Would that this hoodie were a time hoodie!

My verdict on the shows last night:

Community - SUPER DUPER FLIPPING AMAZING. I think my favorite part just may have been the little acapella transitions that perfectly mimicked Glee. And the shortening of the teacher's name to Mr. Rad. And the Glee song talking about how spinning cameras make everything seem better. And Pierce enticing Shirley to join the glee club by using a chorus of little children who can't sing about Jesus Christ because public school has suppressed their freedom of religion. No, seriously, that Happy Birthday Jesus scene was so freaking brilliant. TOTALLY UNDERRATED SCENE. The Troy/Abed rap was super awesome, but I had already listened to it a billion times before the actual ep aired. Also, Pierce's confusion about regionals was so spot-on. That is basically what I'm thinking during every season of Glee: "What is regionals? Didn't they already have that? WHAT IS GOING ON?" Last season especially confused me, because didn't they go one step further than regionals? Or was there another step before regionals that they skipped in season 1? IDK, IDK, but I love Community for emphasizing that point. And the ~epic drama~ over non-impactful things. And Mr. Rad saying the same things as Mr. Schue but coming off as a total psychopath. Basically, I loved this ep with all my heart, and I'm glad that the show ended on a strong note before this ridiculously long hiatus (I think it's even longer than the freaking summer hiatus. WHY, NBC, WHYYYYYYYYYY?)

Parks and Rec - SO BEAUTIFUL. I'm not gonna lie, the ending made me tear up a little bit. And everything involving Ron made me go, "Awwwwwwwwwwww" in a high pitched squeal while clutching my hands to my chest, because his love for Leslie was so apparent in this episode. She affects his emotions so deeply, so much so that he was tearing up a little in front of the camera, and he wanted so badly to give her the greatest gift that she could ever receive, and he got so bummed when everyone took over his idea and made it into something that he couldn't participate in no matter how hard he tried, and he was all down on himself and it's just heartbreaking when things don't go Ron's way because he looks so defeated, and he just wanted so badly to let Leslie know that he gets her like she gets him. And in the end he did. He totally did. He did that thing where he just knows how to make her smile, how to lift her up when she's down, how to inspire her to follow her heart, how to make her world right again. It was just this simple gesture that was so grand to Leslie, and it was beautiful, and I loved it. I also loved that Jerry's reaction to Leslie giving him socks was, "She gets me." Hee.

The Office - Made me laugh and warmed my heart, which is all I really ask for out of a Christmas episode. The one thing I didn't like was the re-emergence of Andy/Erin. Every time I think that the show is finally done with that train wreck, they bring it back, and I hate it. Absolutely hate it. They are just awkward and uncomfortable to watch. That is my beef with them. And Andy's current girlfriend seems normal and sweet and she actually likes him and WHY would he even try to ruin that? Seriously, show, seriously, don't go there. Keep Andy's love life mostly off screen, please. Unless, you know, you finally decide to hook him up with either Oscar or Kelly. Also, I was kind of digging Erin/Robert California. I... I don't know why. Because James Spader is creepily sexy in everything that he does, probably. And I seem to ship Erin with everyone BUT Andy.

---

K-drama Update:

Flower Boy Ramyun Shop - Still owning my soul, still impressing me with every episode. This just may end up being my favorite drama of the year. It's just so shockingly well done that I can't get over it. It's ridiculous and laugh out loud funny, but it's also so, so good at being emotionally resonant. I love it. A lot. But I am torn between the two leading men. It's clear that Chi-soo is the one that boils Eun-bi's heart, but the Onion/Pillar is SO good to Eun-bi, and he's adorable and stable and knows his heart, and I just really want him to end up with who he loves. But Chi-soo is so charming despite his spoiled brat persona, and he's so genuine in his confusion over his feelings for Eun-bi, and Eun-bi is the one and only thing that he has ever had to work hard for, and he is so very into her. Boy has it bad. And Eun-bi clearly gets the sexy feelings for Chi-soo, while she sees the Pillar as the safe choice, the warm choice, that familiar choice. Chi-soo is young and frustrating and blunt and stupid and gorgeous and sweet and annoying and sexy and rich and crazy and ooooooooooh how she likes him. But... I kind of want them to eventually outgrow each other and have Eun-bi end up with the Pillar. I don't know, this show makes everyone so damn lovable that I just want them all to be happy.

Brain - still loving it, but the subs are taking so damn long. The show kind of reminds me of Sign a little bit. I don't know why, because the shows are nothing alike, but I guess it's because my love for the show feels the same way that it did for Sign. And it's more of a plot-based show than a romance-based show, but the romance is very much there and full of UST (at least, in the first six eps the UST was kind of out of control, but now that they've kissed the UST has simmered a little, especially since they are now acting like it never happened. Pfft).

