The Middle: A Bookmark for Halloween?

Brick growing up has been one of the more interesting ongoing arcs on this series. Each of the characters is really well-written, and great care is obviously taken to make sure the personalities are clear with every action, but the kids are maturing, little by little. Brick starting middle school was going to open up all kinds of potentially awesome storylines for the little misfit, but when he starts acting like a typical pre-teen by crushing on girls and wanting to go to a dance, I think audiences everywhere were a bit intrigued! He is definitely still himself, though I was a tad surprised that he made the costume on his own rather than asking for Frankie's help. And, for every notch he grows out of his shell, his sister becomes more and more confident in who she is, and his brother learns how to make lemonade out of lemons! I'm really looking forward to the other holiday episodes on the horizon for this comedy!

The Middle "Halloween IV: The Ghost Story" (S05E05): As punishment for not doing the dishes, Frankie makes Brick go to a party, where he stares at a girl named Harper, on whom he has a crush mostly because she developed early. [ha!] Frankie and Mike suggest Brick try talking to her via social media, but, he's slow to reply so the entire family helps him IM. He decides to ask her to the Halloween dance, and she says "yes." [haha, nobody high-fives Brick.] Brick dresses as a bookmark, and has a seizure or something at the dance. [that many different things were happening to him and his parents weren't called? I'm suspicious.]

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Frankie buys licorice menorahs so nobody is tempted to eat the candy before Halloween, but they do anyway, and they have to hide from the trick-or-treaters. [typical Hecks!] Sue gets the Wrestlerettes pumped by having a team sleepover, but when they hold a seance, Sue calls Christopher Columbus and thinks she sees the Santa Maria on the wall. [I'd say that's a stretch...] She starts telling everyone, concerning Mike. Both parents talk to their daughter, explaining that they've all had experiences that seem paranormal, but they don't believe they happened. Well, this only encourages Sue. [which makes sense. If they believe they really saw something, what's to stop the same thing from happening to Sue?]

Axl is being hazed on the football team, but he and Hutch, a fellow hazee, throw a party... only to not be let in because they're not upperclassman players. [hilarious!] They decide to crowd-surf their way in, then hang out with a couple of girls until the upperclassmen tie them up again. [it seemed almost like freshmen boys pledging a fraternity, really.] 

South Park: Ike and Foofa

This episode left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Part of it is probably the fact that I really prefer adventures where the main kids are all involved, but the other is that the Ike storyline was incredibly far-fetched. Facial hair and chewing tobacco? His parents and teachers not really knowing anything about it? Nobody feeling the effects of Ike's changes except Kyle? I just didn't buy it. Perhaps if it had been the B-story to Intelelink instead of the other way around, it would have worked better. Because, in all honesty, I thought that there were not enough crosses between the two to really make them work well together.

South Park "Taming Strange" (S17E05): Mr. Mackey tells the kids about "Intelelink," which the kids can use to schedule appointments with the nurse or counselor. In the process, he shows the class a degrading picture of Kyle that Ike drew. As this has been happening frequently lately, Kyle tries to befriend his brother, but he's not interested, preferring to use some chewing tobacco. [I think that may be the worst depiction of puberty ever, by the way!]

Kyle goes to Mr. Mackey for help, but Intelelink is having problems and it's a while before he gets any ideas... and all he gets is "look up Canadian puberty to find out how it is different." [LoL, true, everything Canadian is different on this show!] Kyle skips school to take Ike to Yo Gabba Gabba! Live!, but Ike tries to "tame Foofa's strange" at the concert and gets in trouble. [wow. that was insane!]

Comedy Central

However, this makes Foofa decide to move on to playing for older audiences, and she soon goes wild. She hangs out with Ike, but her former band members bring Sinead O'Conner to tell her to control herself. [only part of me wants to look up the reference here...] But, she sticks with her mature shows, acting like Miley Cyrus in a way.

The whole situation seems to have started when Ike began getting the wrong medication from the Canadian government, and was receiving hormones instead of constipation medicine because of a system screw-up. [I laughed at the healthcare jokes.] Tom Brady has been getting the laxatives instead. [ha!] Kyle is able to get Ike to stop being so aggressive with the change.

Meanwhile, back at school, the system has problems, and Mr. Mackey keeps pouring money into it (we're talking about $100k) until he just has to have it removed because of the disastrous outcome.

RETURNING: Little People, Big World: Fire on the Farm

This series has only been seen in "specials" over the past three years, but will now run eight episodes in a "seventh season," about the events that took place over the summer, and into pumpkin season. From the start, it appears that there will be some tension (as always) between Matt and Amy, some sibling rivalry now that the Roloff kids are growing up, and big changes around the farm. Add in the potential loss of a beloved family pet, and there's a lot to showcase. I think it was interesting how Matt talks about the "Wedding Farm" idea as if it was a big financial loss without exactly saying so. Amongst the kids, it appears as if Zach will, once again, be the most interesting character to follow. Agree?

Little People, Big World "Playing with Fire" (S07E01): The Roloffs start preparing for the new wedding season, and realize they need more upgrades than their budget will allow. Matt wants to torch the bridal suite building and start over, but Amy doesn't agree with the plan, so he sends her on a long errand so she won't be there. [this was low!] But, she returns before they're done, and there's a huge mess when the firemen leave. [OF COURSE Matt didn't plan for that, haha!]

TLC/Dean Hackman

Matt thinks about doing a recreation from Gone with the Wind, but Amy disapproves of that as well. Still, they do manage to book a wedding six weeks away for Eric and Burgandy. [I have no idea why they bought the Roloff sell on this one! unless they just wanted the small bit of fame of having their wedding seen on TLC?]

All the kids are home for the summer, which leaves Jeremy in the guest room, as Jacob has taken over the twins' old room. [what about Jacob's old room?] Jeremy's chair at the dinner table is taken by Molly, so he's really feeling a bit left out. The kids have various goals for the summer, like Molly wanting to buy a car that she can take back to college and Zach taking school more seriously. Jeremy has a year left of his Bachelor's, and Zach will finish his Associate's at the same time. [yikes! Zach really fell behind there, huh?] Tori has her Bachelor's in education now and works at the farm over the summer. [I hope she's able to find a job teaching!] Zach gets the family to help him on his final project for a literature class.

Rocky isn't doing well, and it turns out that he has a malignant tumor in his pelvic area. He doesn't have much longer to live.

Teen Mom 3: Trying Again

Relationships are tough. Each of the girls illustrates this as they struggle to navigate their futures. Briana wants to date again, but her mother is more than weary. Alex is burned by a recent date and continues to be hurt by her babydaddy, so she has her own reasons to shy away. Mackenzie is so desperate to make things work with Josh that she'll do anything to help, even if it's not in Gannon's best interest. Katie and Joey are over (at least for the moment), leaving her alone with no way to even support herself and Molli. All of their families are involved in the girls' relationships, with some much more approving than others. The age differences and maturity levels of the girls start to come into play a little more, with younger Briana and Mackenzie wanting to follow their hearts as older Alex and Katie think about things from a more practical perspective. Regardless, each will continue to have to try different things to find a fit that works.

Teen Mom 3 "The Truth Hurts" (S01E11): [no great timing hints this episode.]
Briana: Briana ran into an old HS friend, Jacob, and is thinking about dating him. When her phone rings late at night, her mother thinks the worst, which Brittany validates by saying Jacob has a bad reputation. Briana's mother tries to get Briana to date someone from church, so that "he has values," and then asks Brittany to talk to her sister about Jacob. [Mom has no qualms about Brittany dating Derek, I take it?] Still, when Jacob calls to invite Briana to dinner, she accepts. She tells her mother but doesn't get the reaction she was hoping for. [no surprise!]

MTV

Alex: Matt has been in a halfway house for a week, but he's getting kicked out, and Alex doesn't know what to do if he shows up. [but at least she knows to avoid him!] She sees David making plans with another girl online, so she goes out with a friend to a concert and some pizza. She is also almost caught up with cyber school. 

