She & Him, the joint music project of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, is set to release their third studio album, Volume 3. If you’ve heard the single “Never Wanted Your Love,” you’ve heard the album, and that’s a good and a bad thing. If you like She & Him’s brand of adorable, vintage-inspired songs that sound like bottled sunshine, the good news is that Volume 3 is more of the same. But if you’re looking for variety or mold-breaking, Volume 3 is not the album you’d go to to find it.

Volume 3 is an album of highs and low, which, much like Deschanel’s voice, switches between strong on some tracks and blaring and cutesy on others. At its best, Volume 3 is a sweet summer album, a palate-cleansing respite from the usual bass-heavy party anthems that dominate the summer pop charts. The three cover tracks (Blondie’s “Sunday Girl,” “Baby” by Jeff Barry, and “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me” by Ray Noble) are all stand-out successes, as is M. Ward any time he and Deschanel blend their vocals — they bring out the best in each other. The theme of Volume 3 seems to be that of lost love, but it’s a sentimental, sepia-toned lost love that ranges from empowered (“Never Wanted your Love”) to thoughtful (“Turn to White”), to the love of a lost place (“London”). At its worst, Volume 3 is an overly-sweet grab-bag of been there, done that influences (Buddy Holly, Dusty Springfield, and The Beach Boys were just a few that sprang to mind), and a few real clunkers (“Somebody Sweet to Talk To” and “Something’s Haunting You”) can feel like too much of a good thing, or just trying too hard.

Those who have never enjoyed She & Him’s twee, strummy sound won’t find much new on Volume 3, but fans of She & Him’s other albums or those looking for lighter warm-weather listening will find a lot to love.

She & Him’s Volume 3 is released May 7th.

Tour dates:
June 13: Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium +
June 15: Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theater at Grand Prairie +
June 16: Austin, TX ACL Live at the Moody Theatre +
June 18: Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theater +
June 19: Las Vegas, NV The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas &
June 21: San Diego, CA SDSU Open Air Theatre &
June 22: Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre * &
June 23: Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl *
June 25: Salt Lake City, UT Red Butte Gardens &
June 27: Council Bluffs, IA Harrah’s Stir Cove &
June 28: Kansas City, MO Kanrocksas Music Festival
June 29: Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom #
July 1: Ann Arbor, MI Hill Auditorium #
July 3: Montreal, QUE Montreal Jazz Festival #
July 4: Toronto, ON Toronto Urban Roots Festival #
July 5: Ottawa, ON Ottawa Blues Fest
July 6: New York, NY SummerStage, Central Park #
July 9: Philadelphia, PA Mann Center for Performing Arts #
July 10: Boston, MA Bank of America Pavilion #
July 11: Vienna, VA Filene Center at Wolf Trap #

+ with Secret Sisters
* with Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
# with Camera Obscura
& with Tilly and the Wall

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Julia: I’m not sure what I expected from Community, but all the months of waiting and drama I feel like I wanted more than what I got from that first episode back. Is it just me?

Katie: About two days before the show aired, I started getting nervous that it really was going to be bad. So I had actually mentally prepared myself to be disappointed. Thanks to being a pessimist, I was mostly OK with the episode … even though there were some missteps.

Julia: See, I’m an optimist, so that could be my problem. I just felt like it was a little bit of a directionless episode, like there were some good ideas but not a lot of cohesion.

Katie: I agree. There were a lot of funny jokes (“Why does this feel good?” made me laugh on the way to work the next day) and I appreciated how they wrote Jeff to really care about his friends — that he’s at the point where his loyalty to them is a given. But it did feel like too many storylines and not enough of them together.

That being said … Community Muppet Babies? Amazing.

Julia: Troy and Britta in the fountain was good, though the Muppet Babies bit was lost on me, because I didn’t have cable young enough to watch that. I liked them taking potshots at laugh track sitcoms in general – specifically The Big Bang Theory, which has been on my shit list forever. But I’m used to Community taking a more subtle approach to meta, and this was a clunky, like they were trying very hard to make a point but lacked the old, dare I say Dan Harmon-ian finesse to do it with.

