By The Way: TV Thoughts

And now, some of my thoughts from my TV viewing this week...

CBS's How I Met Your Mother: Somewhere along the way, the writers of HIMYM transformed Ted from a functioning member of society with just a twinge of goofball in him into a full blown weirdo whom you wouldn't want to be stuck with in an elevator. In other words, he's been "Screeched."** I usually find it unbearable to watch Ted stoylines, but this week was easier than most. Maybe Ted should "eat a sandwich" every episode?



**You see, in Saved By The Bell, Screech was a loveable, smart geek who didn't totally fit in with his cooler group of friends but you sort of believed that they'd let him tag along. But then all of a sudden in Saved By The Bell: The New Class, Screech re-emerged as a bumbling buffoon who spoke strictly in cartoonish voices and got sidetracked with life's simplest problems. Same name, same actor, but essentially two totally different characters.

Fox's New Girl: I have long been a Zooey D. hater, but this show has turned me into a fan. This week's episode, featuring Stuckeyville's own Justin Long, had me in tears of laughter at one point. I wish I hadn't erased it from the DVR so I could watch it again.

NBC's Parenthood: Little Sydney, thanks for making me feel inferior with your apparent chess skills at the impressive age of...what? 6? 7? I would've totally started pulling out checkers moves if tested to a match. Despite all this, I'm still 100% confident that I would reign victorious in a game of Candyland.

ABC's Revenge: Declan van der Woodsen Whatever Your Last Name Is, please explain your strange accent to me. It fades in and out, sometimes within the span of a single scene. On top of that, it sounds more Boston (bad Boston at that) than anything remotely Long Island. The real kicker in this conundrum is that your older brother Sam speaks without a hint of said accent. Just give it up already.