Reasons that “Community” is the Best

With this quarantine still going on, I found THE perfect TV series to binge right now. And, as of April 1st, all six season are on Netflix. “Community” is a great sitcom and I listed reasons why you should start binging it right now.

Pop culture references and mocking genre clichés
What distinguishes the sitcom is that it is not easy to pigeonhole. “Community” is filled with references to movies, TV shows and other media. And it likes to mock clichés in certain movie genres. The characters avert, subvert and pay homage to various tropes as episodes commit to certain genres. If there’s a documentary going on, the episode will be in documentary format. If the episode is a musical, the characters will be singing. The self-aware nature of the show is hilarious. I sometimes wish I could live out situations that feel like shows and movies that I love, and “Community” understands that desire as it puts its characters in those situations.

Not focusing on the romance
Almost every sitcom has a will they/ won’t they couple and eventually they do end up together. There are plenty of couples that hinted at getting together or not, but it was never the focus and it didn’t rely on who ends up with whom and who should end up together. This is very refreshing, since we already have a lot of sitcoms that do focus on the romance element of the show.

Troy and Abed
I could have just mentioned Abed, because I love him, but these two together are just magical. Troy was a high school jock before attending Greendale Community College, but since he and Abed became friends, Troy realizes just how geeky he actually is. They watch movies and TV shows together, build forts out of blankets and pillows and have their own talk show. A talk show for no one other than themselves. And don’t forget they were on the cover of Friend Weekly, a pretend magazine of their own design. Everyone needs a Troy to their Abed or vice versa. In my case, I need a Troy.

The ensemble cast
This groups is formed because they are all some sort of outsider. And to create a diverse group like this, you need a diverse cast. And that’s what we got. Comedy legend Chevy Chase and the break for Alison Brie and Donald Glover. Joel McHale is the perfect combination of a douche and nice guy and Danny Pudy is the perfect socially awkward and pop-culture referring bestie you need. And then there is Ken Jeong, who is at his crazy best, and the very uncomfortable Jim Rash as Dean Pelton. Just a quirky bunch, that make this show work as well as it does.

Running gags
The show has some really funny running gags. Like the awwwws, by Annie and Shirley, after something sweet, emotional or heartfelt is being mentioned. Or Leonord, the oldest student at Greendale, who often gives his advice, thoughts and opinion without anyone every asking for it. And they always answer with “shut up, Leonard”. The fact that they always say the Britta is the worst and the Changuage & Deanotation. These are two nonsense words that refer to how Señor Ben Chang and Dean Greg Pelton talk. Both faculty members have the habit of inserting their own name or title into an everyday word or sentence. But also the mention of the size of Jeff’s head and how the gang hates “Glee”.

It's daring
The show is fresh and original, but it also has a lot of guts and dares to take different comedy paths as any other standard sitcom. Like the claymation Christmas episode, where all characters turned into claymation puppets telling a story in Abed’s imagination. The several semi-brutal paintball episodes, the so-called ‘bottle episode’, the zombie episode and the one with the computer game. It’s gutsy enough to take on different formats, portray not your everyday characters and think outside the box. And I love that!

The Dean
Besides Troy and Abed, there is another character that is reason enough to watch this show. Dean Craig Pelton is a very upbeat and cheerful person and LOVES his job as Dean of Greendale Community College. He spends an inordinate amount of his time trying to improve Greendale’s prestige. Dean Pelton also goes to great lengths to be accepting or indiscriminate of others. His use of extreme political correctness often inadvertently leads to him being more offensive than intended. Pelton is aware of his shortcomings and berates himself frequently for being a ‘bad Dean’. He is also known for his elaborate costumes and his hate/ love for Jeff.

Best "Friends' Episodes

Since everyone is at home, binge-watching their favorite TV-shows, I decided to make a list of the best episodes of, what probably is, America’s favorite sitcom: “Friends”. And when you have ten season to go through and so many episodes to choose from, it’s a lot of work. Here is what I think are the 10 best episodes of “Friends”.