Katie: The snark during the Big Bang potshots were palpable. i think the Harmon-ian finesse really comes down to the lack of cohesian. I will say that I read an interview with Andy Bobrow where he admitted there were some issues with the first episode and it was pretty much what we’ve been saying — too many storylines, not enough bringing the group together, maybe a little too much of the meta-“we’re going to be OK” thing. I guess at this point I’m thinking that most of the missteps can be avoided going forward.

The only two things that I thought were actual mistakes were 1). having Troy and Britta go canon and 2). having the Dean move next to Jeff. I love the Troy and Britta dynamic, but for me they work better as friends attracted to each other. And the Dean … I mean, they spent the whole episode telling us that they weren’t going to become the cliched wacky sitcom and then they end with the nutty Dean moving next to the guy he has a crush on.

Julia: Yes! I hate Troy and Britta together romantically. It just makes no sense to me for them as characters, not to mention it clears the way for Annie/Jeff, which I unreservedly loathe as a pairing. (They bring out the worst in each other! I will repeat this going into my grave.) And I think more than anything this episode just convinced me those pairs didn’t work together more than that they did? Which may have been the point, I’m not sure.

I feel like the Dean is a tricky character to critique on traditional sitcom grounds, though, because he is so firmly in a traditional whacky sitcom role. What makes him good is how much farther they’re willing to take the character than most sitcoms would, so I hold off reservations or judgment on the neighbor Dean development until I see where it gets taken.

Katie: I don’t agree with some other critics that are saying the premiere was bad and the show is ruined, etc. For me it had a rough start, but the characters were still themselves and there were really just a few tweaks that could have made the episode better.

Julia: I’d definitely say that the calls of a ruined show are premature. There were plenty of good character moments and humor (the Hunger Games montage was delightful) we don’t get from anywhere else. A bad Community is still a good episode of any other show.

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Best Kiss – Nick and Jess, New Girl

Of course Nick has thought about kissing Jess. He’s probably spent the last two years on and off thinking about it and cycling through self-loathing and reasons why not to … why it was never the right time, what the right time would be … and so to see him kiss Jess wasn’t just good because it was a great kiss (and it was a great kiss), but because we finally got to see Nick get over himself enough to make that move he’s been waiting to make for a long time. And Nick’s move was perfectly timed and placed; wait longer and it becomes unbelievable that Nick and Jess wouldn’t have hooked up sometime, or that when they did Jess wouldn’t cite their friendship as a reason not to continue. Do it earlier and there isn’t enough of a friendship foundation to make them hooking up high stakes. But have them kiss now, two years in, and the timing is just right.

Also, it was a really great kiss. Have I mentioned that yet?

Best Meta – Raising Hope, “Modern Wedding”
So here’s the thing – I hate Modern Family. I don’t understand the appeal. It’s bland fare that’s been overdone a million times and employs some truly lazy writing. I am so tired of it winning awards that should rightfully go to other, more deserving and innovative shows. And so anything that makes fun of Modern Family is immediately going to be, in my book, superlative. But what was so great about “Modern Wedding” wasn’t just the lampooning of Modern Family, but the fact that it effortlessly displayed what the show is missing: an element of surprise, a sense of tongue-in-cheek self-awareness and heart.

The gauntlet has been thrown, Modern Family. Top that if you dare.

Most in Need of a Steady Job – Wilmer Valderama
Has anyone else noticed he plays basically the same character in both Suburgatory and Raising Hope? Maybe it’s time he got a new gig.

Biggest Tearjerker – 30 Rock, “Hogcock!/Last Lunch”
I can’t discuss this coherently, but let’s just say this finale was everything I hoped for and more. I loved every minute of it, cheered every bit of character resolution, adored Jane Krakowski‘s work more than ever before (where is her Emmy???), sobbed at every goodbye (Hot bowl of bear meat! And did you know Tina Fey hand-wrote Liz’s goodbye to Tracy? Nope, too many emotions. Shutting it down), and adored every last second of it. It was perfect and I will miss this show more than words can express.

