How I Met your Mother

Well, friends it is that time; the last passion blog of the year! I want to thank you all for reading and I want to end this blog on a high note with my favorite show of all time, How I Met your Mother. This show has been around for so long (9 seasons in fact) that I am sure most of you know the general gist of it. It is about five friends and their lives in the beautiful city of New York.

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Once again this show is really driven by the awesome way the characters. The characters on HIMYM are so relatable and three-dimensional. Whenever I watch the show with my friends we always like to see which character matches with our personalities the best. I thought I would do what I did for the characters of New Girl and break down some of the characters that make this show so great.

ted mosby

First up there is Ted Mosby, the architect looking desperately for love, but who has so much trouble finding it mostly because he picks terrible women. He is eccentric and can be pretty annoying at times, but everything he does is all the in the name of trying to find the love of his life. Even though he has dated plenty of women, his heart usually takes him back to Robin, which is unfortunate because she is one of his best friends.

robin

Makes sense to now talk about the one and only Robin Scherbatsky. She is a Canadian, ex-teen pop star, whiskey-drinking, cigar-smoking, gun loving goof. Like Ted, Robin is also terrible at relationships and has gone through plenty of bad guys. She is a news anchor, which has gotten her into all kinds of bizarre situations like falling down into horse poop or having to do a broadcast with a monkey. It’s funny because whenever my friends and I compare ourselves to these characters, whoever gets compared to Robin always gets a little angry. Personally, I don’t understand why. I think Robin is awesome, but you’ll have to see for yourself.

marshall and lily

Then there is my personal favorite, Marshall Erickson. Marshall and Ted were roommates in college and have lived together ever since. In college he also met the love of his life, Lily Aldrin. When they got an apartment in New York, Lily also moved in with them and it was somehow worked out really well. Marshall and Lily are goals. They are my favorite couple because they have been through so much together and they are both so comfortable around each other its great. Can’t talk about Marshall without talking about Lily so I figured I’d just lump them together. Lily is schoolteacher, but her passion has always been painting, though she is not really good at it. She is a feisty red head and cannot keep a secret to save her life.

barney

Last but certainly not least, Barney Stinson. Even if you have never watched an episode of How I Met your Mother, you have absolutely heard a Barney Stinson quote at some point in your life. Whether it be “legend-wait for it and I hope you’re not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is-dary!” or “when I’m sad I stop being sad and be awesome instead. True story”, I guarantee you have encountered one of these. Barney is a ladies man, which is funny because he is played by Neil Patrick Harris who is openly gay (and has possibly the most adorable family ever).

 

Real talk: for those of you that have seen the ending, the true ending not the alternative ending, I want to know what you thought about it. Every person I have ever talked to about the last episode has told me that they hated it and were so disappointed. I too was incredibly saddened by the ending of this amazing show, until I watched the alternate ending, which I have decided, is the only real ending and the other one does not exist.

 

Fun Fact: Not about the show, but I am in love with Neil Patrick Harris so here is a picture of his adorable fam.

neil patrick harri

South Park

This week I wanted to write about a show that I have only recently gotten into because my friend is basically obsessed with it. The one, the only, the controversial South Park! This show is absolutely hilarious though I can see why it is not for everyone because it can be an acquired taste. They do not hold back in discussing serious issues but in a funny and satirical way. I have not watched that many episodes yet but the ones that I have watched have been hilarious. It can also be super offensive at times though, but that comes with the territory.

south park

South Park is about five boys in elementary school (a fact that is very shocking when hearing all the things that they say) and the various situations that they get themselves into. The show has been running since 1997 so they have made episodes about pretty much everything. Since the humor comes from satire a lot of the episodes pertain to what is happening in the world during those particular times. What I love so much about South Park is that they are not afraid to make fun of anyone and anything. No one is safe from being the butt of a South Park joke. Heck even Penn State basically had an episode after the whole Sandusky scandal. For those of you that are curious that episode is called “The Poor Kid” and it is really funny even as a proud Penn Stater.

