Since this is a post about NBC shows, and since I’m writing it, I am hijacking the opening of the post to celebrate the fact that Parenthood got renewed for season 3.  Yay!  I know I don’t write about it, but I love that show so much and was definitely not ready to see it end.  Besides, watching Mae Whitman and Lauren Graham is like free therapy with all of the cathartic crying I do.  So happy about the news, now on to last night’s awesomeness.

So this was pretty much my dream NBC Thursday lineup: Community, The Office and an hour of Parks and Recreation.  If I had it my way, this would be every Thursday (sorry Tina Fey – I watch 30 Rock every week and think you’re amazing, but I’d totes swap it out for a double helping of P&R).   

Community. 

Pop pop!  I have to say, I knew that it was going to be hard for Community to top last year’s a-mah-zing ‘Modern Warfare’, but I thought this was a pretty fantasticfollow-up.  While I’m not overly knowledgeable about any of the movie themes that all of these paintball episodes have homaged (dick-swinging action movies, westerns and Star Wars are three things I’ve never been crazy about), my enjoyment wasn’t impeded by my ignorance.  I’m sure everyone that was able to geek out over all of the inside jokes loved them even more.  

There was a lot to love about this episode, and I did like it more than last week’s chaps-and-saloon fest, even though I didn’t have Josh Holloway’s lovely face to ogle.  The action was spread pretty evenly amongst the main cast, and I love when this show does true ensemble episodes – it’s just so much fun.  Plus, omg – Abed and Annie.  I loved it because it was just Abed REALLY going method as Han Solo, and not at all because he secretly wants to play with the real Annie’s boobs.  But it looks like his work paid off, because Annie totally got ladywood from making out with him. 

Better yet, Pierce got his moment of redemption, and a moment of normalcy and acceptance of the error of his ways.  I’m almost positive this won’t last long, but it’s nice to imagine a day when his very appearance won’t cause me to roll my eyes (an honor shared by Sue Sylvester on Glee, sadly). 

I think my favorite thing about the episode was the two-second shot of Busy Phillips and Dan Byrd from Cougar Town cheering in the crowd after Pierce won the paintball war.  Lord knows why, but the little lovefest between these two shows makes me very happy.  Apparently Cougar Town makes the next move in their Hawaii finale next week, so set your DVRs accordingly. 

Now that the season finale has aired, I will wait patiently for the release of the season 2 dvd, because anyone who bought season 1 knows that this show does not fuck around with their dvd set.  There were SO many commentaries, extra features and gag reels that it kept me occupied for days.  A show after my own tv nerd heart. 

I don’t have a ton of quotes, because if I did it would basically be a chronological list of Donald Glover’s entire dialogue, and I thought that would be weird.  But definitely hit the comments with your favorite lines and moments from the episode.  Do it for Greendale!

• City College has invaded Greendale, and they are an unstoppable juggleknob.
• Damnit Shirley, forget about your newborn child and think about the people who need you.
• Abed, stop trying to be Han Solo, it’s making me embarrassed for you.
• Commencing Operation: Actual Operation.
• I’ve given this a lot of thought and I’ve decided we should sleep on it.

The Office. 

I have to say, while I wasn’t as opposed to Will Ferrell as some people, this episode did work so much better with Deangelo Vickers out of the picture.  The thing about this cast is that it’s so great on it’s own that you don’t need a flashy guest star for it to shine; in fact, that can be an unwanted distraction.  I’m cautiously optimistic about the big star-filled finale, but I’m still really hoping that an existing employee eventually takes over the top spot (because we all know Creed is too much of a freak to hold on to that office for more than a couple of days).

First, let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way:  there is no way in hell Dwight would still be working there after SHOOTING A GUN in the office, but of course this show isn’t about to lose one of it’s biggest characters, so let’s all agree to move past it, okay?

Heee…first of all, I loved Oscar stoically closing his mouth during ‘under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance.  That’s totally a ‘me’ thing – not in a pretentious way, it’s just me being honest about my beliefs.  Plus it totally makes me feel superior to all of the sheep around me.  Kidding!  Sort of!  When I came to the conclusion that I was athiest during tenth grade while attending Catholic school, I did pretentious silence a lot.  Gabe was also feeling the atheist vibe, and while I’m happy that a show is acknowledging that millions of people DON’T believe in god and are annoyed by the fuzzy line between church and state, did it have to be the office know-it-all and the only one who can out-weird Creed? 

It should be noted that Krasinski was looking extra fine last night.  I can’t really pinpoint why, but something was working for him.  On a personal note, I’d like to officially request that he look into doing movies that have a possibility of being good.  I love him, but so few of his movies are watchable.  I watched ‘License to Wed’ because of him, and ten minutes in, I was hearing G.O.B. Bluth in my head: I’ve made a huge mistake.  God, what a shitshow.  And this new Kate Hudson movie looks only marginally better, and that’s only because Robin Williams isn’t in it.  I loved ‘Away We Go’ though, so I’m holding out hope.  

Anyway, implausible gun violence aside, I thought it was one of the funniest episodes of The Office in a while.  Dwight was at full Dwight power, Jim was his old self, Gabe was a freakshow, Andy was sadlarious, and everyone else was pretty perfect too.  Thisis the show I’m excited to watch next year.  What about you?  Did this episode change the way you felt about a post-Carrell Office?  Are you planning to watch next season?  Hit the comments! 

