Via Screen Crush

Christmas in April. That’s what this show has come to. Of course, with all of the scheduling conflicts surrounding “Community,” it’s no surprise that the Christmas-themed “Intro to Knots” got pushed back this far. And while the episode was pretty much on par with the rest of this season, it hinted at some interesting developments for the next two episodes and what could be an epic season finale.

As the gang prepares for this year’s Christmas festivities at Jeff’s swanky apartment, Annie reveals that she invited Professor Cornwallis to the party with the hopes of making a good impression on him and raising their “failing” C–grade on a group project. The group is clearly divided on this subject, as half of them are quick to protest Cornwallis’s presence while the other half attempts to shower him with compliments. However, when Kevin accidentally ties him up, Cornwallis begins to play mind games with the study group through the promise of a passing grade for whoever unties him first. What follows is a test of loyalty, as certain members of the group — Annie and Shirley, for example — find themselves pitted against each other.

I was surprised by how little character development there was in this episode. There may only two episodes left of the show, so any development of this sort might have felt out of place, but this season has been relatively focused on fleshing out the lives of certain characters. Instead, we got to watch as the very fabric of the study group came undone through Cornwallis’s mind games. It was also strange not seeing Pierce for the second episode in a row. Of course, the conflicts on set involving Chevy Chase have become well known, so his absence is understandable. But still, Pierce has been an integral part of the show, so not having him appear still feels noticeable. And throughout the entire episode, Abed was left with nothing much to do but make “Die Hard” references. This made me sad.

However, it was nice to see a follow-up to the Kevin-Chang reveal we first saw in “Advanced Documentary Filmmaking.” The writers are definitely setting up some sort of ultimate showdown for the possible series finale, and if my predictions are right, we’ll hopefully be seeing Dean Spreck and the students of City College return for one last stand.

That storyline started out just fine — Dean Pelton walks into Jeff’s apartment with a basket full of kittens and hands one out to each of the characters. But then, out of nowhere, Abed mentions the “darkest timeline” that made the third season of “Community” so great. The action then shifts over to this timeline, where Evil Jeff is defending Evil Annie, who is complete with crazy hair and a Hannibal Lecter-style facemask- in a courtroom. After proving Evil Annie’s innocence, Evil Jeff embraces her and declares their plans to “destroy the prime timeline.” Could we be seeing the dark versions of Annie and Jeff cross over to our timeline at the end of the season, just as Evil Abed did at the end of season 3? Or was this just a throwaway gag made by the writing staff? Or maybe it was all just one big promotional stunt for “Hannibal,” NBC’s newest drama?

Whatever the case, it was weird. And for a show like “Community,” that’s saying something.

Jeremy Pick is a staff writer.  Email him at entertainment@nyunews.com.

We’ve never really liked Don Draper. He’s charming and very likable, and we’re drawn to him, just as everyone is. And yet we’ve never liked him. We don’t want to like him. But the fact that he so blatantly threw a wrench into dealings with Jaguar just because he didn’t like Herb, and didn’t like what they’d all done to Joan? Well, we like him now. Don has always been muddy, morally speaking. After six years, we can confidently say that he has no qualms about cheating on his significant other, stealing another man’s identity, or any of the myriad of foibles in his arsenal. Yet here he is, this (to all intents and purposes) amoral (with immoral leanings) man, refusing to bow down to this pig of a man just because he’s their client. The fact that Joan retreats to hisoffice when Herb is in the building, and no one else’s, is very telling. It made us see Don in a new light, and made us like him, guiltlessly, just a little bit more.

And then immediately ridding us of that newfound appreciation, the remainder of the episode (as it pertained to Don) revolved around his ongoing affair with Sylvia. And this should really put Don’s flimsy morals to the test in the coming weeks. This week we were privy to the revelation that Megan had miscarried, and that she wants to discuss with Don the possibility of having children. Will this make a difference to his philandering? Will the fact that he and Megan are trying to have a baby cause him to at least reconsider? We’re not sure. But we have this overwhelming feeling that the affair can only end badly.

