Blech. That pretty much sums up the entire episode. In my honest opinion, it’s the worst of the season, so far. None of the storylines are compelling and less than halfway through you will start to question why you are supposed to care about what’s going on. Dean Pelton wants to recruit Troy for the school’s football team, but Annie keeps him to his studies. That is, until the dean begins to blackmail Jeff by plastering his face all of the community college’s posters. Also, Britta is shunned by Shirley as a “bathroom buddy” because she’s too cold, so Britta asks to be trained to become one of the girls. And in the only semi-funny storyline, Pierce is helping design the Greendale Human Beings’ school mascot, but is trying not to be racist. And it’s all just… Terrible…

I’m not sure I laughed at all during the entire time I watched the show this week. There was a bevy of bad jokes, like the trophy case gag. I might have chuckled when Pierce was working on the new mascot design but definitely not for long. I’m almost positive I’ll be giving up on this show by the end of the season, that is, if it doesn’t get cancelled first.

Grade: D

The Office – “The Lover”

This week, Michael reveals to Jim that his new lover just so happens to be Pam’s mom. This information, of course, is eventually spread throughout the office. Once Pam finds out, all hell breaks loose. It’s simply amazing watching the individual reactions to the news of Michael’s new liaison.

When Michael first tells Jim the big news, he has trouble believing him. After Jim asks what kind of car Pam’s mom drives, Michael answers correctly and the look of horror on Jim’s face could not be more hilarious. Jim begs Michael to keep this a secret and end the relationship, but Michael thinks that Pam would just want him to be happy. Once the news gets out, Pam absolutely freaks and the feuding begins. Meanwhile, Dwight is back to his old antics, as he plants a bugged wooden mallard in Jim’s office. Jim quickly finds out after he hears it buzzing and uses it against Dwight to mess with his mind.

All in all, this was a very unusual, albeit hilarious episode of The Office. I say unusual because it’s not often that we get to see Pam completely furious; furious enough to say sh**. By the end of the episode, she cools down some, but you can’t help but feel sorry for her. What would you do if Michael Scott was dating your mom?

Grade: B+

30 Rock – “Into the Crevasse”

Liz Lemon’s new book, which points out a multitude of “deakbreakers” for women and their prospective boyfriends, finally catches up to her, when all the men she works with start raising Cain. The writers are pissed, Pete is pissed, and eventually, Tracy’s wife, Angie, gets a hold of the book and starts to rethink their relationship. Only adding to her troubles was Jenna’s childlike attitude towards the idea of a new cast member. To get back at Liz, Jenna is filming a shoddy vampire movie in Iceland. In addition, Jack takes a bus to Washington D.C. to meet a government taskforce, which is supposed to distribute bailout money, lead by none other than Jack’s rival, Devon Banks, played gloriously by Will Arnett. Jack Donaghy, being the devout Republican that he is, refuses to take bailout from Obama, so he has to reinvigorate the microwave market or face the bankruptcy of his division.

In every storyline there are plenty of and various type of hilarious moments. My personal favorite is when Tracy confronts Liz about her book, yelling, “Liz Lemon, you booger-face! I’m gonna kill you with a bazooka!” Jack’s dispute with Banks is also filled with its fair share of humor, whether it’s Banks’ pointing out of Donaghy’s frivolous spending or Banks’ exclamation of, “You don’t tell me what kind of pizza to like!” And I dare you not to laugh when Tracy becomes Liz’s roommate; he answers the phone “Tracy and Liz’s! Tracy speaking,” and he brings along his pet reef shark in a garbage bag.

It’s always great to see all of the actors clicking, especially when there’s a guest. Arnett continues to do a great job in his portrayal of Devon Banks. I really can’t say anything bad about this episode. Every joke was right on the money and there were hardly any slow or dull moments.

Grade: A+

This was probably the best episode of Community so far, and although that’s not saying much, I thoroughly enjoyed some parts of the episode. There are three separate storylines in “Advanced Criminal Law,” the main one following Britta’s hearing after she admits to making a crib sheet for a test in Señor Chang’s class. We also follow Troy and Abed as they try to mess with each other, as well as Annie who selects Pierce to write a song for Greendale Community College.