Goodbye, 30 Rock, you really went to there.

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When I first heard that Don’t Trust the B—- In Apartment 23 was cancelled, I thought that was the saddest news I would hear this week. While Don’t Trust the B was not perfect, it was enjoyable, with undeniable chemistry between June (Dreama Walker) and Chloe (Krysten Ritter), and my weekly recommended allowance of James van der Beek. But Don’t Trust the B was not the only sitcom or even the saddest sitcom winding up towards a finale or cancelled, and so for this week we have a special Sitcom Superlatives where we bid adieu to two very special friends.

Ben and Kate
It’s rare a comedy as warm and unrepentantly sunshine-y as Ben and Kate comes along. And despite my constant gushing over Go On, Ben and Kate was my pick for best new show of the season. It was effortlessly delightful, sweet, and… cancelled?

I don’t pretend to understand FOX’s internal decision-making on this one. I’m sure it had something to do with ratings (which I maintain are bullshit), or maybe no FOX executive had ever had a sibling, because if they did, I’m not sure how they ever could have said no to this show, which portrays family and especially sibling relationships so perfectly and tenderly. I can only hope that this is a stepping point for all of the lead actors to bigger and better things – specifically Dakota Johnson and Nat Faxon. Call me, you guys. I have ideas.

30 Rock

I’m not sure how sitcoms are supposed to go on without 30 Rock. I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready to know.

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Best episode of the week – Go On, “Gooooaaaallll Doll!”
Okay, so Go On was maybe not the total best (as usual, it’s hard to compete with 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation), but this week’s Go On was, even in my Tuesday overload of sitcoms, a surprise delight. Once again, this show gets therapy and the healing process so, so right. Gimmicks like this week’s goal dolls may inspire short-term change that feels like progress, but real progress is a slow, grinding process. The Sonia and Yolanda subplot was not only hilarious (“Three sugar cubes. Like the number of men I’ve been with… Today.”) but effortlessly illustrative of that. Putting on a brave face and changing everything in your life by a certain deadline isn’t how healing works. It’s a labor of love.

Show I’m Over – The Mindy Project
I wanted to like The Mindy Project so badly, you guys. I tried and I tried and I tried. I made excuses for why I didn’t like it — it was just one bad episode! It suffered because it was the last in a two hour block of comedies and I was worn out! But I can’t make excuses any longer. The fact of the matter is The Mindy Project just isn’t very good. There’s no focus, the characters are ill-defined and it’s simply not that funny. There are a few standout moments that make you think maybe, just maybe the show is worth watching (Mindy’s brother last week was a particularly good addition), but the slog of stress-vomit jokes to get through to them is excruciating.

Cutest Couple – Tessa and Ryan, Suburgatory
Tessa is right — on paper, her budding relationship with dumb jock next door Ryan shouldn’t work. He’s, well, simple, and the complete opposite of the type of person you would think that urban, sophisticated Tessa would end up with. And yet, against all odds, I’m loving the development of their relationship. The scene where Ryan brings Tessa her homework (and how hilarious was it that Lisa thought bringing Tessa her homework was the ultimate romantic gesture?) was beyond sweet. And it made me admit to myself that yeah, I really do want those two crazy kids together.

I think what works about Tessa and Ryan is that Tessa’s relationship with Ryan is ultimately like her relationship with Chatswin. Maybe she shouldn’t like it or feel at home there. It’s not her beloved New York and it’s certainly got its downsides. But like Ryan, Chatswin is a place where people have the courage to care, even if it’s about something as dumb as Junior Secretary’s Day. People in Chatswin may be dumb, but they’re kind and warm and that, in the end, is what matters.

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Let’s be real – anyone who watches awards shows for the actual awards is probably a masochist, because as Ron Swanson has so rightly pointed out, they never go to the right people. But there is one reason I think we can all agree we watch awards shows – to judge what people (and by “people” I mean “women”, because suits are boring) are wearing.

