Couchtime

Wow, people like me!

2012-01-31T13:23:00.000-04:00

So, time for a little selfish bragging.

I won something!!!

More specifically, this morning I found out that I placed first in the Pop Culture and Entertainment category in the Best Canadian Weblog Awards. Me - little old me!

Suffice to say, I am thrilled. This blog is really a labor of love, and I have a lot of really exciting plans for it this year, from doing more video to upgrading the design. There are so many great blogs out there and there was some stiff competition in my category, and I'm really floored that I was selected among such fantastic choices.

Also honored were fellow East Coast bloggers Ben of No Ordinary Rollercoaster, the gang at East Coast By Choice and Kelly Neil. They are only a few of the talented bloggers we have in our little corner of the world!

This feels like enough bragging, so I just want to say thanks to y'all for reading, and thanks to the folks at Ninjamatics for putting this all together!

The Bachelor: Rude/Nude

2012-01-31T12:15:00.004-04:00

This week on The Bachelor Ben and his 11 girlfriends traveled to Puerto Rico, and he said hasta la vista baby to two women. There's a lot to talk about, so let's get to it!

Kiss The Rain

First Ben had a one-on-one date with Nicki, the divorced dental hygienist we've barely seen. A few of the girls gave poor Nicki some serious bitchface when Chris Harrison announced the date. Come on guys, can't you just fake a smile?

Nicki seems nice and normal enough, but the chemistry was just so-so. The plan for the date was for Ben and Nicki to wander around San Juan, soaking up the sights. And then it started to pour. Cue and opportunity to show Ben how laid back and easy going you are! Instead of nipping into a nearby shop, the couple ran around in the rain pretending to look for shelter...barefoot. Cue this text from my boyfriend:

"THEY ARE WALKING BAREFOOT IN A TROPICAL COUNTRY IN A RAINSTORM? I hope they got their Twinrix shots..."

Thank god Rob and I found each other, because I can only assume that Ben Flajnik would find me too uptight and inflexible because I'd refuse to take my shoes off. Seriously, gross.

Since The Bachelor once again sprung for tickets to a tropical destination in the off-season, Ben and Nicki went into a store to buy themselves dry clothes, trying to look as "local" as possible. For Ben that meant all white linen clothing, and for Nicki that meant a silk patterned dress that was just begging for a belt. Nicki thought Ben looked "mooey mooey mooey mooey caliente", whatever that means. Then the couple just happened to "stumble upon" a wedding - what a great opportunity to talk about Nicki's divorce! That was obviously a coincidence, right? (Boyfriend suggested it might be the finale of The Bachelor: Puetro Rico Edition, but I had to remind him that couples from these shows rarely make it down the aisle.)

Over dinner, Nicki "opened up" more to Ben, which is his absolute favorite thing. He likes opening up the way I like shoes, or television, or cheese. They talked about her divorce - she's 26 and was married for three years - and then he gave her the date rose. They made out, and I was reminded of how much I hate watching Ben kiss people. So. Much. Unnecessary. Tongue.

Diamonds Aren't Every Girl's Best Friend

Group date time! Lucky ladies Lindzi, Courtney, Jennifer, Kacie B., Emily, Rachel, Casey S., Jamie, and Blakeley got to join Ben for a romantic game of baseball. Yeah. Basically, it was an opportunity for everyone to dress up in skimpy baseball outfits (Oh, how I wish they'd gone for the A League of Their Own looks instead) and either show off their athleticism or feel embarrassed.

After practicing a little, the women were divided into two teams. Whoever won a baseball game would get to continue the date on the beach that night. Obviously, I was rooting for Team Blakeley, which consisted of the competitive and surprisingly good VIP cocktail waitress, Emily, Jennifer and Rachel. Unfortunately, they couldn't pull off the win and instead Courtney, Kacie B., Casey S., some chick I've never heard of called Jamie and played-both-ways Lindzi got to stick around.

Courtney was in uber-bitch mode the whole time, saying "Who knew the stripper could play baseball?", but you have to give her credit for referencing my favorite line from A League of Their Own. I hate her, but she can be funny.

During the latter half of the group date, Ben confided in Kacie that no one ever loves him, and then gave her the date rose so that maybe she would. This didn't bother Courtney, who had other plans in mind. Even though Kacie is the only woman she sees as even slight competition, "She's really cute with her baton twirling, but she just reminds me of a little girl. And I think that Ben needs a woman." Oh, Courtney. Ask Michelle Money how the "you need a woman" argument worked out for her. Courtney took Ben down to the beach and mentioned going swimming, but nothing would come of it until later.

Come Sail Away

Time for the second solo date! Ben takes Elyse out on a boat, and zero sparks fly. Not only that, but Elyse made mistake after mistake every time she opened her mouth. She quit her job and skipped her best friend's wedding to come on the show - but no pressure or anything, Ben! She's accomplished everything in life that she wants to. Oh, and she's really sick of being single. But oh no - she's not just here because she's sick of being single and marriage is the next "accomplishment" she wants to knock off her list! No, that's not it at all.

Sigh. Oh, Elyse. You really bombed.

Ben told Elyse that he didn't think their relationship could get to the level of his others (guys, this is such a weird show when you think about it) and he sent her home. In a dinghy. Because it's not humiliating enough already.

