Hot in Cleveland: More and More Outrageous

Elka is in office, and it doesn't take long before there are multiple issues stemming from it. While the mob situation didn't really surprise me (given what we know of Elka's history), I was a bit shocked that Melanie thought she could get out of a ticket by pretending to be the newly-elected councilperson. I'm sure that a nonagenarian running for office made the local news more than once. Also, quite frankly, I'm willing to bet that a policeman would likely recognize the council people more than the average citizen, and Melanie isn't Victoria, so she should have thought of that. On a different topic, the annual birthday set-up dinner remained amusing, albeit more eyeroll-inducing than ever. And, on a final note, I like the way Melanie's mom thinks! ;)

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Hot in Cleveland "Win Win" (S05E22): Elka can't go to the Oscars with Victoria because they're the same night as her local election, so Joy will accompany Victoria, having won the coin toss with Melanie. [I don't like coin tosses, but at least it wasn't a cut-throat run-off!] But, Victoria has a tough time pretending to be happy if someone else wins, so after she learns that she also has the same gown as Charlize Theron, she decides to stay home in bed and just have a live feed show her if she wins. [it wouldn't show her just being nominated?] But, she gets stung by a bee on her face, then her hair gets caught on fire, and she spills wine on herself. To become presentable, she winds up with a large drawn-on mole, a turban, and a backwards jacket, looking like a straightjacket. Helen Mirren and Victoria both win, Joy pulls off her nurse's outfit to reveal her gown on camera, but there's a nip-slip. [ugh. seriously?!?]

Melanie's had some major photoshopping done on a new ad campaign for her radio show, so she decides to lose some weight to look a little more like the poster. But, her mother shows up, and Melanie begins to feel bad about herself.

Elka has taken to lying to the locals and paying off voters, then causes a huge traffic jam to prevent a whole demographic from reaching the polls. She wins the highly contested race, but has to fire Mamie Sue in the process, though the two make up in the end. [this takes me back to 2008...]

Hot in Cleveland "Don Elka" (S05E23): Elka is getting the royal treatment at the bar, much to Joy's chagrin. However, when Melanie tries to get out of a traffic ticket by using Elka's name, things go amiss. [nothing funny really materialized in this storyline.]

Simon has flown to Cleveland to see Joy, who was planning to break up with him. He gets the scoop when Joy heads to confession and he takes the priest's spot. [ha!] Then, he masquerades as a masseuse to showcase how he used to make her feel. [awkward.] The final step is dressing as a Scottish nanny to lead Joy to think that it would be nice to keep the original family together. [that's so odd!] Simon almost blows it when his breasts are made of popcorn and birdseed, as he gets close enough to the oven that the corn begins popping. [this should have been funny, but it was a bit too much at that point.] 

Victoria's Oscar is supposed to arrive, but she gets a Buddha statue in the mail instead. [and this isn't resolved?? we all know she'd be on the phone like a madwoman...]

Hot in Cleveland "The Bachelors" (S05E24) [Season Finale]: It's the girls' annual birthday celebration, and they have desired dates with whom to be set-up by the others. Elka wants a long-ago Polish beau, Stan, who is now a woman named Olga. Victoria wants a male model from Cleveland magazine who turns out to be growing a nose on his forehead for his brother. [WHOA.] And, doing good has convinced him to grow an ear for someone as well!
Melanie wants a caller who is a rocket scientist, but he brings along his sex surrogate, with whom he's obsessed. 

This leaves Joy with Mitch, who plans to propose but gets scooped by Simon. [so Phoebe on Friends!] Bob then shows up to propose, but they've never even dated. The guys wind up physically fighting over her, and Joy gets knocked out in the scuffle. At the hospital, Elka sees Max, visiting from Florida. [and THAT'S where we're leaving off?? Huge cliffhanger!!] 

Hot in Cleveland: Outdoing Someone

I understand that not every television series plays in real-time, so holiday episodes don't happen because they won't line-up with airdates. But the Oscars coming up when it's Emmys Week in real life is pretty off and messes with my head a bit! Being able to predict what's going to happen also throws me off, as I historically fail at that in other shows and movies. In this instance, one could bet that Melanie and Joy were going to be limitless with how far they would go to one-up the other, and I enjoyed seeing just how intense it all became! I think this episode could have been a little more Elka-focused with the speech-writing task, but oh well. 

Hot in Cleveland "Mystery Date: Oscar Edition" (S05E21): The Oscars are three weeks away, and Victoria wants Elka to write her speech, while the other two girls are wondering who will get to be Victoria's "+1." They take to doing every little thing for their friend, from driving to Chicago for a necklace (Melanie) to going to New York for caviar (Joy). [this made me flash back to the holiday party I went to in 2012 that featured a caviar bar - delicious!] They both commit to volunteering 50 hours to help Victoria when she's sentenced for not maintaining her adopted stretch of highway, even if it sticks Melanie in the morgue and Joy cleaning porta-potties. [those are terrible service opportunities!] The kicker, however, is when Victoria has them undergo some new facial injections, and Joy develops an Adam's apple from the procedure. [that's disturbing!]

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When the LadyPants gown arrives, Victoria decides to leak it to the press so that she won't be able to wear it to the awards. [weird loophole!] Melanie wears it to the local radio awards, and even ruins it by using it to stop a broken water main. [SO. RANDOM.] When the clock is ticking, Melanie decides to sabotage Joy, only it doesn't work. [that robe was particularly unflattering on Melanie.] Then, Victoria decides to just blindly choose, but the girls say she should just take Elka to avoid further competition, which was Elka's plan all along. [saw it coming from the beginning.] 

Hot in Cleveland: Switching Characters

In the 90s, there were serial daters with their own shows. Cheers had Sam, Friends had Joey, Frasier and Seinfeld had their title characters... it was a thing. It brought fresh faces to the sitcoms for a stretch of episodes, and then they were replaced with new ones. Hot in Cleveland has had that, too, but it's getting extreme as well as boring. Revolving boyfriends, extended family members, coworkers, and even neighbors have been appearing on this comedy, and as soon as a viewer might start laughing at someone, they're out the door. As soon as one of the four ladies might start growing because of someone they're frequently with, that process gets shut down. There's something to be said for sticking with the initial premise of a show, but there's also meat behind the idea that change is good.

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Hot in Cleveland "The Italian Job" (S05E20): Melanie gets a new co-host, Frankie, as the show is now designed to have a lot of conflicting viewpoints. [I'm crinkling my nose here.] When she manages to get him dumped by his girlfriend, he decides to stay at the girls' place and offer his advice to them... and they prefer it over Melanie's! [meh. not the most realistic thing ever, and I think Melanie's constantly changing jobs is one of the more sporadic things about this series!]

J.J. wants Victoria to meet his grown children, Jessica, James, and Lisa. Victoria tries her best, but manages to upset each, and then when she reminds J.J. too much of his ex-wife, they decide to take some time apart. [well, that was a quick relationship! It was kinda destined to fail from the start, though.]

Also, Joy and Elka both fail an oral exam, but decide to listen to Frankie and suggestively blackmail the teacher into passing them. It works.

Hot in Cleveland: Elka as Kevin Spacey

You've GOT to be kidding me! This series seems to have given up its original focus, and any chance at originality, for that matter! Live shows, animated episodes, doppelgangers, big serious storylines like cancer, on-location trips, and now a House of Cards-style episode... and that's just in the current season! I think it's either time to get Betty White a new vehicle or find a way to get the comedy series back on track. Or, am I totally off here? Is this the way the program has always been and I've just been too involved to notice?

