite a few things take place.

First, the quick stories... Kate is accepted into the modeling agency for a 30-day trial period, where she'll live in an apartment on Madison with other models. Sabrina meets her father as well as his mother, who is dying. She's surprised to learn that they have photos of her growing up - her adoptive parents sent them all the time when she was young! [um... SUPER WEIRD!] They exchange numbers and she hopes to stay in touch. [...I'm not sure how that's going to go.]

Now, the big story... Rebecca and Abe knew one another and used to hang out long ago, before Rebecca moved to North Dakota and Abe to Kentucky. They pretended that they weren't acquainted though they did reconnect when both returned to Punxsutawney anyway. [we're not clear on what Abe was doing in KY, but it's speculated that Rebecca was in ND to join her "jerk" husband.] Abe writes "Will you marry me" in the sand (asking the crew how to spell "marry") at Coney Island. He proposes on one knee, she accepts (amidst tears), and he heads home to tell his family of the engagement. [what's with the choice to play "This Little Light of Mine" in the background of a proposal, TLC?]

TLC

Abe's mother tells him that she knows a woman who claims to be Rebecca's HUSBAND's mother! [let me get this straight... she's 20 years old, has no teeth, and has been MARRIED??] So, Abe would be shunned if he stays with her - the Amish don't believe in divorce, though some individuals legally obtain them. Of course, Abe immediately goes to Rebecca to ask her what the deal is... she gets defensive, claiming that she should get a chance to explain what happened. [we don't hear such an explanation.] He says that she should have told him, and she says that she's ashamed, but it shouldn't make a difference if he loves her. [ha!] Jeremiah is pissed when he finds out, as Rebecca not saying anything is very disrespectful.

Also, following up on previous issues... No camera footage was ever found of Kate taunting Sabrina in the middle of the night. Abe and Rebecca think it was probably a hoax so Sabrina and Jeremiah could be together, as everyone learns the pair have been having sex, though they're not sure where - it's not either of the rooms! [I don't know why we drop this without further exploration, either.]

What Happened to Animation Domination?

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

FOX was supposed to run all new episodes tonight for The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, Family Guy, American Dad, and The Cleveland Show. But, because the NLCS required a Game #6 this year, all of those planned episodes have gotten pushed back so that the Giants can play the Cardinals at 7pm ET/4pm PT on FOX. Don't get excited about next week, either, as the upcoming World Series and a two-hour X-Factor special means most of Animation Domination will not air new episodes until November 11th, though The Cleveland Show will air November 4th.

What You're Missing Because the Giants Made a Comeback:

"Menace II Secret Society" is the second episode of the 4th season of The Cleveland Show. Cleveland decides to confront Kenny West about not sharing credit over a song that made him famous, "Be-Cleve in Yourself."

"Adventures in Baby-Getting" is the third episode in the 24th episode of The Simpsons. You may have seen previews for this highly-promoted episode, in which Marge wants to consider adding a fourth child to the family.

"The Old Man and the Big 'C'" is the third episode in the 11th season of Family Guy. Stewie and Brian discover that Lois's dad's company can cure cancer but has been keeping that classified in order to profit.

"Bob Fires the Kids" is the third episode of the 3rd season of Bob's Burgers. Bob feels bad that he's taking up all of the kids' vacation time, so he fires them... but they're so bored that they become "weed pickers" for a local farm.

"Can I Be Frank With You?" is the third episode of the 8th season of American Dad. Francine worries that she and Stan are growing apart while Steve and friends do a "boy band" music video.

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Also, most shows are not airing new episodes tomorrow night, either, because of the Presidential Debate at 9pm ET.

23 Days in the Mists

Or: How to Deal with Facial Monitor Burn

J. Adams

Welcome to Pandaria

On September 25^th, Mists of Pandaria (MoP) brought the land of the Pandaren to World of Warcraft (WoW).  Since then, I have spent most of my free time (except the time spent playing XCOM as I mentioned last week) working on my Pandaren Monk - the new class (and the new race) that became available with the expansion. Despite the initial controversy from a rather vocal minority, it seems that the Pandaren race has turned out to be quite popular.

