Things I Missed from Glee's Season 1 (Part 2)

Despite my time constraints, I still find time (usually during sembreaks) to watch Glee even if a lot of people tell me not to. Even the person who introduced me to Glee has stopped watching it. That's how bad it got. The story may have taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way but the songs and the singers have gotten, in my simple not musically inclined opinion, better.

Whenever I don't get a story line, which is very frequent, I always chalked it up to the writers' failure (deliberate or involuntary) to make stories connect or make one cohesive story. But as I Google-d the episode titles to rename my files (yes I'm OC like that), I discovered that I did miss 9 episodes from  Glee's first season. Maybe that's the reason (or at least one of the reasons) why I didn't get Mr. Schue when he said Mercedes helped Quinn during her pregnancy or that Santana got Finn to lose his virginity to her or that Jesse was once a member of New Directions.

Since I missed 9 episodes--which, I realize, is a lot--I'll divide the list into three, with three episodes per article.


So Here's What I Missed in Glee's "Bad Reputation", "Laryngitis" and "Dream On":

1. MR. SCHUE RAPS. WTF. "Ice Ice Baby" was better left alone, Mr. Schue. No need to ruin it even more.

You give rap a bad name, Mr. Schue.

2. That boy from Chuck. I don't know his name but he's in almost everything.

One of the Buy More-ons goes to school in McKinley High.

3. Sue and Olivia Newton-John get physical. Their Physical video was so awesome, the Glee kids had to watch it again. Mercedes saying, "Again again again," after watching the video was really funny.

They look like sisters.

4. Brittana Angels. Need I say more?

Oh take me to heaven now.

5. Quinn's GList. Creating the a list of the sluttiest/meanest/naughtiest people in Glee, and their corresponding points, to propel herself to better status was a rather shallow story slant for a main character like Quinn but I'd take it over the Crazy Mother story arc she was in most part of Season 3.

Quinn's number one on her GList. Of course.

6. Rachel has three boys and flaunts it in a video called "Bad Reputation". This is worth mentioning because Rachel rarely, if ever, has more than a boy at a time. Jonathan Groff's (who plays Jesse St. James) facial expressions are wonderful.

Puck's, Finn's and Jesse's Angel: Rachel

7. Kurtanny. Aside from doing mash-ups really well, I am amazed at how Glee has managed to make everyone hook up with everyone else despite the utter lack of chemistry, story and sense. I always thought I could make a diagram of six degrees of Glee and it would show everyone connected to everyone else by one or two degrees of romantic relationships. Seeing Kurtanny aka the Weirdest of All Hook-Ups (okay, maybe they're second to Artanna) happen in the "lost" part of Season 1 convinced me that it is true: Everyone in Glee is romantically connected to everyone else.

I will definitely be a Kurtanny shipper!

8. Mercedes vs. Santana. This storyline is as old and as useless as it sounds. I'm glad it's over and Mercedes and Santana are now killing Adele mash-ups and duets.

Remember when Mercedes and Santana were both in Cheerios and into Puck?

9. Puckcedes. I guess Season 1 was all about trying out different pairings to see what works and what doesn't. What we got from the failed Puckcedes outing was that Mercedes liked her men with good arms and good vocal combination with her. Trouty Mouth fits the bill. I don't know if the writers remembered these details or everything just fell into place.

Puck likes his woman with curves.

10. RAJIV!!!! Seeing Rajiv of Outsourced be Rachel's throat doctor acting all strict and sarcastic ("At least start by taking these antibiotics unless you think they're going to adversely affect your dance moves.") is really funny. I never imagined Outsourced and Glee doing a crossover episode but I guess here's a peek into that impossibility. I can just imagine Bollywood and Showtunes ruling (or, for some, ruining) our TV sets coupled with Santana going all-Lima-Heights-Adjacent on a clueless Gupta.

Doctor Rajiv in Ohio, America. Beat that, Todd Dempsey.

11. Lauren Zizes. It turns out she's not a random character made up to be another warm body in the New Directions in Season 2. She is the President of the AV Club--A long shot away from the AV Club boys of Freaks and Geeks--and a member of Old Maids Club.

Zizes!

12. Kurt got solos! I thought Kurt was exaggerating when he said he used to get the solos before Alpha-male Blaine got in New Directions. But he did get solos in Season 1. Case in point, see photo below.

KURT in bright, big letters.

13. NEIL PATRICK HARRIS. In season 3's "Saturday Night Glee-ver", when Sue said Glee kids all wanted swag (aka prizes) and a flashback of NPH holding a jean jacket is shown, I went, "Oh what the *uck was that." I checked, and NPH is Mr. Bryan Ryan, Mr. Schue's archenemy in high school and a new member of McKinley High School board. Mr. Ryan is like Barney (with all the nice hair, nice voice, and magic tricks) without the playbook. He even gave out free stuff and took it back Barney Stinson style.

BRYAN RYAN THE KILLER OF DREAMS.

14. Artie flash mob-dancing in a mall! Seeing Artie dance with Mike and Brittany and look good while doing so makes me regret the writers' (or producers) decision to give the wheelchair role to Kevin McHale. Seeing Kevin McHale dance in "Dream On" made me wish Cory Monteith got the Artie role. I noticed where they danced in the mall is exactly the same part where Kurt and the gang danced during Rachel's Barbra Streisand Intervention.

Finn is such a bad dancer that a boy in a wheelchair dances better than him.

15. Rachelby. All this while I thought Rachel's mom Shelby just came out of nowhere in Season 3 and became the vocal coach of Troubletones. It turns out she has been present since season 1 and they even had an imaginary duet in "Dream On". I wonder why they forgot about this in Season 2--along with Quinn-having-a-baby-then-giving-it-up-for-adoption story line.

Like mother, like daughter.

16. The Start of the Changs. It was an afterthought and a little bit racist to pair up the two Asians in the show but, hey, Season 1 was about pairing up everyone with each other to see what works. I guess the Changs did work. Or the writers just didn't know what to do with these two.