10. The One with All the Resolutions (Season 5, Episode 11)
The friends all have new year’s resolutions that they want to stick to. Like Chandler trying to stop joking and Rachel not gossiping. Ross decides to do one new thing every day in 1999. Like for instance, wearing leather pants to a date. It eventually becomes to hot, so while still on the date and going to the bathroom, he can’t get the pants back on since it’s to sweaty and sticky.

9. The One Where Ross Got High (Season 6, Episode 9)
Thanksgiving episodes of “Friends” were always a treat. And it don’t mean because Rachel made a memorable (yet terrible) trifle. Ross and Monica’s parents visit and they never really seem to like Chandler, because they think he got high once. When it was actually Ross.

8. The One with Unagi (Season 6, Episode 17)
Ross is at his best when he is neurotic and silly. So comes his dedication to Unagi, a state of total awareness. He tries to teach Rachel and Phoebe this by scaring them, so they learn they have to be aware of danger at all times.

7. The One with the Prom Video (Season 2, Episode 14)
This episode is a flashback. The gang watches a video of when Monica, Rachel and Ross were getting ready for prom. And Rachel finds out that Ross did a really sweet thing for her.

6. The One with the Blackout (Season 1, Episode 7)
An oldie but a goodie. When the power goes out across the city, the romantic setting persuades Ross to tell Rachel how he feels, be then there is Paolo. And Chandler is trapped in ATM vestibule with a famous model and thinks gum is perfection.

5.The One with the Football ( Season 3, Episode 9)
One of the many Thanksgiving episodes. It digs deeper into the rivalry that Ross and Monica always had, when the gang is playing a game of football.

4. The One with the Jellyfish (Season 4, Episode 1)
Now it’s hard to imaging, but there was a time where we were totally excited about whether Ross would stay with his current bald girlfriend Bonnie or get back together with Rachel. The last wins, after writing Ross a 18 page letter (FRONT AND BACK!) in where he takes full responsibility for what happened (we were on a break!). And then there is the subplot of Monica being stung by a jellyfish and that Chandler has to pee on her leg.

3. The One Where Everybody Finds Out (Season 5, Episode 14)
The episode where everybody already knows that Monica and Chandler are dating, but they don’t admit it yet. Phoebe and Rachel set up a plan where Chandler eventually has to admit, by letting Phoebe go out with Chandler and seducing him.

2. The One where No One’s Ready (Season 3, Episode 2)
Ross has an important event from work and all the friend are coming. But no one is ready. Ross is trying, but Joey and Chandler are having an argument about a chair. Monica is listening to Richard’s messages and overhears one of a woman. Phoebe messes up her dress and Rachel doesn’t know what to wear. And the clock is ticking. I’m definitely Ross in this situation, I hate being late.

1. The One with the Embryos (Season 4, Episode 12)
Forget about the embryos, this episodes is about the quiz. Rachel and Monica are sick of Joey and Chandler’s chicken (who turns ou to be a rooster) and duck. In a bet where Chandler and Joey think they know the girls better then they know them, they decide to have a quiz. Ross creates it and the stakes are high: If Rachel and Monica win, the duck and chick will leave. If Chandler and Joey win, they get the girl’s apartment. I’ve seen this episode so many times, I know every single question, answer and response.

Top 5 Thursday: TV Nerds

I am a nerd, an absolute geek. So I always love the nerdy characters on TV shows. Here are my five favorite nerds, who proof they are cool.

5. Abed Nadir (“Community”)
“Community” has a lot of fascinating characters, but pop culture sponge Abed is definitely my favorite. He has an uncanny awareness that his life plays out according to sitcom conventions. Abed is a huge sci’fi geek. I’m a bit like a Abed I’m afraid.

4. Dwight Shrute (“The Office”)
Dwight has a dorky haircut, an ugly shirt, a weird background, a humorlous nature and a hunger for power. He is passionate about “Battlestar Gallactica” and has a love for martial arts. Although very intelligent, he can also be really dumb (falling for Jim’s genius pranks).