Hot in Cleveland "Strange Bedfellow" (S05E19): Melanie and Joy help Elka prepare for an upcoming city council debate, and she's acting like Kevin Spacey on House of Cards, breaking the fourth wall to note things to the camera but not the people in the room. [P.S. Elka has now been running for city council (9 episodes to date) longer than Melanie had cancer (7 episodes).] Melanie runs into a guy she used to date, and only after sleeping with him does she learn that he's working for Elka's opponent. [ha!] But, of course, she abuses the situation and feeds him false information. Soon, Elka has the upper hand because she can hold her liquor better than her opponent, who makes a fool of himself when he's so drunk that his debate coach has to feed him lines through an earpiece. [do better research, politicians!]

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Joy is the moderator at the debate, which the opposition agrees to because of how much she argues with Elka. [haha![ When Powell passes out, his aunt takes over... only she isn't informed and agrees more with Elka. [this couldn't have gone worse for the guy!] 

Victoria can't get J.J. alone as he's constantly trying to have tons of other people around on their dates. [that IS weird!] He admits that he's never been intimate with anyone but his wife, but soon they're able to get past that and enjoy themselves.

Hot in Cleveland: In A World of Pure Rejuvication...

It was only earlier this season I was ranting about Hot in Cleveland going to great lengths to utilize any sitcom gimmick possible, and they've done it again with an animated episode that spoofs such classics as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Wizard of Oz. Now, I thought that the caricatures of the girls were amusing (though not as much as the doppelgangers), but this episode added nothing to the overall story, except remind the viewers how long the comedy has been running, and that Elka's life still has many mysteries. I've come to question the renewal for a sixth season (I hadn't even realized this show has been on the air for four years already!), but highly doubt that it will get a seventh.

Hot in Cleveland "Straight Outta Cleveland" (S05E17): Joy is supposed to seduce a guy to catch him in the act, but she feels awkward doing it with Mitch around, so Melanie volunteers. [... because people aren't going to start recognizing her around town from her radio show?] Except, she's not great at being sexy, as she comes off as a couples' counselor more than a "honey trap." [that's a term I've never heard before!] But the entire situation sends Joy and Mitch to preventative therapy, only to learn that they're snoops who don't trust anyone. Still, they decide that's enough and quit counseling.

Victoria's son, Tony, comes to visit. But, because Victoria has always thought of him as gay, he pretends his business partner is his romantic partner to keep her attention. [I wanted to hear more about his company.] Melanie and Elka learn the truth, and encourage him to tell Victoria, only she keeps upping the ante, causing him to fake an engagement when a big wedding comes with matching Porsches! The final straw is when the guys have to kiss in public, so Tony comes clean. [I didn't really care for the end scene between mother and son... they both just admit they pretend the other doesn't exist??]

Hot in Cleveland "The Animated Episode" (S05E18): It's been four years since the girls landed in Cleveland, and they decide that it's high time they see inside Elka's house. Once they enter, everything is animated, the dog talks, and Steven Tyler is inside the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. [yep, off to a wacky start!] Tyler grants them wishes, and rather than the obvious "world peace," Victoria, Melanie, and Joy all want "eternal youth and beauty." [I wouldn't have thought of world peace as a first wish, either.] They're sent to Paris, and after a Madeline spoof, they find golden tickets and visit the chocolate factory, with Elka as Willy Wonka and Mamie Sue as the Oompa Loompas. Of course, the women misbehave, with Joy using the inflatable room to boost her bust and butt, Melanie trading her brains for a thin bod, and Victoria taking so many youth pills she winds up an infant. [haha as breast size options being Belle, Ariel, Jasmine, and Jessica Rabbit.] They're brought back, unhappy.

The second wish is for men to be hungry for them, which only sets them in a world of zombies. Mamie Sue appears, tries to reason with the zombies, and turns into one herself. The ladies use a "tae bo" gun to kill them all, except Mamie Sue, whom they lock up. [why bother with the gun joke?] The girls go to Elka's secret lab and build perfect mates from body parts hanging around, and after a goof where the men fall for one another, Elka has Robert Redford, Joy has David Beckham, Victoria has George Clooney, and Melanie has Abraham Lincoln. [yes, I'm serious.] Three weeks later, the relationships are falling apart, and the men have created a garage band, so the women allow Mamie Sue to eat the guys. [gross.]

The final wish: that LeBron had never left Cleveland. [but Elka wasn't part of the first wish, so doesn't she still have one?] This makes the whole city more confident, but it also means that "better" people have moved there and the girls are no longer the hottest of the hott. [ha!] They go to see LeBron in a Wizard of Oz spoof, and he agrees to leave for Okinawa to solve the problem. ["isn't feeling good about yourself really just feeling better than others??" - love it.] Things immediately go crazy, and, as one might have guessed, the ladies decide to return to their usual lives once more. 

My 2014 Comic-Con TV Panels

In a week, it'll all be over. San Diego Comic-Con (known by many simply as "Comic-Con") begins on Wednesday night at 6pm and runs until Sunday at 5pm. Plans for the convention begin over a year in advance, and the dates for the subsequent event are generally known before the current one ends. Online pre-registration for badges takes hours. Determining your hotel order for the lottery is a lengthy process. But what really takes time and effort is planning how you'll make the most of those four days... from panels to see to booths to visit, from autograph possibilities to sorting through shopping exclusives, from to sifting through film schedules to discerning the best off-site activities, the work involved is great. [flashback to our previous SDCC schedules: 2011, 2012, 2013.] And that's considering you've been before and don't need to learn how to get around San Diego, where to eat, and how the logistics of attending work.

Because of the amount of work involved (note that I haven't even mentioned the hours spent in lines yet), outsiders don't think Comic-Con is worth the hassle and expense. It is a pricey event (for starters, the vast majority of hotel options come in over $180/night), but it's also one of a kind. Repeat attendees share a camaraderie like no other; once you've been initiated into SDCC, you understand. You share a kindred spirit with all who swarm upon the San Diego Convention Center, whether they be comic book collectors, zombie fanatics, wannabe filmmakers, creative cosplayers, or another variety of pop culture junkie. Folks at Comic-Con appreciate the passion everyone has for something, regardless of whether there's overlap in interest, and that's what makes the ambiance of the environment truly special.

All of that said, I've painstakingly narrowed down my selections and made my schedule for how I will spend Comic-Con this year. I still have twelve television panels on my list, but I'm not going to be camping out in Ballroom 20 or 6 BCF all day to maximize my TV program exposure. Why? Because I have other interests, too, and can't wait for my geek-out moments, which inevitably happen (like after the Disney Afternoon panel last year).

So, without further ado, here are the television panels I'm hoping to see, tweet, and report on this year:

Thursday, July 24th
10:30-11:30am: Legends of TV Land (Indigo Ballroom, Hilton Bayfront), featuring Betty White, among others, who will answer questions about making history on television. Plus, a look at the animated episode of Hot in Cleveland.

11:30am - 12:30pm: Dig: A USA Network Event Series (Indigo Ballroom, Hilton Bayfront), an inside look at this fast-paced international thriller, with actors participating via satellite from Israel.