I always, when judging, like to start with the good, though I’m unsure about Michelle Dockery‘s dress, which I have saved and labeled as “horramazing.” The gold I-think-it’s-lace is gorgeous, but it’s odd. First of all, it’s too high, and no one looks good in a turtleneck. (See also: what Kristen Bell was wearing.) But then it also doesn’t go down far enough on her body.  It should either end just above her bust or at her waist, and instead it floats in a weird rib nether region. It should be horribly unflattering and I should just put it away in the bad section, except… she looks gorgeous in it. Which is hardly a fair metric on Michelle Dockery, who would look gorgeous and poised in a potato sack, but she looks especially lovely. So who am I to judge, really? (I ask rhetorically as I prepare to continue to judge for the rest of this column.)

Here’s what I like about Kerry Washington‘s dress; not only is it fabulous, but it illustrates an excellent point, which is that there are some things white people should just not attempt. Call and response, for example, is something white people can’t really get away with. Another thing white people cannot get away with, though lord knows people have been trying and trying for the last five years, is the whole nude/taupe/old silly putty color dresses trend. You need skin pigment for that to provide contrast. You need, in short, to be as fabulous as Kerry Washington. And my, but doesn’t she look fabulous.

I realize right now that my bias is probably showing when I say that both Tina Fey and Amy Poehler looked (and were) flawless all night long, but they really were. Not only do they deserve all the praise that’s been raining in on them, but their stylists deserve big, fat raises. In particular, I thought Amy’s chic little suit (love a lady in a chic suit) on the red carpet and Tina’s sparkly presenting dress (she has never looked hotter) were the winners of the evening. Applause all around, ladies, now please host every awards show ever, and thanks.

As for the bad and/or ugly — I know I’m going straight into controversial territory putting Lucy Liu’s dress in this category. In my defense, I’ve been swinging back and forth on this one. On one hand, it’s great to see a print, she certainly doesn’t look boring, I love her hair, and Lucy Liu is another person you can stick in a potato sack and she’d still look gorgeous. The problem is, my initial reaction was “ick”, and I just can’t shake it. Yes, it’s a print, but it’s an ugly, cheap-looking, faux-baroque print that I think my grandmothers both had embroidered and framed in their living rooms at some point. As much as I love the hair, it looks sloppy paired with the dress. The combination makes me want to break into “Edelweiss” from The Sound of Music. That’s never a good sign. Out.

Look, Lena Dunham, I’ve watched enough Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids to know that sometimes you have to buy these big, fancy numbers that are insanely unflattering and you wouldn’t want to be caught dead in, but you do it because you love the person getting married and want to be in their wedding. And that’s fine, but did you have to wear one of those dresses, butterfly boobs, hip panels, and all on the read carpet? Waste not, want not is a virtue, but this dress is a waste. I mean, there’s always the chance you actually liked the dress and thought it was flattering on you, but I think my explanation is less of a stretch.

My mother always raised me to believe that if I didn’t have anything nice to say, to not say anything at all. Of course, this was in the Stone Age before blogging, but I still like to try to follow that advice. So instead of commenting on the worst-tailored dress of all time or the monstrosity that is whatever that hairstyle is Jessica Chastain is sporting, I’m just going to say this: that color is lovely on you, Jess. It really is.

Halle Berry, JLo circa 2002 called. First of all, she’s concerned you’ve been wearing the same dress for roughly ten years. Second of all, even she doesn’t want this particular dress back.