I rolled up my Monk the day the expansion dropped and immediately spent the first 15 minutes gaping in awe at the surroundings of the Pandaren starting area. It was gorgeous. Even though the graphics of WoW are looking a bit dated, especially in comparison to Rift or TERA, the art team did an outstanding job in creating the Pandaren themselves and the lands from which they’ve come. The colors are vibrant, and the heavily Asian-influenced architecture is beautiful, whether you’re looking at a small shrine in the forest or the amazingly ornate Temple of the Jade Serpent (pictured above).

The Pandaren starting experience takes place on the back of a giant sea turtle named Shen-Zin Su and gives the player an idea of how the Pandaren have been living on the “Wandering Isle,” as well as how they react to the sudden appearance of the Alliance and Horde. I spent the first 13-14 levels on the Wandering Isle, learning about the Pandaren and marveling at each new landscape. I had a great time, but then came the moment where I had to choose between the Alliance and the Horde – this was fine, since all my characters are Alliance anyway. The problem was that I was going to have to play from levels 15 to 85 through content I’ve already played half a dozen times or more.

So I did it all again, and about two weeks after MoP came out, my new Monk was level 85 and ready to start adventuring in the rest of the new content that the expansion provided – the continent of Pandaria itself.

If I’d been impressed with the first area, I was blown away by Pandaria. Even more than in the starting area, the landscapes are polished to a point where they’re nearly blinding. The quests are more varied, though you still see plenty of “go to point ‘a’ and kill ‘x’ of ‘y’,” but these are broken up by plenty of story development and characterization so they really don’t feel like chores. Each zone is split into distinct “storylines,” and you can track how many you’ve completed and how many are left to go. Most storylines feed into one another, but there are also shorter one-offs in certain zones that you’ll find by exploring the land (and, helpfully, tracking the location of the “!” on your map).

I found myself becoming engrossed in the story of Pandaria in a way that the Cataclysm expansion hadn’t matched. Blizzard did a great job in creating an emotional hook right from the beginning by having a character, Taran Zhu, come right out and say that by bringing “my” war to Pandaria, it would be changed forever.

And Pandaria is changing, slowly but surely. Some of the changes are obvious, and because your character is directly involved, you can’t help but notice them. Others haven’t come to fruition yet, but in the way the storylines play out and from the small changes in dialogue from non-player characters you deal with as you progress, I just know some Bad Things are going to happen. It also helps that Blizzard has come out and said Bad Things are going to happen, but even if they hadn’t, this expansion has been so well written that it’s pretty easy to tell.

As of right now, I don’t have any characters up to the new maximum of level 90 because I’ve been working on my secondary professions and catching up on my primary professions that I’d allowed to lag behind in my rush to get from level one to level 85. This is another change from Cataclysm, as I had taken a character from level 80 to 85 (the maximum for that expansion) in under 14 days. For some reason, I just don’t feel as rushed in Pandaria. It might have something to do with this expansion feeling more polished. It may have something to do with the Pandaren credo of “slow down and enjoy the journey.”

Whatever the reason, I am willing, after these 23 days of playing, to call Mists of Pandaria my favorite expansion to World of Warcraft. If you’ve played before but left, give it a try. If you’ve never played, this is a good reason to start. 

Fun Friday: Jeopardy! Archives

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

This post is inspired by the apparently many people I follow on Twitter who watch Jeopardy! on a regular basis. In the past few weeks, it seems that quite a few folks I know would have won big had they been on recent episodes. Now, I don't watch Jeopardy! too regularly, and haven't in over three years (when I used to go to the gym when it was airing), but I do enjoy the show if there's not much else on or if I'm in the kitchen - you can easily play along while only listening unless it's a visual Daily Double!

jeopardy.com

Anyway, today I wanted to share a site with you that you might not know exists. I have talked about it before, but it has been a LONG time! [and, in fact, I actually met Dan from that episode at a conference in Denver last year. he was a bit surprised that I recognized him, actually!] A fan-run website, this Jeopardy! archive boasts an extensive collection of Jeopardy! games in an easy-to-read format. You can challenge yourself with any of the boards, and all you have to do to find out the question is scroll over the money amount in that square! You can also see which contestant from that game gave the correct response, PLUS you can read their responses to the "Final Jeopardy!" clue.

