Still in a sugar coma from all the Valentine chocolate? Here's what you missed on TV this week.
Now That's a Trainwreck!
I hope all the online haters who made fun of Lana Del Rey's Saturday Night Live performance last month were properly abashed when they saw Karmin perform on the SNL stage. Complete with horrible attempts at rapping, ridiculous outfits and makeup and an overall stage presence that even the kids from Glee would find off-putting and fake, the duo was a complete disaster.
Self-Deprecation Goes a Long Way
On the other hand, host Zooey Deschanel was incredibly charming throughout, but her best moment came in the gently self-parodying sketch "Bein' Quirky With Zooey Deschanel." With cast member Abby Elliott doing a note-perfect impersonation of Deschanel's twee indie-girl persona, Zooey herself played Mary-Kate Olsen as a spacy waif clinging to a Starbucks cup like a life preserver. Special props to Kristen Wiig's Bjork and Taran Killam's Michael Cera as well.
Speaking of Trainwrecks
It was a surprisingly solid Grammies this year. Adele of course outshined everyone, both in her wonderfully self-effacing acceptance speeches and in her excellent performance of "Rollin' in the Deep." But man, that Nicki Minaj performance. An overwrought take on an underwritten song, complete with calculated-to-offend stagecraft, it looked like she was trying way too hard to take the "Look how weird I am!" crown from Lady Gaga.
Welcome Back, Jules and the Gang!
Our big Valentine's Day gift this year was the long-awaited return of Cougar Town, which has been off the air since the spring of 2011. Big moves were afoot during the episode itself, in which Grayson (Josh Hopkins) popped the question to Jules (Courteney Cox) and she said yes. (Squee!) But the funniest moment came during the credits, which included the message "Yeah, it's still called Cougar Town. We're not happy about it either." Well, maybe next time don't call your show something stupid, okay?
Fireworks Always Help
Although I really don't care about cars, I've always really enjoyed the original British version of Top Gear, because hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May are just having such a good time. The American remake just hasn't got the same charm, although the second-season premiere, in which co-host Rutledge Wood accidentally sets fire to a New Jersey cornfield with an 18-wheeler filled with exploding fireworks, goes a long way toward remedying that.
