How many of you HATE reading critic reviews of the movies and TV you love? Yeah... me too. As a film student who actually appreciates the brilliance of cheesy and detests the notion that all horror films are pure crap, I'm setting the record straight by providing a guide to the world of entertainment. It will be extremely biased, and I will disagree with the people who are paid to hate things, but you can rest assured that I will be Keepin' it Reel.
Megan is a self-descibed TV addict who believes that
television is a heavenly gift. As a queen of sass in the form of truths, you
can always rely on Megan to Keep it Reel.
Reviewing:
"The Crazy Ones"
Robin Williams returns to the small screen after 31 years in “The Crazy Ones” as an advertising executive whose antics have been
known to get him into trouble, with more than just his ex-wives.
Simon Roberts (Robin Williams)is the co-head of a powerful ad agency in Chicago along with his daughter, Sydney (Sarah Michelle Gellar.) Sydney is a type-A personality and with the help of her co-workers, Zach (James Wolk), Andrew (Hamish Linklater), and Lauren (Amanda Setton), attempt to keep her father under control. Big clients means big stakes, and the group must work together to stay successful.
From the beginning, Williams’ physical comedy for which he is known, comes into play, with much of the comedy relying on his natural abilities. Williams and Wolk play well off each other,
clearly pushing the boundaries of the script they’ve been given to read off (Plus, Wolk is sexy as hell to look at).
While I enjoy Williams’ antics, I struggled to enjoy the pilot, mostly because the script seemed weak, lacking funny moments that go beyond physical moments. For example, Lauren and Simon are left in a room together and Sydney encourages Lauren to “inspire” Simon. Lauren, playing up the stereotypical “dumb blonde” character (even though she isn't blonde), asks Simon if he wants to smell her “hair.” The moment was supposed to come off cute and funny and to me, just came off as awkward and unfunny. Plus, I liked her better on "The Mindy Project" but maybe that's just me being selfish.
The set up of the pilot also threw me off, without the background of the characters explained, it felt like the audience was walking straight into the middle of the series, having already been introduced and acquainted with the characters. Simon and Sydney’s relationship is something the audience is expecting to dive into, with several “touching” moments between the two set to sentimental music. But without having any previous knowledge or understanding of the relationship, it felt inauthentic to me. The show does pull in heavy talent in the form of Kelly Clarkson in one episode to well-known companies like McDonald's and Victoria's Secret.
Williams’ comedic presence will go a long way in getting this show noticed but I’m not sure it will be enough to keep it on the air long term. But the show is sandwiched between CBS’ two comedic heavy hitters, “The Big Bang Theory” and “Two and a Half Men” so it should pull enough of an audience to get off to a good start.
Reporting by: Megan Daley
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All designations below are based off of Nielsen ratings. These are not the opinions of Keepin' it Reel, but calculated according to ad revenue, viewership during live airings and 7 days of Tivo watching. If you are confused as to why certain "popular" shows have cancellation predicted designations, remember that TV is a business. If you watch TV online instead of on TV, then unfortunately, you are part of the reason why the show is there. It's an outdated system and very imperfect, but it is what it is.
Jenna Stroh
aka J-Baby is BACK! The girl with the bangs with quite a lot to say. Good luck
TV land, cuz J-Baby be about to dish it out.
Reviewing:
"Back in the Game"
I haven’t heard too much buzz about the show “Back in the Game” airing on ABC other than James Caan was in it. I was curious so I tuned in. The show is about a mom named Terry and her son Danny who are currently living with her dad Terry Sr. or “The Cannon” as they call him (super weird btw). Terry was a super awesome softball player in college and has some strained
relationship with Terry Sr because he never came to a game and told to “walk it off” when she got her first period. Danny tries out for a baseball team and when he doesn’t make it, Terry creates one with all the other misfits who didn’t get picked either.
I was beginning to lose interest. Broken home, single mom attempting to make her kids life better than hers, blah blah blah. James Caan couldn’t even really save it for me. Then the English lady showed up. With a flask of tequila. That’s when it picked up.
This lady, played by Michelle Betts, was the saving grace of the show. Also, her son is gay and sings Lady Gaga and is super fabulous. Her husband was also gay, and rich and left her a ton of money after they divorced. So basically we all wish we could live her life.
My predictions: It hasn’t been the worst thing I’ve seen this fall (looking right at you Dads). I can see it going at least a full season. Pilots are always pretty rocky and while I wasn’t super impressed, it did have its charm and character in the end. Tune in if you have a spare 22 minutes, but if you don’t watch it, you’re life will go on.