3. Jess Day (“New Girl”)
In movies, Zooey Deschanel is often the romantic leas. In “New Girl” she is an awkward schoolteacher with a disastrous love life. She is pretty much just one of the guys. Jess Day is adorkable.

2. Sheldon Cooper (“The Big Bang Theory”)
“The Big Bang Theory” is filled with geeks. Everyone besides Penny is a nerd. But I think Sheldon is everyone’s favorite of the bunch. Although he doesn’t understand sarcasm, his outstanding intelligence is hilarious. And he doesn’t even know it. Although Sheldon can be an annoying know it all, he is also endearing and hard to dislike.

1. Ross Geller (“Friends”)
His friends always made fun of his job, but I think it’s one of the coolest jobs ever. Ross is a paleontologist, which means he can talk about dinosaurs all day!!!! Ross hasn’t been very lucky in love and he seems to have bad luck written all over him (story of my life). And the fact that he fantasizes about his girlfriend dressing up as Princess Leia, makes him even more loveable.

They Almost Made the Top 5: Screech (“Saved by the Bell”), Carlton Banks (“The Fresh Prince of Bel Air”), Chuck Bartowski (“Chuck”), Steve Urkel (“Family Matters”)

Top 5 Thursday: Funniest TV Shows of All-Time

Laughter is the best medicine. And these shows will definitely make you laugh out loud. Here are my favorite funny TV shows.

5. Monty Pyhton’s Flying Circus
Before there was “Saturday Night Live”, we had Monty Python. The best sketch ever made, with probably the best humor. British know what’s funny. This show is not for everyone though, because it’s intelligent humor.

4. Modern Family
Talking about quirky families. This family always manages to make me smile and laugh and each of the characters is just memorable.

3. The Office
Is Michael Scott a good boss? Not really. But he makes working in an office at least more eventful than it is in real life. I loved the ‘reality’ style of the show and how funny it was.

2. Family Guy
It’s always so much fun to see what kind of shenanigans Peter Griffin gets into this time. The Griffin family is everything but an average one. The silly situations they get in to every time, impossible not to laugh 

1. Seinfeld
The show about nothing eventually became everything for television. I can’t name my favorite episode, because they are all so memorable and classic. And the "Seinfeld" therminology, I still use it!

They Almost Made the Top 5: Friends, Fawlty Towers, Saturday Night Live

TV Review: "Fargo" Season 2

Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime

Year: 2015

Number of episodes: 10

Starring: Patrick Wilson, Ted Danson, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Bookime Woodbine, Zahn McClare, Cristin Milioti, Jean Smart, Rachel Keller, Brad Garrett, Jeffrey Donovan, Kieran Culkin, Adam Arkin, Nick Offerman

Description: Various chronicles of deception, intrigue and murder in and around frozen Minnesota. Yet all of these tales mysteriously lead back one way or another to Fargo, North Dakota

Review: After a great first season of“Fargo”, a second season had to happen. There is a new storyline, new characters, but you can still see the Coen Brother’s touch.

This season is set in the late ‘70s, where cop Lou Solverson (Molly’s - from season 1 - dad in his younger years) tracks down a family who is involved in a very complex conspiracy. The married couple Ed and Peggy Blumquist, get themselves into a series of crimes and blunders. Like season one, it’s about the everyday man who accidentally walks the criminal path.

The perspective changes during the series. There is not one leading character and we get to know something about every character of importance.

Patrick Wilson plays Lou Solverson, the younger version of the character Keith Carradine played in season one. Besides dealing with a difficult case, he is also worrying over his wife who has cancer. Staying professional in his job and also preparing for the possibility he might be a single dad soon. Wilson is very strong is his role. Ted Danson plays his father in law and also the sheriff. His character is calm and soothing, yet a very believable sheriff. Kirsten Dunst is probably the strongest performer in this season. We see her as Peggy Blumquist, a role we’ve never seen her in before. She really shines.

