Doing this a little different this week. I'm watching this on my DVR and just going to type as we go. Looks like maybe the camera worked out how to do a live show this time. I've heard a lot about this episode from tweets/FB updates so I'm a little nervous to be honest.
Cat Deeley just said "don't ruffle my feathers" while wearing feathers. Isn't she clever?!
You know who I don't miss... Mary Murphy. Maybe because she was replaced with another M alliteration, but this one is awesome.....
Hey look we are getting to see them choose their allstars. No Neil and Twitch..... BOOOOO. Jose's face when Kathryn said "Bollywood" was priceless. I'm sure so was Erin's when she watched at home, because I know how much she loves that one!
First up, CHRISTINA. Allstar: Pasha. Choreo: Jean-Marc and France. Style: Paso Doble. I love the Paso, and well, Christina is Latina, so I'm hoping this is good. But I haven't been impressed with Christina all that much...... Alright, I thought it was pretty good. But I was looking at Pasha the entire time. She did have the angry face going, so that is good. It wasn't the best Paso that has been on the show, but I still liked it. (Like that they are letting the allstars stay for judging this week.)
ADECHIKE. Allstar: Allison. Choreo: Mandy Moore. Style: Contemporary. I love Allison telling Adechike to love her. I'm going to be honest, I'm slightly biased against Adechike cuz I think he took the spot of the other Contemporary dancer (with the hurt hamstring) that I liked so much more. But either way, I think he is the weak llink in the otherwise very strong boys. He is undeniably talented, but I'm just not feeling him. Of course, that being said, I still choose him over pretty much any girl this season! Overall: OK this week. (Side note: Neil was in the audience even tho he wasn't on this week. How adorable is he?)
ALEX: Allstar: Lauren. Choreo: Tyce Diorio. Style: Broadway. Ok, Alex said he doesn't know that much about Fosse. I know he is a ballet company, but come on! For shame, Alex! Ok.... I'm starting to see the issue with the allstars. The allstar is so confident compared to the contestant that it is hard not to be drawn to the allstar. I didn't think that was so great. Alex wasn't as "Fosse" as I would have liked. My suggestion for Alex, go watch the "Steam Heat" routine from the movie The Pajama Game. That's Fosse! Lauren rocked it though.... (PS I want Tyce to do another contemporary routine)
ASHLEY: Allstar: Mark. Choreo: Tavis Wall. Style: Jazz. Ok, poor Ashley. Like she wasn't getting lost before, now she is paired with Mark?? I will say this is the first time I've ever actually felt like I've seen Ashley. Travis did better by his contestant this week than he did last week. Hey Nigel.... never say anything bad about Travis. Ever. I will hunt you down. I also liked the routine way more than he did anyway.
BILLY: Allstar: Comfort. Choreo: Lil C Style: Crumping. Loved his pleather outfit in his childhood story. I'm sure it was epic, Billy. Ok.... let's see if Billy B Buck can pull it off! teehee. I think if Billy pulls off Crumping means he should just win the thing now. Unrelated thought: I really like Comfort's gold jacket with the pink lining. Super cute. Nigel is such an old man. I thought he was good, but I can sort of understand why the judges thought it was awkward. Good for Comfort for sticking up for little Billy.
ROBERT: Allstar: Anya. Choreo: Jean-Marc and France. Style: Argentinian Tango. I don't remember liking Anya as much as I do now when she was a contestant. But I think she is too funny. The camera work is making me a little dizzy with this one. I thought it was a really good tango. Robert has the look/body for Tango. And again... doesn't hurt that Anya was his partner. I really like Robert, and I'm thinking he is not in any danger.
MELINDA. Allstar: Ade. Choreo: Stacey Tookey. Style: Contemporary. Do think Ade dances with Melinda and wishes it was Melissa. I miss Naughty Ballerina. Stacey is the shiz, so I'm sad Melinda got her, because I'm not really liking Melinda. But I'm happy she has to wear that ridiculous mother earth outfit. She looks fat. Hahaha. I like the routine, but I didn't like her so much. The judges and I just aren't getting along this week, it seems. (Mia hates the dress too! HA!) By the way, Ade said he went to Jack in the Box after the show, as usual. And he still looks like that?? I hate Ade. ;)
JOSE. Allstar: Kathryn. Choreo: Nakul Dev Mahajan Style: Bollywood. LOVE that Nakul didn't know b-boy. Take that, Jose! Alright, 30 seconds in and I can tell you that Jose isn't adapting to this as well as Joshua did with Katee. He is so awkward. He wasn't as sharp as he should be. Tho I did think the end of the routine was cute, story-wise. I'm not sure why Nigel is talking about the World Cup right now. (Go USA!) Jesus, why does Jose get the "Oh, it was fun and cute" when Billy got destroyed by the judges. Being a lesser dancer doesn't mean you shouldn't get judged as harshly. Annoyed right now. I agree, he is a sweet boy and very happy to be there, but seriously!! And don't compare it to Kent's ChaCha from last week!! Oooooo.... I'm mad.
LAUREN:. Allstar: Dominic (Watch out, Cat!) Choreo: Tessandra Chavez. Style: Lyrical Hip Hop. Tessandra says she expects perfection. Is that all, Tess?? Lauren much better this week. And to be fair, she was giving a lot more to work with this week. It was a much more emotional routine, obviously, and she did a much better job connecting with it. Uh oh... Mia is noticing butts again. Dom has super serious face. It's a little scary. I can't believe Cat just said "Dom do you want to get to a deeper place?" Think before you speak, Cat. Dom's face was classic though.
KENT. Allstar: Courtney. Choreo: Tyce. Style: Jazz. I don't even care what the dance is like - the rehersal footage of Court and Kent was worth the whole 2 hours of programming to get to see that. I think these outfits are left over from a Sonya Tayeh routine. I love it. I don't care what Kent does. Love Tyce with wink and "okay" sign. (Did you notice Travis muttering to himself when Nigel said that was a Jazz routine?0 HAHA)
Sooooo..... I don't know what is going to happen as I am on such a different page as the judges with almost every dance. What did you guys think?
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Week in Review: 6/13-6/19
As you may have heard a plague decended on our house this past week, so I'm not really doing much of a Week in Review. I'm just going to do a few highlights. I'm even clumping one whole network together. (Sorry USA!)
LIE TO ME: Overall, I thought this was a better episode, and it explained a little more about the characters. HOWEVER, the whole plot was based on the fact that some Irish mobster's wife and kid were killed, but HE DID IT! What did he think was going to happen when they get out of the cab to his right, and then when the cabbie turns around a points a gun at him to kill him, he shoves the gun to the right and then fires it off twice??? DUDE! How dumb are you? You are obviously used to having guns in your face, so the shock of it shouldn't be the excuse. That almost ruined the episode for me, but other than that, it was good. I'm nervous because this week Melissa George is the guest star, and I never like her. Ever.
RUBICON: This was just a preview of the pilot. The show starts in August on AMC and stars James Badge Dale (Leckie from The Pacific). It's a conspiracy thriller, and started off well. I'm definitely intrigued enough to watch it again when it starts. Check to see if the preview of the pilot airs again, if not, I will tell you when it starts in August. It could get a little too heavy, but so far, I like it.
TOP CHEF: Hurray!!!! My Tom Collicho is back and he brough Eric Ripert with him! This season is set in DC, a city (district?) that is quickly making a name for itself in the culinary world. The two to beat so far: Kenny and Angelo. I'm rooting for Kenny, of the two, because Angelo seems like a douche. More on this one we get to know the cheftestants a little better. But glad that one guy was told to pack his knives and go - I couldn't look at him much longer!!
USA PROGRAMMING: No, I'm not talking about the World Cup (We were robbed!!! I want to find that official!!) I'm talking about In Plain Sight, Royal Pains, and Burn Notice. USA Network uses the slogan "Characters Welcome" and they prove it with their original programming. Each week these shows are a lot of fun, have a lot of heart and always bring the best for each character. I'm excited to spend my summer with them. (That sounds either dirty or pathetic.)
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: Before I get to the results (boooo) I want to talk about the guest performance. No not Usher. Not Justin Beiber either. I'm talking about Keith Roberts and Karine Plantadit - the two performers from Broadway's Come Fly Away. I saw them perform this number (That's Life) earlier in the week at the Tony's. I so wanted to show it to my favorite dance lovers, but because of copyright infringement it was taking off of all the sites. I was SO happy they performed it on here. Twyla Tharp's insane choreography (what if he doesn't get the jacket on?!?!) combined with Keith and Karine's flawless dancing made this one of my favorite performances I've ever seen. I'm so glad it was put on here where non Broadway freaks like me would have had the chance to see it. Anyway, back to the results. It is crap that Alexie got the boot. It is ridiculous that Lauren wasn't in the bottom 3. And it is going to be a short ride for the girls! GO BOYS!
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: I really have nothing more to say to you people about this show. It is beyond amazing. So real. I cry every week. Watch it. Netflix it. Whatever. Just do it. (That's not a copyright infringement on Nike is it?)
Sorry this is a shorter review this week. It's going to be an off few weeks with all the drama going on. But that's a story for my other blog. Just not today.
Comment me!
LIE TO ME: Overall, I thought this was a better episode, and it explained a little more about the characters. HOWEVER, the whole plot was based on the fact that some Irish mobster's wife and kid were killed, but HE DID IT! What did he think was going to happen when they get out of the cab to his right, and then when the cabbie turns around a points a gun at him to kill him, he shoves the gun to the right and then fires it off twice??? DUDE! How dumb are you? You are obviously used to having guns in your face, so the shock of it shouldn't be the excuse. That almost ruined the episode for me, but other than that, it was good. I'm nervous because this week Melissa George is the guest star, and I never like her. Ever.
RUBICON: This was just a preview of the pilot. The show starts in August on AMC and stars James Badge Dale (Leckie from The Pacific). It's a conspiracy thriller, and started off well. I'm definitely intrigued enough to watch it again when it starts. Check to see if the preview of the pilot airs again, if not, I will tell you when it starts in August. It could get a little too heavy, but so far, I like it.
TOP CHEF: Hurray!!!! My Tom Collicho is back and he brough Eric Ripert with him! This season is set in DC, a city (district?) that is quickly making a name for itself in the culinary world. The two to beat so far: Kenny and Angelo. I'm rooting for Kenny, of the two, because Angelo seems like a douche. More on this one we get to know the cheftestants a little better. But glad that one guy was told to pack his knives and go - I couldn't look at him much longer!!
USA PROGRAMMING: No, I'm not talking about the World Cup (We were robbed!!! I want to find that official!!) I'm talking about In Plain Sight, Royal Pains, and Burn Notice. USA Network uses the slogan "Characters Welcome" and they prove it with their original programming. Each week these shows are a lot of fun, have a lot of heart and always bring the best for each character. I'm excited to spend my summer with them. (That sounds either dirty or pathetic.)
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: Before I get to the results (boooo) I want to talk about the guest performance. No not Usher. Not Justin Beiber either. I'm talking about Keith Roberts and Karine Plantadit - the two performers from Broadway's Come Fly Away. I saw them perform this number (That's Life) earlier in the week at the Tony's. I so wanted to show it to my favorite dance lovers, but because of copyright infringement it was taking off of all the sites. I was SO happy they performed it on here. Twyla Tharp's insane choreography (what if he doesn't get the jacket on?!?!) combined with Keith and Karine's flawless dancing made this one of my favorite performances I've ever seen. I'm so glad it was put on here where non Broadway freaks like me would have had the chance to see it. Anyway, back to the results. It is crap that Alexie got the boot. It is ridiculous that Lauren wasn't in the bottom 3. And it is going to be a short ride for the girls! GO BOYS!
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: I really have nothing more to say to you people about this show. It is beyond amazing. So real. I cry every week. Watch it. Netflix it. Whatever. Just do it. (That's not a copyright infringement on Nike is it?)
Sorry this is a shorter review this week. It's going to be an off few weeks with all the drama going on. But that's a story for my other blog. Just not today.
Comment me!
TRUE BLOOD: Beautifully Broken
As you may have seen on Facebook, I thought that this episode solidified my firm belief that True Blood takes Charlaine Harris's stories and characters and bring them to a new (read: better) level. I have read all of the Sookie Stackhouse Series and while they are entertaining, they are all a little flat. In my opinion, part of that stems from the fact that in a lot of ways Sookie is not the most interesting character in Bon Temps (and it's surrounding areas) and yet hers is the only point of view we get in the books. That also means we only get her "action." Nothing that has to do with just Eric, Pam, Bill, Sam, Tara or anyone else. Nevermind that Charlaine killed Lafayette.... although who can blame her for that. She didn't know that Nelsan Ellis was going to bring so much life to that role! For the record, I really do enjoy her books and anxiously await the next one. But not as much as I ever await the next episode of True Blood. It is always a jam packed hour of fun and mayhem, and this episode was no different.
Let's start with the minor story of the episode, just because I thought it was especially funny. Arlene and Terry. Terry is both the strangest and sweetest man in Bon Temps. Between his protectiveness of Sookie this week ("I'd be sad if you died") and his list for Arlene, you can't help but love him a little more every minute. I wish we could have heard all 10 items on his list. Because if #4 was "I never killed anything on accident" I can't even begin to imagine what the last 6 entries were.
Then there is Jessica. She has a problem in the form of a quickly rotting trucker in her "hidey hole" at Bill's. Kev and I kept yelling, "Oh my god, Jessica, just carry him out back and bury him!" You are a vampire and super strong and quick. It won't take a lot of time and no one is going to be watching you at 3am. As it turns out, someone may be watching because the woods between Bill and Sookie's homes are crawling with Werewolves and scary Vampires. More on those two in a minute. Also, Jess turned down Hoyt who basically begged her to come back. Oh Jess.....
Sam is with his bio-family. For those who don't read the books, this storyline is probably the furthest from the books. In fact, they even changed some of the mythology - in the books, only the first born of a shifter can be a shifter, which is not so in the series, as we discover that Sam's younger brother, Tommy, is also a shifter. But whatever. These people are messed up, and as much as Sam may want to discover "who he is" and all that jazz, he is better off just going home and dealing with the crazy in Bon Temps. Afterall, he is why MaryAnn came to town, don't you think he owed it to Sookie to help her clean up the mess?? (Yeah, he killed her, but still......)
