Quick Thoughts: Tuesday Night Comedies, Pt. 3

Outside of the shows that I recap regularly, I haven't decided what I'm going to do with my little Quick Thoughts and TV Report Card write-ups. Right now, things are more manageable because there are still some shows that have yet to make their mid-season premieres, but I'm not committing one way or the other. One thing I do know is Tuesday nights are stacked, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to put together individual pieces for all of the comedies like I've tried to do in the past, so we're starting off with another blanket entry. I apologize in advance.

Ben and Kate: "B-Squad"

At the start of the season, Ben and Kate quickly became one of my favorite new shows in spite of the fact that I could clearly see its flaws. The last couple of episodes have shown a light on said deficiencies  but there's still enough there to keep me happy. For example, it took a bit of time for the Kate and Ben plot about Maddie's assignment to her classes less advanced group to gain traction, but it had the heart that I look for from this show. On the flipside, I could not care less about BJ's antics involving her offish boss and her mother, and I was annoyed that Tommy was roped into it. That said, the final scene at the country club made up for it.

Go On: "Win at All Costas"

The return of NBC's Go On was also a bit hit or miss for me because it did expand on Ryan's character while also misusing the ensemble. The fact that Ryan's hero is Bob Costas made sense within the world that's been created, and it even took an overused sports cliche like the yips and made it somewhat entertaining. Plus, we got a bit more from Carrie although it was still not enough to make me happy, and it gave Ryan a nemesis in the form of Rich Eisen. But I will never understand the appeal of Mr. K, so having him be so ingrained in Ryan's plot didn't work in my opinion. And to be honest, I don't even remember what was going on during the rest of the episode. Something about bullfighters, I think.

New Girl: "Cabin"

Unfortunately, New Girl also stumbled out of the gate as well because "Cabin" was the episode that had to happen because of the show's need to put Jess and Nick together. While I'm not going to complain about seeing Jess, Sam and the rest tripping on absinthe, the way things ended between Nick and Angie was so anti-climactic that I questioned why the show even bothered to begin with. The thing is, we know the Jess and Sam break-up's not far behind, so all of these relationships were for not. But that's what happens when these kind of shows have to deal with the strains of their own conventions. Thankfully, the B-plot about Schmidt's need to allow Winston to be one with his blackness was wildly entertaining.

The New Normal: "The Goldie Rush"

Due to my unhealthy devotion to Ryan Murphy, I've probably given The New Normal more chances than it's deserved, but I can honestly say that I enjoyed most of "The Goldie Rush" because it highlighted what the show does well while cutting back on what it fails at. Bryan and David getting territorial over Goldie didn't quite gel as much as I would've liked because it continued to treat her as a prop until she finally stood up for herself and her own dreams, but it did have some nice moments. Shania's B-plot as had me scratching my head until the very end, but I felt that it stuck the landing. On a sidenote, Murphy should just sabotage White Collar so Matt Bomer can be in his new project because he's clearly his new muse. American Horror Story: Season 3 perhaps?

Cougar Town: "Blue Sunday"

I know, I know. I've written about how disappointing Season 3 of Cougar Town was and how I'm never going to waste anymore time on the show, and yadda yadda yadda, but its TBS premiere was monumental enough for me to give it one more chance. It's just too bad that it let me down yet again. For one, I've never liked Jules and "Blue Sunday" only reminded me of the fact and did nothing to redeem her in my eyes. Secondly, I've always hated the idea of Laurie and Travis, so the fact that they're going to be a major plot point this season isn't working in the show's favor. I'll probably keep watching out of a weird sense of loyalty, but I really don't think I can spent anymore energy on it. I mean it this time... maybe.

As you can see, I've left of Apt. 23 and that's because the wacky back and forth between Season 1 and Season 2 has become so grating that I've given up trying to keep up. If ABC's not going to take the show seriously, then why should I? It's just a damn shame because I do like parts of The B----, but not enough to put up with ABC's scheduling shenanigans. As for the rest of the shows and their presence on my silly blog, stay tuned.