Friends: The Birth and Rachel's Evolution (E20, 23)

This just happened to work out like this, but I only get two episodes on this one.  It's funny because some of these three episodes posts feel like too many, but I could have easily added an episode to this because the first episode is pretty spare for talking points.  Nonetheless, we have a story dedicated to Rachel getting away from her old life and Ross' baby being born, two plot points that have been season-long conflicts if you will.  Both of them are paid off by having 75% of the episode be about that.  One of them is more successful than the other in my opinion.

"The One with the Evil Orthodontist"
I'm a little conflicted about this episode.  This is the episode where Rachel sleeps with Barry a final time.  On the one hand, she sleeps with Barry for some reason.  On the other hand, everything else about that particular storyline makes perfect sense for her character if that makes sense.

By that I mean if you can somehow get over the fact that she sleeps with Barry, her acceptance of her new life is finally completed.  We the audience get to see the contrast between Mindy (what Rachel might have been) and new and improved Rachel.  But I don't think I can get over that fact to truly embrace the episode.

I'm trying to figure out why I have such a problem with her decision to sleep with Barry.  Obviously, he's clearly a piece of shit.  That's certainly part of it.  Also, Rachel does this knowing he's engaged to Mindy.  Even though they are former best friends, that's a pretty shitty move.

But I think it's a case of the writers telling us they re-connected, instead of showing.  The first scene we see of them together is when they are both naked (I'm not going to count the scene where we see them talking, but don't hear them).  This would be admittedly hard to pull of - at least getting the audience to see from Rachel's point of view.  As it stands, Barry's pretty much a dick at all times on screen.

But what it does do is complete her story arc for the first season.  She's not a completely relatable or likable person, but she has accepted this new life.  This was the step she needed.  She has zero doubts about leaving her old life.  This was kind of implied, but never explicitly stated.  Her arc as a person isn't quite over, but this was her next step into becoming a different person.

At the same time, while she perhaps still retains some of her old attributes, she has clearly changed in a positive and substantial way.  The writers actually show us this by giving us Mindy, the pathetic future housewife.  That was who Rachel used to be, and now she's a better person and happier.  This seems to be an endorsement of the saying "Money doesn't buy you happiness."

Strangely enough (in my opinion), the other two plots if you could call it that take place in Monica's apartment.  Chandler anxiously awaits and freaks out over a phone call he may or may not get from the perfect first date.  The friends also have a special, unwanted visitor looking at them from another apartment.

Chandler's story works, because it's in character and Matthew Perry plays Chandler.  Some variation of that story has been used in countless sitcoms, but it's so incredibly easy to imagine Chandler actually behaving like this.  Plus, Perry really commits to the material and sells the lines.  I will say I didn't like the end credits scene where Chandler says the girl walking to the coffee house was too needy.  I know what they where doing, but... it just isn't funny and makes Chandler look like a dick.

I did kind of like the telescope lady story.  I like how they complain about their privacy and then the show has the characters look at Ugly Naked Guy.  This is an example of the show commenting itself it seems, realizing looking at Ugly Naked Guy is kind of creepy.  That sense of self-awareness is always appreciated by me.  Then its revealed at the end that the creeper is a woman and compliments all the friends, which catches them off-guard.  That was funny and an appropriate conclusion.  In between the beginning and end scenes, none of the "creeper" parts really did anything for me though so I can't fully endorse this storyline.

This episode was written by Doty Abrams.  She must have been friends with the creators because she's only ever written for four shows, all of which were created by them.  She wrote an episode a year for every season of Friends (except Season 4 oddly enough).  She also contributed a single episode to Veronica's Closet, Joey, and The Class.  All of those were short-running so perhaps the episode per season was not limited to Friends.  It was directed by Peter Bonerz, who I've mentioned in previous posts, but what an unfortunate name.

It seems I overall liked this episode, but had a major or minor problem with every storyline.  One of the easier grades I'll probably have this season.

Grade - B+

"The One with the Birth"
This episode is what made Friends Friends.  It gets everyone involved, it really sells the importance of the birth, and it resolves the Susan/Ross feud that's been happening all season.  I will never like Rachel's little storyline with the cute doctor, but the rest of the episode works.

First off, David Schwimmer proves he has acting chops in this episode.  He is the standout performer from his freaking out over why Carol isn't at the hospital to his amazement that he now has a kid.  Ross may not always be a likable character, but I don't think Schwimmer ever was the reason.

Ross and Susan argue a lot in this episode, but it felt pretty natural.  Something like getting candy instead of going straight to the hospital is one of those little things that could easily start a fight.  It also had to happen because it's been consistently appearing anytime Susan and Ross were on screen together.

I also think the fight lent the extreme weirdness of the situation and was balanced in both character's issue with that situation.  Susan gets to go home and be with the baby everyday while Ross is the father of the baby and she's just the lesbian lover of the mother.  (Though I would argue that she could celebrate Mother's Day too.  Not all moms actually give birth to the child they raise)

I have a small issue with the characters getting locked in the room together.  It's something that happens way more in sitcoms than in real life.  But when Phoebe tells the Ross and Susan how this little boy is so lucky to have three people who love him a lot and compares that to her situation growing up, it's very moving.  It gets the characters to shut up and have perspective.

I really liked Joey's small storyline.  Joey is a womanizer, but he really is a good guy.  Leah Remini has a short audition for King of Queens and probably sent this episode as a reason to hire her.  It's surprisingly affecting when Joey comes to the aid of this woman and then decides to leave when he sees her with the father.  (The shot of him walking away with the balloon is so funny/sad)

Monica goes through the tribulations of becoming an aunt.  She's always wanted to have kids, a consistent trait through the whole show.  It also somewhat foreshadows - unintentionally - Monica and Chandler's future.  Episodes like this make it seem like the writers did this on purpose, but they had no idea they would pair them until it happened.  It's shocking how organic their eventual eloping is.

Rachel doesn't look very good in this episode, trying to woo a doctor while basically ignoring Carol.  I won't say much more about this, but I just didn't like this plot point at all.

All of the friends get something to do with this episode, which is a net positive.  Anytime every Friends performer is giving something, it's usually a good episode.  This is not an exception.