Mackenzie: Her mom and brother leave for a 9-day mission trip, and Mackenzie is worried about caring for Gannon with only her dad around. [we actually don't see much of the care, so not sure if she struggled or not!] Josh says he wants to try a relationship again, and Mackenzie is in, even waking up Gannon at 10pm so they can go out with Josh. [not her smartest move. I think her parents definitely give her too much leeway.]

Katie: Joey delivers a letter that says he's seeing someone else. [what did you expect?] Katie cries to her mother, and believes that she'll be alone her whole life, with only Molli. [you know, because moms can't get boyfriends in her world.] She's no longer comfortable having Joey support them, so she moves in with her dad. When Joey and Katie meet to divide property, she tells him she doesn't want Molli "around sluts," but Joey says that he'll do what he wants, and he wants Molli 50% of the time. Katie calls her mom, who calls the police. [no action is taken, though.] Katie leaves her engagement ring on the table, and life moves on.

Three Days of Halloween

Some years, we've given tons and tons of holiday specials. Some years, we just do a few recommendations. But, we're so close to Halloween already, this time around we're just doing three days and listing only television specials, not movies. And, yes, we agree that Wednesday looks very sparse... not sure why! If you know of other specials airing, let us know!

And, remember, times given are for the Pacific Time Zone.

Pixar

Tuesday, October 29th

7am: Henry Hugglemonster “The Halloween Scramble” (Disney Jr.)
7am: Kickin’ It “Boo Gi Nights” (Disney XD)
8am: Imagination Movers “A Monster Problem” (Disney Jr.)
8am: Lab Rats “The Haunting of Mission Creek High” (Disney XD)
8:30am: Charlie & Lola “Halloween” (Disney Jr.)
8:30am: Little Bill “The Halloween Costume” (NICK Jr.)
8:30am: Billy & Mandy “Wrath of the Spider Queen” “Jacked up Halloween” (Cartoon Network) 
8:30am: The Funky Phantom "Ghost Grabbers" (Boomerang)
9am: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse “Mickey’s Treat” (Disney)
9am: Team Umizoomi "The Ghost Family Costume Party" (NICK)
9:30am: Sofia the First “Princess Butterfly” (Disney)
9:30am: Rolie Polie Olie “Queen of the Pumpkins” (Disney Jr.)
10:30am: Henry Hugglemonster “The Halloween Scramble” (Disney)
10:30am: Higglytown Heroes “Higgly Halloween” (Disney Jr.)
11am: Bubble Guppies “Haunted House Party” (NICK) 
Noon: Cheers "House of Horrors with Formal Dining and Used Brick" (TVGuide)
1pm: Dora the Explorer “Halloween Parade” (NICK)
12:30pm: Handy Manny “Sounds like Halloween” (Disney Jr.)
1pm: Fish Hooks “Halloween Haul” (Disney XD)
2pm: Special Agent Oso “Pumpkin Eyes” (Disney Jr.)
2pm: Tiny Toon Adventures "Stuff that Goes Bump in the Night" (HUB)
2:30pm: Jungle Junction “Lance and the Jumpy Pumpkin” (Disney Jr.)
2:30pm: Tiny Toon Adventures "Hare Raising Night" (HUB)
2:30pm: Spookley the Square Pumpkin (Cartoon Network)
3pm: Michey Mouse Clubhouse Minnie’s Masquerade” (Disney Jr.)
3pm: Animaniacs "Scare Happy Slappy" "Witch One" "MacBeth" (HUB) 
3:30pm: Little Einsteins “Little Einsteins’ Halloween” (Disney Jr.)
3:30pm: Dear Dracula (Cartoon Network)
3:30pm: Oddities “Vampires of Philadelphia” (Science)
3:30pm: R. L. Stine's The Haunting Hour "Punpkinhead" (HUB) 
4:30pm: Bill & Mandy “Jacked Up Halloween” (Cartoon Network)
5pm: Ed, Edd ‘n Eddy’s Boo-haw Haw (Cartoon Network)
5pm: Lab Rats “Night of the Living Virus” (Disney XD)
5:30pm: Lab Rats “The Haunting of Mission Creek High” (Disney XD)
5:30pm: Back at the Barnyard “The Haunting” (NickToons)
5:30pm: Adventure Time “The Creeps” “Bad to Worse” (Cartoon Network)
5:30pm: Jake and the Never Land Pirates “Night of the Golden Pirate Pumpkin” (Disney Jr.)
6pm: Scary Godmother: The Revenge of Jimmy (Cartoon Network)
7pm: Toy Story of TERROR! (Disney XD)
7:30pm: Laverne & Shirley “Haunted House” (HUB)
8pm: Big Time Rush “Big Time Terror” (TeenNick)
8pm: Laverne & Shirley "Murder on the Moose Jaw Express - Part 1" (HUB)
8:30pm: Laverne & Shirley "Murder on the Moose Jaw Express - Part 2" (HUB)
8:30pm: Big Time Rush “Big Time Halloween” (TeenNick)
8:30pm: Henry Hugglemonster “The Halloween Scramble” (Disney Jr.)
8:30pm: Kickin’ It “Wazombie Warriors” (Disney XD)
9pm: The Goldbergs “Who Are You Going to Telephone” (ABC)
9:30pm: Trophy Wife “Halloween” (ABC)
9pm: Wild Grinders “Wild Zombies” (NickToons)
10pm: Special Agent Oso “Pumpkin Eyes” (Disney Jr.)
10pm: Crash & Bernstein “Health-o-ween” (Disney XD)
10:30pm: Crash & Bernstein “Scaredy Crash” (Disney XD)

Wednesday, October 30^th

Midnight: Laverne & Shirley “Haunted House” (HUB)
12:30am: Laverne & Shirley "Murder on the Moose Jaw Express - Part 1" (HUB)
1am: Laverne & Shirley "Murder on the Moose Jaw Express - Part 2" (HUB)
1:30am: Laverne & Shirley "The Ghost Story" (HUB)
6am: Animaniacs "Scare Happy Slappy" "Witch One" "MacBeth" (HUB)
6:30am: Animaniacs "Hot, Bothered & Bedeviled" "Moon Over Minerva" "Skullhead Boneyhands" (HUB)
7am: Tiny Toon Adventures "The Horror of Slumber Party Mountain" (HUB)
7:30am: Tiny Toon Adventures "Toons from the Crypt" (HUB)
8:30am: Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures "Nothing to Fear but Berries Themselves" (HUB)
9am: Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures "The Berry Scary Fun Adventure" (HUB)
Noon: Pound Puppies "Nightmare on Pound Street" (HUB)
2pm: Tiny Toon Adventures "The Horror of Slumber Party Mountain" (HUB)
2:30pm: Tiny Toon Adventures "Toons from the Crypt" (HUB) 
3pm: Friends "The One with the Halloween Party" (TBS)
3pm: Animaniacs "Draculee Draculaa" "Phrankenrunt" (HUB)
7pm: Step by Step "Something Wild" (HUB)
7:30pm: Step by Step "Dream Lover" (HUB)
8pm: The Middle “Halloween IV” The Ghost Story” (ABC)
8pm: Sabrina, the Teenage Witch "A Halloween Story" (HUB)
8:30pm: Sabrina, the Teenage Witch "A River of Candy Corn Runs Through It" (HUB)
8:30pm: Back in the Game “Night Games” (ABC)
9pm: Modern Family “Open House of Horrors” (ABC)

