LPBW: More and More Help on the Farm

Of all the weddings that have occurred at Roloff Farms at this point, I think that this has been the most gorgeous. The theme was still pretty simple, but everything was just beautiful. Of course, whenever the couple takes such a personal interest in the design (in this case, the groom built several structures), it makes a difference. The other major factor was probably the additional employee Roloff Farms hired to assist with the wedding side of things, Heidi. I wasn't a big fan of her, though I feel like the edits made as to what audiences saw of her were fairly extreme. When she wasn't messing up, her work was quite lovely, like the kites flying via balloons. Jeremy, Zach, and Jacob are also all seen assisting around the farm in this episode, so it was most likely the large team effort that really made this particular wedding come together so well.

Little People, Big World "A Bride and a Bulldozer" (S07E05): Matt and Amy decide to hire a wedding assistant, and they argue over who the best candidate for the job is. [rock-paper-scissors? seriously?] They hire Heidi, Amy's choice, but Matt soon takes a shine to her and even teaches her how to use the mules to get around the farm. Unfortunately, after a few weeks, she's made a bunch of mistakes, and Matt doesn't seem too keen on keeping her around. [yeah, those wings WERE weird and inappropriate!]

Kevin and Meredith book the farm as their wedding venue a month in advance. [I'm suspecting Roloff Farms is specializing in short-term weddings at this point, LoL.] He grew up only ten minutes away and visited Roloff Farms when it primarily was known for peaches, so he's thrilled to be married there. As a fireman in San Antonio, he utilized his coworkers for a very special proposal, and the couple also includes Meredith's two dogs in the wedding party, so they are a bit unorthodox. [Amy baking cupcakes for the girls was a nice touch.] Another example of this is Kevin building a head table from wine barrels. He also does an arbor and a chandelier, which crashes almost immediately when the nails the groom's brother used to tie off the rope snap. [how old were those nails?? also, interesting look with the wine bottles and glasses.] They work on it in the shop, and Kevin is actually able to make it even larger than planned. [the new look is AWESOME, and I was glad he removed the bottles from the apparatus.]

Matt decides on the wine cellar as the special "place" for this couple, but because of the dampness and a possibly snake, it takes some work to prepare. [are there also peacocks on the farm??] However, they're able to turn it into a great location for the couple to steal a few private moments together. [but what was with Matt ignoring the wedding still taking place and starting work on his next project??!? seemed rather unprofessional.]

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Jeremy has been spending so much time working on the farm that he has been ignoring his schoolwork, though he claims that everything is fine. [they now have "free-range" chickens?] Jeremy eventually admits that he's backed up and can't help with the wedding, and even asks Molly for assistance with his accounting class. [she has been largely absent from the past few episodes. Then again, she was never one who wanted a lot of time on the camera.]

2 Broke Girls: Max Starts School

When 2 Broke Girls began, it was criticized widely for various reasons, one major one being its staying power when the premise was two waitresses trying to save $250,000 in one year. Well, a lot has changed and there have been many obvious twists along the way. The rest of the season will likely continue to cover Max's adventures in pastry school and Caroline's relationship with Max's instructor, which will mark an interesting shift. While never a fan of Oleg, Sophie, Han, and Earl each amuse me in different ways, so I hope that they will still continue to remain part of each episode, and hopefully in a larger way than this time around!

2 Broke Girls "And the First Day of School" (S03E10): Caroline figures out a schedule for the girls, but it will only allow them 2 hours a day to eat and sleep. [oh, you mean like grad school?] The diner folks give Max a leather bag with a pencil case full of joints, a metro card with unlimited rides, and a monogrammed chef's coat. [awww. except everyone's chef's coat appeared to be customized, LoL.]

Darren Michaels/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. © 2013 WBEI. All rights reserved.

On the subway on the way to pastry school, Max's bag gets stolen and Caroline's blouse gets ruined. [her jealousy was annoying. her first tax being taking juice orders was also amusing.] Max winds up being late, and makes friends with the diabetic class clown, who soon becomes her lab partner. [purposefully not taking your insulin is ridiculous...] The group gets another bag and jacket for Max, plus a switchblade, while Caroline gets a pencil case. [whiny Caroline sucks.]

Cupcakery Savings Total: $114.50 [up $112.50 from last episode.]

Instant Mom: Crowd-Sourcing Advice

Stephanie: "I know a lot of what I'm doing is unorthodox."
Maggie: "Is that the new word for stupid?"

This show has been interesting to watch, partly because seeing Tia as a parent is just so strange to me (despite the fact that I have seen several episodes of the reality show she shares with her sister), and partly because the scenarios, while humorous, are just a tad too unrealistic. Or, maybe I'm just out-of-touch with today's youth, though let's hope that's not the case. Regardless, the reiteration of the kids' mom being out-of-town to care for a relative is certainly foreshadowing some sort of major upheaval - how long could she realistically be gone that the kids would be with Charlie and Stephanie full-time? I guess we'll find out, as the series has been renewed for a second season, and the first has already been extended twice!

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Instant Mom "In Blog We Trust" (S01E08): There's a formal mother-daughter tea coming up, and Gabby invites Stephanie because her biological mother is still away. Stephanie gets overly excited, as she has been trying to bond more with Charlie's oldest. In fact, she had recently started an anonymous parenting blog to ask for advice on raising the kids. [punishments for spit-takes? I would've laughed and told the kids to take it outside, LoL.] However, James soon finds it, and begins acting as 38 different parents, giving advice to fit what he and Aaron want. ["How Not to Be an Evil Stepmother" wasn't taken??] Before long, Gabby catches on to James' activities, and gets upset that Stephanie crowd-sourced leg-shaving information. [Gabby thinking that blogging about the family is the same as talking about them behind their backs was an interesting perspective...] Gabby asks Maggie to take her to the tea instead, crushing Stephanie. But, Stephanoe and Charlie figure out that the boys created fake accounts, and Stephanie pretends the "Federal Internet Agency" is after them. [cute basketball desk chair.] They believe that she can cut them a deal so they don't go to jail, but they have to clean the house. [terrible that neither parent would get out of bed to tell the kids to go to sleep!]

HIMYM: Marshall as Dr. Seuss

So I'm in the minority of people who still enjoy this show and all it has to offer. Because I knew months ago that the entire season would take place over the wedding weekend, the pacing hasn't bothered me, and I am liking all of the creative license that goes along with having so much time to tell the story of a short period. It has been said before that, when you know your series is ending, the writers go bananas and do whatever they want, because there's no reason not to. I think that's what happened here, with the rhyming episode. (though, if I may be so bold, "Canada" and "janitor" is a rough one, all slang considered.) I draw the line at the cutesy lullaby version of theme song, though...

