Castle – Recap & Review – Swan Song

photo: abc

Castle
Swan Song

Original Air Date: Nov 12, 2012

Divina F – TwoCents Reviewer
divina@thetwocentscorp.com

I’ve been excited about this episode since I found out about the direction David Barrett was taking the “documentary style” investigation. What resulted was something immensely fascinating to watch.

Castle in its fifth season has not disappointed me so far, and the fresh angle of the camera directing was awesome. The episode opens up on an up and coming band, excited about their rising stardom. Unfortunately, their lead guitarist can’t share their enthusiasm over that morning’s glowing reviews because he was bludgeoned to death with his own Gibson. (I’m slightly offended by the “next Nirvana” comment and its karma-like essence here.)

How I Met Your Mother – Recap & Review – Splitsville

photo: cbs

How I Met Your Mother
Splitsville

Original Air Date: Nov 12, 2012

Caitlin –Staff Writer
caitlin@thetwocentscorp.com

Within the first five episodes of this season, we went from having one married couple and three happy relationships to having one married couple and two decisive break-ups. Now, only Robin and Nick are left to realize they were doomed from the start.

With Nick unable to have sex due to a groin injury, Robin has discovered he’s really not too bright. Considering we haven’t seen that before just now, I don’t blame her. And yet her friends suddenly have about a dozen examples of the fact.

ABC Gives Nashville A Full Season Pickup; Orders More Last Man Standing and Malibu Country

photo: abc

According to The Hollywood Reporter, ABC has ordered a back-nine for freshman drama series Nashville, thus giving it a full season order. The show joins fellow newbie The Neighbors as having received a full season pickup from the network.

ABC also ordered three additional scripts for Friday comedy series Last Man Standing and Malibu Country.

EDIT: Added official Nashville pick-up press release from ABC.

The Good Wife – Recap & Review – Anatomy of a Joke

photo: cbs

The Good Wife
Anatomy of a Joke

Original Air Date: Nov 11, 2012

Patricia Morris Buckley – Sr. Staff Writer
pmb@thetwocentscorp.com

I can now truly say that Christina Ricci has no future as a stand up comic. Perhaps it’s because of the Dane Cook-like jokes the writers gave her character Therese Dodd or because she lacks that “zing” delivery that can make anything funny.

But it works that maybe she’s not that funny because when Therese gets on a talk show, she bares her chest in an attempt to show other women how to examine their breast. When Alicia and Diane fight diligently to help defend her in a suit against the network, its all for nothing in when the make up person admits that Therese asked for her breasts to be made up, proving that she premeditated the bit.

Comic Book Men – Recap & Review – The Sidewalk Stash

photo: amc

Comic Book Men
The Sidewalk Stash

Original Air Date: Nov 11, 2012

Jeff L – Señor Staff Writer
JeffL@thetwocentscorp.com

The cold open finds Ming and Walt quizzing each other with the latest issue of The Comic Book Price Guide. When it turns out Bryan can randomly guess prices better than both Ming and Walt, who’ve studied the book – Walt vows to spend the next seven hours memorizing the entire book cover to cover.

Ming takes inventory a decides to try to move some merch during the Red Bank Sidewalk Sale. Walt tries to convince him that it’s a waste of time, but Ming has other ideas. He’s confident he can make some sales. After a few hours of little or no action, Ming begins selling comics by the pound. That concept quickly falls by the wayside and Ming puts his design skills to work and develops a prize wheel customers can spin to win various discounts or free comics. After about seven hours spent in the hot sun, Ming reports back with his $90, but Bryan quickly points out that $90 doesn’t even cover Ming’s salary for the day he wasted outside.

Family Guy – Recap & Review – Yug Ylimaf

photo: fox

Family Guy
Yug Ylimaf

Original Air Date: Nov 11, 2012

Kym – Senior Reviewer
kym@thetwocentscorp.com

The 200th episode opens at Ladies Night with Brian, of course, trying to pick up loose women. Cindy is a perfect example of his type – women who only feel good about themselves when men want to have sex with them. He almost loses his chance with her, being no competition for the macho man who’s also after her, until he offers to show her “his” time machine.

As we all know, it’s actually Stewie’s time machine, and Brian shouldn’t really be messing with it, as becomes VERY obvious.