And Don is not the only one whose bed-hopping ways are causing trouble. Pete, ever trying to play with the big boys, embarks on another little affair of his own. He really doesn’t have any luck with his affairs, does he…? This woman tells her husband, and then tells Trudy. Trudy, delivering some of the best lines of the episode, tells him that they’re through but, because she’s not a quitter, she won’t be divorcing him. He’s banned to the city, which should make him happy. He’s now free to do what he wants. But this is Pete, and he’s never happy. He resents being told what to do. We don’t think we’ve seen the last of this storyline.

Capitalizing on last week’s intimations of such, Peggy is cemented this week as Don’s natural successor. “The Doorway” saw her as demanding and oblivious to the plight of her underlings, perfectly embodying Don Draper. “Collaborators” has advanced this even further. The episode features her attempting to undergo much the same transformation she foisted on Don, complete with awkward attempts at being nice to her team, sarcastic ‘gifts’ from that same team, and the spurring intervention of her secretary. This is all perhaps setting the tone for a far more Don-esque personality development. We’re only three episodes in and, already, the tension between her and Ted is ready to bubble over. Will Peggy truly follow in the footsteps of her one-time mentor and become a serial adulterer?

Finally, we turn to business. (We often get so wrapped up in the juicy storylines that we forget that Mad Men is ostensibly a work-place drama). An arc that is no doubt going to play throughout the season is the introduction of Heinz ketchup (repped by the sleek Kip Pardue; ER, Remember the Titans) to the mix. Last season was all about baked beans. This season, SCDP have hit the mother lode – ketchup – and have had to turn it down to “dance with the one that brung ya”. This, and her still amicable relationship with Stan at SCDP, have brought ketchup into Peggy’s lap. Ted is determined to win the account, and asks for Peggy’s help. This is likely to cause rifts with her former workmates, and should take up much of the narrative over the next few episodes.

All in all, a great episode that more than made up for the weaknesses of each of the other shows we watched during the week. Once again, however, we wish Joan had been used a little more. We feel like she worked her way up to partner just to become a background player all over again. We live in hope that, sooner rather than later, the writers will bring her back out to play. – K

Quoteworthy: “Couldn’t you just pretend? I let you have that apartment. Somehow I though there was some dignity in granting permission. All I wanted was for you to be discreet. She lives on our block!” – Trudy

The fact that we’re getting a Christmas episode in April is, again, a result of NBC yanking Community from its planned October season premiere (from which the producers presumably painstakingly timed the airing of these holiday shows) to its eventual February berth. It’s also worth noting that it’s been well over a month since we saw the Thankgsiving episode, due to a rerun and some shuffling of the shows’ airing order (last week’s puppet episode, for example, was apparently going to be the season finale—thankfully, cooler heads prevailed).

The good news about “Intro to Knots” is that it is both better than the Thanksgiving episode and better than writer Andy Bobrow’s last credit, the strained season premiere. The episode’s primary flaw is that it feels like five pounds of flour in a three pound bag—there’s good stuff here, but just as it gets going, it has to hurry up and end.

The good stuff first. We get a lot of primo Annie in this episode—so much so that we start to realize how Alison Brie’s been rather underused this season. Her entrance (in the midst of a very fancy long-take opening shot; kudos to director Tristam Shepeero) and charming play-house dress-up of Jeff’s bachelor pad (“just to make the place look a little less… corporate short-term housing”) is adorable, and the fierceness of her harrowing tale of professorial malice is one of her best acting beats in recent memory (the fact that Shirley “intimidates him with her sexuality” is a nice touch). And speaking of underused, here’s Malcolm McDowell again, and utilized much better than in “Alternative History of the German Invasion.” He proves himself a good Community utility player: appropriately villainous, admirably game, and smooth with the transitions into pathos. (Also worth noting is Chevy Chase’s absence, weakly explained by Pierce going to “sensitivity training.” This is apparently one of those episodes that wasn’t yet in the can when he got the boot late in the season’s production cycle.)