All three storylines peter out in the latter half of the show, but there are plenty of laughs to be had at the beginning. Once again, Ken Jeong does a wonderful representation of the insane Señor Chang as he threatens to fail the whole class if the cheater does not come forward. There’s also Troy telling Abed the secret that he’s President Obama’s nephew. But the funniest moment had to be when Pierce revealed that his jingle for Hawthorne Wipes was actually a rip-off of the song “She’ll Be Comin’ Around the Mountain.”

I was pleasantly surprised by this episode of Community. It definitely proves that the show is capable of being a primetime contender. However, the majority of the episodes, so far, have been flops, so they really need to improve their writing soon.

Grade: B

The Office – “Mafia”

Jim and Pam are off on their honeymoon, but their departure, thankfully, doesn’t detract from the humor of this week’s episode (though that’s not to say they aren’t missed). Patiently waiting for Michael as he arrives at the office is Mr. Grotti, you’re everyday insurance salesman, who just happens to be Italian. After listening to his pitch, Michael simply declines the offer, that is, until Dwight and Andy convince him that Grotti is somehow connected to the mafia. Hilarity ensues.

Oscar is the only sensible person in the office this week, as the only two people who would support him are honeymooning in Puerto Rico. Not wanting to become a victim of the mob, Michael offers to have lunch with Grotti, but he brings Dwight and Andy, who is hilariously disguised as a mechanic, named Pat, along with him. Whether it was Andy being mistaken for a real mechanic, then telling a mother and her son that her car was totaled because of a “leaky spark tube,” or Kevin accidentally canceling Jim’s credit card back at the office, it seemed like I was always laughing.

Eventually, Michael caves and decides to buy the insurance, which he cannot afford, but the episode has a great, albeit really uncomfortable resolution. I don’t mean “uncomfortable” as an insult; it’s just something that The Office is so good at, where you actually feel embarrassed because of the characters. I’m glad to see that The Office is still in full-swing.

Grade: A

30 Rock – “Season 4”

30 Rock is finally back, and it’s still as funny as it’s always been. Jack Donaghy already has a full plate, and it’s only one episode into the season. Trying to appeal to middle America, Jack has secretly assigned Liz to hire a new cast member, and he also suggests to Tracy and Jenna that they should try to interact with average Americans. Meanwhile, Kenneth and the rest of the pages go on strike, after he realizes that there’s no money for the page’s overtime because Jack took a huge bonus check.

Liz immediately drags Pete into her situation, and their suspicious sneaking around makes for some great moments, including telling all the writers that they’re sleeping together to hide the news of new cast member from the actors. Furthermore, Jenna attempts to connect with the common people by “going country,” while Tracy roams the streets of New York, eventually revealing his friends: “Nobody, and his wife, Susan Walters-Nobody.” And to make the episode even better, Kenneth quotes the infamous “Hill People,” from where he used to live in Georgia, in short clip that is sure to make all DVR/TiVo users rewind and playback numerous times.

I think you’d be hard-pressed to find an episode of 30 Rock that isn’t great. Now that I’ve witnessed yet another great season opener, I still don’t think we’ll see one for a while. As the writer of the season opener, Tina Fey did a fantastic job of evenly balancing the humor among the show’s varied, extreme characters. “Season 4” was a perfect way (and a very fitting name) to start 30 Rock’s fourth season.

Grade: A

So far, Community has not been able to reach my expectations, which were admittedly a tad high before the show began. “Social Psychology” was just another pretty good episode; not bad, but not fantastic.

After Britta starts going out with a stoner hippie named Vaughn, Jeff starts to get jealous and finally starts to click with Shirley, a person he can gossip with. This thread of the story is fairly dull, and the episode relies on Annie and Professor Duncan’s psychology experiment that Troy and Abed are subjects in. Abed really steals the show as he unknowingly destroys the entire experiment. Pierce and Señor Chang also manage to rake in a few laughs in the background.

By the end of the show, the separate storylines converge smoothly, with great contributions from all of the cast members. Community has yet to fully grab my attention, but I think it’s on the right track.

Grade: B-

The Office – “Niagara”

It’s the television event that everyone and their dog have been anticipating for years: Jim and Pam’s wedding. This one hour extravaganza is a masterpiece, to say the least. This episode delivers on every front for fans of The Office. For those of you who have watched since the beginning, it’s amazing to see how the show, and especially Jim and Pam’s relationship, has evolved.