8-9pm: Psychology of Cult TV Shows (Room 23ABC), will feature several scholars and scientists and examine the cult followings of shows like Doctor Who, Firefly, and Buffy. As someone who has studied Rocky Horror cult fanatics, I'm especially interested in the scholars.

Friday, July 25th
11:30am-12:30pm: iZombie Pilot Screening and Q&A (Room6BCF), for the new CW series that will premiere midseason.

1:30-2:30pm: The Chair: One Script, Two Visions, One Winner (Marriott Hall 2), for the new Starz series. Both directors and the creator will be there, and scenes from the movies and the series will be shown. I've already written a little about this show, and look forward to more.

4:30-5:30pm: Falling Skies: Season 4 Panel (Room 6BCF), for what may very well be the final panel for this post-apocalyptic television show. I've seen the three before this one (2011, 2012, 2013), and while they're not groundbreaking and tend to show you a clip from the very next episode, they're a goof time.

5:30-6:30pm: Roar Comics: Saved by the Bell, Punky Brewster, and More (Room 8), because I love that some of my favorite characters are in serialized narrative format. Some announcements are also promised, so perhaps more television shows are going that way?

7-8pm: The Unexplained Files (Room 7AB), from Science Channel, will be taking a deeper look at stuff you can't believe. It's as simple as that, but still truly fascinating, plus there will be scholars, eye witnesses, and prizes.

Saturday, July 26th:
10-11am: Why Not Serious? Comedy vs. Drama in Animation (Room 9), caught my eye because I hadn't thought about how little action and adventure is in cartoons. I grew up with Danger Mouse, and The Awesomes is around, but the big 80s/90s X-Men, Batman, and the like aren't really there anymore, so I am interested in the theories as to why not.

5-6pm: The Digital Revolution: The Convergence of Television and the Internet (Indigo Ballroom, Hilton Bayfront), will hopefully offer more information than I've already been learning lately about how ratings are changing and people are "cord-cutting."

8-11pm: Warner Bros. Television and DC Entertainment: The Flash, Constantine, Arrow, and the World Premiere of Gotham (Hall H) may be too tough to get into, as the Gotham pilot is very highly anticipated, plus a full viewing of The Flash will also entice people, but I'm game to try.

Sunday, July 27th:
10:15-11:15am Sesame Street & Pop Culture: 45 Years of Spoofs on the 'Street' (Room 6A) is near and dear to by heart. Two new parodies (on Comic-Con and Star Wars, no less!), plus looking at how popular culture has influenced the iconic show, with muppeteers on the panel.

Yeah, you probably noticed that there are quite a few gaps in this schedule... so what else am I planning on seeing, panel-wise? Well, Thursday features a Hanna-Barbera offering I don't want to miss, plus a Goonies discussion, and a look at retro 90s stuff. Friday and Saturday I'll hit a little of the Film Festival for a little bit of old-time Disney magic, plus take in a few how-to sessions about writing television shows. And Sunday I'm back at my old scholarly ways with an anthropological study panel, plus the making of the LEGO movie. Keep checking back as we report on the many distinct facets that make up Comic-Con!

Hot in Cleveland: Paying for Relationships

The whole "Elka for Councilwoman" idea is plodding along, and this time she's trying to raise money for her campaign through an auction of small items and gift baskets. She also auctions off dates with the girls, which they hadn't agreed to donating. The move was typical for Elka, though bothersome for many. It also made Joy and Victoria's newest relationships move lightning-quick, which I wasn't happy to see. Yes, Joy and Mitch have been moving slowly (especially for her) over the past five or six episodes, but now there's a lot of pressure for the couple to succeed, given than he paid top-dollar for no reason. On the contrary, Victoria just met J.J., the writer of her new project, but as her attempts at dating "the common man" haven't gone swimmingly in the past, I'm not sure how many people really want to see yet another disaster in the making...

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Hot in Cleveland "Auction Heroes" (S05E16): Victoria accidentally insults the screenwriter of her new project, then discovers that she must be able to play piano for the part. She promises to learn, but still hopes to get out of the requirement. [typical.]

Joy wants to tell Mitch the truth, but when she meets his dating consultant (unaware of the man's occupation), he hits on her and then tricks her into a date by saying he'll reveal Mitch's turn-ons. [she cut her pants at the restaurant?!?] Mitch gets jealous, and the consultant sabotages them from both ends, giving them turn-offs which make for an awkward meal together. Fortunately, Mitch realizes he's being played, and although it takes a bidding war, he takes Joy for a date. [too bad it cost him $10,000!] The prices of the other girls (auctioned first) were Melanie for $1,000 and Victoria for $5,000 (courtesy of her screenwriter). 

Hot in Cleveland: Seeing Yourself

I don't think I had heard the term "doppelganger" until How I Met Your Mother made a big point of the gang all finding theirs, but it's become a regular word in my vocabulary now, and I enjoy seeing it played out both in reality and in the media. While it was humorous to see Elka write and stage a play with amusing look-alikes of the girls, I think this episode rather solidified why Hot in Cleveland is on TVLand. Concepts like this are dated on sitcoms, with similar antics being popular in the late 90s, which is now quite a while ago. The number appear steady, but I have to wonder if this means the series's days are now limited. Thoughts?

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Hot in Cleveland "Playmates" (S05E15): The girls learn Elka has written a play, Devil's Due, but when they head to see it, they're shocked to learn they're the focus... and written in caricature! [are there cities doing promotions like that on coffee sleeves?] They speak with Elka at intermission, and when she's not willing to change anything, they decide to approach the actors to amend their performances. Melanie's doppelganger doesn't like the character, Victoria's takes the job too seriously, and Joy falls for hers. [I thought this was all hilarious!] So, the girls themselves decide to change themselves - Victoria to be less conceited, Melanie to have more of a backbone, and Joy to be less of a nightmare in relationships.

But, that doesn't turn out to be the best idea! When Melanie confronts an employee about getting her coffee order wrong, he gets fired, his boss has a heart attack, and a chain of terrible things happen in the establishment, causing her to realize she likes being herself better. [this was a bit over-the-top, though!] Similarly, she goes back to being the way she is. Similarly, Victoria decides to choose her next project based solely on the story... until she learns her favorite is a student film! [ha!]

The girls decide to go see the second act of the show, and learn that Elka is glad they're in her life. [kinda sappy ending, no?]

Hot in Cleveland: Political Elka and Oscar-Nom'd Victoria

Not to be ageist, but is someone in their nineties really the best candidate for city council? The publicity stunt was a bit over-the-top and would probably have caused me to vote against the woman. Though, I have to say from the season I spent in politics that the slightest gimmick really makes a difference and both wins over and alienates people. It's been an interesting ongoing arc for the characters, but I would be surprised if the choice was made to stick with it and have Elka win, as that could weight the show heavily with political material. Of course, this series could also completely ignore it, as we really only see Melanie's professional life when she's getting hired or ending a job, and Joy's undercover work pops up so randomly that it's laughable. Still...

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Hot in Cleveland "Undercover Lovers" (S05E11): Joy and Bob work undercover as lovers to chase some identity thieves. Joy plays Natasha, a Russian mail-order bride, who is honeymooning in Cleveland. [just shake your head now!] They rent the room next to the thieves, and Bob downloads some information onto a drive to convict them. However, Joy falls for Bob, but it turns out that he was attracted to the allure of Joy, not Joy herself, so he takes off to move back to Canada. [what a random way to write-off a character!]