How I Met Your Mother "Bedtime Stories" (S09E11): Saturday, 5pm, 25 hours before the wedding. Marshall and Marvin are on a bus headed to Farhampton, and the tot will only fall asleep to rhymes, so Marshall must entertain him while they miss the rehearsal dinner. He tells three stories about his friends, and various other people assist in the rhyme scheme.

Mosby at the Bat has a young professor asking Ted to dinner so he can show her how to lecture with entertainment. He isn't sure if it's completely a work-related date, so he isn't sure how to play it... until he learns that she previously dated Barney, believing he was Derek Jeter. [nobody will ever do this storyline better than Frasier, though!]

Robin Takes the Cake starts with Robin at a bakery after being dumped. She's pigging out on donuts when she runs into an old ex, Simon. Robin steals his wedding cake and brings it to Ted's. [WHO STEALS A CAKE?? and that would be HEAVY to bring very far!] She winds up eating the entire thing... and washes it down with a keg full of beer. [omg.]

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Barney Stinson: Player King of New York City tells the background of how Barney became the "King." He once slept with a girl who lived on E. 22nd St, an area out of his "jurisdiction," earning him a tongue-lashing with the other players. [LOVED that all the players were Neil Patrick Harris! He is so good at everything!] He becomes "King" when he poisons them all.

The episode ends with the bus having a flat tire, and rather than wait over an hour, Marshall decides to start walking the five remaining miles to Farhampton. [Marvin remembers the fireworks he sees that night? I call shenanigans.]

Bob's Burgers: Cats and Turkeys

I was pretty much Linda in this episode... I totally felt like barfing at what was happening! I couldn't understand how the turkey in the toilet was repeatedly happening, though the answer at the end of the episode was pretty cute, if not still partially disturbing.

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I did find it interesting that both Eve and Tina made cases to sit at the adults' Thanksgiving Dinner table this season, as that is a story that I don't remember seeing in the past. Everyone defaulting to Louise was also amusing, as was short-lived gag that Linda can't keep a secret. Oh! And I also hadn't realized (or maybe I had completely forgotten?) that Gail was Linda's SISTER... I always just thought they were BFFs. This made the song-and-dance number at the end much more exciting.

Bob's Burgers "Turkey in a Can" (S04E05): Gail is staying with the Belchers for Thanksgiving week, with her cats. The whole family is preparing for the holiday, with Tina wanting to wear lipstick, high heels, and sit at the adult's table, and Gene trying to write a holiday song. Meanwhile, Bob starts a three-day salt rub for the Thanksgiving turkey, but in the middle of the night, he finds the turkey in the commode. [gross!] Everyone thinks Louise did it, though she denies it. Bob starts over on a new turkey the next day, but the same thing happens in the night. [seriously??] So, back to the supermarket, where Bob buys two turkeys, a real one and a decoy. [LOVE it. he shouldn't have told anyone, even Linda, though.] But, both are destroyed. [again, seriously?!?!] Bob only told Linda about the decoy, but she can't keep things to herself and told everyone anyway. [haha!] Bob is pissed, and gets ANOTHER turkey. [haha that the guy at the deli thought Bob was interested in him!] During Thanksgiving Dinner, Bob falls asleep when Linda and Gail start singing a song, and he soon sleepwalks the turkey into the bathroom. [I'd probably drop it.] He acts as if it were preschool Tina, learning to toilet train. [whoa. didn't see that coming!] His actions were caused by the allergy pills he was taking to be around Gail's cats, and signified his unwillingness to let go of his little girl. [awwww!] 

Elementary - Out, and not Union Friendly...

Serials killers always seem to give even the best detectives a run for their money. Sparing the psychological advantage normally accompanying a serial killer, Holmes ferrets out a killer with a pattern with noticeable difficulty. He and Watson become closer still, but hopefully the villains continue to be strong so the duo are required to pull out more than triggered inspiration to solve cases.

Elementary "On the Line" (S02E09): On the Roosevelt Island bridge, Holmes and Watson are called in to... confirm a murder? The victim (Samantha) called in and told 911 who was about to kill her, Lucas Bundsch, the same man she believed killed her sister. Holmes quickly claims she shot herself, attaching a weight to the gun to drag it over the railing and into the river. Upon questioning Lucas at the station under a polygraph, Holmes injects a question of his own and proclaims the man to be a serial killer.

Holmes shows how Lucas beat the polygraph on key questions, guessing he also had to fake answers about the previous murder. Holmes nettles the detective, Coventry, on the previous case, to the point of a shouting match in the middle of the station before Captain Gregson breaks them up. The duo analyzes the last traffic camera footage of Samantha's sister and guess that the killer made a fake plastic explosive to place in her shoe while she phoned her sister.

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In the middle of the discussion, Lucas shows up at the Brownstone. Allegedly given their house address by Coventry, Holmes surprisingly invites in Lucas and starts to question him about the abduction. In a creepy, unemotional scene, they confront Lucas and listen to him deny the entire thing.

At the station, Holmes and Watson present their case and links to other murders they think Lucas committed. Gregson agrees there's something to it and Watson insists the duo split up to investigate the potential victims. She and detective Bell question a loved one of a victim whose body was never found, learning nothing. Gregson tried to calm down Conventry, but he threatens to call the union over Holmes' involvement in his case.

Holmes and Watson get into a tiff about his treatment of policemen and their growing dislike for the duo. The person Watson interviewed calls with a lead: a woman in his support group recognized Lucas as her missing daughter's ex-boyfriend. The duo head up to Syracuse to meet with the woman, but discover they've been fooled by Lucas. He made up the fake story and pretended to be the victim's mother, who in reality has no children.

Holmes confronts Lucas about making the fake profile about the missing girl to join the support group and falsely leading them to Syracuse. Lucas riles Holmes up and Holmes punches him, prompting a restraining order against him and Watson. Gregson kicks Holmes off the case, and Watson discovers Holmes broke a finger with the punch.

After Lucas abducts again, Lucas texts Holmes the address of his victim. The duo goes but Bell sends them away. Holmes grabs some DNA from the scene before leaving so he can frame Lucas, though Watson talks him out of it and accidentally helps him deduce where Lucas keeps his victims: his recording studio.

Gregson, Holmes, and various police show up to raid Lucas's studio and find not only the latest victim but also the wife of Watson's interviewee. Gregson tells his troops to lay off complaining about his employ of Holmes and Watson. Holmes tries to convince Watson he's acerbic and will never change because it's an advantage for him, and it's only Watson who is the exception to his behavior because he finds her exceptional.

Last Man Standing: The Selfish Baxters

For a Thanksgiving episode, this episode really showcased a lot of selfish people. Eve wanted nothing more than to sit with the adults at the dinner table. Mandy wanted Kyle to leave his elderly grandmother alone. Kristin and Vanessa seemed to be barely involved in anything but drinking wine. Ryan blindly bet $20 on something he knows nothing about, which is a valuable chunk of change for his family. Mike only wants to follow the game in peace, even if that means via radio instead of television. It's no wonder that little Boyd was having a tough time doing his homework assignment! As realistic as this family dynamic may be, it wasn't great to see play out on a holiday.