Bill had, what I thought, was a hysterical storyline this week. After killing 3 of the Werewolves and biting the ear off of another, he faces off with Cooter ("seriously.... Cooter??" LOL!!) but the Vampire King of Mississippi, Russell Edington, comes to the rescue, kind of. He is mad that his pesky Were's botched the kidnapping, and takes Bill to his mansion himself. There he meets Talbot, the King's lover and finds himself a sort-of prisoner, but in the most posh prison everywhere. He even gets a 3 course meal (or at least we only saw 3 courses) - who knew blood could be served in so many ways?? (Does anyone else think the citrus flavored sparkling blood was a nod to the Blood Orange Flavored True Blood drink we can buy?) We learn that Russell hopes to merge with Louisiana through a marriage with Sophie Ann. And that Bill is not necessarily in Bon Temps by accident, in fact he is there for Sookie specifically. Again, for those that don't read the books, this does not happen until Book 6, so I was surprised they went there, but since I knew where they wanted to take Sookie's storyline this season, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. And who walks into this fancy dinner party but Lorena! Bill promptly throws a lamp at her setting her ablaze. I call dream sequence. Because I really don't think they would drag the actress back just to have Bill throw a lamp at her and die.
Another clue into the connection between Bill and Sookie is revealed via a mystery man in black snake skin boots (I think.... they were creepy boots, anyway) who breaks into Bill's house. He discovers a lot of articles/pictures of Sookie dating back to when she was a kid. Creepy, Bill! One can also assume he took care of Jessica's smelly problem, since he is no longer stinking up the hidey hole. Later we see mystery man's face at Merlotte's where he makes a warped connection to Tara. Poor Tara.
Tara also had a rough morning. First she had to vomit up all the pills she took. Who else cheered when Lafayette pushed away her mom?? Woman is the worst! In order to give Tara a taste of the road she is heading down, Lafayette takes her to go see him mom in an institution. There we meet Jesus, played by the oh so cute Kevin Alejandro (take a moment to sing the Lady Gaga song now...... done? ok.) Guess what... we will see more of him. Hurray!!
Jason and Andy continue to deal with the fallout of Eggs death. Andy becomes town hero. Jason is still dealing with the issues that come with it. At the end they go to the town of Hotshot to take down a meth lab. While there Jason takes down one of the drug dealers and sees a pretty girl in the woods. Get used to the scary look of Hotshot, because I guarantee you will be seeing a lot more of it. Question to those who read the book: Did the casting of Calvin Norris seem weird to you? I always pictured him better looking than that. Just curious....
And then there is the best storyline..... Sookie and Eric. Sookie is on the hunt for Bill, of course, but the Werewolves are on the hunt for her. When Sookie tries to talk about the Weres to Eric he evades her questions and gets frustrated that she is crying and bringing up all those long forgotten human emotions. We also get a look into Eric's not so distant past when he and Godric (I miss you!!) infiltrated the SS in order to hunt down some Weres. I've never thought I'd think someone would look hot in an SS uniform. Teehee. Eric is eventually moved to help Sookie because he cares about her, whether he admits it or not. And this is what inspired my "The series is way better than the books" speech up top. In the books you never really know how Eric feels. He seems very indifferent to a lot of it. Just playing a game. But in the show, Alexander Skarsgard allows Eric to have emotions, even if they are very shielded. It makes for a much more interesting dynamic between these two characters. At the end of the episode we find out it is a good thing Eric felt that wave of compassion for Sookie - there is a Werewolf in her house!
Next week: Alcide!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And in case you hadn't heard: HBO picked up TB for a fourth season this morning after another week of stellar (and growing) ratings. To which I say: It wasn't already picked up for a 4th season?? I can't wait, because Alan Ball has said that if they get a 4th season he will include the Eric storyline from the 4th book. AKA my favorite storyline ever. Though I have a feeling it may have more connection to Sookie's background considering that is where they are quickly going this season.
What was your favorite part of the episode? What are you looking forward to? Book readers: are you surprised how much Alan Ball is reaching into later books for storylines? My opinion: he knows this thing ain't going 10-12 seasons, so why not use up the good stuff where it makes sense now!
Let's start with the minor story of the episode, just because I thought it was especially funny. Arlene and Terry. Terry is both the strangest and sweetest man in Bon Temps. Between his protectiveness of Sookie this week ("I'd be sad if you died") and his list for Arlene, you can't help but love him a little more every minute. I wish we could have heard all 10 items on his list. Because if #4 was "I never killed anything on accident" I can't even begin to imagine what the last 6 entries were.
Then there is Jessica. She has a problem in the form of a quickly rotting trucker in her "hidey hole" at Bill's. Kev and I kept yelling, "Oh my god, Jessica, just carry him out back and bury him!" You are a vampire and super strong and quick. It won't take a lot of time and no one is going to be watching you at 3am. As it turns out, someone may be watching because the woods between Bill and Sookie's homes are crawling with Werewolves and scary Vampires. More on those two in a minute. Also, Jess turned down Hoyt who basically begged her to come back. Oh Jess.....
Sam is with his bio-family. For those who don't read the books, this storyline is probably the furthest from the books. In fact, they even changed some of the mythology - in the books, only the first born of a shifter can be a shifter, which is not so in the series, as we discover that Sam's younger brother, Tommy, is also a shifter. But whatever. These people are messed up, and as much as Sam may want to discover "who he is" and all that jazz, he is better off just going home and dealing with the crazy in Bon Temps. Afterall, he is why MaryAnn came to town, don't you think he owed it to Sookie to help her clean up the mess?? (Yeah, he killed her, but still......)
Bill had, what I thought, was a hysterical storyline this week. After killing 3 of the Werewolves and biting the ear off of another, he faces off with Cooter ("seriously.... Cooter??" LOL!!) but the Vampire King of Mississippi, Russell Edington, comes to the rescue, kind of. He is mad that his pesky Were's botched the kidnapping, and takes Bill to his mansion himself. There he meets Talbot, the King's lover and finds himself a sort-of prisoner, but in the most posh prison everywhere. He even gets a 3 course meal (or at least we only saw 3 courses) - who knew blood could be served in so many ways?? (Does anyone else think the citrus flavored sparkling blood was a nod to the Blood Orange Flavored True Blood drink we can buy?) We learn that Russell hopes to merge with Louisiana through a marriage with Sophie Ann. And that Bill is not necessarily in Bon Temps by accident, in fact he is there for Sookie specifically. Again, for those that don't read the books, this does not happen until Book 6, so I was surprised they went there, but since I knew where they wanted to take Sookie's storyline this season, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. And who walks into this fancy dinner party but Lorena! Bill promptly throws a lamp at her setting her ablaze. I call dream sequence. Because I really don't think they would drag the actress back just to have Bill throw a lamp at her and die.
Another clue into the connection between Bill and Sookie is revealed via a mystery man in black snake skin boots (I think.... they were creepy boots, anyway) who breaks into Bill's house. He discovers a lot of articles/pictures of Sookie dating back to when she was a kid. Creepy, Bill! One can also assume he took care of Jessica's smelly problem, since he is no longer stinking up the hidey hole. Later we see mystery man's face at Merlotte's where he makes a warped connection to Tara. Poor Tara.
Tara also had a rough morning. First she had to vomit up all the pills she took. Who else cheered when Lafayette pushed away her mom?? Woman is the worst! In order to give Tara a taste of the road she is heading down, Lafayette takes her to go see him mom in an institution. There we meet Jesus, played by the oh so cute Kevin Alejandro (take a moment to sing the Lady Gaga song now...... done? ok.) Guess what... we will see more of him. Hurray!!
Jason and Andy continue to deal with the fallout of Eggs death. Andy becomes town hero. Jason is still dealing with the issues that come with it. At the end they go to the town of Hotshot to take down a meth lab. While there Jason takes down one of the drug dealers and sees a pretty girl in the woods. Get used to the scary look of Hotshot, because I guarantee you will be seeing a lot more of it. Question to those who read the book: Did the casting of Calvin Norris seem weird to you? I always pictured him better looking than that. Just curious....
And then there is the best storyline..... Sookie and Eric. Sookie is on the hunt for Bill, of course, but the Werewolves are on the hunt for her. When Sookie tries to talk about the Weres to Eric he evades her questions and gets frustrated that she is crying and bringing up all those long forgotten human emotions. We also get a look into Eric's not so distant past when he and Godric (I miss you!!) infiltrated the SS in order to hunt down some Weres. I've never thought I'd think someone would look hot in an SS uniform. Teehee. Eric is eventually moved to help Sookie because he cares about her, whether he admits it or not. And this is what inspired my "The series is way better than the books" speech up top. In the books you never really know how Eric feels. He seems very indifferent to a lot of it. Just playing a game. But in the show, Alexander Skarsgard allows Eric to have emotions, even if they are very shielded. It makes for a much more interesting dynamic between these two characters. At the end of the episode we find out it is a good thing Eric felt that wave of compassion for Sookie - there is a Werewolf in her house!
Next week: Alcide!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And in case you hadn't heard: HBO picked up TB for a fourth season this morning after another week of stellar (and growing) ratings. To which I say: It wasn't already picked up for a 4th season?? I can't wait, because Alan Ball has said that if they get a 4th season he will include the Eric storyline from the 4th book. AKA my favorite storyline ever. Though I have a feeling it may have more connection to Sookie's background considering that is where they are quickly going this season.
What was your favorite part of the episode? What are you looking forward to? Book readers: are you surprised how much Alan Ball is reaching into later books for storylines? My opinion: he knows this thing ain't going 10-12 seasons, so why not use up the good stuff where it makes sense now!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
So You Think You Can Dance: Top 11 Perform
Ok, I'm going to try blogging this show for real. But here's how it is going to work. I will blog the performance shows, but the results shows will just be part of my week in review blog. I will do my best to get this blog out on Thursdays, but the July 7th show, I can tell you now, won't get blogged since I will be at an airport wen it airs. I'm going to watch it when I get back.
Now that we got that business out of the way, on to last nights show. First things first - What in the hell was up with the camera work? Awful. Just awful. They couldn't even get all the intros right! Someone really hates Ashley! But technical difficulties that come along with the first live performance show aside, it was a good episode. (By the way, it really is the FIRST live performance show. Previous to this season, performance shows taped Mondays, aired Tuesdays with results live on Wednesdays.) I will say this now - a guy will win this season. In fact, if I was one of the guy allstars, I would start booking gigs soon, because girls are getting voted off first!
On to the performances:
BILLY: Allstar- Lauren, Choreo- Tyce, Style- Broadway. Billy danced to Footloose and looked the part - spikey hair and lanky body in tight pants just like Kevin Bacon! Hurray 80s! I think it will be hard for any guy to look bad with Lauren as a partner. She is probably one of the more successful former sytycd-ers and has a lot of charisma. Thankfully, this dance played just as well with the "friend" vibe vs the "girlfriend" vibe, because all I got was friends. Billy was great, but I was a little surprised he was saying it was difficult to be so outside his comfort zone. Really? This isn't HipHop, Billy!!
CHRISTINA: Allstar- Mark, Choreo- Sonya, Style- Contemporary. The judges were really impressed, but I wasn't nearly as much as they were. They thought she held her own and didn't seem like a Salsa dancer. Honestly, all I saw was Mark. I when I did try to concentrate on her, I thought she seemed uncomfortable. But I like her, so if the judges remarks keep her safe another week, that is good I guess.
JOSE: Allstar- Comfort, Choreo- Nappytabs, Style - HipHop. The judges can say as much as they want that breaking and hip hop are two different styles, so this was technically a stretch for Jose, but I don't buy it. Last week when he "danced in his own style" he danced a hip hop routine. Yes, I know there is a difference between breaking and hiphop, but let's be honest, this wasn't REALLY a stretch Jose. In fact, of any possible style he could get his first week, this is the one he was hoping for! All that being said, he was good and did a perfectly fine job. I'm just not really judging him until he does something that is really outside his style.
ADECHIKE: Allstar- Kathryn, Choreo- Travis, Style- Jazz. GREAT routine!! Great! Travis, you will never fail me. I think that Kathryn totally outshone Adechike. He was a very good partner for her, and did his job well, but the routine was about her. I'm not blaming Travis (I would never!) but his routine was not going to help Adechike out. At the same time, the routine was so good as a whole, I think it is hard to vote against it.
MELINDA: Allstar- Pasha, Choreo- Tony and Melanie, Style- Jive. I didn't think it was great, but I didn't think it was as bad as the judges. Although, I don't always see some of the technical things they do like her feet. I would bet that Melinda is fairly polarizing amongst viewers, so I wouldn't be surprised if she was in the bottom, like Nigel predicts.
ALEX: Allstar- Allison, Choreo- Sonya, Style- Contemporary. Holy eff. Just wow. Thinking about it makes me misty all over again. First of all, you can't lose if you have Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah as your song. Think of American Idol - has that song ever failed anyone?? No. BUT, if Alex and Allison had danced that routine in total silence it would have been just as powerful. Nigel's face and stunned silence pretty much said it all. There is dancing and then there is dancing, and that was the latter. And as much as Alex and Allison deserve credit and praise for the perfection of that routine, I'm most happy for Sonya because I think she has always felt like the step-child choreographer of the show that didn't really belong. You go and get your Emmy, Sonya. That was brilliance.
ALEXIE: Allstar- Twitch, Choreo- NappyTabs, Style- HipHop. Before we get to the routine, can we talk about how awesome that old 90s footage of Shankman was? So classic. More please, Nigel! My thoughts on Alexie were exactly what the judges said: she is cute. Get the girl a Rumba, Tango or Paso number stat! She needs something where she is forced to be serious and sexy. She is great, I think, but her cuteness is too hard to get past in a routine like the one NappyTabs gave her.
LAUREN: Allstar- Ade, Choreo- Mandy Moore, Style- Pop Jazz. Ummmmm..... was that really weird for anyone else? I kept thinking of other girls I wish were dancing that routine with Ade. Even just cute little blondes that would have played it better. (Randi from season 5 kept popping in my head) She seemed more like a girl in a high school talent show than one performing on the biggest dance contest in America. There shoudl have been sexiness/coyness, but there was just a big goofy smile. Awkward. Oh Lauren, if you make it to next week, please do better. I had such high hopes for you!!