Grade - A-

Quotes
"You cook naked?" - Phoebe to Joey
"Yeah, toast, oatmeal - nothing that spatters." - Joey
(Everybody looks at Chandler)
"What are you looking at me for?  I didn't know that." - Chandler

"We went to camp together.  She taught me how to kiss." - Rachel
"Yeah!" - Joey
"Now, you know I'm like the other woman.  Ugh, I feel so-"
"Naughty" - Joey

"The first time didn't really count.  You know, it's Barry." - Rachel

(Joey walks in on Monica and Rachel hugging)
"Big day" - Joey

"Tiny and chubby and so sweet to touch,
soon they'll grow up and resent you so much,
Now they're yelling at you and you don't know why,
And you cry and you cry and you cry" - Phoebe's heartwarming song

"Everyday is lesbian lover's day." - Funny line, but definitely false

"Wait!  You forgot your legs!" - random janitor

"I will always have gum." - Monica to the newly born baby

"Dear god!  This parachute is a knapsack."

Playlist
I'm going to give you guys my 50 favorite tracks of 2013.  I didn't want to make a huge blogpost out of it and don't want to start a music blog so I'll just reveal some at each new post, 10 at a time.  This is in no particular order.  (Also, I only picked one song by an artist for the entire list so not repeat performers)
1. "Love Natural" - Crystal Fighters
2. "Do I Wanna Know?" - Arctic Monkeys
3. "Hearts Like Ours" - The Naked and the Famous
4. "Blood on the Leaves" - Kanye West
5. "Dead Man's Shoes" - The Virginmarys
6. "Domo 23" - Tyler, the Creator - I do not like Tyler, but this song is awesome
7. "The Bullet" - Daniel Wesley (Not on Youtube, but if you like 90s rock, this is right up your alley)
8. "Open" - Rhye
9. "Normal Person" - Arcade Fire
10. "Bitter Rivals" - Sleigh Bells

24: S1 Review

My preconception about 24 was that it was ridiculous, unrealistic, and thrilling.  I was pleased to be wrong on just one of those preconceptions.  Well, sure it's not completely realistic, but for the most part, it's easy to accept.  In a show such as this, the standard is simply "Can you accept what's happening in the context of the show?"  For the first season at least, that's a clear yes.

The first season managed to completely satisfy me, but also increase concerns about watching future seasons.  It has that air of "Sure it worked this time, but how long can they keep this up?"  It also had a bit of repetitiveness that I'm afraid will return.  (Namely, Kim getting in trouble again I'm sure is a given).  However, that's for future seasons, this post is about the first one.

24 is ridiculously addicting.  I held off on watching this show during the school year for fear that it would interfere with my studies.  That seems to be a correct assumption.  I'm going to make sure I have no serious obligations when I start a season.  And thank god that after each season I can simply stop without being compelled to start the new season.  (I did have an immediate need to start it, but after that initial resistance, I haven't felt the urge to start watching again.)

Kiefer Sutherland, whose movie career had essentially died, experienced a career renaissance thanks to 24.  He certainly played a part in that renaissance as he does a pretty good job with this role.  He brings a sense of urgency to the role that matches the script.  He has a way of saying something completely ridiculous, but you believe what he is saying is the truth.  While we do experience the ridiculous things he says to other characters, it's not hard to buy why all these characters are following him or believing him despite the fact that they don't witness those events.

Similarly, Dennis Haybert plays a convincing president as his demeanor frequently changes from charming to furious to demanding.  His attitude seems a little too unrealistic for a politician as he strives to always do the right thing, but it's always fun to see an idealized president since we're never going to get that in real life. (I'm a cynic what can I say?)

The writers are able to obtain an abnormally long string of realistic, tense episodes.  I'll admit though that I cringed when Kim was captured the second time.  I understand the plot need for it, but that was a bridge too far for me to accept.  Also, Teri Bauer's amnesia was a stupid plot device.  Amnesia is perhaps the laziest storytelling technique there is.  Those are quite literally my only complaints (plot-wise), which is pretty impressive for this type of show.

Before I started, I heard some negative comments about Kim - or at least I'm aware that Kim is not exactly well-liked.  Elisha Cuthbert plays her so this was kind of alarming to me.  Anyway, she did a few stupid things this season, but nothing I can't forgive for just being a teenager.  So far, she's still useful as a character.  I also think Cuthbert does a good job so I'm preparing for the writers to ruin this character in future seasons.

I wasn't a huge fan of the twist at the end with Nina being the mole.  It was somewhat predictable at a certain point late in the season when she tried to pin it on George Mason.  With that said, I stopped paying attention on whether Nina was a mole or not really early on.  My impression is that her actions were inconsistent with a mole most of the season, but I couldn't confirm.  Meanwhile, Mason's would have been inconsistent (which I was paying attention to) so I was grateful he wasn't the mole which is probably why I wasn't bothered by the twist as much as I may have been.  Plus, her being a mole did allow Teri Bauer to get killed, which kind of had to happen.  You can't have nobody important die if you want to keep the tension.  (Although Richard Walsh's death in episode two surprised the hell out of me.)

The script doesn't allow for a lot of personal stories outside of Jack Bauer so I'll have to give credit to two actors that impressed me.  Xander Berkeley as George Mason, a crazy experienced actor with 207 credits on IMDB, was fantastic.  He just hits all the right notes as a good boss whose constant brushing off of Teri pleased me.  (On the flip side, it wasn't a good sign that she was as annoying as she was with perfectly valid concerns while at CTU.  I'm not sure if that's the writing or the actress, but honestly I'm sort of glad I don't have to experience that anymore.)

The other actor was Carlos Bernard as Tony Almeida.  He just has that perfect "Are you kidding me?" reaction to everything going on that was needed on this show.  Also, he gets shit done and seems the most sensible of almost any character.

I know 24 eventually declines in quality like most other shows so I want to see if it's a product of writers leaving or losing influence.  I'll do this by chronicling who writes most of the episodes in this season.  This season, the two creators have a lot of influence and thus that can safely explain the success of the show.

Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, the creators, wrote the pilot and then separated writing responsibilities until the finale.  Surnow moved on to writing eight other episodes with Michael Loceff, including the finale, which was a collaboration between four different writers.  Cochran wrote two episodes by himself and then teamed with Howard Gordon for four other episodes, including the finale.  So the creators collectively were responsible for writing 14 of the 24 episodes.  The remaining 10 episodes are given to six writers.  There's only one episode given to any of them within the first five episodes and none were given to any of them in the last six episodes.  Most of them barely make enough of an appearance in future seasons if at all to draw any conclusion.