The idea that the gang would basically kidnap a professor strains credibility, sure, but the situation is well handled by writer Bobrow, and it sets up a pretty juicy central premise: testing the group’s loyalty to each other by allowing one of them the chance to get an A—if they’ll betray the others. In all fairness, that conflict is rich enough that it might be too big to fit into one 22-minute episodes, particularly with gift-giving jokes and Chang’s half-hearted evil storyline angling for screen time. And thus, when Jeff’s big speech arrives, it’s just too sudden; as has often been the case with his Message Monologues, the shift is so jarring that it spotlights the formula machinery at work.

Still, this is a pretty decent episode—snappy, energetic, nicely claustrophobic, and with a few very big laughs (this viewer’s personal favorite, juvenile though it might be, is probably Troy’s knowing correction to “E Pluribus Unum”: “I’m pretty sure it’s anus”). Good wind-up, even if the pitch is a little too hastily delivered.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• The innocent sweetness with which Annie asks, “You’re F-ing us?”
• Her response to Jeff’s crack about grades not mattering: “That’s a lie they tell dump people when they’re fitting them for work boots!”
• The Dean, spending his evening with “my two irresistible lady friends, Rizzoli & Isles!”
• Not a lot of laugh lines for Danny Pudi this episode, but the cheeriness of Abed’s cutaways (particularly a big thumbs-up at the end) got me every time.

LOWLIGHTS:

• I’ve got a feeling that when this Chang-is-still-evil stuff pays off at the end of the season, it’s not gonna be worth the wait.
• The reference and cutaway to “the darkest timeline” was harmless enough, but does reinforce my previous assertion that direct callbacks like these only highlight the drop in quality this season. So we should probably be worried that this darkest timeline stuff reportedly comes back in the season finale, right?

I’m running a race tomorrow…I’m trying to anyway, found huge inspiration on running

What 2000 calories look like…oh my.

Alison Brie is hysterical

Exercises that tone but won’t bulk, many awesome yoga poses in there!

Speaking of Yoga discovered a great new system of studios in DC: District Yoga, great classes at a very reasonable price!

Rhubarb Upside Cake, nom nom!

Gorgeous Rebecca Taylor Studded Linen Dress!  Want it!

This floor mirror is just stunning!

5 things every solo female traveler should know

Gorgeous nail polish color by Scotch

A successful woman

Psy is back… awesome.

Happy weekends loves!

-DM

*cue maniacal laughter*

In The Kings of Summer, three teens fed up with their parents set out to live on their own for a summer. Along the way, they test the bonds of their friendship and learn that family—whether born or created—is everything.

Having had enough of his parents’ draconian rule, Joe (Nick Robinson) decides to run away for the summer—but responsibly. Together with his best friend Patrick (Gabriel Basso) and an eccentric wild card named Biaggio (Moises Arias), Joe begins building a summer cabin in the woods, as far away from adult civilization as possible. The trio hope to live off the land for the summer in an ultimate act of rebellion, but they soon realize that supporting oneself and getting along with a new “family” takes a lot more effort than they expected.

The Kings of Summer is a heartwarming coming-of-age story about three friends’ struggle for independence and self-sufficiency. Garnering rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival, the film explores what it means to be an individual…and what it means to be part of a family.

Written by Chris Galletta and directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, The Kings of Summer will see a limited theatrical release on May 13, 2013. This CBS Films comedy also stars Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, Alison Brie, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Erin Moriarty, Marc Evan Jackson, Thomas Middleditch, and Tony Hale.

Reblogged from Inside Movies:

Don Draper’s subconscious is a strange place, and fertile ground for the Mad Men writers. As the episode opens, we see a young Dick Whitman being taken in by his uncle, in what is presumably a brothel, based on some of the things that young Dick peeps in on at the end of the episode.
Perhaps what’s strange about this delve into the subconscious is that it doesn’t seem to add much to the overall theme of the episode, which has a great deal more to do with façades and keeping up appearances than it does with sexuality.