KENT: Allstar- Anya, Choreo- Tony and Melanie, Style- Salsa. Holy crap, I did not stop giggling this entire routine. Even just the rehersal footage was great. The pairing of Anya and Kent is just classic. It's like one of those cheesy movies where some nerdy teen boy turns to a older more experienced woman (a playboy bunny, a hooker - choose your cliche role) to deflower him. He did a really good job keeping up with her though, and Anya is a lot of woman to keep up with on the dance floor. She is amazing, and you could tell she had fun with the little Homecoming King. Was this the best routine of the night (Umm, no... Hi Alex!!) but it was the most fun, hands down. And Kent is beyond adorable - I want to pick him up and take him home with me.
ASHLEY: Allstar- Neil, Choreo- Tyce, Style- Contemporary. First of all, when Ashley did the "What America doesn't know about me" bit I screamed at the television, "WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT YOU!!!" For shame produers, she seems like such a lovely young girl. The routine was very pretty and very well danced. But to be honest, it is in the same show as Sonya's incredibly moving contemporary routine, so it was going to be overshadowed a bit. Again.... poor Ashley!!
ROBERT: Allstar- Courtney, Choreo- Sean Cheesman, Style- African Dance. Love the African Dance routines! They are so much fun. This one was well done. I wish that they could dance together every week. I agree with Nigel that Robert is probably the dark horse in the competition. And the eye candy. The boys are good this season, but Robert is the pretty one, for sure. Hi Robert...... :)
Overall, I think Week 1 went well. Though I always think week 2 is a better judge of how things are going to go. Who do you think will get the boot?
Now that we got that business out of the way, on to last nights show. First things first - What in the hell was up with the camera work? Awful. Just awful. They couldn't even get all the intros right! Someone really hates Ashley! But technical difficulties that come along with the first live performance show aside, it was a good episode. (By the way, it really is the FIRST live performance show. Previous to this season, performance shows taped Mondays, aired Tuesdays with results live on Wednesdays.) I will say this now - a guy will win this season. In fact, if I was one of the guy allstars, I would start booking gigs soon, because girls are getting voted off first!
On to the performances:
BILLY: Allstar- Lauren, Choreo- Tyce, Style- Broadway. Billy danced to Footloose and looked the part - spikey hair and lanky body in tight pants just like Kevin Bacon! Hurray 80s! I think it will be hard for any guy to look bad with Lauren as a partner. She is probably one of the more successful former sytycd-ers and has a lot of charisma. Thankfully, this dance played just as well with the "friend" vibe vs the "girlfriend" vibe, because all I got was friends. Billy was great, but I was a little surprised he was saying it was difficult to be so outside his comfort zone. Really? This isn't HipHop, Billy!!
CHRISTINA: Allstar- Mark, Choreo- Sonya, Style- Contemporary. The judges were really impressed, but I wasn't nearly as much as they were. They thought she held her own and didn't seem like a Salsa dancer. Honestly, all I saw was Mark. I when I did try to concentrate on her, I thought she seemed uncomfortable. But I like her, so if the judges remarks keep her safe another week, that is good I guess.
JOSE: Allstar- Comfort, Choreo- Nappytabs, Style - HipHop. The judges can say as much as they want that breaking and hip hop are two different styles, so this was technically a stretch for Jose, but I don't buy it. Last week when he "danced in his own style" he danced a hip hop routine. Yes, I know there is a difference between breaking and hiphop, but let's be honest, this wasn't REALLY a stretch Jose. In fact, of any possible style he could get his first week, this is the one he was hoping for! All that being said, he was good and did a perfectly fine job. I'm just not really judging him until he does something that is really outside his style.
ADECHIKE: Allstar- Kathryn, Choreo- Travis, Style- Jazz. GREAT routine!! Great! Travis, you will never fail me. I think that Kathryn totally outshone Adechike. He was a very good partner for her, and did his job well, but the routine was about her. I'm not blaming Travis (I would never!) but his routine was not going to help Adechike out. At the same time, the routine was so good as a whole, I think it is hard to vote against it.
MELINDA: Allstar- Pasha, Choreo- Tony and Melanie, Style- Jive. I didn't think it was great, but I didn't think it was as bad as the judges. Although, I don't always see some of the technical things they do like her feet. I would bet that Melinda is fairly polarizing amongst viewers, so I wouldn't be surprised if she was in the bottom, like Nigel predicts.
ALEX: Allstar- Allison, Choreo- Sonya, Style- Contemporary. Holy eff. Just wow. Thinking about it makes me misty all over again. First of all, you can't lose if you have Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah as your song. Think of American Idol - has that song ever failed anyone?? No. BUT, if Alex and Allison had danced that routine in total silence it would have been just as powerful. Nigel's face and stunned silence pretty much said it all. There is dancing and then there is dancing, and that was the latter. And as much as Alex and Allison deserve credit and praise for the perfection of that routine, I'm most happy for Sonya because I think she has always felt like the step-child choreographer of the show that didn't really belong. You go and get your Emmy, Sonya. That was brilliance.
ALEXIE: Allstar- Twitch, Choreo- NappyTabs, Style- HipHop. Before we get to the routine, can we talk about how awesome that old 90s footage of Shankman was? So classic. More please, Nigel! My thoughts on Alexie were exactly what the judges said: she is cute. Get the girl a Rumba, Tango or Paso number stat! She needs something where she is forced to be serious and sexy. She is great, I think, but her cuteness is too hard to get past in a routine like the one NappyTabs gave her.
LAUREN: Allstar- Ade, Choreo- Mandy Moore, Style- Pop Jazz. Ummmmm..... was that really weird for anyone else? I kept thinking of other girls I wish were dancing that routine with Ade. Even just cute little blondes that would have played it better. (Randi from season 5 kept popping in my head) She seemed more like a girl in a high school talent show than one performing on the biggest dance contest in America. There shoudl have been sexiness/coyness, but there was just a big goofy smile. Awkward. Oh Lauren, if you make it to next week, please do better. I had such high hopes for you!!
KENT: Allstar- Anya, Choreo- Tony and Melanie, Style- Salsa. Holy crap, I did not stop giggling this entire routine. Even just the rehersal footage was great. The pairing of Anya and Kent is just classic. It's like one of those cheesy movies where some nerdy teen boy turns to a older more experienced woman (a playboy bunny, a hooker - choose your cliche role) to deflower him. He did a really good job keeping up with her though, and Anya is a lot of woman to keep up with on the dance floor. She is amazing, and you could tell she had fun with the little Homecoming King. Was this the best routine of the night (Umm, no... Hi Alex!!) but it was the most fun, hands down. And Kent is beyond adorable - I want to pick him up and take him home with me.
ASHLEY: Allstar- Neil, Choreo- Tyce, Style- Contemporary. First of all, when Ashley did the "What America doesn't know about me" bit I screamed at the television, "WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT YOU!!!" For shame produers, she seems like such a lovely young girl. The routine was very pretty and very well danced. But to be honest, it is in the same show as Sonya's incredibly moving contemporary routine, so it was going to be overshadowed a bit. Again.... poor Ashley!!
ROBERT: Allstar- Courtney, Choreo- Sean Cheesman, Style- African Dance. Love the African Dance routines! They are so much fun. This one was well done. I wish that they could dance together every week. I agree with Nigel that Robert is probably the dark horse in the competition. And the eye candy. The boys are good this season, but Robert is the pretty one, for sure. Hi Robert...... :)
Overall, I think Week 1 went well. Though I always think week 2 is a better judge of how things are going to go. Who do you think will get the boot?
Monday, June 14, 2010
TRUE BLOOD: Pack of Wolves
Hallelujah, it is the summer season which means after a loooong 9 months it is finally time for True Blood Season 3 to begin! I can hardly contain my excitement. Unlike the other vampire series, the screen version of the Sookie Stackhouse series far exceeds the the book version. (As opposed to Twilight where the books are way better than the movies, IMHO)
So here we are, ready to find out what happened to Bill and how Bon Temps will recover from the mass hypnosis caused by MaryAnne. Those of us who have read the books have a general idea, but as we all know, Alan Ball takes the series in new and even crazier directions!
Unlike other shows that account for the time off, True Blood always starts at the same moment we left, so in case you forgot: Everyone is getting over MaryAnne, Jason just shot Eggs because he thought Eggs was going to kill Andy, Jessica bit a trucker after getting in a fight with Hoyt, Lafayette is selling V for Eric/Queen SophieAnne and, of course, Bill Compton was kidnapped by someone after proposing to Sookie (who had to go to the bathroom and mull it over).
Things do not start very well this season.... let's take it one story line at a time since they basically do not intersect at all. First there is Tara. She has about lost it. As if dealing with what she did because of MaryAnne, now she has to deal with Eggs dying. She finds out that Sookie helped him remember, which she takes, well, not so great. Lafayette tries to take care of her, but has to work so Tara's mom comes. Once again I praise Alan Ball for not killing Lafayette off after season 1 like the books. Every episode has at least one great moment with that character and this week, it's when he tells Tara's mom that they aren't building a bridge. Is there a worse character than this woman? Using Tara to get her Reverend over to the house? Awful. Not shockingly the episode ends with Tara trying to end it, locked in the bathroom with a bunch of pills because mom is an incompetent fool. Poor girl.... it's gonna be a rough season, I can tell!
Then there is the new dynamic duo of Jason and Andy. Andy is helping Jason by taking the blame for Eggs's shooting, but Jason still isn't handling it very well. He wants to be a good man now, but Andy says to act normal. AKA be a manwhore. In the wise words of Andy Bellefleur, "Conscience Off, Dick On." Have a great four words ever been uttered? No, I didn't think so. Jason gives it the ol' Jason Stackhouse try, but even a threesome can't help little Jason rise to attention - he just keeps picturing the girls with bulletholes in their heads. I think it's going to be a long road for Jason, but at least he will have his unlikely friend, Andy by his side. And his trusty friend, Hoyt, who no matter what seems to love Jason. How about that scene where Hoyt tries to get Jason to offer to have him stay at his house? Classic!
Eric had some issues this week, or I should say the Queen has some issues and she is making them Eric's problem. Sookie may want Eric to find Bill, and he may help with that (kinda - he's not in any rush to find Bill, for many reasons) but right now his problems lie in the money problems the Queen has created for herself. Maybe it was making that new sun room, or employing all those pretty people to eat from, but she is broke, which is the reason she is having Eric sell V. Problem is the Magistrar is aware of the problem, and thinks it is an inside job. So they need to sell the V and quick, which leads me to.....
Lafayette. Poor boy. As if dealing with Tara and her psychotic break isn't enough, he also has to sell a ridiculous amount of V at half price in 24 hours, as nicely told to him by Pam. His problems have him so out of sorts, he almost forgot how scarred of the Vamps he is, and started to mouth of to her a bit. But don't worry... she put the fear right back in. Now where is our favorite fry cook (that doesn't reside in Bikini Bottom) going to sell all the V so quick?
Off in Arkansas, Sam Merlotte is in search of his birth parents, who every seems to tell him are pieces of shiz. Yet the hunt continues. He finds his brother who not so convincingly tries to say he is a different Tommy than the one Sam is looking for, but Sam doesn't buy it, and follows Tommy home. Oh, and while on this fun road trip, Sam has some dreams...... about Bill..... and showers...... oh boy.
Jessica meanwhile has to deal with the trucker she bit and the fact he his dying. Oh wait, make that dead and quickly rotting in Bill's sleeping hole. Bill will not be happy when he gets home.
Then there is Sookie and Bill. Sookie is a on a mission to find Bill and trying every resource she can. The police don't care. Kenya thinks he just left because Sookie had to think about his proposal. Bud Dearborn has better things to worry about than a Vampire. Eric says he will look, but Sookie doesn't trust him (I can't imagine why). But when she is with Pam, she discovers that vamps can be "called" by their makers, so she turns to Jessica who takes her to where she was "called" by Bill. Bill, we discover, was kidnapped by the "Pack of Wolves" mentioned in the title. Why and for whom is still unknown. But in their V-induced craziness, Bill manages to crash the car and escape. He finds the home of an old lonely woman, who he feeds on, but then gives her a lot of money and glamours her to believe it was her neglectful son that brought that money. Bill - always a class act, huh? And now that he's fed and strong he goes into the woods..... only to meet back up with that pack of wolves. Cue credits.
It is amazing how much they pack into an hour of programming!! And how many shirtless men! I will try to write a better blog for it next week. Being sick I had a hard enough time concentrating, without taking notes for the blog! (Although naked Eric wakes a girl up....)
What did you all think of the premiere of Season 3? Live up to your fangtastic expectations? For me... it was even better! Can't wait til episode 3, when Alcide shows up!!
So here we are, ready to find out what happened to Bill and how Bon Temps will recover from the mass hypnosis caused by MaryAnne. Those of us who have read the books have a general idea, but as we all know, Alan Ball takes the series in new and even crazier directions!
Unlike other shows that account for the time off, True Blood always starts at the same moment we left, so in case you forgot: Everyone is getting over MaryAnne, Jason just shot Eggs because he thought Eggs was going to kill Andy, Jessica bit a trucker after getting in a fight with Hoyt, Lafayette is selling V for Eric/Queen SophieAnne and, of course, Bill Compton was kidnapped by someone after proposing to Sookie (who had to go to the bathroom and mull it over).
Things do not start very well this season.... let's take it one story line at a time since they basically do not intersect at all. First there is Tara. She has about lost it. As if dealing with what she did because of MaryAnne, now she has to deal with Eggs dying. She finds out that Sookie helped him remember, which she takes, well, not so great. Lafayette tries to take care of her, but has to work so Tara's mom comes. Once again I praise Alan Ball for not killing Lafayette off after season 1 like the books. Every episode has at least one great moment with that character and this week, it's when he tells Tara's mom that they aren't building a bridge. Is there a worse character than this woman? Using Tara to get her Reverend over to the house? Awful. Not shockingly the episode ends with Tara trying to end it, locked in the bathroom with a bunch of pills because mom is an incompetent fool. Poor girl.... it's gonna be a rough season, I can tell!