There are two exceptions.  Chip Johannessen wrote a single episode this season and then wrote a good chunk of Season 8 episodes.  The other is Virgil Williams, who wrote three episodes over the next two seasons and then left the show.  Overall though, this was basically the creators' show at this point, and their respective writing partners.  Any sense of decline could not be seen from any of the other writers and only by less writing by the creators.

On the directors side of the coin, Stephen Hopkins was clearly the favorite among the creators.  He directed 12 episodes including both the pilot and the finale.  Six other directors worked on this season, all of them receiving two episodes back-to-back.  I wonder if Stephen Hopkins is a mainstay across seasons (and the other directors I suppose).  It certainly explains the consistent direction (and one could argue anyway that future directors probably watched the show and could copy the direction so it's less important)  Hopkins though appears to be the reason 24 was shot in the unique style it was.

Overall, it's kind of hard to believe that this show was made in 2001.  It still stands up really well in 2013.  I realize that wasn't a long time ago, but this comes before The Wire, Breaking Bad, and only comes after The Sopranos among the greatest shows of all time.  While it's a completely different show, it's still very original even in 2013.  I can't speak to how future seasons will look, but season one justifies the existence of the seven seasons to follow by itself in my opinion.

Playlist
1. Savagely Attack - CZARFACE ft. Ghostface Killah
2. Domo 23 - Tyler, the Creator
3. The Mother We Share - CHVRCHES
4. Strictly Reserved for You - Charles Bradley
5. The Way - Fastball

Friends: The Monkey (E19, E21-22)

Well, Friends had pretty much hit its stride at this point.  I cover three episodes and all of them receive B+.  That can probably safely describe Friends.  Reliably an above average show that will make you laugh, but (usually) never the best thing on television.  Well, maybe it could have been in the 1990s when TV was objectively worse than it has been in the 2000s, but I think you get the point.  Two of these episodes feature the monkey pretty prominently.  Your approval or disapproval of the creature likely depends on whether you like those episodes (I'm apathetic about the monkey).  The other one mostly doesn't feature any major subplots except to lead the audience to the birth in the next episode.

"The One Where the Monkey Gets Away"
This is a pretty good episode that highlights Rachel's transformation as a person and Ross-Rachel's relationship.  It also delays the inevitable with a pretty stupid twist having Barry still be in love with Rachel.  This is probably the worst sign of stalling yet on this show.  Paolo wasn't a character, but at least the idea of what he represented made sense.

Ross finds out that Rachel is no longer interested in a penis embargo and is interested in the right guy.  Ross sees this as a sign to attempt to "woo" her.  He sees the perfect timing to try this when he goes to pick up Marcel by bringing wine over.

Rachel of course loses Marcel when he poops in the shoe.  I think this is a pretty classic scene as I remember seeing this specific scene on another television show or movie in the background.  She lets Marcel get away.  She throws away his poop on the wedding invitation.  Why does she need to walk outside to do this?  I guess she wanted to get the poop out of the apartment which I can accept.  I also feel like she would have seen Marcel when she went back into the house.  Oh well.  (There was another scene where it look like one of the friends should have clearly seen Marcel, but fine)

Ross spends most of the rest of the episode yelling at Rachel about losing his monkey.  (Each time monkey was used as a euphemism was funny and takes every other use of monkey to a different level).  He naturally extends that frustration with Rachel missing the signs that Ross wants to be with her.

Rachel mistakenly calls Animal Control, which is actually understandable.  Unfortunately, the worker there happens to have a vendetta against Rachel (Monica was fat, she had her own problems) and Marcel is apparently illegal to own in the city.

The purpose of the worker is to show the difference between pre-Friends Rachel and Friends Rachel.  It's a clearly different person.  She still is adjusting and at least she's now trying to live on her own. (Witness her memorization of every muffin, but she said it to the wrong guy)

Joey and Ross look for the monkey and come across two sweaty, loosely clothed hot girls.  Hilarity ensues.  It's funny to think they could enter probably a dream of theirs, but they had to save Marcel.  For once, Joey ruins it and not Chandler with the girls.

So Ross tries to make his original plan on Rachel and it's going well until Barry walks in out of nowhere.  A thing that somewhat saves this scene is Ross' reaction, which is appropriately funny and self-referential to the show.  Otherwise, it's way too obvious of a stalling tactic used by the show.

This episode was written by the team of Jeff Astrof and Mike Sikowitz, who wrote five episodes in season one and left after just season two.  They later were both developers of The Wild Thornberry's.  I don't know what a developer is, but it's not a creator and it was under the writing credits for both of them.

It was directed by the unfortunately named Peter Bonerz, who directed 12 episodes over four seasons before stopping.  Bonerz is best-known for acting in the role of Dr. Jerry Robinson on The Bob Newhart Show.  (Disclaimer: I've never seen the show; before my time)

It's a good episode undone by some unfortunate improbabilities (in addition to Barry, what the heck is with Heckles stealing the monkey?).  It's not enough to ruin the episode, but I can't give it an A.

Grade - B+

"The One with the Fake Monica"
Thus ends the era of Marcel the monkey.  I never hated the monkey like a lot of people do, but I've never loved it that much.  I haven't really found an episode I hated due to the monkey.  Of course, I never found myself missing the monkey either.

Anyway, the episode parodies parents looking for colleges for their kids when they have Ross look for zoos for Marcel to go to.  I'm not sure if monkeys actually experience sexual stages where they need a partner, but it seems plausible enough and I'm not curious enough to google the accuracy.

The actual farewell was surprisingly effective.  The monkey being taken away combined with the music and the look on Ross' face make you feel reasonably sad that it's happening even if you don't care about the monkey.  The important thing is that Ross cares about the monkey leaving which the scene effectively conveys.

Meanwhile, Monica encounters a case of someone stealing her credit card.  She befriends her and realizes she wants to be her.  This plot is ultimately unimportant, but nonetheless kind of a good showcase for Courtney Cox.  She is not satisfied with how little she actually does in her life, which I think most people can relate to.  The ending where she joins the dance class is seen as a triumph of sorts.