Take Don for instance. Since we found out in last week’s ‘The Doorway‘ that Don is up to his old tricks, he finds himself keeping up the façade of being committed to his wife. Commitments and happy marriages, or least the appearance of such things, are the cornerstone of the episode, and the strain of keeping up the facades can be seen in both the Draper and Campbell households.

Speaking of the Campbell’s, it was nice to see some of Pete’s home life. Most Pete-centric episodes show him as unhappy, but they never show us why he’s unhappy, and it’s clear that his home life is perhaps the reason. In theory, Pete has it all; a nice house in the suburbs, a loving wife and child, a well paying job… What more could a man want? Well, Pete Campbell wants, not only to live in the city, but his attractive neighbour, with whom he begins an affair. The interesting thing with Pete at this point is that he seems like Don in the early seasons, which is to say, it looks like he has everything, but he constantly wants something that is beyond the confines of his life. Trudy is not particularly accepting of Pete’s desires once she finds out about them, and she immediately says that, if necessary, she will “destroy him.” In terms of both performance and storyline, the Campbell’s are easily the highlight of ‘Collaborators’, with Alison Brie showing a side that I never expected Trudy to have; powerful and stern, she “refuses to be seen as a failure.”

Peggy, once again, is shown at her new job, but this time, seems a lot less like Don, since she’s unaware of how to deal with the fact that her colleagues don’t seem to respect her or like her much. Moss handles the work deftly, but I’d like to see Peggy’s scenes expand beyond just her office, or I fear she’ll be treading water, and for the first time, Weiner will be wasting his most developed character.

I do have one major gripe with this episode – where are Joan and Roger? They must have had about ten lines combined in this episode. Hendricks handles her limited material well, and her brief encounter with the infamous Jaguar businessman Herb Rennet (from season 5′s ‘The Other Woman’) carries with it an air of quiet devastation. Roger’s presence, on the other hand, is barely felt in the episode. He’s in two scenes and has only a few lines of dialogue. One of them is particularly interesting – “I’ve never seen a more deft self-immolation.” Perhaps it’s calling back to the deep-running themes of suicide and self destruction in ‘The Doorway’. Either way, with both characters coming off perhaps their strongest seasons yet, it’s a shame to see them so underused thus far in season 6.

Perhaps it’s a case of spreading storylines across a now more scattered cast. This is not without benefits, since, on discovering that Megan has had a miscarriage, Paré gives one of her strongest performances to date on the show.

From Don’s desire to perhaps be free of his marriage (the use of ‘Just a Gigolo’ at the end of the episode was inspired) to Trudy’s refusal to have hers end in tatters (publicly at least), we see the characters of Maddison Avenue being driven further and further to the brink. I suppose the only question is, how much more can they take before the façades all come crashing down?

Grade: A

“Do you know someone who owns a gun?” “Do you know someone who is in jail?” “Do you know someone who dropped out of high school?”

via Who Do You Know – An Esquire Poll – Esquire.

My faith in the world went up a little bit as I checked the news on my phone while lying in bed this morning, as I learnt that New Zealand is legalising gay marriage. This sudden burst of optimism was equalised by finding out that ‘Merica didn’t pass any gun reforms. One step forward and one step remaining backwards.

But the decider in the 89th minute was scored by discovering this album, scoring a 2-1 victory for faith in humanity over staying in bed because it’s raining.

I mean any planet where Alison Brie lives can’t be that bad, can it?

Alison Brie aside, I’m not your conventional movie-goer… or much of a movie-goer at all really. So it should not come as a shock that I don’t offer this blog up as a movie review resource.

When I watch a movie… or any sort of entertainment really, I find myself barracking for the bad guy, the antagonist, the heel, whatever you want to call them.

Why? Because inevitably they are far more interesting than the protagonist.

Of course there are some exceptions to this rule. There can be no real antagonist, like in the 2000 film The Dish, where I guess the antagonist is the weather… and I guess that goes for Twister too. I guess if movies have taught me anything, it’s to hate weather.

