Silver Lining Playbook to Friendship: Playing House "Employee of the Month"

When a friend is going through a rough patch, you tend to be there for them even if they don't think anything is wrong.

This week's episode puts Emma and Maggie in a situation when Mark enters Silver Linings Playbook mode by wearing a garbage bag while exercising in front of their house. This is due to his divorce after last week's incident.

When they invite Mark into their house, he pretends he isn't too busy.
It's like what Emma quoted from Steve Harvey: "When you don't fix your problems, you'll spend time fixing other people's problems." And that's what Mark has been doing from the sink to the roof from which he fell and sprained his ankle.

Mark has been one of the funniest characters in this series. Maggie tells him that he needs to rest and ice his ankle, but Mark thinks he needs to go to the ER, but tIts out the doctor tells him the same thing.

In the meantime, Maggie runs into an old friend from nursing school and gets her thinking of going back to finishing nursing classes. After being named employee of the month at Rosie's, she quits her job and tells Emma she wants to be a nurse.

Emma is all for Maggie to be a nurse because she knows that Maggie has always helped people for a long time.

One of the best scenes in this episode came when Emma and Mark got hooked on playing a video game, and it seemed like their relationship wasn't over even when she was putting her shark toes on him (shark toe is sharp nails).

In the end, Mark seemed to be fine since he went home the following day. But soon after that's all over with, Tina is outside of their house doing the same thing that Mark did the other day, except not wearing a trash bag.

This episode had many hilarious moments, from Mark doing his exercises to telling Emma she shouldn't speak in a Steve Harvey voice. Hell, I couldn't get enough of Maggie talking to her boss that she quitting.

Also, Mark and Emma playing a video game was the LOL moment of the episode.

Overall, I give this episode an 8.5/10.

You can catch Playing House on Tuesday nights at 10/9c on USA, and you can see next week's episode On Demand.

 

My Summer Viewing on the Couch

Depending on when classes start, summer is officially over, and school is in session. I thought that I would take this time to write up about what shows I've watched over the summer. Of course, there are shows from Suits, Royal Pains, Hannibal, America's Got Talent, and the new series like Aquarius and Stitchers.  But I'm talking about shows that either have been on or just recently that I've never had a chance to watch. This is my summer viewing.

Daredevil 

This new series released this year has become the biggest show on Netflix, next to House of Cards and Orange is the New Black. I'm never much of a superhero series. I never watched Smallville or Agents of Shield, but when I watched this series, it blew my mind.

We all know the story of Matt Murdock, a lawyer by day and a hero by night known as Daredevil. This 13-episode series stretches out the origin story and the story of Daredevil's first time fighting crime. The series was released on April 10th, but I never watched it until a month later.

As soon as I watched the series' first two episodes, I was hooked and amazed. Charlie Cox playing Murdock/Daredevil is fantastic, and may I say that he's way better than Ben Affleck. When I first saw this guy, I thought it was Will Forte. He hit a home run, but I was impressed with former Law & Order CI star Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk. D'Onofrio hit a grand slam. He was dark and scary, and the character was well done.

This is one of the darkest shows and Marvel series I've ever seen, and I'm counting the films, too. This is what comic-book series and the Marvel Universe should be like: dark and edgy.

Arrow

Speaking of comic-book series, after watching Daredevil on Netflix, I had a chance to binge-watch one of the popular series on cable television, Arrow.

I've heard of the show, and my first thought was, okay, this might be something. I could never watch it because I don't have The CW and always forget to watch it online. So my chance to watch was not disappointing at all.

I was amazed and thought to myself after watching the first season that this seemed to be like what Daredevil was with its origin story by mixing it in with each episode. But the issue is that it could be too long for me to sit and watch all 24 episodes of this series. I did manage it and enjoyed it quite dearly.

Stephen Arnell is unique and gives an excellent performance as the Green Arrow. I enjoy watching Oliver learn from the art of crime, fighting the ups and downs, and facing his fears when he gets his ass kicked by The Archer. I have to give a lot of credit to Greg Berlanti, Andrew Kreisberg, and Marc Guffenheim for bringing this series to the airwaves and other shows from The Flash, soon-to-be Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl coming to CBS. I wonder if there will be any more. I hope it's maybe a Batgirl series.

I haven't started watching season two yet, and hopefully will get through season three before the fourth season begins this October.

Mr. Robot 

I was so engaged in watching this series from watching the trailer. Mr. Robot had so much buzz around social media and critics. The series is about Elliot Anderson, who works at a computer security company daily and is a hero by night for catching criminals through the web. But he gets picked up by a man who goes by Mr. Robot, played by Christian Slater. He wants Elliot to take down ECorp (Evil Crop). But things get twisted, and Elliot realizes what's going on.

