As February comes to an end and I have nothing to say about the Olympics, I must revisit some of my own thoughts of love as the light of sitcoms shine into my heart.

Ahhh, love. All I have to say to that is BLERGHHH! No, I’m not some spinster living in an upstairs apartment with two cats and a pint of homemade triple fudge brownie ice cream in the freezer. I’m a married woman living in an upstairs apartment with two cats and a pint of homemade triple fudge brownie ice cream in the freezer. I’m not put off by love. I love my hubby. But I frustrate him every year with my vitriol against the Hallmark sponsored day of red and pink. He wants to do nice things for me, but I completely rebuff every flower, every chocolate and ever traditional valentiney thing that he would try to do. This year, though, the lead up to Valentine’s Day was paved with comedic gold with Valentine themed or tinged episodes of my favourite comedies. Will the lessons learned soothe the heart of this savage anti-valentiner?

Parks & Recreation – Galentine’s Day

Galentine’s Day… I used to do Anti-Valentine’s Day myself, parties full of garlic and broken heart cookies and movies about love that has gone wrong… oh so wrong. I didn’t have beef with love, but I could punch Valentine’s Day in the face. Easily.

I could do Galentine’s Day though. I LOVE that concept. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a holiday and more. Women sitting around telling love stories, and eating good food. Okay, so maybe it’s the eating with friends. ANYway… This episode was great. Ron Swanson is the best character ever!

After Leslie’s mom, Marlene, tells the tale of falling in love with a lifeguard before her parents broke it off, Leslie takes the tale to Justin, who wants to try to get them back together. Justin successfully tracks down Frank finding him in Illinois. Justin and Leslie drive down to meet him, but as the day progresses, with John Larroquette doing a great turn as the aged lifeguard Frank, Leslie realizes that Frank is crazy and will not make her mom happy. Marlene is at first astonished to see Frank, but the more he talks, the more she knows that she wants nothing to do with him. Frank offers to give Marlene another chance, but she turns him down. He takes the stage and “shows” Marlene what she’s missing out on. Leslie doesn’t know why she is disappointed with Justin’s attitude until Ron Swanson points out that Justin is just a tourist who vacations in people’s lives, looking for the story before leaving. This leads Leslie to break up with Justin on the most perfect day of love (gag).

Lesson for this Anti-Valentiner: Do NOT track down old flames after more than 40 years. Also, beware of men who care a lot more about your story than you.

Poor Tom wants to tell his ex-wife that he likes her, but she tells him that they can only be friend. So he tries to blackmail her into getting to fall in love with him. Somehow, even though he tried that, she still ends up forgiving him at the end.

Lesson for this Anti-Valentiner: Cute counts for something. What? I don’t know, but something.

April realizes that Ann may still have feelings for Andy (there’s a whole bunch of “A” names in this sentence). Ann may be growing tired of her nice, normal relationship with Mark.

Lesson for this Anti-Valentiner: Ladies know how to bring the drama! (Psych! I already knew that!)

As February comes to an end and I have nothing to say about the Olympics, I must revisit some of my own thoughts of love as the light of sitcoms shine into my heart.

Ahhh, love. All I have to say to that is BLERGHHH! No, I’m not some spinster living in an upstairs apartment with two cats and a pint of homemade triple fudge brownie ice cream in the freezer. I’m a married woman living in an upstairs apartment with two cats and a pint of homemade triple fudge brownie ice cream in the freezer. I’m not put off by love. I love my hubby. But I frustrate him every year with my vitriol against the Hallmark sponsored day of red and pink. He wants to do nice things for me, but I completely rebuff every flower, every chocolate and ever traditional valentiney thing that he would try to do. This year, though, the lead up to Valentine’s Day was paved with comedic gold with Valentine themed or tinged episodes of my favourite comedies. Will the lessons learned soothe the heart of this savage anti-valentiner?

Community – Communications Studies

After Britta drunk dials him, Abed tell Jeff that he has to truly drunk dial Britta in order to even the balance of their friendship.