chrisitian rock

Another good thing about the show, for us college kids in particular, is that it is another show that does not have a running plot. You can watch any episode that you think is funny and you do not have to have any previous context to understand to enjoy it. There have been episodes like like “Crème Fraiche” about the consequences of getting addicted to the Food Network channel. Or “Christian Rock Hard” about one of the boys, Carman, writing Christian rock songs by replacing the words of popular love songs to Jesus. Those are just some of my favorites, there are so many more that are all really funny. However, for those of you that prefer that kind of thing and actually having a story line, the writers of the show made their last season (Season 19) have a plot. That season has done very well and I thoroughly enjoyed it so this show really has whatever you are in the mood for. The season is all about political correctness and safe spaces and how they can become a bad thing when taken to the extreme.

 

kenny

Fun Fact: The writers of the show have killed off one of the boys, Kenny, 103 times since the show has started. For those that do not know it is running joke on the show that they kill Kenny and the kids yell back “Oh my god, they killed Kenny!”. Its also one of the only times that I have come across where they break the fourth wall. They have gotten very creative with how they kill him also, which is both terrible and funny.

The Office

I feel that any good TV blog would not be complete without mentioning The Office. This show is such a classic and is probably my favorite TV show of all time. I also do not think I have ever met a person that watched this show and did not love it. The only people that do not like The Office just haven’t seen it yet! If that describes you my question is what are you waiting for?

office funnyThe Office is the brainchild of the one and only Ricky Gervais who actually starred as the boss, Michael Scott in the British version of the show. I have actually watched some of the British version and I honestly do not think that it is as good. The humor is much more the British style dry humor, which is great but not as compelling as the American version. For those of you that have seen both, do you agree with me on this? I have gotten into some pretty heated arguments about this with my friends before.

rowboat office

Anyway… lets move on to more about the show itself. The show revolves around characters who work at a paper company called Dunder Mifflin. Despite the fact that they have probably the most boring job ever, they all find ways to have fun and create meaningful relationships. Also despite the fact that their boss, Michael Scott, is completely incompetent. I don’t know about the rest of you, but if something that I’m watching gets awkward for characters I feel the residual awkwardness. That most certainly happens a lot while watching this, particularly when Michael is involved. Of course all the characters are super lovable…okay maybe not all of them (*cough cough Angela cough*) and it is super easy to get very invested in their lives. Have I mentioned yet that this show is hilarious?? From having a fun run for rabies awareness to hosting office Olympic games, this show will always guarantee a laugh. I have found it particularly good destressor whenever I have a lot work, which can often lead to procrastination but I think its worth it.

goodbye michael

Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell) leaves towards the end of the 7th season, but the show still goes on for 2 more seasons after that. Carell thought it was the natural move for the character and that is why he chose to leave the show. Goodbye Michael will never fail to make me cry because you can see the genuine emotion of the actors as Carell leaves the show. Unpopular opinion alert! I still definitely find that the last two seasons were enjoyable to watch. Obviously they are not as good as the seasons that do have Michael, but I definitely think they are better than people make it out to be.

 

michael gif

Fun Fact: The Office can basically supply you with any reaction gif you could ever need. Also, if you ever want a laugh but do not have the time to invest in a full episode of the show, I highly recommend looking up the bloopers on YouTube. They are absolutely hilarious and it is great to see more of a behind the scenes look at the show and the dynamic of the actors.

New Girl

To start, ever since the movie Elf I have been a huge Zooey Deschannel fan. She’s quirky and fun, and has a beautiful singing voice. So when I discovered that she was doing a TV show, I knew that I had to watch it. The show I am talking about is, of course, “New Girl”. It’s the story of Jessica Day, played by Deschannel, who after finding out her boyfriend was cheating on her moves in with three guys that she found on Craiglist. That is just the beginning of the story.

new girl

I want to start by describing some of the lovable characters on the show because they are what make the show so wonderful. They are all so relatable in their own little way.

 

Jessica Day:

jess

Jess is a school teacher who does not have the best luck with relationships. Jessica is very similar to Zooey Deschannel irl (at least what I assume she is like irl). She is super quirky, a little awkward, and a really cute dresser. Like seriously I want to raid her wardrobe. She cares deeply about pretty much everything. So much so that she stops for birds so she doesn’t hit them with her car.