Then there is the new dynamic duo of Jason and Andy. Andy is helping Jason by taking the blame for Eggs's shooting, but Jason still isn't handling it very well. He wants to be a good man now, but Andy says to act normal. AKA be a manwhore. In the wise words of Andy Bellefleur, "Conscience Off, Dick On." Have a great four words ever been uttered? No, I didn't think so. Jason gives it the ol' Jason Stackhouse try, but even a threesome can't help little Jason rise to attention - he just keeps picturing the girls with bulletholes in their heads. I think it's going to be a long road for Jason, but at least he will have his unlikely friend, Andy by his side. And his trusty friend, Hoyt, who no matter what seems to love Jason. How about that scene where Hoyt tries to get Jason to offer to have him stay at his house? Classic!
Eric had some issues this week, or I should say the Queen has some issues and she is making them Eric's problem. Sookie may want Eric to find Bill, and he may help with that (kinda - he's not in any rush to find Bill, for many reasons) but right now his problems lie in the money problems the Queen has created for herself. Maybe it was making that new sun room, or employing all those pretty people to eat from, but she is broke, which is the reason she is having Eric sell V. Problem is the Magistrar is aware of the problem, and thinks it is an inside job. So they need to sell the V and quick, which leads me to.....
Lafayette. Poor boy. As if dealing with Tara and her psychotic break isn't enough, he also has to sell a ridiculous amount of V at half price in 24 hours, as nicely told to him by Pam. His problems have him so out of sorts, he almost forgot how scarred of the Vamps he is, and started to mouth of to her a bit. But don't worry... she put the fear right back in. Now where is our favorite fry cook (that doesn't reside in Bikini Bottom) going to sell all the V so quick?
Off in Arkansas, Sam Merlotte is in search of his birth parents, who every seems to tell him are pieces of shiz. Yet the hunt continues. He finds his brother who not so convincingly tries to say he is a different Tommy than the one Sam is looking for, but Sam doesn't buy it, and follows Tommy home. Oh, and while on this fun road trip, Sam has some dreams...... about Bill..... and showers...... oh boy.
Jessica meanwhile has to deal with the trucker she bit and the fact he his dying. Oh wait, make that dead and quickly rotting in Bill's sleeping hole. Bill will not be happy when he gets home.
Then there is Sookie and Bill. Sookie is a on a mission to find Bill and trying every resource she can. The police don't care. Kenya thinks he just left because Sookie had to think about his proposal. Bud Dearborn has better things to worry about than a Vampire. Eric says he will look, but Sookie doesn't trust him (I can't imagine why). But when she is with Pam, she discovers that vamps can be "called" by their makers, so she turns to Jessica who takes her to where she was "called" by Bill. Bill, we discover, was kidnapped by the "Pack of Wolves" mentioned in the title. Why and for whom is still unknown. But in their V-induced craziness, Bill manages to crash the car and escape. He finds the home of an old lonely woman, who he feeds on, but then gives her a lot of money and glamours her to believe it was her neglectful son that brought that money. Bill - always a class act, huh? And now that he's fed and strong he goes into the woods..... only to meet back up with that pack of wolves. Cue credits.
It is amazing how much they pack into an hour of programming!! And how many shirtless men! I will try to write a better blog for it next week. Being sick I had a hard enough time concentrating, without taking notes for the blog! (Although naked Eric wakes a girl up....)
What did you all think of the premiere of Season 3? Live up to your fangtastic expectations? For me... it was even better! Can't wait til episode 3, when Alcide shows up!!
Week in Review: 6/6-6/12
We are officially in the Summer Season now. Everything is over from the regular season and we are on to the fun summer shows. For the most part, these shows are a little easier on the mind, and plenty are high on the "cheese factor." And yet, even the summer season of TV has found a way to have some real quality programs. So time to take a look at what happened last week (including a few lingering season finales).
DROP DEAD DIVA: Yeah, I watch Lifetime Original Programming! So what? This one is actually really sweet and a nice way to start the week. It's been gone for about 6 months and I almost forgot just how charming the lead, Brooke Elliott, is. And the support she has from the likes of Margret Cho and David Denman makes her even better. The show may be cheesy, but it is a lot of fun and has a lot of heart.
THE BACHLORETTE: Justin walked on his crutches all the way up the canyon to Ali's house and when the other guys found out they are super pissed. If you ask me, the reason they are pissed is that no one in any season has ever thought of doing it before. Don't get me wrong - it was still a total douche move, especially because it cut into some other guy's solo date. And as far that guy getting the boot (i can't even remember his name!) I don't think it has anything to do with the date getting cut short - I think it has to do with the fact he was goob, and Ali had no interest in him!
LIE TO ME: I've watched this show on and off since it started. It's good, but not my favorite. I enjoy Tim Roth, but I can't get past the feeling he is playing some sort of House/D'Onfrio on L&O:CI combo. He even does the D'Onfrio head tilt, which I'm pretty sure is trademarked. D'Onfrio should sue. Also a little sad that I finally get to see Jason Dohring on TV again and he plays a sociopath. Oh well..... But was happy to see Glenn Morshower in his trademark "Uptight Military Personnel" role. I miss Secret Service Agent Aaron Pierce!
SAVING GRACE: We are quickly approaching the series finale of this bizarre and fascinating show. And the closer we get, the weirder the show gets! But somehow I still adore it, due in no small part to the genius of Holly Hunter and the rest of this cast. I will miss them all when they are gone, especially the angel, Earl. I wish he would follow me around for awhile - he's a lot of fun.
PERSONS UNKNOWN: Ummmm..... I don't have an opinion yet. Give me another week. But I will say I wish that I had my own chinese restaurant with a bunch of chinese men cooking for me.
SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER: The preachy show is back! And as weird as ever. Seriously - watch 5 minutes. The delivery of each line is so bizarre, I can't explain it. But yet, I watch. I don't know why. Maybe so I can see Kristin Bauer one more time a week. She is awesome, even when not playing a vampire.
PRETTY LITTLE LIARS: Remember how I said Drop Dead Diva is cheesy...... never mind. This one takes the cake! It is beyond cheesy, but so far, also fun. And it has some great cast members that those of us who aren't currently teenagers can appreciate - Holly Marie Combs and Chad Lowe, for instance. And the main "Little Liar" is played by Lucy Hale, one of my favorites teen actors out there right now, so that doesn't hurt.
JUSTIFIED: Most of my entries in this blog have been fairly short, and the reason is I wanted to focus a little bit more on this hour of television. I have seen little else that has been as perfect as this hour of television this season. Don't get me wrong, there has been a lot of great TV recently, but this episode was a pitch perfect culmination of an entire season of practically perfect programming. While Walton Goggins isn't technically a regular on the show, the story we have been following has been as much about his character, Boyd, as it has Raylan. That is why when Boyd shows up at Ava's door to apologize the scene played so well. We have been watching this character, essentially through the eyes of Raylan, and can't be anything except surprised at how sincere his apology seems, even as our mind tells us to doubt it. And then we continue to question our gut instincts about Boyd as we watch his reaction to Beau killing all the men in Boyd's camp. It was just heartwrenching! (by the way, I can't listen to MC Gainey (Beau) without hearing him say, "We're gonna have to take the boy." I still get chills!) And then it makes him question his faith, which, if he was for real this entire time, is just sad! To make us feel better about our confusion - Raylan is equally stupefied by this revelation that maybe Boyd really was just trying to do good in his increidbly warped way. And speaking of Raylan, this is HIS show afterall, his character had quite the hour as well. Between the unresolved issues with Winona (did she say Gary moved out?) and having to constantly save Ava, the boy has issues. And then there is his dad. Oh Arlo. Causing problems as always. The hour ended in an intense shoot out that left Boyd back on the run, Beau dead, and Ava and Raylan left to clean up the mess. It was an amazing sequence! Can't wait for next season, because I sure have not had enough of these characters!
IN PLAIN SIGHT: So, is it required that every show has a character with aspergers as some point?
SYTYCD: Yes, I blogged this already, but I want to clear something up. I've been reading a lot of complaints that the season was going to be extra short because there are only 11 dancers, not the normal 20. This is not true. When there were 20 dancers, 2 were voted off each week. But with the 11 dancers only 1 will be voted off this week. Check the math - that the same number of week. Actually, one extra week because it is 11 not 10 dancers (which is why I think they rushed the Vegas episodes down to 2 instead of the normal 3). So don't worry. We will still get the same number of fab dances!!
BURN NOTICE: Well, this is going to get awkward - Michael is responsible for another spy getting burned and then said spy asks Michael for help and moves in to Madelines. Good times....
ROYAL PAINS: I need to check USA to see if I can get one of those HankMed bobbleheads. I love a bobblehead. But even better than the bobblehead, Mary Lynn Rajskub!!! Fun to see her as someone that can be funny in a non-snarky matter. (I miss you already, Chloe) I'm interested to see where they take the Eddie R storyline. I think Henry Winkler is fun in this role, but it can get very cliche very fast, so I hope that they work out a way to keep it fresh.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: This episode focused on two couples that have been the heart of the show (if we ignore Coach and Tami Taylor who are more than the heart, but intead the soul). Matt and Julie got to a music fest in Austin to get Matt's mind off of the events of last week (Matt's dad's death). But in the end it only starts to highlight the pressure Julie feels to keep Matt happy, causing Matt to leave finally leave Dillon and start his own life away from his Grandma and Julie, to which I say NOOOOO. As much as I think this is a good move for the character I am sad to see Zach Gilford go. And then there is Tim Riggins and Lyla Garrity. Lyla returned to support Matt at his family at the funeral, but stuck around to see Tim, much to young Becky's chagrin. Watching them was heartbreaking because we knew and they knew the reunion was just for these few days, but still hoped it would somehow work out. The actors were at their very best (and that is saying something) and conveyed more in just a look than pages of dialogue ever could. Oh Lyla.... I'm so sad to see you go!
Ok... that's it. Comment away. Or don't whatever. Actually, do comment. I live for the comments!!
DROP DEAD DIVA: Yeah, I watch Lifetime Original Programming! So what? This one is actually really sweet and a nice way to start the week. It's been gone for about 6 months and I almost forgot just how charming the lead, Brooke Elliott, is. And the support she has from the likes of Margret Cho and David Denman makes her even better. The show may be cheesy, but it is a lot of fun and has a lot of heart.
THE BACHLORETTE: Justin walked on his crutches all the way up the canyon to Ali's house and when the other guys found out they are super pissed. If you ask me, the reason they are pissed is that no one in any season has ever thought of doing it before. Don't get me wrong - it was still a total douche move, especially because it cut into some other guy's solo date. And as far that guy getting the boot (i can't even remember his name!) I don't think it has anything to do with the date getting cut short - I think it has to do with the fact he was goob, and Ali had no interest in him!
LIE TO ME: I've watched this show on and off since it started. It's good, but not my favorite. I enjoy Tim Roth, but I can't get past the feeling he is playing some sort of House/D'Onfrio on L&O:CI combo. He even does the D'Onfrio head tilt, which I'm pretty sure is trademarked. D'Onfrio should sue. Also a little sad that I finally get to see Jason Dohring on TV again and he plays a sociopath. Oh well..... But was happy to see Glenn Morshower in his trademark "Uptight Military Personnel" role. I miss Secret Service Agent Aaron Pierce!
SAVING GRACE: We are quickly approaching the series finale of this bizarre and fascinating show. And the closer we get, the weirder the show gets! But somehow I still adore it, due in no small part to the genius of Holly Hunter and the rest of this cast. I will miss them all when they are gone, especially the angel, Earl. I wish he would follow me around for awhile - he's a lot of fun.
PERSONS UNKNOWN: Ummmm..... I don't have an opinion yet. Give me another week. But I will say I wish that I had my own chinese restaurant with a bunch of chinese men cooking for me.
SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER: The preachy show is back! And as weird as ever. Seriously - watch 5 minutes. The delivery of each line is so bizarre, I can't explain it. But yet, I watch. I don't know why. Maybe so I can see Kristin Bauer one more time a week. She is awesome, even when not playing a vampire.
PRETTY LITTLE LIARS: Remember how I said Drop Dead Diva is cheesy...... never mind. This one takes the cake! It is beyond cheesy, but so far, also fun. And it has some great cast members that those of us who aren't currently teenagers can appreciate - Holly Marie Combs and Chad Lowe, for instance. And the main "Little Liar" is played by Lucy Hale, one of my favorites teen actors out there right now, so that doesn't hurt.
JUSTIFIED: Most of my entries in this blog have been fairly short, and the reason is I wanted to focus a little bit more on this hour of television. I have seen little else that has been as perfect as this hour of television this season. Don't get me wrong, there has been a lot of great TV recently, but this episode was a pitch perfect culmination of an entire season of practically perfect programming. While Walton Goggins isn't technically a regular on the show, the story we have been following has been as much about his character, Boyd, as it has Raylan. That is why when Boyd shows up at Ava's door to apologize the scene played so well. We have been watching this character, essentially through the eyes of Raylan, and can't be anything except surprised at how sincere his apology seems, even as our mind tells us to doubt it. And then we continue to question our gut instincts about Boyd as we watch his reaction to Beau killing all the men in Boyd's camp. It was just heartwrenching! (by the way, I can't listen to MC Gainey (Beau) without hearing him say, "We're gonna have to take the boy." I still get chills!) And then it makes him question his faith, which, if he was for real this entire time, is just sad! To make us feel better about our confusion - Raylan is equally stupefied by this revelation that maybe Boyd really was just trying to do good in his increidbly warped way. And speaking of Raylan, this is HIS show afterall, his character had quite the hour as well. Between the unresolved issues with Winona (did she say Gary moved out?) and having to constantly save Ava, the boy has issues. And then there is his dad. Oh Arlo. Causing problems as always. The hour ended in an intense shoot out that left Boyd back on the run, Beau dead, and Ava and Raylan left to clean up the mess. It was an amazing sequence! Can't wait for next season, because I sure have not had enough of these characters!
IN PLAIN SIGHT: So, is it required that every show has a character with aspergers as some point?