Melanie needs to do a publicity stunt for her new job, so she's going to do a 24-hour show. She also needs to sound more folksy, so she tries a little Southern accent, which only lasts until Joy calls.

A councilman is trying to close the dog parks in Cleveland, so Victoria decides to run for office and save the dogparks in an attempt to increase her chances at an Oscar nomination. [does anyone else find all of this ill-timed? I mean, the Emmy nominations are around the corner, not the Academy Award noms!] However, when the councilman turns out to be a black man in a wheelchair, Victoria drops out and Elka steps up. [strange twist.]

Hot in Cleveland "I Just Met the Man I'm Going to Marry" (S05E12): Joy meets Mitch, her new boss, and instantly feels like she'll marry him. [wow!] He doesn't care for her accent, as it reminds him of his ex-wife, so Joy's dream is off to a slow start. It's even worse when he is immediately taken with Melanie, so when she hears a message Joy left for herself about her own feelings for Mitch, Joy must pretend she's interested in Elka's campaign manager instead. [I'm surprised that Melanie bought that!]

Victoria is invited to help announce the The Academy Award Nominations, so everyone flies to Los Angeles to support her through the experience if she isn't nominated. [sure, why not?] On the plane, she sits next to an accountant who handles the ballots, so she tries to get into his briefcase, only to get caught, severely damage her hair, and get the group booted from the plane. [like, there was an emergency landing and everything?] During the announcement, Victoria wears a wig and is drugged up, but gets nominated. Unfortunately, she learns that she has a contractual obligation to wear a Mrs. LadyPants gown to the Oscars. [if it's not one thing, it's another! also, I love how that brand just keeps working its way into this show!]

Jim, the councilman against dog parks, airs an ad that depicts Elka as a lesbian convict with mob ties. [ha!] Nate, her campaign manager, wonders if Victoria can get Elka a celebrity endorsement. Instead, they rig it so Victoria's dress lights up with a vote Elka message when the power goes out.

Hot in Cleveland "People Feeding People" (S05E13): Melanie dumps Mitch after the third date, so Joy comes clean about being attracted to him. [where did the broken toe thing come from??] He's crushed, so Joy tries to pounce on his vulnerability, but she can't get him to be interested in her romantically. [this is like high school.]

Victoria is trying to become the face of a major charity to help her Oscar bid, so she calls UNICEF,  but they went with someone else. [haha, "unicorn" !! and odd top on Joy with the open shoulders.] Melanie goes out with a guy to get Elka an endorsement and Victoria a spot as a spokesperson, but must suffer through the man's stories of how he survived a plane crash by becoming a cannibal. [wow... I was not expecting this series to go there.] The other girls use that as blackmail to get what they want.  

Hot in Cleveland "Murder House" (S05E14): Melanie's HS BFF, Rachel, is visiting, and there's a major storm brewing. The house is allegedly haunted, so Elka is paranoid that something horrible will happen. [eh. I'm skeptical of houses that become haunted out of nowhere. That could/should have been introduced long ago.] Joy's mother arrives unexpectedly with her fiance, as their plane had to make an emergency landing. [how common is that, really? The show began on that premise, it seemed to have just happened as with the Oscar nominations, and now again??] Decades ago, Joy slept with the man, which poses even more awkward moments with her mother than usual.

Victoria returns from a relaxing beach vacation with beads in her hair and a steel drum player by her side. [what? she left on a whim and nobody tagged along? also, this episode is airing out of order.] It only takes a gossip rag to kick her back to her normal ways of thinking, and as she's about to drive the musician to the airport, they learn that all of the roads are closed because of the storm. The power goes out, so the Island guy performs a seance to calm down everyone. Melanie's friend talks of staying in Cleveland, and Daniel remembers Joy, but before you know it, we're back to the status quo. [which is sometimes tough to do with this program!] 

Hot in Cleveland: Gimmicks Like Dogs and Trips

Hot in Cleveland is a comedy, no doubt about that. However, sometimes it seems to take some significant lengths to accomplish that, and many scenes feel forced. Not only does it make certain to keep even the most serious of storylines lighthearted and short, give the girls constant job and relationship changes to keep things interesting, and make additional characters (Mamie Sue, Wilbur, Emmet, etc.) come and go as they please, it's also using animals and unbelievable trips to get laughs. Now, the cruise a few years ago was funny, but as there were no exterior scenes in this New York trip, no mentions of jet lag or travel issues, and hardly a mention of any landmarks outside Radio City, it was hard to believe that the girls were anywhere different but a new set. Try harder, guys.

Hot in Cleveland "Bad George Clooney" (S05E09): The dog seems depressed, so the girls ask a radio personality to come chat with it, only to learn that the dog is picking up on the girls' negativity. [yet another reason not to have a dog.]

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Melanie and Victoria have had sad recent events in their lives, and Joy and Elka are constantly sniping at one another. So, everyone tries to fix their problems... Melanie decides to become a bartender, because her life had purpose when she gave advice to her kids. [how incredibly random!] Joy and Elka take to telling one another the opposite of what they're thinking, so their interactions are positive. Victoria tries going out with a "regular guy" at the bar, who turns out to be their married neighbor. [why bring in more ridiculous drama?]

But, none of these answers are working out, and the girl lie when they have their follow-up with the pet whisperer on the radio. So, when the host says that the dog reported improvement, they call her out and she winds up quitting, admitting that she can't talk to animals. [ha!] Because Melanie encouraged her to go do what she really wants, calls start coming in for Melanie, and she's soon offered her own slot at the station... and Victoria agrees to a date with another Average Joe - Melanie's new board operator. Plus, they're able to figure out what was wrong with George Clooney - he just wanted a canine companion.

In a random side story, the neighbor comes over, claiming that the girls' dog got into her house and chewed the cord on her Crockpot. [this was really just to remind the audience who the girls' neighbors were.]

Hot in Cleveland "Bucket: We're Going to New York" (S05E10): Melanie and Elka go to a nude beach, as Melanie wants to check things off her bucket list. This gets the girls chatting about other things they want to do, and Victoria thinks about apologizing to an old roommate, Maddie, about a big audition callback she never told her about. [how malicious!] And, when she thinks the truth might win her some Oscar karma points, she sets up a trip to New York to stay in the woman's apartment and then leave a message with the truth. [seriously??] The girls tag along to fulfill some of their own desires... Elka wants to sell Polish polish that smells like pot, Melanie wants to eat and shop, and Joy wants to re-audition for the Rockettes.

When the group gets to New York, they find out that Maddie isn't actually on a cruise like she's supposed to be, having been dumped. [that sucks.] Maddie and Victoria decide to throw a party for a retiring professor, and plan to perform a scene from a four-hour play they wrote and now may want to stage. [it sounds awful!] Elka and Joy strike out in their ventures, but when they hear investors are going to the party, including one who owns Radio City Music Hall, they perk up. [ha!] Meanwhile, Melanie enjoys some knishes, then gets frisky with a stranger in the elevator.

At the party, things go south as Melanie learns she slept with Maddie's ex-boyfriend, Elka ruins Maddie's Tony award with her polish, and the guy who got Maddie the audition that Victoria didn't tell her about shows up. The secret gets out, and it turns out that Maddie did that same thing to Victoria, so all is well. [but the Tony is still ruined...?]