On other occasions the reason for not going for the bad guy is the pure lameness of them, which happened in Rocky IV. Unbelievable I know that a character could be more boring than Rocky himself, but hey, they managed it in 1985!

If you’ve never seen Rocky IV, don’t. (Actually that rule can pretty much go for any movie franchise that goes to four) In it Rocky fights the Soviet killing machine that caused the death of Rocky’s friend in an earlier fight.

He’s Communist so you know he’s evil.

Anyways Rocky goes to the USSR, beats the bad guy and wins over the crowd in the process.

Some say the tearing down of the Berlin Wall was the end of the road for Communism, the true story of course is that Rocky’s ability to take a hit and keep on fighting completely overwhelmed any left-wing socialism into a state of disarray.

Or should I say a Communist Satellite State of disarray?

No. No I shouldn’t.

The reason I bring up this most forgettable atrocity from the 80s is because a guy from my work said I looked like this bad guy from Rocky IV, Ivan Drago.
Considering I’m about as Russian as Winston Churchill I didn’t know how to take it.

Ivan Drago

There is yet to be a human being created with less charisma than this man. He may have muscles in places where other people cease to have places, but somehow I think the guy from work was more talking about a likeness in the face and hair. Typical. At least I can’t claim I’m objectified.

Oh and did I mention Rocky had his own robot in Rocky IV? Well he did. A dorky 80s Robot that fetched drinks and spoke with a robot voice.

…They were simpler times.
Oh and I uploaded this week’s comic early to coincide with the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, in case you don’t have the ability to click on a link, here it is again. #reusingoldmaterial

If you’re mildly curious, though, and never found the time to watch Diaries’ strangely hypnotic brew of vampire lore, teen angst and the love that must not be mentioned, this week’s outing, Pictures of You, will tell you all you need to know about why so many viewers have fallen under Diaries’ spell.

Part divine comedy, part character study of a fallen angel, Vampire Diaries has a lure that’s all but irresistible. The once-modest teen drama exceeded early expectations and defied the cancellation gods to survive to a fifth season. More important, Diaries has managed to hold onto heart and soul over that time, even as bigger, splashier, more expensive and more hyped dramas like HBO’s True Blood devolved into a bloody mess.

Ian Somerhalder, left, with Nina Dobrev

As with the similarly underappreciated — and even longer-running — Supernatural, Vampire Diaries’ appeal lies partly in its honest, realistic portrayal of unreal events. Diaries plays it straight, with no knowing winks and asides to the camera. It’s not too earnest, though: It doesn’t take itself that seriously. Instead, it’s managed to find a nice balance between light entertainment and thoughtful teen drama. This isn’t the kind of prime-time soap that demeans itself by talking down to its audience or turning into self-parody.

Diaries’ other great strength, and perhaps the real reason to watch, is for the appeal and solid acting of its young cast — particularly Nina Dobrev as hard-luck teen Elena Gilbert. Dobrev has matured, both as a performer and in character as Elena, since Diaries debuted in September 2009.

Nina Dobrev

When followers last tuned in, Elena — now undead, but hopeful for a cure — had embraced her inner demon, while warning her suitors to stop trying to change her and instead try to cure her, or there would be consequences. Paradise lost, indeed.

The new episode, Pictures of You, picks up on prom night in Mystic Falls, where Caroline (Candice Accola) is about to learn her carefully laid plans for the perfect senior prom are about to go wildly astray, thanks in no small part to Elena and her new mood swings.

Diaries’ original love triangle is still in play, even though circumstances have changed over the series’ four seasons. Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) turn up at the prom uninvited — Vampire Diaries is long past the point where vampires have to be invited inside to cause trouble — and try to talk Elena down from her latest tantrum. Things go from bad to worse faster than you can say ‘Go to heaven for the climate and hell for company,’ and it isn’t long before Elena lashes out in a way hardly anyone would have predicted.