Reporting by: Jenna Stroh
If you loved what you read then tell Jenna!
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comment!
Hi, I’m Kelsey and television has
ruined my life. If you knew me in high school, you knew me as the "Girl
Who Watched Lost." If you know me now, you know me as "The Girl Who
Watches a Shit Ton of TV." I am particularly passionate about quirky
comedies and sci-fi dramas. I get a little too emotional while watching TV, so
I often write my feelings out. This is where you come in.
Reviewing:
"New Girl"
New Girl, 3.01 “All In”
How many times have you watched a show filled with sexual tension, only for it to completely flop when that tension is finally addressed? Far too often, probably. Having two lead characters who are totally into each other but don’t know it/act on it is a
familiar place for a show. As viewers, we want this tension to be addressed. We desperately need the two characters to realize what we knew all along: they’re perfect together.
But once they do finally admit their feelings and get together, the Moonlighting Curse kicks in, and the show plummets. When the tension of a show is addressed, why bother watching? What’s keeping the story moving?
The season three premiere of New Girl “All In,” looked that curse in the eye and told it to get lost. And yeah, I bet a lot of other shows have done the same thing. Everyone thinks they’re immune
to the curse. But what makes New Girl so special is that all these characters love each other so much. Like, really love each other.
First, there’s Nick and Jess, who are actually "In Love." They spend a good portion of the episode making out (no complaints here) and the rest of the time they are desperately trying to prevent anything from ruining their relationship. They flee to Mexico to avoid Schmidt, who’s a little overwhelming with how often he has to talk to Nick, and Winston who gets weird when he pulls out a puzzle. Nick and Jess try to live out of their car on the beach. But eventually, Nick ends up in Mexican jail in typical Nick Miller fashion. Jess drives home (okay, did it bug anyone else that this didn’t seem like a big deal at all, like is LA that close to Mexico?) to enlist Schmidt and Winston’s help.
Schmidt and Winston have their own weird brand of love. When Nick hasn’t returned any of Schmidt’s calls for four days, he declares Winston his new best friend. The title comes with the important task of helping Schmidt with his latest problem: picking Cece or Elizabeth. Earlier, Winston told Schmidt he had to break up with one of the girls, but the task proved too challenging for Schmidt. To his credit, he does seem to genuinely care about both women. He has history with both, and he didn’t end up breaking either of their hearts – although they each think he dumped the other. When Cece comes over to the apartment looking for Schmidt,
Winston has to cover for him. Only friends that truly, deeply care for each other would lie like Winston. “I needed your underwear to sew into my underwear.” I mean, no one else would ever take such a hit for the team.
But these guys care for each other more than most. When Jess barges in after four days without calling, saying that Nick has been arrested, Winston and Schmidt drop their problems and cross the border. It turns out Mexican jail is just a room in a hotel where he can watch Ugly Betty, but still, it’s the thought that counts.
With apartment 4D back together, we get the best moment of the night. Nick wants to stay in Mexico. He’s afraid of going back home and having his relationship with Jess screw up. He threatens to shred his passport so he can’t leave. But Jess knows they can’t stay in Mexico. This time, it’s Jess who’s able to calm down a crazed Nick.
“We’re a family,” she says. “You can’t choose who you love, sometimes they choose, and sometimes it’s just because you got a really great deal on Craigslist. I got a really great deal on Craigslist. I got all of you. There is no us without Schmidt and Winston. It’s gonna be really, really hard. But so what, Nick? So what? I believe in us. I’m all in.”
It’s exactly what they needed to hear, and with disaster averted, they decide to go home. With one slight hiccup: Nick’s passport is accidentally shredded. But fear not, Winston and his amazing (re: horrible) puzzle skills put it back together well enough to allow them all to enter the United States.
In addition to Jess’s touching monologue moving the episode
forward, it was a direct nod to the audience. It was the writers’ (and creator, Elizabeth Meriwether, who penned the episode) way of saying, “don’t worry guys, we got this.” They know the risks of making Nick and Jess a couple. But they also know the benefits. This show is heartwarming, charming, and uplifting. I don’t think that just because Nick and Jess are dating any of that has to change.
I believe in New Girl. I’m all in.
Episode Extras: (Some bits I didn’t mention in the review but are worth saying)
-Schmidt texting Nick 40 times a day is not that much, or am I texting wrong?
-Nick: “Hold on pull over that piñata looks like a monkey!” Jess immediately veers the car.