Rami Malek puts on a fantastic performance. He'll be up for awards for this series—the definition of hitting a home run performance. Not to mention that it's got a great cast, from Christian Slater to Carly Chalkin to Portia Doubleday.

The best part is that this series was renewed for a second season just before the series premiere. What perfect timing for this series to come on the airwaves, with the internet hacking of Sony and Ashley Madison situation.

You can watch the show on demand and catch the series finale this Wednesday night at 10/9c on USA Network.

Bloodline 

You can see where I've been staying most of this summer, at the Netflix Inn. This series, Bloodlines, was such a thrilling and gripping series I've seen.

The series is about a family whose eldest son comes back and brings hell and threatens to bring the family down. He was starring Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights) and Linda Cardellini (ER and Freaks and Geeks), along with a great supporting cast.

The show was such a delight,t with enough thrill and suspense that I wanted more. I recommend this series. The series was renewed for a second season that will air sometime next year. Kyle Chandler received an Emmy nomination for his role in this series, and don't be surprised if he wins because he's outstanding.

List of recommendations:

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Netflix
Aquarius, NBC
The Flash, The CW
The Liaison, Showtime
The Americans, FX
Sirens, USA/Netflix
Playing House, USA
Chipped, TBS

So I guess most of my summer I spent watching on Netflix. And now that the summer is over and only a month away, the new television season begins. I'm looking forward to recent seasons of these shows and others in the coming months

Wood Picking: Playing House "Knotty Pine"

This week's episode of "Playing House" deals with Maggie and Emma hanging out with Tina, but it soon becomes a situation for Tina's marriage with Mark.

Trying to fix their relationship and be much like friends rather than enemies, Emma and Maggie took Tina out shopping. Trying to help her get some styling wear that Tina thinks is too much and fears that one dress shows a bit too much skin.

After having fun, Tina asks if the next time, they and Ouwilly will join a wood shop to make birdhouses. Emma didn't like it, but Maggie got her to agree. At first, it looked simple, but when the instructor Buck comes around, he gives the ladies some absolute pleasure of compliments.

Buck has hit on Tina and Maggie but not Emma. Later, when Maggie and Emma came in with their finished birdhouses, Buck was helping Tina learn how to use a specific wood tool. It could be a Ghost theme without the Unchained Melody playing.

Buck announces that he's DJing a party that night and asks Tina to go, and she agrees.

Soon, Maggie gets the scoop on Buck, and he hits on married women and breaks their marriages. Emma tries to tell Mark about it without saying anything.

At the party, Emma and Maggie get there and try to break Buck and Tina off; even while they are dancing, it isn't working until Mark comes in and surprises Tina.

Tina and Mark have an honest conversation about this situation, and soon after Emma and Maggie stop Buck from his doings, they find him on the curb alone. They might have broken up.

I found this episode hilarious, and there are so many good jokes from the woodworking scenes to when Emma asks Mark for help, not just once but twice. Mark is trying to solve the puzzle of who wrote Turd on the piece of paper that happened to be in pieces.

Overall, I give this episode an 8.5/10.

You can catch "Playing House" on Tuesday nights at 10/9c on USA, or you can see it On Demand.

To Freak or Not To Freak: Playing House "Cashmere Burka"

This week's episode Emma's mother writes a play but when the pressure is on thanks to Maggie's helpful and both Emma and Maggie have to left up her spirits.

Jane Kaczmearek guest stars as Emma's mother, Gwen, and she wrote a play and has Maggie reading it. Maggie thinking that its good and gets Gwen worked up to make the play happen.

Emma not really caring to do it, does it and plays the lead role. I will say that the funniest part is when everyone is rehearsing the play and Mark is the stage designer and Gwen tells him so many task to do to make the stage to what she wants.

Heck, I couldn't get the word "hairy oyster" out of my head.

When Maggie and Gwen have dinner, Gwen's "good friend" stops by and talks to her. Maggie mentions that Gwen wrote a play and that'll be perform. Gwen freaks out and takes things on her control from firing Emma and then firing Maggie.

After a talk, Maggie and Emma go to the play and find Gwen locked in the bathroom. After a one on one talk, Gwen is calm down and the play was performed in one setting.

The play seemed to be a hit and when Gwen's friend comes up, Gwen tells her that she appreciated that she had come and soon she leaves freaking out.

Also Emma bumps into Dan, who turns out to be a Rabbi, but their relationship grows. When they meet on premiere night, they had an awkward greeting.

I enjoyed this episode very much. I thought there was plenty of humor especially when Mark was freaking out and the outfits he was wearing was weird.

Overall, I give this episode a 8/10.

You can catch "Playing House" Tuesday night at 10/9c on USA Network.