Color of Woman - This one hadn't even been on my radar, but it's one of the few dramas that actually got an ep with complete subs this week, so I watched it. And then I figured out that the lead actress is Jin Joo from Warrior Baek Dong Soo, which pleased me greatly, and she's pretty darn amazing in this. The plot is fairly typical rom-com stuff, but the characters are already so well-drawn out and the chemistry among the entire cast is perfect, and I'm already getting to the point of being torn between the two lead guys and I've only seen one episode! But one dude is her first love (I assume? I guess technically he's just her ex whom she had a misunderstanding with, but I assumed that they were each other's first love) and the other dude is her old friend who she is so completely comfortable around and he's been quietly, unrequitedly in love with her for like 10 years, and you know I can't resist best friend ships. I just can't. And I love the "other woman" character in this, because she is the lead's buddy and they have this weird competitive yet fond relationship with each other, and there is even one scene where the lead sees her walking through the lobby and she has a glow around her and this song is playing and the lead character is smiling and kind of proud to know her. And then they go and get revenge on the dude that two timed them. But anyway, this drama is adorable and I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it to the end. We'll see.

Me, Too Flower - Tried watching it but was quite bored through most of the first ep. There are so many dramas airing at the moment that I'm pretty sure I won't continue with this one (although if this lack of subs for everything persists, I may end up watching this one out of desperation)

Padam Padam - want to see it, but it's another case of no subs. I think Drama Fever is supposed to post it today though, but knowing my luck it will be premium access only. Fricking Drama Fever. They never used to do that! *huff* Oh wait, I just looked, and they posted both eps! And it's not restricted! So, I'll probably post my thoughts on this one later.

Man of Honor - for some reason I just haven't been enticed to check this one out, even during the few weeks there where there wasn't much to choose from.

Tree with Deep Roots - People seem to be really into this one, but I couldn't get through the first ep back when I tried. I really want to give it another go, but again, with all the dramas out right now, probably won't.

Fermentation Family - Don't even remember what this one was supposed to be about.

What's Up - Got tired of waiting for the subs to finish and went ahead and watched it with the partial subs. It was okay, but it failed to hit me with the awesome. In fact, it was pretty boring. I guess I expected more singing? I don't know. But, you know, I wasn't all that into Dream High at first either, and that one eventually became one of my all-time favorite dramas, so, I'll at least give it another ep or two before I decide on this one. So far the Hades character was the only one that peaked my interest.

I think that's it? Good gracious, Korean cable, where have you been all my life? I love having way more options now, but on the downside, subs for everything are taking ages because everyone is watching something different. I also wanted to check out Vampire Idol and You're Here You're Here You're Really Here (awful title), but I can't find those anywhere. Thank goodness Dramabeans recapped Vampire Idol (but it really just made me want to watch it even more). I was also thinking about checking out Saturday Night Live Korea, just out of curiosity, but... it would probably be a waste of a download since I wouldn't understand the majority of the jokes.

Community - POOR TODD.

Parks and Rec - Ron and Leslie Ron and Leslie Ron and Leslie for always. She is the only person that he would ever actually do fact checking work for. He has discussions with her that are longer than a minute. He never makes her think that he doesn't know her name. LOOOOOOVE. Yes, I realize that they barely had any scenes together last night, but that never stopped me before.

The Office - ANDY. ANDY ANDY ANDY. *grabby hands* Also, I am now tempted to grease up the floor at work and scoot boxes across it.

Vampire Diaries - DAMON. MY BEAUTIFUL, MESSED UP DAMON. I love it when he's being bad. I just do. Damon's not a good guy, and I love it when the show reminds us of that. Of course, this was neither shocking nor horrifying like they've done in the past, but at least it was a little bit of the old unstable Damon that I love so much. He's not Stefan. He hates being compared to Stefan. And poor Damon has spent his entire life being compared to him, always unfavorably, everyone asking why he couldn't be more like his brother. And when Damon is actually being a good guy, when he's actually doing the right thing, it's still not good enough. He's still not good enough, and that kills him. I love Damon. Always have and always will, but I love him for the mess that he is, not the reformed bad boy that Elena (and most of fandom) is trying to make him out to be. But he's also not pure evil. He wants to be good, he's just bad at being good.

Back to Community, this season has completely reawakened my Jeff/Annie love and I want so much fic. The sad part? All the good writers in the fandom have pretty much moved on. I don't blame them, because season 2 made Jeff/Annie look pretty hopeless, but this season has really kicked up the UST, and GOD I want good fic! I was never really into the porny times with these two so much, but now? I just want them to make out forever. Jeff's sudden fixation with Annie's boobs (not the monkey) has me all hot and bothered. But I also want angsty fic where Annie breaks his heart. Where he is just gobsmacked in love but too afraid to face it, and Annie gets tired of waiting for him to really open up to her, and she becomes the one that got away and he ends up bitter and old and alone but he always smiles when he thinks of her. I WANT JEFF TO SUFFER. I have no idea why. I guess because everyone always assumes that Jeff would break her heart, but I've always thought that it would be very much the opposite, whether it's because she outgrows him and wants something more, or because he keeps her at enough of a distance that she just stops believing that he loves her. Or something. I don't know, all I know is that I want angsty fic where Annie breaks Jeff's heart. I also want present time fic where Annie gets an actual boyfriend and keeps it a secret from Jeff because he always sabotages her relationships and she actually likes this one. And I wish that I wasn't so lazy so that I could actually write that Community as a K-drama fic that I've had in my head for ages where I would attempt to insert every single k-drama rom-com trope that I could think of (actually, it's not exactly laziness keeping me from doing it. It's like ever since I started working again, every single creative bone in my body has disappeared. Not that I've ever been all that good at fic writing, but at least I was able to get my ideas to form into actual stories. Now I just stare at a blank screen because my mind can't think of words. It's sad. Very, very sad. I will always blame work for this. Always).

