MY TAKE…on Thursday TV

There wasn’t a whole lot of TV to watch last night (I know in my house, we had way too many basketball games on), but what we did watch was certainly entertaining!

Let’s start with FLASH FORWARD, shall we?   If you remember from yesterday’s interview with Joseph Fiennes and Dominic Monaghan, I was really excited for the Spring premiere of the show.  The boys weren’t lying when they said that the wheels have really come off the roller coaster now!  We got great information about Dominic’s Simon Campos (why he was involved, how he was involved, his family backstory), and saw the beginning of his contributions to the blackout.  He’s totally a misunderstood badass who didn’t intentionally start the whole thing off, but totally embraces the murderous side of things when he needs to make a point!  I love his relationship with Janice, and I hope that continues to play out.  I see them becoming totally unlikely best friends.  It was good to see that we got some more information, too, about Mark’s phone call during the black out (spoiler alert: he called his wife’s “other man”!!)  For me, the show was firing on all cylinders! I will say though, that the sooner they can get rid of Michael Ealy’s (boring) new partner for Demetri, the better!  Sure the ratings weren’t great, but it beat a BONES rerun, and ABC seems happy about it!

The only other new stuff (that I had time to watch, P RUNWAY will be watched this weekend) was on NBC last night – a solid two hour block of comedy that had me laughing the whole time!  If I had to write up my favorites in “1st…2nd…3rd…in no particular order” as Michael Scott would say it, my list goes PARKS AND RECREATION, COMMUNITY, 30 ROCK, THE OFFICE, but I don’t think there was a totally “weak” episode in the bunch.

PARKS AND RECREATION focused (perfectly) on the oft-made fun of Jerry, and his terrible mugging in the park that set off a ridiculously awesome chain of events.  I laughed out loud like a crazy person for the entire episode!  Notable moments for me in the episode:  Leslie’s trying to get Andy Samberg’s Carl to speak in a quiet voice was genius; Tom running alongside the golf cart; Ron squeezing Andy so hard he passed out; Ann’s sudden jealousy over the awesomeness that is Andy/April; Leslie’s Tom impersonation; Mo Collins forever and always; Ron Swanson’s genius martial arts instructor outfit.  So glad this show is getting the credit it deserves; it’s easily one of my favorites currently on TV!

Over on COMMUNITY – oh my little blueberries, how I love that this cast can be split up into two “breeze” classes and the story still works.  Any combination of these people is hilarious.  Jeff, Abed, and Annie decide to take Beginner’s Pottery, and Jeff’s lack of skill makes him immediately question the pottery natural on the other side of the room.  Abed’s use of the crutch-like voiceover was genius.  The phallic nature of Annie’s pottery was awesome.  Buster Bluth himself, Tony Hale, playing the hippie-dippie-hates-GHOST instructor was another stroke of casting genius.  LOVED IT!  And then you have Captain Shirley and her merry band of sailing misfits – the once-drowned Pierce, Troy, Britta, and the always classic Starburns.  The climax of the scene, with Pierce baling water from his canoe on wheels was genius, and kudos to Lee Majors for his Seamen speech to the new Yachters.  LOVE IT!

Man, when 30 ROCK plays up the Tracey is an idiot story line, they get some big laughs, don’t they?  Tracey’s nanny writes a tell all that explains he’s a serial monogamist and he is pissed!  So is Angie, who threatens to break up with him if he doesn’t have an affair. I love when he and Jenna team up to do something stupid.  They’re great together.  Liz has her own problems with “Future Husband” Wesley Snipes.  God I hope Michael Sheen does really come back in May. For Sweeps.  He caused quite a Lizaster!  The Jack storyline is the weakest one for me – sorry Alec Baldwin – but I will say “of course” Kenneth would be the piano player at Don Geiss’ funeral.  Why wouldn’t he?

At the “bottom of the barrel” so to speak is last night’s unhinged THE OFFICE.  It wasn’t a “bad episode” so to speak, but it wasn’t laugh a minute.  I never like Michael and Dwight shenanigans.  Like never. There were things I loved, though!  Creed’s obviously stolen glasses; Ryan and Kelly’s fighting and Stanley’s willingness to moderate; Phyllis’ horribly mean streak.  Very funny.  I think Andy and Erin are the dumbed down version of Jim and Pam, and while I think his red pants were funny, I’m not as invested in those two as I was in JAM.  An okay episode, but weakened in comparison to what we got from P-REX and COMMUNITY!

What about you guys?  What did you watch last night?  Did you enjoy the return of FLASH FORWARD as much as I did?  Were your NBC comedies in a different order?