What was wrong with the Emmy Awards? Almost everything.

I think it might be time to give the other networks a shot at award shows. So far this year, CBS tanked the Grammy Awards and then this year's Tony's weren't much to speak of, either. Tonight, CBS failed us at the Emmys, too.

CBS has a problem. The network doesn't know how not to promote their own shows. That's just not classy. Did you notice opening that the disasterous pre-taped open included long clips of CBS shows and only subliminal mentions of shows from other networks?

The totally shameless plugs of new CBS shows by their "stars." Will Arnett, Allison Janney, etc. made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. Didn't those actors feel strange and cheap? I was embarrassed for them.

The How I Met Your Mother "PSA" was not only a shameless plug for the show, it actually wasn't even all that accurate. Neil Patrick Harris seemed not to care too much about the Emmys. Remember his finale at the 2011 Tony's? The man used to have passion! There were other things, too. Like the totally unnecessary plug for Under the Dome. And let me say, I don't think that the jokes make up for the self-promotion, despite how funny Ryan Seacrest dig was.

Seriously, CBS. Stop promoting your shows within the Emmy Awards. This was a night for all of TV, not just for you. Besides, that's what the commercial breaks are for.

Add to that the totally bizarre and out-of-place musical performances by Elton John and Carrie Underwood, and what we had was a disaster. When Neil Patrick Harris finally got to his song and dance, it was too little too late. There is no doubt that the choreography number should have opened the entire show. Maybe then the night would have actually had some energy or life to it.

The folks out there on Twitter spent a lot of time complaining about the actors and shows who were robbed of various awards. Frankly, I think who won and lost was overshadowed by just how bad the broadcast of the awards was.

Next time, let's just have Amy Poehler and Tina Fey host the whole thing:

Source: eonline.com

And let's have it on NBC or ABC instead. 

Community: "Advanced Introduction to Finality" Review

All throughout the fourth season, I've been conflicted about Community. It's a show that began slowly, gained momentum in season two, and sailed through its third season with conviction and purpose. After creator Dan Harmon left, fans were a little concerned about where season four would take the Greendale study group. And now, after watching the season finale, I can definitively answer: I don't know. I have no idea where the study group stands (sits?).

This season has been strange because, while on the surface it seemed so authentically Community, something was off. Some fans might want to blame it on Harmon's departure. I'm not sure that's it. It might just be that Community hit its sophomore slump in its senior year. The finale, "Advanced Introduction to Finality," should have felt right. After all, it had paintball. But it also had too much of two things: commentary and sentimentality.

Lines from the episode will help me explain:

Abed: "You could go back and pretend that you're the same guy you were four years ago, but you're not. You're stronger. You're better. You have friends! No, screw that, you have a family."  

 Jeff: "Wait, if this is all in my mind, then I don't really need to fight him."

Abed: "Don't logic this one away from me. We finally figured out a way to make paintball cool again."

This episode was essentially a dream sequence of Jeff's inner conflict, so the whole story was a commentary. But what made it even worse were the moments like the one above, where the writers felt the need to spell it out for us. Good TV shows show us, not tell us, a character's growth and motivation. And the best TV shows never have to tell us that they're cool.

Jeff: "As long as you guys are with me, I have everything I need to graduate."

Really? This is not Jeff. Yes, Jeff gives the big, end-of-episode speeches, but not speeches like this. Character development (if that's indeed what we're supposed to be seeing in Jeff this season) is great, but this is character betrayal. Who is this guy? Where's the sardonic, cynical Jeff we all used to love to hate and hated that we loved? Even a Jeff who'd grown up wouldn't (essentially) just quote Britta in his closing monologue.

Sentimental Jeff.
Source: facebook.com/nbccommunity

Season four just didn't ever quite get it right. It discarded its one good plot setup (Changnesia) in favor of a poor rehash of season three's "darkest timeline." Well, Community has been renewed for a fifth season. I might watch it. I might not. I'm still conflicted.