Well, the Human Being was especially creepy this holiday, which is one of the things that makes this show so fun. The show opens to Jeff listening to Britta’s message, but we don’t get the full impact until Britta makes it to the tail in of study session. She looks like death warmed over. When he gloats to her about her call, she freaks and their friendship does not go smoothly. Abed tells him that he needs to even the playing field and asks if he can do a drunk voice. Obviously to Abed, Jeff can’t. So Abed conspires to get him drunk. When that goes slowly, Abed decided to drink with him and the night goes rapidly downhill from there.  Abed is so hung over, he can’t make any movie and tv references. He just lets us know when he would have put in those references. In the B storyline, Pierce and Troy, upset that no one sent them Valentines, sent themselves Valentines. Senor Chang ridiculed them for it. Shirley and Annie, upset at Senor Chang, come up with something they think will get him back, but he thinks that Pierce and Troy are trying to get at him, so he seeks retribution by making them come to the Valentine’s Day dance dressed in women’s pantsuits. However, in all of that, Troy and Pierce realize that Shirley and Annie care enough about them to try something, even if it did go awry.

Lesson Learned by this Anti-Valentiner: Don’t frak with Senor Chang, fro-yo is delicious, and do not get drunk enough to drunk dial anyone.

As February comes to an end and I have nothing to say about the Olympics, I must revisit some of my own thoughts of love as the light of sitcoms shine into my heart.

Ahhh, love. All I have to say to that is BLERGHHH! No, I’m not some spinster living in an upstairs apartment with two cats and a pint of homemade triple fudge brownie ice cream in the freezer. I’m a married woman living in an upstairs apartment with two cats and a pint of homemade triple fudge brownie ice cream in the freezer. I’m not put off by love. I love my hubby. But I frustrate him every year with my vitriol against the Hallmark sponsored day of red and pink. He wants to do nice things for me, but I completely rebuff every flower, every chocolate and ever traditional valentiney thing that he would try to do. This year, though, the lead up to Valentine’s Day was paved with comedic gold with Valentine themed or tinged episodes of my favourite comedies. Will the lessons learned soothe the heart of this savage anti-valentiner?

Cougar Town – When a Kid Goes Bad

This was a Valentine tinged episode in that it wasn’t wholly about Valentine’s Day. Jules is bummed because she’s about to spend Valentine’s Day alone. Laurie meets Smith’s dad, who is Andy’s client and that guy does not like Laurie. Greyson deals with not wanting to grow too attached to Jules, while still wanting to be there and a Christmas lights war between Allie and Greyson gets super crazy. Also, Jules and Bobby play a trick on Travis where they teach him that he always has one parent to call when he starts drinking.

That rough gist is the best you can hope for in a show like this so we’re going to skip right to lessons learned.

Lesson Learned by this Anti-Valentiner: Cougar Town really isn’t the place you should be getting Valentine’s Day advice from, especially when the main holiday celebrated is Christmas… two months later…

As February comes to an end and I have nothing to say about the Olympics, I must revisit some of my own thoughts of love as the light of sitcoms shine into my heart.

Ahhh, love. All I have to say to that is BLERGHHH! No, I’m not some spinster living in an upstairs apartment with two cats and a pint of homemade triple fudge brownie ice cream in the freezer. I’m a married woman living in an upstairs apartment with two cats and a pint of homemade triple fudge brownie ice cream in the freezer. I’m not put off by love. I love my hubby. But I frustrate him every year with my vitriol against the Hallmark sponsored day of red and pink. He wants to do nice things for me, but I completely rebuff every flower, every chocolate and ever traditional valentiney thing that he would try to do. This year, though, the lead up to Valentine’s Day was paved with comedic gold with Valentine themed or tinged episodes of my favourite comedies. Will the lessons learned soothe the heart of this savage anti-valentiner?

Modern Family – My Funky Valentine

After years of celebrating Valentine’s day the same way (card exchange, kiss, dinner at a family style Italian eatery), the Dunphys decide to spice up their love life with a little role playing and a room at a nice hotel. Jay takes Gloria to see a comedian with disastrous effects and Mitchell and Cameron head to a ice cream eatery to help Manny make a love connection.

When Dylan brings Haley a life size painting (from a photo with a paint program printed on large canvas) of them together, Phil realizes he got outshone by a high schooler. So he conspires with his wife to set up a date at a hotel, complete with role playing. With a few false starts, Phil says the right thing to get Claire going. She excuses herself and comes back in just a coat. Then things start going wrong. Her belt gets caught in the escalator and everyone they know, neighbors, teachers, co-workers and eventually her father and stepmother, see them in their predicament. It is with Gloria’s help that Claire is finally helped out of the situation, switching coats without revealing skin and leaving the discarded coat on the escalator.