Just finished watching the NBC Thursday comedies. Parks and Rec was super hilarious and amazing and OMG LESLIE/RON LESLIE/RON LESLIE/RON!!!! THEY ARE STILL PERFECTION TOGETHER. Seriously, guys, seriously, they always know how to help each other. And I freaking loved the contrast between Ben trying to help her and Ron succeeding in helping her. Ben told her the exact opposite of what she needed, while Ron knew exactly what she needed to get things done. He knows her, and he cares about her, and it's so beautifully subtle and wonderful and adorable and it creates these genuinely touching moments, and just... THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL. I LOVE THEM. Platonic or otherwise, they are the best. THE BEST. And nothing will ever convince me that they weren't made for each other. They just... they are one of those relationships that elevate each other's finer points, and they are opposites but sort of the same, and just, I love them. I LOVE THEM KIND OF A LOT. Oh, season 3, Leslie/Ron is what you've been missing, and that's probably why I haven't enjoyed you a whole lot this year. But the camping ep was perfect in every way. Also, ROB LOWE. PLEASE KEEP YOUR DREAMY FACE ON MY TELEVISION FOREVER, OKAY? OMG, I love him. I know that his character isn't all that popular, but I find him quite delightful. Especially his hilariously enthusiastic overuse of the word "literally." But poor Ann. Poor, poor Ann. I was enjoying her being kind of a doof for awhile, but now I miss her being confident and put together. I don't know, I just hate the mind game that Chris is [unintentionally] playing with her. She needs to move on. Fast. But I understand why she can't, because OMG, ROB LOWE, SO DREAMY. [side note: I totally approve of the fact that Rob Lowe was Mitchell Pritchett's first crush ♥]

The Office was also delightful, mostly because I've been missing these people and was super happy to visit with them again. DWIGHT. OMG, Dwight. He was such a badass trader (especially with Kelly. I think I will always find the Dwight/Kelly dynamic intriguingly hot and wish the show would go there), but of course, OF COURSE he had to be taken down by Jim's lame trick. Why why WHY does Dwight always fall for Jim's antics? Is Jim really that great of a salesman? Man, it bugs me, but at the same time, I kind of love how Dwight just can't resist, even though he knows better. He knows that it's just a sham, but Jim has this weird hold over Dwight and it's kind of adorable but messed up and GOD, DWIGHT, WHY DID YOU FALL FOR THAT? I love how you could tell in his talking head that he was a little bit ashamed of himself. ANDY/DARRYL/KEVIN! I loved the twist at the end of that Dallas board game plot. It was quite worthy of Dallas, I must say. Also, the ending. Their faces! Oh, my heart broke right there, because that was basically my initial reaction when I had heard that Steve Carell was leaving. But anyway, I loved how everyone looked sad/shocked/scared there. Just, for 7 years these people have been complaining about him and dreaming of an office without him and how much better their lives would be, but here they are, faced with actual news of him leaving forever, and they DON'T WANT IT. They thought he'd be there forever and they know that no other boss will love them and care about them as much as he does, and he really is like the father of their crazy family sometimes, and they don't know what they're going to do without him. Even Darryl looked sad. Darryl. And Stanley! Oh, my heart. *sniff*

Community was weird, but I enjoyed it, I think. Particularly the ending sequence with the pretty music and everyone enjoying the party.

30 Rock was hilarious, as usual. Loved the moment where Jack told her he broke the vending machine because he knew it would get her to his office quicker and she started pounding on his chest and saying, "I trusted you, Jack!" Heeeeee! I can't wait to see that put to good use in fanvids. I also loved that Devon Banks figured out that his gaybies were more important to him than his job, and this made Jack realize how much he's missing with his own baby.

Whose brilliant idea was it to send the kids back to school in the beginning of August? WHO WAS IT? BECAUSE I KIND OF WANT TO STRANGLE THEM RIGHT NOW. OMG, August is our hottest summer month, and of course this is the hottest summer in recorded history, and of course this is the year that they choose to send the kids back so extremely early, and OMG WHAT IS THE SCHOOL BOARD SMOKING? AUGH. I was sweating buckets today just waiting for my nephew at his bus stop. Just imagine how much worse it is for the kids stuck on that non-air-conditioned bus.

The 30 Day Shipping Meme
Day 18 - What is the cutest pairing?

Honestly, I'd have to say that my cutest ship is Ron/Leslie from Parks & Rec. They are just so adorable and fluffy and they never fail to have the sweetest feel-good moments of anyone ever. They just make me smile like a loon, always.



