TV Report: 4/11-4/15

Some thoughts on last week's TV offerings. It's been awhile since we got more than a handful of shows to talk about and it's clear than most of the shows are gearing up for an incredible May sweeps period.

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER - Not sure what to think about this episode. Definitely a bit of a mixed bag that felt like a filler episode. The whole meatball sub plot could've been good if it really was about Barney sublimating his feelings regarding his dad, but they undercut that with the "10 years later" tag which was a bit unnecessary. Hopefully this is the last time we get a Marshall-job-conflict story since they aren't that interesting and there's not much to say about the inevitably doomed relationship between Zoe/Ted.

CASTLE - The takeaway from this episode, like a lot of episodes this season, is how clearly infatuated both Beckett and Castle are with one another. Neither one is even being subtle about it anymore as Beckett was clearly using Castle' mentee Conrad to make him jealous. For his part, Castle's no-nonsense admittance that he was jealous forced Beckett to declare herself as a "one-writer girl." Sweet.

THE GOOD WIFE - The whole Hugo Chavez/Fred Thompson part of the episode was just so tonally different from the usual that it felt like I was watching a completely different (lesser quality) show. Alan Cumming, with his scenes with both Julianna Marguilies and America Ferrera, rescued the episode as well as Alicia finding out about Peter's affair with Kalinda. I'm both excited and afraid of what the next episode has to bring.

MODERN FAMILY - Hilarious joke on the car ad and everything about that particular storyline. I especially loved Phil's phone call with a potential client. But other than that and the punchline of "We Love the F Word" at the end of the play, the episode was a tad flat. Although now that I remember, I also loved Luke's half-boy, half-dinosaur character.

HAPPY ENDINGS - Shocker of all shockers: I really liked the first two episodes of this show. Granted, it'll probably get cancelled, but for now I'm in. Love how the characters all talk like my friends and I and the gay guy is not the typical gay guy you see on shows. The pilot was a bit scattered and rushed, but it's definitely in a better footing than other recent sitcom debuts (Mr. Sunshine, Mad Love, etc.).

COMMUNITY - This is a bit of a low-key episode for the series since there were no episode-wide homage nor any experimental type of narration. Instead it was just the gang taking some electives and the hilarity that ensues. Not goor or bad per se, but just nothing too worthy to talk about.

THE OFFICE - The cold open with Carrell and Ferrell doing their almost ad-libbed scene was good as was the Erin-phone-call stand-off that actually had me at stitches, but at this point it's all about saying goodbye to Michael Scott and we're slowly getting there.

PARKS & RECREATION - Sigh. Beautiful episode is beautiful. I can't picture a more perfect way Andy/April to get married. They literally did it their own way and it was fabulous. I also greatly enjoyed all of the Ben/Leslie stuff. I've resigned myself to the fact that Ben/Leslie WILL be the death of me. More awesome things: Rob Lowe breaking it down and the burgeoning Anne/Donna friendship. Yes, please!

FRINGE - Where to begin? How about FRINGECEPTION in which the show went into Olivia's mind to rescue her. The scenes in her head, especially the animated ones, were inspired. But really the best part has got to be Joshua Jackson and Lance Reddick's acting as if they were on LSD. THIS SHOW IS ON FIRE and everything it does is golden. No doubt the last episodes this season is going to blow everything else away.

SUPERNATURAL - A better episode compared to a lot of what they've offered this season. Probably one of its best actually. It was a hoot seeing the alternative reality of a world where the Titanic didn't sink (though I think Celine would still be a big deal without the song). Seeing Jo alive and what it meant broke my heart a bit as was the revelation that Castiel pretty much orchestrated this whole thing as a desperate act to win the still unseen War in Heaven.