SYTYCD: Yes, I blogged this already, but I want to clear something up. I've been reading a lot of complaints that the season was going to be extra short because there are only 11 dancers, not the normal 20. This is not true. When there were 20 dancers, 2 were voted off each week. But with the 11 dancers only 1 will be voted off this week. Check the math - that the same number of week. Actually, one extra week because it is 11 not 10 dancers (which is why I think they rushed the Vegas episodes down to 2 instead of the normal 3). So don't worry. We will still get the same number of fab dances!!
BURN NOTICE: Well, this is going to get awkward - Michael is responsible for another spy getting burned and then said spy asks Michael for help and moves in to Madelines. Good times....
ROYAL PAINS: I need to check USA to see if I can get one of those HankMed bobbleheads. I love a bobblehead. But even better than the bobblehead, Mary Lynn Rajskub!!! Fun to see her as someone that can be funny in a non-snarky matter. (I miss you already, Chloe) I'm interested to see where they take the Eddie R storyline. I think Henry Winkler is fun in this role, but it can get very cliche very fast, so I hope that they work out a way to keep it fresh.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: This episode focused on two couples that have been the heart of the show (if we ignore Coach and Tami Taylor who are more than the heart, but intead the soul). Matt and Julie got to a music fest in Austin to get Matt's mind off of the events of last week (Matt's dad's death). But in the end it only starts to highlight the pressure Julie feels to keep Matt happy, causing Matt to leave finally leave Dillon and start his own life away from his Grandma and Julie, to which I say NOOOOO. As much as I think this is a good move for the character I am sad to see Zach Gilford go. And then there is Tim Riggins and Lyla Garrity. Lyla returned to support Matt at his family at the funeral, but stuck around to see Tim, much to young Becky's chagrin. Watching them was heartbreaking because we knew and they knew the reunion was just for these few days, but still hoped it would somehow work out. The actors were at their very best (and that is saying something) and conveyed more in just a look than pages of dialogue ever could. Oh Lyla.... I'm so sad to see you go!
Ok... that's it. Comment away. Or don't whatever. Actually, do comment. I live for the comments!!
Friday, June 11, 2010
So You Think You Can Dance: Meet the Top 11
And so begins another season of SYTYCD. It is by far my favorite of the "talent" shows. With Top Chef right behind. And when it is good, Project Runway in a close third. I love this show because, despite my general lack of talent in the area, I LOVE dance. I think it is one of the most fascinating mediums in the art world and I think seeing this fresh talent learn and master different genres of dance is exciting to watch. And the dancing (unlike that other dance competition) is of an actual professional level each week.
This week we were introduced to the Top 11 (kinda) as they performed routines alongside the Allstars that have returned for the new format. Here's a brief rundown, in case you hadn't heard. There are 11 dancers. Instead of being paired up with each other as in previous seasons, they are paired with a different all star each week. Instead of a genre, they pick an allstar's name out of the hat and then dance with them. Boys still dance with girls, and vice versa. The judges only judge the contestant, not the allstar. Then on the second episode of the week ONE dancer will be voted off. Negative: less contestants. That's my big negative. Positive: Good dancers won't be brought down by bad partners. And I get to see some of my old favorites again!
So let's get to the show.....
Fame- Choreo: Wade and Amanda Robson. Dancers: Everyone. As to be expected, Wade delivered a fantastic number that, as far as I'm concerned, could have gone on the entire hour. The Allstars and the contestants blended well. And I really enjoyed the look of the garden party. But let's get to the small groups to get a better idea of our dancers.
Paris is Burning- Choreo: Travis Wall (woo!!) Style: Jazz. Season 7: Kent and Lauren. Allstars: Mark and Katherine. First thing I noticed: Mark. Kent is amazing, but it's unfortunate that in his first dance he had to compete with Mark for the male spotlight. Mark is intense and I think eyes always go to him. But Kent did a great job, and Travis is a good choreo for him. He's one of my favorites. Lauren all did well. I think she equaled Katherine. The costumes made it hard to tell them apart.
There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This- Choreo: Tyce DiOrio. Style: Broadway. Season 7: Alexie and Melinda. Allstars: Allison and Lauren. Lauren is my favorite girl Allstar, so I am always happy to see her. I think the best thing I can say about this dance is exactly what Nigel said - it was hard to pick out the Allstars from Season 7 girls. Alexis and Melinda are both kinda odd and very strong. It will be interesting to see how Melinda does in partner work.
Din Daa Daa- Choreo: Nappytabs. Style: Hip Hop. Season 7: Jose. Allstars: Dom, Twitch and Comfort. Ok.... the dance was good and Jose held his own ok. Epecially like the trick with the sweatshirt coming off of Jose symbolizing his joining that group of dancers. But Jose is not there yet. He seems hesitant a lot. If he wants to be Legacy (though I think he should aim to be more like Twitch, Joshua or Russell) he needs to step it up. But the best/weirdest part is the continuation of Dom's love for Cat. It's both annoying and hysterical. Can't wait to see how far he takes it!!
Work- Choreo: Jason Gilkison. Style: Salsa. Season 7: Christina. Allstars: Pasha and Anya. I think to best discuss this routine I should just put my train of thought while watching it. "A three person salsa?? That may be weird....... Oh I was right. It is weird..... It hardly seems fair to poor Christina to literally and figuratively have to compete with Anya!....... She's good but it's ANYA..... PASHA TOOK HIS SHIRT OFF!!! I have no idea who Christina is and I don't care. Pasha....................." And that pretty much summed it up. It was completely unfair to Christina. I know you wanted to include all the Allstars, for whatever reason, but that wasn't going to do anything but highlight how she is not at Anya's level yet. And then she was the only one who was actually critiqued. Poor girl.
The Bitter Earth- Choreo: Mia Michaels. Style: Contemporary. Season 7: Alex and Billy. Allstar: Ade. Is there anyone as brilliant as Mia Michaels in the dance world? Anyone at all??? Because I can't think of one. And the producers obviously favor these two guys - they got to do more solo than anyone! And with MIA!! I don't know what to say about it really. We all know that Alex and Billy are the favorites going in.....
Freak- Choreo: Sonya Tayeh. Style: Jazz. Season 7: Adechike, Robert and Ashley (who?? haha.) Allstars: Neil and Courtney. Well, someone out there does not like Ashley. This routine was fantastic, but poor Ashley was lost in it just as she has been up until now. When they went to her house I kept thinking, WHO??? Poor girl. Plus she looked just like Courtney. At least pair her with a blonde! And the guys... well, they were both very good, but they were competing with Neil. NEIL!! The boy can leap and pirouette like almost no one else, except Danny. (I miss Danny..... Travis, get on bringing him back, will ya??)
Overall it was a very good hour of dance. Although I don't know if I really know the 11 dancers any better than I did on Wednesday.
What did you all think? Who are your favorites?
This week we were introduced to the Top 11 (kinda) as they performed routines alongside the Allstars that have returned for the new format. Here's a brief rundown, in case you hadn't heard. There are 11 dancers. Instead of being paired up with each other as in previous seasons, they are paired with a different all star each week. Instead of a genre, they pick an allstar's name out of the hat and then dance with them. Boys still dance with girls, and vice versa. The judges only judge the contestant, not the allstar. Then on the second episode of the week ONE dancer will be voted off. Negative: less contestants. That's my big negative. Positive: Good dancers won't be brought down by bad partners. And I get to see some of my old favorites again!
So let's get to the show.....
Fame- Choreo: Wade and Amanda Robson. Dancers: Everyone. As to be expected, Wade delivered a fantastic number that, as far as I'm concerned, could have gone on the entire hour. The Allstars and the contestants blended well. And I really enjoyed the look of the garden party. But let's get to the small groups to get a better idea of our dancers.
Paris is Burning- Choreo: Travis Wall (woo!!) Style: Jazz. Season 7: Kent and Lauren. Allstars: Mark and Katherine. First thing I noticed: Mark. Kent is amazing, but it's unfortunate that in his first dance he had to compete with Mark for the male spotlight. Mark is intense and I think eyes always go to him. But Kent did a great job, and Travis is a good choreo for him. He's one of my favorites. Lauren all did well. I think she equaled Katherine. The costumes made it hard to tell them apart.
There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This- Choreo: Tyce DiOrio. Style: Broadway. Season 7: Alexie and Melinda. Allstars: Allison and Lauren. Lauren is my favorite girl Allstar, so I am always happy to see her. I think the best thing I can say about this dance is exactly what Nigel said - it was hard to pick out the Allstars from Season 7 girls. Alexis and Melinda are both kinda odd and very strong. It will be interesting to see how Melinda does in partner work.
Din Daa Daa- Choreo: Nappytabs. Style: Hip Hop. Season 7: Jose. Allstars: Dom, Twitch and Comfort. Ok.... the dance was good and Jose held his own ok. Epecially like the trick with the sweatshirt coming off of Jose symbolizing his joining that group of dancers. But Jose is not there yet. He seems hesitant a lot. If he wants to be Legacy (though I think he should aim to be more like Twitch, Joshua or Russell) he needs to step it up. But the best/weirdest part is the continuation of Dom's love for Cat. It's both annoying and hysterical. Can't wait to see how far he takes it!!
Work- Choreo: Jason Gilkison. Style: Salsa. Season 7: Christina. Allstars: Pasha and Anya. I think to best discuss this routine I should just put my train of thought while watching it. "A three person salsa?? That may be weird....... Oh I was right. It is weird..... It hardly seems fair to poor Christina to literally and figuratively have to compete with Anya!....... She's good but it's ANYA..... PASHA TOOK HIS SHIRT OFF!!! I have no idea who Christina is and I don't care. Pasha....................." And that pretty much summed it up. It was completely unfair to Christina. I know you wanted to include all the Allstars, for whatever reason, but that wasn't going to do anything but highlight how she is not at Anya's level yet. And then she was the only one who was actually critiqued. Poor girl.
The Bitter Earth- Choreo: Mia Michaels. Style: Contemporary. Season 7: Alex and Billy. Allstar: Ade. Is there anyone as brilliant as Mia Michaels in the dance world? Anyone at all??? Because I can't think of one. And the producers obviously favor these two guys - they got to do more solo than anyone! And with MIA!! I don't know what to say about it really. We all know that Alex and Billy are the favorites going in.....
Freak- Choreo: Sonya Tayeh. Style: Jazz. Season 7: Adechike, Robert and Ashley (who?? haha.) Allstars: Neil and Courtney. Well, someone out there does not like Ashley. This routine was fantastic, but poor Ashley was lost in it just as she has been up until now. When they went to her house I kept thinking, WHO??? Poor girl. Plus she looked just like Courtney. At least pair her with a blonde! And the guys... well, they were both very good, but they were competing with Neil. NEIL!! The boy can leap and pirouette like almost no one else, except Danny. (I miss Danny..... Travis, get on bringing him back, will ya??)
Overall it was a very good hour of dance. Although I don't know if I really know the 11 dancers any better than I did on Wednesday.
What did you all think? Who are your favorites?
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Glee: Journey
I love you, Glee. Seems appropriate to say since those three words were thrown about this episode like they were going outta style! Made sense though since the finale was about, above all else, love. Before I get into the highlights, I want to get something out of the way, as it was a major complaint (from me as well) as about last nights episode: realism. I am the first to say that Glee is not a show set in any form of reality. There are moments where it seems to bend the laws of space and time more than LOST ever did with the flashback-forwards-sideways-jumping-through-time-in-flashes storytelling. But, despite that (though I will get back to that later) Glee, for me, is perfection. I forgive it's blatant inability to acknowledge realism and embrace the heart of the show: the songs and crazy characters.
Last night's finale was titled Journey, and they weren't just talking about the classic (I said it!) band from the 80s whose songs were the focus of New Directions this week. They were talking about the Journey we have been on this past year with the students and teachers of McKinley High. And as Mr. Shuester said in what was probably his best inspirational speech of the year (and that's saying something), it isn't about winning Regionals (good thing!) it's about the journey they were on getting there.
Things seem fairly bleak from the start. Sue Sylvester has managed to get on the panel of judges for Regionals and wants to "crush the glee club," she tells her Cherrios. The glee club wants to give up, and decends into a spiral of depression knowing that next year they won't all be friends anymore, as that is how high school works. By the way, LOVE that Puck agreed with Mercedes when she said that Puck and Santana won't acknowledge her anymore if Glee is disbanded. Gotta hand it to Puck: he doesn't hold back. But our leaders (Will and Rachel, in case you haven't noticed) are inspired to give the ol' Glee club try by their better halves. Or should-be better halves anyway. Will is reminded by Emma that he loved Glee not because of winning, but just because he loved to sing. He is also reminded how he totally blew it with her, and she is now dating her dentist, Carl (played by John Stamos as of next season. I smell a Beach Boys medley coming). But they haven't done the deed yet, so we aren't counting out Will and his hair. Rachel is reminded by Finn that she is the leader and they need to fix this so they can win regionals. He is rewarded with a kiss. Awwww..... (And we haven't even gotten to the I love you's yet!)
(Meanwhile, just to remind you, Quinn is still knocked up. Turns out what "does it" for her: being told she isn't fat. Awesome.)
All of this happens in the first 15 minutes because the middle 30 of the show is all Regionals. We don't get to see the "not at all idiotically named Aural Intensity" perform, just hear a moment over the speakers. And that is enough, because really, who cares! They are just there to round out the competition. First up (of the two we care about): New Directions. (Side note: Jane Lynch recently said in an interview that the cast calls them "nude erections" HAHAHAHA!!!!!)
Right before they go onstage Finn tells Rachel he loves her. (Number 1) The hit the stage, and the first song they sing is Faithfully. Then it goes into Anyway You Want It. Both of these are well done, but to be honest, not the best I've seen from New Directions. Then they go "old school" and sing Don't Stop Believing, but instead of just Rachel/Finn as the leads, they (almost) all take turns. I wasn't sure how they would make this song fresh considered just how many times we have heard them do it (until mid-season it was basically the show's theme song). But I will give them that one - it was fresh and even better than before. Also a nice pairing to Mr. Shue's speech about the "journey," as while it was good when the original 6 sang it, it was the mix of this whole group that made it great.
In the audience: Quinn's mom. She comes back stage to tell her she kicked her dad out and she wants Quinn to move back in. Well, if that doesn't send an already stressed out 16 year old into early labor I don't know what will. This leads to what was possibly the most creative piece of storyboarding/editing I have seen on television in a long time.