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Last Man Standing "Thanksgiving" (S03E09): Boyd is doing a video on what his family is thankful for, but everyone keeps mentioning inappropriate things, like wine, a fake ID, illegal sports betting, and being too young to be tried as an adult. [random FCC rant in there!]

Mike's dad shows up, excited that he now has a license to sell marijuana when it becomes legal in Colorado in January. He wants to partner with Mike, but Ed is more interested. However, after talking to Ed, Mike decides to help his father... but he doesn't actually want to be part of the business, so he will market it on the sly. [Ryan explaining "the munchies" was amusing.] But, between his father's business proposition and Ryan caring about football for the first time (thanks to a terrible bet), Mike is unable to enjoy the holiday football games.

Eve sits with Boyd at the kids' table, against her will, though she had an outside shot at dining with the adults when Kyle had to find his wandering grandmother. [why is Mandy using a bluetooth headset?]

White Collar: Skating for the Win

This episode didn't really showcase any spectacular techniques in how Peter and Neal capture criminals and close cases, though Mozzie continues his long-running streak of unbelievably well-done cons. The addition of June into the scheme was a nice play, though I'm still not sold on Jones keeping tails on Neal these days. I'm also torn over how I feel about Neal and Mozzie's current ongoing project. In past seasons, I was more intrigued by their efforts in various endeavors, so I'm not sure if it is the codex itself I find uninteresting, or if it is the way Mozzie and Neal are interacting at this point. Anyone else have thoughts?

White Collar "Ice Breaker" (S05E06): Neal helps take down a fake-passport seller with Peter, and as they narrow down the maker of the passports, they head to a hockey rink in Little Odessa. Their cover is that Neal is a sports agent and Peter in a world-class figure skating coach, scouting Katya, a Russian skater.

David Giesbrecht/USA Network

When they return, Peter works with Katya on the ice (fortunately, he has played hockey since his youth) while Neal searches for information on the passport business. Elizabeth gave Peter some tips from watching skating competitions, so he is able to hold his own. [how he knew what advice to give her on some moves was impressive.] Then, Peter keeps Segei busy by playing some hockey, and Neal finds what he needs. So, when Katya decides to help Peter, she accepts Sergei's recent proposal, as that will ensure a large party with all of the criminals in one place. [I don't know if I would have thought of that.] Nicolai leaves to attend to business, so Neal goes to stall him. They're able to arrest everyone, so the crime is solved.

In a separate storyline, Rebecca comes to the FBI to get a letter stating her innocence, but Neal doesn't want her talking to Peter, so he pretends that Mozzie was in charge of that case. Mozzie even takes over a chiropractor's office to play the part. [who takes the whole office to lunch daily??] Then, Neal is able to make the timing of a meeting work so he can ditch the anklet and attend the meeting, where he and Mozzie ask Rebecca to help with the codex. [Rebecca disclosing that she spent a night in jail in Morocco was random... will that come back into play?] There are some questions regarding what is in the pages the boys have, as the author didn't write a thirteenth chapter in his books. [whoa, superstitious!] Peter uses Jones to find out what Neal is up to, and Peter pokes around the chiropractor's office to find a (faux?) FBI pen.

Big Bang: Thanksgiving for One and All

I was a bit curious how a Thanksgiving episode would go at this point in the characters' lives, and found several different areas surprising. The Penny-Zack thing caught me off-guard, but I think it's really setting up yet another serious play by Leonard to "put a ring on it." But Bernadette's mother being absent really confused me... it didn't seem to bother anyone, but there's no obvious reason as to why she traveled alone, either. Similarly, Sheldon's mean-spirited attitude for the bulk of the episode seemed uncalled for and harsh, even for him. I think the best grouping of characters was probably the gossip-loving Raj, Amy, and Bernadette (complete with a mouth full of marshmallows!) in the kitchen, and wish more could have transpired in there.

The Big Bang Theory "The Thanksgiving Decoupling" (S07E09): Howard invites the gang to his mother's house for Thanksgiving dinner, as Bernadette's father is going and Howard has nothing to say to him. [why did ONLY Bernadette's mother go and not the rest of the family?] Sheldon doesn't want to, but everyone else is game. Once they get over there, however, Sheldon bonds with Bernadette's dad over football, and even has a beer with the man, as Sheldon's own father passed away when he was only 14, so he was never able to do such a thing. [poor Howard, he really did have a similar situation!]

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Penny talks about a time she spent Thanksgiving in Vegas and got "fake-married" to Zack, unaware that those are real nuptials. [remember when Phoebe on Friends thought that was a fake marriage as well?] It bothers Leonard because she has turned down his multiple proposals. [true. ouch!] She agrees to get an annulment and calls Zack to come over and fill out the papers, and he winds up staying for dinner. [he's dumber than I remember! and drunk Sheldon is awkward.]

And, in the kitchen, Raj is in charge because Howard's mother has gout, and Amy and Bernadette assist. 

What to Watch: Thanksgiving 2013

Like we did for Halloween, here are some top television picks for Thanksgiving episodes and specials this week! Bolded are our personal choices!

Friday, November 22nd:
1pm: Roseanne "Thanksgiving 1994" (Logo)
4:30pm: Max & Ruby "Max's Thanksgiving" (Nick Jr.)
4:30pm: Good Times "Penny's Christmas" (TV One)
6:30pm: Will & Grace "A Little Christmas Queer (Logo)
8pm: Last Man Standing "Thanksgiving" (ABC)
8:30pm: The Neighbors "Thanksgiving Is No Schmuck Bait" (ABC)
9pm: Hawaii Five-0 "Hau’oli Ho’omaika’i" (CBS)

Saturday, November 23rd:
9am: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse "Mickey's Thanks a Bunch Day" (Disney Jr.)
4:30pm: Roseanne "No Place Like Home for the Holidays" (Logo)
7:30pm: Dora the Explorer "Dora's Thanksgiving Day Parade" (Nick Jr.)
10pm: Full House "The Miracle of Thanksgiving" (NICK)