Best Import – Miranda

If you’re suffering from the mid-winter blahs like I am and find yourself in dire need of new laughs, I’d definitely suggest checking out the charming British sitcom Miranda. Think if a Liz Lemon-like character of similar failure-prone relatability in a sitcom with a mixture of the goofy sensibility of Happy Endings and the distinctly British embarrassment factor that the original Office had, and you have Miranda. The basic plot is of a large, very silly woman (played by the stellar Miranda Hart, who also writes the show) struggling to be mature and composed as she struggles through dating, work, and polite social interaction. Miranda also boasts a stellar cast of supporting characters that include her Lucille Bluth-ian mother, her best friend and co-worker Penny, and her longsuffering mutual crush Gary (played by the dreamy Tom Ellis, who Merlin fans will recognize as old baddie Cendred). It’s delightfully sweet, absurd, and poignant by turns. There is no technically legal way to get your hands on this show outside of the UK, and I don’t want to encourage anyone to break the law, per se, but if there’s a show worth finding a creative solution to watch, it’s this one.

Best Cameo – Michelle Williams on Cougar Town
I came extremely close to just declaring this a three-way tie and throwing the towel on this category, but that is not how we do it here at Sitcom Superlatives! Choices – even impossible ones, must be made. And so eliminated was poor, finally looking more his age and less like he was kept in a time dilation field between Olympics Bob Costas, despite his superlative job this week on Go On. Also sadly eliminated was the hysterical Octavia Spencer on 30 Rock doing her best impersonation of Tracy Jordan. (She will not have anything to do with Maryland because of her feud with Cal Ripken Jr.) But the ultimate winner had to be Michelle Williams’ blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo at the end of Cougar Town as Laurie’s foster sister. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Michelle Williams in a comedic role before, which is a damn shame. Between her boob shimmy at Laurie and her pitch-perfect delivery of “no, bitch, what what,” I can’t help but hope this is a recurring thing.

Also, Bob Costas excepted,it seems to me that more Oscar-nominated (or Oscar-winning) actresses should cameo on sitcoms For my sake, if not for theirs.

Best new bromance – Mark and James van der Beek on Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23
There’s a beautiful new relationship blossoming on Don’t Trust the B, and I’m not talking about Mark and June (because where did that come from?). No, Mark has far better chemistry with his new bro, a one Mr. James van der Beek.

I think the secret to what makes these two so delightful to watch together is that they mimic what makes June and Chloe so good. James, like Chloe, is ridiculous, spoiled, needy, and overly-dramatic. He and Chloe need the boring practicality of a June or Mark. And James’ horrible loss of confidence after his Dancing With The Stars career and subse was cut short and subsequent bravado jives well with Mark’s constant on-again, off-again relationship with his horrible girlfriend Jennifer. They both need someone to pick them up and make them feel good, as well as temper their more ridiculous turns (James) and their tendency towards Eeyore-like irritating self-loathing (Mark).

There are some shows where I simply don’t want anyone to have a romantic relationship with anyone, and Don’t Trust the B is one of them. But more quirky friendships like Mark and James’? Yes please; bring it on.

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New Favorite Friendship: Ryan and Anne, Go On
If at this time this year you had told me that there would be a middle-aged lesbian on my television, let alone on a show with as much diversity as Go On, and that she’d be handled well, I’d have asked what crazy optimism drugs you were on and where I could get me some. But Go On has really steadily delighted me this year, way more than I thought it would. Not only does Ryan feel very different from Chandler (something I needed from Matthew Perry but wasn’t sure I’d ever get), but his friendship with Anne is exactly what this show needs. Because healing through therapy two sides, really. (And oh, as someone who’s been in therapy over 75% of my life, I could write odes to how well psychological conflict is handled in this show.) There’s the blind, almost childlike belief needed to make a leap of faith that the rest of the group represents, but there’s also always that cynicism and grounded practicality that most of us have trouble letting go of. And watching Ryan and Anne not just fall headfirst into accepting every bit of feel-good advice Lauren dispenses is what makes this show work so well and keeps grounded instead of veering to the saccharine.