I don't have words for the Bohemian Rhapsody/Quinn's birth scene. It truly was (almost) perfection. What could have been cheesy and contrived, ended up being heartwrenching and somehow completely organic. Let's look at the two separate parts of the sequence. First there is Quinn giving birth. Love that she had Mercedes in there with her. These two are such a great pairing. But better than that was Puck. Quinn telling him repeatedly that he sucks. And his face when he looked "down there" - classic! Diana Argon (Quinn) nailed it. She was truly amazing in that scene. And then there is Jonathan Groff and the rest of Vocal Adrenaline. Don't hate me - but the effin killed it. KILLED. IT. Yes, New Directions had more heart, but Vocal Adrenaline did earn the win. That was a-maz-ing. Amazing. And honestly, I think that was the point. They did win it. In what is the only realistic aspect of the episode at all - New Directions wasn't going to win it based on heart. They were really good, but you can't beat what Vocal did.
(Here's my big time/space complaint: Where the ef is the hospital? Next to the school?? Because how did Quinn go and give birth with almost the entire Glee Club in tow and then the rest of the team make it back for the results? I mean the dual scene, that's just editing. But shouldn't Rachel have been the only one still there?! Just saying....)
At the hospital, Quinn asks Puck if he loved her. And he says yes, especially now. (Number 2!) And then there is Rachel's bio-mom, who asks the baby's name. (BETH!)
Then there is Sue.... Sue who is beaten down by the arrogance and let's face it, evilness, of Olivia Newton-John, clearly enjoying playing someone who isn't such a "Sandy." John Groban was a douche/idiot. And Rod is a 2010 version of Ted Baxter (congrats to my friends who know the reference.) In the end their nastiness opened Sue's eyes to the fact that maybe she is more like New Directions than she thought. Oh Sue....
Emma fights with the principal to keep Glee, despite the deal that was made at the beginning of the year. And her fight inspires Will to fight to, but for her. He tells Emma that he loves her (NUMBER 3!!) and that he isn't giving up. Awww.....
Then there was To Sir With Love. If you haven't seen the movie, rent it. It's great. It's one of those "great teacher" movies but it came way before they were so cliche. And it's Sidney Poitier, so how can you go wrong! The glee club kids saying one by one how Glee/Mr. Shue changed them.... well, I tear up now thinking about it. Let's put it this way... the song even made Sue cry!
And so Sue, one last time, saves Glee. If only so she can have another year of mocking Will and his hair, so she says. Thank goodness for Sue, because I can't imagine not having this show around either.
Oh.... and Rachel's bio-mom adopted Beth. How? I don't know. Doesn't matter. Again - Glee not based in reality. But I hope it leads to her being able to come back.
Then the end.... Mr Shue and Puck sing the Hawaiian version of Over the Rainbow. Sigh..... if only they had been shirtless. (What? Who said that?) Watching this group who, despite what Puck may say, are friends for more reasons than Glee, have their moment of celebration was so sweet. If only we could join them on their summer vacation......
Anyone else surprised by the general lack of cliffhangers?? As much as I love a good season-ending cliffhanger, I found it refreshing that there wasn't one!
How much did you cry? What did you love? Do you think I'm horrible for thinking Vocal Adrenaline earned the win? (Though, I do agree with Shue - they should have had second over Aural Intensity.) Comment away, Gleeks!!
Last night's finale was titled Journey, and they weren't just talking about the classic (I said it!) band from the 80s whose songs were the focus of New Directions this week. They were talking about the Journey we have been on this past year with the students and teachers of McKinley High. And as Mr. Shuester said in what was probably his best inspirational speech of the year (and that's saying something), it isn't about winning Regionals (good thing!) it's about the journey they were on getting there.
Things seem fairly bleak from the start. Sue Sylvester has managed to get on the panel of judges for Regionals and wants to "crush the glee club," she tells her Cherrios. The glee club wants to give up, and decends into a spiral of depression knowing that next year they won't all be friends anymore, as that is how high school works. By the way, LOVE that Puck agreed with Mercedes when she said that Puck and Santana won't acknowledge her anymore if Glee is disbanded. Gotta hand it to Puck: he doesn't hold back. But our leaders (Will and Rachel, in case you haven't noticed) are inspired to give the ol' Glee club try by their better halves. Or should-be better halves anyway. Will is reminded by Emma that he loved Glee not because of winning, but just because he loved to sing. He is also reminded how he totally blew it with her, and she is now dating her dentist, Carl (played by John Stamos as of next season. I smell a Beach Boys medley coming). But they haven't done the deed yet, so we aren't counting out Will and his hair. Rachel is reminded by Finn that she is the leader and they need to fix this so they can win regionals. He is rewarded with a kiss. Awwww..... (And we haven't even gotten to the I love you's yet!)
(Meanwhile, just to remind you, Quinn is still knocked up. Turns out what "does it" for her: being told she isn't fat. Awesome.)
All of this happens in the first 15 minutes because the middle 30 of the show is all Regionals. We don't get to see the "not at all idiotically named Aural Intensity" perform, just hear a moment over the speakers. And that is enough, because really, who cares! They are just there to round out the competition. First up (of the two we care about): New Directions. (Side note: Jane Lynch recently said in an interview that the cast calls them "nude erections" HAHAHAHA!!!!!)
Right before they go onstage Finn tells Rachel he loves her. (Number 1) The hit the stage, and the first song they sing is Faithfully. Then it goes into Anyway You Want It. Both of these are well done, but to be honest, not the best I've seen from New Directions. Then they go "old school" and sing Don't Stop Believing, but instead of just Rachel/Finn as the leads, they (almost) all take turns. I wasn't sure how they would make this song fresh considered just how many times we have heard them do it (until mid-season it was basically the show's theme song). But I will give them that one - it was fresh and even better than before. Also a nice pairing to Mr. Shue's speech about the "journey," as while it was good when the original 6 sang it, it was the mix of this whole group that made it great.
In the audience: Quinn's mom. She comes back stage to tell her she kicked her dad out and she wants Quinn to move back in. Well, if that doesn't send an already stressed out 16 year old into early labor I don't know what will. This leads to what was possibly the most creative piece of storyboarding/editing I have seen on television in a long time.
I don't have words for the Bohemian Rhapsody/Quinn's birth scene. It truly was (almost) perfection. What could have been cheesy and contrived, ended up being heartwrenching and somehow completely organic. Let's look at the two separate parts of the sequence. First there is Quinn giving birth. Love that she had Mercedes in there with her. These two are such a great pairing. But better than that was Puck. Quinn telling him repeatedly that he sucks. And his face when he looked "down there" - classic! Diana Argon (Quinn) nailed it. She was truly amazing in that scene. And then there is Jonathan Groff and the rest of Vocal Adrenaline. Don't hate me - but the effin killed it. KILLED. IT. Yes, New Directions had more heart, but Vocal Adrenaline did earn the win. That was a-maz-ing. Amazing. And honestly, I think that was the point. They did win it. In what is the only realistic aspect of the episode at all - New Directions wasn't going to win it based on heart. They were really good, but you can't beat what Vocal did.
(Here's my big time/space complaint: Where the ef is the hospital? Next to the school?? Because how did Quinn go and give birth with almost the entire Glee Club in tow and then the rest of the team make it back for the results? I mean the dual scene, that's just editing. But shouldn't Rachel have been the only one still there?! Just saying....)
At the hospital, Quinn asks Puck if he loved her. And he says yes, especially now. (Number 2!) And then there is Rachel's bio-mom, who asks the baby's name. (BETH!)
Then there is Sue.... Sue who is beaten down by the arrogance and let's face it, evilness, of Olivia Newton-John, clearly enjoying playing someone who isn't such a "Sandy." John Groban was a douche/idiot. And Rod is a 2010 version of Ted Baxter (congrats to my friends who know the reference.) In the end their nastiness opened Sue's eyes to the fact that maybe she is more like New Directions than she thought. Oh Sue....
Emma fights with the principal to keep Glee, despite the deal that was made at the beginning of the year. And her fight inspires Will to fight to, but for her. He tells Emma that he loves her (NUMBER 3!!) and that he isn't giving up. Awww.....
Then there was To Sir With Love. If you haven't seen the movie, rent it. It's great. It's one of those "great teacher" movies but it came way before they were so cliche. And it's Sidney Poitier, so how can you go wrong! The glee club kids saying one by one how Glee/Mr. Shue changed them.... well, I tear up now thinking about it. Let's put it this way... the song even made Sue cry!
And so Sue, one last time, saves Glee. If only so she can have another year of mocking Will and his hair, so she says. Thank goodness for Sue, because I can't imagine not having this show around either.
Oh.... and Rachel's bio-mom adopted Beth. How? I don't know. Doesn't matter. Again - Glee not based in reality. But I hope it leads to her being able to come back.
Then the end.... Mr Shue and Puck sing the Hawaiian version of Over the Rainbow. Sigh..... if only they had been shirtless. (What? Who said that?) Watching this group who, despite what Puck may say, are friends for more reasons than Glee, have their moment of celebration was so sweet. If only we could join them on their summer vacation......
Anyone else surprised by the general lack of cliffhangers?? As much as I love a good season-ending cliffhanger, I found it refreshing that there wasn't one!
How much did you cry? What did you love? Do you think I'm horrible for thinking Vocal Adrenaline earned the win? (Though, I do agree with Shue - they should have had second over Aural Intensity.) Comment away, Gleeks!!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Week in Review: 5/30-6/5
And so it begins..... the relatively slow part of the television season: summer. Yes, it's spring, but you know what I mean. All but Glee have ended for the regular season, and we are on to cable programs, for the most part. And these next couple weeks are going to be especially slow - regular season is over, summer season has barely started. If you have some extra time, I recommend the summer to go get some TV seasons on DVD from the library. Need any suggestions, just ask.
So let's get to what was on TV this week.....
THE BACHLORETTE: Confession time - I saw a website that said what is going to happen for almost the rest of the season. I know basically all of it except which guy she chooses, but I do know the top two. I know which guy is the "Wes" and has a girlfriend at home already - this should be obvious if you are watching. I also know which guy it is that decides to leave and makes Ali have a breakdown at the end. So.... I don't know how much more I'm going to watch or what I can really say. I will say this. Based on the two guys at the end, it seems obvious who she would pick, I think. And the guy that decides to leave.... well I'm heartbroken about it and not sure I want to watch. I'm still deciding.
GLEE: Oh Glee, why can't you just be on all year round?? I heart you so much. This week really belonged to Puck and Quinn. First of all, Puck calling Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch "old school" broke my heart a little. And probably Mark Whalberg's too. I feel like it was just yesterday that Marky Mark was looking down at me from a huge ass billboard in Times Square wearing his Calvin Kleins. But I digress...... Quinn's rendition of It's a Man's World was fantastic. It started sort of odd, but I was beyond impressed at the end, and not just because one of the pregnant girls was Courtney Galliano of SYTYCD. Speaking of odd, the Will seducing Sue storyline was creepy on all levels, but I loved it nonetheless. Especially that Sue wore pearls with her sweatsuit to be fancy. And while all of these stories were great, I think the last 10 minutes or so were the best. First, the ultra-cliche moment where Rachel thinks the "cool guy" wants to be with her and then she gets egged. (How many HS movies include this scene?) And as sad as that scene was (especially Jesse... oh Jesse, you break my heart) the fact that it lead to the boys of Glee (including Kurt) wanting to go kick some ass on her behalf was adorable. No matter how much of a bad time they give her, they still love her as a fellow freak. And then the end.... I knew when I heard that song on the soundtrack that it would have to be epic to work, and it was. As Puck said, "See you at Regionals"
JUSTIFIED: This show can not get any better, can it? Between Winona and Ava dealing with each other at Winona's house and Arlo double (triple?) crossing Raylan, this episode was full of a lot of tense and meaningful moments. This show is beyond well written. Proof: The scene in the church with Boyd giving a sermon that has double meaning. And words are other times totally unneccessary. Proof: the scene with Winona in Raylan's apartment/motel room, specifically when she left. As she slipped that ring back on her finger, I could almost hear Raylan's heart break just a little. Until this point the attraction to Raylan has always been his charm, but in this episode more than any other we saw that he is also sad and sweet, and it makes you just want to hug him. I'm so nervous for next week.
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: I'm not sure if I can handle Billy Bell and Anthony Wong not making it to the top 10. Just a warning if I use this blog next week as a sob fest. But as far as this week goes: Holy Crap... did ballroom choreo chic (name is gone from my head... Tony?) go crazy when she got in front of those kids or what?? I love Billy, "She's Nazi Barbie!"
IN PLAIN SIGHT: Ever since Laura San Giacomo uttered the word "Cinder-fuckin-rella" in Pretty Woman twenty years ago, I've loved her. She is always perfection, and proved as much in this episode as a dying woman whose last wish is to take down her mobster family in order to save her niece who is going to marry into the "family." And while she saved her niece, she also saved Mary, just a little. Sometimes Mary is so abrasive and hateful we forget she has a softer side. This episode was a well timed reminder. It was nice to see... and impossibly sad.
BURN NOTICE: This show works for one big reason: the supporting cast. As good as Jeffrey Donovan is as Michael, nothing beats those 3 people he can count on to back him up: Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), Sam (Bruce Campbell) and his mom (Sharon Gless). And while it is probably only a third teir storyline, the friendship between Sam and mom is far and away the best part of the show. So while a good season opener, the fact that these two had no scenes together made it a bit of a disappointment. However we did get a new character: Vaughn, played by Robert Wisdom (Uriel, for those of you who watch Supernatural). Interested to see where this story goes.
ROYAL PAINS: Another fun USA show back for the summer! And this one comes with a oh-so-pretty setting of the Hamptons. But with the return means the continuation of the "Will Divya go to London?" storyline. All I have to say is, she better not. One storyline they ended during the hiatus is the Jill/Charlie storyline, and thank goodness for that, because it was stupid and I hated it. But in it's wake we now have to worry about Jill losing her job thanks to Marcia Gay Harden. Good thing I love MGH so much! I am looking forward to Papa Larsen though! Bring on The Fonz!