DO YOU SEE THEIR ADORABLENESS? I love that they genuinely care about each other even though they're just co-workers. These are two people who will do anything it takes to protect each other, to make each other happy, to do what's best for the other person. They've both made sacrifices for each other on several occasions, they've both grown as people for having known each other, they eat breakfast together for dinner, they tease each other, they nag each other, she packs him bacon for long trips, and... THEY ARE ALWAYS SMILING AT EACH OTHER LOVINGLY. I'M SORRY, BUT THEY'RE ADORABLE. Leslie manages to turn Ron Freaking Swanson into one of the sappiest dudes in existence, so, you know, I can't resist them. I just can't.

Day 19 - A pairing you've rooted for since the beginning?

There are several, but I think I'll go with Daniel/Betty from Ugly Betty for this one, because I was pretty much shipping them simply from reading the premise of the show. And after watching the pilot, I just thought that it was a given that Betty and Daniel were supposed to end up together, because 1) they were the focus of the show (at that time), 2) they were super adorable, and 3) they brought about the most character growth in each other than anyone else did (which pretty much stayed true throughout the run of the series).



Even when the show was awful, even when Daniel and Betty were relegated to having less than a few throwaway scenes here and there and nothing more, even when Silvio Horta said it would never happen, even when I convinced myself that it would never happen, I was still rooting for them. I was still watching the show purely for them, and even though we didn't get the great payoff that we should have gotten there, at least we got something. Daniel/Betty will always be special for me precisely because I was with them from the very beginning and stuck it out all the way to the end, no matter how rocky the journey was (there were several times where I just wanted to throw in the towel, but they kept pulling me back in).

( Next time on firthgal's journal... )

My initial reaction to Community:

OH MY GOD!

( spoilers )

Parks and Rec - RON'S DESPERATENESS TO SAVE LESLIE'S JOB. Oh, you guys, that brought me so much delight. In fact, the entire ep did, as usual (except for the very end, but even that amused me because of Tom's comment).

The Office - I enjoyed it. Especially the IT guy (who really, really reminded me of a white John Lloyd Cruz, which tells me I've probably been watching too much of these Filipino soap operas and films). Michael was awesome. But... yeah, there was nothing really of note about the finale, especially since there were no ongoing story arcs to conclude.

30 Rock - FUCK YOU, 30 ROCK. FUCK YOU. You're lucky that your comedy is still brilliant, because you suck ass at story arcs. Hey, guess what Tina Fey? By trying so damn hard to evade a Jack/Liz romance so as to not change the dynamics between them, YOU'VE COMPLETELY CHANGED THE DYNAMICS BETWEEN THEM. Fuck this shit. The Jack/Liz relationship was the only thing that kept this show grounded and gave it heart, but now it's just... crap. They barely interact, and when they do, the interaction just doesn't have the same charge that it used to. Ugh. UGH. And when Liz finally gets a completely hilarious boyfriend that pretty much everyone loves with a passion, LIZ DITCHES HIM FOR MATT DAMON. BULLPOOP. Whatever, show. Whatever. I still love Kenneth and Tracy and Jenna and Pete and Grizz and DotCom.

The 30 Day TV Meme
Day 10 - A show you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving

Uh, that would be Buffy the Vampire Slayer, definitely. I avoided it like the plague for many years, and then I watched it all in the span of three months or something and fell in mad, mad love with it. I even came to the conclusion that it's one of the most brilliant shows to have ever been on television.

Day 11 - A show that disappointed you

That would be Private Practice. I fell in love with that show purely for the Violet/Cooper, and then season 2 came along and acted like Violet/Cooper never happened, and I gave up on the show once I realized that it would never revisit their unrequited romance, and based on reaction posts from other people, I am so freaking glad that I gave up on the show so quickly, because it sounds like it's utter torture to watch (I mean, really, Cooper/Charlotte? Seriously? That's what the show ran with? Blech).

( the days )

So, Community. I had been waiting for this ep ever since it was announced ages ago, because I am a tiny bit of an action film nerd (just a little bit. I have my specific tastes in types of action films that I love, but in general I will watch any film that is advertised as "action-packed thrill ride"). And this ep referenced so many films that I can't even tell you what was a reference and what wasn't, except for the Terminator quote, and the Chow Yun-Fat/John Woo reference. And the slow-mo bullets smashing into each other may have been a reference to The Matrix, but lots of movies do that now, so... maybe not (but the slow-mo double guns where everyone dies is definitely a commonly used sequence in John Woo movies, but again, lots of movies do that nowadays. And the ridiculously homoerotic head villain is another classic from John Woo movies). Anyway, my absolute favorite scene from any show ever:



I so love how they even inserted the operatic music upon Senor Chang's entrance and started it with the slow-mo then went into real time mid-action. The details! The details! The details are what make their spoofs so perfect.

Okay, after watching the following fanvid, I realize that there was a Chow Yun-Fat film where the bullets meet each other in slow-mo and explode. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?

