Monthly Archives: September 2012

Fangirly Crush of the Week: Sebastian Stan!

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In honor of the upcoming season premiere of ABC’s Once Upon a Time I’m naming Sebastian Stan as our Crush of the Week. Stan’s role as the Mad Hatter pretty much embodies all the qualities I look for in a man. Borderline psychotic: check. Wears dope hats: check. Holds a grudge like a vengeful Japanese ghost: double check. While the Hatter’s character was, at best, pretty peripheral last season  I’m hopeful that we’ll get to see more of him in season two. Here’s some clips to tide you over till then. If you like what you see (and believe me, you will) check out the season premiere of Once Upon a Time, Sunday Sept. 30, 8 p.m. on ABC!

-Whitney

Get with the Program: Bob’s Burgers

Posted in Get with the Program, Sweet Streams, TV by

Airs: Sundays at 8:30/7:30c starting September 30th on FOX (Also available on Netflix Instant)

TV show equation:  Bob’s Burgers   =   same slighty off-kilter with a smattering sweet  comedy as Parks and Recreation   +   obvious connection to The Simpsons  in that it is also an animated show about a family of 5   x   voice talent and music stylings of Flight of the Conchords   –   New Zealand   x   Coney Island-esque setting

Premise in a Sentence:  A struggling burger restauranteur finds it difficult to manage his employees, who happen to also be his children.

Oh Bob’s Burgers,  how can I say in a mere blog post what it’s taken me two seasons to understand?  You’ve got it, mister.  I’m yours, all of me.

I had to borrow that line from a family classic because I’m having a hard time figuring out how to appropriately gush and educate at the same time.  So, what I think I am going to do is run through the Belcher clan:

1.  Bob – One of Bob’s most refreshing elements is that instead of having a crazy, bumbling dad amidst a more straight family, Bob gets to play the straight man in this brood punctuated by H. Jon Benjamin’s dry delivery.  (Don’t ask me why, but I find his voice really sexy.  Don’t look at me like that!)  Sure, he has his moments of crazy, but his best moments come when he has no choice but to laugh at how ridiculous his kids can be.

2. Linda – I can’t rave about John Roberts’ performance here enough.  With Linda, he and the writers have created this perfect mom character that is equal parts fun-loving, kooky, nagging, and invested in her family.  I swear to you, the way her/his lines are delivered will have you quoting them non-stop.  At least that’s what I have been doing.

3. Tina – Probably my favorite character.  Why?  Hmm, maybe because she writes erotic friend fiction.  Or maybe because she is mainly concerned with the location of her crush, Jimmy Jr.’s butt.  Or maybe because her budding sexuality is getting all mixed up with her nightmares, causing her to fantasize about slow dancing zombies.  You be the judge.

4. Gene – He finds music everywhere he goes, whether it be in the walls of an abandoned taffy factory, in his own farts, or in the noises his grandparents make while getting intimate in the room next door.  Also, being the middle child he is typically trying to get attention in the worst ways at the worst times.

5. Louise – Don’t let the pink bunny ears fool you, Louise is an evil genius.  Whether she is convincing an entire town that their burgers are made of human flesh, coaching Tina in kissing by making her tie a banana peel with her tongue (“A kiss is like a fight with mouths”), or trying to get out of PE by lying about doing synchronized swimming.

Please, just trust me when I tell you that if you laugh even once during the video below, then you should be watching this show.  And if you don’t then there is something wrong with you.  Alright!

– Ellen

 

Get with the Program: Suburgatory

Posted in Get with the Program, TV by

Airs: Tuesdays at 9:30/8:30c starting October 17th on ABC

TV show equation:  Suburgatory =   Clarissa Explains It All-esque female protaganist   +   Clueless reunions   x   Desperate Housewives setting (very possibly the same exact set)   –   all the sexy times

Premise in a Sentence: Snarky NY teen is ripped from the big city by her dad to live in the suburbs.