Sunday, November 24th: 
5:30am: Dharma & Greg "Thanksgiving Until It Hurts" (WGN) 
1pm: A Different World "If You Like Pilgrim Coladas" (TV One)
1:30pm: A Different World "Faith, Hope & Charity" (TV One)
2:30pm: Living Single "Thanks for Giving" (TV One)
3pm: Living Single "Love Takes a Holiday" (TV One)
3:30pm: Martin "Thanks for Nothing" (TV One) 
4pm: Martin "Feast or Famine" (TV One)
4:30pm: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse "Mickey's Thanks a Bunch Day" (Disney Jr.)
5pm: Living Single "Thanks for Giving" (TV One)
6pm: Martin "Thanks for Nothing" (TV One)
6:30pm Martin "Feast or Famine" WGN America
8:30pm: Bob's Burgers "Turkey in a Can" (FOX)
9:30pm: American Dad "Kung Pao Turkey" (FOX)
10pm: Bob's Burgers "An Indecent Thanksgiving Proposal" (Cartoon Network)

Monday, November 25th: 
12:45am: Friends "The One with the Late Thanksgiving" (NICK)
6:30am: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse "Mickey's Thanks a Bunch Day" (Disney)
8:30am: JoJo's Circus "The Thanksgiving Hip-Hooray Parade" (Disney Jr.)
10am: Dora the Explorer "Dora's Thanksgiving Day Parade" (NICK)
11:30am: The Hughleys "Thanksgiving" (FXX) 
3pm: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse "Mickey's Thanks a Bunch Day" (Disney Jr.) 
5pm: How I Met Your Mother "Belly Full of Turkey" (FX)
 10pm: The Cleveland Show "A General Thanksgiving Episode" (Cartoon Network)
11:30pm: Family Guy "Thanksgiving" (Cartoon Network)

Tuesday, November 26th: 
1:30am: King of the Hill "Happy Hank's Giving" (Cartoon Network) 
5am: The Cleveland Show "A General Thanksgiving Episode" (Cartoon Network) 
5:30am: King of the Hill "Happy Hank's Giving" (Cartoon Network)
10:30am: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse "Mickey's Thanks a Bunch Day" (Disney Jr)
4:30pm: Will & Grace "Homo for the Holidays" (Logo)
5:30pm The Middle "Thanksgiving" (ABCFamily)
6pm: The Middle "Thanksgiving II" (ABCFamily)
6:30pm: The Middle "Thanksgiving III" (ABCFamily) 
6:30pm: Will & Grace "Jingle Balls" (WE)
7:30pm: Dora the Explorer "Dora's Thanksgiving Day Parade" (Nick Jr)
8:30pm: Brooklyn Nine-Nine "Thanksgiving" (FOX)
9pm: New Girl "Thanksgiving III" (FOX)
10pm: The Cleveland Show "A Brown Thanksgiving" (Cartoon Network)
10:30pm: The Middle "Thanksgiving" (ABCFamily)
11:30pm: Will & Grace "Homo for the Holidays" (Logo)

Wednesday, November 27th: 
5am: The Cleveland Show "A Brown Thanksgiving" (Cartoon Network)
7am: Henry Hugglemonster "Huggsgiving Day" (Disney Jr.) 
7-9am: Spin City Thanksgiving Episodes (FXX)
9-11am: Mad About You Thanksgiving Episodes (FXX)
9:30am: The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Thanksgiving Episode (TBS)
10am: Dora the Explorer "Dora's Thanksgiving Day Parade" (NICK)
11am: The Hughleys Thanksgiving Episode (FXX)
11:30am: Max & Ruby "Max's Thanksgiving" (NICK)
Noon: Reba "Thanksgiving-Themed Episode" (ABC Family)
12:30pm: Reba "Thanksgiving-Themed Episode" (ABC Family)
1-4pm: Roseanne Thanksgiving Episodes (Logo)
1pm: 8 Simple Rules "Thanksgiving-Themed Episode" (ABC Family)
1:30pm: 8 Simple Rules "Thanksgiving-Themed Episode" (ABC Family)
2pm: Boy Meets World "Thanksgiving-Themed Episodes" (ABC Family)
2:30pm: Boy Meets World "Thanksgiving-Themed Episodes" (ABC Family)
4:30pm: Max & Ruby "Max and Ruby Give Thanks" (Nick Jr)
5pm: Two and a Half Men "Merry Thanksgiving" (FX)
6:30pm: Reba "Cookies for Santa" (CMT)
7pm: Dora the Explorer "Dora's Thanksgiving Day Parade" (NICK Jr.)
 8:30pm: Last Man Standing "Thanksgiving" (ABC)
9pm: Saturday Night Live "Saturday Night Live Thanksgiving" (NBC)
10pm: South Park "A History Channel Thanksgiving" (Comedy Central) 
10pm: The Cleveland Show "Another Bad Thanksgiving" (Cartoon Network)
11pm: Friends "The One with the Late Thanksgiving" (NICK)

Thursday, November 28th: 
Midnight: South Park "A History Channel Thanksgiving" (Comedy Central)
12:10am: Friends "The One with the Thanksgiving Flashbacks" (NICK)
5am: The Cleveland Show "Another Bad Thanksgiving" (Cartoon Network)
9am: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (NBC) 
2pm: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (NBC)
8pm: A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving & This is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers (ABC)
9:30pm: Lady Gaga & the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular (ABC)

The Middle: An Airing of Grievances

In case you missed it, the song in the background of the opening was "Simple Gifts," which the string quartet played during the unity candle lighting at my wedding. I think it was perfect for both occasions because the message is really that you need very little to be happy, and love and friendship make the world go 'round. On The Middle, though, it wasn't terribly fitting... except maybe for Frankie's parents, who recently lost quite a bit of money. The confusion over the dinner guests was perhaps the highlight of the episode, but I felt everything going on was a bit too busy to make it a classic.

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The Middle "Thanksgiving V" (S05E07): The sales at the malls are the night BEFORE Thanksgiving in Orson, and Frankie and Sue head out to snag some deals. [I guess that's better than on Thanksgiving itself?] Frankie prepares a small dinner for Thanksgiving, as it's just the five of them plus Frankie's parents. Mike was supposed to go pick them up, but Axl volunteers, hoping to get them on his side for when he breaks the news that the only class he's still taking is Music Appreciation. [you'd think Axl also taking out the trash and walking the dog would start to raise suspicion...] However, they don't have the "perspective" he was hoping for, and lecture him the entire drive. But that's only the start of their issues; Frankie's dad gambled away $8,000 in online poker, so he tries to get Mike to discuss the dangers of cruising to dissuade Frankie's mom about an upcoming trip. [I don't even know what to say about this!!]

Axl's prayers are answered, however, when company shows up to dinner. Thinking that his parents won't make a scene in front of his mother's boss and his father's brother's (ex-)wife and kids, he waits for the perfect opening. [awww, Brick's poorly-made lime jello salad made me sad. that kid is so often forgotten!] Unfortunately, the gambling and divorce news surfaces, blocking Axl from announcing his problems during the meal. He tries to bring it up again later, but Frankie's crazy actions at the mall make the news, so his moment is stolen once again. Finally, he blurts it out, and when Mike just says "it's your life," Axl is baffled and winds up lecturing himself. [haha, when Frankie's boss leaves, she jokes about Christmas dinner and he takes her seriously!]