( the fanvid of Chow Yun-Fat being wicked awesome (and wicked violent) )

Anyway, the Community ep would have been perfect had it not been for the overbearing Jeff/Britta going on. Community has been good lately at not over-saturating us with them, and then last night every single character had to point out their "sexual tension" and just... I don't like it when a show has to work that hard to tell us that a couple has sexual tension. I'd rather see it for myself than be told to see it, so, it just didn't work for me. I DON'T LIKE BEING TOLD WHAT TO DO. However, I did love Abed's comment about them lacking chemistry, and I let out an "Amen!" when Pierce told Jeff to just pork her and move on (even though, you know, it was offensive). Also, it is a classic staple of action movies to have an obscenely useless and annoying romance between the male and female leads who usually lack chemistry with each other (*coughSherlockHolmes*), so, when I look at it like that, it was just another aspect of the spoof (and at least Jeff and Britta do have chemistry now, just... not in the way I like? I don't know). But since I know what's coming in the finale, I know that it was not just a one-off thing, and that scares me, because Jeff/Britta is my least favorite dynamic on the show and has been since day 1. The show has been getting better with them, but then they pulled out this ep and just... blerg. It slightly ruined an otherwise excellent episode for me. But at least Britta got to be badass? And the tag scene was the cutest thing ever.

Parks and Rec was my favorite show of the lineup last night, I think, which surprised me since I thought Community would be my favorite (damn you, Jeff/Britta! I would have adored that ep with my entire soul if it wasn't for you! ARGH). Anyway, Parks and Rec was utterly hilarious, and the April/Andy-ness made me all gooey inside, and Ron's sleep-fighting somehow made him even more endearing, and Leslie was super adorable, and Ron only participated in the telethon because he owes Leslie like a thousand favors (read: he loves Leslie and would do absolutely anything that she asked of him no matter how annoying he finds it), and RON AND LESLIE AND THEIR SMILES, OMG! How are they not married already?

( The clip of THEIR SMILES! )

Seriously, dudes. Seriously. (I am going to be so heartbroken if he ever gets a girlfriend. I tried not to get serious about this ship, but... the show made it too hard for me to resist).

The Office! The Office was hilarious, and once again I found nothing to complain about. AND ANDY! ANDY GOT TO DO SOMETHING COMPLETELY UNRELATED TO ERIN! AND IT WAS GLORIOUS! AND HE USED HIS SEXY FALSETTO VOICE! OMG, I LOVE HIM. And I love Darryl. And I love Creed. AND I LOVE GABE. And I really love Andy and Gabe interacting. And I love Dwight's methods of seduction! And I love Dwight asking Michael to rub his thigh in a place that was uncomfortably close to his crotch. And I love that Michael still trusts Dwight whenever he says he's good at something. And I loved Michael's shock at being a mistress. And I loved his misunderstanding of the word "amok". SO CUTE. And I loved Jim and Pam jerking Dwight around in Morse code! I especially loved how the show pointed out that they really don't have time to do those things anymore, but they did it anyway. For some reason, this just rings very true to real life. You always find time for the ridiculous things in life, even though you know that that time would be better spent doing something else.

30 Rock! I actually enjoyed this episode completely! Say what? It was very reminiscent of the early days. Maybe because Jack's mom was there? Maybe because the show continues to inadvertently prove that Jack and Liz are made for each other when they parallel their stories like that? Maybe because I'm positive that Jack's mom wants him to end up with Liz? I don't know. I think Jack's mom was the basis of my enjoyment of this ep. I found the Buzz Aldrin scene tedious and awkward, but, other than that, I loved this ep. And honestly, when the show has Jack's mother telling Liz that she's probably already met "the one," how are we NOT supposed to translate that into, "Marry Jack, you idiot"? I mean, I know that it is probably just setting up Liz/Random Old Boyfriend, but come on. *sigh* And Colleen alluded to the fact that neither Avery nor Nancy are right for Jack. OBVIOUSLY LIZ IS THE ONLY WOMAN FOR HIM. ARGH, SHOW! WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME? Bah!

---

In other news, I finished an Asian drama called Goong last night. sisterjune, you were so right about me loving that one. It was so, so perfect. I laughed, I cried, and it kept me excited (or in turmoil) through the entire series. Just... oh, it was so my kind of romance. If there are more shows in the same vain as this one, definitely point me in their direction! I think this is my favorite one so far. Mars was probably better in terms of overall story and acting and whatnot, but Goong just contained so many things that I love that it surpassed Mars in my heart. It was big on the importance of family and enjoying the little things in life, it had the super lovable average heroine who won the heart of the spoiled, arrogant, cold, broody Prince simply by being herself, it had epic love triangle drama, it had betrayal of all kinds going on, misunderstandings, heartache, humor, awesomeness. I loved it. In the beginning it was actually reminding me a whole lot of Bridget Jones' Diary, particularly the scene from the Prince's birthday party where he is trying to be standoffish to her (and is succeeding pretty well) but then she gives him those shoes and they were unique and significant to his relationship with her which in turn made him LOVE them but his friends made fun of them and so he acted like he didn't like them, and then later he sees Chaegyung and her friends and Yul laughing and splashing around in the water and he wants so badly to be a part of that fun and he looks down lovingly at the shoes that she gave him, but then Hyorin pops up and sees him staring at the shoes and gets all hurt that he hasn't even looked at the mp3 player that she got him. I don't know, for some reason it really reminded me of the row boats scene from Bridget Jones, especially since the Prince was already feeling a little jealous of her relationship with Yul. But anyway, when they allowed themselves to be happy together, ooooooh how adorable they were. Which made their bad times all the more devastating.