Let’s get this out of the way right now.  I’m not going to sit here at my laptop and tell you that Suburgatory needs to be your new favorite show.  It’s not going to happen.  My relationship with this during it’s first season was as follows: I watched the pilot, enjoyed it, set a season pass on Tivo, watched a few episodes on days spent absently scrolling through my list of recorded shows, enjoyed those episodes, then proceeded to forget how much I enjoyed said episodes.  It has only been during these summer months of reruns that Suburgatory and formed a relationship that is past that awkward “acquaintances” phase.

I could go on about how you should watch this show for the sweet father-daughter relationship between Jane Levy’s Tessa and Jeremy Sisto’s George, or for the well-fleshed out character of Tessa, or for the emerging love triangles and sexual tension, or for the entertaining commentary on our present image-obsessed society.  But really, I watch for the awesome cast.  This show is really firing on cylinders.

You’ve got Chris Parnell (Yo, what up, Parns?!) and Ana Gasteyer as the cookie-cutter neighbors who aren’t very cookie-cutter because they are Chris Parnell and Ana Gasteyer, the aforementioned Jeremy Sisto or he of Elton fame (don’t you know who his father is?),  the leaf on the wind Alan Tudyk (RIP Wash) as George’s bottle-bronzed friend who convinced him to move to the suburbs, and the always funny and endearing Cheryl Hines as the newly divorced Dallas, who may have a little thing for George.  On top of that, all of the new blood is great, too.

Basically, for me Suburgatory is like a mug of hot chocolate.  Do I need that hot chocolate to survive?  No, but it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, it’s enjoyable, and it’s made even better by the all the marshmallows floating around in there.  The cast members are the marshmallows in this scenario.  So, it’s not a perfect metaphor, but you get the point.

What do you think?  Are you going check it out?  Do you already love it?  Let us know!

– Ellen

Fangirly Exposed: “Back at One”

Posted in Fangirly Exposed!, Music by

I may or may not have a Pandora playlist titled “Guilty Pleasures” that  may or may not be based on such artists as Mariah Carey, Spice Girls, Ace of Base, Britney Spears, and N*Sync that I may or may not listen to with alarming regularity (did you follow all that ambiguity).

While listening to this playlist at work today, I was treated to the lyrical poetry of Brian Mcknight’s “Back at One”.  I’m not sure how or when, but at some point I learned all of the words to this song.  I don’t even remember liking it that much.  Apparently, this song has some strong claws in my brain

In my defense, Mr. Mcknight makes it easy to learn the words to this song by literally laying them out in a step-by-step process.  “One, you’re like a dream come true.  Two, just want to be with you…”

Is this a blast to the past for you, too?

-Ellen

Get with the Program: Parenthood

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Do you remember where you were when you learned Gilmore Girls hadn’t been picked up for an eighth season? I sure do. I was washing my hands in the girls’ bathroom at my high school, when I overheard two other girls talking about the cancellation as if it wasn’t the end of civilization as we knew it. Can you imagine getting that kind of news second hand? I mean, the least the CW could do would be to send me a handwritten condolence letter! But I digress. My point is, I really thought that my seven year long love affair with Lauren Graham was finally coming to an end. Even after I heard that she had been cast in a new NBC show, I was sure it could never be as hilarious and sweet and smart as my beloved GG. Luckily, I gave Parenthood a chance anyway.
Yes, my fellow cinephiles, I was served a big heaping plate of my own words. I started watching NBC’s family drama, also staring Dax Shepard and Peter Krause, with every intention of hating it. That steely resolve lasted about 30 minutes into the pilot. Thus my love of Parenthood was born.
There are so many reasons to love this show, Peter Krause being one of the biggest. I will admit to being totally bananas for his character Adam Braverman, the well-intentioned family man who has to deal with everything from unemployment to his son’s recent Aspergers diagnosis.
And even though all the characters are dealing with tough real-life situations, the show still manages to be funny and light hearted. I’ll be real with you, it’s no Gilmore Girls. What show ever could be? It is, however, one of the best family dramas on TV right now. But don’t take my word for it. The fourth season began earlier this month, but you can still catch up on the first three seasons on Netflix streaming. I give you my word as a fangirl that you will love it. Long live the Bravermans!

-Whitney

Get with the Program: How I Met Your Mother!