Hot in Cleveland: The Silver Lining

Milking someone else's bad fortune for your own gain... yep, sounds like something the girls on Hot in Cleveland would do! I'm really curious as to how it was decided that Elka would only play into Victoria's plot, though, rather than have her own ways of turning Melanie's tumor into something for her own good. But, back at the bigger issue... the tumor only lasts 7 episodes?? The woman was diagnosed in the second episode of the season, doesn't pick a doctor until the end of the third, and only even mentions going to regular appointments in the seventh! I know this isn't a drama, but the fact that there is no longer a sign of a tumor that *wasn't* caught in its early stages seems a little cheap. If the story didn't poll well, at least let it fade into the background and be a passing mention for a while... or make it clear that it's months later or something!

Hot in Cleveland "Brokeback Elka" (S05E08): Victoria uses Melanie's tumor to make her fans think she's caring, and she winds up spending her evenings chatting online with a fan in Wyoming... who turns out to be Elka, catfishing. [called it, but probably only because of Elka's twitter foreshadowing.] Joy and Melanie encourage Elka to come clean, and she does, albeit by revealing she knew about conversations not made public.

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Joy uses Melanie's tumor to get a date with a guy who turns out to be a radio DJ who makes her out to be crazy on the air. When she confronts him, he uses soundbites from the conversation to prolong Joy's humiliation. [haha, I was thinking of the episode of Frasier where this is constantly happening to the title character!]

Melanie realizes that she can milk her brain tumor for stuff like free food and concert tickets, but she's soon cured and feels bad about some backstage passes coming her way. [she probably shouldn't have exaggerated in her letter.] When the artist delivers the tickets in person, Melanie sticks it out... until the musician goes on the DJ's radio show, and Joy calls in the middle to disclose that a tumor pick-up line started the whole thing. [I'm now wondering whether I'd milk something like this... and for what purpose...]

RETURNING: Hot in Cleveland: The Girls' Busy Lives

It seems weird to me that this sitcom has already aired 87 episodes... I feel like it only premiered a year and a half ago (the pilot debuted 4 years ago next month!), when in reality they're already doing a second live show, and really getting into tougher topics like cancer while maintaining the light and snobby humor that is unique to this series. Don't know what I mean? Take a look at this:

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Can you think of another comedy airing these days telling joked like that? While the overall appeal for the program is dwindling for me (faked deaths, long-lost relatives, and revolving recurring characters aren't my thing), I have to seriously wonder how much longer Betty White can keep going... and if the show will move on without her if it comes to it. Her mobility seems to be getting worse, judging by the staging we're seeing in the first batch of episodes this season, and as much as I adore her, her comedic timing also seems a tad off... it still works for her, but will it bother audiences?

Hot in Cleveland "Stayin' Alive" (S05E01): [Be aware that this is a live episode that chronologically doesn't fit the ongoing stories. and, for some reason, Alex Trebek is popping in and out...] The group heads out to one of Elka's old hideouts, but there are already two criminals on the run there with Mamie - Mr. & Mrs. Robinson. [see the mics at the top of the screen here and there?] Lily grabs all the phones, and the felons announce that they'll be there for a while - a plastic surgeon is coming to alter Chester's appearance. [yeah, I'm shaking my head on this one!] The surgeon is obsessed with Victoria... from her Ladypants commercials! A marriage counselor also shows up, to keep a standing appointment with the troubled couple. [jaw drop on the Rue McClanahan joke! also, LOVED how everyone was trying to convey to the counselor that they're in danger, and Mamie didn't understand how to grow the conversation.] Joy tries to go out the kitchen window while Mamie and Elka make smoke signals with the fireplace, and Victoria winds up at gunpoint when she admits that she's not going to be making more LadyPants commercials. [yeah, this all got a bit ridiculous...] The smoke leads a boy scout their way, but at least Park Ranger Trebek also sees them and comes to save the day. [his puns got to be too much, though.]

Hot in Cleveland "Surprise!" (S05E02): Back to the storyline, the episode uses a polygraph to get viewers caught up on the lives of Victoria, Melanie, and Joy. When Melanie finally tells Alec about her pregnancy, it winds up being in a room full of his friends due to a surprise party. [omg that's awful!] He wants to be supportive, as does his new girlfriend, but it turns out that Melanie actually has a pituitary tumor masking itself as a pregnancy. [I totally didn't know that could happen!] She'll be going through radiation treatment and potentially surgery, and Alec offers to stand by her, though she says she's got her own support group. 

The girls are also trying to track down Emmet using the pair of rare and expensive heels that he was wearing. [he broke out of prison and wore Victoria's clothes to get away.] They wind up tracing him to a community theater in Newark, and Victoria tries to get more information out of an FBI agent by flattering him, though he sees through her. Emmet sends a note inside the shoes, which Melanie buys over eBay. [meh.]

Hot in Cleveland "Dr. Who?" (S05E03): Wilbur has been wait-listed for an exclusive preschool, and he's also entering beauty pageants, courtesy of Victoria. When a slot becomes available and the interview is scheduled, the whole family is supposed to take part, despite the fact that Joy's son will have to rush from the airport to sit in a meeting with the father he's never met, who just arrived. [yep, it's about as awkward as it sounds!] The dynamics in the room are off, and when Wilbur arrives, he's dressed as a prince, so that doesn't really help matters. Victoria stays, playing the kid's aunt, and Joy winds up admitting the truth, which boots them from the school. The truth about Owen meeting Joy comes out to Simon as well. 

Elka goes with Melanie to find a doctor, as she's looking for someone ugly, because that must mean he only dated a little and focused on his studies during medical school. [haha, nice logic!] Ten doctors later, Melanie is obsessed with trying to get a doctor who isn't taking on new patients... so she joins J-date to try meeting him, but that immediately fails. [her Jewish act was amusing, though!] 

Hot in Cleveland "The Undead" (S05E04): Victoria learns that Emmet died in a plane crash, but he actually faked his death and hopes Victoria will do the same so they can live happily ever after in the mountains of another country. [seriously??] She immediately feels she must do it, though her friends disagree. [well, yeah!] Melanie handles the press, but Simon thinks he could become famous by releasing the truth, so Joy threatens to end the relationship if he does. Victoria's children can't make the memorial service, but Victoria sits among the mourners to see what people are saying. [eh, we've seen this before.] Susan Lucci says rude things, steals Victoria's Emmy award, and shocks her longtime rival. [Lucci's speech wouldn't work if the body wasn't found!] Victoria decides that she can't leave, but that's an easy fix because both the press and the service were fake-faked! [I think this was WAY over-the-top!] The whole situation forces Simon to decide to stop working in the tabloids and become a documentarian. [that'll take him away again!]

Hot in Cleveland "Elka Takes a Lover" (S05E05): The girls talk about who they are bringing to the Cleveland Rhapsody Premiere. Joy tries to text a model, Stone, but she winds up texting Melanie's dentist, so now she's stuck with him. [a chronic status updater? am I just too young for the demographic this show is going for?] Joy's hopeful date winds up to be Bob, who has brought his parents (deaf Canadians) to meet her. [what kind of shenanigan are they going for here?] Elka has taken a younger man, Luke, as a lover. Emmy arrives as Victoria's guest, and she's eight months pregnant AND married. [she couldn't make it to her mother's funeral in the previous episode, though?] The father is a teacher, which confuses Victoria, as she's used to actresses getting pregnant by directors or co-stars. [haha.] Emmy plans to name her baby Melon, and quit her series to raise the child. Victoria becomes more and more estranged, but when Emmy goes into labor on the way to the Premiere, Bob delivers the baby in the limo, and Victoria goes to the hospital with Emmy over attending the Premiere. [I bet the audience is supposed to go "awwww!" here, but not me. I was like, "seriously? another kid on this show??] 