South Park: Black Friday Continues

I wasn't sure how great my expectations would be, given the opening portion of this storyline, but they might have been a little high, as I was not impressed with this episode in any way. Perhaps the upcoming third part will really bring it all to a nice closure, but we'll have to wait to see! I think what I'm actually more curious about, however, was the "this episode was brought to you by XBOX One" message... was it a joke, was there a bidding war, was PlayStation even interested, who will sponsor next week's episode?

Comedy Central

South Park "A Song of Ass and Fire" (S17E08): Because of the death of the security guard, another 10% will be taken off (making that 90%!!) for the first 30 shoppers. [I still don't fully understand how the mall is going to handle such a thing!] Cartman calls Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, but the guy is confident that a console war is not a real war, so Cartman sends Butters to New Mexico to ask George R. R. Martin for help. [hahaha! nice themed opener as well!] They ask when the dragons will show up, and although Martin agrees to tell them, he has so much detail before that part (complete with a lot of sexual commentary), that the kids decide to bail early. [the diabetic issues were a strange twist?] To help the boys, though, Martin gets the date of Black Friday to move to December 6th. This causes the mall to go to 96% off for the first 100 people. Meanwhile, Bill Gates has Ballmer murdered so he can actually build the war on Black Friday. [dang.] Gates plans to actually help XBOX-seekers fight through the crowds, so he supplies them with axes and guns. [this is really getting intense, guys!] Cartman and crew talk to Kenny and say that the PS4 kids can't possibly win, but SONY makes Kenny a (anime) princess with a brooch, so who knows...

The Goldbergs: Brothers at Thanksgiving

Does this look like the face of someone who will a Thanksgiving to pass where things don't go her way?

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I didn't think so. I found a few problems with this episode, like wondering where Murray's parents were if his brother lives in their house, but on the whole, it was cute, and very fitting for a Thanksgiving episode. The kids would rather play games than spend time with their family and acknowledge just how much their mother does for them, which is pretty much like every holiday I spent as a kid. Still, beyond the timeless stuff, there were some quintessential 80s parts, like the pyramid scheme and the DeLorean (which went out of business in 1982, by the way). I really look forward to finding out which 80s fads will present themselves in the rest of the holiday episodes (assuming we're going Hanukkah here?).

The Goldbergs "Stop Arguing and Start Thanking" (S01E09): Beverly wants the kids to be more thankful for how much work she puts in to make things nice for them, but Erica is more or less absent and the boys play a made-up game in the basement. Murray doesn't want his brother, Marvin, coming, but when he shows up, he's driving a DeLorean with the license plate "CHX DIGIT." [did people say "chicks" in 1982?] Murray paid for Marvin to take bartending courses, but he failed out, and that seems to be only one of the times the older brother has bailed out the younger. Marvin has a job selling lotions and soaps, and hits up Murray to invest. Murray gets upset, and the next thing you know, he gets out of the car and it rolls down a hill, hitting a lightpost and bending the frame. [yikes!] And, as DMC went out of business, Marvin can't use their concierge for help. [ha!] Beverly smooths things over between the guys with some lies, but that, too, falls apart when it seems that Marvin's job sells terrible products and is actually just a pyramid scheme. A fight breaks out, and even the return of a childhood baseball proves that brothers will be brothers. Similarly, when Adam beats Barry for the first time, the dynamic between them changes, as Barry may now be lose to his little brother at other things, too. [we played games constantly when I was little, and my brother and I each had our strengths in different activities, so I guess we didn't have this problem?]

2 Broke Girls: New Additions All Around

Take a look at this room and the people in it. Apparently, this could become as popular as the diner and its employees!

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Yep, Max has started pastry school, and Caroline will be working in the receptionist's office to help pay for it. My first thought about this arrangement was that it was completely unbelievable, but I generally give this show a pass on realism, as I'm not in their situation and can't really relate to a lot of things that the girls to do get by. I sometimes think they make up things for the funny factor, but that's not the point, either. I'm really unhappy with the additional casting... I thought that Max, Caroline, Han, Earl, Oleg, and Sophie worked well as a unit. Boyfriends coming and going worked for me, but the addition of Luis at the diner and now bosses/coworkers/classmates at the pastry school?? If they're overhauling this show, I'm not thrilled.

2 Broke Girls "And the Pastry Porn" (S03E09): The girls steal dishes from the diner so they don't have to wash their own at home. [why not just bring the dirty dishes to work and run them through the industrial dishwasher there?] They decide to hire a cleaning lady from Sophie's company, and Polina only has one arm, as Sophie ran over her with a truck. [the girls used to BE cleaning ladies! And if Max has time for school and Caroline has time for another job, why can't they clean their apartment?] Caroline offers to help the maid, and  learns that Max has more than just porn magazines under her mattress... she also has a brochure for pastry school. Caroline soon demands that they go check out the school, and she picks up an application. [I initially thought that the receptionist was ridiculous, but then I understood they meant to show that she needs help.] The required entrance pastry is a tart, but Max doesn't know how to make one. Earl tries to help by buying a tart for Max to turn in, but Max is super-frustrated by making the the shell. [awww, thanks Earl!] In the end, she makes a strawberry tart, and it is flaky and creamy for a first attempt. Still, she's not accepted, greatly upsetting her. [you never read anything like that aloud to a crowd before reading it yourself!!] She heads down there and is told that she has an attitude rather than passion, but she shows how much she wants it, and she's allowed to begin immediately. Unfortunately, the girls misread the price and it's $24,000 per year, not $3,000, which was the per-unit price. [I thought $3,000 sounded ultra-cheap!] Caroline begs to work something out, and she'll be working in the office to help cover the cost.

Cupcakery Savings Total: $2.50 [plummeted from last episode!]

BE AWARE: West Coast peeps: next week's episode will air at 2:42 AM due to the 49ers game! 

Little People, Big World: Another Wedding

Awww! They got engaged at the Space Needle! That's where my husband proposed to me (though he did it slightly differently)! And, although I generally don't like "down home country" weddings, I did think what Hannah and RJ did was really cute. Now, enough about me... problematically, this episode also felt it had had enough about the Roloffs! This definitely felt more like Wedding Farm than traditional Little People, Big World, and it showed. Though Jeremy did mention that he could potentially be the first Roloff to be married on the property, why not at least interview any of the other kids... especially Zach, whose girlfriend has been shown prominently over the past couple years?

Little People, Big World "Forever Young" (S07E04): It's the middle of the summer, and some of the vegetables are ready for harvesting. [we're also halfway through this "season."] Hannah and RJ book the farm with five weeks of notice for their nuptials, which forces Matt to settle on a bridal suite quickly. He brings in a simple manufactured home, but he and Amy argue about where to put it. [watching the house be installed and put together was cool!] The foundation cracks, but they get it fixed. The carpet is the wrong color, they don't have water until the day before, but in the end it all worked out.