Particularly fun, if you ask me, is to search through the archives for clues dealing with specific items or people. That little box at the top of every page will bring up tons of instances where your term appears! For instance, searching "Hamlet" retrieves 312 results from regular rounds (11 of which came from last year!) and 12 additional results from "Final Jeopardy!" rounds. You can also search the contestant blurbs to find people from your hometown, who share your profession, or other commonalities.

There's also a wagering calculator, to help you figure out what you should bet! It takes some time to understand the theories, but not a bad idea if you can't handle the "all or nothing" approach! For the hardcore statistics people, you can also look at the game dynamics of each match as well.

Go play around on the site - come back and let us know what you found!

Elementary: Killer in a Coma; Killer is a Kid

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Let me open by talking about the "theme song" for this show. When I saw the pilot, there was no opener attached. Now, I love it... I think that the music and the marbles and the process are cool. But I don't think it's re-watchable week after week, year after year. In fact, I was almost wary of it before it even finished playing for the first time. Kinda annoying. I'm also not thrilled with the fact that Lucy Liu seems to exist purely to have a second main character on the show... I mean, how often are we going to have to see her wasting her talent by doing stupid exercises while wearing white dresses? She doesn't add too much to the plot, Holmes rarely acknowledges her, and she doesn't really have anything going on her own, despite what was trying to be built in the pilot. I'll give this show another episode or two, but it's starting to become a major dud... and not just because it's so much like House that it's sickening!

facebook.com/ElementaryCBS

Elementary "While You Were Sleeping" (S01E02): Holmes gets a call to look at a fresh case, where he quickly figures out the crimes and who the thief was. He then works on figuring out how Yvette, a woman in a coma, could be near a murder scene. He deduces that she has a twin, Rebecca, but they're fraternal, so that's a dead end. A second murder occurs, and Holmes notes that both victims have the same genetic condition, and that they're siblings. [tricky!] They have a mystery father, so the search begins to figure out who he is. Holmes forces a lawyer to give them the information by threatening to expose his drug habit. [hahaha!] They find out that the dead siblings are half-siblings of the coma girl and her twin. The conscious girl explains that her father told them of the others on his deathbed. To figure out how it's all happening, Holmes claims that there's a third illegitimate child, which ends up revealing that Yvette's doctor was putting her in and out of a coma so that she could kill the people while having a great medical alibi. [freaky!] She was sleeping with her doctor, who wanted her to have access to all of the money. It also looks like Rebecca might have been next - otherwise, why would Yvette still be in a coma? [yeah... super freaky.]

Non-crime stuff: Holmes and Watson attend a meeting for addicts, but he hypnotizes himself to get through it, using the word "amygdala." Watson has dinner with a former lover, who has heard from her worried parents. [boring!] Watson suggests that Holmes return to playing the violin to help relieve stress. It's hard for him to decide to do so, but he does play one night. Also, we learn that it has been less than two weeks since Holmes was released from rehab, and that he wasn't honest with the police about where he's been. [but this problem seems to disappear in the third episode.]

Elementary "Child Predator" (S01E03): Seven times in seven years, a child has gone missing while balloons were found in his place. The bodies weren't always recovered, but Holmes has done the math and noticed that the abductor keeps the children alive longer when there's less media attention. [okay... but not doing television interviews is one thing. in the day and age of social media, there's no stopping the public from grieving on twitter if nowhere else!] Holmes figures out that the father wasn't out buying wine when the bottle in the fridge isn't from a local bodega - this leads them to the woman he went to see that night, who saw a speeding van. All she knows, however is that it was brown. [there's some deduction in there with snapped twigs, sirens, doubled items in the kitchen, and forwarded mail as well.] In the area, they find a car that was sideswiped by a brown vehicle that had been painted white and blue before that. A BOLO locates the van before long but the driver is the first kid who was abducted by "the balloon man." [whoa. that's surprising!]