-Paradise Nick and Paradise Jess’s clothes were an endless source of entertainment.
-I would quote every line from Winston and his puzzle mania if I could. But the winner would have to be him singing: “I’m gonna do you puzzle, right on the table, as nasty as you wanna be.”
-Nick’s last ditch effort to get something from a kid: “If you don’t give me your bracelet I’ll strangle you to death.”
-Just this line: “Nick is my bitch.” – Jess
-And lastly, Winston’s face when Schmidt asks: “Winston! If you think those shoes are brown, what color do you think you are?”
Reporting by: Kelsey Lawson
If you loved what you read, then tell
Kelsey!
And don't forget to like, share, comment, and follow!
Megan is a self-descibed TV addict who believes that
television is a heavenly gift. As a queen of sass in the form of truths, you
can always rely on Megan to Keep it Reel.
Reviewing:
"The Mindy Project"
I'm pretty sure I'm Mindy Kaling's biggest fan and while I'm not ashamed to admit this, I think it does give me a certain bias when
talking about her show. So just be aware if this before continuing to read on.
***Thanks, love you forever, and you're welcome.***
The season two premiere of "The Mindy Project" picks up in Haiti, as Mindy and her boyfriend Casey (Anders Holm) have moved there in order to help those less fortunate. While this may seem like the beginning of a Lifetime movie, don't be fooled. Anyone who has been following the show since it's brilliant
first episode knows that this type of "giving" is simply not in Mindy's character. However, after spending time alone together while simultaneously helping the needy, Casey decides Mindy is the one for him, proposing to her (and obviously she said yes...because he's Anders Holm.) But before the two can celebrate the engagement, Mindy passes out, in typical Mindy fashion.
Mindy wakes up in New York, having just had surgery to remove a few stones in her gallbladder. She soon finds out she has been replaced by Dr. Paul Leotard (James Franco, yes please) and her
co-workers are having trouble in their own lives. Jeremy (Ed Weeks) has been stress eating, Danny (Chris Messina) and Christina (Chloe Sevigny) aren't getting along, and Morgan (Ike Barinholtz) is...well, he's just bein Morgan. Mindy must then make the choice to have a quicky wedding with Casey and return to Haiti or stay and fight for her job at the practice while Casey returns to Haiti without her. Like I said earlier, real Mindy fans, you know how this plays out. The reason I love this show isn't just because Mindy Kaling is hilariously perfect and I want to be just like her someday. It's because Mindy Lahiri is the romantic comedy-little girl in all of us. She wants to have that fairy tale ending like we were all promised in the Disney movies of our childhood, but the show doesn't shy away from making it perfectly clear how hard a "happily ever after" is to come by.
But the cast works well together, playing off each other's strengths and between one-liners and cultural references make the show a fast-paced watch. Ike is one of my favorite sidekicks currently on television; his facial expressions and general absurdity are too perfect. And like everyone else tuning in, I'm curious to see where the relationship with Mindy and Danny will lead, knowing Kaling will forever keep us guessing. Guest stars such as Mark Duplass ("The League") and BJ Novak ("The Office") populate the show each week, maintaining a sense of fresh comedy, with each guest star bringing a new story line and different connection to Mindy.
If you haven't watched "The Mindy Project" yet I suggest you drop what you're doing and find the nearest wifi connection (but not in a ibrary, I already made that mistake and almost got kicked out...it's fine). The show has something for everyone whether you want to laugh, cry, or just see attractive people playing doctors (I'm taking about you, James Franco), "The Mindy Project" is the way to go.
Reporting by: Megan Daley
If you loved what you read then tell Megan!
Don't forget to like us, share us, follow and comment!
Jenna Stroh
aka J-Baby is BACK! The girl with the bangs with quite a lot to say. Good luck
TV land, cuz J-Baby be about to dish it out.
Reviewing:
"Parks and Recreation"
Let me preface this review with a disclaimer: This is my 2nd favorite show of all time (only behind "The Office"). I think the characters and the comedy is some of the best I've seen on TV ever. I will never say a bad thing about this show. EVER.
The season premiere of "Parks and Rec" began with right where we left off from season 5. Andy confronts Ron about a positive pregnancy test and it turns out it is Ron's girlfriend's and she (of course!) walks in right at that moment. Ron and Diane quickly get married and BAM! the season begins!
