The Blogulator Presents: Episode of the Month, July, 2012

It's been a busy last couple of months for the Blogulator crew, what with all the TV to watch! (And a few real life things, so back off.) They've squeezed in a few favorite episodes for the month of July (wait, how is it mid-August already? What is happening with time? Where am I?) and below are some of the crew's favorite episodes of TV that aired at the year's slightly-after-midpoint. And because we were all too Minnesota Nice to each other, none of us picked any episodes of Breaking Bad to write about.

Bunheads "Movie Truck" (ABC Family)

We missed doing an Episode of the Month post for June, but if we did, it would have been "For Fanny," the second episode of Gilmore Girls creator Amy Sherman-Palladino's new show, hands down. It took an infuriating twist from the pilot and did something extraordinary with it, imbuing a comic dialogue-driven drama with more genuine emotional heft than it really had any right to being a show on ABC Family. But we missed June, so I'll settle for "Movie Truck," which was more classic quirky Sherman-Palladino, but did something very important that the show has taken its sweet time doing: making me care about the teenagers. Michelle and her mother-in-law Fanny have been a pretty ideal odd couple pairing and anchor for the show, but they've been trying to shoehorn in stories of Fanny's dance students since the pilot with little success. This time, however, with a simple sneaking-out-of-the-house-after-dark scenario, we get to know Boo, Sasha, and the other two (okay, so some work is still needed) in ways that actually have made me want to see Michelle actually teach them and get excited for future episodes. [Chris]

Louie, "Daddy's Girlfriend Pt. 2" (FX)

Every episode of Louie's third season to date has been fantastic in its own way. Scenes like the season premiere's surprise parked-car-smashing scene, or the second episode's Gorilla joke, third episode's bar conversation between C.K. and his vacation bromance buddy, or "Daddy's Girlfriend Pt. 1" and its extensive use of Louie's "looking at pretty girls" music are among the highlights of the season thus far. But "Daddy's Girlfriend Pt. 2" has been the season's best to date. Parker Posey turns the Manic Pixie Dream Girl meme on its head by delivering as Emmy-worthy of a guest performance as one can possibly deliver. She's alternately terrifying, hilarious, tragic and life-affirming all in one episode. Woody Allen film editor vet Susan Morse has been this season's primary editor and has improved the general "independent film" feel of the show this season, but this was the most Allen-esque episode of all, what with C.K. and Posey walking around New York together in an Annie Hall-twisted-inside-out kind of way. And it ends with a moment of grace, with Posey sitting on the ledge of the building and affirming her love of life, and ending with a beautiful shot of Manhattan at night. I'm a sucker for those things, so naturally, I'm a sucker for this episode. [Qualler]

Bunheads, "What's Your Damage, Heather?" (ABC Family)

First off, use a quote from Heathers as your episode title and you're almost guaranteed to get some love from me. Secondly, this is the second episode in a row with almost no Kelly Bishop (last episode she had a quick on the phone cameo and this episode Sutton Foster had an imaginary argument with the Kelly Bishop in her head). And while I absolutely love Bishop, her absence really allows the rest of the cast to shine. Foster truly comes into her own in this episode, trying to not lose her mind teaching all the dance classes, being a surrogate mom (against her will) to the spoiled, yet troubled Sasha, then getting heat from the parent of one of her students. She also hired the one-eyed plumber that the whole town knows you never hire to do plumbing (they just use him to "keep an eye on things"). All in all, another hilarious episode that manages to tug on the heartstrings so sneakily, I found myself laughing just as I was tearing up. If this show goes away, I'm going to be so heartbroken. [Sarc]

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