One thing that struck me as odd though was the ending. I was expecting this epic, sappy reunion where they embrace and kiss and ride off into the sunset, but instead we get this sudden time jump where we're not quite sure what's happening, and when they do see each other again, it's very subdued and different. But as it went on, it started to make sense. They had become different people, Chaegyung was comfortable living overseas and being free to do whatever she wanted, and Shin was no longer the crown prince, which meant he was trying to find a new identity, and he was super nervous that they wouldn't click anymore since their roles had changed so significantly. In the past they had fallen in love because they were what each other needed to survive, and now... they were both free to do as they pleased, and he feared that she wouldn't want to be tied down by him anymore. So, I loved how she kind of psyched him out in the end about the second wedding. And I loved the symmetry of the story, how it all started with a marriage, and then it ended with one.

Basically, I loved Goong quite a lot.

So, I did not love Community tonight. I liked it, but I didn't love it, which hasn't happened in awhile. I think it is just inevitable that when Jeff and Britta are paired together for a whole episode I just won't enjoy it too much, because they are too damn similar humor-wise. And I've never been a fan of the Pierce/Shirley team up either, so... bummer. The show just went with my least favorite dynamics tonight. What I did love though? THE PREVIEW FOR NEXT WEEK, HOLY CRAP! It's going to be awesome, and, just when I thought I couldn't love Dan Harmon any more than I already do, HE TURNS KEN JEONG INTO CHOW YUN-FAT. Now, originally, after seeing this pic:

( Pic )

I thought it was an obvious reference to Tony Montana (which that shot might be, I don't know), but in the preview he has a match stick in his mouth and he's wearing sunglasses and the zoom-in was so very reminiscent of Hard Boiled and A Better Tomorrow that I couldn't not smile with glee while flailing my hands about. Seriously, this dude continuously makes obscure references to things that I actually understand, and I love him for it. Though I'm guessing that most of the ep will be an homage to Rambo, or every war movie ever made. But if he manages to fit in a slow-mo double gun sequence to operatic music and has a random shot of white birds flying around, then I'll know he digs John Woo films. I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THIS EPISODE, IS WHAT I'M SAYING.

Parks and Rec! Parks and Rec is finally back on my television! And oh man did it feel good to have these people back in my life again. The ep itself wasn't stellar, but honestly, I enjoyed it anyway simply because I've missed this show so much. And Ron and April made my heart melt. Ron and April made my heart melt. That alone is pretty awesome. And the Ron/Leslie moments made me smile like a loon, even though there was nothing shippy about them, they were just... they were just being their adorable selves and it made me happy. Especially the bathroom scene! Hee.

The Office! Oh, Michael. Oh, Michael. It is kind of confounding how much of a ladies' man Michael has turned out to be. Seriously! And since when did Pam become his romantic cheerleader? I think she's just ridiculously happy that he's no longer into her mom, really. But I love that she was so supportive of him in this ep, and that she so fiercely believed that a woman was genuinely macking on him! And the Jim/Pam coupley moments continue to win me over. I know that I've fallen in love with Jim/Pam when it's no longer cool to love them and I hated them when it wasn't cool to hate them, but that's just how I roll, apparently. I don't mean to! I am just naturally this uncool. What I loved most about this ep though was the Dwight/Kelly. They will never not intrigue me, especially when they are adversaries. They are the best. GABE! GABE AND HIS FAUX PAS(ES)! Seriously, my love for Gabe is a little ridiculous, but he's so perfect for this show that it's insane. I love that the show is subtly building his character through these short talking heads or these little moments with the cast (like the bit with Kelly, OMG, so perfect). I think it's his reaction shots, or the way he carries himself, or something. He is totally my new Andy, isn't he?

30 Rock! Oh god. JENNA AND HER BOYFRIEND. I could not stop cringing and/or laughing. Oh god, that was one of the most brilliant things this show has come up with in a long time. Griz and Liz's past sexual relationship! I love that the show keeps calling back to this. Jack and the peacock! Basically, I enjoyed this ep, but mostly just for the Jenna stuff.

Also, I think I want to see the MacGruber movie?

I don't have much to say about my Thursday night shows other than:

1. Annie and Shirley did not disappoint as badass buddy cops. I've been waiting for this ep ever since I heard about it and oh how it delighted me and totally went in its own freaky direction that I hadn't even imagined. LOVE LOVE LOVE. Particularly my Annie spraying herself with mace. I LOVE THAT BADASS WOMAN.

2. PARKS AND REC. RON AND LESLIE. BACON. BREAKFAST FOR DINNER. ANDY/APRIL ANGST. COON SKIN CAP. Awesomeness.

3. Andy/Erin continues to make me nauseous. JUST STOP IT, SHOW. I can't connect with this storyline no matter how hard I try. I hate that the show is making me not want to watch my favorite character anymore. He's so lackluster lately that I have trouble seeing why I love Andy so damn much. The most interesting thing about him these days? His pants. DEAR GOD, SHOW, GIVE ME BACK MY HAPLESS, UNSTABLE, OBNOXIOUS, SINGING GOOFBALL. *sigh* The rest of the ep rocked, though. Especially Dwight and Ninja!Angela. For some reason anyone unexpectedly screaming out a profanity on this show always makes me giggle up a storm. Also, Oscar/Matt was so well done. This is how you handle a secondary romance, show. Why can't you pull off that brilliance with Andy/Erin? Heck, even Michael/Boss Lady was handled monumentally better in five minutes than Andy/Erin has been all season.