Thursday, October 31^st

Midnight: Step by Step "Something Wild" (HUB)
12:30am: Step by Step "Dream Lover" (HUB)
12:45am: King of Queens "Ticker Treat" (TVLand)
1am: Sabrina, the Teenage Witch "A Halloween Story" (HUB)
1:30am: Sabrina, the Teenage Witch "A River of Candy Corn Runs Through It" (HUB)
3am: Roseanne “Skeleton in the Closet” (TVLand)
3:30am: Roseanne “BOO!” (TVLand)
4am: Roseanne “Trick or Treat” (TVLand)
4:30am: Roseanne “Trick Me Up, Trick Me Down” (TVLand)
5am: Roseanne "Halloween IV" (TVLand)
5:30am: Roseanne "Halloween V" (TVLand)
1pm: General Hospital Halloween Episode (ABC)
6am: Animaniacs "Hot, Bothered & Bedeviled" "Moon Over Minerva" "Skullhead Boneyhands" (HUB)
6:30am: The Haunted Pumpkin of Sleepy Hollow (HUB)
7:30am: Animaniacs "Scare Happy Slappy" "Witch One" "MacBeth" (HUB)
8am: Animaniacs "Draculee Draculaa" (HUB)10am: The Haunted Pumpkin of Sleepy Hollow (HUB)
11am: Tiny Toons' Night Ghoulery (HUB)1pm: Home Improvement "The Haunting of the Taylor House" (Hallmark)
1:30pm: Home Improvement "Crazy for You" (Hallmark)
2pm: Home Improvement “Let Them Eat Cake” (Hallmark)
2:30pm: Home Improvement “I Was a Teenage Taylor” (Hallmark)
3pm: Home Improvement “A Night to Dismember” (Hallmark)
3pm: Goosebumps “The Haunted Mask (HUB)
3:30pm: Home Improvement “Bewitched” (Hallmark)
4pm: Goosebumps “The Haunted Mask 2” (HUB)
4pm: Little House on the Prairie “The Monster of Walnut Grove” (Hallmark)
5pm: Little House on the Prairie “The Halloween Dream” (Hallmark)
6pm: Little House on the Prairie “The Ghost Story” (Hallmark)
7pm: Little House on the Prairie “The Nightwalker” (Hallmark)
7:30pm: ALF "Some Enchanted Evening" (HUB)
8pm: Sabrina, the Teenage Witch "Good Will Haunting" (HUB)
8pm: Parks and Recreation “Recall Vote” (NBC)
8pm: Deadtime Stories “Little Magic Shop of Horrors” (NICK)
8pm: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (ABC)
8:30pm: Sabrina, the Teenage Witch "Episode LXXXI: The Phantom Menace" (HUB)
9pm: Grey’s Anatomy “Thriller” (ABC)
9pm: Everybody Loves Raymond "Halloween Candy" (TVLand)
10pm: Frasier “Halloween” (Hallmark)
10:30pm: Frasier “Tales from the Crypt” (Hallmark)
11pm: Frasier “Boo!” (Hallmark)
11:30pm: Frasier “Dark Side of the Moon” (Hallmark)
11:30pm: Secret Squirrel "Which Witch is Which" "Bold Rush" "Squiddly Double Diddley" (Boomerang)
11:35pm: Jimmy Kimmel Live “Half & Half Halloween Pageant” (ABC)
11:45pm: King of Queens "Ticker Treat" (TVLand)

Instant Mom: The Gabby Show

So, while Instant Mom isn't a bad show, it's definitely really only about Stephanie butting heads with her mother and husband over how to raise young teen Gabby. Of the now-five episodes, there's only been one where Gabby's behavior wasn't a main aspect of the storyline. The other kids are neglected, and the relationship between Charlie and Stephanie also falls to the side to feature her constantly. She's a believable actress, but teens aren't the only children who can be difficult to parent. Besides, I'm over the idea that none of the kids defy Stephanie at all.

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Instant Mom "Not a Date" (S01E05): Gabby cozies up to Charlie, hoping that she'll be allowed to date before she turns 16. When he won't budge, she turns to Stephanie, who  would sign up for charity work with boys she liked when she couldn't date. [Stephanie really doesn't know when to shut up.] Stephanie tries to talk to Charlie about letting Gabby group-date, as long as there are 6+ kids, an even number of boys and girls, and a curfew of 9:30pm, but when she learns that Gabby pulled her same trick, she almost pulls back. [I don't understand why Stephanie keeps confiding in Maggie, either.] Stephanie tells Gabby to stay quiet about it all, but Owen shows up at the house. He cries for Gabby, who isn't interested after she sees him with another girl. [omg eighth grade drama. I remember that junk and am glad I only had to live through it once!] Gabby gets James to tell Owen things about her to scare him off, but he's only more infatuated. [weirdo!] Stephanie tells Gabby to handle it herself, but when she isn't ready, she runs out of time and Charlie catches her. [I'll admit that it's not easy to break up with boys, especially on the spot, but when the kid is in your house and it's threatening your future social life, you do it!] She now has to volunteer at the hospital after school.

While this is going on, James convinces Aaron to give him his toy bow, as he has already stolen the arrows. [haha, hiding them in his sleep!] He then trades them back for a stuffed ninja turtle, and trades that back for the whole room they share. [how would ANYONE fall for that??] Aaron moves to the closet, but James is immediately bored without his brother. [boring. they could have milked this a little more, I think.]

Sean Saves the World: Pleasing Your Parents

I'm sad to say it, but Sean's ringtones may be the best thing about this show. Max just isn't interesting as his boss, and Lorna gets on my nerves as his mother. I'll give it another episode, but this comedy is on my watch list... it just seems so half-hearted. There's good talent and decent storylines, but I don't think they're played up to their full potential, and more jokes could probably be written in... unless they mean for more laughs to come from the physical comedy, which could well be the case. I also take issue with Sean and his boss commiserating over their parents... it's only the fourth episode! What are they setting up by having the two drink and complain?

Chris Haston/NBC

Sean Saves the World "Shut Your Parent Trap" (S01E04): Sean has to go to Max's apartment for a late-night meeting, and his coworkers all meet there as well. [ANOTHER late-night hotel meeting?? suspicious.] Max acts as if he has killed a room service guy and needs help getting rid of the body, except it's really just a team-building exercise. [what that...?!?] Sean is blamed for his team not being ready, but he doesn't see a problem, as they are good at their jobs. Sean tries to talk to Max about it, but everyone winds up having to work the weekend. [the conflicts weren't that interesting... Liz has a date, Hunter has a gig, and Sean has plans to watch all the Iron Man movies.]

Lorna comes to the office, and Max's dad, Lee, hits on her. Sean pretends that Lorna works in accounting, then brushes off the situation in an attempt to get Lee to get Max to treat the employees better. The old man will only do it if Sean can get him a date with Lorna, unaware that she's Sean's mother. Sean manages to convince her, and then drinks with Max while complaining about trying to impress their parents. [this scene REALLY could have been written better!] They go to the restaurant where their parents are dining, and both wind up showing their emotional sides. [but what was the point of that??]

In a side story, Lorna struggles with her smartphone, and Sean asks Ellie to show her how to use it. Ellie is paranoid that the woman will text her constantly, so she gives crazy directions. [kinda funny!] Sean then helps her, and, six hours later, she is able to send a text. [the fact that she played dumb for an extra 5.75 hours was pretty disturbing, if you ask me!]

White Collar: Mozzie and Diana Save Each Other

Sometimes timing is everything, and that certainly was the case in this episode. Had Diana not gone into labor while trying to bring Mozzie to justice, our favorite sneak might be behind bars. Instead, he has bought himself a little more time once again, and we'll have to see just how tied to her ethics Diana is... However, the whole situation just begs Peter and Elizabeth to have a discussion about their own family. In five seasons nobody has ever discussed Peter and Elizabeth wanting children, which seems a little odd for a couple who have been together 10+ years. Sure, they have a dog, but why not at least allow the duo to state their intention to be child-free? Of course, it could be a situation similar to what Jones describes for Diana... how can you put your life on the line like they do when you have offspring at home counting on you to return safely? Regardless, I just hope it's addressed.