666 Park Avenue – Recap & Review – Downward Spiral

photo: abc

666 Park Avenue
Downward Spiral

Original Air Date: Nov 11, 2012

Keith G – TwoCents Reviewer
keithg@thetwocentscorp.com

Last week, Henry and Jane dealt with the after effects of Kandinsky trying to kill Commissioner Pike. Henry was lauded as a hero by the mayor and other citizens of the city, while Jane wrestled with the demons resulting from her attack by a ghost. Dr. Evans asked Gavin for a loan, resulting in his becoming the “on call” physician for the Drake. The show ended with Kandinsky showing up at the hospital after being stabbed in jail and Gavin calling Evans to help Kandinsky escape.

As this episode begins, we flash back to 1998, where a pregnant woman (Melanie) is getting on the elevator with Gavin. She and Gavin talk about her pregnancy and she seems to be leery of him. (Wouldn’t you be? He exudes creepiness!) When Melanie arrives in her mother’s apartment , Lottie Clark warns Melanie to not come back to the Drake until after her daughter (Nona) is born. Melanie gets in the elevator, the lights flash, and she goes into labor.

Revenge – Recap & Review – Penance

photo: abc

Revenge
Penance

Original Air Date: Nov 11, 2012

Keith G – TwoCents Reviewer
keithg@thetwocentscorp.com

Last week, Conrad was arrested for the murder of Gordon Murphy after being framed by Emily. He made a new deal with the Initiative and was released on bail. I’m still a little unclear on how the Initiative has that much influence on the judicial system, but I guess we will find that out later. Mason Treadwell had been researching more about David Clarke and realized that all roads lead back to Emily.

Mason visits Emily confront her about her relationship with Amanda. He has evidence that they had known each other longer than they have let on. Mason insinuates that Emily and Amanda are lovers because of Emily’s financial support of Amanda and their history together. Later, he contacts Amanda, informing of what he knows. He wants to meet with her. Amanda contacts Emily and says she is going to deal with Mason her own way. Emily talks her down. Later, Mason shows up at the pub to meet with Amanda. After this, Amanda decides to take things into her own hands. She tells Mason that she will meet with him at this house to discuss her relationship with Emily.

The Walking Dead – Recap & Review – Say The Word

photo: amc

The Walking Dead
Say The Word

Original Air Date: Nov 11, 2012

JD – Sr. Staff Writer
jd@thetwocentscorp.com

I am pretty sure I’m still reeling from last week’s episode, which was utter insanity. When we left our heroes, Rick was crumpled on the ground, sobbing, having just learned Lori didn’t make it through the last Walker attack. The look they shared across the yard last week gave me hope they might work things out finally, but… nope. I guess you could say Lori was lucky, though, as she didn’t get her face eaten off and actually had an opportunity to say goodbye to her son… who had to shoot her in the head after she was gone. “Lucky” is a relative term in this world.

Carol was lucky too, in that relative sense, because T-Dog, knowing he was already a goner, sacrificed himself to keep her safe. The problem is… well, where is she? As of the end of last week’s episode, she was the only one unaccounted for. So after only four episodes this season, we have Lori and T-Dog dead (potentially to be replaced by Axel and Oscar), Carol missing, an utterly traumatized Rick and Carl, a partially legless Hershel, and a newborn baby that will probably start screaming any minute and attract the undead with its cries. Fantastic. Let’s see what episode five had in store for us.

ABC to Air “A Charlie Brown Christmas’ and ‘Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa’ Nov. 28

photo: abc

The ABC Television Network will celebrate the joy of the holidays with the classic animated Christmas-themed PEANUTS special, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” (rebroadcast; OAD on ABC: 12/6/01), created by late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, airing WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET). The hour will also include “Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa” (rebroadcast; OAD on ABC 12/7/10), the seven-minute animated short featuring The Voice of Betty White as Mrs. Claus.

In the digitally-remastered 1965 special, “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” Charlie Brown complains about the overwhelming materialism that he sees everywhere during the Christmas season. Lucy suggests that he become director of the school Christmas pageant, and Charlie Brown accepts, but it proves to be a frustrating struggle. When an attempt to restore the proper spirit with a forlorn little fir Christmas tree fails, Charlie Brown needs Linus’ help to learn what the real meaning of Christmas is.