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Let’s play Guess that Show! Ready? Ok, I’m thinking of a show about a group of friends living in New York City. They live together, laugh together, cry together, date and even marry each other. It’s really one of your classic ensemble sitcoms that defined comedy for a new generation. Think you know the answer? Oh, sorry folks, if you guessed NBC’s Friends then you need to put down your walkman, hang up your toll-free call to Miss Cleo, and allow me to drag you into the 21st century. ‘Cause these days, it’s all about How I Met Your Mother.

The premise is simple enough: an older version of love-obsessed Ted Mosby (voiced by Bob Saget) narrates the story of how he met the mother of his children. But like I mentioned before, this show is about a group of friends. So really HIMYM isn’t so much about a single event, as it is about how the group’s many exploits lead up to the much anticipated moment when Ted meets the as yet unrevealed baby mama.

I could go on about the writing, pacing, acting, blah, blah, blah, but the truth is what makes the show work is that it’s based around five awesome, hilarious characters. There’s Robin (Colbie Smulders), the teen-pop-sensation-turned-news-anchor who actually dated Ted early in the series. Here is the music video of “Let Go to the Mall”, the smash single released by her Canadian pop start alter-ego Robin Sparkles.

Then there’s Marshall and Lily (Jason Segel and Alyson Hannigan), the most co-dependent TV couple ever.

Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), who is probably my favorite character on the show. This clip speaks for itself.

There’s a pretty good chance that season 8 will be the last for Ted and the gang, so if you haven’t jumped on the HIMYM train, this might be your last chance. Do yourself a favor and tune in for the season premiere tonight on CBS. It’s going to be legend…wait for it…DARY!

-Whitney

Fangirly Crush of the Week: Chris Pratt

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In case you haven’t noticed, we do not beat around the bush when it comes to our love for Adam Scott.  We love him.  But for our crush this week, I decided to spread the love a little.

In preparation for the new season and because I just got Season 4 on DVD, I have been watching a good amount of Parks and Rec and I have to say that Chris Pratt has been floating my boat.  Admittedly, is it difficult to float said boat?  No.  Here’s the criteria:  make me laugh and … nope, that’s pretty much it.

And Chris Pratt delivers. This man is not afraid to throw himself around or look like a complete fool for the sake of comedy.  Andy may be a bit doofy, but he is lovable and he loves the people around him.  What more can a girl ask for?

Chris Pratt (and Andy) we salute you!  Schaaaa-wing!

– Ellen

(I got caught in a YouTube web.  You’re lucky there are only three)

Get with the Program: Parks and Rec!

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The day I heard that Amy Poehler was leaving SNL I literally thought my world was crashing down around me. I mean, the wound Tina Fey’s departure left in my heart was still pretty fresh and I didn’t think I could handle losing my other favorite cast member. So when I heard Poehler was developing a new show for NBC I was both relieved and deeply, deeply concerned. Because honestly, how many cast members have left SNL to pursue other things only to crash, burn, and fade into oblivion? I didn’t take into account, however, that Amy is one talented broad. Not only is her show Parks and Recreation the funniest sitcom on prime time  TV, it also has the most heart. I’m embarrassed by how much I love  this show. Seriously, even just thinking about it now makes me kind of giddy. This one scene, for example, makes me laugh so hard my head hurts…

I believe I can guess what your thinking. “Whitney, you hate The Office, which is basically the same premise as P and R! Whats the deal?” Valid, totally valid. I think what sets Parks apart is that I actually like and care about the characters on the show rather than just cringing and laughing uncomfortably whenever they do or say something stupid, which was my basic reaction to The Office. Case and point: here is a clip of Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt) endearing himself while acting stupid. Michael Scott, eat your heat out.

And I really couldn’t talk about Parks and Rec without mentioning my ever-increasing crush on Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott), the boffable nerd who successfully captured Leslie Knope’s (Amy Poehler) heart last season. And really, what lady could say no to this?…

The message boards aren’t the only ones going nuts, Ben.

I leave you with a clip that Ellen and I quoted for a solid six months. Jean Ralphio, take me there!