Mr. Schue: You got a dance partner? Tina: Mika Chang. And the rest is history.

Afterthought: I think it would be funny (epic-ly funny) if Tina's dad turn out to be (drumroll, please) Senor Chang of Community. There should be an episode that brings all their parents together and Senor Chang would come out of the airconditioning vent with Annie's Boobs. Haha But then again, that would be too much Community-ish and less Glee-ky.

Things I Missed from Glee's Season 1 (Part 1)

Despite my time constraints, I still find time (usually during sembreaks) to watch Glee even if a lot of people tell me not to. Even the person who introduced me to Glee has stopped watching it. That's how bad it got. The story may have taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way but the songs and the singers have gotten, in my simple not musically inclined opinion, better.

Whenever I don't get a story line, which is very frequent, I always chalked it up to the writers' failure (deliberate or involuntary) to make stories connect or make one cohesive story. But as I Google-d the episode titles to rename my files (yes I'm OC like that), I discovered that I did miss 9 episodes from  Glee's first season. Maybe that's the reason (or at least one of the reasons) why I didn't get Mr. Schue when he said Mercedes helped Quinn during her pregnancy or that Santana got Finn to lose his virginity to her or that Jesse was once a member of New Directions.

Since I missed 9 episodes--which, I realize, is a lot--I'll divide the list into three, with three episodes per article.


So Here's What I Missed in Glee's "Hell-O", "Power of Madonna" and "Home":

1. Finn's a basketball player. He's such an athlete that he can just join the basketball varsity team when football season's over, without even joining practices. He makes basketball look easy--not in a good way.

"Look, playing basketball is so easy I can even sing while playing."
-Finn Hudson The Greatest  McKinley High Athlete of All Time

2. Sueggins. Sue blackmails Principal Figgins with photos of them in suggestive poses (with Sue in her track suit!) so she can return to McKinley and run it.

Jane Lynch is hilarious.

3. Willby. Of course, the teachers/coaches of two rival glee clubs must hook-up. It's the law... in Teacher's Land. Another example will be Will and Ms Holiday. I bet Will eyed Senor Martinez also.

This would have given Rachel a reason to call Mr. Schue "Dad". Eww.

4. Pinkies and matching friendship bracelets. Seeing early glimpses of Brittana made me wonder if the writers of Glee really planned to reveal that Santana is a lesbian and Inception-ed the idea in our minds as early as season one so that we would think it was just right that they fell in love in season two? Or they just threw in the friends-with-benefits angle just to toy (and trick them into following the show) with the ladies of afterellen.com?

It all started from this.

5. Terri vs. Emma. While Will is busy making out with Rachel's birth mother, his estranged wife and new girlfriend lash out at each other. Before, when I was still clueless that I was missing episodes of Glee's season 1, I thought Terri just faded out into the background (and joined Sue's henchmen) as Emma emerged from it. Turns out, they had the face off.

Terri vs. Emma

7. Brittany's funny one-liners. Mr. Schue introduces Jesse as the new member of New Directions and everyone has a violent reaction except for Brittany who says: "Is he your son?" How could you not laugh at that? It was so funny and dumb-sounding but Brittany had a good point. Mr. Schue and Jesse did look alike. Also, I noticed Jesse looks like a male version of Rachel Berry. They're like a family three (see what I did there?); it's creepy.

Brittany: Mr. Schue, is he your son?

8. Sue channels Madonna. When I watched season 3's "Saturday Night Gleever" and Sue said Mr. Schue has never gotten anything since doing a Madonna assignment, I remembered the Glee Madonna album a friend gave me. Then, I realized that despite seeing the videos or listening to the songs, I have never watched that episode. Or maybe, I have selective memory. Anyway, Sue channeling Madonna is, honestly, weird but the black-boob-bra thing over the red jumpsuit was so funny and so Sue Sylvester.

Sue as Madonna is both weird and hilarious.

8. Kurt and Mercedes were Cheerios. I have to say, Kurt is the most well-rounded high school student I know. He's part of the glee club, joined the football team (and even won a game using Single Ladies) and now, he's a cheerleader.

Sue reacting to Kurt's and Mercedes' handshake: Why don't you two have a show a Bravo?

9. Santana was a skinny bitch. Now she's just a straight-up bitch. Haha. In a span of three years, she gained a few pounds (maybe because she wasn't a Cheerio for sometime in Season 2) and became Brittany's girlfriend. Not bad.

Santana the Skinny Bitch

10. Birth of Bert and Carol. Like the Shelby (and later, when Santana came out to her parents), I thought Bert and Carol met in behind the scenes and just hooked up. But, no, it turns out Kurt was instrumental in the merging of the Hummel-Hudson household.

The first Hummel-Hudson dinner at Breadsticks

11. Finn singing to a chair. This is one of those forgettable parts of Glee but seeing someone sing to an empty chair is really funny it's worth mentioning. I guess I like to say, when I look back at Glee, "Remember the time when Finn sang to a chair?" This is that moment.

"Remember the time when Finn sang to a chair?"

12. "Remember the time when everyone looked like food to Mercedes?" This reminds me of Robin in her manatee suit in the episode "The Mermaid Theory" and the other outrageous costumes the How I Met Your Mother gang wear on Halloween. It reminds me of Community, too.

This i what the Glee kids should wear if and when they cross over to Community.

13. The Mercedes and Quinn moment. This is one of those necessary moments in a story about a group of friends. Moments that they look back to, to remind them that this person who has backstabbed them has been a friend in during one's trying times. This is Mercedes' and Quinn's moment. Glad to know it exists.

The MerQuinn Moment

-----------------------------------

Things I Missed from Glee's Season 1 Parts 2 and 3 will be up soon.

