WIR: Slumdunder Mifflinaire!

Week in Review takes a look back at the week that was on television by using short and pithy comments. Pretty simple formula, right? Enjoy!

MONDAY
Gossip Girl: A tale of two episodes: I wasn't particularly enthralled by the Gossip Girl spinoff stuff starring Brittany Snow, despite the fact that I loved Andrew McCarthy--you can read the full recap of Lily over at the Observer. However, I thought the scenes with our favorite Upper Eastsiders were above reproach: Senior Prom, Blair making jokes about "teen movies", Chuck being Blair's Fairy Godfather, Dan dancing like a dope, the Fountains of Wayne "Prom Theme" music cue. It was all fantastic. I'm really looking forward to this season finale on Monday.


24: Why wasn't I surprised that this "comeback" season of 24 comes down to Kim Bauer being placed in peril? Where is a cougar when you need one?

TUESDAY
Fringe: Despite a first season that alternated between "wildly interesting" and "sorta whatever," I was still pretty much on board with Fringe before the season finale. Now? I count it amongst my very favorite shows. The finale, with it's silly science and startlingly tragic imagery (a standing Twin Towers, Peter's gravestone), was brilliant. The possibilities heading into season two are now endless.

90210: Or, as I'd like to call it, "How Not to Do Prom." The biggest mistake this show has made is firing actor Dustin Milligan (Ethan, for those still watching). He's actually quite good and has this transferable chemistry with every actress he encounters on the show. Too bad he won't be back in season two.

WEDNESDAY
L O S T: "He who will save us all." One more note about the season five finale: Having Locke not only be dead (dead is dead, after all), but also a pathetic patsy, set-up from the start, is a fantastically dark twist. And if this was a two-hour movie, I'd be thrilled; but since Lost has taken up some five years of my life, I'm slightly less so.

THURSDAY
The Office: Cutting right to the chase: this was the most I've loved an episode of The Office since the season three finale, which culminated in Jim asking Pam out on a date. But, man: could "Company Picnic" have been a better season ender? Huzzahs can be tossed out all around, but I'd be remiss if I didn't highlight Steve Carell and John Krasinski. Mr. Carell continues to be one of the best actors working in Hollywood--the term "comedian" is not worthy of his skills. The "awkwardness that gave way to hopefulness that gave way to sadness" emotional arc he embraced during the episode was heartbreaking. Meanwhile, Mr. Krasinki, forever on my list of actor's destined for bigger things, deserves and Emmy for his reaction to finding out the news of Pam's pregnancy. I could write a flowery dissertation on it, but I think you should just watch it for yourself below:

30 Rock: I have two words for you: Robot warning! I wasn't that excited about the "Kidney Now!" benefit concert, and that felt contrived and forced. However! Pretty much everything associated with Liz's advice sessions was comedic gold: "S. That. D. Shut it down. Dealbreaker!" "No-to-the-Way-to-the-Jose!" Oh, forget it. Just watch this:

Grey's Anatomy: I wrote a little bit about this crazyass cliffhanger for the Observer today. Suffice it to say, while I thought this season finale, and this season on the whole, were righteously bad (picture the smell of New York City on an August day and you'll get a sense of what Grey's Anatomy was like during season five), the cliffhanger finale was pretty awesome. Can five great minutes save a series? Nope. But hey, when it comes to Grey's, I'll take what I can get.