It’s a holiday, which means most of you are probably en route somewhere, working from home today, or staring sadly into your fridge as you remember that stores are closed today. So we’ll keep the Funny Friday sitcom reviews brief again this week. Happy Easter! (Or, if you don’t celebrate, happy long weekend, wheeee!)
This week:
- HIMYM
- New Girl
- The Mindy Project
- Cougar Town
- Modern Family
* Note: There are TWO! episodes of Happy Endings airing tonight, but it’s a little late to include them in this roundup so I might review them separately.
How I Met Your Mother – “The Time Travelers”
This was a polarizing episode. Many critics I like and often agreed with loved the episode, but my gut reaction was hate and Twitter suggested I wasn’t entirely alone. It’s an episode I think I should watch again because, frankly, I hated the premise so much that I had trouble staying focused on the episode. Having too many imaginary characters and weird time traveling fantasies was hard to keep up with, and it made the emotional payoff at the end feel fake. I didn’t care for the Marshall/Robin storyline either. What did you guys think?
Best moment: I hated all the Future Teds and Barneys, but loved their harmonized “For The Longest Time” at the end.
New Girl – “Chicago”
I think sitcom funeral episodes can be funny or sad, depending on the show. I liked what HIMYM did with the death of Marshall’s dad because that show has always been able to express sadness, and they still injected some humor into it. But they can be straight-up funny, too, like my all-time favorite: Chuckles the Clown’s funeral on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. This episode of New Girl was more MTM than HIMYM and it worked. Nick’s conman dad died, so the whole gang flew to Chicago for a crazy, Elvis-themed funeral. The crisis was another great way to help Nick and Jess’s relationship grow, and also get some laughs over Nick’s mom really hating Jess. Seeing how easily Winston and Schmidt fit into Nick’s old life was also a great way of reminding us how awesome those friendships are, and those guys had some awesome physical comedy moments.
Best moment: I loved Margo Martindale as Nick’s mom, and even though I usually don’t love Nick Krolll, he is a less attractive Nick Miller. Brilliant casting.
The Mindy Project – “Danny’s Friend”
This show likely still isn’t for everyone, but I really enjoy it every week. I think casting adjustments and refocusing has helped it find the right voice in the past several weeks. Although this episode could have been better, I still think the show is coming along and has a lot of potential. I like that Mindy isn’t always a mess, she is also a professional. This week, Danny was the one making a big, emotional mistake by providing a childhood buddy with painkillers. The B-plot this week made less sense though, and felt like simply an excuse to bring Ellie Kemper back. This wasn’t the best episode, but I still love anything that puts Mindy and Danny together.
Best moment: “I will not move to St. Paul and start a new life as a travel agent. It is a dying industry!”
Cougar Town – “This Old Town”
I just plain liked this episode, even though I never, ever EVER want Laurie and Travis to get together. (Channeling Swifty.) I loved Bobby’s storyline this week, and I really hope his tomboy girlfriend is here to stay. They’re adorable. And frankly, I could watch Jules, Grayson and Ellie embrace being old people all day. It’s a storyline I can relate to. Plus, Shirley Partridge! I loved it all.
Best moment: I’m going to start carrying a glass around all the time so I can clink it and ask a question. Also, loved the appearance of “Change approved!” My friend Ben is the BEST and throwing those into conversations.
Modern Family – “The Wow Factor”
It feels like it’s been a long time since I saw a new episode of Modern Family. This episode was predictable, but fun. Jay gave his baby away, Cam was a drama queen, Phil was a goof and Mitch tried to overcome childhood issues. But they’re notes that work for the characters, and it’s been a while, so I liked it. (Particularly Mitch’s handball storyline.)
Best moment: Luke training Mitch to beat a bully in handball. “Close your eyes, it’s okay we’re off the court… [hits him] You’re never off the court!