Quintet 5: Original vs. Covers

Quintet is a bi-monthly music review of any five songs I happen to come across/stumble upon, or were recommended, any how, any time. Suggestions from readers are most welcome because music deserves to be shared. Let me be your convert or critic.


Music covers are to originals as film adaptations are to books. Some are better than the original but more often than not, the originals and the book are better. It is rare to see movie adaptations better than books. One rare example is the film adaptation of A Good Year which is so much better than the book by Peter Mayle.

The same thing applies to/happens in music. Originals are still better. But today I will post one rare example wherein the covers are better than the original, the case of We Found Love.


Original
The Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris original is good, fun and lively--the way Rihanna songs usually go. Nothing special.

vs.

Covers
I picked the best among the covers I've heard (and seen) and ranked them according to my preference. You may or may not disagree.

#4 Lea Michele and Naya Rivera (and the Glee cast as background vocals) One of the few things I love about Glee is the vocal capacity of its cast. I'm no singer or no music expert (hell, I cannot even pinpoint a dead note from a live one) but I notice that the Glee cast (at least, some of them) really have voice. What makes this cover unique (although it sounds as lively as Rihanna's version) and fun to listen to (and watch) is the video. When I saw the New Directions team up with McKinley's synchronized swimming varsity team and have fun while helping Mr. Schue make Ms. Pilsbury say 'yes' to his proposal made me want to say yes as well--as if it was I who's being asked. Listening to this song makes me want to dance, even if I am not good at all. Ha ha ha.


#3 Anj Sulit I stumbled upon this YouTube wonder when a friend posted on Facebook a link to YouTube of her cover of Up Dharma Down's Tadhana. I listened to all her covers, and her covers of Tadhana and We Found Love stood out. Her version of  We Found Love stands out from the other artists' covers because: a) I'm partial to women guitar-strumming singers; b) she has wonderful voice; c) it is different from Rihanna's upbeat version; and d) listening to her sing is like listening to your friend (be it a boy or a girl) sing to you about finding love in a hopeless place.


#2 Coldplay I like this cover because it's completely different from Rihanna's. Chris Martin's voice is a stark, refreshing contrast to Rihanna's. The guitars is also fantastic. And, hello, it's Coldplay, need I say more?


#1 Boyce Avenue For me, this is the best cover because it's really different from Rihanna's, which I am not fond of. I loved the focus on the piano and vocals. I don't know if Boyce Avenue does nothing but covers but judging by the 148 videos (all covers) on their YouTube page, I guess they're really pros when it comes to covers.


The Verdict: Covers win


----------------------------------------
You may want to read:


Quintet 1: Music to my ears
Quintet 2: Holy Week Playlist
Quintet 3: GLEE-king Out
Quintet 4: Radio

Jobs That I Would Love To Have

1. Bookstore owner. It is my childhood dream to become a lawyer but it is my grown-up dream to be a bookstore owner. So to dovetail these two, I decided that I will become a lawyer to earn enough money to put up and maintain a bookstore. For me "living the life" does not mean partying or drinking. It means waking up each day to go to my own bookstore to talk about books to people that are as equally passionate with them as I am.

2. Basketball (or women's volleyball) court side reporter writer or photographer. I get to watch the games free. Meeting the players is not a remote possibility. I get to write about something I am genuinely interested in. With photography, I'll have a "reason" to walk court side during games and/or photograph beautiful people, wonderful places, and precious moments.

3. Basketball coach. For kids, of course; around 5 to 8 years old. I am not a super fan of kids but I may have the patience if I'm teaching them something I really like doing.

4. Journalist (read: "serious" writer). The job commands respect, and who doesn't want that?

5. Tour guide. Free travel + practicing my undergrad course (albeit in small ways)

6. Hotel/Restaurant Reviewer. I will experience hotels and restaurants and I am licensed to judge them, and they're not allowed to lash out. Well, they're not supposed to, anyway.

7. Writer. I started this list in 2010 when I kept making drafts of topics I wanted to write about but may forget. Guess what, I am a writer now and it is refreshing to know that I "would love" to be a writer 2 years ago.

8. Book/music/TV critic. I love music, books and TV shows. I go crazy just by talking, writing about them. This blog has served as my avenue for writing/publishing my critiques about music, books and TV shows. I love reading other people's critiques too.

9. Chef. I make a mean breakfast, and that's about it. Creating something that tastes heavenly is something to be proud of.

10. Judge (at any performing competition). I love watching people perform something they're good at (or, at least, they think they're good at it). I love criticizing people and their performances.

11. Astronaut. Who didn't dream to be an astronaut at any point of their life?! The thought of being in outer space (zero gravity and that stuff) just sounds amazing... even to a twenty-two year old.

12. Painter. Imagine the luxury of not having to work, in the traditional sense, and just paint, and still live comfortably. It's a luxury I would love to have.

13. Gallery person or the modern (read: younger) counterpart of a museum curator. I love paintings--making, seeing and being around them.

14. Stage/theater director. It would be such a pity to put my Best Director awards for various class/school plays back in grade school and high school to waste. Directing is a good way to channel my inner bully.

15. Lawyer. I wouldn't be wasting 5 years of my life reading literally tons of stuff and allowing my professors to "teach" me law if I did not want to become one. Faults and all.

W - - - ing for a living

When I met a law block mate who worked as a writer, I instantly thought, "I want that job." I was thinking that if one writes for a living, on a daily, regular basis, he/she would be well-versed and well-skilled in writing. Something that I aim for. But surprise! surprise! When I finally got a job as a writer--two failed and one successful interview later--I realize that writing for a living would lead to the opposite of what I was expecting.

My writing "gig" mandates me to write letters, messages (for graduations, anniversaries and other celebrations), draft bills and resolutions, and make explanatory notes (these should give you an idea where I work) around 4 to 5 hours a day. I write and re-write these materials twice or thrice. One would think that I am skilled in writing since I have had this gig for 17 months now. But no, I'm still learning the ropes of writing clearly and formally. Sometimes I need to write with drama (when writing speeches in Filipino and letters asking for fund allocation) but oftentimes what I write should be clear and straightforward. No ifs and buts.

