Laura's TV Round-Up, Week Four:

1. House – I continue to be extremely bored with this season. I know we’re supposed to be on our toes about the Chase killing James Earl Jones thing, but it just comes off as clunky to me. Thirteen’s plot was useless and just made me wish we could see Taub instead (please tell me he’s coming back at some point). I think my main issue is after the first episode which was House-centric, we really haven’t seen too much of him and I think that’s a mistake. I’m starting to wonder if the writers aren’t sure how to go about his progress, so they’re just keeping his role to a minimum for now.

2. How I Met Your Mother – This was probably my favorite episode of the season so far, but I’m still not satisfied. I enjoy seeing Marshall, Lily, Robin and Barney, but the show keeps straying too far from its purpose, which is to tell how Ted met the mother. So far this season, we’ve had him trolling around the bar and making one mention of the mother and that doesn’t really do it for me. Maybe I’m just being a grouch, but I would feel better if I knew that the writers had a definite plan for when and how the mother is going to come into play – Kind of how back when I watched Lost, it was comforting to know that the show has a definite end and there’s a plan. I’m not saying that I want the show to end any time soon, I just need something to keep me going and that something better not be “your mother was over here, but wait then…” and have them turn the camera. Like I said, I’m sick of that. I need a yellow umbrella or something here. I think part of my problem is that I still don’t buy Barney and Robin as a couple, but I don’t feel like getting into that right now. Oh, and “Cat Funeral” is my new favorite song.

3. Glee – I want to have Jane Lynch’s sarcastic babies. Her, plus the scene of the football players carrying Artie in his wheelchair up the stairs in order to storm out were the redeeming things in this episode. I just have issues with a few things:
(a) Quinn’s “Keep Me Hangin On” and the “sightread” of “Hate On Me” – I get that this show is essentially a musical, but for the most part they’ve done a pretty good job of making it seem more natural – The only times we’ve seen people sing are during glee club practices or performances, or in things like karaoke where people would normally be singing. Quinn breaks out into song on the stairwell/during cheerleading practice with a bunch of jocks and cheerios backing her up in vocals and dance? I get the purpose of the number, but it seemed to break the rule they’ve been following all along. As for “Hate On Me” it was just so clearly not their first time running the song, and I feel like they could have had those scenes and established that they’d already been working on it.
(b) All the songs and other moments where the show wants us to feel bad for Quinn – She’s a pregnant teenager who has to give up her baby and is going to be socially ruined by this fact, that’s sad. But I can’t feel for a character who has her boyfriend believe that he’s the father of her baby and is dragging him down with her. And if she’s planning on giving up the baby for adoption anyway, why even bother lying to Finn? Her rationale for not being with Puck is that he wouldn’t be a good father to the baby – If no one’s going to be the true father anyway, why not come clean? I know, the whole further social disgrace and wanting to keep Finn thing, but seriously, no sympathy. And the sonographer telling Quinn that it’s virtually impossible to have nothing wrong with her baby since she’s so young kind of rubbed me the wrong way, because that’s not necessarily true.
(c) Stupid Terri – And really, stupid Will and stupid Terri’s sister and stupid obstetrician at this point. I hate hate hate hate hate the fake pregnancy storyline. Will’s reaction to the ultrasound was really touching, but everything is so marred by this inane storyline. I want it over and I want it over now.
(d) I don’t have anything else to complain about, I just wanted to use this opportunity to mention my Jane Lynch love again. When she made the comment about not liking Will’s curly hair because she keeps imagining birds laying eggs in it, I laughed so hard that the cats looked at me really weird. Like they do a lot.

4. Modern Family - Still not caught up. Maybe some other time

5. Flashforward – Watched a tiny bit, but then Mack and I got distracted by Brenda Dickson and Literal Music videos. Flashforward, I think we need to stop seeing each other. It's not you, it's me. Well, it's a little bit you, what with your inability to trust the viewer and having to remind us every minute and a half what everyone's flashforward was. But other than that, it's me.

6. Grey’s Anatomy - Meh. I enjoyed the scenes with Callie/Arizona/Callie's father and I'm glad there's finally some closure on that. I thought hospital bed-bound Meredith was hilarious, and I appreciate whoever thought to braid the one strand of her hair, because you know she'd be bored enough to be braiding tiny pieces of her hair. Aside from that, it still remains to be disappointing. Everyone's behavior was atrocious towards each other, and I'm not just talking about the Mercy West people (speaking of which, the only one I like so far is the tackling guy). I really enjoyed Izzie being fired, probably more than I should, but it seems like she'll find a way to get back in the hospital (not sure if it'll happen as a doctor or as a patient, though). I really don't buy her leaving Alex. I can understand her writing a note saying "I have to get away for a little bit, I'll call," but flat out leaving made no sense. And I'm still ticked off that she's in such good shape. There's no way she'd be able to be that healthy...Also if she's still on chemo, she should probably be avoiding places with high germ traffic.

7. Private Practice - I didn't intend on watching this, but it picked up where the kidney transplant patient storyline picked up, plus there was Taye Diggs. So I watched it and it was okay. My main complaint has to do with the fact that Taye Diggs tried to kiss Bailey and she didn't kiss back. If Taye Diggs says he's going to kiss you, you kiss him. If Taye Diggs asks you to bury a body in your backyard, you do it.

8. Project Runway - Why did so many people design long dresses for Christina Aguilera? She doesn't strike me as a floor length dress person in the first place, plus they were supposed to be designing something for her to wear on stage. This group was disappointing as a whole for this challenge, and really they haven't been that great this season. When someone gives you Christina Aguilera, have some fun with it. I wish Chris March and Christian would have been around for this challenge, because they would have rocked that shit. I still despise Irina, and her bitchery is not in line with her talent. At least with Christian (a) his comments were actually funny and (b) he was actually good. Irina has a bit of talent, but I'm fairly underwhelmed.