Necrotongue

The final installment of a trilogy about the life, adventures, and sexual exploits of Lieutenant Frank Drebin may not have been the best of the three, but still easily worth four stars. Again, I felt that some of the jokes were past their zenith and sounded a bit cringeworthy, but most of them still worked for me. I never really expected a profound (or even artistic) experience of this type of comedy, and thankfully the creators didn't even pretend to aim at anything like that, so I got exactly what I expected even the third time around. An unpretentious yet entertaining film, which makes me just relax and enjoy myself, with a goofy grin on my face the whole time. / "Why don't you want a child?" "Didn't I try to adopt that 18-year-old Korean girl?" / Lesson learned: Being in a relationship isn’t without obstacles. Your partner may be quite difficult to please.

And now, back to the regular dose of despair. Despite some decent laughs from zombie movie references, the third episode didn't deliver many humorous moments for me. I find the Marshall/Daphne duo's storyline entirely unnecessary (is it all about political correctness?), and Ted's expression of tragic romance just makes me want to inflict harm. The little monster's speech was the final nail in the coffin for everything. / Lesson learned: Zombies live by the motto "Haste makes waste," and it pays off for them.

Yet again, the creators failed to serve up the humor I was craving. Instead, they decided to switch to a more serious tone, leaving me puzzled about what brought that on. I mean, it's supposed to be a sitcom, right? I distinctly recall that being the case in the beginning. But now, it feels like drama is increasingly creeping its way in. / Lesson learned: We could all use our own personal Linus from time to time.

The kickoff of the ninth season wasn't the worst but the humor could've been bolder, and certain things are starting to grate on me quite a bit... I'm looking at you, Ted. Ted's ongoing personal tragedy has been irking me for several seasons now. / Lesson learned: Sweets are good for the nerves.

I'm dreading Season 9, because Season 8 was the weakest one so far. Sure, it had its bright moments, but they were few and far between, while an increasing number of episodes warranted a boo! rating. I suppose the writers' helplessness stemmed from a lack of invention. They may have been going through a burnout after seven seasons. But who knows? / Lesson learned: Don't recycle old ideas, you’ll never get away with it.

There was a noticeable step up from the last episode, but not quite enough to warrant a higher rating from me. The episode still fell short on humor. It's a shame as the creators actually came up with something that was relevant for the main storyline, not a frequent occurrence here. Barney and Robin kept me entertained. I wish it happened more often. / Lesson learned: Don't just turn the other cheek.

Watching the film through today's lens (I didn't need glasses back when I saw it first), I realized that some of the jokes had become a bit stale or cringeworthy. But most of the humor still worked for me, and I didn't have to force myself to laugh. I was glad to see members of the police department back in full force not just to kick the ass of garden-variety criminals, but also to face the leaders of the SMOKE, SPILL, and BLAST industries. But let's be honest, this film was never about fighting crime, saving the planet, or justice. These were all just trivial things that got in the way of the greatest romantic on the North American continent on his quest for love. Like the previous film, the second part of the trilogy doesn’t make you think too hard. A significant portion of my brain cells got some time off while I enjoyed an undemanding but entertaining watch. If that’s what the makers of this comedy were going for, it sure was a success. / Lesson learned: Stop by "The Blue Note" sometime, the atmosphere is one of a kind.

Ray Wise can't salvage this one because I can't endure another round of Laser Tag for the hundred and sixth time. Digging in the park and the bizarre interaction between Ted and the Italians didn't do much to entertain me either. / Lesson learned: When you bury something, resist the urge to dig it back up. Ten out of ten gravediggers agree.

So this was definitely an atypical episode. From my point of view, the twenty-second episode was the funniest of this season. I can't wrap my head around how the creators managed to include both the worst and the best of this series in three consecutive episodes. Anyway, I haven't laughed this much in a long time, and if there wasn't so much recycling, I would rate it even higher because Karate Kid were both great. / Lesson learned: Pre-wedding rituals can seriously jeopardize both health and relationships. 3*+

The episode was quite fun, thanks in part to the nods to Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Don Marshallin. It left me wishing for more of that humor; the creators could have earned an extra star. Well, in the eighth season, I've learned to appreciate even the little things because I know it could get a lot worse. / Lesson learned: Let's go to Italy to have some onion rings.