On the wedding day, Zach takes the guys on a tour of the farm, and they get in some basketball... but so much that they're late getting ready for the actual event! [how does that happen?? did NOBODY have a phone or watch??] But, there are other issues going on as well... the food truck cancels at the last minute, so they call a caterer, who uses vegetables right out of the garden! [the caterer didn't bring food to cook? I'm confused.] After the ceremony, the couple rides Vespas to the schoolhouse (both just graduated from college) in the Western town, where Matt hung up tons of pictures of them. [that layout was absolutely gorgeous!]

DCL

The seats at the reception are adorned with wine glasses full of Hershey's Kisses, thanks to everyone in the family's help!

Also, it seems that Zach will be moving home after a year on his own. He wants to focus on school and not making rent, but let's see if it really only lasts a couple of months.

HIMYM: Sam is the Man

The minimal costume changes when a season takes place over three days (give or take) gets annoying when you hate one of the outfits! As I've mentioned before, Robin's white blouse with the checked holes in the front bothers me, so I really hope she changes again soon. Nitpicks aside, it seems that Sam is going to have quite a role for a while. Not only as James' father, but if he is both getting back with Loretta AND officiating Barney and Robin's wedding, he'll be around. Now, I personally hope that John Lithgow will receive the same screentime, but we'll see what happens!

How I Met Your Mother "Mom and Dad" (S09E10): Saturday, 3pm, 27 hours before the wedding. Robin and Barney are still trying to find an officiant, but James' dad, Sam, steps up to the plate. [forgot about him!] One problem down, but Barney and James both hope that their own fathers will reunite with Loretta, so they compete to try to make that happen. Barney traps his parents in an elevator while sending his stepmother to the middle of nowhere, courtesy of Ranjit. [holy cow!] 

HowIMetYourMotherCBS

Once the brothers agree to drop it, they see Sam kissing Loretta, upsetting Barney. But, Robin reminds him that James could use that glimmer of hope in his life right now, so all is well.

Barney asks Ted to keep a signed photo of Wayne Gretzky for Robin, but when he finds ink spilled on it, he starts investigating the case. [mention of the Pineapple Incident!] He narrows the suspects down to Robin's cousin, Billy Zabka, and a bell boy, who were all around when Barney gave him this task. [I'll admit... I thought it was Lily!] As Ted interrogates them, Lily uses ink remover to fix the picture, and the two realize that it was Zabka, who just wanted to seem as if he was helpful so he could shake the "bad guy" persona that he has worn his whole life. 

Daphne talks to her daughter on the phone, but when she breaks the news that she might not make it to the speech competition, the young lady hangs up on her for never being there. [kids get upset. life goes on.] Marshall gets her there just in time... to hear the daughter's speech being pro-oil. [does this mean the end of Daphne? is Marshall going to make it to the rest of the group soon?]

BE AWARE: West Coast peeps: next week's episode will air at 2:12 AM due to the 49ers game!  

Last Man Standing: Upgrading Kyle

The nicest kid in the world hates you. How do you take that kind of news? I never really thought of Kyle as the sweetest guy, but I guess it fits. How he is with Mandy also starts to make more sense, as she has proven herself to be quite the narcissist and would really enjoy having someone fawn all over her, if nothing else. Plus, what was with her "nutrition experiment" of having Kyle eat nothing but cheese all week?? I highly doubt that she is following the guidelines for the assignment. At least the episode was overall pretty funny, though I can't say any one event or joke really stood out that much more than the others. I'd just still really like it if the series would close story arcs instead of ignoring them completely...

Last Man Standing "Vanessa Fixes Kyle" (S03E08): Kyle is still upset at Vanessa for suggesting Mandy date other guys, so Vanessa goes to Outdoor Man to try to make amends. She winds up getting Kyle a position selling boats to boost his confidence, much to the dismay of Mike and Ed. As one might anticipate, Kyle is very sweet and talks about the many cons of boat ownership to potential customers. When he is able to make a sale (a very large one at that!), he feels terrible and admits to only doing it so that Vanessa would like him. Soon enough, though, Kyle impresses Mike with his knowledge of what the other employees' strengths are, so he is promoted to Sales Floor Coordinator, and he even asks for a raise. [I totally saw him moving into an HR-type position.]

Kristin needs someone to babysit Boyd, and Mike makes Eve watch him. [I don't think Kristin should be allowed to pawn him off on the family at all, but I'll stop myself from getting too political.]

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He plays tricks on her, so she sends him down into the basement in the dark. [what?!??] Kristin reminds Eve that they used to play together when Eve was Boyd's age, and then puts her in the basement in retaliation!

Big Bang: Lucy is Back

Because I feel like the A-plot of this episode is pretty self-explanatory, I want to pick on just the B-plot. The girls girls see Lucy at the Cheesecake Factory, so Penny decides to chew her out for hurting Raj. I can understand Penny's motive, but I don't see why she needed to intervene like that! What was she really hoping to accomplish?

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And, although Raj is desperately lonely, Lucy is seeing someone else, though she does ask her ex to meet for coffee. If your ex's friend just told you that he was crushed when you dumped him, why would you want to see him at all, ESPECIALLY if you are in a completely different place emotionally? Well, Raj isn't sure how to act around her again, so he's incredibly awkward... which he is again when Penny sets him up with a coworker. Although many wrote him off as a lost cause long ago, I think that the writers are just dragging their feet to avoid him being in a "real" relationship at this point!

The Big Bang Theory "The Itchy Brain Simulation" (S07E08): Sheldon decides to use some skeeball tickets from three years ago to get a water-squirting flower, but when Leonard pulls them out of a junk box, he discovers a rented movie from seven years ago. [oh, and by the way, the flower backfired.] Because it was rented on Sheldon's card, Sheldon makes Leonard wear an old itchy sweater until he makes amends with the video store, that went out of business years ago. [how did Leonard not know this? did they only rent a movie one time?] After some research, Leonard discovers that the owner of the store is dead, and there is no next-of-kin to reimburse. ["is that sweater made of bees?" haha!] Sheldon suggests Leonard look for long-lost relatives in Armenia or Lebanon, then admits that he paid for the movie years ago but thought this was a teachable moment. [and moments like this are what takes Sheldon from being quirky to being severely irritating!]

White Collar: Neal as a Butler

Peter's flu (first one in 17 years??!?) really seemed like it was added in to give Mozzie something to do (and yet another way to showcase his multitude of talents). Though, between that and the new beekeeping hobby, I guess the Detroit Dentist is still scheming away in the background! That said, I rather liked Neal as a butler, though perhaps that's because there are too few butlers on television these days. I mean, there used to be butlers on Batman, Mr. Belvedere, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Richie Rich, Addams Family, The Nanny... I mean, we kinda had Giles on Whodunnit? but that was a reality show of sorts. I think the undercover aspects of this show are some of the most exciting, so let's see more of those!