Holmes gets the kid to say a few things, including that the guy comes home every morning with donuts. [so he has a night job. got it.] Holmes thinks that the guy finds victims through his jobs, and that he's currently a newspaper delivery man. They figure out who he is but when they go to find him they only locate some balloons and a USB drive that has a video of the guy, asking for the return of Adam, or he'll kill the new girl. Adam is now 19, misses his "dad," and is not allowed to talk to police. [creepy time!] Luckily, Holmes is exempt from that restriction, and he finds out that the kid feels bad for "assisting" in the other situations. He gives up the address, and the police find the balloon man with the girl. The guy kills himself, but Holmes realizes that Adam had the master bedroom, so he was in charge, manipulating his abductor for quite some time. The kid's brilliant and has executed many plans, so although Holmes beats himself up over this, he does realize that one of the victims was taken while the alleged Balloon Man was in traction, so that instance was all Adam - the immunity deal won't cover this, as that's for crimes "in consort with" Abbott. [wow. loopholes everywhere!]

Non-crime stuff: all Watson did this episode was try to get Holmes to sleep, eat, and exercise.

Big Bang: Howard is Lonely; Battle of the Sexes

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

So... looks like Stuart is sticking around!  I'm kinda excited about that upgrade, though with he, Amy, and Bernadette all regulars at this point, we've pretty much doubled the original cast! I also wonder how long we'll get to keep Stuart after he and Raj realize that they're becoming closer than they think! Looking at just this episode, though, I must say that it was a bit disappointing. I thought that Bernadette being sick was an awkward way to welcome back Howard, but I guess it fed into the rest of the storyline - nobody had time for him. Odd, as it's not like he was gone for a year or more! On the flip side, I really enjoyed the Pictionary game between the other couples - I was laughing so hard at polish/Polish!

The Big Bang Theory "The Re-Entry Minimization" (S06E04): With Howard returning, Sheldon tries to boot Stuart from the group, only to cave as soon as he's offered a 30% discount at the comic book store.

Bernadette welcomes "Payload Specialist Wolowitz" at the airport, and because he gets off the plane alongside Howie Mendel, he thinks that there is paparazzi for him! [HILARIOUS moment!] Back at her place, they begin to become intimate when her allergies act up and knock her out. [aww.] So, Howard goes to see his mother... but she has been hooking up with the family dentist. So, he moves on to seeing Raj, but he and his ROOMMMATE, Stuart, are headed to a The Sound of Music sing-along. [okay. I was really intrigued when I saw that episode of Will and Grace with such a sing-along, and now I really have to find one to attend!] Howard heads to Leonard and Sheldon's, but they're having a pie-eating contest with Amy and Penny so he goes to a diner (in his NASA jacket) to wallow in self-pity. 

What's with the pie-eating contest, you ask? Well, what began as a friendly game of Pictionary morphed into a Battle of the Sexes in everything from Physics Fiesta (you play the game in Spanish) and Where's Waldo to Dizzy Bats with long division and wrestling! [and you think THESE are bad... some of the failed suggestions included darts, water polo, and real-life operation on cadavers! I particularly loved Sheldon drawing the current moment in the room for "present" !! also, how do they have two copies of the same Waldo book? and, lastly, I thought Penny and Amy kissing Sheldon's face was hilarious!]

Photo: Michael Yarish/Warner Bros.

The worst part about the pie-eating contest? We don't see who won!

Guys with Kids: A Different Kind of Couch Gag

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I'll admit it... this episode was a bit weaker than the last few. I still don't understand why Gary seems to be the "main character" in a clearly ensemble show... especially after I thought Chris would be the main character, according to the pilot. I'm also tiring of the tension between Sheila and the rest of the characters, which I see only getting worse now that she lives in the same building! I'm really struggling to understand how she came to the conclusion to share their address, but I guess it's just something that I need to accept and move past. I still like the show and hope it hangs in there... I don't know if its lead-in, Animal Practice, being canceled will help or not!

Guys with Kids "Gary's Day Off" (S01E05): When Marny gets back from a week on business, Nick tells her that Gary desperately needs a day off, so she decides to give it to him. He wants to go return some swimsuits to Old Navy and hang at the Apple store, but Nick suggests that they use Chris's Giants tickets and go to the game. [I really loved "this is what I wish for every time I hold my breath in the tunnel!"] But, Sheila got the tickets in the divorce (along with most everything else, as Chris tried to "take the high road"). [I found it hilarious that Nick suggested Sheila have full custody of Ernie in exchange for the tickets, and Chris can have one of Gary's kids).