For a blogger who draws more on ones' opinion, it takes time to get used to structured writing. So as to not confuse my writing styles--for work and for leisure--the need to compartmentalize my writing arose. Yes, I do write some of my blogs when I'm at work, or I write work stuff when I'm in school or at home, but compartmentalizing is not about the place where I'm writing but it's about properly setting up my state of mind--how I need to think, to feel, when writing about a specific thing.

Sometimes, all this compartmentalizing confuses me; tires me out. Sometimes I mix my styles. Sometimes I don't know what style to use at all. It's stressful. It truly feels like work--in every sense of the word.

Little things I miss

I miss the days when I could just say and mean it, 'Mag-a-absent ako bukas.'
I miss the days when my concerns were limited to passing Math1, Math11 and Philo1.
I miss the days when I were a recluse. As if I ceased to be one.
I miss the days when dancing, for field demonstration or cheering, was required. Not that I was ever good at it.
I miss the days when I enjoyed people's company without other people impugning malice or coming to conclusions.

Circumstantial Hotness

Often times we are blinded, like a deer to a pair of headlights on a dark, dull evening. We feel that we like--in some cases even love--someone or something "like we've never liked/loved before." This may seem cliche-ic or too romantic-comedy/drama material, but really, when we think about it, every person who falls in love or "falls in like" (if there is such a thing) claims to loving/liking like he/she never have before. But when the next opportunity to/for love/like strikes, almost everybody plunges into it with the mindset, "I love like never before"--promising his/her self "this will be it." As if that "it" is ever tangible to its seeker. 

Watching How I Met Your Mother's Girl Versus Suits episode, Robin mentions the "concept" of circumstantial hotness when she defended her hotness against the "sexy" new bartender at MacLaren's, who, according to her, seemed hot because of her position, her job--a bartender. She further states that such hotness is "superficial" and that anyone put in such position will appear to be hot. And she did prove her point.

To further explain, circumstantial hotness, for me, is liking/loving someone not because of who/what he/she is but because of where that person is in your life. Whether who that person is, no matter how unappealing he/she may seem at first but once he/she arrives at a point, a place, which makes you think differently about that person. That is circumstantial hotness, my friends.

Example. I thought Sarah Chalke seemed "appealing" as Elliot Reid in Scrubs but not as Ted's would-be wife, Stella. I liked Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper but not that robot-costume-wearing guy in Garden State. Get my point? It's the circumstances that "decide" whether someone/something will be seen as hot or not.

So, who you think is circumstantially hot?

Happiness

Seeing an eight year relationship crumble before your very eyes is sad. But seeing how it all happened, what the reasons were, and why it did happen, you realize, like that famous relationship cliche, it's all for the better.

You come out proud not because you were instrumental in making this happen. You are proud because for once in her life since she was 13 years old, your friend has made a tough, life-changing decision for her own good. A decision that makes her extremely happy. It may seem to be a selfish choice to others but happiness is about selfishness, after all. You have to want happiness for yourself to be happy. Life is about being happy, isn't it?

You don't know if they will be back together or your friend will find someone else--someone better, you hope. What is important now is that your friend is happy. She has decided to be so.

QNBS: Freaks and Geeks

Chuck has ended and Once Upon A Time won. But the opportunity to criticize in a justified manner is so addicting that I have decided to continue my Quest for the Next Best Series. I will not rename it because I don't have enough creativity to think of a new one.

I will adopt the original QNBS method for judging a show. 1. A friend recommends a TV show or I see an interesting review or a sarcastic rant about it in the Internet. 2. I watch two episodes. 3. Write down what I think, Pros-Cons style.

--------------------------

Many series exist in TV world but today I will write about Freaks and Geeks.

Plot: Two siblings deal with the awkwardness of being in high school in 1980, from homecoming dances to leaving the Mathletes.

PROS:
1. The Weir kids. Linda Cardellini as the Army-jacket-wearing Lindsay Weir and John Francis Daley as Sam Weir deliver good performances in this 1999 TV show. They have the chemistry of siblings, and exude enough individuality to carry out their stories: Lindsay is an awkward girl having identity crisis and joins the Freaks, and Sam is a lanky 103-pound boy labelled as one of the Geeks despite his efforts to shed the image.

Lindsay Weir is the Juno of the 1990s (sans teen pregnancy).

2. The Freaks. The cool guys of the 2000s are the Freaks of the 1990s. High school is so awkward that even the cool guys were labelled as Freaks. Chuck was correct when he said that nerds are this millenium's jocks. Geeks have inherited the Earth.

Buddies: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel

Super gwapo!

3. The Geeks. Sam's buddies, Neal Schweiber (played by Samm Levine) and Bill Haverchuck (played by Martin Starr), are the perfect high school buddies--funny, honest and supportive.

(l-r) Neal, Bill and Sam

4. When people say things like, "You gotta find your big, gigantic drum kit." to refer to finding one's life passion or his/her essence, I am definitely hooked. Metaphors are my favorite figure of speech. Metaphors from occasionally stoned drummer kids are just magic.

"You gotta find your big, gigantic drum kit."

5. It's fun to see today's actors in their teens. John Francis Daley is the most improved while James Franco, Jason Segel, Seth Rogen and Samm Levine looked the same.

The Freaks and Geeks: then and now

6. The show lasted for 18 episodes only. It's easy to catch up to when compared to Friends, Scrubs or Doctor Who.

7. It's funny hilarious. From the main characters to the supporting ones like Kim Kelly (Busy Philips) and Millie Ketner, who says things like: "I am going to have more fun than all you... sober." Yes, Millie was speaking to drunks at a party.

8. A decent soundtrack. First, the fact that a show has a soundtrack--whether decent or otherwise--is a plus. Second, the fact that the songs range from fairly decent to fantastic is a double plus.