4. 30 Rock! INTIMATE KENNETH DREAMS. Enough said.

And because I am lame and cannot end a post without talking about Betty and Armando:



LOOK AT HOW PRETTILY THEY ANGST! *dreamy sigh*

And now let's watch one that makes me smile so hard that I cry:



OMG, I have no idea what they are saying in that song, but it's quite beautiful (I can pick up "I love you" but that's about it. Or, at least, there was something about love in there. Obviously). OMG, LOOK AT HOW PRETTILY BETTY AND ARMANDO GET MARRIED! *dreamy sigh x 2*

Ugh, TWoP is depressing me. I was reading the Parks and Rec thread and every single mention of Leslie/Ron is followed with, "But I don't ship them in any way. That would be gross. They're like Jack/Liz 2.0." UGH, YOU STUPID PEOPLE! Why is it that a TV romance is never allowed to be built around an emotional bond? At least, not on my shows. They have to have very obvious UST right from the start or else people will shout that it's gross to put them together. I just... I DO NOT GET THIS. The one that especially made me laugh was the person saying that they love that Ron and Leslie are like the old married couple of the office, but they should never get together because that would just be wrong. Mmmhmm. UGH. FANDOM, I HATE YOU. And I hate that writers actually pay attention to TWoP, because more often than not I am just in total disagreement with those people. Although with Parks and Rec I pretty much agree with them except for this one aspect. Ron/Leslie is a beautiful thing and it should be explored, and they have one of those dynamics that really wouldn't change much even if they were dating/married, because they already act like they are. Of course, that being said, I don't exactly want it explored beyond friendship right now, but later I very much do. Their relationship is constantly being showcased and it grows with each episode, so, if they don't go there in the future, it may very well become stagnant (which, let's be honest, this is what's happened with Jack/Liz. They've grown so close that there's not much left to explore there unless they go in the romance direction, but as we already know, the show's not going there, and the show is kind of suffering for it since it's relied so heavily on the Jack/Liz relationship in past seasons. But at the same time, I am wary of them going there, because very few shows know how to write an established couple that wasn't always established. So, you know, for all my complaining, I do see where they're coming from, it's just that I hate that they won't even consider letting them get together in the very last episode). BUT ANYWAY, I think the Parks and Rec crew could easily pull off a Ron/Leslie established romance in the future. They just seem to get it right in regards to the simplicity of romance on this show. There's no fairytale like Jim and Pam, and everything on this show is so very human that it would have no trouble portraying it in a realistic way as opposed to the soap opera theatrics that The Office (and any other show out there) is fond of. This show seems to have a certain restraint that keeps things from being too over the top (Andy would be the exception here, but they've even toned him down too into a lovable goof, though, honestly, I've always kind of felt that way about him, but he's a lot less over the top now than he used to be).

Anyway, what I'm saying is, I think it's unfair to just dismiss the possibility of a Ron/Leslie ship. If you had asked me at the beginning of season 2 if I thought the show would ever make Ron/Leslie a possibility, I probably would have laughed, because even I thought I was crazy. But now? Oh man, the show has laid such a beautiful foundation that I think it could very well go there in the future if it wanted to. I hate this attitude that romance would ruin ships like Ron/Leslie or Jack/Liz or Daniel/Betty, all of which are the heart of their respective shows, all of which contain two people who know each other better than anyone else and help each other be a better version of themselves/reach their full potential, and all of which have a deep emotional bond that they continuously fail to find with anyone else (mind you, Ron/Leslie has a long way to go before they reach this point, but, same principles). They are best friends, confidants, and everything they are looking for in a romantic partner. So... why do people continuously rage at the thought of them ever becoming more? I just... I hate that. Yes, friendships are great, but when I am watching a relationship on TV that I love become stagnant, I want other possibilities to be explored, I don't want the show to just completely ignore them and try to focus on weaker aspects of the show, because that is usually the point when I become disinterested. But, again, I only want romance to be explored if the show has the balls to do it right. I am realizing now that Ugly Betty probably would have screwed up Daniel/Betty had they ever turned romantic. They just don't have the chops to do romance right, never have, so I should probably count my blessings that it never went there. Am I still bitter? Yes, because Daniel/Betty had so much potential, but long ago I lost my faith in the writers for that show. But with Jack/Liz, they could so pull off dating shenanigans there that would be awesome to watch as long as most of the story still stayed in the office setting and Tracy and Jenna had a freakish level of involvement in Jack and Liz's relationship or something. I don't know, but it could be done, especially since the 30 Rock writers would come up with way better ideas than I just did. As for Leslie/Ron, I think of the three shows, Parks and Rec is the one that could pull it off without a hitch, especially since the show is more of an ensemble show than the other two.