 

Nick Miller:

nick miller

Then we have, Nick Miller. Nick Miller, Nick Miller, from the streets of Chicago. He is a bartender, but he actually went to law school and even passed the Bar. Nick is basically Jessica’s opposite. He is essentially an old grumpy man stuck in the body of a 30 something year old. He has all sorts of weird theories like horses came from outer space and breaking your phone screen means the government can see your secrets just to give you an idea.

 

Schmidt:

schmidt

Next up, my personal favorite, Schmidt. Just Schmidt. They never reveal his full name on the show. What I love the most about him is that he tries to find a weird way to say basic words. He adds emphasis to different syllables and its just hilarious. He and Nick were college roommates, but back in those days Schmidt was a lot heavier. He has since lost the weight and adopted a completely different personality.

 

Winston:

winston

There is also Winston Bishop or as he likes to call himself “Winnie the Bish”. Winston grew up with Nick, but then went to Latvia to play professional basketball. I think I relate the most to Winston because he is probably the clumsiest of the group and really doesn’t have his life together yet.

Cece:

cece

Who could forget Cece. Cece is Jessica’s best friend who is now a professional model, but later becomes a bartender. She is also pretty contrary to Jess because she is tough and can be kind of scary sometimes. She knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it.

 

I think what makes the show so interesting is the character’s personalities and the way that they interact with each other. Even from the beginning, the show does such a good job of introducing the viewer to the nature of these characters. As per usual, I don’t feel like I did the characters justice, but hey TV shows are meant to be watched so see for yourself.

 

Fun Fact: Not really about the show, but Zooey Deschannel is in a band called She and Him with Matthew Ward. I would definitely recommend checking them out as well! Also, Deschannel helped compose the adorable theme song, “Hey Girl”, for the show.

Better Call Saul

better calls aul

Welcome back from spring break everyone! I hope you all had time to relax and maybe catch up on a few shows. I know I did! Since I had so much time on my hands this break, as I was feeling under the weather, I decided I could commit myself to a new show. I was a huge fan of “Breaking Bad” and I had gotten so many recommendations from friends to watch the spinoff prequel to the show, “Better Call Saul”. I am glad I listened. I know what you might be thinking, “sequels and prequels are never as good as the original”. Well let me tell you, this show will defy your expectations.

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First off, it is nice to be back in the same scary, dangerous world of Albuquerque, New Mexico and see some familiar faces. Not to mention that Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould are, in my opinion, television geniuses and have delicately crafted this new show. Even from episode one the cinematography blew me away. There was one scene in particular where the protagonist, James McGill and a woman (whose name at that point I didn’t know) are standing in a parking lot. There is only a little bit of light that comes in on a slant so that James and the woman’s body are in view, but her face is blocked. That is just one example of some of the beautiful camera work that I have noticed while watching the show. If I’ve learned one thing from Breaking Bad it is that the camera work is done very purposefully and there is meaning in every shot. Along with being aesthetically appealing, this show absolutely pulls you in to the story. The show is currently on its’ second season so there is only season one on Netflix, which I blew through very quickl

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For those of you that have not watched Breaking Bad, don’t worry you can still watch this show and not be confused. For those that have watched the show, then it is really interesting to get the backstory of Saul Goodman and how he transformed to become the shady, backroom dealing lawyer. However, the show is not just about Saul Goodman, or his actual name, James “Jimmy” McGill. We get to see more backstory into the life of Mike Ehrmantraut, the cleanup man from Breaking Bad. I always found him to be such an intriguing character from that show, so any detail in his past life is really fascinating to see develop. Another character from Breaking Bad that has also made an appearance and who will definitely play a role in the future is Tuco… dun dun dun.

mike

This is the kind of show that it is very hard to give a plot synopsis without giving too much away so I will keep it very brief. The show follows the life of Jimmy McGill, a lawyer trying to open up his own practice and make it big. Currently, this dream has not gone according to plan. His office and home are in the back of a Chinese nail salon and the majority of his work is as a public defender. I swear I am not doing it justice with this, but trust me if you watch it you’ll thank me for the lack of detail!