CON:
I am too biased to notice. Sorry.


THE VERDICT:
If Rushmore and Juno had a child, that kid will be Freaks and Geeks. Yes, that's how impressed I am by this show, only after watching two episodes. I was a goner, so to speak, after Nick delivered the big, gigantic drum kit line. This show is made of stuff that good movies (or movies that I like) are made of. Paul Feig and Judd Apatow are my heroes now.

Too bad the show was shortlived. All things I like others don't find too amusing. That's a fact.



----------------------------
You may want to look back on how other TV shows fared on the QNBS scale:

Bent
Once Upon A Time
The Inbetweeners
Game of Thrones 2
Sherlock
Suits
Game of Thrones 1
The IT Crowd
Rizzoli & Isles
Community
Awkward
New Girl
Outsourced

QNBS: Bent

Chuck has ended, and after 11 reviews, I decided to watch Once Upon A Time. But having the opportunity to criticize anything in a justified manner is so addicting that I have decided to continue my Quest for the Next Best Series. I will not rename the title because I don't have enough creativity to think of a new one.

I will adopt the original QNBS method for judging a show. 1. A friend recommends a TV show or I see an interesting review, or hear a sarcastic rant about it in the Internet. 2. I watch two episodes. 3. Write down what I think, Pros-Cons style.

--------------------------

Many series exist in TV world but today I will write about Bent.

Plot: A recently divorced uptight single mom wants to redo her kitchen and hires the services of a carpenter contractor to do the job.

Yes, that's basically the plot. I wonder how the writers will milk this story for what it's worth. Maybe they'll redo the living room after the kitchen's done.

PRO:
Amanda Peet. The only reason why this show is worth watching.

Jenkins is now a mom! 

CONS:
1. The guy lead aka Pete. I hate him. No words will suffice to convey my hate.

2. The story is kinda shaky. I don't see where the characters will be or how they will get there. Realistic endings are important for me. If the ending is not realistic, the road to the ending must at least be fun or funny. Neither is the case for Bent.

3. I got tired of the sexual tension-filled bickering between Amanda Peet and Pete eight minutes into the second episode. Yeah, I wonder how I lasted Bones and Booth for 5 seasons.

4. No offense but I'm not a big fan of carpenters contractors. And stories involving them or their friends who're also carpenters, electricians, plumbers etc.

5. Characters, like the story, seemed pointless. The surfer dude contractor gambling addict (yeah, a lot has been going on in this guy's life), the recently divorced uptight single mom, the frustrated-actor and 50 year old dad, and the crazy ex. All boring characters. Give me some Abed. Heck, I'd appreciate even a Shirley.


THE VERDICT:
This is a series that is bent and broken, and feels wrong in so many ways. 


----------------------------
You may want to look back on how other TV shows fared on the QNBS scale:


Once Upon A Time
The Inbetweeners
Game of Thrones 2
Sherlock
Suits
Game of Thrones 1
The IT Crowd
Rizzoli & Isles
Community
Awkward
New Girl
Outsourced

QNBS: Once Upon A Time

Chuck has ended. I am still reeling from its oh-so-perfect ending but I have yet to decide on its replacement. So I continue my Quest for the Next Best Series. Many series have been recommended but today, I will write about Once Upon A Time.

To recap, here is how I come up with these QNBS reviews: 1. A friend recommends them or I see an interesting review about it in the Internet. 2. I watch two episodes. 3. Write down what I think, Pros-Cons style.

Plot:  This is the story of how Snow White's and Prince Charming's daughter, Emma, saves (or, at least, tries to) the fairy tale characters from the curse of the Evil Queen, who has stolen their happy endings and transported them in present-day Storybrooke, Maine. They are all oblivious to the fact that they are characters from fairy tales. But before all the saving can start, Emma's son Henry, who she gave up for adoption 10 years ago, must convince her that she is Snow White's daughter.

PROS:
1. That Aha! moment. Have you experienced the feeling when after looking for your One Great Love for a long time in all the wrong places, you see this person standing in a spot you've constantly looked at but missed in the past, and you say to yourself, "There you are."? I've experienced that with Once Upon A Time, albeit in a less romantic/dramatic manner. In all the ten QNBS reviews I have done so far, it is only while watching Once Upon A Time did I say to myself, "This is it." I cannot point out the exact reason that made me love this show. I just do.

2. Henry Mills. There are only two types of kids that I love: the chubby-cheeked kids and those who talk to adults like they are grown-ups themselves. Henry Mills (Jared S. Gilmore) is obviously the second kind. He's endearing in a non-forceful (read: di masyado pa-bibo) way. He's a simple kid who for some reason found his birth mother's present address and knocked on her door on her birthday, only to convince her to bring him back home to Storybrooke. All this using his teacher's credit card. I want to believe in something as strongly as Henry does in Emma Swan.

The lovable Henry Mills

3. I am a big fan of fairy tales. I am old enough to know--or be convinced by the cynics around me haha--that fairy tales are not true but 'modernizing' these fairy tales and turning it into a TV series is a brilliant idea. It is a brillant excuse for grown-ups to relive their childhood and root for their favorite characters again.

4. Jennifer and Ginnifer. I was never a fan of Jennifer Morrison when she played Zoey in How I Met Your Mother (not because she played it badly but because, for me, the character was unnecessary). She wasn't on House when I started liking the show in Season 4. I only liked her in one House episode when she and Dr. Chase were stuck at a hospital room, forcing them to deal with their impending divorce. But in Once Upon A Time, Jennifer Morrison performs really well.

Morrison leaves Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital to be a bail bondsperson

To Ginnifer Goodwin, I only have this to say: Who are you? I honestly thought Morrison and the show's make-up team were doing a super good job portraying one actress as three characters: Snow White, Emma Swan and Mary Margaret Blanchard. It turns out they just really look alike.

She looks like Morrison and almost has the same first name 

5. The how-will-they factor. Even if I know most of the fairy tales and I, sort of, expect the writers to follow the originals, I find myself interested in how the writers will adapt a particular story. I loved how confident the Game of Thrones writers are in killing off Ned Stark and how adventurous How I Met Your Mother writers are in providing silly fast forward moments (ex. Ted in a green dress saying 'Now We're Even') that drive them into corners they have to get out of using brilliant writing. I hope the writers of Once Upon A Time deliver as well as them.

6. Good villains. Lana Parrilla is very effective as the Evil Queen. We Filipinos always claim that we have the worst and most corrupt public officials in the world, I agree with that. But when I see the Evil Queen, my resolve shakes a little. I can just imagine how frightening it is to have the Evil Queen as our city mayor. In that case, our OTOP will be apples--red, shiny and poisonous.

Apples--red, shiny, poisonous

Robert Carlyle as Rumpelstiltskin is amazing. Seeing this Rumpelstiltskin character, I told myself, He's cool. Why didn't my parents made me read his story?!!! Why did I waste my time on Three Little Pigs?

The glittering Rumpelstiltskin

7. It is not a comedy. While I require that the TV shows I watch have some kind of comedic quality or at least an occasional funny joke, I appreciated Once Upon A Time for making me realizing that, Hindi lahat ng nakakatuwang bagay, dapat nakakatawa. I had to thank The IT Crowd for showing me: Hindi lahat ng nakakatawa, nakakatuwa.


CONS:
1. I'm afraid that the show will run out of fairy tales to tell, to adapt. Imagine if Once Upon A Time lasts as long as Friends or (god forbid!) Doctor Who, I bet the writers will need to borrow stories from Aesop's Fables.

2. An episode lasts about 40 minutes on average, longer than my 20min-ish requirement. I guess this is negotiable as long as Once Upon A Time manages to keep me interested and awake for 20 more minutes.


THE VERDICT:

After 10 TV shows and 11 QNBS reviews (because I did Game of Thrones twice), I found Chuck's replacement! THIS IS IT. Yay! You may have sensed that Once Upon A Time is the one after reading item No. 1 on the Pro List... and seeing only two cons. (FYI: The second Con is, in fact, an afterthought.)

Bye, Chuck. Hello, Once Upon A Time.


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You may want to look back on how other TV shows fared on the QNBS scale:

The Inbetweeners
Game of Thrones 2
Sherlock
Suits
Game of Thrones 1
The IT Crowd
Rizzoli & Isles
Community
Awkward
New Girl
Outsourced

QNBS: The Inbetweeners

Chuck has ended. I am still reeling from its oh-so-perfect ending but I am unable to find its replacement. So I continue my Quest for the Next Best Series. Many series have been recommended but today, I will write about The Inbetweeners.

To recap, here is how I come up with these QNBS reviews: 1. A friend recommends them or I see an interesting review about it in the Internet. 2. I watch two episodes. 3. Write down what I think, Pros-Cons style.

Plot:  A story about a transfer student aka "one of the freaks" who tries, and succeeds, according to the opening credits, to be friends with three other not-so-school high school boys. "Anyone can be your friend if you hang around them long enough."


PROS:
1. It's British. The British accent blows me away. Constantly.

2. The opening credits. It reminds me of Juno, and I liked Juno.

3. It's a story about geeks or not-so-cool high school students. I am a big fan of geeks--no, nerds, as Chuck and Morgan like to be called--like Chuck, Troy, Abed, Sheldon, Leonard, Howard and Raj, and the Glee kids who were not into a sports varsity team or the Cheerios.

4. It's a little funny, especially the part in Episode 2 where the boys spread the rumor that Neil's dad is gay. Not cool if it's your dad they're talking about. But if it isn't, it's hilarious.

5. I noticed the dialogue and the boys do use the word "fuck" a lot. I guess British TV is liberal enough to allow it. I should looked at the British dictionary when I was punished for uttering "fuck you" when I was a kid. Haha

6. The boys (Simon Bird as Will McKenzie, Joe Thomas as Simon Cooper, James Buckley as Jay Cartwright and Blake Harrision as Neil Sutherland) have chemistry. However, the lead character, Will, annoys me but so did whiny Ted in Season 6 of How I Met Your Mother.


CONS:
1. It's The IT Crowd for high school, and I hated The IT Crowd. The Inbetweeners had less violence and was less slapstick but I found the lines outrageous and the reactions too over the top.

2. I had the time to write about a QNBS review months after I watched The Inbetweeners, and I barely remember a thing about it. This is bad.

3. Do British kids normally whisper or shout insults to newbies as they pass him in the halls wearing a blazer or weird shoes and carrying a briefcase? It's like an American high school movie, only longer.


I am too disappointed by this TV series I will not bother to add photos. Or maybe doing a review of Game of Thrones just before this one has something to do with my disappointment. I guess Game of Thrones is a tough act to follow--even in reviews.


------------
You may want to check other QNBS reviews:

QNBS: Game of Thrones 2
QNBS: Sherlock
QNBS: Suits
QNBS: Game of Thrones 1
QNBS: IT Crowd
QNBS: Rizzoli & Isles
QNBS: Community
QNBS: Awkward
QNBS: New Girl
QNBS: Outsourced

QNBS: Game of Thrones 2

Chuck has ended. I am still reeling from its oh-so-perfect ending but I am unable to find its replacement. So I continue my Quest for the Next Best Series. Many series have been recommended but today, I will write about Game of Thrones.

Photo from Wikipedia

Plot: Following the death of the Hand of the King through a sudden and mysterious cause, the King of the Seven Kingdoms travels to the North to ask his friend to be the Hand of the King, at a very tumultuous time of his reign. External and internal conflicts complicate the Seven Kingdoms. External: the threat of the re-emergence of the Targaryens, the House of the former Mad King, to reclaim the throne from the King. Internal: the King's wife's incestuous relations with her twin brother brings the Queen's House, the Lannisters, against the new Hand's House, the Starks.


PROS:

1. It is highly recommended by the Chuck Bartowski, Zachary Levi, and... well, almost every person I know. The enthusiasm people have with Game of Thrones reminds me of the enthusiasm that my friends had with How I Met Your Mother. I was hesitant to try it at first but convinced myself to try it, and I have never looked back since.

2. It is very well made. An episode seems like a movie in itself, in terms of production. In my virtual ranking of best produced series,  Game of Thrones  rank second to Sherlock. The setting, the costumes and the props (hello, the swords look like real swords, the ones that could really cut someone) were perfect.

3. The show is blessed with good actors. Producers should thank their casting director for a good job. I loved the strong performances of Sean Bean as Lord Eddard "Ned" Stark, Lena Headey as Queen Cersei Lannister, Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, Aidan Gillen as Lord Petyr Baelish, Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Michelle Fairley as Catelyn Stark, Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Bran Stark, Kit Harington as Jon Snow, and Maisie Williams as Arya Stark.

(clockwise from top left:) Daenerys Targaryen, Lord Petyr Baelish, Lord Ned Stark and  Queen Cersei  Lannister

4. The story is very well written and the characters are so promising that the writers are not afraid to kill off the main character. Yes, the death of Ned Stark was written in the George Martin books but still, following conventional TV series writing, the writers could have not followed Martin and let the only upright character in the whole of Westeros live. They choose to defy the conventional and didn't care whether they get crap for killing off the main guy. Sometimes I wish other writers have this confidence the writers of Game of Thrones have. But, then again, other shows are not blessed with the open mindedness viewers of Game of Thrones have. Just look at what happened to House when Cuddy, Cameron and, to an extent, Thirteen left.

The show's still underdeveloped characters show promise:
(Clockwise from top left) Arya Stark, Jon Snow, Bran Stark and Robb Stark

5. The direwolves. When I convinced my brother to give Game of Thrones  a try, I found myself highlighting the fact that the five Stark children each had a direwolf, which served as the Stark's sigil, to take care of and protect them. These direwolves played (although I doubt it if they are aware of it) important roles in the Stark children's lives. Bran's Summer defended him from his hired killer. Nymeria almost ate off Joffrey's hand after he attacked Arya. Sansa hated her father for letting the King take Lady's life in replacement for Nymeria's. Even Jon Snow's albino direwolf Ghost and Robb's Grey Wind have been given ample screen time.

Bran holding a very young Summer

CONS:

1. Although I am a history major--well, sort of--the whole medieval-kingdoms-against-kingdoms plot does not appeal to me that much. Mind you, I fell asleep in the first few minutes of the first movie in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and I am not even sure if it was about kings. I'd rather watch science-y stuff the boys of The Big Bang Theory rant about over this. Yeah, I know, kill me now, Game of Thrones  fans.

2. After watching eight episodes, I came out of it with a strong hatred towards the characters rather than love. Usually, after I finish watching two episodes for my QNBS review, I focus on the show's positive aspects and what I love about it. But with the Game of Thrones, the dominating emotion was hate. I hated Viserys Targaryen, Jaime Lannister, Joffrey Baratheon and Jon Arryn's son who loves violence and his mother's colostrum (come on, the boy looks ten years old!). I don't want to watch a show because I strongly hate its characters and slightly like the others. Although as cheesy as this may sound, I remained loyal to Chuck,  How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory because I loved its characters.

The guys I love to hate: (clockwise from top left) Jamie Lannister,
Joffrey Baratheon, Jon Arryn's son and Viserys Targaryen 

3. Too much gore, sex and scheming. I was thinking my sensibilities are, well, liberated enough to endure the explicit violence and sexual content of Game of Thrones. But, no. The way the show treated sex and violence casually was something I cannot get used to. I am young barrio lass after all. Haha I can just imagine what my reaction will be to Spartacus.


Game of Thrones is good yet somehow I don't find myself liking it enough for it to replace Chuck in my regular TV series viewing. I think of Game of Thrones as my family's traditional, special Christmas Eve dish. We love it but we do not eat it regularly because it is best served during special occasions. Its quality will not be appreciated if served regularly.

So it is decided that I, Jo Ann Frances, first of my name, of the House of Madarang, shall watch Game of Thrones after every season is finished to enable me to appreciate its plot, actors and story properly.

(Yeah, the inner geek in me has wanted to do that since I heard the characters speak these lines)


----------------------------------
You may want to check other QNBS reviews:

QNBS: Sherlock 
QNBS: Suits
QNBS: Game of Thrones 1
QNBS: IT Crowd
QNBS: Rizzoli & Isles
QNBS: Community
QNBS: Awkward
QNBS: New Girl
QNBS: Outsourced

The William McKinley High School in a Decade

Out of the many possible names for a high school, the writers of Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000) and Glee (2009) chose William McKinley High School. Amazing?

What is more amazing is that both TV series use the same "M" logo, with different school colors (green and white for the 90s kids, and red and white for the Gleeks):

What is even more amazing is that given the 10 years apart, the show still features the game of dodgeball which, according to Kurt Hummel, is a modern form of stoning. In Freaks and Geeks the geeks went up against their more physically gifted classmates while in Glee the members of the two competing glee clubs in school go against each other.

Oh, how times have changed...not!

Welcome to the William McKinley High School!

The Robin Effect

We all have that one lost love/ex-girlfriend/ex-boyfriend that we remained surprisingly close to or remained in constant communication with. We cherish our friendship with this person. We constantly marvel at how great friends we are with this person; but how bad we are at a romantic relationship. We have convinced ourselves that since we're not going to be anything more than friends we might as well we really good friends.

Win-win? Yes? No.