Hot in Cleveland "Rusty Banks Rides Again" (S05E06): Victoria has each of her friends track down an Oscar voter who lives in the Cleveland area, with varying results. Elka's charge was a child actor who doesn't vote anymore because he doesn't act anymore. [yay, John Mahoney is back! and I'm laughing that he's an actor who became a waiter instead of the other way around!] Victoria offers to bankroll a dream movie for the guy, hoping to sway him into voting (for her). Joy's is a young lady in therapy who hardly speaks, so it's difficult to persuade her. Victoria infiltrates the situation to get the girl to give up acting and withdraw from being a nominee. [a bit too far, no?] Melanie was obsessed with hers as a teen and winds up being issued a restraining order to keep away from the man. 

Hot in Cleveland "The One With George Clooney" (S05E07): Joy has a relationship end, Victoria is forgetting things, and Melanie is going crazy with all of her doctor's appointments, so the girls decide to adopt a dog. An inspector comes by to see if they're "dog-ready," and the girls don't know how to answer most of his questions. [kinda funny.] He then hits on Melanie, Victoria, and Joy individually, playing to their weaknesses. After sleeping with each, he hits them up for money "for the animal shelter," and it's only hours before the girls realize they've been duped. He stole the shelter's database, but tries to get them to let him go by saying that they've probably all paid more for things that meant less. [what a con artist!] He gets arrested, the girls identify him, and a dog named George Clooney joins the household. [what, exactly, is this going to add to the show?]

Elsewhere, Elka and Mamie Sue learn that they're both dating Rusty, and the age-old conversation about sharing him happens before they decide to make him choose. [jigsaw puzzle innuendo.]  However, he's a mama's boy and wants her to pick for him, leaving the ladies to both leave him.  

Happy 5th Birthday!

Today marks five years of posts on this site. Way back on this date in 2008, I was watching a Cheers rerun while surfing Monster.com, Craigslist, and the like for a job. I was a few months out of grad school and a few weeks from landing a job as a researcher. A lot has changed over the past half-decade, and we went from 89 posts in the first year to closing in on 1900 over the past four years. Not every article you read is from me anymore, as we have three other writers with various specialties - and our cartoon guy has recently returned!

I remember a lot of firsts. I remember the first time over 100 people hit in a single day. I remember when I had a solid month of 100+ hits every day. I remember the first time I got 1,000 hits in a day. I remember the first time I had 30 people on the site at the same time. I remember the first time someone sent me a link to something where TheTalkingBox was quoted. I remember the first time a publicist reached out and offered me exclusives in exchange for publicity. I remember my first screeners. I remember the first time someone else in "the biz" contacted me about growing the site. I remember the first month we had a hit from every state in the US.

We've had 600+ posts that aren't recaps and remarks, and a few make the list of Our Ten Most Popular Posts of All Time, though most of those slots belong to the articles folks search for to find out what happened and what we thought about various episodes. Let's take a quick look at the posts in that list...

Deal or No Deal
Who's Who on Season Three of Cake Boss' The Next Great Baker 
Giveaway: Hunger Games Poster! 
Futurama: October, Germany, and Neanderthals
New Competitions: Bridalplasty & The Next Great Baker
Hot in Cleveland: Meet Joy's Grandson 
Next Great Baker: Final Predictions
Favorite Episodes: Roseanne
NEW SHOW: Abby & Brittany
Cake Boss: Car Cake for Danica Patrick

The biggest surprise? Half of those posts are about shows on TLC, a network that covers a very wide variety of programming, with dozens of shows we never cover.

When I started, I didn't think about where this site would be in five years. Now, it's still tough to imagine what might change between now and 2018, but we hope to be here and doing even more!

Rather than list more accolades and milestones, I'll just throw out another THANK YOU, especially to the readers who never come to the site but read loyally over various means (like Google Currents!), and hope that you choose to celebrate our birthday by passing on a favorite article to a friend.

Hot in Cleveland: Two Reunions, Group Birthday, and a Wedding

The group birthday episodes on Hot in Cleveland are some of the series' best. While they easily become over-the-top and unbelievable, they remain hilarious and the characters respond to the situations well. Throwing in a couple of reunions and a wedding definitely made for a memorable end to the fourth season. The birthday celebration and Elka's/Betty's reunion with the old friends will soon fade, but Joy being reunited with the man who made her a teen mother, and the fallout from Victoria and Emmet's wedding will certainly influence the upcoming season.

Speaking of which, I don't know how I feel about the direction this show is taking... It was originally the four girls, but this season has really seen an increase in Mamie episodes, as well as Emmet and Wilbur. Is more characters a positive thing for this series? With Joy's babydaddy sticking around for a while, it seems as if the writers just don't have material to fuel a small cast, but that seems doubtful, given the talent. We'll have to wait a while to see how next season will go...

Hot in Cleveland "Love is All Around" (S04E23): It's group birthday time again, and the girls talk about the guys they want to date. Elka really just wants to reunite her old bowling team, as the five ladies packed quite a punch and turned heads fifty years ago. Mamie is an easy find, but tracking down Diane, Angie, and Peg takes more work. [that was a lot of set-up for "she made it after all."] It doesn't take much to get the group arguing again, and when they try to be nice, they have nothing to say to one another. [haha! While I can't say I've watched more than a couple episodes of Mary Tyler Moore, I can respect the great deal of effort that went into this reunion, as a few of the ladies have severe health concerns. On that note, if you're also a stranger to the hit, the cat in the window is an homage to a cat meowing at the end of the credits for that series. Oh, and you might recall that Mary Tyler Moore was on Hot in Cleveland once before, as Elka's cellmate when she was arrested for all of the stolen property.]

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The other ladies have issues of their own with their "dream dates." Joy's poetry professor prefers Elka, Victoria's industry date has webbed hands, and Melanie's plastic surgeon points out more flaws than she realized. [her fault for asking! and what was with Joy's dress? white strips down the back?]

Hot in Cleveland "The Man that Got Away" (S04E24) [Season Finale]: Victoria goes to the prison to see the holding cell where she'll be getting married, as the outdoor wedding is off when the warden changes. [haha, bribes! what was the point in having Victoria have hideous hair for a split second?] They can also only have three guests and an officiant, not 150, so Victoria gets creative and has someone from UK People become ordained and wear a hidden camera. However, he turns out to be Joy's long-lost babydaddy. [really? we just had a small-world episode!] Joy asks him why he never contacted her in 30 years, and he admits to being a coward. [yeah, I'll say!] He wants to meet Owen and Wilbur, but they're out of town, so he'll be sticking around a while.

After the wedding, Emmet finds out that he may be facing more prison time because of additional charges, and asks Victoria for an annulment so she an live her life. [ten additional years??!?] The next morning, however, Emmet has gone missing. [he ran away? I don't get why he would have done that.]

The season ends with Melanie getting a call that she is pregnant. [remember when I called this?!?]

Hot in Cleveland: Making a Hospital into Las Vegas

Maybe I'm more selfish than the average person (or just love travel too much), but whenever there's an injury or illness on television, everyone involved cancels a trip. I could understand if it was serious, but most of the time (like in Victoria's case), it's not. The rest of the group could have gone on to Vegas as planned, and maybe Melanie could wait a day and leave later with Victoria. Instead, everyone loses out on whatever time and expenses they put forth for the vacation, and I just can't wrap my head around that. However, it makes sense that it would be the only way to get Victoria to stop and think about her many failed marriages and what she might have done to cause their demise. Melanie and Joy's scenario had about two funny jokes, but at least Mamie and Elka were living hilariously large!

Next week will be the season finale with two episodes!  

Hot in Cleveland "All My Exes" (S04E22): The girls are planning to head to Las Vegas for Victoria's bachelorette party, but after a tumble down the stairs and being hit in the head with a door, Victoria winds up in the hospital for a mild concussion. [haha, Joy as the loosest slot in Vegas.] Waiting to be discharged, Victoria starts wondering if her seventh marriage will the charm, and decides to ask her exes about what went wrong so it doesn't happen again. [haha at forgetting her marriage to Joy.] Some of the guys harbor a lot of anger, and one is actually already at the hospital, as he's a doctor. [funny about Victoria thinking he immediately jetted there for her!] He tells her that he never felt needed, and because he's her second ex-husband to tell her that, she to the prison to end her engagement. Melanie and Joy go to stop her, but she realizes that she needs Emmet, so all is well. [plus, the guard wouldn't let him in to see her fiance.]

While Victoria spends the day learning about her relationship problems, Melanie and Joy find a man who has been in a 25-year-long coma and start flirting with him. They accidentally unplug him, and when they plug him back in, he awakens. [ha! no way.] He insults both girls, finding them annoying old ladies. [haha, he doesn't know what a text is.] Meanwhile, Mamie and Elka decide to get the royal treatment at the hospital: smoothies, robes, massages, and sponge baths.

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Hot in Cleveland: Melanie is Engaged to a Dead Guy?

After Melanie ended things with Alec, she must have immediately given up on the gynecologist and jumped on this Harry fellow if they've been dating for a few weeks and he believed it was serious enough to propose! However, what was more disturbing was the number of gags stuffed into this episode. Elka and Mamie working up some jokes for the roast of a 100-year-old man was a nice premise, but it fell flat when they got kicked out of the event for their material being "too raunchy." Was the main joke supposed to be Elka pouring back vodka? Mamie continuing to work on getting the format of the jokes correctly was funny and all, and I love her character hanging around, but it just didn't seem to fit.

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Maybe it would have ben better if Melanie had been able to work in a couple of the jokes into her eulogy? Or if the ladies had some sort of mishap at the wake with Harry's family? Or maybe they could have worked on Victoria's situation, leading to a stranger moment for Melanie?

Hot in Cleveland "Corpse Bride" (S04E21): Melanie is trying to dump Harry, but when she gets to his place, she finds him dead. [shocker!] The girls come over and notice a ring box. Melanie ties on the three-carat diamond, but when a cousin of Harry's sees it, she must pretend that she's engaged. [awkward!] The family talks so much that she keeps zoning out, leading to her unknowingly agreeing to host the wake and deliver the eulogy. She has no idea what to say, but fortunately for her, she is able to use a letter that Joy wrote to her dead father. [too sitcom=y to be real, but okay.] See, Joy's mother has been calling because Joy's recently deceased father left her a portrait of her as a child, but Joy has had a lot of issues dealing with the fact that he left when she was young. [not a pretty painting, either.] It's a stroke of luck that she wrote the letter, at the suggestion of Harry's psychiatrist, whom Joy used to see before she fell for him. [was he one of those when she was in the market for a therapist? I don't remember. Her issues with struggling to see him as a boyfriend rather than a therapist were odd, though.] And, the only reason that Melanie has time to even learn about this letter is because Victoria short-circuits during the wake. See, she was wearing an electronic device used to tighten your abs, but it gets stuck on the highest setting and she can't get it off. [I refuse to believe the just didn't take a pair of scissors to it and call it a day. especially after she talked to customer service!]

Hot in Cleveland: A Joke Too Far

Sometimes, a sitcom takes a funny episode too far and ruins the experience. This happened several times with Frasier, for instance, and the hilarity of the first twenty minutes was ruined by an over-the-top gag in the final two. "Cleveland Indians" was this type of episode, with Joy putting on a charade for her (grand)son's potential pediatrician, whose closeted son is in love with Victoria's wedding planner. Add in Elka as Joy's British grandmother, and there is comedic gold in the world. Keep going and make the caterer the doctor's long-lost son from halfway around the world, and you have unbelievable garbage. It's too bad, as the previous episode ("Look Who's Hot Now") did absolutely nothing for the series, acting as a collage of gags, goofs, guest stars, and a series summary, existing mainly to plug Kirstie Alley's new TVLand show. Let's hope stronger installments are coming.

Hot in Cleveland "Cleveland Indians" (S04E20): Joy wants to find a new pediatrician for Wilbur, but the best one isn't taking new clients unless they're Indian. [is that illegal?] So, Joy pretends to be Indian, and does such a good job that the doctor wants to set up her son with Joy. [The doctor has a 40-year-old son? if she gave birth as soon as she finished medical school, she'd be like 65...] Joy invites them both over for dinner (pretending that she made an authentic Indian dinner when she really hired a caterer), and when Victoria's wedding planner hears about it, he demands to be invited or he won't help with the prison nuptials. He claims to want to break into the Indian wedding circuit, but in reality he's been seeing the doctor's son, Ravi, for two years. [before that became obvious, however, it was cute to see Joy and Ravi flirt.]

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Elka returns home after a disappointing callback for The Importance of Being Earnest and winds up posing as Joy's British mother. [that was a nice touch that I didn't see coming!] Except, she gets insanely jealous upon learning that the part went to the doctor, and winds up exposing everything. Things start looking up again, however, when the caterer turns out to be the son that the doctor put up for adoption years ago. [okay, if the caterer was born right after the doctor finished her studies, and she hadn't even met Ravi's father yet, this puts the doctor around 70!]

Hot in Cleveland: Selfless Victoria, Bye to Alec, Emmet Gets a Year

note: some Recaps and Remarks are going up later than usual due to Comic-Con and TCA.

Can we talk about how Joy's son wasn't really present for Wilbur's first birthday? It was one heck of a party, but without the birthday child's parents present, it was a bit odd. And the last thing I was expecting to hear was that Melanie and Alec were considering parenthood! Of course, when she promptly rushes off the the gyno in the next episode, I was fully expecting her to be surprisingly pregnant, but I guess that was taking the joke a little too far. But that's good... I don't think this series needs a full-time baby for whom to care. I forget about Wilbur enough as it is. Plus, more characters just takes time away from Betty White, and we all know that she's the star of this "ensemble" comedy...

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Also, in case you were wondering, the ladies' home is apparently found at 68 Cedar Cliff Road. That address is not actually in Cleveland, but does appear in Dayton, Ohio, 200 miles away.  

Hot in Cleveland "Pony Up" (S04E16): Victoria is grieving, so the girls encourage her to do something good for someone. She gets involved in supporting kidney donation but winds up having to agree to get tested to donate, and she's a match for a little girl. She tries to get out of it, and she lucks out when the hospital finds a better match. [I laughed pretty hard at the idea that she'd steal a kidney to give to this kid.] However, when the little girl comes to thank Victoria for doing the program that found her match, Victoria winds up being a superior match after all and undergoes the procedure. [as nice as it was to see Victoria being selfless for once, it was also unbelievable. plus, I would have allocated the timeline a little differently to see more of Victoria at the hospital.]