Fun Fact: There have been rumors that Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) and Walter White (Bryan Cranston) will make appearances in later episodes!

Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia

This Saturday as I’m sure you all know was State Pattys day woo! While walking around it was almost impossible to not run into someone wearing green. I saw a lot of people wearing green “Paddys Irish Pub” shirts which is what inspired this blog post! This week I want to talk about “Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia”. This is a show about the antics of five friends, Mac, Dennis, Charlie, Dee, and Frank, who own a bar, named (you guessed it) Paddy’s Irish Pub. The humor in this show can be a bit drier and may take some getting used to, but it really grows on you after a while.  Each of the characters have their own quirks and they have a really interesting dynamic when placed together. Netflix finally added season 10 to the list and this is really the season where all of the characters true selves come became blatantly obvious. They are all terrible and incredibly selfish human beings but it goes further than that. Dennis is a pyschopath, Mac is gay, and I’m almost positive Charlie and Dee are secretly in love(but that just might be me).


Now, there is no real need to watch these episodes in order because there is no real story. It’s simply about these five “friends” and the insane situations that they get themselves and other people into. While I always recommend starting shows from the beginning because that’s just how I roll, I understand that we are college students and we don’t have a lot of time to invest in new shows from the beginning. So I’ll highlight a few of my favorite episodes for those of you that are in the mood for a new funny show without the time investment.

The Nightman Cometh:

This episode is an absolute classical. For avid followers of the show, this is probably the most quoted episode. Charlie writes a play and employs his friends to be the actors. This play has heartwarming songs, true love, and a man who creeps into rooms during the night to steal souls…you know normal things you would see in a play. I’m not really doing it justice but trust me it’s real funny.

Reynolds v Reynolds: The Cereal Defense:

In this episode the gang have a trial to determine who has to pay the damages to Dennis’ car. This episode will have you questioning the validity of a ‘donkey brains’ defense, the safety of eating cereal while driving a car, and even whether or not evolution is real. I’m just going to leave it at that.

Who Got Dee Pregnant?


This is my absolute favorite episode of the show. If you have ever heard anyone use the term “browning out”, this is where the term was coined. The gang tries to find out who got Dee pregnant at their drunken Halloween party. The way this episode pans out is hilarious as each person describes what they remember from the night in hopes that they will piece together enough true bits to solve the mystery.

Fun fact: The actors that play Dee (Caitlin Olson) and Mac (Rob McElhenney) are married in real life as are Charlie (Charlie Day) and the waitress (Mary Elizabeth Ellis). Knowing this it’s really funny to watch the way they interact on the show because Dee and Mac are always mean to each other and Charlie is in love with the waitress who rejects him constantly.

Reality 101

Last week I read a comment that I should write about a reality show, which I thought this was a very good idea. As much as I wish I could hate reality shows, I just can’t. They are my guilty pleasure. I figured I would go through some of my favorite reality shows because they definitely deserve a watch. (Side note: for any new reality show watchers I strongly suggest you start with Bravo. Andy Cohen is the king of reality television).

THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW JERSEY -- Season:3 -- Pictured: (l-r) Jacqueline Laurita, Teresa Giudice, Caroline Manzo, Kathy Wakile, Melissa Gorga -- Photo by: Tommy Garcia/Bravo

First off, the show that started my addiction to reality shows, The Real Housewives. For those of you that do not know Bravo has, I believe, five different housewives from different cities across the US: Beverly Hills, Orange County, New York, Atlanta, and New Jersey. My absolute favorite is New Jersey because those women have soo much drama in their lives. I think the main reason that I enjoy this show so much is that it makes me feel better because I am no where near as crazy or dramatic as these ladies. It’s actually really funny because watching the housewives has become a bonding experience for my family. Just last year I finally got my brother and his girlfriend to start watching. Each of the housewives has a phrase that they say in the opening credits like “Throw me to the wolves, and I shall return leading the pack” or “I like things that are elegant and sophisticated, just like me”. Sometimes when I am on the phone with anyone in my family they will randomly quote one of these opening lines and it never fails to make me laugh. For those of you that follow the housewives, which ones are your favorite and why?

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Next up is another show off of Bravo called, Shahs of Sunset. This show follows the lives of a group of Persian-American friends who live in Beverly Hills. Some people have deemed it an Iran version of the Jersey Shore because there is a lot of partying and drinking and such, but I definitely feel like there is more substance than that. While you have to take everything with a grain of salt, it is interesting to get a look into a different culture. I always enjoy when they talk Farsi among themselves and I have picked up on a few words. If you ever want to call someone “my dear” in Farsi all you have to do is say their name and then add the word “joon” after. Now who ever said reality TV can’t be educational?

cupcakewars

Lastly, I absolutely love all cooking competitions. It is like the best of both worlds. There is the competition aspect so you have a person to root for that you want to win, and you get to look at delicious food. My favorites are Cupcake Wars, Chopped, and The Next Food Network Star. I would recommend giving any of those a try, but to be honest you can’t go wrong with any of the tons and tons of cooking competition shows on television nowadays.

yolanda

Fun Fact: Supermodel, Gigi Hadid’s mother, Yolanda Foster is on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

House of Cards

With all the political drama going on with the presidential nominations, I figured the perfect show to discuss this week would be “House of Cards”. Also because I just watched the movie “The Usual Suspects” and I’m going through an obsession with Kevin Spacey phase. (f you haven’t seen that movie I also recommend it…but let’s continue with the show! If you take my advice and watch the show you will also be able to be in the loop and fully understand what people mean when they call a certain politician a Frank Underwood.

netflix-house-of-cards

Although I’ve participated extensively in Model UN and I enjoy being up to date on all the latest current events and political issues, I have never been a big fan of political dramas. I do enjoy the political comedy “Veep”, but that is a discussion for another time and perhaps another blog post! If you are similar to me in your thinking that political dramas are kind of boring, I say watch the show and I promise you will change your mind. A deeper meaning I’m coming to find from this blog is that it is important to go into things with an open mind even if those things are simply television shows. Now let’s go down to it!

frank underwood

The show follows political Frank Underwood as he attempts to work his way up the political ladder by any means necessary. Trust me I mean any means. This man is absolutely ruthless and it is incredibly entertaining to watch. Underwood lies, cheats, and even does the unthinkable all in the name of gaining power. It’s also so fun to watch the dynamics between Frank and other characters. For instance, him and his wife, who is essentially a Lady Macbeth, have a bizarre chemistry that doesn’t seem anything like love, but rather simply marriage for benefit. Then there is the dynamic between Frank and his chief of staff, Doug, who is basically his servant, which is just so fascinating to see. Now don’t go into this show expecting to love any of the characters because you won’t. They are all horrible and corrupt with their own agendas, but for whatever reason you still feel happy whenever their plans come to fruition.

 

peachoid

 

Fun fact: In my AP Government and Politics class, my teacher shows us two video clips. One of them was from “The West Wing” which ran from 1999-2006 and the other was a clip from “House of Cards” which began its run in 2013. The former showed the politicians being just and honest and loving towards their country. The latter showed Frank Underwood being his normal manipulative self as well as insulting the United States. My teacher’s purpose in showing us how shows are reflective of culture and that just in those short amount of years our view of politicians changed so drastically. I suppose this was more of an interesting anecdote than a fun fact…so this Peachoid is an important plot point during one of the seasons! That’s pretty fun I suppose!

Avatar the Last Airbender

This week I want to talk about Avatar the Last Airbender because I’ve gotten hooked back into it recently. Yes I am aware that this show has been around for forever…pretty sure we were in elementary school when this show was on. I know some of you are probably thinking, “Oh this is just a children’s show why should I watch it?” I can say for certain, now that I am currently re-watching it for probably the fifth time, that it is much more complex than that. Of course it has its goofy moments, but trust me its worth the watch all the way through. By the end of it I guarantee you will be wishing that bending was real. Now this show is not currently on Netflix, BUT you can stream every episode on Amazon Prime for free! I would like to take the time to give Amazon Prime some love. Do not get me wrong I absolutely love Netflix, but I feel like Amazon Prime is totally underrated. I guess “Amazon Prime and chill” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

 

shhh

 

Avatar is broken up into three seasons or “books” for the three elements that Aang the Avatar has to learn. Book 1 is water where you meet Katara and Sokka who travel with Aang for the rest of the show. He is just a 13 year old boy, but it is his destiny to learn all four elements and end the war that has been going on for 100 years. Book 1 is definitely the season that builds to the action, but it is still reaaally good. Book 2 is earth and we meet Toph, the blind earthbender. Book 3 is fire and is by far my favorite. This is where Aang has to meet his destiny to end the war with the Fire Nation. As I said before, I have been re-watching the show and I keep finding little details that just make the show even better. There have been so many moments where I would find subtle foreshadowing that are just wonderful. Not to mention this show has some of the best character development I have ever seen. Every character grow and its fascinating to watch.

cactus

For those of you that have seen the show, I have two questions. First, who is your favorite character? I am a personal fan of Zuko because I am a big fan of character development and he goes through such a massive change that just made me so happy. Second, what nation do you think you would belong to? My friends and I have had in depth discussions about this and have come to the conclusion that I am an air nomad.

 

airbender

Fun fact: To fans of the animated Avatar, the life-action movie that was made in 2010 “The Last Airbender” is universally hated and most pretend that it never was made. I personally remember watching it on an airplane and lets just say I recommend sticking to the animated version.

American Horror Story

I was having trouble coming up with what to do for my passion blog. I did not want to continue on with the film blog, although I still do love films, but I wanted to do something along those lines. Then, inspiration struck when I was having lunch with my friends in Redifore. We were in line getting food when one of the employees started whistling the song “Twisted Nerve”, which instantly reminded me of one of the episodes of American Horror Story (though some of you may be familiar with it from the move Kill Bill). Thus, my “what to watch on television/good shows on Netflix” blog was born.

ahs

I figured I might as well start with the show that inspired it all, American Horror Story. To begin, I am not one for anything of the horror genre. I am a grade A scaredy-cat. So when my boyfriend suggested we start this show, I was obviously very reluctant, but I had heard so many people talking about it so I figured “what the heck” and we watched it anyway. For those of you that are like me and don’t like horror movies and such, don’t let that deter you from watching it! The plot lines and the character development will draw you in and make you want binge watch the whole season (though I do recommend taking some mental breaks to go enjoy something nice and not scary).
dance scne

So far there are 5 seasons, but I will only speak on the first 3 because those are the only ones I have seen. The interesting thing about this show is that it is an anthology so each season brings a different plot with different characters. However, they do bring back the same actors to play these characters like the charming Evan Peters and the incredible Jessica Lange. So if you are thinking about watching it, do not feel like you have to watch the seasons in order. For the scaredy cats like me who want to watch this show if I were to rank them in order of scariness from least scary to most scary it would go Season 3 Coven, Season 1 Murder House, then Season 2 Asylum.

 

ahs

Murder House (Season 1) is about a kind of bizarre family who moves to a new home in California only to have weird things begin to happen to them in the house. Yes I know it seems like the plot synopsis of a lot of other horror shows, but trust me, it is definitely worth the watch. Asylum (Season 2)….is really difficult to describe. There is a whole lot of stuff going on and things get real dark real fast. Out of the entire season there is literally only ONE happy moment, which comes out of the mind of one of the insane patients. Oh and there may or may not be aliens. Coven (Season 3) is all about a group of witches and their conflict among themselves and against the practitioners of voodoo.

 

tate and zombie boy

Fun Fact: I’m thinking about ending each blog with a “fun fact” about the show or the actors involved with the show. For American Horror Story, my fun fact is that the show got sued because the makeup put on Evan Peters in one of the scenes in Season 1 resembled the actual tattoos of Rick Genest, known better as “Zombie Boy”.