• What have you done?
• Question: if we’ve already fomented an insurrection, may we be grandfathered in?
• “Andy, do you like being alone with me right now?” “No, this is horrifying.”
• The piranha’s a rescue.
• Dwight went on a shooting spree, and then he shot Andy in the head.
• I love you guys, but don’t cross me, but you’re the best!

Parks and Recreation (times two!).

Drunk Parks Department alert!  I’m so jealous of this office and how much fun everyone has together.  I used to work in a government office, and there were way too many older racist ladies for me to want to hang with them after hours.  I stuck with the handful of other people my age and we got the fuck outta Dodge every day at 4:45 and went drinking by ourselves. 

So we were graced with two whole episodes last night, and they were both fantastic.  First of all, ANNE’S CONSTANT PRESENCE IN THE OFFICE IS NOW JUSTIFIED.  Yes, Anne now works part time as PR director of the Health Department or something – whatever – at least now I don’t have to wonder why she’s willing to spend so much time at someone else’s job.  Plus, she’s still a nurse which I’m sure was done on purpose so they can keep using her in the hospital when necessary. 

The first episode mostly revolved around Leslie and Anne getting shitfaced and then fighting about Anne’s slut ways and Leslie’s unwillingness to risk her job and put the moves on Ben.  This show does drunk scenes so well – it was hilarious watching each of the staff members lose it on Tom’s Snakejuice.  I particularly loved Ron Swanson wearing April’s alter ego’s fascinator.  Genius. 

The episode also had an always-welcome appearance by Jean-Ralphio, and we also got to see The Douche again because Anne apparently really is throwing her cat at every man in Pawnee.  Jeez Anne, standards much?  I would kind of love for her to secretly start up something purely physical with Tom, and make him keep quiet about it like Jordan Catalano did to Angela on My So-Called Life – Tom would be so dying to brag about it, but also unwilling to mess up his chance to mack with Anne on the regular.  Maybe they could meet on the 4th floor – nobody ever goes to the 4th floor. 

Gotta give major props to Pratt, for the funniest run/puke ever.  He is seriously a master of physical comedy, in addition to mental comedy, of course.  I continue to love him and April together.  Who wouldn’t?  In the second episode, they had their first fight while playing Tom’s new idea for a game show, Know Your Boo!  Andy wasn’t happy that April had a favorite band that wasn’t Mouserat, but I have to say, April has great taste in moody, haunting alt music – Neutral Milk Hotel is awesome. 

Ron is very much like me with kids – I don’t feel comfortable talking to them like most people do – I pretty much always remain myself when talking to the youngins, with less curse words of course.  But I am just as sarcastic with my three year old godson as I am with my friends, and I think he appreciates that.  There was a simple poetry to the paper little Lauren Berkus wrote for her civics class – very Swanson-esque.  And how was the landmine the THIRD thing that her mother brought up when she came to tear Ron a new one?  Surely it outranks homework and sandwiches. 

So, the other piece of big news, aside from Anne finding her purpose, was Ben and Leslie finally made out, and they weren’t even drunk.  Before they got to that point though, they had to test their resolve on a road trip from hell, complete with banjo and whale sounds.  I don’t think I would have survived that car ride, for serious.  But then, just when they both seemed ready to throw caution to the wind, Chris showed up, marking the first time that Rob Lowe’s face has been such a boner-killer, as I’m sure picturing him has the opposite effect on most people.  Chris should have his own comic book – ‘The Cockblocker: No Cock Goes Unblocked’. 

Full confession:  I had a dream that Adam Scott proposed to me in a mall last night, right before I woke up, so it was fresh in my mind.  And I was okay with that. 

So, hit the comments and tell me what you thought of the episodes, and what you’d like to see happen to Anne, Tom, Leslie, Ben and the gang in next week’s hourlong finale(!).  Since I can’t buy Snakejuice, I’m off to buy some Grey Goose La Poire and start the weekend right. 

• Get me a shot of Snakejuice, I hear it has a dope aftertaste.
• Chlamydia affects nearly 100% of Jan Coopers.
• “Swansong, how ya livin’?” “Yes.”
• Dude, you gotta end it on the rhyme.
• Well, this hat is an idiot.
• I’m like an elephant, okay? If I walk into a room it’s like, ‘yeah, okay, he’s in there’.
• Anne took a cab, Tom’s in the trunk, Jerry’s on the roof.
• I wish there was something we could do.  Ben, is there something we can do?  Damn it, Ben’s not here.
• Pawnee Zoo, monkey speaking.
• I love Slurp HD.  Have you guys seen ‘Ultimate Battle Smoothie’?
• “It’s an amazing instrument, the banjo.” “Yeah, I didn’t realize it could be this loud.”
• I’m allergic to fingers.
• I’m gonna go make out with him now.  On his face.

What was your favorite episode in all of the crazy goodness that was last night?  Or, are you all still waiting to watch because you were too busy with all of the goings-on in Mystic Falls?  I don’t want to know about it because I have managed to remain ignorant.  Meet you in the comment section!