It's Always Sunny plays out nightmares

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This week, FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which recently began its eighth season, celebrates Halloween with "The Maureen Ponderosa Wedding Massacre." Maureen (Catherine Reitman) is getting married, and Dennis (Glenn Howerton) crashes the ceremony to make sure that she goes through with it, so that he won't have to continue paying her alimony. The rest of the gang comes, too, some to support Dennis, others who want to ruin things so that he will stay miserable. But what they don't count on is encountering the McPoyle clan, who soon begin acting like a hoarde of zombies.

I am not a fan of the McPoyles. I love It's Always Sunny greatly, but sometimes it ventures into a territory a little too gross for me. This includes pretty much every instance in which the incestuous clan shows up. Thankfully, they've done only a few episodes in the past eight seasons, but as I believe I am in a minority opinion here, it's inevitable that they return.

This time, however, I feel like the McPoyles are used correctly. It's hard to watch them being sweaty and gross, but considering the point of "The Maureen Ponderosa Wedding Massacre" is to be creeppy and scary, it works well. Who wouldn't be terrified trapped at a wedding in the woods with a bunch of inbred hillbillies? No one would want to be eaten, or have sex with, any of this group.

And the fake-out blowjob bit between Liam (Jimmi Simpson) and Ryan (Nate Mooney) is funny.

As things go from bad to worse, told in a series of flashbacks at the police station, Dennis not only ends up fleeing after ill-advised sexual relations, but Dee (Kaitlin Olson) attacks Charlie (Charlie Day) and Mac (Rob McElhenney), and Frank (Danny DeVito) is sort of behind all the trouble. They all get away with their terrible actions, consequence free, as always, because they don't do anything illegal. But one has to admit that, even when they stay within the confines of the law, what they're doing isn't right. This will surely catch up with them some day, a la the Seinfeld finale, only hopefully better executed.

The Mac / Charlie / Dee sequence is my favorite part of the episode, especially when the truth behind Dee's attack is revealed. Mac and Charlie are pure bozos, and it's hard to believe how believable it is that they would wreck her car and think they could lie their way out of it. Priceless comedy gold!

The only thing that really rings hollow in "The Maureen Ponderosa Wedding Massacre" is why Liam is marrying Maureen in the first place. She has fixed the dead tooth and gotten new, big boobs, so she's way too attractive for the very gross Liam. Liam is definitely still in love with Ryan, so it makes little sense that he would want to marry her. And while I won't say that Maureen can do better, as she is still as weird as ever, and improving her look can't fix that, why would she want Liam? There is no chemistry and no reasonable explanation for the union. This would have been an easy fix if only Maureen had invited Dennis to the wedding, going through with the whole thing just to make him jealous, which he does become on his own, temporarily.

Overall, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia remains a great series. This is a serviceable episode with some fantastic moments, though perhaps overall falls a little short of some other installments. But week in and week out, It's Always Sunny makes me laugh, and any series that can do that is worth watching.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

Don't really want to move to Mockingbird Lane

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Considering the cast and crew of NBC's Mockingbird Lane, created by Bryan Fuller (Pushing Daisies), I was super psyched for the series this fall. When it was held back, and decided that the "Pilot" would be aired as a stand alone Halloween special, without producing more episodes, disappointment set in. That is, until it actually aired. Then disappointment of a whole other kind appeared.

It's not that Mockingbird Lane is bad; it's just that the first episode doesn't live up to its potential. The set and effects (save for the werewolf in the opening sequence) are spectacular, and glimpsing the Golden Gate bridge behind the infamous house is a stroke of brilliance, providing a stark contrast every time it's seen. This links the show to the real world, even as it feels like fantasy. Lily's (Portia de Rossi, Arrested Development, Better Off Ted) introduction is even more cool, spiders flowing gracefully around her to make her garb.

But the rest of the episode is just too tame. Whereas The Munsters, the goofy sitcom Mockingbird Lane seeks to update, relies on gags and schlock, Mockingbird Lane treats itself like a serious drama. This doesn't work. Sure, these actors are capable of deepening the characters, and making this new show mean a lot more than the old one. But they don't get the chance, skipping over much of what should be an introduction-based episode, and jumping right into a boring story. Combining the comedy with the drama is what it needed here, and the mix is almost absent in this premiere, which skews more towards the drama side.

The crux of the first episode is how Eddie's (Mason Cook) parents are going to tell him that he is a werewolf, a monster, or Munster, like them. One would think that this is exactly what Mockingbird Lane should be doing, since it is taking an element of the classic series, and putting it into context people can relate to, providing a moral dilemma. Instead, the implications of what this means are glossed over, replaced with an empty "be yourself" type of mantra.

Herman (Jerry O'Connell, The Defenders, Crossing Jordan) is the only one of the Munsters that comes across as fully realized. He knows he is dying, but refuses to let Grandpa (Eddie Izzard, The Riches, United States of Tara) kill Eddie's new scout leader, Steve (Cheyenne Jackson, 30 Rock, Glee), to obtain him a new heart, thus saving his life. He also wrestles with what to do about Eddie. As a man who is made into a Munster by Grandpa, Herman straddles the two worlds, and is a compelling lead.

It's too bad this plot is cut short, though, when Steve accidentally dies. His death is funny, but there is definitely more that could have been milked from the situation, considering Herman's internal struggle is the best part of the episode. Once Steve is dead, not murdered, Herman doesn't mind taking his organ. Which kind of ruins what is built up til that point. How much darker and deeper would it go if Grandpa killed Steve, and then forced Herman to take the heart against his will? How would that affect family dynamics, as well as how Herman feels about himself? And why not let Steve stick around for a few episodes first, so the family can get to know him, and his death would mean more? After all, Jackson is terrific in the part.

Grandpa can be excused for being how he is, because it seems logical that he would think the way that he does. I just wish he was played more over the top, or commit to the scary, rather than doing neither at one hundred percent, either of which Izzard would shine in. Lily doesn't get much to do in the first episode, so it's hard to see where she fits in, though she is clearly torn between Herman's want for the family to be good, and Grandpa's longing to return to the traditional ways of feeding on humans freely. De Rossi has the chops to make this work, given screen time to do so, which she is not in the "Pilot."

The real problem is with the kids in the cast. Eddie is too flat, not up to the task of the real emotion his situation calls for. Marilyn (Charity Wakefield) is no better, though her fault lies in the writing. We know that she wants to stay with the family, even though Grandpa despises her for being born normal. This needs to be explored, especially in the opening of the series, but is pushed off for another day, if ever.

Should Mockingbird Lane be allowed to continue, there is plenty of potential here for a fantastic show. I just fear that the luck luster plot of the "Pilot" combined with the lack of faith the network has put into it has killed a bold experiment before it even begins.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

Once Upon a Time in "Tallahassee"

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Last night's installment of ABC's Once Upon a Time may have been called "Tallahasse," but not a single moment of the episode took place in that Florida city. Instead, "Tallahassee" is a dream. It represents home and family for Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison), a chance to be with the man she loves and raise a kid together.

But this dream is dashed eleven years ago, as we see when Emma finally gets her own flashback. Yep, the backstory of "Tallahassee" tells a fairy tale in the real world. Thief Emma meets another criminal, Neal (Michael Raymond-James, Terriers, True Blood), and together they become a sort of Bonnie and Clyde. Seeking to prevent a tragic ending, August (Eion Bailey) arranges for Emma to end up in jail and Neal to step back until Emma has fulfilled her destiny.

How might Emma's life be different if August hadn't been "protecting" her? Neal seems to really love her. Maybe they could have had a happy ending together. Yes, a content Emma might have been harder to drag to Storybrooke, but she would have been a less angsty person. If August really wanted to help, shouldn't he have thought about this? Not to mention, why couldn't August get her to her destiny much sooner?

That aside, though, we now know the meaning of the opening scene of season two, and who the Mysterious Man is. He will surely come for Emma, as his apartment showed no signs of him having moved on without her. Will Emma be able to start to forgive him, the way she is doing with Snow (Ginnifer Goodwin) and David (Josh Dallas), who abandoned her for equally noble reasons? As a "normal" human, what will Neal's introduction to the fairy tale world be like? What has he been doing in the intervening years? And what is in August's box that moved Neal to listen?

In this very Emma-heavy episode, Once Upon a Time also follows her in the story book land. She climbs a beanstalk with Hook (Colin O'Donoghue) to get a compass from the last giant (Jorge Garcia, Lost, Alcatraz). She completes the quest, of course, in her own unique way, and earns her battle stripes in this world, no longer the fish out of water she began as a few episodes ago.

What viewers are reminded of in this episode, though, and what Emma already well knows is, people are complicated, and you can't always take what they say at face value. Who is the real bad guy in "Tallahassee," the giant or Hook? The giant hates people and almost kills Emma, but his people were slain by men, so there's no wonder he holds a grudge. And once Emma spares his life, he does her a favor AND allows her to leave. So he's clearly not unreasonable.

My question is, though, how believable is it that the giant learns to trust Emma? He is described as the baddest of them all, the only survivor from the war. Would he really, after so much suffering and loss, be able to strike a deal and some sort of trust, slim as it might be, with Emma? Wouldn't he just kill her? The fact that he doesn't makes him not only a good guy, but a hero of the highest order. Which means he should definitely return again.

Hook, on the other hand, I do not trust. I think Emma is right to have the giant keep him for ten hours and allow the ladies to escape. I don't care what he tells them, I can't help but feel he is still playing out Cora's (Barbara Hershey) plan. And while I think there is some real grief behind Hook's motivations, and do think that he is sincere when he tells Emma about his motivations to get to Storybrooke, the story behind it all cannot be discounted, knowing his love began in the most unorthodox and sinister of ways.

And I guess there will be no Jack in the story of this giant and beanstalk, given the pile of bones on the floor.

There is another danger revealed in "Tallahasse." Both Henry (Jared S. Gilmore) and Aurora (Sarah Bolger) have nightmares about a red room with burning curtains. Are they seeing each other in the room, or a villain we have yet to meet? What does it mean? When did premonitions enter into the mix? When will this go down? Scary stuff, a level of danger that might just edge out everything we've seen so far.

There are a few weak points, such as characters making leaps not fully explained, but overall season two of Once Upon a Time has been an exciting thrill ride. I'm ready for Emma and Snow to get back to their friends, but definitely excited about what's to come next. "Tallahasse" is not as good as recent episodes like "The Doctor," "Crocodile," and "We Are Both," but is still a fun time.

Once Upon a Time airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

Bob's Burgers gets "An Indecent Thanksgiving Proposal"

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Unlike the Halloween special, which aired almost a month before the holiday, FOX let Bob's Burgers put out their Thanksgiving episode at an appropriate time, the Sunday before. Of all the animated comedies the network has on this night, Bob's Burgers is my current favorite. To see the family celebrate a holiday that is so much about family is heartwarming. And, this being Bob's Burgers, also funny.

The story, "An Indecent Thanksgiving Proposal," begins with the landlord, Mr. Fischoeder (Kevin Kline), bribing Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) to cook a meal for himself and a lady friend, and also hiring Bob's family to pose as his own. See, Mr. Fischoeder's love interest only goes for married guys, so he plans on using Linda (John Roberts) and the kids to hook her in.

Bob is very resistant. Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday, and he has traditions with each child. To him, preserving these rituals is more important than money. Unfortunately, the children don't feel the same, and are excited to escape their father's corniness to get involved in a scheme. This is not only a typical portrait of a clan, painting Bob as the family man he truly is at heart, but also illustrative of the generational divide, parents being more sentimental than their offspring.