And therein lies another of Vampire Diaries’ great charms. For all the familiar tropes of teen fiction and vampire lore — those Twilight movies for a start — it’s still capable of surprise. It’s not the most elegant drama on television, but it’s certainly one of the most habit-forming. (CTV Two, CW, 9 ET/PT, 8 MT)

Zach Roerig, left, and Kat Graham.

Three to See

• Doc Zone ends its season with the self-explanatory and occasionally cautionary program The Secret World of Gold, which takes a look at the precious metal and poses hard questions about whether the so-called “gold standard” is all it’s cracked up to be. Doc Zone should be on the air year-round: It’s not as if these programs cost as much to make as hour-long drama, and CBC News Network is there to provide a time period if the main network is otherwise distracted — by hockey, for example. A season finale is what it is, though. Doc Zone will return with new docs in the fall. (CBC, 9 ET/PT)

• Even though there’s no more than a month to go in the official 2012-13 TV season, many of the night’s dramas and sitcoms are repeats this week. What’s that about? Community is one of the few Thursday comedies to offer a new episode, which may or may not enhance its chances at renewal for a fifth season in the fall. In this week’s outing, Intro to Knots, Jeff (Joel McHale) throws a party at his apartment, but Annie (Alison Brie) ruins everything by secretly inviting snooty Professor Cornwallis (guest star Malcolm McDowell) so she’ll get a better grade on her history exam. (City, NBC, 8 ET/PT, 9 MT)

• Now that’s Chang you can believe in. Ken Jeong, who plays Señor Chang on Community — the janitor who ran for college office once using the slogan “Chang You Can Believe In!” — is Jimmy Kimmel’s guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! along with Once Upon a Time’s Jennifer Morrison and a musical performance by the French alt rock band Phoenix. (City, ABC, 11:35 ET/PT)

Alison Brie Sextastic in Teasy Swimsuit for Esquire.

Click the image to read.

The song:

Possible repoast:

Just in case you don’t know how fucked we are:

This is one of my favourite standup routines ever:

Merry Christmas!

Alison Brie is pretty big on the interwebs, and better yet she knows it and knows how to play off of it. Fans of NBC’s Community, Mad Men, or the 5 Year Engagement are very familiar with Alison by now. Not only is she unbelievably cute but she is genuinely funny and humble as well, making it very hard not to crush on her. Below check out as she hilariously copies memes, fails at making unsexy gifs, and also does a full interview. Props to Paul F Tompkins for doing a great hosting job by keeping it light and interesting… oh and for the suit too.

Alison Brie Imitates Popular Internet Memes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RlDJMLIBuE

Alison Brie Creates Unsexy Gifs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNF46v3PxMs

The Full Interview – Talking at length about community, a little of her childhood, and her busy schedule:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wrI2EsVnnE

1. The Dildomaker

I can’t decide if this picture makes vegetables more desirable… or less… Either way, if you’ve never thought of shoving random objects up inside your lady parts, YOU WILL NOW!

2. Alison Brie breaks the internet by imitating internet memes…

I think the video speaks for itself. There isn’t a single person on this planet who doesn’t feel compelled to stop and say ‘awwww’ every time Alison Brie is in sight. She could be taking a shit on Oscar the Grouch’s  face and it would still be adorable.

3. Just go to Google and search ‘Birds With Arms’ … Trust me, it’s worth it. So very VERY worth it (…Especially if you’re so high that you’re barely functioning)

Stay High readers!

Love,

Worlds Best Grandma

This is Alison Brie‘s week! The actress who stars in NBC’s “Community” and AMC’s “Mad Men” is set to appear in the new issue of Esquire, posing in some sexy outfits for the magazine as well as being interviewed. Clearly not a stranger to the world of the Internet, the 30-year-old actress also did some impressions of popular memes for the webseries “Speakeasy.”

Alison’s character on “Mad Men,” Trudy Campbell, had an incredible episode this week on the AMC hit series. She finally spoke her mind to her terrible husband, Pete, and the Internet erupted. Here is a GIF of Brie, as Trudy, delivering a very powerful line:

Read more at MStars

Ladies & gentlemen, Trudy Campbell