Lastly, there's a very short, but really hilarious part where Joey is trying to find a better name for a role.  Chandler mockingly suggest Joe Stalin, which Joey finds as a really good nickname.  It's hilarious in part because I could see Joey not knowing who that is and also because Chandler's face when he is telling him is so perfectly played.

This episode was written by two writers who usually write alone.  Adam Chase wrote 16 episodes over six seasons before leaving the show.  This is his fourth credited writing episode on the show, although he wrote three of them within the first 11 episodes.  (More impressive since the creators wrote quite a few of those themselves).  Ira Ungerleider wrote nine episodes over three seasons before leaving.  He (she?) wrote the classic bottle episode "The One Where No One's Ready."

It was directed by Gail Mancuso, who directed 14 episodes of Friends starting with this one.  She won an Emmy for directing an episode of Modern Family and has directed 95 shows/movies.  She regularly appeared in every season after this one until season five, when she stopped.

I liked this episode, but it's pretty unmemorable I guess.  So points off for that.

Grade - B+

"The One with the Ick Factor"
The one where Monica has sex with a minor would be a more apt title.  Their are four storylines in this episode, although two take up a short amount of time or significance.  Ross gets a beeper (Hey it's 1995 alert!) so that he will know when Carol goes into labor.  Chandler finds out his co-workers don't like him.  And Rachel has sex dreams about all the guys.

Rachel dreams about having sex with first Chandler and then Chandler and Joey.  They get a fair amount of humor from this with Chandler's cocky bravado mixed with his self-deprecating humor, Ross' jealousy, and the dreams themselves.  It's a pretty inconsequential plot that almost led to something happening between Ross and Rachel.  It doesn't which makes it completely inconsequential.

Ross' pager number is 555-JIMBO for some reason which is really close to 555-JUMBO.  He keeps getting calls about people who are looking for sex - it's apparently a really popular sex line cause Ross gets a lot of calls.  I wish the pager number wasn't so randomly JIMBO just to make it close to JUMBO, but that's also a pretty funny plot that leads Ross to see the pager at the end and sarcastically say "Great, now I'm having a baby."

Chandler finds out no one likes him at works.  This works because Chandler would be the type to care what other people think about him.  It's a fairly standard sitcom trope, but it's perfectly in character.  Plus, it leads to Ross and Joey to make an impression on him, which is hilarious.  Plus, Chandler learns to just accept it and pays his price secretly by having his imitators working on the weekends.  (You can't just make fun of the boss out in the open like that!)

Then, Monica has sex with a minor.  There's a weird "love" thing thrown around in this episode which feels like they are diminishing the word since Ethan is a one-episode character.  That's a bit of a problem in this episode.  We are kind of supposed to accept they have either been dating awhile or are close to being in love if not in love.  That could be true, but it's not really effective in one episode.

The actor who played Ethan was adequate although in no way believable as a 17-year-old man.  His voice certainly sounded young, but that was about it.  The actor was 26 by the way.  But it's still reasonably funny so it's not a total dud or anything.

This episode was written by Alexa Junge, her third episode thus far.  Junge was a Friends writer for five seasons, writing 12 episodes over her run.  The most amount of episodes she wrote was five in a season in Season 2.  Her best written episode may very well be the best of the entire show with "The One Where Everybody Finds Out."

The director of the episode was Robby Benson, who interestingly enough is best-known for playing the beast on Beauty and the Beast.  This is his only directed episode of the season, but he comes back to direct five episodes in 1997 and then never returns.  Sitcom directors make me scratch my head.

Grade - B+

Quotes (Lots of Joey quotes here)
"What happened to forget relationships, I'm done with men - the whole penis embargo?" - Ross

"Hey, I don't need violence to enjoy a movie just so long as there's a little nudity" - Joey's movie philosophy

"You're a monkey.  You're loose in the city.  Where do you go?" - Joey

"Oh my god, you'd put that poor little creature in jail?" - Phoebe

"We have got to start locking that door." - Ross after Barry walks in on Ross-Rachel

"Apparently, he's reached sexual maturity." - Ross
"Hey!  He beat ya!"- Joey about Chandler

"You know there already is a Joseph Stalin?" - Joey

"Marcel, I'm hungry." - Joey's goodbye to Marcel

"I'm sorry, it was a one-time thing.  We were very drunk and it was someone else's subconscious." - Chandler's rationalization for dream sex with Rachel

"I just had sex with someone who wasn't alive during the bicentennial." - Monica
"I just had sex." - Ethan, and thus was born the Lonely Island song

Playlist
1. "Inhaler" - Foals
2. "Best of Friends" - Palma Violets
3. "Ambitionz as a Ridah" - Tupac
4. "Gas Money (Remix)" - Youtube rappers
5.  "Primetime" - Janalle Monae ft. Miguel

Rewind: Justified S2

The second season of Justified elevates what was already a pretty great show.  I find it hard to imagine a show like this ever becoming bad because when you take amazing dialogue and great actors, it will always be interesting to watch at the least.

The star of this season - and anyone who has seen this season has to agree - is Margo Martindale as Mags Bennett.  I don't want to be hyperbolic, but she possibly has the greatest performance in any season of any television show I've ever seen.  She is simultaneously terrifying, loving, motherly, sympathetic, crime lord, conniving, and just about every contradictory adjective you can imagine.  Somehow, none of those ring false and the audience is with her every step of the way.  She won a well-deserved Emmy for this role.

The season kicks off with a child molester hired by the Bennetts trying to reach his next prey in Loretta McCready.  But Loretta's a smart girl and she also has the fortune of having Raylan Givens trying to help her.  Mags then kills her father for calling the police and then the chain of events that led to this season's conclusion happens.  I like how ultimately her decision to kill him - which was rather pointless - was her direct downfall.

I have to give props to the child actress who plays Loretta.  I haven't seen her in anything else, but she can act.  She held in her own in scenes involving Martindale and Timothy Olyphant.  To put it in simple terms, a large portion of this season depended on how much you were invested in her story and she certainly succeeded in that regard.

The main story line of the second season was so incredibly invigorating that any story involving the secondary characters fell flat, whether by comparison or for some other reason.  Winona's not exactly a drag on the show, but she's very close to becoming one.  For instance, in the season finale, she begs Raylan to not go to Harlan to FIND A MISSING GIRL.  Ok, I get it, she is worried he's going to get killed.  But seriously you draw the line on this particular instance?  I'm not even saying it's bad writing, this character isn't extremely likable and a little on the insane side - like oh say stealing money from an evidence locker. (However, she is listed as "credit only" in almost half of the Season 3 episodes and is removed from the main cast for Season 4 so I shouldn't worry about this.)

Boyd Crowder's transformation from a guy wanting to be good to turning into a criminal longing to control Harlan and maybe more was the second best thing about this season.  I'm not going to lie.  I fell for him becoming a "good person."  This made a lot more sense and felt more natural.  Congratulations to Goggins for elevating his season one performance in my opinion.

Season two felt like a nice balance between episodes concerning the main plot and episodes that feature a mostly unrelated, standalone plot.  I feel they have found the secret formula to achieving 13 interesting episodes.  I really don't believe it has to be 13 consecutive episodes of just the plot that ultimately matters, because honestly if that plot is uninteresting, the whole season tends to suck.  (Season 3 of Sons of Anarchy for instance).

Another thing that was great about season two?  It deglorified Raylan's tendency to go rogue as a marshal.  When he kept abandoning Tim, he came off as pathetic more than badass.  It's always nice  to know when the show tries to show all facets of the character, even the less savory aspects.  On the other hand, Raylan is still clearly a hero.  In the age of anti-heros, he barely qualifies.  He disobeys command and shoots way too many guys, although all of them are bad guys.  It's pretty damn easy to root for him when he refuses to kill a guy for revenge (Dickie) or accept witnesses who lie.

If there's a weakness to this show, it's that it still hasn't really solved its supporting marshals problem.  Art is still as great as ever and his distrust of Raylan was one of the more affecting parts of the show.  The other two?  They became marginally more intriguing and interesting.  Tim is nearly solved with the aforementioned episode when he needs to "nanny" Raylan and gets all the good one-liners.  ("That shit gets me hard.")  Rachel?  I was honestly invested in her one plot involving her sister's killer going insane, but that was about it.  I don't mind the really slow development, but I'm still waiting for it to come.

I haven't mentioned the plot involving the coal mining company.  I don't know what really went on even though at the time it was easy to follow.  I can't say anymore due to not really remembering any specifics.  Anyway, the only important part of the plot was getting Boyd more confident (and more power) and showing the Bennetts for what they were.

Overall, I feel season two strongly improved the first season.  I always find post-season one reviews to be difficult because I talk too much about plot, and it looks like I'm guilty here as well.  Oh well I guess that's just a product of having said everything that needed to be said in my season one review.  

New Justified reviews will be coming pretty quickly as I plan to catch up to the fifth season.  I'm posting on another show next week (maybe The Simpsons fourth season?) and then I'll return to Justified the week after that.  Then probably another non-Justified week followed by Justified.  Yes, it will be after the season premiere, but DVR's exist.  Anyway thanks for reading.

Playlist
1. "Love Natural" - Crystal Fighters
2. "Two Trains" - Yo La Tenga
3. "Country Shit" - Big Krit ft. Ludacris & Bun B
4. "Sister Christian" - Night Ranger (Boogie Nights)
5. "Rap God" - Eminem

Friends: Two Parts and Poker (E16-18)

Introduction I was going to write, but I didn't.  So there.

"The One with the Two Parts"
This is a tangentially connected two part episode, but it's basically two different episodes.  Also, the Friends writers really just don't give a shit about episode titles because this is the laziest yet.  Ross comes to learn to accept that he is becoming a father.  Rachel and Monica experience some good ole sitcom hijinks.  Joey tries to go out with Phoebe's twin sister.

In the first part, there's one story completely unrelated to anything else which really makes it seem like two different episodes instead of an hour-long episode.  Chandler has to fire Nina, who he wants to date, but doesn't at first because he doesn't want to dip his pen into the company ink.

This is one of those stories that kind of gets so ridiculous, it's funny.  Also Chandler is in it, who has made funny stories out of average material.  This possibly also works because Chandler has shown trouble consistent with this story in that he couldn't break up with Janice.  Then he makes things worse by asking her out instead of firing her.  Then he tells her she is getting a raise right before asking her to marry him.  "So after the proposal, I kind of unraveled."

The rest of the stories are actually connected even if loosely.  Ross needs to attend classes to learn how to raise a baby.  It's mildly funny and the real reason for the setup is so that the teacher can tell Ross to imagine his vagina is opening like a flower when he has to play the mother.  A really good punchline like that tends to make the previous stories better, especially if they either advance the plot or a character.

This leads to the second part where Ross finally realizes that he's going to be a father and he starts freaking out.  The purpose of the monkey really shows up in this two-parter, obvious though it may have seemed.  First Ross' inability to control his monkey represents his fear as a parent (not so subtly I may add).  I thought this was nicely plotted as they showed the audience by having him change the channel to Spanish, which was both pretty funny and a constant reminder that this monkey is causing problems and reinforcing his fear as a parent.

Why I think this was nicely done is because the monkey stuff comes before he actually becomes afraid that he is going to become a father.  When Carol starts hyperventilating about becoming a mother, it freaks Ross out about fatherhood.  Then the monkey stuff comes to the surface and he realizes how hard a child would be to raise.  He naturally ignores that a monkey would probably be harder, but honestly that's understandable when you are freaking out.

So Jack Gellar Jas a short scene - which is typically funny and well-played by Elliot Gould - to show Ross how he knew when he was going to be a father.  He tells the story of how Ross grabbed his finger with his whole hand.  So of course, after Marcel swallows Scrabble letters and has to go to the hospital, the monkey grabs Ross' finger.  It's kind of corny, but it works somehow.  Ross is ready to be a father.

Joey trying to go out with Ursula doesn't really work for me, because it's out-of-character for Joey.  It seemed contrived in order to create tension the audience knew wouldn't last.  For one, Joey is not that bad of a friend.  He is way too oblivious about the fact that Phoebe clearly doesn't want Joey to go out with her or just doesn't care enough.  Plus, there are zero scenes showing why Joey cares about Ursula.

I will say when they throw a surprise birthday party for Phoebe, I was affected.  The pure joy that it brings Phoebe - even though it was a failed attempt at a surprise - that she was having a party thrown for her is great.  Then she gets disappointed when Joey isn't there.  That's the kind of thing I'm talking about.  Joey is not that much of an asshole.

Then at the end, Phoebe tries to pass off as Ursula and breaks up with Joey.  Joey of course talks about how she looks more beautiful than he's ever seen her.  Then the writers try to make Joey look good by having him refuse to stop being friends with Phoebe in order to be with Ursula.  This would work better if we had any indication why he wants to be with Ursula at all, who's a total bitch in her screen time.

Speaking of which, this episode has not one, but two shameless plugs from other shows.  A two-minute appearance by Helen Hunt and another character I don't know from Mad About You.  This looks REALLY dated, because i don't think anybody remembers Mad About You existed so when they weirdly cheered for their entry into Central Perk, it's just odd.  At least I know who Helen Hunt is, otherwise it'd be really bad.

The other is by George Clooney - before movie star superstardom - and Noah Wyle from ER but not their characters on ER.  They play doctors to Rachel and Monica.  To be fair, their appearance is at least relevant and they seem to have fun with the roles.

So they set up the latter story by having Monica constantly tell Rachel to take down the lights.  She does, but when it's snowing and dark out so she sprains her ankle.  It's revealed, unsurprisingly and perfectly in character, that she doesn't have insurance.  So she tries to commit insurance fraud and then hijinks ensue.

Whenever friends try to "up" each other in insults, it's usually hilarious.  And it is in this case.  They change this up by just having the two characters talk about "themselves," nicely set up by the two doctors wondering if these two women are crazy.  Then there's the scene where Ross takes the monkey to the hospital and they see Monica and Rachel and there's a lot of double takes and confusion that mostly works.

So yeah, it's a decent episode with one important thing standing out (Ross is going to be a father) and one kind of stupid thing (Joey wants to date Ursula... for some reason).  The rest of the stories are more sitcom hilarity.

Grade - B+

"The One with All the Poker"
My theory that putting all the friends in one room makes it a successful episode rings true here.  This is a fantastic episode, written by the excellent team of Jeff Astrof and Mike Sikowitz.  The episode title says it all.  The friends play poker.  Also, Rachel tries and fails to get a job and Ross is in love with Rachel.  What a simple premise, but what beautiful execution.

This is probably the best episode of the first season.  For the first time in a while, the Ross-Rachel relationship gets full notice.  Also, the back-and-forth banter between the two is the best chemistry they've shown to date.  You can really sense the flirting between the two and that there is something there.

Ross and the boys play poker all the time apparently, a fact that hasn't arisen yet and won't arisen even once in the next 10 seasons.  No matter, they capture the spirit of it well in this episode.  The women want to play with the boys, but they've never played before.

As soon as Ross (and the other two to a lesser extent) starts talking some serious smack, you just know that the girls are going to win one of the games in this episode.  Hell, that doesn't really matter as the ending wasn't a cop-out (as in the girls would dominate which would probably ring false).

Rachel begins the episode applying for a bunch of different jobs - anything but as a waitress.  The problem is that she has no resume or experience.  She gets really excited for one job, a job that lets her shop essentially.  The interview goes very well apparently - though it's easy to imagine the two talking forever with the employer having no intention to actually hire her given her resume.

That leads to the final - and dare I say tense - sequence with Ross and Rachel squaring off.  They play it off pretty well.  We're reminded of how competitive Ross is throughout this episode, which thankfully holds true for the rest of the series. (Anything that is true for the entire series works better in hindsight; anything the writers completely drop looks worse)  Also, the constant references to Monica breaking a plate because of a game of Pictionary is hilarious.

Ross doesn't let her win, but he's clearly happy for her.  It's a nice moment and makes you root for Ross-Rachel, something that's important when they drag the storyline out longer than necessary.  I think I'm going to have to give this episode a perfect grade, because I can find nothing wrong with it.

Grade - A+

Quotes
"What I'm supposed to be the mommy?" - Susan
"Ok, I'm going to play my sperm card one more time." - Ross

"I wouldn't want to do anything to hurt your... WENUS." - Nina

"We haven't seen an ANUS this bad since the 70s." - Chandler's boss

"You know Ross some scientists are saying that monkeys and babies are actually different." - Chandler

"What the hell are you doing, you scared the crap outta me." - Ross, dropping the cake after getting "SURPRISED" at the party

"Oh God, I am so spoiled" - Monica acting as Rachel

"I use my breasts to get other people's attention." - Monica
"We both do that" - Rachel

"Whoa Rach, we have to settle." - Chandler, about the poker game
"Settle what?" - Rachel
"The Jamestown Colony of Virginia." - Chandler, who's really sarcastic in this episode

"I'm gonna pay for that tonight." - Ross, after he shuts of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and Marcel slams the door

"Do you wanna go to the bathroom or do you want to play poker?" - Monica in competitive nature
"I want to go to the bathroom." - Ross, with the easy choice

"Joey, I'm a little shy." - Ross asking for money
"That's ok Ross, you can ask me" - Joey, not getting it

Playlist
1. "Rip Your Heart Out" - Hopsin ft. Tech N9ne
2. "Latch" - Disclosure ft. Sam Smith
3. "Shining Star" - Earth, Wind & Fire
4. "Never Let You Go" - Third Eye Blind
5. "Alter Ego" - Tame Impala

Friends: Bad Episode Titles (S1 E12-13, 15)

Mostly due to the structure of other posts, the episodes are slightly out-of-order.  There's no big theme connecting any of these episodes making this introduction pointless and difficult.  I will say that Friends didn't know how to title their episodes.  The "One with Dozen Lasagnas" is a hilariously bad title because it's barely even in the episode.  "The One with the Boobies" I guess is appropriate since I instantly know which episode it is, but it's also debatably the worst plot in its episode.  Anyway, I felt I should say something, because well I need an introduction.

"The One with Dozen Lasagnas"
The episode ends the Paolo era of Friends and thank God.  His first appearance wasn't terribly annoying just because it was realistic.  But a relationship that lasted over a month with a person who couldn't speak the same language as the other?  Yeah, this was never going to be a strong story.  Thankfully, they mostly ignored this (he only appeared in three episodes despite being Rachel's boyfriend for much longer), but it got worse and worse whenever it was brought up.