Joy has her first case, and she's supposed to see if she can get a cheater to kiss her. She runs into Sean, the Brony, and they rekindle their relationship. [if we're going to bring back old characters, how about John Mahoney as a waiter?] Her boss invites himself along for dinner, and the guys bond. When Joy can't get to hang out with Sean alone, she asks Bob to stop seeing him, but that's soon the end of the whole thing.

Hot in Cleveland "No Glove, No Love" (S04E17): Victoria and Joy get Wilbur a marionette theater for his first birthday, but the directions are in French. [what a neat present, though!] They spend a lot of time trying to put it together but it doesn't work out, so they get a local toy to put together, which isn't much easier.

The more dramatic plot is that Melanie and Alec think about their own potential family, but after both visualizing that life, they are on different pages. He imagines it ideally, and she envisions a dystopic life, forcing her to realize that she's really in a grandmother phase. [I'm amused that Alec doesn't envision any downside.] Alec agrees with her, but he's also not 100% sure he doesn't want children, so she ends the relationship so he doesn't regret being childfree. [haha, loved Elka picturing the girls as her children.]

Hot in Cleveland "The Fixer" (S04E18): Melanie hasn't been able to cry since the end of her relationship with Alec, so the girls try to make her feel worse to force a leak to spring. [how horrific! I can't say I've ever had that problem, though. I generally cry with little provocation.] An empty peanut shell is the last straw, and Melanie winds up going home with a guy from the bar, Danny Doyle. The next morning, it is revealed that he is the same person that Victoria has hired to bribe the judge for Emmet's case, and he and Melanie play dumb at knowing one another. [...there are specific people you pay to do the bribing??] Rather than cash, however, Danny wants a date with Melanie as his fee, so Victoria promises to make it happen.

Meanwhile, Melanie decides to date her gynecologist, so Victoria pitches Danny as a "practice date" for the following evening. [I thought the idea was humorous.] However, when Dr. Aaron unexpectedly shows up at the same time as Danny, Victoria tries to placate Danny while Joy and Melanie explain things to the doctor. Of course, it all falls apart, but she is about to make up with Aaron. [she can get a gyno appt the same day??] And, the judge can't be bribed so Emmet takes a plea bargain and will only be locked up for a year. [that's still an eternity!]

In a smaller storyline, Elka and Joy are taking a film class, and they work together on one another's documentaries. Elka does a Godzilla homage to Joy's "man hands" and gets the best grade in class. [Joy's film about Elka's life during WWII was just weird.]

Hot in Cleveland: The Ring

From the episode's title, "The Proposal," you probably knew where this 22-minute block was headed. Sure, perhaps Alec and Melanie decided to speed things up, but the opening moments featuring everyone but Victoria accepting a proposal cured that notion. Then, it's immediately about the ring possibly causing a rejection, for some reason. Emmet: "I'm worried that the diamond is too big." Joy: "that sentence doesn't even make sense." Joy's right; there is no "too big" unless the piece looks like a RingPop. And, from that moment, the rest of the episode is more about that ring than anything else... how Emmet will use it in the proposal, what Melanie and Joy will do to find it when it goes missing, and even how it immediately becomes evidence in a case against Emmet. The whole IRS arrest came off as contrived, but this series isn't exactly known for its subtlety.

Hot in Cleveland "The Proposal" (S04E15): Emmet is worried about proposing to Victoria, as between his four marriages and her five, all of the "good proposals" (i.e. via dolphin) have been used. After discussing numerous ideas with Victoria's friends, Emmet decides to go with the classic restaurant setting, as she'd never expect it. [for what it's worth, my proposal was at a restaurant (albeit at the Space Needle) and I didn't see it coming!] Melanie and Joy put the ring in a dish of chocolate mousse, but they don't keep an eye on it and it disappears. [why they left it alone, who knows!] This means that they need to go to extreme measures to find it, even if that means hunting through other mousses, insulting a newly-engaged couple, making Victoria cry, and taking the ring from another couple. [I was upset for the girl in the antique blouse!]

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Things at the restaurant get complicated even after the ring is found, though, as Alec squeals when he sees a mouse, right when Emmet was practicing his proposal. This causes the restaurant patrons to think Emmet is gay. [which was kinda funny.] Of course, he then proposes to Victoria, in the middle of being arrested for tax fraud, for which is is held without bail. [The girls bringing home another mousse with another ring was too much!]

RETURNING: Hot in Cleveland: Live Show and Victoria's Mom

Live show! Did Elka fumble her words or did Betty White make a boo-boo? Not that it really mattered, things kept on-pace and were great nonetheless. I was a little sad that the end of Elka and Mamie's illegal activities came so suddenly, but I guess that means the writers have more exciting things in store, right? The second episode of the season was a bit boring in that there were really only a few truly good jokes, and the rest of the plot had smaller things at which to laugh here and there. I did really like the "puppet door," but I'm also left questioning what's going on with the characters on this show... is Mamie out and Penny in? Will Penny exist in Cleveland but we won't see her much (like Mike and Vanessa's families on Last Man Standing)? I don't know if I'm a big fan of either situation, honestly... the four main characters already have such chemistry that I don't think adding to that will help anything... agree?

Hot in Cleveland  "It's Alive!" (S04E13): Elka's been selling all sorts of medications from Canada, and Joy is concerned so she thinks Elka and Mamie should just sell off what they have and close up shop. [I laughed pretty hard at Victoria: "How could you have all these pills and not have shared?"] But, the inventory is much larger than Joy thought, and the problem only gets worse when a black market competitor learns of their "business," and threatens arson.

Joy calls a detective, Claude, for help, and he wants to use a gangster, Sally, to intimidate Tommy, the pill pusher. [yeah, a lot of descriptions there!] But, nobody knows what Sally looks like, so the detective pretends to be him! ["what if I said unconscionably?" haha] But, he's nervous, so Joy gives him liquor and Victoria gives him drugs, leaving Claude a wreck. So, unbeknownst to one another Victoria and Melanie both act like Sally. [this part got really funny and I was sure one of the actors would bust out laughing!] Claude then shows up, slightly convincing Tommy, but he soon passes out on the floor. Somehow, the real Sally arrives, and he's the son of a friend of Elka and Mamie. [she reminded me a little of Sophia from The Golden Girls, actually.] She shows up out of nowhere, learns of her son's "profession," and is the impetus to force everything into working out... the gangster agrees to buy out the rest of the supply from the women and pretty much give it to those in need. [unbelievable, but typical.]

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Hot in Cleveland  "Canoga Falls" (S04E14): Victoria learns that her hometown is naming a Square for her, so the girls plan a trip to Upstate New York. However, it turns out that the whole thing was a lie to get Victoria home for the first time in 12 years. [I would be positively LIVID! especially if I had dragged along my friends!] See, Victoria's sister, Bess, needs help handling their mother's deteriorating health. Well, Victoria wants to follow Melanie's example and put her mother in assisted living, but when Bess says that she's planning to move to AZ, Victoria decides to take her mother to Cleveland and stick her in a facility there. [how often do you think we'll be seeing Penny now?] Well, it turns out that Penny tricked Bess into tricking Victoria into coming to visit. [ha!] Elka advises her to tell the truth, and she's still invited back to Cleveland. [though her hanging out at the bar with Elka was a bit odd.]