Lesson Learned by this Anti-Valentiner: Don’t buy coats with attached belts.

Jay and Gloria were in the hotel to see a comedian, whom Gloria did not want to see, but she had to admit that the comedian was funny… Until he turned his jokes on Jay’s age versus his wife’s obvious youth and beauty. Jay’s insecurities bubble to the surface and Gloria quickly reassures him that she will always love him, just like he will love her if she gets fat. She does promise to get fat when Jay pauses before agreeing that he would still love her but also points out that he has to get old, but she doesn’t have to get fat.

Lesson Learned by this Anti-Valentiner: Be prepared, if you are older than your younger, beautiful spouse, to be ridiculed for it and have to prove over and over again that you really do, actually love each other.

Manny is hit by heartache again when a big bully in class steals Manny’s love poem to a girl and says it’s his own. Enter uncles Mitchell and Cameron, who, despite Mitchell’s disappointment with how a case went and his Valentiney Scrooginess (I like it!), help Manny try to win the girl. Mitchell gets to give his speech after all to a confused restaurant audience, but it makes his (and Cameron’s) Valentine Day more awesome. Manny, on the other hand, loses the girl because the bully guy really did like her and young girls are crazy. I would pick Manny in a heartbeat if I were 50 years younger! (that’s how old I feel today).

Lesson Learned by this Anti-Valentiner: Young girls are crazy. Oh, who am I kidding? I already knew that. No, the lesson learned is that sometimes, you gotta let the anti-valentiner get it off their chest.

As February comes to an end and I have nothing to say about the Olympics, I must revisit some of my own thoughts of love as the light of sitcoms shine into my heart.

Ahhh, love. All I have to say to that is BLERGHHH! No, I’m not some spinster living in an upstairs apartment with two cats and a pint of homemade triple fudge brownie ice cream in the freezer. I’m a married woman living in an upstairs apartment with two cats and a pint of homemade triple fudge brownie ice cream in the freezer. I’m not put off by love. I love my hubby. But I frustrate him every year with my vitriol against the Hallmark sponsored day of red and pink. He wants to do nice things for me, but I completely rebuff every flower, every chocolate and ever traditional valentiney thing that he would try to do. This year, though, the lead up to Valentine’s Day was paved with comedic gold with Valentine themed or tinged episodes of my favourite comedies. Will the lessons learned soothe the heart of this savage anti-valentiner?

The Middle – Valentine’s Day

Frankie and Mike want to spend just one Valentine’s Day without the kiddos, but life and kids, as usual, conspire against them. You know, if they didn’t get such nice little lessons at the end, I would end each episode in despair. All Mike and Frankie want to do is go to their favourite restaurant, then go home and be with each other. With Brick at a sleepover (a surprise to Frankie that anyone would want her weirdest child – until you realize that the other mother’s child is just as weird), Sue going to her first boy-girl party and Axel trying to score money for a date he’s ill prepared for, the adult Hecks think there’s a possibility this V-Day could go off without a hitch.

Hitch 1: Axel and the boys end up back at the apartment after getting ditched by their girls for college boys, whom they erroneously assume will foot the bill and hand over the girls when the night is done. They take over the house, forcing Frankie & Mike to their restaurant earlier than normal.

Hitch 2: After waiting for a couple of hours in front of the drafty door, Frankie and Mike get their seat and actually start to relax and enjoy themselves when Frankie gets a call from the mother of Brick’s new friend. Obviously, the chocolate Frankie gave Brick to share with is new friend was the wrong step for a peaceful night. So Brick gets bundled up and joins his parents on their date. It’s okay though. He’s engrossed in his book (I really like that kid).

Hitch 3: Sue realizes that she does not need to be at that party. She’s still just a little kid. No, she doesn’t want any beer, to smoke pot or to make out. She sneaks off and calls her dad, who didn’t want her to go in the first place, pulling Mike away from the restaurant to swoop in an get his daughter. He does it in raging, tall as hell, scary father style and Sue finds out her best friend, who got her braces off and is now considered attractive (and the main reason Sue was invited to the party) is also uncomfortable at the party. Thus, Mike ends up rescuing two girls and having them join in his and Frankie’s romantic outing.