So Rachel is going on a weekend trip with Paolo for the first time.  Cue Rachel saying it's much more than a fling. *GAG*  Seriously I didn't need Friends to come up with a worthy candidate to Ross or anything, but you know a person who speaks English and has personality traits outside of "HOT" would be nice.  Ross and the guys talking about how Paolo made them sick seemed very meta to me, but it might not have been.  But they spoke for the fans, that's for sure.

Then Paolo makes a pass at Phoebe, which didn't really bother me.  When a character's traits amount to sexuality, it's stupid to complain when that person is apparently obsessed with sex 24/7.  So given the little information the writers give us, it made sense that he would try and cheat on Rachel.  He's a huge idiot for trying on one of her friends though.

So Phoebe tells Rachel.  Then it's sort of frustrating for me at least, because Rachel says some very normal and common sense things after a break up amounting to "Why am I so stupid?"  The difference being here is that I wondered the same damn thing.  So while that moment was supposed to be touching, it just didn't.  Because it speaks really ill of Rachel as a character for her to be in a relationship with Paolo for as long as she did.  (Though I guess at this point Rachel still has her superficial traits and this is a step towards her development as a person)  I will say that I did like how that story created a bond between two characters who just got to know each other in Phoebe and Rachel.  I suppose they could have created an annoying riff between the two that most sitcoms would definitely do, but they solve their differences remarkably amicably.

Ross gets double duty here.  A relatively minor subplot about the sex of Ross' baby is introduced.  I kind of enjoyed this one.  Mostly, because I think I'd be the type of person who didn't want to know, but found it impossible to not resist asking anyway.  And the way it got accidentally spilled to him was a good moment too.  The audience isn't going to care enough to wait more than the end of this episode so they pretty much had to reveal it this episode.  And the way it tied into Paolo-Rachel's breakup was rather clever in my opinion.

I realize Chandler and Joey aren't exactly the standard bearers of stable, long-term relationships, but they gave Ross some pretty bad advice in my opinion.  I don't think the answer would be to be the first person Rachel sees after the jerk.  Why would that work?  If the writers intended for it to be bad advice, kudos to them I guess.  It's definitely in character for them to give the advice that they do.

I did love when Ross is comforting Rachel (which is sweet to be fair), she says she never wants to look or touch another man again.  Rachel doesn't think of Ross as a viable partner so she doesn't even think about the fact that he is a man.  The last scene in the pilot where Ross asks if he can ask Rachel on a date sometime was probably a misstep because Rachel has otherwise been completely oblivious that Ross wants her.  Without that scene, it may be a bit more plausible.  (Though Ross' attempts haven't exactly been subtle)

But Ross' pathetic attempts to try to get Rachel to date the "right guy" seemed out-of-place.  Ross would realize he should wait and I didn't see the point of trying to argue for the "right guy."  I mean I get it, he's talking about himself.  But still, you tried and she gave you her answer (though indirectly) so move on for now.

Lastly, a pretty inconsequential plot of Chandler and Joey needing to buy a new table because Joey literally threw keys on it to cause it to fall.  There wasn't much to this as they basically just compared it to a couple.  It works though because Chandler and Joey's relationship is one of the more reliable aspects of this show.  And I found it hilarious.

This episode was written by four different people.  I didn't think any disconnect is the problem with this episode though, just the Paolo plot line.  In fact the stories mesh together quite well surprisingly considering this. (Then again Toy Story had like a dozen writers and that movie turned out alright)

Overall, the episode was dominated by one of the worst decisions this show ever made.  For some reason, Paolo comes back in Season 2.  The fact that the other two were pretty pleasant, innocent and funny redeems it a little.  I also laughed a lot in this episode.  But it's a slightly above average episode.

Grade - B

"The One with the Boobies"
Written by Alexa Junge, this episode has some strong parts and some not so strong parts.  In fact, I loved one plot, hated another, and keep flipping back and forth on in if the third plot was stupid or not.  So good luck to me on grading this.

To begin the episode, Chandler sees Rachel's boobies.  That's not exactly a great or original premise in a sitcom so it's not off to a great start.  Wouldn't our idea of these friends indicate that they wouldn't be bothered by accidentally seeing another person naked?  I'm not saying that's true for all friends, I'm saying it's true for THESE friends.  So basically the whole episode hinges on us forgetting that.

That's not the plot I hated though, that's the one I can't decide on.  I liked the playful ribbing about it in the coffee house soon after that first scene, but I didn't like the friends' continued insistence on her seeing Chandler's penis.  Rachel isn't going to walk into the bathroom to see Chandler naked.  But I for some reason liked the game of telephone the friends played when they kept walking in to see one friend naked only to see a different one until Monica saw Joey's dad.

Speaking of Joey's dad, he's ok in this role, but there's a reason he's never in another episode of Friends.  Played by the impossibly experienced Robert Costanza (258 roles!), he seems believable enough.  I really like the direction they took this story both for its twists and turns and for Joey's self-reflection on himself.

So Joey finds out that Joey's dad is cheating on his wife.  He found out in a pretty believable way too since we later find out that Joey's dad is no James Bond.  I think I like every part of this story.  I like that Joey takes on the parents' role to his father and his mistress.  I like the surprise that Joey's mom knew about it all along.

I really liked that they used this as an opportunity to look at Joey as a womanizer.  He may sleep with countless women without even thinking about it, but he values the sanctity of marriage apparently.  He doesn't want to lose the right woman that he finds.  It revealed a depth of Joey that I don't think the show had previously explored.

I HATE the other story line.  Hate is a strong word, and I'm just doing it in the honor of all the friends hating Phoebe's shrink boyfriend.  First of all, I don't like what it says about what the show thinks about shrinks.  Oh wow, shrinks are constantly analyzing people and don't take a minute off and have to take their job with you.  They are also smarmy pricks who tell you things you don't want to hear.

The shrink basically fills in the friend's deficiencies for the audience.  It's a pretty lazy storytelling device - show, don't tell - and anyway it doesn't really tell us anything new.  Once the punchline became apparent - the shrink is putting his theories on his friends - it wasn't that funny.  When Phoebe tells him that her friends hate him, I actually like his rant against the friends.  It seemed like a meta-commentary on the show already.  I'll give the writers some credit for that, mostly because creating a story with the show commenting on itself was still kind of an original premise back then.