Giovanni Ruffino/USA Network

White Collar "Out of the Frying Pan" (S05E02): Neal works on some choreography that will keep him safe from the security cameras when he goes on another job for Curtis. [but how were they able to know that it would work?] But, before he can destroy the evidence, he meets his new handler, Dave. Dave is 31 years old, from Chicago, and excited about his work. [kinda refreshing, though I didn't warm up to him too much.] He jumps in immediately and goes after a black marketeer... Mozzie. [how did I not see that coming??] Neal has to sneak him out AND false-sketch him, as everyone else in the FBI will be able to identify the thief. The office does need to be blown up, but Dave did some computer forensics and uncovers Mozzie's real name: Teddy Winters. [how is that the ONLY thing recoverable?] This forces Neal and Mozzie to fake the death of the latter, possibly only because Mozzie has pulled out a few of his own teeth, which he implants into a John Doe cadaver. [yikes!] It takes the fire department six hours to put out the napalm-based blaze, but Diana doesn't believe the dental records and decides to go snooping. Of course, she goes down a manhole and winds up in labor in Mozzie's lair. [ten stories deep?? I don't think I'd go down that far without backup!] As he delivers the baby, Neal ruins the evidence, only seconds ahead of Peter trailing him. [I thought that Neal's anklet had altitude reads... so why not check on what floor he is on if you think he's still int he building?] Diana names the baby Theodore, and the gang [Jones, Peter, Elizabeth, Mozzie, and Neal] meets the newborn at the hospital. Diana, having originally intended to bust Mozzie, has softened, at least for now.

Elementary - Good or Evil, the Past Catches Up

In probably one of the top five episodes to date, Watson and Holmes are challenged professionally and personally. It's all the more fun when hook-ups, hookers, and hitmen are involved, not to mention bank robberies and loan sharks. The duo's bond is continuing to grow, so a test of this connection should be exciting.

Jeff Neumann /CBS ©2013 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Elementary "Ancient History" (S02E05): Watson buys Sherlock a platypus skull for some entertainment, as there's a lack of interesting murders in New York City. [ha!] Her friend pitches a one-night stand to track down, but Holmes doesn't like it and heads to the morgue to find a more interesting case. Holmes discovers a murderer named Leo accidently killed in a motorcycle accident.

Captain Gregsten won't accept Holmes' evidence of a tattoo that Leo was a hitman, so Holmes and Watson head off to talk to Leo's wife. She doesn't provide much help, and, as Holmes combs through bereavement cards to determine a missing friend, Watson heads off to the bar where her friend met her one-night stand.

Discovering that Leo had an argument with his construction partner, Holmes and Watson find the partner in a compromising situation with $25,000 in stolen cash. The duo track the money to a loan shark, who reveals the Russian mob was in town looking for the former hitman and showed up asking for him. This led the investigation back to Leo's 'accident,' and it's discovered that Leo was out burying his strangle victim when someone shot at him.

As Watson tries to blow off Holmes' case to pursue her friend's lost lover, Holmes reveals it was him, as he had befriended her by tailing Watson when they first met. After Holmes had gotten to know Watson, he stopped doing so. Watson is not happy, but seems to move on...

The mortician discovers Leo's victim was on prescription medicine prescribed by a psychiatrist and the duo pays him a visit (after Holmes threatens to kill himself in the waiting room to get past the secretary). The doc leads to a dead-end mobster suspect, but it turns out Leo's wife had earlier helped the mobster get in try to kill her husband. When that failed, she tried to set him up to be killed, but Leo strangled the attacker, got away, and crashed because she shot at him. Turns out, Leo wanted a divorce and his wife did not, but she knew of his past mob connections and turned him in.

Holmes beats Watson to the punch at revealing the situation to her friend and hooks up with her again, to Watson's dismay. Watson gets Holmes back though and tricks him briefly into thinking he had helped her friend get pregnant.

Michael J. Fox: Working Together

Annie and Mike definitely have an interesting relationship, and their parenting style is also one for the books. This was one of the better episodes, with the relationships between and the personalities of the Henrys really shining through, but it's still not that magnificent of a series. I'm putting it on warning, as though this was a pretty funny episode, the family might be more annoying than endearing. Eve and Ian are pretty annoying, Leigh has rendered herself a lump, and Graham hasn't received all that much screentime. Unless the neurotic nature of Mike and Annie shifts toward "fascinating," this may be the next show to go for me.

Eric Liebowitz/NBC

The Michael J. Fox Show "Teammates" (S01E06): Ian now has a small room while Graham gets a large one, and when their parents won't budge on switching, Ian decides to scare Graham into swapping. Ian makes a cat puppet to scare Graham, but Graham hung a skeleton to scare the Shadowpuss, and Ian freaks out. [that was pretty funny, actually.]

Eve works Annie for permission to attend an upcoming concert, angering Mike, who already said "no." [haha. my dad may have left when I was 11, but I would still ask one parent for something after the other had said "no."] Leigh gets a dog to pick up guys, and Eve decides to bet Mike that if Leigh can care for it, she can go to the concert. [I don't know why that bet was put in place, but that's moot.] Eve quickly winds up doing the chores when Leigh totally flakes.

Annie bothers a neighbor about elevator etiquette, and Mike tries to make things right... even saying Annie is bi-polar. [ha!] That works until the guy says he's a psychiatrist, and he offers his help to Annie. This upsets the teacher, and she decides that she no longer has to agree with Mike on things, so she allows Eve to attend the concert. But, the teen decides to stay home with the dog at the last minute. [I'll probably never understand how some people can care so much about animals!] But, the Henrys decide to care for it so she can go... and even wind up deciding to keep it when it turns out that Leigh is allergic. [making Leigh even more useless than before, as now she's burdening the Henrys with additional worries.]

It's Mike's company's collective birthday party, and everyone is headed to a karaoke bar. Mike wanted to get out of it, but Annie enjoys karaoke and won't pretend to be sick to help Mike, as they no longer "stand united." However, when the night winds up a disaster, the couple realizes that they do need to help one another if they hope to succeed in life.

The Crazy Ones: Sleeping with the Client

I don't know about you, but I'm not really interested in seeing Robin Williams in a robe after he's been intimate with a client. The fact that Zach also did the same only worsens the situation, but this comedy continues to swirl the drain because I want it to be more. I want it to have substance. I hope that it gets better. But if Hamish Linklater is going to perpetually be the loser who can't do anything right, I'm going to check out. And, as I've been trying to convince myself that I like this show for a while now, I'm going to go ahead and pull the plug now.

The Crazy Ones "Breakfast Burrito Club" (S01E04): Simon is forcing Sydney to take a vacation, so she heads to Hawaii with a women's adventure group. [I don't get it... are we supposed to hate Sydney?] When a meeting gets moved up, she wants to stay and work, and changes her flight. But, they're getting nowhere fast. [I also noticed how perfect Sydney's circles were! and BEFORE the show pointed it out.] Sydney is dreaming of advertising for Dole, but Andrew reads more into it and kisses her. [whaaa???] Because they're stumped, Simon goes to cook at the diner where he worked before he was in advertising, hoping for inspiration. They wind up quitting but some out with an eleventh-hour plan, and Sydney is still able to take her vacation. 

In other office gossip, Andrew is back with Nancy Cardigan, and Zach is crushing on someone. The group convinces Andrew to burn his cardigan. [why wouldn't they let Sydney get her binder??]

Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2013 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Crazy Ones "She's So European" (S01E05): Simon and Sydney go to a meeting with Helena, a European woman with an e-date service. [I started to think that she was actually from Europe, based on how the other characters were treating her, and that made me confused over why she'd use an advertising agency in Chicago, but eventually I came to agree that she's either living in the US now and that's where her company is based, or she's in the American market.] Sydney worries about what Helena will think of her outfit, while Simon has his own concerns... they use him as an example to create a profile to check out the system. [whoa. 6'2" is internet-speak for 5'8". I know everyone fudges a little, but seriously??] Off the clock, Helena has sex with Zach... AND Simon. [it bothers me that nobody has a problem with her actions... there's more jealousy than upset!] When the guys can't solve their feelings amongst themselves, they turn to Helena, though it's not like she can bring them closure. [I hate Sydney's jeweled collar.]

Andrew has a voice-over meeting, but the talent thinks he's a hippie. When Andrew asks him for a second take, the guy pretty much leaves. [ouch!] Andrew gets a second chance, thanks to Simon, but there are still problems... right up until Andrew stands up to him and earns his respect. [so odd!]