This, in of itself, would be a good enough tale. Bob grows ever jealous in the kitchen, while his kids compete for Mr. Fischoeder's affections, and Linda horribly overdoes things, as she is wont to do. But "An Indecent Thanksgiving Proposal" adds in a twist when Bob finds a bottle of absinthe in the kitchen. Suddenly, he is hallucinating and talking to the turkey, whom he has named, which makes things spiral even quicker out of control, and in very humorous ways.

Bob's Burgers works because of so many elements. One, it has a unique sense of humor that isn't found in practically any other series I can think of. Two, the characters are incredibly well defined, and are always played to their strengths. A fine balance is walked between repeating already known character traits, and overusing the same jokes, and it is pulled off expertly. Third, the show and its vocal cast can really land a joke, over and over again. Like when the family is naming holidays in the order of importance and Gene (Eugene Mirman) says the season premiere of Game of Thrones, though quickly admits to never having seen the show. Fantastic!

Louise (Kristen Schaal) remains the best part of Bob's Burgers. The fiendish young girl with her pink bunny ears is as clever as she is ornery. She will do whatever she must to meet her goals, and her brain just thinks on a different wave length than everyone else. And yet, when combined with her siblings, Gene and Tina (Dan Mintz), as she so often is in many a story, she works well in the group, too, without stealing too much focus.

"An Indecent Thanksgiving Proposal" has a happy ending for the family, of course. Like The Simpsons, no matter what happens during the episode, they can all come together in the end, and there is deep love between them. Bob's Burgers may be a little quicker to show it than The Simpsons, though, and only three seasons in, it still feels fresh and original, definitely designed for the modern sensibility.

Bob's Burgers airs Sundays at 8:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! First posted on TheTVKing

The Mindy Project celebrates "Thanksgiving"

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One conceit of television that sort of goes against reality is that Thanksgiving is a time for families, but usually casts of characters gather with friends instead. Sure, we get the occasional relative stopping by as a guest star. But it's not the same as the main characters each returning to their homes every year for the holiday, which is what most of us do in real life. I was surprised, then, that while The Mindy Project did not exactly divide up everyone, there were distinct groups who split up.

The most realistic thread involved Betsy (Zoe Jarman) visiting her clan, with Jeremy (Ed Weeks), who isn't native to America, tagging along. Too bad Betsy is also the least interesting character on the series. Jeremy gets along splendidly with her relations, as he almost always does with whoever he happens to be in the presence of, while Betsy reverts to childlike behavior. Sadly, it didn't seem all that interesting or novel for Betsy to act like this, and Jeremy is just along for the ride.

The better story involves Mindy (Mindy Kaling) and Morgan (Ike Barinholtz) attending Gwen's (Anna Camp) large party. True, this isn't a family affair, but it does give Mindy the chance to pine over Josh (Tommy Dewey), while also bumping into her ex, Dennis (Ed Helms). Ex may be too strong a word, considering they only shared one date (in the first episode of the series), but Dennis functions here as if they'd been in a relationship. Mindy's antics, while over-the-top, as expected, are amusing. It's just too bad there isn't more for Morgan to do.

Meanwhile, Shauna (Amanda Setton) goes minibar hopping with her girlfriends. If any character would blow off their family on Thanksgiving, it would be Shuana, so this actually makes sense, even though she is barely seen and doesn't actually get plot in the episode. This is typical for her, which is probably why her character will soon be departing the show. Too bad, because her personality isn't matched by any other character, and she shifts the group dynamics in an interesting way.

While I am slowly warming up to The Mindy Project, I do feel like the best characters sometimes get shafted in favor of less intriguing people. I'm not complaining about Mindy, the star of the show, who is doing just fine with her arcs. But I really like Morgan and Shauna, and they take back seats to Jeremy and Betsy, who aren't nearly as compelling. A few tweaks to the formula would be nice.

