December 7th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Survivor (11/27) – As soon as Kyle lost, I knew who was going home.  Not that I’m surprised.  It was the smart thing for the other players to do.  But I’m sad to see that because I really liked him.

Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking (11/28) – As always, my hat is off to the contestants.  The creativity they used to make those desserts is incredible.  And to create so many of them, too.  With two wins under their belt, do we have a frontrunner for the overall winner of the competition?

Tracker – What a case!  I couldn’t figure out what they were doing with a 9 month time jump and then trying to find a dead guy.  I was really intrigued the entire way through.  Glad we got back to the case we started the season with.  I hope we get a resolution to something soon since we seem to have dropped the family mystery.  As much as I enjoy the show, there are some flaws like that (and the lack of development for the supporting cast).

Wipeout – I don’t remember having two good singing teams on in the same episode before.  I was rooting for the acapella guys to win.  And they had a good run.  But it’s hard not to be impressed with the team that beat them.  Such a great run at the end to get the win.

Superman & Lois – I was blown away like I had hoped I would be, but I liked it.  I am glad we got the year flash forward for sure.  They kept their promise of giving everyone satisfying endings.  I’m not sure we really needed the last act.  I certainly would have been happier without it.  However, I do appreciate the message, and it was sweet in a way I wasn’t expecting.  Overall, an excellent final season.

Poppa’s House – I enjoyed some of the jokes.  And I really liked the ending for multiple reasons.  Still, at times it can feel a bit over the top, and not necessarily in a good way.  It feels like sitcoms are a lost art these days.  I hope we get it back.

Press Your Luck – The Whammies were certainly in the mood to come out for the holidays, weren’t they?  I figured the bonus round must be short when the early round went so long, especially with so few spins.  I’m impressed with her walking away when she did.  So few people show that lever of restraint.  Especially with no Whammies.

Night Court – First, I have to comment.  What was the point of coming back for three episodes and then going on break again until January?  Especially if there’s no Christmas episode.  Just wait and start in January.  I am liking Wendi Malik in the cast.  She definitely brings something that was missing.  Still, I feel like the show is uneven.  Some stuff is just too wacky.  But some of the jokes land.  Yep, still a mixed bag for me.

Survivor – Teeny was so bitter after the reward challenge it wasn’t even funny.  I’m impressed that Operation Italy actually worked.  But now, I’m curious to see how it is going to play out next week.  Will everyone turn on Andy?  It’s three on three, so it could be a stalemate as well. 

The Challenge – I was sorry to see another two friends in the arena.  Yes, I was celebrating the others but not these two.  I’ve felt like the others were a bit arrogant, and I didn’t get that vibe from these.  Probably more editing than anything else.  Or my biases from last season.  Honestly, the fact that they were sad about it but didn’t break down crying actually is why I was on their side.  Anyway, I’m wondering how far we are from the finale at this point.  The cast seems to think we are close, and the numbers are certainly smaller.

Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking – Once again, those cakes looked and sounded amazing.  I wasn’t surprised about the team that went home.  If their spider hadn’t had issues, I suspect they would have stuck around.  If only they’d had more time.

Happy’s Place – This show is getting better every week.  The laughs aren’t feeling forced, the comedy just works, and the characters are getting stronger.  Plus they give us a chance to breath, not everything is trying to force a joke.  And it was great seeing Steve Howie on the show.  I loved it when he revealed he knew everyone was lying all along, and the scene in the kitchen was fantastic.  Take note other sitcoms – this is how you do it.