Season 2 was good, but it never lives up to season 1. The storylines are less interesting and there aren’t any characters that are as memorable as for example Lorne Malvo, Lester Nygaard and Molly Solverson from season 1. Dunst character comes close and so do Mike Milligan and Indian Hanzee, but season 1 of “Fargo” was way better.

Top 5 Thursday: Fargo Season 1 Characters

I just binge watched the first season of the Netflix show “Fargo” and I loved it. The perfect time to make a top 5 dedicated to this show. So, I made a top 5 of my favorite characters from the first season of “Fargo”.

5. Lou Solverson

Lou is Molly’s father and owns a diner. He was once a cop too, just like his daughter. He seems pretty happy with his job now and always looks out for Molly. He is afraid that something might happen to her, because it’s such a dangerous job.

 

 

4. Gus Grimly

Gus is a cop, but it’s not his dream job. He actually always wanted to be a mailman. Gus is somewhat clumsy and not very persuasive as a police officer. He is such a sweet man, perfect for Molly.

 

 

3. Lester Nygaard

Lester looks like you’re average neighbor. But he is nothing more than a liar. And he makes up lie after lie after lie. You have to hand it to him, he is pretty creative with his cover up. But we all know that the truth will be revealed somehow.

 

 

2. Lorne Malvo

Okay, he’s not a nice character. He is a killer, a cold blooded and relentless killer. But he is such an interesting character and he is portrayed perfectly by Billy Bob Thornton.

 

 

1. Molly Solverson

Don’t send a woman to do a man’s job? Well, this female deputy is the only one doing her job well. The murder case is keeping her awake at night and she doesn’t rest until the right man is behind bars.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Bill Oswalt

Top 5 Thursday: How I Met Your Mother Characters

I love this show and I never did a top 5 or any other item regarding “How I Met Your Mother”. Here are my favorite characters ranked.

5. Lily Aldren

Although she has a cute-like appearance, Lily is far from innocent. She is known to be an extremely sexual person. Lily can also be a rather manipulative person, when she doesn’t approve of something she will go out of her way to change it. Being a kindergarten teacher she has also developed a sense of justice.

 

 

4. Ted Mosby

Ted is a hopeless romantic, being a strong believer in destiny and constantly searches for his soul mate. He is an architect and later a college professor. Ted has some annoying flaws like correcting grammar (which I also do) and he can be very whiny.

 

 

3. Barney Stinson

Barney is a lady’s man and has no intention of settling down. He is very persuasive, has a somewhat childish personality but also has a more tender and soft side when it comes to his family. His friends think Barney has some unusual and annoying habits, like lame catchphrases, sometimes talking in a high pitched voice and spacing out.

 

 

2. Marshall Eriksen

Marshall is very polite, loving, caring and confident, but also extremely emotional. He is very passionate about what he does and cares deeply for his family and friends. Marshall is very superstitious, believes in myths and loves “Star Wars”. I think, of all the characters, I’m most like Marshall.

 

 

1. Robin Scherbatsky

Robin works as a journalist and was born in Canada. She is often made fun of because of that and sometimes she realizes she is the only Canadian in the group. Robin has some strange interests, like guns, cigars and dogs. Robin hates nicknames. She is a fiercely independent woman.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: -

DVD Collection Update (18)

It's been a while since the last update, I just simply didn't buy any movies or series for a long time. But Santa was good to me with some new additions to my collection and some giftcards. So here are the Dvd's I received and bought.

Off course I needed this fourth season of "The Walking Dead". We're in the middle of season 5 now. What I liked about season 4 is that the group was seperated and all the characters got a bit more attention.

I found "Blood Diamond" for only 1 Euro. That's practically nothing! I've seen the movie before, it's really good. Haven't watched it since I got it though.

"Sons of Anarchy" has already ended, but we still have the Dvd's. I'm still waiting for season 7 to come out, but season 6 was a present from my brother for my 30th birthday. Really cool. He is currently watching it with my mom.