Unbeknownst to us, this person continues to affect us... and our relationships. Yes, granted that he/she does not do anything or, sometimes, is even actively participating in our grand quest for love but, deep inside, he/she hinders us from achieving happiness--the complete, true and sincere kind--we seek to share with another person. He/she is hindering us, whether he/she likes it or not.

I wish to call this The Robin Effect.

Robin's effect on Ted and Barney

And, sadly, at some point in our silly drama queen-like life we have to make the decision to end things with our own Robins. We have to undergo the painful process Ted did with Robin to enable ourselves to be more open, more positive to the idea of love, and of looking for it. We have to face the fact that no matter how painful (or, as I'd like to put it, how scarred) our lost love made us, love is out there. Happiness is out there. Waiting for us, waiting to be found...if only we have the courage to go on that quest with no one holding us back.

And the Barney & Robin Boat Continues to Sail with Me on It

I'm a big fan of TV Line. I read it in-between SCRA cases or during coffee or lunch break at work. Sometimes, I read it while in class. Yes, I know I should feel guilty rather than write about it here.

Anyway, since I am about to bury myself in codals, cases, mindmaps, and countless reviewers in a few hours (yes, I shall review for finals week which, this year, is narrowed to three days: Friday, Saturday and Monday), I shall first reply to a TV Line query, and write extensively about How I Met Your Mother, whose episodes seem to get farther and farther apart (April 19, come on!).

TV Line asked:

6 | So what do we think: Will How I Met Your Mother's Quinn turn out to be Barney’s bride? And how great were the college clones?

Answer: No, and yes, the college clones were surprisingly amusing and funny.

When the writers of HIMYM have successfully convinced me that Robin and Barney are going to end up together, I became committed to the story line. Like Lily, I was rooting for the Barney and Robin in Season 4 and for the most part of Season 5. I hated it when they broke up in the Rough Patch; I hated it so much I stopped watching HIMYM. When Nora came in, she rocked the Robin and Barney boat I was in, and doubt started creeping in because, hey, I admit, they have chemistry...well, not like Robin and Barney's but they do have some. You can only imagine how happy I was when Barney broke up with Nora (should've done it on the boat!) to be with Robin and how mad and disappointed I was when Robin didn't do the same thing. Even when Don, Nora, Kevin, and now Quinn entered the picture, I chose to hold my ground and decided to not get off the Barney-Robin boat.

Why am I so convinced, you ask?

Do me a favor and go to your compilation of Season 5 of HIMYM, and watch The Rough Patch. Ok, if it's too painful for you to watch, then skip to the last part, around the 19:50 mark when Future Ted said:

It turns out that they really did need to just let things run their course. 


When the writers successfully (and mind you, seriously) rock the Barney-Robin boat, I go back to these words Future Ted uttered to his kids, and conclude (yes, with a little interpretation) that no matter how hard it is going to get for Barney and Robin to realize they are made for each other, that they are capable of commitment and marriage, they are going to get there.

And now that the biggest obstacle to their relationship (or the possibility of a long term really serious one) is out of the way (I am talking about you, Ted), I am more convinced that Robin is Barney's bride.

Just to convince you that I am not making this whole thing up, or that I haven't thought this one through, here are a few factual reasons why I think they are going to be together:

1. When the gang flash forwards to Barney's alleged death bed in The Exploding Meatball Sub, Robin is standing closest to Barney. She is seen crying intensely, even more than Lily does. In this flash forward, Barney is seen wearing a wedding ring. So I ask you, if Robin is not his wife, then why wasn't Barney wife present beside his death bed during such important time? Was this a intentional omission or was it a production flaw? I vote omission.

2. When Robin and Barney broke up at the diner, Barney proposed to make the 40-year old Deal with Robin, and her answer was that she can't because she already has that deal with Ted. So now, 2 years later, and Ted has taken back his 40yo Deal, I am more than psyched. I just hope Barney finds about this soon.

3. They keep coming back to each other. When they slept together in Season 3, they promised to forget about it, Barney couldn't. He confessed to Ted. The gang including themselves, except Lily, tried to talk them(selves) out of it. But they decided to take the metaphorical leap in Season 4, and be together. In Season 5, when the relationship got messy (mainly because Barney ate [no double meaning here] everything he laid eyes on at Mac Laren's menu), they broke up. When Robin is about to move in with Don, Barney snaps and wants to get her back. But she chooses Don. And the possibility of losing one of his best friends freaked out Barney, so he backs off. In Season 6, it is Robin who feels the pang of regret when she sees Barney accept the challenge from Nora. In Season 7, despite having well-functioning relationships, they both give in to the desire to be with each other. Again. Now, with Barney officially stating he was hurt, felt mad by Robin's rejection and does not care that Robin is single again, I think it is Robin's turn to give in.

4. Related to #3, unlike Ted and Robin who have recently obtained closure to their relationship (or impossibility of), Barney and Robin have not. They continue to confuse each other (and us viewers included) about what they really want in life. When they finally figure what/who they want, it will be each other. How else could Ted, Robin and Barney resolve the problem Victoria correctly (and may I say, brilliantly) pointed out in Ducky Tie and still remain friends? Answer, Ted and Robin "wouldn't see each other for a long time" after that awkward moment in The Broath. Robin and Barney has two options, like Ted and Robin did. The difference is, they will decide to be together because if they didn't Robin can't stand to feel awkward around her 2 closest male friends, and will decide to leave the group. And for his part, Barney will realize he will need to be away from Robin to avoid the Robin Effect, as well.

5. They are each other's best friends. One thing HIMYM constantly teaches its viewers is that: life partners are best friends. That is why Marshall and Lily have worked as a couple, and Ted and his ex-girlfriends haven't. I could enumerate a lot of instances wherein they turned to each other when times got sketchy or they needed a friend to confide in but I will cite only the most recent one. In Rebound Girl, when Barney felt the need to take walk and think things through, he went straight to the bathroom window to talk to Robin, who has locked herself in the bathroom.