Thoughts on Parks & Recs, Community and Soccer

Last's week Random Thoughts was such a failure, readership-wise, that I can't help but return to Random Thoughts for the second consecutive week. Why, you ask? Well, I doubt anyone is actually wondering why considering no one will read this week's Random Thoughts. I simply enjoyed writing last week's Random Thoughts. I thought I offered a thoughtful argument about why critics need to quit criticizing Community for the same things every week. Alas, it went unread but it won't stop me from writing other arguments for or against shows. Anyway, it is time for this week's Random Thoughts:

-As yet another insane weather system made its way through Philadelphia, I mindlessly searched through the NBC sitcoms to see if any shows were worth watching after Community. I happened upon the description for Parks & Recs second episode, "The Flu." Intrigued by the premise, I watched last week's third season premiere yesterday. While I feared the show would follow The Office too closely, I felt pleasant surprise when I discovered the series carved out its own identity. I enjoyed the episode. Rashida Jones surprised me the most. I couldn't stand her character on The Office and I didn't enjoy any of her other roles in movies but she's wonderful as Ann. I enjoyed "The Flu" as much as last week's episode. Parks & Recreation doesn't seem as annoyingly as The Office was. The humor comes from the characters more than external pop-culture references. Unfortunately, the show uses the same documentary style and the characters speak directly to the camera but it's a minor quibble if the show continues to amuse and entertain. Rob Lowe's character is a candidate to be inducted into the Great Character list.

-Community continued its excellent streak of great episodes with "Celebrity Pharmacology 212." The greatest run of jokes occurred during the anti-drug play when Pierce took the show over and made drugs into a lovable character that 50 at-risk children armed with baseballs embraced and cheered for. Dean Pelton earned MVC (Most Valuable Character) for the episode as he showed in the teaser (or cold open) dressed as a bumble bee for a meeting in a hotel by the airport. Later, he had the great line about the 50 at risk pre-teens chanting for drugs armed with baseballs. And then he had the line of the night when he remarked, "well that answers my question...Jeff Winger is even sexy in a coffin." Friends and well-wishers, it is never too late to begin watching Community on a weekly basis; however, considering my pleas for anyone to watch Terriers went ignored, I won't hold my breath.

-February sweeps begins on Wednesday. Your favorite shows will return with relevant, filler-free episodes as well as notable guest stars. TV Squad has a list of things to look forward to during sweeps if you're interested in what's ahead. Katy Perry guest stars on How I Met Your Mother during the period but there's nothing much about the shows I write about. I hope that something actually happens on No Ordinary Family and that Steph's parents don't return. I also hope that The Vampire Diaries limit their use of modern alternative rock during each episode but that isn't sweeps related.

-Amazingly, chances are relatively high that I spend some time writing about The Cape for the second week in a row. Why? I don't know. Mena Suvari's guest starring and it'll allow me the opportunity to write a paragraph about the first two American Pies, Loser, American Beauty and her role on Six Feet Under. It might even be two paragraphs because of how much I might write about the first two American Pie movies.

-The 2011 AFC Asian Cup Final will be played tomorrow between Australia and Japan. I was wrong about many of my predictions but I nearly nailed the final as I predicted Australia and South Korea. Australia whooped Uzbekistan earlier in the week and the Socceroos seem poised to take home the Asian Cup trophy. They did not make me look like a fool as they did during the World Cup. I'd watch but that will cost $14.99. Instead, I'll watch the FA Cup games tomorrow morning or a German Bundesliga game or BOTH.

My quick picks for FA Cup Round 4: Chelsea over Everton; Swensea City over Leyton Orient; Aston Villa over Blackburn; Brighton over Watford; Bolton over Wigan; Burnley over Burton Albion; Coventry City over Birmingham; Stevenage over Reading; Crawley United over Torquay; Hereford over Sheffield; Manchester United over Southhampton; Arsenal over Huddersfield; Stoke over Wolves; Notts County over Manchester City; Nottingham Forest over West Ham; Tottenham Hotspur over Fulham

THE YOUTUBE CLIP OF THE WEEK