In the end, all the kids (plus extras) end up at the table and Frankie realizes that she might as well treasure these days because one day, they won’t be around. Awwwww.

Lesson Learned by this Anti-Valentiner: Don’t have kids. Don’t go out to eat on Valentine’s Day.

I have become such a big fan of Parks and Recreation.  It could be because I mirror Ron Swanson’s love of breakfast food, maybe it’s because the writers made Leslie Knope a more realistic over-zealous character, maybe it’s because the writers have a better grasp on what makes each of the characters great and that gives us the laughs, but the second season of Parks and Recreations has been absolutely phenomenal. From the hunting lodge incident to the current episode, there has been some really big laughs, consistently big laughs. I love the storyline they are developing with April and can’t wait to see how Andy takes it when he finds out April likes him. I wish Tom had told his fake wife that he actually liked her. It will be interesting seeing her interact with Ron and I love the new guy in Leslie’s life.

I want to look into the differences from last year to now to fully see the subtle, but brilliant, changes the writers made that took this show from, “I guess I’ll watch it” to something that is a must watch, but whatever they did made this a valuable asset to the Thursday night comedy block. Though, seriously, how irritating would ghost Roomba be?

Ron Swanson was awesome this week, his irritation with Leslie for not letting him drive after a couple of drinks. Loved the scene where he shows Leslie that he can build beautiful things, like a harp, even when he’s had enough drinks to be hammered. Also, the turf and turf. Sign me up!

At first, I avoided Party Down. I kept hearing it was good, but I watch so much television that I didn’t really have time for it. So when the finales all played out and I found myself with a little time on my hands, I headed to my friend, the friend who was in love with Party Down, and had myself a sitdown with this comedy show from Starz.

Party Down is the story of a catering outfit staffed by wannabe actors and entertainers who find themselves in awkward situations at the parties they cater. Because they’d rather be doing something else, ANYthing else, they don’t take the job too seriously. All except Ron, the team leader, who wants to prove that he has enough management skills to run a Soup R Crackers that the Party Down owner is supposedly helping him fund. The characters are interesting enough: An actor that left the game after a catch-phrase “ruined” his career(Henry, played sardonically by Adam Scott) , a seemingly vapid pretty boy(Kyle, played with heart by Ryan Hansen), an older actress with stories from “back in the day”(Constance, played with verve by Jane Lynch), a geeky writer who feels like life treats him unfairly (Roman, played with nerdy prejudice by Martin Starr), the non-leader leader who is trying to leave his wild party days behind for greater responsibility(Ron, played with great loserosity by Ken Marino) and a comedienne who is just passing the time until her agent calls with a comedy gig (Casey, played with a tinge of sarcasm by Lizzy Caplan) with great guest stars that included almost the entire Veronica Mars cast and nobody else. Just kidding, there were some really awesome guest stars. My favourite was Steven Weber as the celebrity crazy mafioso.

So, what is the show about? It’s about the everyday people you know trying to make it, who may or may not have talent, but who keep going because anything else would be unacceptable. Of course, there’s the one guy who’s given up and he is in stark contrast to the continual striving of the others. It’s great fodder for drama, but Rob Thomas, John Enbom, Dan Etheridge and Paul Rudd have done a very good job of convincing us that it is a comedy. In a way, it follows The Office brand of humour, the kind that is so funny when seen from a distance or years later upon recollection, but just make you squirm in the moment if it happened to you.

But the parts that are pure humour are hilarious. From the eyebrow thing to the pool of vomit thing to the “dragons are fantasy” thing (you know what I’m talking about), those moments of humour are not only what I remember, but help me know what a great cast and what great writing this show has. The most fantastic thing of all, though, is that Fred Savage directed 5 episodes of the show. That’s right, Kevin Arnold from the wonder years. For some reason, that really makes me happy.

Last but not least, let me direct you to Alan Sepinwall’s interview with Rob Thomas and John Enbom as they talk about what they liked and didn’t like about the season. Party Down has been renewed for a second season, and I like that.