The “This Has Gone On Too Long” Award: Barney and Robin, How I Met Your Mother
Normally when it comes to TV relationships I am all about the slow burn. Bring it! Make me suffer!  Pining is great! But Barney and Robin have been jerking us around for seasons, and on top of that, we’re aware Barney and Robin are on a ticking clock of needing to be headed towards marriage or engaged by spring. How’s that going to work? Or are we just going to not see them date until May? And if that’s the case what will the storyline of the final season (next season, presumably) be? Can they just get together now already? Because while I appreciate the parallel of Robin sexily putting herself out there at Barney’s door and when she came to his door way back in Season 4 during “Shelter Island”, crying and vulnerable, and he turned her down then as well (because Barney seems to self-sabotage anything that’s not Robin genuinely wanting him and not just when she’s feeling needy, which is pretty cute), that really hit it home that this needs to be over already. Robin and Barney need to settle down, Ted needs to solve finding the mother, and this series needs to wind it down.

And Patrice? Seriously? He was on a date with Patrice? NO ONE ASKED YOU, PATRICE.

Most improved: Suburgatory
Remember how terrible I said last week’s Suburgatory was? Well, change that to “delightful” and that’s how great this week’s was. It was like a jumbled, chaotic mess of delight. Ryan finds out he’s adopted, hides with a still-heartbroken Malik and decides to change his name to Eugene Goldfarb! He prints business cards! The wonderful parallel of him losing himself just as Tessa finds herself by realizing maybe having a mom isn’t everything she thought it would be! And so sue me, I’m rooting for those two crazy kids to work together.

My one complaint was that this episode seemed way, way too short. Dalia’s side story about wanting her maid/housekeeper/nanny/stand-in mother Carmen back was sweet, and the viral video she made was frankly delightful, but it almost felt like it deserved its own episode to get a moment to really shine. But seriously, if my only complaint about an episode is that too many awesome things happened? That’s a damn good episode.

Most Underrated Actor: Nat Faxon, Ben and Kate
Can someone please explain to me why everything Nat Faxon says is the greatest thing I have ever heard? Why do I suddenly want to cast him in everything? I don’t get it. It’s not like the other characters or actors on this show are lightweights when it comes to being endearing, and yet something about the way Faxon plays Ben makes me willingly abandon any and all problems I would normally have with his character (too frivolous! too silly! caricature!) and makes him the greatest part of every episode besides Kate’s wardrobe — which I covet shamelessly. But I think the moment that sealed it for me was that, in spite of a very, very strong episode this week, the most I laughed was at the ending tag where Ben just goes around naming trees and then says “take that, Dad! Who can’t name trees now?” (or something to that effect, I forgot to DVR it and it’s not on Hulu yet, work with me.) It shouldn’t have been the funniest part of the episode! It had no right to be! And yet, it absolutely was.

My disappointment with the Emmys has reached mythic proportions, and while my Nick Offerman for Best Actor in a Comedy quest is the hill I will probably die on, I hope and pray that Nat Faxon and his crazy brand of what can only be witchcraft at least get a well-deserved nod.

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Even though I no longer review Merlin on the regular, being a fan of and blogger about Merlin has been one of the most truly rewarding experiences of my life, which is why I couldn’t say no to an opportunity to interview Bradley James (Arthur) and Katie McGrath (Morgana) one last time.

Alright, well, first of all, I just wanted to say thank you to you guys. This is my second time interviewing both of you, and as a fan you guys have been amazing and wonderful to interview, so thank you so much.
KM: Thank you so much!

Anyways, now for the harder questions …
KM: You were just buttering us up there so we’ll give you good answers, aren’t you?

A little bit! I did really want to thank you, but I had to butter you up a little bit.
KM: [laughs] No, that’s fine, we’re all actors, we like that.

Alright, so first question. Are we going to finish this series without a magic reveal at all?
BJ: Can’t tell you! Not telling you.

What, you can’t – come on!
KM: No!
BJ: That’s what watching the show’s all about!
KM: If you’re a fan — and you tell me that you are — and you’ve invested the last four years in the show, we are not going to ruin it now for you. But I will say the last two episodes answered all the questions that the series posed so …
BJ: No, Katie will tell you everything. Don’t worry; just stay on the line and Katie will sort it all out for you, yeah? Cool. Go on, Katie, why don’t you talk through the episode, yeah?