-Whitney

Web Bytes: “Circle of Life (Remix)” on SYTYCD

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They announced the winners last night on So You Think You Can Dance and I was… blah, blah, blah. Did you guys see that freaking “Circle of Life” dance?! I cannot get over how good it was. NappyTabs came back from maternity leave in a big, big way. I have had to watch it several times just to make sure that I am seeing every possible awesome thing that could be happening. That running (fast crawling? Galloping?) leap over three guys? Mind blown. I could go on forever, but why don’t we let the dance speak for itself:

-Ellen

Fangirly Exposed: “You and Me” by Tiffany

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Once upon a time, 4-year old Ellen loved The Jetsons Movie. It’s my mom’s fault, really (like most things). I was an impressionable youth and she recorded it onto a VHS from the Disney Channel. How could I say no?!

My favorite character of The Jetsons Movie was undoubtedly Judy Jetson. She was super into malls, she rocked the high pone, and all the intergalactic dudes were, like, way into her, which even little me had to appreciate. As totally rad as Judy was, the coolest part about her was that Tiffany did all of her musical numbers. Did I mention that The Jetsons Movie had musical numbers? We’re talking pure 1990 schmaltzy mall pop.

The pinnacle moment for me came when Judy/Tiffany sings “You and Me”. This song adds absolutely nothing to the story and, for some reason, it is accompanied by random 80’s MTV-esque images.

All of this is fine for a 4-year old to love, but the real thing I am embarassed about is how hard I had to look for it when I wanted to download it at age 21. Or how many times I have listened to it since then. Or how hard I rock out to it on my commute. But the truth is, I LOVE this song. It’s infectious, it’s pop-y, and it is great for car-dancing/car-belting. Anybody who can appreciate that is welcome to join me for a session sometime. Haters to the left.

Please observe the amazingness that is this song and accompanying bizarro video.

-Ellen

Fangirly Poll: Do You NEED to See Those Bedroom Scenes?

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While watching the Bones season premiere with my friend and fellow Bones enthusiast last night, we realized that we STILL have not seen Booth and Brennan “knock boots”.  Yeah, there was that one time in a dream.  And yeah, we know that they have because of that whole pregnancy thing, but we still haven’t actually seen it happen.  In fact, they came closer than we have ever seen them last night as Brennan tore off Booth’s shirt while he had her pinned against the washer and dryer (I know, I’m surprised I was able to type that sentence without screaming, too).

I feel like I was one of the few Bones fans to not be furious and Hart Hanson and Co. for how they handled the depiction and surprise twist of B&B’s initial coitus.  First, Emily Deschanel was pregnant and I doubt she was super excited to show too much, especially since Brennan was not supposed to be pregnant… yet.   Second, though I waited six seasons for it to happen, I wonder if showing “the scene” would have cheapened it in some way.  (Yes!  I know they aren’t real).

All that being said, do I love getting moments like the laundry room scene last night?  Um, understatement.

Now we are going to open up the floor.  Answer our polls below!  Keep in mind that Bones isn’t the only couple being shy.  (Castle, Psych… what am I missing?)

-Ellen

Grade A, Choice Picks: Top 5 Movie Quotes I Never Want to Hear Again

Posted in Choice Picks, Movies, Nostalgia, TV by

We here at Fangirly love nothing better than a good movie quote. In fact, many of our conversations consist of nothing but movie quotes. There are some famous lines, however, that are way past their prime. Here, for your viewing pleasure, is a comprehensive list of all the quotes I think should really call it a day.

1) “Run, Forest Run!”– This is just lazy quoting, guys. I have no idea why people insist on shouting this at the top of their lungs every time someone near them breaks into a run or even a light jog, but it’s over people. You’ve taken a perfectly good line, from a perfectly good movie, and ruined it! I hope you’re proud.