The best part of The Mindy Project, week in and week out, is Danny (Chris Messina). In "Thanksgiving," he hangs out alone in the empty office. This totally gels with his character, and he seems happy while doing it. Other shows might force him to eventually show up at a gathering, regretting his decision to fly solo. Not The Mindy Project. This is who Danny is, and while he may want to be with Mindy, he is patient enough to wait for her to want to be with him, and he's not going to show up at some party he doesn't want to be at to speed things along. He kind of already does that with the dance club a few weeks ago, and so now he has learned his lesson and stays true to himself.

Of course, The Mindy Project doesn't abandon the friends-getting-together trope entirely. At the end of "Thanksgiving," they all send each other pictures with their camera phones. This shows that they do think of each other as family, and it will not be surprising if the main cast gathers together in some future holiday episode. Let's hope not, though, because if Mindy just sticks to the things about it that set it apart from the rest of the fodder out there, this could be a really good series.

The Mindy Project airs Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

Want to read some of my fiction? It's on my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Also, for the latest updates and article links, as well as commentary on episode I don't fully review, please follow me on Twitter! This article was first posted on TheTVKing

Kids Korner: A Dog's Life: Autobiography of a Stray by Ann M. Martin

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• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (January 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439717000
• ISBN-13: 978-0439717007

Genre: Children, Realistic Fiction

Synopsis: This story is written from the view point of the dog, years later looking back on her life. The reader starts following her as a puppy and it's all given from the view point of the dog and she loses family members, tackles starvation, packs of vicious dogs, cars, and the ultimate enemy --- human beings.

Our thoughts: My children decided this was a riveting journey as they followed the life of this poor dog. Parts of it made the kids very sad and other parts made them to be very happy. They loved this book and moaned any time we had to stop and do other things in our life. Her name changes several times throughout her life depending on who she lives with. She started off as Squirrel though. It's the name her mother gave her. It is an emotional journey for children though... be warned.

Author:  (info from Goodreads) Ann Matthews Martin was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane. After graduating from Smith College, Ann became a teacher and then an editor of children's books. She's now a full-time writer.

Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.

Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.

Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.

After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children. 


For more info on Ann Martin visit her websites http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmmartin and http://www.scholastic.com/annmartin/


Rating: According to my 6 and 4 year old -- ***** Five Stars

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 A Dog's Life: Autobiography of a Stray

Collin's Corner: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonals

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Paperback, 144 pagesPublished June 3rd 1994 by HarperCollins (first published 1947)
Genre: Children Chapter Book
Synopsis: Mrs.Piggle-Wiggle is a funny little woman who has very long hair, loves children and lives in a house she had built upside down. She wanted it built upside down because when she was a little girl she wondered what it would be like to live in an upside down house. She had the baths and kitchen put in the correct way but everything else is upside down. The chandelier in the dining room is imagined to be a fire by all the children. The children of the neighborhood love to go to her house and play because she has a child-like personality and a big imagination that the children thrive and respond to. She is also the woman everyone calls on for parenting questions. She has a creative cure for all the problems the children have. Here is a list of some of her cures: The Won't-Pick-Up-Toys Cure, The Answer-Backer Cure, The Selfishness Cure, The Radish Cure, The Never-Want-To-Go-To-Bedders Cure, The Slow-Eater-Tiny-Bite-Taker Cure, and The Fighter-Quarrelers Cure. This book was first published in 1947 and it is fairly obvious in the way people lived in the story, to me. My kids didn't notice anything nor ask any questions. :)
My Thoughts: This was a fun read. After each chapter Collin and I took some time to discuss the choices the children were making and if he ever does, then the consequences Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle came up with for the children and what consequences would work in our home. It was really very fun. Collin squealed, "May we please read Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle today?" Really, how can a mom possibly say no to that? My 4 year old daughter even joined in our readings. They were fun to listen to for her as well. My son said that he gives this book five stars because it was so fun and I must say, I agree with him, too. :)