What if I told Katie how pretty she was, would she tell me even more things?
BJ: Oh, Katie heard you say that. Katie heard you say that, and she’s about to tell you everything. Go on.
KM: [laughs] I’m going to be quiet, now.

Alright, well then that leads to my next question, which is when you were filming the last couple episodes, did you know they were the last episodes of the series?
BJ: Yes. We were very aware of the time length of the show. But for political reasons you can’t kind of advertise that fact. But I think in ourselves we all had an idea of what we wanted to do, what we wanted to achieve, but that culminated at the end of series five quite nicely.

What or who will you miss the most about filming Merlin?
KM: I think I’ll actually miss the crew. We’ve been with the same crew for five years, so it’s been a very comfortable and nice environment, and the fact that I won’t get to see them every day is sad.
BJ: Catering! The catering is very good.

[laughs] It’s not good on every show?
BJ: No, not from what I hear.

So what’s the most valuable thing you think you’ve learned working on Merlin?
KM: It was my first proper job. I hadn’t done much else and I hadn’t gone to drama school, so I guess I learned everything on it. I wouldn’t be who I am and where I am without it, so I can’t underestimate how much I owe the show.
BJ: I will say I’ve learned that much. And a lot of what we learn in life we learn subconsciously, and I think where I am as an actor and where I am as a person, really so much of that is the five years I’ve just spent — the very enjoyable five years I’ve spent doing Merlin.

Do you guys have a particular favorite episode that, looking back on the series, was your favorite to film?
BJ: You know, we’ve been asked that, and that’s a difficult one to answer because we film them all at the same time, you know, during all the shooting days we’ll be filming scenes from about eight different episodes. It’s a difficult one to answer in terms of filming it. But to watch, I really enjoyed, um, I’m not sure what it was called but it was an episode last year where Elyan is possessed by a dripping, soaking wet boy.

There are lots of wet people in Merlin.
BJ: Yes, and this one in particular had decided to – oh, I’ve got the name! “Herald of the New Age!”

Ah, yes.
BJ: Very cool, that was a good one.

That was a good one.
BJ: That was a good one. Elyan got himself possessed.
KM: My favorite was “Lancelot du Lac.” I thought it was the most balanced that we had that series between all four characters and we all got something to do. I thought it was a lovely story and very complete, and it had a real sense of sort of, I guess magic and sort of a fairytale feeling to it.

And by “magic” we mean Santiago coming out of the lake naked or magic, magic?
KM: There is always, you know, seeing Santiago as he is in many women’s dreams.

[sighs] So true.
KM: I have to say, Santiago wasn’t the only one topless in that scene. The entire crew behind the camera decided pretty much to take their tops off, so it was just me wearing, you know? So it wasn’t just the lovely Santiago but it was like 55 members of the crew all standing in the lake topless.

In solidarity.
KM: In solidarity, let’s say that was the reason.

So what projects can we see you guys in after Merlin?
BJ: That’s a dangerous question to ask at the moment and it will burn up your interview time, but it’s a very boring answer.

Does that mean you can’t answer?
BJ: Pretty much, yes, but Christmas is coming up, so we’ve got that to look forward to.

Are you saying you’re going to come visit us all at Christmas?
KM: Well if that’s an invite…
BJ: Yeah, if an invite comes along, we’re there.

Alright, I’ll keep that in mind.
BJ: [laughs] That was not enthusiasm in your voice.

I’m Jewish, I don’t celebrate Christmas….
BJ: Oh, you’re Jewish!

….So I don’t have anything to invite you to.
BJ: Well, we all look forward to it, you can invite us for Hanukkah.

Yes, I’ll invite you to that, we can make latkes.
BJ: Fantastic, I look forward to it.

Well thank you guys so much, for everything, and good luck on your final episodes of Merlin.
BJ: Thank you!

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Best Wedding – Liz and Criss, 30 Rock
If I had to choose a favorite TV wedding, I should probably say that my favorite is Monica and Chandler’s, or Jim and Pam’s, or Marshall and Lily’s. But as I’ve mentioned before, my stance on weddings is, to put it lightly, highly atypical. And my wedding, should I ever have one, is going to resemble Liz and Criss’ on this week’s 30 Rock far more than anyone in my life probably feels comfortable with.

Look, I’m with Liz (shocker) — the wedding-industrial complex is nuts and I have no desire to have a big party where I have to be nice to people I never wanted to invite and look the most like I a beautiful princess I have ever looked in my life. Weddings, in my opinion, should ideally reflect the couple and the kind of life they want to share with each other. And maybe some people want to share a perfect fairytale life, but that sounds like a lot of pressure to me. Give me a small, personally significant, completely ridiculous and goofy wedding any day, because life is never going to be a perfect fairytale. But if you’re lucky, it will be a fun, silly gathering of close friends who love you, and of course, a few who don’t but are just there for the ride. And let’s be real, who wants to be Cinderella when you can be Princess Leia? No one I want to hang out with, that’s who.

Show Finally Coming Into Its Own - The Mindy Project
I have in my drafts folder the beginnings of an article on how The Mindy Project was both my most anticipated show of the season and also my biggest disappointment, because I could see all the potential it had but it just seemed so scattered and unable to reach it. I kept watching, though, because I like to give shows I see potential in what I call “The Parks and Recreation cushion”, i.e.: six or so episodes to try and find their voice, and The Mindy Project seems to have done that. They seem to have realized that what works best is not trying to occupy every character, but to have a Mindy plot and a B plot, and give Mindy Kaling time to do what Mindy Kaling does best: opine on vaguely girly matters in a down-to-earth, slightly ridiculous way.  For example, on the phone to her BFF: “Gwen, you’re so smart. I wish we were lesbians so we could get married. I mean, I wouldn’t want to have sex or anything. Maybe a little kissing.” Raise your hands if that’s a conversation you and your BFF have had. I’m guessing pretty much every hand just went up.

Most Disappointing Episode - Suburgatory, “Friendship Fish”
I was really in the mood for Suburgatory this week. It was one of those weeks where I was gleefully anticipating Wednesday and watching old episodes on Hulu. But sadly, this week’s Suburgatory fell victim to one of the classic episode ruiners: product placement. Usuually product placement is a throwaway line about a character’s great new car, but this week Tessa’s entire storyline was about her new Windows tablet, and it was terrible. Even George and Dallas’ fun and frankly adorable storyline about George losing his city edge couldn’t make up for a storyline that was so bad it involved a talking fish. I think that should be a new rule of television writing, actually: if your storyline involves a talking fish giving life advice, it’s probably a good idea to do a re-write.

Best Episode of the Week - New Girl, “Eggs”
Here is how you know this episode of New Girl was great; as I sat write this section I reached a dread writer’s block, which I dealt with in the normal way – going to the bathroom, cleaning my gerbils’ cage, and finally sitting there drumming my laptop and saying in my best Nick Miller voice, “I got nothing,” while the Winston voice in my head went, “it’s like you don’t want to write!”

No, Winston voice, sometimes I do not.

Therein lies the genius of this week’s New Girl, it’s relatability. Everyone has written a paper the way Nick wrote Z is for Zombie (which, incidentally, I would give a lot of money to read). Everyone has been Winston, trying to be responsible and settled while their friends are still running around and not respecting their adjusted schedule. Everyone’s been Schmidt and realized too late that they have feelings for someone they never wanted to have. And everyone’s been Jess and Cece, both wanting the future to happen and being terrified of the ticking clock we all try so hard to ignore. And on top of that relatability we got layered in what New Girl is best at: Jess and Cece’s amazing friendship, Schmidt balancing ridiculous with accidentally deep (that sound you heard during the monologue in the gynecologist’s office was the sound of Max Greenfield nominating himself for an Emmy), and tying it all together, the feeling that Jess and her boys in apartment 4D are the strange and wonderful sort of found family that everyone wants to one day find.

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