Season Analysis: I was generally satisfied with the first two seasons of Portlandia, but I could understand if the show wasn’t catching on with a large general audience, but with Season 3, it has gotten more and more accessible to the point at which it deserves full mainstream recognition.

portlandia_takebackMTV

“Take Back MTV”
The whole “dream of the 90s is alive in Portland” ethos of Portlandia suggests a constant spirit of social activism.  It is not always put to use, because in a relative utopia like Portland, actually active activism does not seem all that necessary.  Furthermore, the daily routine of many Portlanders is already plenty activist enough.  So when a Portlander goes out of the way to really be an activist, it is for a cause like … reclaiming MTV.  Spike gathers up a crew of his friends to restore the days when MTV played music 24/7 and was the height of cool.  Like the good old days that conservatives pine for, this time never actually existed.  But Kurt Loder, Matt Pinfield, and Tabitha Soren are still alive, and they’re still cool people and seeing them reunited in this episode was a victory unto itself.  The cold opening sketch worked hand in hand with the take back MTV runner, as an attempt at a modern-day protest song keeps getting overtaken by a dance party vibe.

Honorable Mention: “Blackout” was a brilliant season finale, serving as the fullest realization yet of the show’s attempts at increased serialization.