Also, the friends final reflection on how they have to let their parents go and that they themselves have to be parents was a good moment.  Of course, it was followed by the punchline that I quote later about Chandler's parents.  (You'll have to look below to see it)

Overall, it was an ok story, but at least it helped develop Joey as a character while seemingly commenting on the show itself.

Grade - B

"The One with the Stoned Guy"
Hey!  An episode title that pretty accurately describes the most memorable part of an episode!  I am not sure if this is correct, but I think this is the first episode that has a storyline specifically about the direction of a friend's career.  And it covers not one, but two of the friends future job status.

But first, the "C" story to this episode, which also happens to be the most sitcom-y, is elevated due to one specific scene.  Ross is dating a girl who wants to talk dirty.  Ross is bewildered by this.  It makes perfect sense for him to be confused at this point.  He's still only had sex with one person (which won't change due to this episode) and talking dirty to basically a stranger has to be weird.

I really like what they are doing with Ross' character this season, which I know they end up ruining.  He's trying the dating game and he's failing at it.  But he seems to be getting a little more successful with each woman.  I don't remember if he has sex with anybody until Julie, but I really hope he doesn't.

Anyway, the highlight of that plot is of course when Ross is practicing how to talk dirty with Joey.  It's pretty funny at first and then Chandler walks in.  Matthew Perry doesn't really do anything particularly funny, it's just hilarious to imagine what he would be thinking at this moment.  This is a pretty solid "C" story that helps develop Ross' progression away from Carol.

The "A" story is about Monica trying out for a new head chef position.  They introduce this by having Phoebe offer Chandler the position, which doesn't really work because it makes Phoebe look dumber than she should be and feels forced.

But the story works for two reasons for me.  One is Jon Lovitz.  He appears on screen for about four minutes of the 24 minutes and he manages to make it a memorable four minutes.  It was a good use of a popular comedian for a guest appearance.  It hardly even matters than there's no way a person like him would get a position to hire a head chef.

The other reason is because she has to make the uncomfortable decision to hire Wendy over Rachel.  It makes sense honestly as the opening reminds us of how horrible of a waitress she is.  However, Rachel seems to step up to her A game to waitress and shows that she's capable if she puts her mind to it.  Of course, she didn't appear to have to do much, but it was nice to see her stand up for herself by holding out for $20 per hour.

Speaking of holding out for more money, Chandler's evolution to accepting a position he has no interest in attaining was clever.  I actually thought this was one of the lesser laugh-out loud Chandler stories in this season, but it still works due to the relevancy on the character.  The primary purpose of a sitcom is to be funny, but the second purpose is definitely to create a complex character.  Chandler's selling out due to an apparently egregious salary reveals a lot about the type of person he is.

Also, one of the few laughs generated due to that storyline was anytime there was a mention of the WENUS.  Call me immature, but it never fails to crack me up.  Also, I did like the ending of the episode where Chandler finds himself becoming what he feared.  I liked it because it creates the impression that Chandler is actually good at his job.  Previously, he seemed like a slacker, but I find his capability at his job important to find it plausible.  Yes, Friends sometimes veered into parody, but mostly it tried to create a realistic world.  Having Chandler be incompetent while he is basically begged back into his job would have ruined it for me.

I think a large reason for the success of this episode is in its integration of all of its characters.  The best Friends episodes are episodes where everyone is involved.  Monica and Rachel have an intersecting story that is written seamlessly together.  Joey's primary purpose in this episode is to inform Ross on how to talk dirty.  Chandler works at quitting his job before ultimately succumbing to money.  Phoebe is sort of vital to the multiple stories but remains on the outside of each by getting Monica the job opportunity by knowing Jon Lovitz and visiting Chandler's office so Chandler can show off Jan.  ("That'll be all.  I promise that's the last time")

This episode was written by Jeff Greenstein and Jeff Strauss, a duo who was only hired for this first season.  It was a pretty big loss in my opinion as they wrote four of the better episodes.  I've already graded three of them, and I remember "The One with the Birth" being a great episode as well.

Overall, I really liked two of the stories and the third story was average but had one really hilarious scene.

Grade - A-

Quotes
"What am I supposed to do: call immigration?...... I could call immigration" - Ross about Paolo

"I'm sorry I'm just excited about being an aunt!" Monica - "Or an uncle?" Joey

"Paolo, I just want to say and I think I speak for everyone when I say (slams door)" - Amen Ross

"HEY!  WE ALREADY KNEW THAT!" - Chandler and Joey then hug upon finding out Ross' new baby is a boy

"That's a relatively open weave and I can still see your... nipular area" - Chandler upon seeing Rachel's boobies

"Did you know this isn't Ma?" - Joey after he intercepts his dad's private chat with his mistress

"Hey I married a lesbian to make you look good!" - Ross in a line they probably wanted to use before figuring out this story

"If I turn into my parents, I'll either end up like an alcoholic blonde chasing after 20-year-olds or I'll end up like my mom." - Chandler with the line of the night

"Ah man.  Does this mean we have to start buying our own toilet paper?" - Joey after finding out Chandler quit
"That was Joey Tribbiani with the big picture." - Ross

"Hey!  You can see your nipples through your shirt." - Rachel after she previously told him you couldn't

"I want to take my tongue and..." - Ross
"Say it.  Say it!" - Joey
"run it all over your body until you're trembling with" - Ross
(Chandler sits down) "With??" - Chandler

"Well smack my ass and call me Judy!" - Jon Lovitze

Yes, Fran, I know what time it is and I'm looking at the WENUS and I'm not happy!" - Chandler

Next week:  The Friends first hourlong episode (which is counted as two episodes) and an episode where they play poker, which I don't remember well, but which definitely has all the friends involved so I'm pretty optimistic about next week's episodes.

Programming Note: I'm only posting Friends recaps for the next two weeks.  On Thursday, I will most likely be celebrating my birthday and the next Thursday is in the midst of my Finals week so I just decided to not cram a season of a show in that schedule.  My next Thursday post will be December 19, either on Justified or the fourth season of The Simpsons most likely.

Playlist
1. "Scapegoat" - Atmosphere
2. "Do I Wanna Know?" - Arctic Monkeys
3. "Gimme Shelter" - The Rolling Stones
4. "D.A.N.C.E." - Justice
5. "Breakfast at Tiffany's" - Deep Blue Something