Alright, I didn't mean to ramble in that last paragraph, but, you know what I mean, right? Ron/Leslie should be allowed to be that slow, subtle romance hanging out in the background while Andy/April satisfies everyone who loves the more obviously romantic romances (and that is not me being condescending, because I freaking love Andy/April). I would just love for this show to surprise me and actually pull off a romance that everyone is saying isn't there.

Oh, also, while I was perusing TWoP, I came across this comment, and I thought it summed up my feelings on The Office vs Parks and Rec debate exactly:

S2 of Parks for me is how S2 of The Office is when I look back at it now (with nostalgia) - funny, crazy-consistent, with great characters, except written a little more tightly/smartly, and with more affection for the characters. It makes me happy that I think these differences is what will keep this show afloat where The Office started failing.

But I still totally disagree with their Ron/Leslie comments. RON AND LESLIE ARE MEANT TO BEEEEEEEEE!1!!1! No, but seriously, they are. As are Jack and Liz, damn it!

*sigh*

I know that a lot of people hate BFF ships, but I just don't understand why. Is it weird that in my family everyone's BFF is their spouse? Why is this concept so strange in fandom land? Also, guess what? My parents are opposites whose traits compliment and complete each other, same for my brothers and their wives. So, I also don't get the vehement opposition to ships where opposites complete each other. I don't know. Maybe my family is just one lovely anomaly where people from completely different backgrounds with completely different temperaments share a completely beautiful love for each other (not that it's all kittens and rainbows. There is a lot of butting of heads and some very nasty words said every once in awhile, but, in the end, it's all good. Of course my oldest brother always complains that his wife won't fight with him about anything. Hahahaha, he's frustrated that she's too agreeable! But see, that also charms him. It's the same for my dad in regards to my mom. She may annoy the bejesus out of him, but what frustrates him about her is also what he loves about her, he just has trouble remembering that sometimes).

---

MEME! I was tagged by doesnt_go_away:

If you've been tagged, you must write your answers in your own LJ and replace any question that you dislike with a new question.

What song are you currently addicted to?
Well, as of late I've been listening to nothing but Gary Allan, which I talked about the other day, so, instead I will just say Smile by Uncle Kracker, because I am a big old sap.

What ship are you really into right now?
This changes from day to day, but clearly at this very moment I am massively into Ron/Leslie. On a general basis, it's Buffy/Giles and Uther/Morgana.

What's the funnest thing you've done today?
Nothing. I am totally boring today. Although my arm did run into a lot of walls/tables/things today while I was holding a glass of water, but that is such a regular occurrence that I barely even notice it anymore. I think I lack depth perception or something.

ETA: OMG, I totally read that question as asking me what was the funniest thing I did today. *sigh*

Harry Potter or Merlin?
Oh, man. If we are talking fandoms, then obviously Merlin since I never even dared to glance at the Harry Potter fandom, but if we're talking quality and endless years of enjoyment, that would be Harry Potter. But, Harry Potter lacks the hotness that is Uther, so... hmm.

( Read more... )

MY SHOWS ARE BACK. AND THEY WERE WONDERFUL.

Community - PURE HILARITY. I loved this ep so freaking much. There is not much to say other than that billiards scene was one of the greatest things to ever happen to television. As was Abed impersonating that dude from Mad Men. I don't find that dude on Mad Men very appealing, but Abed being the dude from Mad Men was ridiculously hot. Good lord. Also, DEAN PELTON. He is so in love with Jeff. Actually, everyone is in love with Jeff, but Dean Pelton is really in love with Jeff.

PARKS AND RECREATION - SO MUCH SHIPPERY GOODNESS TO BEHOLD. (I think Andy/April is starting to win my heart almost as much as Ron/Leslie has)

( spoilers )

The Office aka ATTACK OF THE JAM BABY! I FREAKING LOVED IT. Which, is not a surprise, because I am a sucker for babies, but mostly I loved the fact that this was the most realistic baby episode of anything that I have ever seen. Never have I felt so in tune with Jim and Pam before this baby came along. Just... I get them now. I totally get them. I know I often compare Jim to my brother, but good lord was he like a clone of him here. Every single hospital scene was exactly how my brother was for both babies. Lots of sarcastic mumbling, that look, that panicked look like, "I want to do something, but I know that everything I do will only make her scream at me." And the way that Jim and Pam instantly started arguing about the baby while it was crying, SO VERY ACCURATE. Everyone is in awe of the new baby until it starts crying and it won't stop and you feel completely useless. And oh god, the feeding problems! My sis-in-law had the exact same problem with my nephew, to the point where he actually lost weight instead of gained it after they left the hospital, so they had to switch him to the bottle. With my niece, she was on the bottle right away since my sis-in-law ended up in intensive care (let's hope the third baby doesn't put her there too). Er... anyway, what I'm saying is, this episode was such a freakishly accurate portrayal of what it's like in those first few days after the baby is born, but the show managed to capture it in such an engaging way that I was totally wrapped up in the story and waiting for their "we're finally being parents" moment to click for them, and then ( spoilers )

Also, I watched the webisodes earlier today. SO MUCH WIN.

I will conclude with this: