Community Looks Like a Gangster During Goodfellas Tribute

I'm not going to bother with a full review of last night's episode of Community other than to say this: It was the funniest episode of any comedy thus far in 2010. Apologies to The Office, 30 Rock and the rest. Combining chicken fingers, Chevy Chase's increasingly hilariously inappropriate Pierce and an overly detailed and respectful homage to Goodfellas will do that, of course.

The montage above is the money shot, but there were dozens upon dozens of references. I only wish they used real Goodfellas music cues in addition to "Layla." Where was "Speedo?" Or "Rags to Riches?" But, hey, nitpicks. Also, don't sleep on Troy—played by the wonderful Donald Glover—who, while talking about his pet monkey, said this: "It's an animal that looks like a dude. Why don't I have 10 of them?" Yeah, you should be watching this show.

We're Done Going Back: Lost Recapped

It's a shame that "The Last Recruit" is the last Lost episode until May—calm down; that's only one week—because its faux-cliffhanger was a bit disappointing and incomplete. There should have been another scene—either at the beach with Team Sawyer or in alterna-land with Jack and Locke—tacked on at the end. And that my biggest complaint about "The Last Recruit" is that it didn't give me enough awesomeness should tell you everything about the episode.

As Sawyer said to Kate: We're done going back. Lost is full-steam ahead into wrap-up mode. And while ABC is plugging the two-hour series finale on May 23 as an isolated event, astute Lost watchers know that the finale started right here. This was the beginning of the end.

Sweet Part of the City: The Hold Steady at Bowery Ballroom Reviewed

Another summer, another Hold Steady record for me to devour. Of course the last time my now-favorite band—and I say that with great apologies to Pearl Jam, Radiohead and the slew of other bands I love—released an album, it was back in 2008. 'Twas a simpler time, one where the economy was still great and The Dark Knight hadn't been released yet. What a difference two years makes, right guys?

Anyway! The new album, "Heaven is Whenever," is streaming over at NPR—the first good thing NPR has ever done; I kid!—and it's perfectly awesome and perfectly Hold Steady. I've only listened twice, but standout tracks include all of them. No, okay, you want specifics: "Weekenders," "We Can Get Together," "Barely Breathing" and "Slight Discomfort."

But wait, there's more! The band played here in New York over the weekend and my friend Kris Lo Presto was there. In a first for 42 Inch Television, he filed this review.

Why Aren't You Afraid?: Lost Recapped

Isn't it amazing how just one episode of Lost can click everything into place? The ramifications of last week's brilliant "Happily Ever After"—call it the inverse "Ab Aeterno," in that it keeps getting better in my mind as time passes—were felt throughout "Everybody Loves Hugo" and it made the episode all the better. Now that we have at least some semblance of where this season (and series) is going, it makes everything a lot easier to swallow.

Once again, it's all about love.

Requiem for a Heavyweight: Will 24 Go Out with a Bang?

As if you needed another example of how cancellation is the best thing that can happen to a television series, here comes 24.

Astute readers have noticed my complete lack of 24 coverage over the recent weeks. In fact, you have to go all the way back to February to find the last time I even mentioned it: "[24] is worse than ever. And it's getting harder and harder for me to sit through an episode without wanted to pull my eyelashes out, one by one."

So of all the surprises that have taken place on the show in the last two weeks, none were more shocking than the fact that I've found myself totally back on the 24 train. Because in that short time frame, the Fox series has gone from unwatchable trainwreck to crazy awesome at a record pace. Dare I say: this almost feels like the halcyon days all over again.

Very Funny: Conan O'Brien Heads to TBS

And just like that Conan O'Brien changed the game.

As anyone who has been reading my blog knows (all 50 of you!), I've been quite critical of Conan. Comedy aside—if you're a fan of Leno instead of Conan, please leave now—Coco completely screwed the pooch with his handling of NBC and The Tonight Show. He didn't have ratings, he whined like a baby and he got replaced. And now that Leno has been dominating the ratings once again—that his audience is older than Conan's is seemingly inconsequential since they're only two years older than Letterman's audience; late night on network television is for an older audience, plain and simple—only adds fuel to the fire. NBC, shockingly, made the right decision. For them and for the format, Leno was better than Conan.

That said: Welcome to the new format, Mr. O'Brien.

See You In Another Life, Brother: Lost Recapped

At the end of last week's episode of Lost, executive producer Damon Lindelof ominously tweeted that "in one week, the conversation will change." And, not surprisingly—as executive producer and all—he was right.

"Happily Ever After," the first Desmond episode since season five's "Jughead," is certainly going to change the conversation about Lost going forward. Since I'm not a quantum physicist with advanced knowledge of alternate realities though, what that conversation will be remains somewhat unclear. That said: who cares! What an awesome episode!