So, the trio head to ask for the tickets, but Sheila will only fork them over if they spend the next five hours packing her apartment. They keep putting up with her until she asks Gary to re-pack her 40 Madam Alexander dolls, one per box. [...whaaa?!?!] It's at that point that they decide to steal her couch, as it was Nick's favorite before it was reupholstered. But, it won't fit through the door and they need to lower it out of a window. [you know this is going to become ridiculous!] Sheila comes home early and they have to drop it down to Gary, who waits outside. But, she wants to hand the tickets to Gary herself, so they have to lift the couch again. [you'd think that passersby would give away what was taking place!]

(Photo by: Vivian Zink/NBC)

They get it to Chris's place, but he realizes that he doesn't actually want the couch, so they stick it on the roof. Somehow, Sheila doesn't really notice, but Nick spills the beans when she comes over to give Chris all of his tickets, and tell him that her move was to THEIR BUILDING! . 

While all of this is going on, Marny tries caring for the four boys but keeps forgetting to do the basics like feed them. Emily tries to help, but Marny claims that she can do it herself... up until the family goes to the ER because of a stomachache. Gary cares too much about his children to go to the game while one is in pain, so they double-back to the hospital and he realizes that his son just ate too much jelly. All is well, except Gary has to go to the game in a hospital gown... as his kid vomited on him!

South Park: Butters & Kenny Save Hawaii

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I don't know a lot about Hawaii, but I found it hilarious that all of the "natives" are just people who have timeshares or go there for a month each year! From spending time in California, it sure seems like everyone vacations there on an annual basis, so I guess part of it adds up, anyway. But the part that's a bit too much of a stretch for me is the fact that Butters is supposed to be "Hawaiian" because his parents had, at one point, spent a lot of time there? So much so that they are "Hawaiian Royalty" ?? I dunno about that... I did like, at least,
the use of "Haole," which gave me an excuse to brush-up on my hate-crime-ish vocabulary.
And, speaking of vocabulary, was anyone else caught of-guard to hear Kenny's inner voice narrate his letters back to the guys? Have we heard this voice before and I just can't remember/didn't see that episode, or was this a first?

South Park "Going Native" (S16E11): Butters beats up a kid, and though Cartman is thrilled, Kyle is concerned. This leads to Butters telling off his peers, calling them all self-absorbed except for Kenny. His parents decide that it's a cultural problem and that Butters must go to Hawaii for the ceremony of "hapa noa." [which, as far as I can tell, is not a real thing.] He must travel alone, but the others force Kenny to go after his "best friend." At the airport, the travel agent thinks Butters is intoxicated so she she makes Kenny accompany him to Kauai.

When they arrive, things get underway for Butters' ceremony... only the "natives" decide to pause it in order to revolt against the possible elimination of the Mahalo Rewards Card. [interesting dig at how local residents receive 20% off everything.] The natives are afraid that there will be no distinction between natives and tourists at that point, so they throw golfballs at a cruise ship. [...what was that supposed to do?] Butters drives one in such a way that the entire ship sinks. [...oh.] 

photo courtesy: Comedy Central

They get rid of all of the tourists, but they worry about Kenny and force him to try paddleboarding in the river... only to let him go tumbling over a waterfall. Kenny makes it to shore and waltzes into a dilapidated resort, where the ghost of Elvis shows him a stockpile of drink ingredients. [that chi-chi sounded gross to me!] The Coast Guard arrives, but, luckily, Kenny uses a paddleboard to bring the vodka to the Hawaiians, who now feel able to fight the government. [seriously.] The Mahalo Rewards card is reinstated, Butters finishes his ceremony (and thus relinquishes his anger), and Kenny is also crowned as a native.