White Collar "Master Plan" (S05E05): Peter and Neal investigate a real estate scam while Elizabeth brings art to a family she knew years ago, whose long-estranged son, Patrick, recently returned home. When he chooses a piece of art that he never would have picked years ago, Elizabeth think he might not be the real deal, so she calls Neal. [that rhymed by chance, I swear!] Neal offers to get to know the family by being the new butler. [hahaha!] 

Giovanni Ruffino/USA Network

Neal tries to get fingerprints, but all the DNA is wiped clean. He eventually swipes a cufflink, but the fingerprint doesn't match anyone in the system. But, he is able to forward some mail to Peter, who quickly learns that Patrick's $40M trust fund is soon being signed over. Elizabeth decides to tell William what's going on, and when "Patrick" overhears, he consults to having his blood tested. He draws it himself, though, and Neal is able to see a vet remove a penrose drain from "Patrick's" arm. [pretending the dog is urgently ill? really?] This means that the real Patrick is alive, as the blood was fresh, and there are soon a dozen people trying to tail "Patrick" on his daily bike rides. [LoL: "I can't go Croatian, I'm going Polish."] Although it is close, they are successful in locating the real Patrick, who is returned to his family. Their former butler is also allowed to return to his duties. [would you want to, though, if you were so untrusted?]

Fun Friday: What the Rich People Watch

Yesterday, AVClub posted an article looking at the socioeconomic demographics of the Nielsen ratings - the top 20 shows watched by the highest-earning households, and the top 20 watched by the lowest-earning households, on average. I was thoroughly amused by which shows were on each list. Let's take a gander, first at what the high-earners watch:

Now, out of the 20 above, I regularly watch 5 of them (The Goldbergs, How I Met Your Mother, The Michael J. Fox Show, Trophy Wife, and The Middle), and occasionally tune in for one more (Shark Tank). Of the others on the list, there are several that I can't stand (Modern Family, Glee, Super Fun Night, and Nashville), and a bunch I've seen but don't care for (Castle, Parks and Rec, New Girl).

Now, at what the low-earners watch:

From this list, I only cover one series for this site: Bob's Burgers, the show with the lowest earners of them all. I watch The Simpsons occasionally, and tried both The Neighbors and Dads, though they weren't my cup of tea. I've seen American Dad and Family Guy in the past, and enjoyed America's Funniest Home Videos back in the early 1990s. The rest? I couldn't care less about.

Now, I don't really trust the Nielsen ratings anyway, so I take all of the information in the above charts with a grain of salt, but I still found it interesting enough to glance through and think about.

What about you - do you tend to watch the shows of the princes or the paupers?

Elementary - Cynical...

Mycroft seems to be back for good and continues to nettle at Holmes in ways only family could. Watson continues to be more impressive on her own, but given the medical nature of this case that's not unexpected. Let's hope many of the original Sherlock stories continue to seep into the plot and some of the ongoing hidden relationships come to a head soon.

Elementary "Thicker than Water" (S02E08): It starts with Mycroft bugging Holmes about not visiting his restaurant, Diogenes, yet, as Mycroft will return to London soon [much credit to the writers for having Mycroft name his restaurant after his favorite philosopher from one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's short stories]. In the meantime, a woman landed on a delivery truck that continued its route after she landed.

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The duo reason their way back to the apartment balcony the woman fell out of. After some research, Detective Bell reveals Ian Gale, the equivalent of a Steve Jobs in this universe, is the one paying for the apartment. Trying to see Mr. Gale, his lawyer presents evidence that puts Gale out of the company, but Holmes quickly proves it's a stand-in.

The next morning, Mycroft wakes Watson looking for Holmes, who stood him up (again) the night before. A contact of Holmes' at a high-end hotel tips him off that an entire floor has been rented by Gale under a pseudonym. In exchange for moose cheese, Holmes gets a keycard to access all rooms on the floor and they find Gale hiding in a hospital bed looking very ill. The duo learns the dead woman was his daughter, Haley.

Gale had a heart transplant that his body is rejecting. His daughter was in town to give him transfusions as he's a rare blood type. He hid his condition while the board of his company prepared a transition plan. Returning to the police station, Watson insists Holmes go to dinner with Mycroft and leave a morgue visit to her. At dinner, Mycroft gives 221B back to Holmes and reveals he's been moved out while in NYC. He also reveals that their father wants him back in London and could take away the Brownstone if he does not return.

Detective Bell and Watson question Gale's wife and suspect her, until she explains that she gets no extra inheritance when Gale's daughter dies, but rather it goes to Haley's mother. One of the prints from Haley's apartment turns out to be from an old boyfriend no one knew was in town. Holmes reveals to Watson that his father might cut him off unless he returns to London. He suggests both of them return to London, but she votes for Holmes to do what he wants despite his father's wishes.

They track Haley's boyfriend to a horsetrack that afternoon via Haley's DVR recordings. Upon questioning, they learn Haley was sick for several weeks. After verifying she wasn't sick at the time of giving blood for her father, Holmes gets a call that Ian Gale is dead.

Watson figures out that the real target of the murder was Ian Gale and not Haley. After than, they discover that Mrs. Gale had, in fact, killed her husband by using Haley's antibodies to cause Ian's transplanted heart to be rejected. Mycroft stops by to see Holmes one last time and Holmes gives him a letter to pass along to their father, stating he will remain in New York. Mycroft later rips up the letter and calls someone to announce that the plan to reunite Holmes and their father has failed.

South Park: XBOX vs. PS4

My jaw dropped at the end of this episode because I was completely believing that it would finish the storyline in time. But, Matt Stone and Trey Parker wouldn't have started a November 29th story on November 13th for no reason! This has the potential to even be a three-parter, which would be significantly interesting. I already found the premise to be quite appealing, though I kept yelling at those kids, wondering why they weren't in line yet if there were clearly adults crowding the mall. I guess we'll find out how it all comes together, though it seems no official word has yet been given regarding what might be in store for the additional installment(s) of this one!

South Park "Black Friday" (S17E07): The South Park Mall announces that, on Black Friday, the first 30 people will get 80% off of their purchases. Security is beefed up, and Randy begins work on the crew. However, he is actually just trying to beat the Black Friday customers by already being inside the mall when it opens. [clever. can't repeat it, but not a bad ploy.] When Randy's boss is stabbed handing out wristbands, Randy admits the truth, but is still placed in charge. [and given a scarred eye patch!]