2) “I got a fever… and the only prescription… is more cowbell”- I take partial responsibility for this one. Between the ages of 12 and 17 I said this quote so often and with such a pathetic excuse for a Christopher Walken impression that people began to suspect I had a problem. A problem that even more cowbell couldn’t cure. So sorry world. I apologize for my part in ruining one of the funniest sketches in SNL history. I wish I could say it won’t happen again, but…


3) Anything from Napoleon Dynamite– Listen, nobody loved this movie more than I did when it first hit theaters. But I think we can all agree that this movie had a shelf life that ran out about five years ago. It was a great movie that reminded us all just how funny moon boots and hip hop dance routines could be, but this has gone on way, way too long. Let me put this another way: if one more person says to me “Your mom goes to college”, I will in no way be responsible for my actions.


4) “You complete me”- I think what bugs me isn’t the quote itself, but the fact that nobody is ever sincere when they say it. Hey man, if I complete you, why not just say it sans the sarcastic douchery? Seriously, make a lady’s day.

5) “The Master would not approve!”- This quote really won’t mean anything for those who did not grow up watching Mystery Science Theater 3000, because this line happens to come from the classic Manos:  The Hands of Fate episode. And while I love this episode more than words can express, I feel like I can’t get though any kind of family function without someone putting this one out there. Don’t misunderstand me; I’m not calling for an all-out ban. Let’s just put it on the shelf for a while, and only pull it out for special occasions. Like fine china, or a Michael Buble CD.
So there you have it folks, my top 5 most overused movie quotes. Do you agree? Disagree? Either way, feel free to go bananas in our comment section!
-Whitney

Fangirly DVR Schedules Revealed!

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In case you haven’t noticed, we here at Fangirly take our television very seriously.  So seriously that we make Excel spreadsheets to keep track of how we will be setting season passes on our DVRs (to be fair to Whitney, it’s just Ellen that does this), and for the first time ever we are going to share our schedules with the public!  This day shall live in infamy.

A few things to mention before we dig in:

– The blue highlighted shows are the ones that we agree need DVR’d, pinks are Whitney specific shows, and purples are the Ellen specific shows

– It may seem like there are a lot more purples, but I included shows that I am going to give a try.

– Looking at the schedule below, a lot of you will be wondering what kind of DVR we have that allows us to record four shows at once.  Some nights are just more crowded than others and we will have to resort to online viewing.  Wednesday night, for example, is packed.  Just know that the blue shows are the most important because we need to be able to talk about them together that night.

– While Ellen has the The Voice and X Factor, which Whitney is consistently giving her a hard time about, let it be noted that Whitney has the equally trashy Dancing With the Stars.

Hopefully our television expertise will be of assistance to you as you try to navigate the crowded waters of the fall television schedule.  Check it out below!

–Ellen and Whitney

Fangirly Crush of the Week: Andrew Lee Potts!

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If there’s one thing we love here at Fangirly it’s a sexy TV nerd, and nobody does nerd better than Andrew Lee Potts on the British sci-fi drama Primeval. With his quirky hipster style, incredible comedic timing, and face like a sexy, anthropomorphized cartoon rabbit, Potts is the natural choice for our Fangirly Crush of the Week.  Don’t believe me? Let’s go to the tape.

-Whitney

Marry Boff Kill: New Fall TV Shows

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It’s here!  It’s finally here!  I feel my life beginning to take meaning again.  That’s right everybody, fall TV is upon and with it comes a fresh crop of new shows.  Like any sane person would do, I have chosen which of the new shows I am ready to marry, boff, and kill.  In other words, which shows I already feel commited to, which I am willing to give one night of passion to for them to prove their worth, and which I will be killing from my DVR lineup.  Let’s dig in!

Marry: 

The Mindy Project – Having already seen this pilot, I have to say that I was impressed.  I typically feel that pilots are a poor test in deciding whether a show will be good or not.  It is a strange thing to go back and watch the pilot of a show that you have loved for years, because they usually morph into something completely different.  That being said, pilots usually suck so I like to give them some time to grow on me.  The promos for this show left me on the fence, so imagine my surprise when I left the pilot almost positive that I was going to fall for this show.  Mindy is a funny, smart, and unique female lead and judging from some of her references, I feel like we are of the same people.  Definitely the show I am most excited about of this bunch.