PARTY DOWN: Kristin Bell is the shit. Seriously. The shit. While I'm glad Uta and Henry broke up, I still want K. Bell on every episode. I still hold out hope they will just bring back Veronica Mars. But since that's not happening, and Kristin is busy making movies, I'm glad that Lizzy Caplan is on the show to bring on the sass. Henry and Casey forever!
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Since this season aired already on DirecTV, I knew that this was the episode of the season and that it was a 5-tissue episode. I don't think the world has enough tissues, personally. I know, for some unexplained reason, a lot of people don't watch this show. Remember I said to rent some TV shows for the summer? Start with this one. I know... a show about high school football doesn't sound that thrilling, that is what I thought, but I was wrong. Beyond wrong. This show is perfection. And the acting is so good I can't put it into words. I know I've said all of this before, but I have to say it again because this episode was the best I've seen in 4 seasons of FNL. And Zach Gilford was fantastic in expressing the confusion Matt Saracen had in dealing with the death of his father - a man he loved and hated. His rollercoaster of emotions was one I could empathize with, and it was a ride that was both difficult and exhilirating to take along with him. From his moment of seeing his father, to breaking down at the Taylor's for dinner, to finally finding some version of closure as he shoveled the dirt back into his father's grave, Zach Gilford gave the performance of his life. But there was one moment that made me laugh outloud, only because it was one I could so relate to. When the McCoys came to give their condolences at the wake and Matt said "Seriously?!?!" and then slammed the door in their faces.... well let's just say it's a feeling I understood exactly. It's funny how in moments like that people who are assholes think you have to deal with them. Way to go, Matt.
And that's it. I tried to make some a little longer just to fill in the gaps. May write a full blog for the Glee finale. Lord knows I'll have enough to say about it!
Comment me. Something else I should be watching?
So let's get to what was on TV this week.....
THE BACHLORETTE: Confession time - I saw a website that said what is going to happen for almost the rest of the season. I know basically all of it except which guy she chooses, but I do know the top two. I know which guy is the "Wes" and has a girlfriend at home already - this should be obvious if you are watching. I also know which guy it is that decides to leave and makes Ali have a breakdown at the end. So.... I don't know how much more I'm going to watch or what I can really say. I will say this. Based on the two guys at the end, it seems obvious who she would pick, I think. And the guy that decides to leave.... well I'm heartbroken about it and not sure I want to watch. I'm still deciding.
GLEE: Oh Glee, why can't you just be on all year round?? I heart you so much. This week really belonged to Puck and Quinn. First of all, Puck calling Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch "old school" broke my heart a little. And probably Mark Whalberg's too. I feel like it was just yesterday that Marky Mark was looking down at me from a huge ass billboard in Times Square wearing his Calvin Kleins. But I digress...... Quinn's rendition of It's a Man's World was fantastic. It started sort of odd, but I was beyond impressed at the end, and not just because one of the pregnant girls was Courtney Galliano of SYTYCD. Speaking of odd, the Will seducing Sue storyline was creepy on all levels, but I loved it nonetheless. Especially that Sue wore pearls with her sweatsuit to be fancy. And while all of these stories were great, I think the last 10 minutes or so were the best. First, the ultra-cliche moment where Rachel thinks the "cool guy" wants to be with her and then she gets egged. (How many HS movies include this scene?) And as sad as that scene was (especially Jesse... oh Jesse, you break my heart) the fact that it lead to the boys of Glee (including Kurt) wanting to go kick some ass on her behalf was adorable. No matter how much of a bad time they give her, they still love her as a fellow freak. And then the end.... I knew when I heard that song on the soundtrack that it would have to be epic to work, and it was. As Puck said, "See you at Regionals"
JUSTIFIED: This show can not get any better, can it? Between Winona and Ava dealing with each other at Winona's house and Arlo double (triple?) crossing Raylan, this episode was full of a lot of tense and meaningful moments. This show is beyond well written. Proof: The scene in the church with Boyd giving a sermon that has double meaning. And words are other times totally unneccessary. Proof: the scene with Winona in Raylan's apartment/motel room, specifically when she left. As she slipped that ring back on her finger, I could almost hear Raylan's heart break just a little. Until this point the attraction to Raylan has always been his charm, but in this episode more than any other we saw that he is also sad and sweet, and it makes you just want to hug him. I'm so nervous for next week.
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: I'm not sure if I can handle Billy Bell and Anthony Wong not making it to the top 10. Just a warning if I use this blog next week as a sob fest. But as far as this week goes: Holy Crap... did ballroom choreo chic (name is gone from my head... Tony?) go crazy when she got in front of those kids or what?? I love Billy, "She's Nazi Barbie!"
IN PLAIN SIGHT: Ever since Laura San Giacomo uttered the word "Cinder-fuckin-rella" in Pretty Woman twenty years ago, I've loved her. She is always perfection, and proved as much in this episode as a dying woman whose last wish is to take down her mobster family in order to save her niece who is going to marry into the "family." And while she saved her niece, she also saved Mary, just a little. Sometimes Mary is so abrasive and hateful we forget she has a softer side. This episode was a well timed reminder. It was nice to see... and impossibly sad.
BURN NOTICE: This show works for one big reason: the supporting cast. As good as Jeffrey Donovan is as Michael, nothing beats those 3 people he can count on to back him up: Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar), Sam (Bruce Campbell) and his mom (Sharon Gless). And while it is probably only a third teir storyline, the friendship between Sam and mom is far and away the best part of the show. So while a good season opener, the fact that these two had no scenes together made it a bit of a disappointment. However we did get a new character: Vaughn, played by Robert Wisdom (Uriel, for those of you who watch Supernatural). Interested to see where this story goes.
ROYAL PAINS: Another fun USA show back for the summer! And this one comes with a oh-so-pretty setting of the Hamptons. But with the return means the continuation of the "Will Divya go to London?" storyline. All I have to say is, she better not. One storyline they ended during the hiatus is the Jill/Charlie storyline, and thank goodness for that, because it was stupid and I hated it. But in it's wake we now have to worry about Jill losing her job thanks to Marcia Gay Harden. Good thing I love MGH so much! I am looking forward to Papa Larsen though! Bring on The Fonz!
PARTY DOWN: Kristin Bell is the shit. Seriously. The shit. While I'm glad Uta and Henry broke up, I still want K. Bell on every episode. I still hold out hope they will just bring back Veronica Mars. But since that's not happening, and Kristin is busy making movies, I'm glad that Lizzy Caplan is on the show to bring on the sass. Henry and Casey forever!
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Since this season aired already on DirecTV, I knew that this was the episode of the season and that it was a 5-tissue episode. I don't think the world has enough tissues, personally. I know, for some unexplained reason, a lot of people don't watch this show. Remember I said to rent some TV shows for the summer? Start with this one. I know... a show about high school football doesn't sound that thrilling, that is what I thought, but I was wrong. Beyond wrong. This show is perfection. And the acting is so good I can't put it into words. I know I've said all of this before, but I have to say it again because this episode was the best I've seen in 4 seasons of FNL. And Zach Gilford was fantastic in expressing the confusion Matt Saracen had in dealing with the death of his father - a man he loved and hated. His rollercoaster of emotions was one I could empathize with, and it was a ride that was both difficult and exhilirating to take along with him. From his moment of seeing his father, to breaking down at the Taylor's for dinner, to finally finding some version of closure as he shoveled the dirt back into his father's grave, Zach Gilford gave the performance of his life. But there was one moment that made me laugh outloud, only because it was one I could so relate to. When the McCoys came to give their condolences at the wake and Matt said "Seriously?!?!" and then slammed the door in their faces.... well let's just say it's a feeling I understood exactly. It's funny how in moments like that people who are assholes think you have to deal with them. Way to go, Matt.
And that's it. I tried to make some a little longer just to fill in the gaps. May write a full blog for the Glee finale. Lord knows I'll have enough to say about it!
Comment me. Something else I should be watching?
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Week in Review: 5/23-5/29
Yes.... this is incredibly late. Sorry. I had an insane weekend. But here it is now, in case anyone still cares! :) It's all about season finales (mostly) so they will be a little longer, but there are a lot fewer entries. At the end of the post, I'll mention the summer shows I will be watching.
10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU: Booooo, ABC Family. Not only did you cancel this show way too soon, you did it without giving Carter Covington proper notice so he didn't get a chance to make an ending. At least we got to see Kat and Patrick finally get on track. To bad that moment was ruined by dad walking in on their post-coital bliss. And then.... scene! End of series. Again I say: BOOOOO!!!!!
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER: Well, we still haven't seen Barney's doppleganger (just don't tell Lily), but we have proven once and for all that despite how hard he tries, Barney is the heart of this show. He is the one that helped Marshall and Lily decide to get married. And now he is the one that has made it OK that Marshall puts a baby in Lily's belly. This season hasn't been the best ever (not enough Barney) but it's been solid enough. I look forward to the pregnancy fun of next season. I also hope that Alexis Denisof knocks up Alison Hannigan in real life just for the show. But that's because I love my Whedonverse couple!
24: As a season finale, I thought that was great. As a series finale, I thought it was OK. I understand that the theme of this show was never "happily ever after." And the moment Renee died, that went out the window, so I wasn't really looking for that. But really? He ends up just on the run from the US AND Russian government? That's it?? The man gave up everything for his country. His wife, his unborn child, his best friend went evil, his other best friend got killed, his favorite (everyone's favorite) president was assassinated, one girlfriend went completely insane, the other died 5 minutes after they finally got around to having sex, he lost years and years of time with his daughter. The man had almost nothing left - just Chloe, Kimmy and baby Terri. And then he had to give them up too. I hope the movie wraps it up a little nicer. I loved Jack Bauer and there was some great television stuck in those 8 years. I think we deserved something more for him, and so did he. Redeeming the finale as a whole: Mary Lynn Rajskub. Her greatest hour by far. Bye Jack.... I guess we will see you on the big screen. And by big screen I don't mean that insanely large screen in CTU: The Nightclub. I mean the movies.
CHUCK: Giving a lesson on how action shows should end a season, there is Chuck. A nearly perfect season ending with a nearly perfect finale. For those of you who are not members of Team Bartowski, I can not stress enough the importance of getting on board! Netflix season 1 & 2 and illegally download season 3. Just kidding. I didn't say that. (but do it!) I could write a novel about the perfection of these two hours of television. It simultaneously wrapped a 3 season arc dealing with The Ring, which was defined brilliantly by Morgan as "a nefarious organization hell bent on world domination." And while I think that Chuck should have just killed Shaw during their climactic fight at the end, I understand wanting to keep Brandon Routh available for a return. He was sorely underused all season, but made up for all of that with his evil "muah ha ha" laugh said slowly and without inflection. And then of course, with his reaction when Chuck used it back on him. Of course, as with every other season, it was unknown if Chuck would be returning next season, but thankfully it will be back - and aparently with the "Alias" storyline of the return of mysterious and thought to be dead mother. Possibly evil. Lena Olin, is that you?! (Seriously, any ideas on who should play Mama Bartowski?) And now everyone knows that Chuck is a spy... but not really, as he quit the CIA as a result to a promise to his sister Ellie. But a loophole was revealed. He can be a spy Papa Bartowski style - and so sets up missions for next season as well! Well played, Josh Schwartz. It will be a long summer without you. (Please don't rebuild the Buy More while we are gone!)
THE BACHLORETTE: Yep. This is one of my summer shows. Whatevers. Though I recently just saw what happens throughout the season until the final rose ceremony (just not which guy she chooses) and I am REALLY upset about part of it, so I'm not sure I am going to continue watching. Here is what I think about the show in general, though. The first 4-5 episodes are merely a psychological experiment in how men/women behave when sequestered together in a house. The last 4-5 are really just deciding who the next bachelor/bachelorette. And it is all one big casting call for Dancing with the Stars. For now that is all I have - more on this next week.
THE GOOD WIFE: This season there were a lot of great new comedies (Community, Cougar Town, Glee, Modern Family!!!) but not a lot of great new dramas. This one is my favorite of the new dramas hands down. And had there been a lot of great new dramas, it probably still would be. Like Bones, it manages to mix the procedural and serial storylines incredibly well, making the "case of the week" important to the season-long story-arcs, without making it seem like a stretch. This week's case involved Amy Acker, who, inevitably, "did it." And then got away with it. I only hope that she returns in the second season premiere. She was underused, and plays "sweet turned evil" incredibly well (Don't believe me? Watch Season 5 of Angel. Specifically episodes 15 and 16. She's genius). But back to the episode. There was so much I loved about this episode. Anything Will at all. Especially his final phone conversation with Alicia. (Pick up the phone, girl!) But, as always, the best of the night was Kalinda. Playing all sides, legally and sexually, she keeps things in her control at all times. And in those boots! The best part of the episode was so subtle, but summed up what I love about the show best: Kalinda and Alicia's friendship and how it transcends their work. When Kalinda called Alicia about something work related and Alicia told her she was having dinner with Will, Kalinda asked something we couldn't hear to which Alicia replied, "Nooooo" like a 14 year old girl. Loved his moment. Can't wait for more next season.
PARENTHOOD: This is one of the other new dramas of the season. While I think Good Wife is great, I think Parenthood is good. (funny) The finale played out like they weren't sure it was going to last, which may have been a possiblity. Every storyline was wrapped up in a nice little package, ending with their inevitable sporting event. Those Bravermans sure like their athletic activities! I'm happy with the season over all. Only major complaint: Kristina. Her character is uneven at best. Sometimes I sympathize with her - it's hard not to sympathize a little with the mother of a child with aspbergers. BUT, at other times I think she is a selfish bitch, highlighted in this episode when she wanted Adam to punish Drew because of her issues with Sarah and Amber. Poor Drew. Like he can help that his sister and mom are crazy. Though I don't think they are, and I could never think negatively of anything a Lauren Graham character did. She could kill them all and I would think, "well, they had it coming." Here is to more Lauren Graham goodness next season! (Small tiny little issue with the episode: Amber ran away to Gilroy but ended up at a truck stop diner that is used in every television show ever? If you go to Gilroy and don't know where you are, you end up at the outlets/In N Out. Everyone knows that!)
