TV Review: What I Watched Last Night: 04/02/12

Really short reviews here, as I have very little time and absolutely tons to do!

Happy Endings - "Full Court Dress" (S02 E08) ABC (US) 23rd November 2011 
Continuing to be great. All three plots worked well, especially Max and Penny's babysitting exploits. Another great example of an ensemble working in sync.
****

Spartacus: Vengeance - "Fugitivus" (S02 E01) Starz (US) 27th January 2012 
The tragic loss of Andy Whitfield could have been the death knell for this show, but Liam McIntyre has stepped in and done fairly well, playing the character in his own way. With the slaves free and running amok, this debut felt a little unfocused, but the feel of the first season is still there.
*** 1/2

The Big Bang Theory - "The Friendship Contraction" (S05 E15) CBS (US) 2nd February 2012 
The show goes back to the core with Leonard and Sheldon at the forefront. The dynamic works really well, and the jokes - especially from Sheldon - are really good. The B-Plot is a bit sloppy, but does have a good payoff. Pretty good.
*** 1/2

30 Rock - "Today You Are a Man" (S06 E05) NBC (US) 2nd February 2012
Liz learns to negotiate with Jack by watching tapes of Jack giving a negotiation seminar. That's all you really need to know about this episode. Elsewhere, Kristen Schaal pops up as a new Page while Kenneth looks for a new vocation, and Tracy and Jenna attempt to grow as people. 30 Rock really does continue to deliver.
****

Archer - "The Limited" (S03 E06) FX (US) 2nd February 2012
Archer finally gets to fulfil his life's ambition by chasing a guy on top of a train. Yup, this episode sees the ISIS gang transport a Canadian terrorist back over the border. The expected chaos ensues, with grenades, guns and an ocelot. Archer is consistently proving to be one of the best things on television.
**** 1/2

Up All Night - "Preschool Auction" (S01 E14) NBC (US) 2nd February 2012
Chris' brother comes to town, and their competitiveness prevents them from telling each other the whole truth.  Meanwhile, Reagan tries her best to get Amy into a prestigious pre-school and enlists Ava to help out. It's another lovely little episode, with some very funny moments. Nice to see Up All Night snap out of the stagnation it had been in.
****

The Office - "Jury Duty" (S08 E13) NBC (US) 2nd February 2012 
I can't help thinking that The Office got the dynamic of this episode all wrong. For some reason, the main focus was put on Jim skipping work to spend time with his kids. While this would have been a perfectly acceptable B-Plot, the actual B-Plot should have been the focus. It becoming apparent that Dwight is the father of Angela's baby and not her (possibly gay) husband is a thread that should shape the rest of the season. Could do better once again.
***

Whitney - "Mind Games" (S01 E14) NBC (US) 1st February 2012
I was stunned and delighted when John Cleese showed up as a couple's therapist in this episode, because I had no idea he was going to be in it. His cameo was much funnier than Chelsea Handler's similar role earlier in the season, but Whitney's plot fell flat again, which unusually meant that Alex also fell flat. However, the weird relationship between Mark and Roxanne went into another gear. Once again, funny in places, frustrating in others.
***