Ben & Kate – Like the above, I have already seen the pilot to this show.  Though I enjoyed it to a lesser degree, I still saw promise.  Do I think it will join the lineup of shows like New Girl or Parks and Rec, shows that I can’t wait to watch every week?  No.  But do I think it could join shows like Raising Hope or The Middle, shows that I enjoy but have no problem letting pile up on my DVR until I have a lazy Saturday morning?  Yeah.

Nashville – It’s got Tami Taylor, y’all!  I shouldn’t have to say anything else, but I’m going to anyway.  I love a good song and dance number, even when they are country.  In general, I tend to go more for comedies, but the dramas I do watch tend to be ones that I can still have fun with, i.e. soapy, slighty over-the-top dramas.  This looks like it should deliver in spades.  Also going for it, the critics are raving and I am weak enough to buy into it.

Boff: (I’m going to start talking less)

Elementary – I may only have room in my heart for one Sherlock and Benedict Cumberbatch is taking up a pretty large residence.  Show me what you got, Johnny Lee Miller!

Arrow – Dear CW,

Nice work with those billboards.  You are really proving the boffability of this program.  If you have any brains with that brawn, I could see this really working out between us.

Sincerely, Ellen

P.S. Nice work scheduling it with Supernatural.

Revolution – The premise intrigues me, but I don’t know how that plot is going to work on a week to week basis.

Kill:

The Neighbors – Have you seen the promos?  I really don’t need to elaborate.

Chicago Fire – I don’t know why this has no appeal to me.  The elements are all fine to great: procedural, bulky men, firemen, and oh yeah, FIREMEN!  But it still is not working for me. 

Beauty and the Beast – Like most things, the 80’s did it better.

-Ellen

Web Bytes: FOD’s “First Kiss” with Rachel Leigh Cook!

Posted in Nostalgia, Web, Web Bytes by

If you checked in yesterday, you know that I love She’s All That.  I watched all of her filmography, especially The Babysitter’s Club and Josie and the Pussycats (her crowning achievements), and with the exception of that time where she ruined everything on Psych,  she’s A-OK in my book.

So it was pretty cool to see her in the Funny or Die video and then to see that it was actually pretty funny.  And with Chad Michael Murray of all people!  (I never jumped the CMM train).

Check out the video, it’s pretty decent.

First Kiss with Rachael Leigh Cook & Chad Michael Murray
-Ellen

Fanmanly: Justified

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I have a pretty serious thing for TV lawmen. For the sake of my reputation I’m not going to divulge how many hours I’ve spent watching Law and Order: SVU because I like the way Christopher Meloni looks in a wrinkled shirt and a gun holster, but suffice it to say, it was a lot. So when I heard that FX was premiering a show about a trigger-happy US marshal staring none other than Timothy Olyphant, I was, to put it mildly, interested. And although I’m not a huge fan of FX in general (Louie and The League being the obvious exceptions) I was pretty sure that if nothing else, it would give me an excuse to look at this squared-jawed mug for an hour…

That being said, I was hooked on Justified by the end of the pilot’s opening credits. I mean, not only does someone get whacked in the first four minutes, they go down in one of the coolest televised shootouts in TV history. This is actually part of this show’s charm; while there is a TON of violence it never really feels gratuitous. Well, this scene might have been a little gratuitous…

And to be fair, it’s not all gore and gunfights. There’s also a little bit of romance for the ladies! Yes, apparently our hero Raylan  Givens won’t rest till he’s killed all the crooks and bedded all the women of rural Kentucky.

And who could blame him, because from what I can tell, they all look like this… 

and this…                         

My favorite part of this show, however, has to be the killer supporting cast. There’s Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) who, over three seasons, has dabbled in everything from Nazism to organized crime. Another of my all time favorites was the murderous matron Mags Bennett, a role that won Margo Martindale the Emmy for best Supporting Actress in a Drama in 2011. Last but not least there’s Tim Gutterson (Jacob Pitts), the soft spoken, woefully underused deputy marshal who, despite having probably three lines in the whole last season still managed to make his way onto my list of the Most Adorable Men on TV (Ellen will back me up on this).

But this is all just one fangirl’s opinion. For the skeptics out there, I leave you with this clip. If this doesn’t convince you Justified is worth your time, nothing will.

-Whitney