GLEE: It was the Lady Gaga episode!! Should have been called the Lady Gaga/Kiss episode, but you've got everyone's attention when you say Lady Gaga, so why bother. The performances in this episode were fantastic. Bad Romance? Wow. Poker Face? Tears. Beth? More tears. And that scene in the basement with Burt, Kurt and Finn?? Hello Emmy. I'd like you to meet Mike O'Malley! Wow. Lots o' tears. I will say this, while what Finn said was inexcusable, why they thought he would just be OK with all of this change is ridiculous. It wasn't really Kurt being gay that he was mad at. It was all of this happening as if he had no say in it at all. That was never acknowledged, and I felt for Finn a bit when it came to that. However it did NOT give him license to say what he did. Bad move, Finn. The greatest part of the episode was not a song, or a piece of dialogue... it was a part of a costume. When performing Kiss, Puck's "Paul Stanley" star over his eye was a Star of David as opposed to the regular 5 point star that Paul uses. Puck is very proud of the Jewishness. Love! (PS Gleeks, next week another mini-soundtrack "Glee: Journey to Regionals" is being released. It's available for pre-order now. When you see what 6 songs are on there, you will pre-order like me.)
JUSTIFIED: The path that is being taken during the season that will ultimately lead to a confrontation between Raylan, Arlo, Boyd and Beau has been a crazy ride. And a thrilling one to watch. Each episode is somehow better than the last. I can not wait to see how the season ends in two weeks and where they will leave it for next season. I'm not sure it matters what happens, as long as Raylan and his hat survive the day, I'm good!
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: I will actually blog this show weekly on it's own once we get to the actual competition. Until then there are way too many dancers to talk about. And we don't really know their names. It would be too much for me to take notes on. In the meantime: Hurray Mia is back!!!!!!! And to be honest, I don't really miss Mary.
FLASHFORWARD: This show never really found it's focus and ultimately succumed to the "too many storylines to follow and not enough connection to the characters" issues that come up with this complext mythology shows. They are never going to find another LOST, so I wish they would stop trying. However that being said, I wish they had kept this instead of V. Apparently shooting 60% of your show in front of a green screen is cheaper than using real life locations! What a shame. I would have loved to find out what everyones next flashforward was. I will say that the finale was well done, except that the assains sent to kill Mark were the worst assassains ever. Ever. Who would have been fooled by the elevator? Seriously! Also, it took me to the finale to realize the FBI office was the same set they used for Eli Stone. Hurray me!
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Tim Riggins is one of my favorite characters on television. Much like Barney on HIMYM, he is a womanizer, spends a lot of his time trying to prove he doesn't care, but ultimately is the one person everyone can count on. Coach, Saracen, even poor Becky. Riggins is there for them all. And like Barney, he is too adorable for words. I heard he is gone after this season. Please let him come back at least part time. Dillon, Texas would not be the same without him. I have heard a lot of great things about the next episode. I already have my tissues ready. I hope those Emmy voters have their ballots ready. I'm glad that episode is reairing right in time for their nomination process!
OK.... here is a (probably incomplete) list of what I will be watching/trying this summer. I will put a star next to the few I will blog individually. (And yes, Katie, this list is in order of premiere, based on Kristin's list. Thanks for noticing! LOL)
Bachlorette (I know!)
Saving Grace
SYTYCD *** (after Vegas)
Burn Notice
Royal Pains
Drop Dead Diva
Secret Life....
Persons Unknown
Pretty Little Liar
True Blood *** (duh)
Top Chef
The Gates
Leverage
Hawthorne
Memphis Beat
Boston Med (This is a follow up to Hopkins. Not sure if anyone watched that, but it was FASCINATING. It's an 8 part mini-series, and I highly recommend it)
Entourage
Hung
Make it or Break it
Warehouse 13
Covert Affairs
White Collar
Psych *** (maybe)
Mad Men ***
My Boys
Dark Blue
That seems like a whole lot. I guess it is. But the seasons are all so short that some will be over before the others even begin. If you are going to only watch a few, I suggest True Blood, if you have HBO. And Mad Men. If you've never seen that show, for the love of Madison Avenue, rent the first 3 season and get caught up. One of my favorite shows of all time. Can't wait to see what that crazy bastard Matthew Weiner came up with for this season.
Alright all.... comments!
10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU: Booooo, ABC Family. Not only did you cancel this show way too soon, you did it without giving Carter Covington proper notice so he didn't get a chance to make an ending. At least we got to see Kat and Patrick finally get on track. To bad that moment was ruined by dad walking in on their post-coital bliss. And then.... scene! End of series. Again I say: BOOOOO!!!!!
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER: Well, we still haven't seen Barney's doppleganger (just don't tell Lily), but we have proven once and for all that despite how hard he tries, Barney is the heart of this show. He is the one that helped Marshall and Lily decide to get married. And now he is the one that has made it OK that Marshall puts a baby in Lily's belly. This season hasn't been the best ever (not enough Barney) but it's been solid enough. I look forward to the pregnancy fun of next season. I also hope that Alexis Denisof knocks up Alison Hannigan in real life just for the show. But that's because I love my Whedonverse couple!
24: As a season finale, I thought that was great. As a series finale, I thought it was OK. I understand that the theme of this show was never "happily ever after." And the moment Renee died, that went out the window, so I wasn't really looking for that. But really? He ends up just on the run from the US AND Russian government? That's it?? The man gave up everything for his country. His wife, his unborn child, his best friend went evil, his other best friend got killed, his favorite (everyone's favorite) president was assassinated, one girlfriend went completely insane, the other died 5 minutes after they finally got around to having sex, he lost years and years of time with his daughter. The man had almost nothing left - just Chloe, Kimmy and baby Terri. And then he had to give them up too. I hope the movie wraps it up a little nicer. I loved Jack Bauer and there was some great television stuck in those 8 years. I think we deserved something more for him, and so did he. Redeeming the finale as a whole: Mary Lynn Rajskub. Her greatest hour by far. Bye Jack.... I guess we will see you on the big screen. And by big screen I don't mean that insanely large screen in CTU: The Nightclub. I mean the movies.
CHUCK: Giving a lesson on how action shows should end a season, there is Chuck. A nearly perfect season ending with a nearly perfect finale. For those of you who are not members of Team Bartowski, I can not stress enough the importance of getting on board! Netflix season 1 & 2 and illegally download season 3. Just kidding. I didn't say that. (but do it!) I could write a novel about the perfection of these two hours of television. It simultaneously wrapped a 3 season arc dealing with The Ring, which was defined brilliantly by Morgan as "a nefarious organization hell bent on world domination." And while I think that Chuck should have just killed Shaw during their climactic fight at the end, I understand wanting to keep Brandon Routh available for a return. He was sorely underused all season, but made up for all of that with his evil "muah ha ha" laugh said slowly and without inflection. And then of course, with his reaction when Chuck used it back on him. Of course, as with every other season, it was unknown if Chuck would be returning next season, but thankfully it will be back - and aparently with the "Alias" storyline of the return of mysterious and thought to be dead mother. Possibly evil. Lena Olin, is that you?! (Seriously, any ideas on who should play Mama Bartowski?) And now everyone knows that Chuck is a spy... but not really, as he quit the CIA as a result to a promise to his sister Ellie. But a loophole was revealed. He can be a spy Papa Bartowski style - and so sets up missions for next season as well! Well played, Josh Schwartz. It will be a long summer without you. (Please don't rebuild the Buy More while we are gone!)
THE BACHLORETTE: Yep. This is one of my summer shows. Whatevers. Though I recently just saw what happens throughout the season until the final rose ceremony (just not which guy she chooses) and I am REALLY upset about part of it, so I'm not sure I am going to continue watching. Here is what I think about the show in general, though. The first 4-5 episodes are merely a psychological experiment in how men/women behave when sequestered together in a house. The last 4-5 are really just deciding who the next bachelor/bachelorette. And it is all one big casting call for Dancing with the Stars. For now that is all I have - more on this next week.
THE GOOD WIFE: This season there were a lot of great new comedies (Community, Cougar Town, Glee, Modern Family!!!) but not a lot of great new dramas. This one is my favorite of the new dramas hands down. And had there been a lot of great new dramas, it probably still would be. Like Bones, it manages to mix the procedural and serial storylines incredibly well, making the "case of the week" important to the season-long story-arcs, without making it seem like a stretch. This week's case involved Amy Acker, who, inevitably, "did it." And then got away with it. I only hope that she returns in the second season premiere. She was underused, and plays "sweet turned evil" incredibly well (Don't believe me? Watch Season 5 of Angel. Specifically episodes 15 and 16. She's genius). But back to the episode. There was so much I loved about this episode. Anything Will at all. Especially his final phone conversation with Alicia. (Pick up the phone, girl!) But, as always, the best of the night was Kalinda. Playing all sides, legally and sexually, she keeps things in her control at all times. And in those boots! The best part of the episode was so subtle, but summed up what I love about the show best: Kalinda and Alicia's friendship and how it transcends their work. When Kalinda called Alicia about something work related and Alicia told her she was having dinner with Will, Kalinda asked something we couldn't hear to which Alicia replied, "Nooooo" like a 14 year old girl. Loved his moment. Can't wait for more next season.
PARENTHOOD: This is one of the other new dramas of the season. While I think Good Wife is great, I think Parenthood is good. (funny) The finale played out like they weren't sure it was going to last, which may have been a possiblity. Every storyline was wrapped up in a nice little package, ending with their inevitable sporting event. Those Bravermans sure like their athletic activities! I'm happy with the season over all. Only major complaint: Kristina. Her character is uneven at best. Sometimes I sympathize with her - it's hard not to sympathize a little with the mother of a child with aspbergers. BUT, at other times I think she is a selfish bitch, highlighted in this episode when she wanted Adam to punish Drew because of her issues with Sarah and Amber. Poor Drew. Like he can help that his sister and mom are crazy. Though I don't think they are, and I could never think negatively of anything a Lauren Graham character did. She could kill them all and I would think, "well, they had it coming." Here is to more Lauren Graham goodness next season! (Small tiny little issue with the episode: Amber ran away to Gilroy but ended up at a truck stop diner that is used in every television show ever? If you go to Gilroy and don't know where you are, you end up at the outlets/In N Out. Everyone knows that!)
GLEE: It was the Lady Gaga episode!! Should have been called the Lady Gaga/Kiss episode, but you've got everyone's attention when you say Lady Gaga, so why bother. The performances in this episode were fantastic. Bad Romance? Wow. Poker Face? Tears. Beth? More tears. And that scene in the basement with Burt, Kurt and Finn?? Hello Emmy. I'd like you to meet Mike O'Malley! Wow. Lots o' tears. I will say this, while what Finn said was inexcusable, why they thought he would just be OK with all of this change is ridiculous. It wasn't really Kurt being gay that he was mad at. It was all of this happening as if he had no say in it at all. That was never acknowledged, and I felt for Finn a bit when it came to that. However it did NOT give him license to say what he did. Bad move, Finn. The greatest part of the episode was not a song, or a piece of dialogue... it was a part of a costume. When performing Kiss, Puck's "Paul Stanley" star over his eye was a Star of David as opposed to the regular 5 point star that Paul uses. Puck is very proud of the Jewishness. Love! (PS Gleeks, next week another mini-soundtrack "Glee: Journey to Regionals" is being released. It's available for pre-order now. When you see what 6 songs are on there, you will pre-order like me.)
JUSTIFIED: The path that is being taken during the season that will ultimately lead to a confrontation between Raylan, Arlo, Boyd and Beau has been a crazy ride. And a thrilling one to watch. Each episode is somehow better than the last. I can not wait to see how the season ends in two weeks and where they will leave it for next season. I'm not sure it matters what happens, as long as Raylan and his hat survive the day, I'm good!
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: I will actually blog this show weekly on it's own once we get to the actual competition. Until then there are way too many dancers to talk about. And we don't really know their names. It would be too much for me to take notes on. In the meantime: Hurray Mia is back!!!!!!! And to be honest, I don't really miss Mary.
FLASHFORWARD: This show never really found it's focus and ultimately succumed to the "too many storylines to follow and not enough connection to the characters" issues that come up with this complext mythology shows. They are never going to find another LOST, so I wish they would stop trying. However that being said, I wish they had kept this instead of V. Apparently shooting 60% of your show in front of a green screen is cheaper than using real life locations! What a shame. I would have loved to find out what everyones next flashforward was. I will say that the finale was well done, except that the assains sent to kill Mark were the worst assassains ever. Ever. Who would have been fooled by the elevator? Seriously! Also, it took me to the finale to realize the FBI office was the same set they used for Eli Stone. Hurray me!
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: Tim Riggins is one of my favorite characters on television. Much like Barney on HIMYM, he is a womanizer, spends a lot of his time trying to prove he doesn't care, but ultimately is the one person everyone can count on. Coach, Saracen, even poor Becky. Riggins is there for them all. And like Barney, he is too adorable for words. I heard he is gone after this season. Please let him come back at least part time. Dillon, Texas would not be the same without him. I have heard a lot of great things about the next episode. I already have my tissues ready. I hope those Emmy voters have their ballots ready. I'm glad that episode is reairing right in time for their nomination process!
OK.... here is a (probably incomplete) list of what I will be watching/trying this summer. I will put a star next to the few I will blog individually. (And yes, Katie, this list is in order of premiere, based on Kristin's list. Thanks for noticing! LOL)
Bachlorette (I know!)
Saving Grace
SYTYCD *** (after Vegas)
Burn Notice
Royal Pains
Drop Dead Diva
Secret Life....
Persons Unknown
Pretty Little Liar
True Blood *** (duh)
Top Chef
The Gates
Leverage
Hawthorne
Memphis Beat
Boston Med (This is a follow up to Hopkins. Not sure if anyone watched that, but it was FASCINATING. It's an 8 part mini-series, and I highly recommend it)
Entourage
Hung
Make it or Break it
Warehouse 13
Covert Affairs
White Collar
Psych *** (maybe)
Mad Men ***
My Boys
Dark Blue
That seems like a whole lot. I guess it is. But the seasons are all so short that some will be over before the others even begin. If you are going to only watch a few, I suggest True Blood, if you have HBO. And Mad Men. If you've never seen that show, for the love of Madison Avenue, rent the first 3 season and get caught up. One of my favorite shows of all time. Can't wait to see what that crazy bastard Matthew Weiner came up with for this season.
Alright all.... comments!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)