I realize that this post is a couple days late in terms of being considered “water cooler” material but since this cold I’ve been trying to shake all week decided to hit me hardest from about Wednesday morning on through the weekend, I’m going to put it up today anyway with hopes that you all have decent enough memories to recall some of the broader details about what I watched on Thursday evening.
Wow, congratulations to me for that 74-word opening sentence. Fehmeen will be so proud … as she edits it down to the twenty-five or so words normal people would take to convey the exact same thought.
But that’s neither here nor there.
Back to Thursday night television.
It all started around eight o’clock. We were actually tuned in to American Idol on Fox at the time when my dad, The Italian Man Servant, yelled to us from the family room that we needed to turn it to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Fuse. When we did, we were able to catch Tom Waits giving his acceptance speech as one of this year’s new inductees. While he performed on stage, Fehmeen told Emma that he is Daddy’s favorite singer in the world. Emma responded by grooving a little to “Rain Dogs” — the song he was playing — and then she told Fehmeen that Tom Waits really needs to cough and clear his throat.
Do I really need to say at this point that my wife’s smile got a little bit bigger with that comment!?!
Well, I do and it did.
Moving right along now.
Once the coronation of King Tom was over, we flipped it back to Idol. In previous seasons, A.I. results shows are serious snore-fests with little to no shock and surprise embedded between the opening credits and the final montage of that week’s losing contestant with the now-seriously bruised ego and crushed self-confidence.
But this week was different.
Replacing the typical over-hyped, flash in the pan, appealing only to teenaged youths with at least three hundred Facebook friends and the latest smartphone, the producers actually booked a band with some serious live vocal chops: Sugarland. With the exception of the singer’s absolutely hideous outfit, the group hit all the right notes. And nobody was more pleased with their performance than Fehmeen: Sugarland is a current favorite.
And when you throw in Stevie Wonder playing piano during the opening number which was topped by the surprise appearance by Hulk Hogan, who not only ripped his shirt but then punched Ryan Seacrest, and you have a show worth watching until the end.
And what an ending! I did not see Casey receiving the fewest votes. He is one of the most talented ones up there. The judges had to save him. It also was pure genius to stop him from finishing his song. If I was able to talk, that whole final scene would have rendered me speechless. It goes without saying that I cannot wait for this week’s episode.
Which brings us to The Office. This show is still on our DVR-record list but I feel like I’m watching the show out of obligation as opposed to watching it expecting to be dazzled week after week. It just doesn’t have the same energy that it used to have. I think I continue to follow it for fear I might miss something spectacular if I bailed on it.
Which brings us to this week’s show where Michael proposed to Holly. The setup couldn’t have been any more sweet and romantic as the happy couple strolled around the building reminiscing their relationship highlights. When they opened the door to reveal everyone holding candles as Holly ran the gauntlet of proposals until Michael actually got on his knee in her own extremely candle-lit office, I was transported back in time when the show blew me away. And then the overhead sprinklers went off during his actual will-you-marry-me’s, it was as if they made great just that much greater.
At that point I was more than content to just go gentle in that goodnight when Michael being Michael killed the good mood by blurting out that they were moving away from Scranton, PA.
That was when I knew that perfect just got perfecter.
The Adventures of ALS Boy 
I agree, AI was drama—tic! And super cool that they stopped Casey from singing… no need for the supremely talented guy to “sing his heart out” – the dramatics after saving him were crazy!
But two go home this week, let’s hope America gets it RIGHT this time and keeps Casey around for a long while.
I agree with you completely about “The Office.” I think it had been losing some of its prior belly-laughingness and clever reparte. I think it redeemed itself with this episode-the whole candle, fire sprinkler sequence was priceless!