“Niagara” has the absolute perfect mix of comedy and romance. It’s like watching a romantic comedy that actually hits both levels. One minute they are melting your heart and the next, you are busting a gut because you’re laughing so hard. There was never a low-point in the episode; it always has you right by the horns.

From Michael falling asleep while driving, to everyone trying to hide Pam’s pregnancy from her old-fashioned grandmother, to Andy tearing his scrotum in an attempt to impress Erin with his dance moves, to Jim’s brothers copying a viral YouTube video for the wedding entrance (which the lovely Joe Haygood posted in the Aeropause Forums), this episode has it all. It was perfect, plain and simple, and it should go down in sitcom history.

Grade: A+

This episode really shows off Chevy Chase’s character, Pierce Hawthorne and Ken Jeong’s character Señor Chang, but most of the other supporting roles feel bland and unoriginal. I do enjoy Danny Pudi’s portrayal of Abed, but Shirley, Annie, and Troy’s roles need to be explored and established soon.

In “Spanish 101” the gang faces their first class project after a ridiculously over-the-top, albeit perfectly executed, monologue from Ken Jeong, explaining why he, Señor Chang, teaches Spanish. Jeff tries to beat the system and be paired up with Britta, but is stuck with Pierce.

Jeff is forced to work for hours on a project that should take five minutes because Pierce wants to string it out and create an elaborate presentation. Meanwhile, there is a side plot that involves the females of the group starting a bunch of protests to get the “college experience,” but it is so mind-numbingly boring that I don’t feel like wasting your time talking about it.

After hours of pointless work, their project did not progress, so Jeff finally laid down the law and ended his session with Pierce. While he attempts to woo Britta, pretending to have an interest in her silent protest, an inebriated Pierce creates a scene by yelling at Jeff.

In class the next day, Jeff reveals to the other members of the group how insane Pierce was acting and why he could not stand to work with him. Everyone is in agreement until Britta shares that Pierce offered her $100 to switch groups with her just so he could be paired up with Jeff, creating a moment where even the viewer feels sympathetic towards Pierce.

Feeling guilty for insulting Pierce, Jeff decides to present alongside Pierce, no matter how ridiculous their project turned out to be. The next minute or so is a hilarious slow-motion montage of the various acts of their presentation. This happens to be the funniest moment in the episode, but it doesn’t last for very long.

In conclusion, Community has still yet to fully grab my attention, and “Spanish 101,” didn’t really make any progress. Overall, there were only about one or two moments that literally made me laugh out loud. I really hope this show starts to pick up soon; otherwise, it might not be picked up for a second season. I am giving “Spanish 101” 2.5 out of 5.

You can definitely tell that Jeff is a lawyer as he starts lying right away. To spend time with Britta, a hot blond played by Gillian Jacobs, Jeff tells her he’s a board certified Spanish tutor and that she should join his study group. Soon, his plan for some alone time with Britta goes awry, as more and more Spanish students are invited to the group. It is in this group that Jeff finally realizes his old lying and cheating ways won’t help him in his new community. This eclectic mix of community college students is where the show really shines.

Comedic genius Chevy Chase plays Pierce Hawthorne, a hilarious old-timer, “and yes that is Hawthorne as in Hawthorne Wipes, the award-winning moist towelettes;” Abed, a fast-talking movie buff of Middle Eastern descent, is played by Danny Pudi; Donald Glover, of Derrick Comedy, takes on the role of Troy, a lazy jock/prom-king; and the diversity of roles goes on and on. The assortment of veteran, experienced, and rookie talent seems extraordinarily beneficial to the show at this point.

The episode starts off slow, which is normal for a pilot, and it felt like they were trying too hard to point out everyone’s role. The jokes at the beginning are hit and miss, but they improve as the episode goes on. You have to give the writers credit for being able to introduce a pretty hefty cast, as well as incorporate many funny moments. Like I said before, the group scenes produce multiple laugh out loud moments. My only fear is that the scenes outside of the study group sessions or class time will disappoint.

All skepticism aside, I truly believe that Community has tremendous potential. Pilot episodes are not usually outstanding, but this showed what we can expect in the episodes to come, and it has left me anticipating more. I would definitely recommend that any comedy lovers follow this season. I give the pilot episode of Community a 3.5 out of 5.