Meanwhile, the kids are scheming to make sure that they are able to use the 80% off on the newest video game console. Except, once they band together in cosplay, they realize that not everyone is after the same gaming device! Cartman heads up a group for the XBOX One while Stan recruits kids for the PlayStation 4. [there's also a new Elmo doll up for grabs, just to keep things interesting.] Cartman talks to Kenny about Kyle's loyalty, but Kenny is the one who goes over to the other side.

Comedy Central

Sony starts to worry that XBOX will make more sales, so they offer a special "Brack Friday Bunduru" to draw more interest. [I get the joke on the "L" vs "R" situation, but how does "bundle" become "bunduru" ???]

The Middle: Volleyball, Failing, and a Dog

I'm not a dog person. For the vast majority of my life, I was actually an anti-dog person, though I tolerate them now. I've had friends who have very meaningful relationships with their dogs, and I really don't "get it." Frankie reiterated the same thing they always preach: the pooch is there for them when they leave for work and they're there when they return home, and they act like their owners are the only people in the world. I don't see the big desire to have that, but the Hecks didn't all have that sort of relationship with "Colin Firth," so I assume he'll be gone in an episode or two anyway. Axl failing out of college and Sue playing volleyball? Now THOSE are interesting storylines. More of them, please!

The Middle "The Jump" (S05E06): Sue makes the varsity volleyball team. [not gonna lie... I was so happy for her, I teared up!] However, it turns out that the school felt bad, as Sue crashed through a bad spot in the gym floor during her tryout. [yikes!] When Mike goes to the game and starts chanting "Sue," the volleyball coaches put her in to avoid a lawsuit, even though it is match point. [hahaha!] Well, she winds up getting hit with the ball three times in a row, but they hit her hard enough to go back over the net and eventually win the game. [don't really think that could happen, but good for Sue anyway! her jump meter was cute as well.]

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Axl is behind in his studies and is told to drop three of his (four) classes so he doesn't fail, so he turns to Brick for help. [I'm intrigued that Brick would be able to help... he is seven years younger, after all.] Axl admits that he has been struggling without his parents on his back, and when he winds up dropping drop math and philosophy, he isn't sure how to tell his parents. [are we assuming he kept Spanish, of all things?? also, they could have tried harder to make that look like a University setting.] 

Frankie wears blue nail polish but after the kids tease her, she takes it off. [I thought it was cool.] Later, she has trouble jumping, so she spends some time alone, only to run into a dog in town. [random! but who opens their door to a stray dog??!?] Frankie brings "Colin Firth" home, but she's the only one he likes. [Love Actually has come up three times today... how weird!] When the family tells her to get rid of the dog, Frankie tells them that she doesn't feel loved by her family, but they share their feelings to lift her spirits.

The Goldbergs: Halloween, Driving, Neighbors

I've given up nitpicking the all-over-the-place 80s references, as apparently it's supposed to be a mismatch of stuff. On one hand, the mashups are allowing more nostalgia people care about rather than want to forget, but on the other, I think it might become more difficult to enjoy over the long term. For now, though, I'm going to live in the moment, because I do look forward to this comedy week after week with its eccentric family and their laughable problems. I'm glad that the series has gotten better, and hope that trend continues.

ABC/Danny Feld

The Goldbergs "Who Are You Going to Telephone?" (S01E06): It's Halloween, and Barry and Erica are headed to a party dressed like The Hulk and Jane Goodall, respectively. [Jane Goodall??] The girl Barry is hoping to attract is a model for J. C. Penney, so Beverly is paranoid that he'll be heartbroken. [if she really does believe that her son is "the most delicious," then why is she worried? LoL. She's like an original helicopter parent!] So, she dresses as a ghost and shows up at the party to secretly talk up Barry to the girls. [shut up! are you kidding me?!?] Someone bumps into him and he spills a drink on his crush, then uncovers that his mother is at the party. Erica apologizes, as it's her fault that Beverly even knew about Barry's plans. The two teens head out to another party, and Beverly realizes that she doesn't always have to save the day. [LoL!]

Adam spends four days building a Rubik's Cube costume, but Beverly insists that he wear a reflective vest on the back. [I was always thankful that my mom didn't make us add those sticky reflective strips that the school gave out every year!] Pops prepares matching Ghostbusters costumes, so he's a little saddened when Adam heads off with friends for the first time. Pops is left to hand out candy while the friends Adam meets want to go cause mischief, not go trick-or-treating. [awww. what a let down!] So, he goes with the flow, but when he has to egg his own house, he gets caught. [ha! of course!] Murray makes him clean at first, then lets him go trick-or-treating with Pops, as that's all Adam really wanted out of the holiday anyway. [awww! and haha that Beverly still tagged along.]

The Goldbergs "Call Me When You Get There" (S01E07): It's October 18th. [so, before Halloween, LoL. I will snark at that.] Barry gets his license, and Beverly gives him a lot of rules about driving. When he doesn't call her when he gets places, Beverly checks up on him, even making movie theatre ushers go looking for him in the cinema. [mortifying!] Erica tells him to make up cover stories so that he can go where he wants, but when he goes to a party in the woods, there is no phone nearby. He also doesn't get his cover story straight with the friend he's "using," so he is screwed. [so Barry must be new to lying? is that what I'm getting here?] It takes him an hour to locate a phone, but it isn't working, so Beverly starts calling all over town. Then, she makes Murray go out to look for Barry, forcing him to try avoiding World Series spoilers. [I enjoyed watching Murray try to get around town without hearing the score. the voice-activated VCR gag was humorous, too.] He finds him hiding in a ditch, and "secretly" grounds him for three months, and Erica, too.

In a second storyline, Pops falls and cannot get up, so he calls Adam for help, though does start carrying a Life Alert. [whoa, infomercial flashbacks!]

The Goldbergs "The Kremps" (S01E08): It's November and a new family moves in across the street. Adam is in heaven with a new best friend, Chad, but the family is otherwise very different from the Goldbergs. [cool Tron stuff.] They keep ducking Beverly's BBQ invitation, and when Murray learns that Bev scares Virginia, Bev hunts her down on a power walk and forces her into coming over Saturday. [I like that Murray might have a friend in Charles.] The day of the cookout, it storms, but most of the group has a good time anyway, including Erica, who likes Chad's older brother, Drew. [you know, because 80s kids always had crushes on their neighbors.] Things go south and after Beverly uses the "f-word," the Kremps leave. Chad soon isn't allowed to play with Adam anymore, but Beverly saves her at the grocery store when Virginia buys some bad eclairs, so, problem solved. [seriously?]
 
In a second plot, Barry and Erica fight over the phone. Soon, Barry is grounded for calling 976 numbers. [I guess those are like 900 numbers.] Because Erica ratted out Barry, he tapes her talking about Drew and plays it for Drew and his mother, humiliating Erica.