I bought this the day it came out, because I loved this movie so much. And I rewatched "Guardians of the Galaxy" yesterday. And I know that it will be watched many many times. It's just such an awesome film, can't wait for the sequel. But for now, "Guardians of the Galaxy" is enough to keep me happy.

I hope that one day I will have every Disney animation ever made. I got a bit closer with getting "Oliver & Company". I remember seeing it in theatres (in 1988) and I never saw it again after that. So, this is a welcome gift.

And I also got "Frozen", another Disney movie. This movie is great, I love the characters, story and songs. "Love is an Open Dooooooooooor!"

Something else for a change, a music DVD. It's a Foo Fighters concert in Hyde Park. Like the two Disney movies, this was a Christmas gift from my brother. I didn't even now this DVD excisted, so that makes it even cooler.

I recently saw "Edge of Tomorrow" with a link on the internet and I didn't really expect that much. Well, was I wrong. It blew me away and ended up being one of my favorite 2014 movies. Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt really kick some ass in "Edge of Tomorrow". I ended up buying it today.

Also a movie I saw in 2014, but then in theatres, was "Godzilla". It really did justice to the Original and I just had to own in on DVD. So I bought it today.

Top 5 Thursday: TV Detectives

I always like a good detective story. I like the mystery, the unknown and how it all unravels eventually. TV has brought us many great detectives and here are my favourites (and I’m not counting “CSI” because they are technically not detectives).

5. Fox Mulder (“The X-File”)

Cases of the paranormal. I always liked how Mulder did his job. He was the believer and his partner Dana Scully was a skeptic.

 

4. Sonny Crockett (“Miami Vice”)

In a sun-dappled '80s fantasy Miami where even the walls of the police station were painted neon, Sonny Crockett in impeccable clothes drove fast cars and sleek boats, going deep undercover each week in drug gangs, terrorist cells, and prostitution rings.

 

3. Olivia Benson (“Law and Order: SVU”)

This world is basically ruled by men, by Olivia Benson easily keeps with them. She channels her inner demons into an ongoing struggle to avenge the innocent.

 

2. Rust Cohle (“True Detective”)

You might as well call him Rust Cool. Far out the coolest detective ever. Although he’s a bit unconventional, it’s really hard not to like this guy.

 

1. Sherlock Holmes (“Sherlock”)

No one solves a murder mystery like Sherlock Holmes. If we could only see how this man thinks and how his brain works. I think no one will ever understand Sherlock Holmes fully.

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: Magnum (“Magnum P.I.”), Jesscia Tandy (“Murder She Wrote”), Vic Mackey (“The Shield”)

Top 5 Thursday: TV Families

My family is the best, but there are so many fictional fmailies on TV that are super awesome. Here are my five favorites.

5. The Bundy's ("Married with Children")

They are no conventional, they are not nice to each other, but somehow it's hard to hate them. Favorite member: Al Bundy.

 

4. The Griffin's ("Family Guy")

They're maybe even weirder then the Bundy's. Peter that always gets into strange shenanigans, Lois who has to deal with all that, dumb Chris, black sheep Meg, baby Stewie who wants to rule the world and dog Brian. Favorite member: Brian Griffin.

 

3. The Taylor's ("Home Improvement")

I just love this family. Tim is hilarious and his wife Jill always tries to keep him on the right track. And the three very different sons doesn't make it easier for both Tim and Jill. Favorite member: Randy Taylor

 

2. The Winchester's ("Supernatural")

We only got to know Sam and Dean very well. And they are worth knowing! What a great pair of brothers. Father John we know only just a bit and mom Mary only from the past and flashbacks. One thing is for sure: No dull moment with the Winchester's. Favorite member: Dean Winchester.

 

1. The Dunphy's ("Modern Family")

A bit quirky, but very loving family. I just love Phil's enthusiasm and Claire is a bit like me, somewhat a controle freak sometimes. Pretty but not so smart Haley, nerd Alex and adventurous Luke. WHat a great family. Favorite member: Phil Dunphy.

 

 

They Almost Made the Top 5: The Scott's ("One Tree Hill"), The Teller's ("Sons of Anarchy")