The premiere also included Leslie and her team dealing with the citizens of Pawnee, Indiana calling for her recall from office. Basically everyone in this town is overweight and rude and awful. But luckily, April nominated Leslie for an International Women in Government award and Leslie won! Wee!! So the group jets off to London to accept the award while Ben and Andy try to get a rich British royal to donate money to their non-profit.
Another huge point of the show (drumroll, please): ANN AND CHRIS ARE HAVING A BABY AND CHRIS WANTS TO NAME IT CHICKPEA. Ok, not really. But he said it's better than Olive because a chickpea is lower in sodium. Classic Chris. But seriously, I got the feels. Chris and Ann are too freaking cute.
Overall, I thought the premiere was great. As I said before, I love the show and think it is the best piece of comedy on TV right now. I got choked up at least twice. I think the premiere wasn't focused on getting more followers, but keeping the ones they have already. So my piece of advice-watch the show from the beginning on Netflix. And P.S. Season 5 was just added!
Reporting by: Jenna Stroh
If you loved what you read then tell Jenna!
Don't forget to like us,
share us, follow and comment!
Hi, I’m Kelsey and television has ruined my life. If you knew me in high school, you knew me as the "Girl Who Watched Lost." If you know me now, you know me as "The Girl Who Watches a Shit Ton of TV." I am particularly passionate about quirky comedies and sci-fi dramas. I get a little too emotional while watching TV, so I often write my feelings out. This is where you come in.
Reviewing:
"Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
I remember scrolling through twitter last summer when I saw something that made me stop and squeal in delight. Joss Whedon was going to be creating a television show set in the Marvel universe.
I remember how excited I was to tell my dad, who’s a huge comic book fan. We’ve seen all the Marvel movies together, and he’s always telling me fun plots and characters that didn’t make it into the movies. I remember what he said to me when I told him about the show. “Eh.”
My dad had this show summed up a year before it aired. One problem with SHIELD is that it’s not one of the Marvel movies, try as it might. First off, it doesn’t have the big name movie stars. Sure, it has Clark Gregg reprising his role as Agent Phil Coulson. Turns out, Coulson never died. Nick Fury faked Coulson’s death to motivate the Avengers, and stuck Coulson on Tahiti to recuperate. But of course we’re led to believe this isn’t the full story. “He really doesn’t know does he?” “He can never know.”
Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) makes a special guest appearance, but it was very brief and mostly felt like a nod to the audience that she still exists and the creators didn’t forget about her.
It’s nice to know she can show up now and then to provide a familiar face because the rest of the cast is comprised of unknowns. Not that this is a bad thing. Chloe Bennet is particularly enthralling as Skye, a computer hacker leading Rising Tide, which aims to expose SHIELD’s secrets. She’s smart and knows how to get what she wants. The problem is the rest of the cast falls a bit flat. It’s really not their fault. Skye is the only one given the room to show any personality other than “tough guy” Ward, “the accents” Fitz and Simmons, and “shady past” Melinda May. As the show develops, these characters will as well. There’s enough room for these characters to shine, and they’re in capable hands. Whedon and his crew have shown they are more than capable of creating likeable characters in unlikely situations. One thing that SHIELD did right? For a show set in a superhero world, there was just the right amount of action. It was enough to make it seem believable, but not too much that it set the bar too high for future episodes. Instead of focusing on explosions and action-sequences, the pilot is mostly character driven. The episode revolves around Mike Peterson (J. August Richards), who’s a good man with some bad luck. He was laid off from work and his wife left him with his young son. He went to a super-secretive doctor to make him strong (re: superpowers). He was given a device called a centipede that attaches to his arm and feeds him a concoction of superjuices. The result is that it’s making Mike explosive.
Coulson rallies the team together to track Peterson down and stop him before he goes nuclear. Everyone is given their moment. Skye helps SHIELD track down Mike. Melinda May saves Skye from a gunman. Coulson talks down Mike. Fitz and Simmons find a cure. Ward shoots Mike with it. The problem-of-the-week is solved with a nice big bow on top. Skye is offered a spot in SHIELD. I have a feeling she’ll accept. Of course, there’s still some mystery left – who made the serum and the centipede? But there has to be a Big Bad.
You’ll be able to find fault in SHIELD only if you scrutinize it too closely. I watched the show expecting something big, something… movie-like. But don’t. It has all the components of a good show, and a successful show runner to back it up. This isn’t supposed to be a blockbuster movie. It’s supposed to be a TV show. And it does a fine job of that.
Reporting by: Kelsey
Lawson
If you loved what you read, then tell Kelsey!
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