Suburgatory Returns, Kills Potential Plots

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

You may recall that I thought that this show was dragging as the first season finished, and wasn't sure if I'd keep up with it. Well, the teases over the hiatus have convinced me to stay through the Thanksgiving episode, so we'll re-evaluate in another month. But, I gotta say, this season premiere was terrible! Lisa having the knowledge that Ryan was adopted is now useless. Tessa and her grandmother seem to have no tension, and the break from Chatswin apparently made the protagonist content with her life once more. Plus, Eden is gone, so George is back to having no life. The only plot that moved forward this episode is Dallas' struggle to become closer to Dalia - without her housekeeper/nanny, she'll be forced to deal with her daughter more often.

Suburgatory "Homecoming" (S02E01): Tessa spent the summer with her mother's mother in Manhattan. She found out that her mother played guitar so she takes an interest in music, deciding to learn one of her mother's songs and play it in the Fall Follies. [what was with the scene where George makes Tessa sign a condition report before lending her his guitar?]

Lisa decides to confront her mother about Ryan being adopted, and her parents talk about how difficult it was to adopt Ryan - the birthmother took him back multiple times. [awww!] Lisa wants things to change, like getting the solo for their Fall Follies song over Ryan. [dancing cats? EVERY year??] 

(ABC/ADAM TAYLOR)

But, it backfires when Sheila realizes that all she has to do is threaten Lisa with the fact that, if she told Ryan the truth and he wanted to find his birthmother, that would mean Sheila would have more time to spend with Lisa. [yep, that sure would suck!] In the end, they burn down the potting shed and its secrets.

Noah is trying to woo Carmen back to nanny for the new baby, Opus, as she cared for Jenna before working for Dallas. When he offers her a car, she asks Dallas to counter-offer, but Carmen winds up leaving Dallas when she sees the woman destroying Noah's bribes. [...aside fro holiday cards or East Sunday, I don't think I've ever seen a father and son dress alike... did anyone else find that odd? Of course, not as odd as putting a headpiece on the baby to hold iced coffee!]  

The Middle: Hose, Fundraiser, New Career

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I understand that Frankie and Mike are not supposed to be examples of great parents, but the fact that neither can recall for certain having "the talk" with ANY of their children is beyond disturbing. Now, my mother wasn't into such things either (in fact, I flat-out asked to have it and she avoided the subject), but geez! This was a pretty classic episode of what The Middle is, though... not having enough money but wanting your kids to have an average life, dealing with terrorizing neighbors, and having to go talk to the principal after something unique happened! The best joke of the episode goes to everyone buying fake autographed stuff! and, Frankie now has a career in mind: dental assistant. Let's see how well that goes...

The Middle "The Hose" (S04E05): Sue, as mascot, has been asked to go on a band trip to Cincinnati, and she has to raise half of the cost - the other half is to be footed by her parents. She wants to take cheeses and sausages to the quarry to sell and gets a glance at Mike's paycheck, which prompts her to lie about a new rule prohibiting mascots from attending... she feels bad using her parents' money. [I found it odd that Brick and Axl are well aware of their financial status, but it's a surprise for Sue.] But, when Brad and Carly come over to take Sue to the mall, Mike realizes the truth and tells Sue that she should go on the trip; it's his job to worry about the money.

Brick wants to take a personal day from school to avoid the human development talk, but Frankie and Mike make him go. [loved that he tried to "be normal" by looking at Frankie's bras.] He later hears more than an earful from Axl on "what he needs to know" as well. He's also upset he still has to care for the rabbit. [okay, where do you think this rabbit thing is going?]

Frankie has taken up walking and accidentally makes eye contact with Rita Glossner. Rita accuses Frankie of stealing her hose (with which she fills her front yard wading pool), and when Frankie argues, Rita sends her boys to tear up the Hecks' yard.

(ABC/RICHARD FOREMAN)

Frankie puts Axl in charge of protecting the lawn (which means planning to throw urine balloons and bags of dog feces at trespassers) while tries to put a new hose on the Glossners' lawn. Well, Rita catches her and the hose winds up chipping Frankie's tooth. [omg! owww!] As she's getting ready to go to the dentist, she sees that Brick had stolen the hose to give his bunny water, so they wrap it up in a tarp and bury it, but an identical hose appears on Rita's yard anyway, so she invites the family to a "swimming party."