Big Bang: Howard, Penny, and Amy are Sweethearts

Though this episode had a sweet ending, the bulk of it was rather average. I'm not "over" Penny and Leonard the way some people are, but I would like to see more conflict out of the opposites, not more loving moments. Similarly, it's nice that Sheldon and Amy get along on a level that nobody else could, but the dream sequence toward the end need to become closer to reality. Amy wasn't interested in dating or a physical relationship with anyone before Sheldon, and now she longs for that intimacy... if Sheldon won't give it to her, perhaps she should consider seeing someone else. She deserves to be fulfilled, as do Stuart and Raj, whose perpetual failures in love are getting old. I'm hoping that this comedy take a leap...

The Big Bang Theory "The Romance Resonance" (S07E06): Howard is trying to do something special for the anniversary of his first date with Bernadette, so he writes a song and wants everyone to play it for her. [haha, trying to "bank" points.] Raj will be on ukelele, Leonard on cello, Amy on harp, Sheldon on recorder, and Penny on tambourine. [did we know Sheldon plays the recorder?] However, because Bernadette winds up being exposed to a raccoon virus, Howard plays the piano and sings for her outside an isolation room at the hospital rather than at a restaurant like planned. [for the record, I was half-expecting a doctor to come in, say Bernadette will be fine, and also announce that she's pregnant. c'mon, it's GOTTA happen!]

Michael Yarish/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. ©2013 WBEI. All rights reserved.

With Howard all lovey-dovey, Penny decides to do something for Leonard, but has no ideas. She turns to Raj for help, and he suggests cooking, only she's worried that Leonard is too picky. [...it's not like she's trying to cook for Sheldon...] So, she decides to get him a first edition of Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but he already has it... and he bought it when they were together. [ha!] Fortunately, when Leonard learns that Penny keeps a box of mementos from their relationship, he's happy as a clam.

Sheldon manages to find a system to synthesize a new element, and testing soon begins that reveals it is there. But, Sheldon realizes he made a mistake in reading a table, so it was an accidental discovery. The scientist instantly feels bad, though everyone continues to congratulate him. Everyone, that is, except for Amy, who understands her boyfriend's plight and says that she's no longer proud of him, as he made an embarrassing mistake. [mis-reading a table does seem like something Sheldon wouldn't do...]

The Middle: Happy 100!

My hometown(ish. the next city over, actually) celebrated its centennial when I was a junior in high school, on the same weekend as my school's Homecoming, actually. And, because it meant all kinds of free stuff (including a Sister Hazel concert), a bunch of us went to the party downtown first, then to the dance. It may not have been the smartest move ever (tons of traffic, finding your friends was a huge pain in the crowds, etc.), but it was a good time. The event didn't change my mind about how boring of a city it was, so it was nice to see the Hecks actually affected by Orson's birthday. However, I'm still stuck on the lie that Mike told Frankie all those years ago that kept them there in the first place! Well, that and how cute it was to theme the 100th episode with the 100th birthday of the setting!

ABC/Michael Ansell

The Middle "The 100th" (S05E04): Orson is turning 100 years old, and each of the Hecks is taking notice. Frankie and Mike signed up on Independence Day to drive a float in the parade. Axl is home for the event and decides to get Boss Co. back in business. Brick tries to come up with a slogan for the city. Sue is more of a bystander watching it all, though hoping that there will be vacancies on parade committees that she can fill.

Axl and his friends decide to offer a VIP experience, complete with chairs for watching the parade, snacks, and drinks. However, nobody in Orson is interested in seeming like they're fancier than anyone else, except Sue and Brad. It's only made worse when the motive of the two friends is to attempt to make Darrin notice Sue again. [hilarious that she liked that hairstyle Angel did!] After learning directly from Angel that she's only interested in Darrin for his body, Sue turned to brad for help, and he suggested they try to make Darrin jealous. [though I don't think "Summer Nights" would have ever worked.]

After 100 bad ideas, Brick does some research and comes up with a good slogan for the city: "The Heartland's Hidden Gem," but one of the other six beats him out. "Orson, Why Not?" was apparently better, and Mike and Frankie would probably agree. They spend the night camped out with the float (to prevent vandalism) and talk about why they live in Orson... they had packed a moving truck to head to Chicago, but Mike "forgot the gas cap" and they had to go back. Then, they ran into an old friend of Mike's who offered the quarry job, and they stayed in Orson. Now, years later, Mike admits that there was never a gas cap problem, he just didn't want to be honest with Frankie. [I think that would royally piss me off. Especially in comparison to the whirlwind that is Chicago!] Once inside the float, Mike and Frankie talk about their neighbors, unaware that there are others on the channel. [haha!] The float winds up catching some electrical lines and a fire starts, with the Hecks evacuating just in time. And, coincidentally, gives Darrin a chance to rescue Sue from being run over. [but he didn't really seem to think much of it.]

South Park: Plants Turn Goths to Emos

I wax poetic about South Park sometimes, but this episode was a swing and a miss. And I didn't even think about the fact that the standard characters are pretty much absent from the episode! The themed opening was a nice change, but with this series not going into a segment immediately after the theme song, I bet many DVR watchers missed it. That is, if they even checked their DVRs to set properly, as the shenanigan last week caused many to not recognize that this was a "new" episode. It's okay, though, not much was missed, so here's hoping that Matt Stone and Trey Parker have more up their sleeves... between Halloween, the government shutdown, and Obamacare, there's gotta be something awesome they can do, right?

South Park "Goth Kids 3: Dawn of the Posers" (S17E04): The goth kids smoke and read Poe at Henrietta's house, and the actions make her parents think that she is "emo." [haha.] They decide to send her to a troubled kids' camp for two weeks, but the other goths try to get CPS involved. In explaining the problem, uncool audiences got an explanation of the differences between goth and emo... in short, goths are nihilistic and believe the world is screwed up, while emos are cynical and believe they are messed up. [I thought that was a decent summary, actually.] When Henrietta returns, she acts emo, and tries to win others over to that clique, too.

Comedy Central

However, when Michael's parents send him to the camp, too, the remaining goths turn to the vamps for help. [haha, Hot Topic is the vamp lair!] After the vampire kids observe the conversion, they hold a seance for Edgar Allan Poe, whose goth name is "NightPain." [I love how all the groups worship Poe.] It seems that being emo stems from being near a special plant, and a faux-goth emo kid captures some others to convert them. [I'm unclear as to why emos would care enough to convert others...] The kids summon NightPain and ask him to shoot the King Emo Plant (which is really only a common ficus), and it turns out it was all a set-up for a TV show - Yes! I'm Scared. [I think this was the worst part of the episode, actually.] The whole thing was a prank, and the kids are stumped. The "turned" emos struggle to believe there is no organic spore in their heads, but soon they're back to their usual selves.

Goldbergs: The Ring

I know that many writers pull from their personal experiences to write their stories, but this show certainly does that to the extreme. The photo at the end of Beverly still wearing a "used" engagement ring years later was a little too "real" for me. I continue to be on the edge when it comes to enjoying this comedy, though I did really enjoy the conversation between Pops and Adam where Barry keeps popping up all around them! I also would want more Erica coverage, maybe with Beverly... regardless, I'm still tuning in, but only as a half-hearted fan.

The Goldbergs "The Ring" (S01E05): It's October 4th. [this sets the episode before #3 and #4.] Beverly wants Murray to clean out the garage as a belated birthday gift to her, and Barry and Erica find a box of love letters that Murray wrote to a previous fiance, Anita.

ABC/Colleen Hayes

Beverly knows about her and isn't that bothered, but she and Erica wind up going to the library to find a picture of Anita on microfiche. [this takes me back to grad school! I spent hours scrolling through newspaper reels for my thesis!] When they locate a photograph, they realize that Beverly's engagement ring was re-used. [omg!] Beverly demands a new ring, and winds up with a $5,000 piece... for a short period of time. Adam helps out his father by giving him some footage of his parents showing they love one another, which makes Beverly happy again, and she returns the ring. [so many returned engagement rings on television... though I think Brandon returning Kelly's on Beverly Hills, 90210 was my favorite.] 

Adam crushes on a neighborhood girl, Dana, whose bike breaks down outside his house. [yeah. uh huh. convenient.] He makes a fool of himself trying to help her, so he turns to Pops for advice. Well, Adam decides to go all Say Anything and holds up a boombox outside Dana's house, only for her brother and father to hear the music instead. [oh, 80s!] In the end, though, Dana shows genuine interest... at least for a pre-teen.

Dads: Dating

The jokes are a bit gross at times, but the comedy is still pretty funny. Having Warner's birthday be September 11th is interesting, but I think you can have a party without a big deal, just have it on the weekend and not your actual birthday! But that's just one example. I think that the show has a crowd, and the numbers show it's actually has growth potential, but I'm just not the demographic, and I'm going to move on with life. This series will sit alongside Two and a Half Men... decent episodes here and there, but overall more annoying than funny, and not worth spending extra time thinking about.

Dads "Funny Girl" (S01E04): Eli has a girl over but David ruins it by remarking on how many girls he has over. [ugh.] He gets depressed but then finds out that a pretty friend of Veronica's is single. He demands that David leave that night, and gives him enough money to be occupied for a few hours. But, when he doesn't approve of the girl, he doesn't leave. [that's kinda funny.]

Eddy Chen/FOX

Eli asks her out again anyway, and goes back to her place instead. She starts to get annoying with her many voices (she's a comedian), but Eli pretends he's falling for her to prove his dad wrong. [well, that'll never work...] David dares him to ask her to move in, and he does. [whaaa??] Because her lease is up, she goes for it, but both David and Edna can't stand her, so as soon as Eli agrees it's a problem, David hypnotizes her and they ditch her. [but how does that work once she wakes up?]

One of the guys who does voice-overs for the company is in jail, and Camilla thinks Crawford should fill in. He goes overboard with the mic, then smokes a cigar in the sound booth. [because he's channeling 1940s radio personalities?] He does a pretty good job until he finds out that he's voicing evil businessmen, so he quits. [ha!] He then decides to occupy the booth, like Wall Street, and Warner tries various means to get him out of there, including playing democratic speeches.

Dads "Oldfinger" (S01E05): The guys shouldn't smoke cigars because they have company physicals coming up, but they do anyway. It turns out that Crawford and David haven't had a physical in years, so Eli suggests they come, too, a decision he soon regrets. The results are announced to the whole group at once, and it seems that Crawford and David are fine, but Eli and David need to live more healthfully. [I hate violations with health info!] David tells Eli to spend more time in the bathroom and yell at the TV, and Crawford suggests Warner drink more. The guys listen to their fathers, and a week later, they've really turned around their health. [um, nothing change that drastically that quickly.] When the doctor is giving Warner a prostate exam, he dies, with his hand "involved." [seriously, what could they have in New Orleans that they don't have in San Francisco?] It takes quite a while to separate the guy, and Warner is sore afterward.

Dads "My Dad's Hotter than Your Dad" (S01E06): Warner breaks up with one of the assistants for Eli, then hires one that he thinks Eli will stay away from. ["Asians don't dream; it's a waste of time." ha!] Well, the fathers find her attractive, and she agrees to a date with each of them. [who does that?] She is slightly more taken by David, bothering Warner enough that he goes to her home to try and get her to see Crawford again. But, flowers drip on his pants and she mistakenly sees him rubbing his genital area, then quits. [can't blame her!] Eli tries to get David to call her and smooth things over, but instead, Warner has to see the new HR woman, who immediately questions why so many past assistants have had severance checks. [great question!] Eli admits to being a problem, and he winds up dating her to get out of trouble. [how did that work?]

Welcome to the Family: Lisette Fears Grandmotherhood

There seem to be two schools of thought on becoming a grandmother: either you can't wait for it, or you're terrified that people will assume you're old because of that status. Caroline seems to be mostly ignoring what will change in her life as a grandmother because she is having another child simultaneously. Lisette, on the other hand, wasn't ready for the title and is desperate for assurance that it's not the end of the world. Miguel's solution to the problem may have been unconventional, but it worked. And not just for his wife, either... this episode did an excellent job of bringing the plots together. Unfortunately, the series has been cancelled, before we were even able to see the Halloween episode in the pipeline! Oh well, another pilot down...

Adam Taylor/NBC

Welcome to the Family "The Big RV Adventure" (S01E03): Miguel and Lisette go to Demetrio's parents' night at school, and his teachers is one of Miguel's exes. [if you believed in moving away from your hometown, this probably wouldn't happen.] Lisette gets upset and tells Demetrio he didn't have to read Of Mice and Men, which forces them back to see the teacher about the kid's refusal to do the assignment. [ha!] Lisette admits to Miguel that she did say that, as she's afraid that she won't be sexy now that she's about to be a grandmother. [you know, because what someone calls you changes your appeal to others... it's the Agatha/Candy problem.]

Dan wants to be intimate with Caroline, but she's experiencing morning sickness. Between that and the fact that he's jealous of a colleague's new child-free lifestyle, he decides to buy an RV. [why is this one of those things about which you don't consult your wife??] Caroline gets upset that he bought it without telling her, so she decides to return it. On the way, she has a burger craving and attempts to use the drive-through... only to get stuck. Enter Lisette, who flirts with a cop to delay Caroline's arrest (for refusing to leave the vehicle). Problem solved. [though Dan going to such extremes to stand up for his wife was a bit intense.] Oh, and having the RV gives Molly and Junior a place to be intimate, as he wasn't comfortable doing so in either of their parents' houses. [where do you suppose they were when she got pregnant...?]

Trophy Wife: Diane is an Extreme Mother

Warren has both a desktop computer AND a laptop at Pete's house, yet Hillary doesn't seem to own either? Why did she have to borrow Warren or Jackie's device for her Chelsea Clinton chat? The whole argument over whether the teens are 14 or 15 is also slightly troubling, but let's look at the bigger picture. The show isn't bad; it's different and semi-interesting, making good use of the various characters and not ignoring anyone. There are, perhaps, a few too many people around, and Diane may be a bit overwhelming, but it's good, clean fun. Problematically, I don't know that enough people are watching. I'll give it another episode beyond the three recapped below...

Trophy Wife "The Social Network" (S01E03): Diane tells Pete that Hillary is sneaking around, "hooking up" with a boy, and demands that he snoop through her things. [the term, "hooking up" has been around for over ten years now, but I've NEVER actually heard someone use it in real life. maybe I'm too old for the slang, but I'm tired of it because it seems to fake to me.] Hillary is only 14, and Kate suggests that, rather than invade her privacy, they just talk to her. Pete goes to interrogate her, but when that doesn't work, he searches the internet for the boy, Ace McBrady, but he just keeps posting his name over and over as her status update. [this was probably funny to people who have never seen that internet gag before, I guess.] Before they can delete the multiple entries, Hillary gets home and sees, getting very upset. [duh.] Kate tries talking to Hillary, but the teen hits her up for a party, even though she's grounded. Hillary begs to be allowed to see a movie, and Diane agrees, purely so she can keep snooping. But, Hillary dupes Kate when Meg sees Hillary get into another car at the movie theater. The BFFs follow her while Diane uses her fake online persona to find out where the party is. Kate arrives first, and busts Hillary seconds before Diane and Peter arrive. [her middle name is Rodham??] There's nothing unexpected going on at the party, though. [haha, Diane is using "Courteney" to get Warren to work harder at school, too!]

Meanwhile, Bert has a playdate with Sawyer, whose mother has a shoppe. Bert and Jackie play it up so Jackie can showcase her jewelry there, but she needs 20 more pieces immediately. Bert has more perseverance than Jackie, and asks Warren to help. [Jackie taking the doggie door and Bert's Yiddish phrases were weird.].

Trophy Wife "The Breakup" (S01E04): Meg shows up, having freshly ended a relationship. They had only been together a couple of weeks, but she and Kate start drinking hardcore, and, in the night, Meg eats Hillary's solar system project, which was made with candy. [that's disgusting.]

ABC/Danny Feld

Kate tells Meg that she needs to do things, so she can't mess around all day. After Meg swims topless, Kate drives her back to her boyfriend's place... and learns that the fight was over mustard. [I can't handle this type of immaturity, guys.] Kate tells Meg that she likes the responsibilities that she has now, and they decide to take a break from one another. [I think this argument should have come a little later in the series, but I'm glad to be rid of Meg for a bit.] Kate gets upset that she's not considered "fun" anymore, and Pete goes to Meg's to fix the friendship between the ladies. [oh. figures.]

Jackie buys Bert a LEGO set that has over 1,000 pieces, but they can't figure it out, so Jackie calls Warren for help. [he's such a catch-all character, LoL.] He organizes all of the pieces for an hour, but when Diane calls him, he's caught not studying for the PPSAT. [he did the second grade twice... so he and Hillary aren't in the same grade?]

Trophy Wife "The Tryst" (S01E05): Diane checks the twins' homework with video conferencing, which also allows her to hear Pete and Kate try to get out of carpool. [ha!] Diane then calls them for help with a fundraiser, and they have to come as 80s icons. Diane is Pat Benatar, Pete is Billy Idol, and Kate is Melanie Griffith from Working Girl. Pete and Kate head to a supply closet and have some fun, only to learn that there is no handle on the inside of the closet. [omg I'd freak out!] Kate blames Pete for the night going down the toilet, but he thinks it's Diane's fault. With Kate's encouragement, he stands up to Diane and says he won't let her steamroll his plans anymore. [can we agree this won't last?]

Hillary and Warren find Jackie's dating video profile, and tell her that it might be a little strong. Hillary dresses her in Kate's clothes and Warren re-shoots and edits the video, but Bert gets jealous and delays things before he also helps. [STRANGE side story!] 

19 Kids and Counting: Josh, the Flea Market, and Jessa

The focus of this entire section of 19 Kids and Counting episodes has been the flea market and Josh's move to Washington, DC. Jessa's courtship was treated as an afterthought, thrown in after the final editing, if I had to guess. I think that the only reason the flea market thing was drawn out was so the producers didn't have to film a lot of JimBob's family and could instead focus on Josh's in Washington, DC. As I've hypothesized in the past, I think TLC wants to do a "Next Generation" series and is trying to test the waters on how an audience would respond to more of Josh, and perhaps Jessa as she makes her way out of the home. Why else would you do an anniversary episode that's half Josh AND a "Josh and Anna through the years" episode in the same season??

Oh, and again with the Two and a Half Men commercial! [local CW network]

19 Kids and Counting "Engaging Announcement!" (S07E18): The Duggars visit the Bates family on their way home from a speaking engagement, and Erin announces she is engaged to Chad Paine (who has 5 brothers and 4 sisters). She will marry in two months, so the women head camping to bond and chat about the experience, leaving JimBob and Gil with 17-18 kids. [haha, Justin "can starve" and Jackson "can cook."] 15 sleeping bags, 4 tents, and 10 lbs food are taken on a two-hour drive to a friend's private campsite. But, they didn't have instructions for the tents, so and one is mildewy, so they decide to just sleep on the covered dock and in the bus. The ladies do some water activities in the lake, then Erin recounts the story of how she and Chad meant and courted. [Erin's nails were a French manicure when the Duggars arrived (and in the scene where she got engaged) but they're pink at the campfire. did she re-do them or are these activities not actually from the same trip??] They met a little over 2 years ago at a Valentine's banquet, then they texted, and Chad asked Gil about courting Erin. When he was ready to propose, Gil and Kelly were the chaperones on the date, and Chad hired a horse and carriage. [was that Michaela curling her hair?] 

facebook.com/19KidsandCounting

Gil donates some junk for the Duggars' flea market, like a set of golf clubs, a tool, and a camp stove. Their idea of a meal includes 4 bags of corn chips, 48 oz sour cream, and 12 lbs beans for chili pie, plus cheese and lettuce, of course.

19 Kids and Counting "Duggar Challenges!" (S07E19): Marcus is almost three months old, and is pretty laidback. Josh and Anna have over some military friends, Scott (9 years serving) and Amanda (deployed in the DC area nights) Reed, plus two sons and Amanda's sister. They've been there 5 weeks, so they're also new to the area. Anna's menu includes grilled chicken, broccoli, asparagus, rice, chocolate chip cookies, ice cream. [what was she brushing onto that asparagus?? and if this is one of Josh's favorite meals, why was she unsure of how to prepare the chicken?]

Back in Arkansas, to prepare for the flea market, JimBob has the boys open up the pocket knives they bought and clean them up. Grandma even buys one. [I wonder if they remember to note that in the sales figures?] The girls decorate the ping pong guns. Then, JimBob invites John Reddish, an auctioneer friend, to come over and teach the family some auctioneering skills, as the Duggars have some large items that they want to auction instead of just sell at the flea market. They start with a tongue-twister: 'round the rough and rugged rock, the ragged rascal ran. [I do tongue twisters with my theatre classes, so I'll have to think about adding in this one for the older children!] Michelle winds up being the positive one, thinking they might even raise $10,000 from the flea market, compared to JimBob's $4,000-5,000.

19 Kids and Counting "Flea Market Finale" (S07E20): The kids suggest that they promote the flea market on the radio, and come up with a lot of ideas and logistics questions. The little kids make signs, the older girls bake tons of cookies, and JimBob continues to be paranoid that they won't be ready in time. [I'm with Grandma on this one... they should be better with their measuring!] Michelle continues to be confident, though she eventually calls Kathy Cheney for help, and she brings a small staff. The Carsons also donate their time. [haha that some of the older girls chose to donate shirts that the others weren't tired of, so there was some re-snatching!] Josh, Anna, and the kids come out for the flea market as a surprise. [I would have liked to see that car trip!]

There were five areas to the event: carnival, flea market, concession, bake sale, and auction section. [Joy, Jason, James, Jackson, and Cousin Amy all took turns in the dunk tank.] There were over 4,000 items for sale, and they can take cash and credit. Two hours in (of 6), they're just over $3,000 in sales. Two hours later, they reach $5272, so the clothing starts to go for half-price. [and is among the many items that were donated after the sale was over.] The grand total is $18,471.50.

They bought the $50 items a month ago, and Jessa starts selling the pocket knives for $2-3 instead of $5 each. The ping pong toys were all sold within three hours. Hanny gets started auctioneering to make people interested in a cute little kid. [she gets pushed into doing so much that she doesn't seem to be comfortable with... more than any other Duggar, I'm afraid.] But, there wasn't interest in the bows so JimBob bought them. [ha!] Jedidiah decides to start peddling the knives as he walks around, and the boys wound up with $122 in sales, while the girls ended up with $80. [at least they made a profit!]

Jessa is in a courtship where she's allowed to text, with the modern twist of JimBob and Michelle also receiving all of the texts between the two. [interesting. not a bad way to go, actually. I could be supportive of that idea in other scenarios as well.]

19 Kids and Counting "Josh & Anna: Our Story" (Special): The family has been in Washington, DC for 3.5 months now. Anna grew up sharing a bedroom and closet with four sisters, and hadn't planned on settling down young, until she met Josh at 18. They spent an hour on the phone at night, with different siblings chaperoning. [is she missing a bottom tooth on her right side? I think I've wondered that before but it seems especially noticeable in this installment.] Anna sees a video of fifteen-year-old Josh talking about marriage, and we learn that Josh and Anna only saw each other once during their engagement. [seeing the kids in 2008 talking about Josh and Anna was adorable!] They talk about how they prepared for the first kiss. [I had forgotten Josh sang during their wedding ceremony!] They were only apart a few hours during their entire first year of marriage, as they worked together at the car lot. [holy cow! that is so intense!]

Then, there's the review of each pregnancy and birth, pointing out that everyone was out of town when Anna went into labor with Mackynzie, and she progressed so quickly that she birthed at home instead of elsewhere. [yet Michelle had time to fly home??]

Teen Mom 3: Trying New Things

As there was another mini-conversation with the ladies after the episode, we'll open with the facts from that.
-All the girls agree that, if they hadn't gotten pregnant, their relationships with the babydaddies would have ended sooner. [that's sad.] Briana and Alex win for worst exes.
- Alex and Briana assume they'd live outside their parents' houses if they didn't have children to care for.
- The one thing they give up that they miss the most? Briana: showers. [I hear this one a lot...] Mackenzie: naps.
- What made you fall for baby's father? Briana: Devoin's wardrobe. [interesting. I never dated a guy based mostly on his style!] Mackenzie: Josh's looks. Katie: she had known Joey forever, so looks, comfort, and familiarity. Alex: Matt's skater look, and he was there for her when grandma died.
- What are the girls looking for in future significant others? stability, independence, education.
- The most difficult things they do as parents? Alex: diapers. Briana: learning to have patience. Katie: juggling everything. Mackenzie: self vs baby needs when her blood sugar is messed up.
- What would you do for your kid you can't? Alex: buy her more clothes. Briana: get what she needs... medicine and such. Katie: more stability.

Also, we learn that Mackenzie had been talking to another guy, but secretly. Josh caught her, but the cameras didn't. She also feels like her own mother does a lot of the mothering for Gannon. Briana agrees to a certain extent. [neither girl has a job, so it makes sense that they're struggling to provide.]

Teen Mom 3 "Strike Out Alone" (S01E10): Briana's birthday is May 21, and Katie's was June 14th. No strong dates for the other two girls.

Briana: Her mother and Brittany watch Nova so Briana can go out for the first time in eight months, for her 18th birthday. She really wants to go to a club, though her mother doesn't want her to. [how responsible that she wanted all of her birthday money to go straight to Nova's expenses!] They don't really enjoy the experience, and Briana winds up admitting it to her mother that she went there. [I found that odd.] Her mother thinks clubs are dangerous, so she's glad that nobody had a good time. [dangerous? They're in Orlando, not East Los Angeles!]

MTV

Alex: Matt can get out of rehab but he doesn't want to hang out with the same people again, so he stays in, hoping for a weekend pass for Arabella's birthday. Alex reminds him that he's got a long way to go. Alex thinks about dating a guy she talked to years ago, and a group of them go mini-golfing, including Alex's sister to help with the baby. [man, am I glad I didn't have to date with a baby! that's so much extra work!] 

Mackenzie: She and some friends go camping, but they struggle with the tent in the rain and have to ask for help. Later, Josh texts her about coming to get her saddle, but he's not there when she arrives. [that seemed random.]

Katie: Joey wants a break from Katie for a few weeks, though he will continue to see Molli. [nice of him to bring Molli to Katie at work for breastfeeding.] He tells her that he'll cover the bills until she can get back on her feet, but she says she'll need time to get over him. [interesting that this couple has done such a 180!]

2 Broke Girls: Cake Fries

The opening sequences are starting to be really "out there," and so unrelated to the actual episode that I find them annoying. Max potentially dealing with credit card fraud was different and could have had an original and unique spin, but it turns out the customer was using his restrooming friend's card, nothing fancy. The remainder of the episode, however, never went back to that at all (and they don't always have to. Full House and Cheers were both great about unrelated opening scenes) and made it feel out of place rather than a teasing interest point. Anyway, the basis for the episode is Caroline trying to find out how the girls can capitalize on the "cronuts" phase and build popularity on that. Rather than attempt to bake the item themselves, they first try a bait-and-switch, then combining elements of snacks to create something of their own. The gang all enjoys "cake fries," which have a cupcake served upside-down with a side of fries for dipping in the frosting. It's something that I don't see myself enjoying, but apparently it works for them! What's next?!?

Monty Brinton/CBS ©2013 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved

2 Broke Girls "And the Cronuts" (S03E05):  Caroline goes to give a free cupcake to a couple of customers, but they don't want it, as "cupcakes are over" and cronuts are in. [cookies are my personal favorite, then brownies, but cupcakes will never "be over." just saying.] The half-croissant-half-donut is only sold at one shop in SoHo, and the line can last two days, according to Sophie. [for those of you who don't "get it," we have lines like that for bakeries and ice cream shops out here, too. It's very common for the line to stretch down the block on weekends for no special reason.] Caroline does some market research by asking people why they're in line, and realizes that mixing two things is what people are after these days. [Max working at Target the year they sold out of Tickle-Me-Elmo is unlikely, as it was a popular toy in 1996, when she would have been 10 years old.] They wind up waiting and not even getting a cronut because the two people behind them and skip at the last second, buying the last of them. [as soon as I saw the people inching up, I knew that would happen. Max should have whipped out her savoir-faire!]

Caroline decides to sell black market cronuts at the window, then quickly "sell out" and sell their cupcakes instead. But, first they have to acquire them from Craigslist, at a price of $20 per pastry! The guy actually wanted $30 each, but Max wises up and forces the sale. A line for the window grows, but as soon as they sell out, the line dissipates. [well, yeah. if I wait in line for a flavor and it sells out, I've walked out of the shoppe at least a half-dozen times. recently, this has happened to me twice when I've gone to get a pumpkin latte!] Caroline decides that they need more than one product, and when Max dips french fries into her cupcake frosting, Caroline thinks that's it. Max has the diner gang try it, including Veronica, a black woman Sophie likes. Everyone enjoys the innovation, including Han, who had been on a cleanse. They start selling "Cake Fries" and actually sell out.

Cupcakery Savings Total: $2,012.00 [up $500.00 from last episode.]

HIMYM: Barnmallow and Robinpad

When you steal someone's story and make it your own, you really must be careful with the details. Marshmallow and Lilypad are some of the most adorable pet names on television, and Barney and Robin really should have come up with something more sensible if they had hoped to be believed! Oh well, the point pretty much becomes moot when the couple must now find someone else to marry them. They just better not pull a Friends or The Big Bang Theory and get their pals ordained in the nick of time!

How I Met Your Mother "Knight Vision" (S09E06): Friday, 9pm, 45 hours before the wedding. Barney is excited to set up Ted with someone for the weekend, and he has 3 top choices: Sophia, Robin's college roommate; Cassie, the daughter of Loretta's best friend; and Grace, a co-worker of Barney's. [I really liked Robin's dress until I saw the back... so cute yet conservative until there's a large back panel missing.] Ted goes for Cassie, but it's the wrong choice. [haha at the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade jokes.]

Richard Foreman/CBS ©2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

She gets fired via phone pretty soon, and Ted spends the next hour hearing her life story. [ugh! does this girl know NOBODY ELSE at the party?] Then, he winds up meeting her parents minutes before planning to leave her alone to hit on someone else. [her parents are there but she goes for a stranger's shoulder to cry on?] He waits too long to pawn her off on them, then winds up passing Sophia on his way out of the room... and she's with Cassie's ex! [I kinda don't believe it would work that way...] They wind up moving on from one another, and Ted jumps on Grace, for about ten seconds. He winds up having to console Cassie because everyone saw them together earlier. [that sucks. and Lily is usually more observant than that!]

Barney and Robin use Marshall and Lily's "how we met" story to win over the reverend, and when Lily accidentally gives that away, the wedding is in danger. This makes the judge think that Lily is the one who stole the story, so she decides to tell the story of how Barney and Robin met but use it as her own. [ha! also, prayer five!] The reverend gets upset and won't marry the couple after all, but he winds up dying as they tell more of their story. [if they hadn't recently pulled a Bernie's joke the "wedding at Bernie's" would have been better.]

In the car, Marshall tells Daphne about his judge opportunity, and she helps him prepare his conversation with Lily. Marshall gets upset at her when he learns that she is a lobbyist for a big oil company, and she retaliates by texting Lily the news. [omg jaw drop!]