When the bellhop of doom arrived to take Elyse's packed bag away, Courtney was "pleasantly surprised." "Maybe she drank too much and the Jersey Shore came out," she said to the other girls. And with that snide comment, Courtney was gone - waiting on the staircase near Ben's room wearing a bathrobe and holding a couple wine glasses. Ugh, she is so Michelle Money 2.0! I won't lie, I got some pleasure out of the fact that Courtney sounded kind of nervous and stumbled over her words. Still, Ben invited her in. Because he's a dude.

Seriously though, does Courtney know how cheap and trashy she came off? She offered to draw him a bath or use the lotion she brought to give him a massage. Why not just list the price for a happy ending? How much, exactly, did the skinny-dipping experience cost? Ben felt conflicted about her proposition, but he's a dude, so the two stripped naked and jumped in the ocean. What a class act!

Loose Lips

At the cocktail party the following evening, Ben admits that he feels "crappy" about skinny-dipping with Courtney. So to ease his conscience, he gives extra attention to the other women. First, Blakeley drops a load of self-reflection in his lap, telling him how she's finally realized that she deserves love, a good man, etc. Blakeley has grown on me, but I don't know that she's right for Ben. Next, Emily apologizes for bringing up her issues with Courtney at the previous rose ceremony, and tells Ben she regrets it. Good. Then she goes on to reiterate all of her opinions and feelings on the matter. Definitely not good. Not only could you tell from the look on Ben's face that he wasn't happy, but he flat-out told Emily to be careful. Uh-oh. I was sure Emily was done-zo.

In a surprising twist, Emily was not the woman sent home this week - because he shipped Elyse off, Ben only had to cut one girlfriend at the rose ceremony. That honor went to Jennifer, who Ben had declared as the best kisser in the house. Interesting - what do you think changed between their date, when he gave her a rose, and now? And who the hell is Jamie?

So, were you guys surprised to see Jennifer get the boot instead of Jamie, Casey (someone we also haven't seen a lot of, but apparently soon will) or Emily? Are you intrigued by all the drama teased in the previews? Were you shocked that Courtney (barely) managed to keep her skinny-dipping excursion a secret from the other women? Tell me in the comments section!

Screen Actor's Guild Awards

2012-01-30T13:50:00.001-04:00

The Screen Actor's Guilld Awards were on last night, an awards show that I usually enjoy watching. The actors are all excited to get to hang out together, and I love the little "and I'm an actor" intros they do at the beginning. And of course, I love watching red carpets.

The red carpet event on E! was a trainwreck. Seacrest wasn't there, and Guiliana Rancic was able to make every single celebrity uncomfortable with her weird, probing, personal questions. The woman has no boundaries! Even the most gregarious celebrities looked a little freaked out, so you can only imagine how I cringed when she peppered poor, shy Michelle Williams with intimate questions.

Frankly, the whole thing was painful. I'm apparently a glutton for punishment though (or I just like making snarky tweets) because I did not opt to watch the show on mute. Anyway, let's talk gowns.

The Highs

Ariel Winter, Julia Bowen, Sarah Hyland, Sofia Vergara

The women of Modern Family killed it, didn't they? Yes, I know Ariel Winter is only 14. But you know what? She's very pretty and plays a nerd on TV and deserves to dress up fancy for these things. Sofia Vergara is getting a little predictable, but looked fantastic nonetheless. I think this might be the first time I've liked what Julie Bowen's worn on a red carpet, and I thought Sarah Hyland looked beautiful as always.

Berenice Bejo, Viola Davis, Naya Rivera, Octavia Spencer

Viola Davis looked spectacular, right? Truly stunning. As for the other women in the collage? Good enough. Not on par with Viola, though.

Angelina Jolie, Stacy Keibler, Jayma Mays, Ashlee Simpson

I always find black a bit boring, but these women did it well. Angelina's look was very well, Angelina, but she wore it well. Stacy Keibler has been fulfilling her duty as Clooney's arm candy in all the right ways. Jayma Mays looked sparkly and beautiful. Now, who was surprised by Ashlee Simpson? I certainly was. She actually looked pretty good, and didn't seem like a trainwreck. She was there as the date Lucky Luciano from Boardwalk Empire.

Dianna Agron, Emily Blunt, Melissa McCarthy, Natalie Portman, Michelle Williams, Kyra Sedgwick

My favorites here are Dianna Agron and Emily Blunt. I loved the sweet simplicity of Dianna's look following her intricate, stunning Golden Globes gown, and I love that Emily Blunt wears color so often.

What do we think of this?

Rose Byrne

I'm pretty sure I've come to the conclusion that I like it. It's daring, that's for sure. But I think she pulls it off. I love her hair, too.

The Lows

Jessica Chastain, Kaley Cuoco, Zoe Saldana, Meryl Streep, Shailene Woodley

Oh, there are so many misses here. I love the color of Jessica's dress, but the fit was weird. Kaley was too prom queen. Zoe was wearing a Hanes tank top under that gown, I do believe. Meryl - well, when did this become her signature look? I was chilly while watching the awards and had a blanket draped over my shoulders. Had someone handed me a belt, Meryl and I would have been twinsies. And that print on Shailene, well...it's time to find a new stylist.

Tina Fey, Ellie Kemper, Busy Phillips, Kristen Wiig, Emma Stone, Maya Rudolph

Stop disappointing me, funny women! Tina Fey's boobs look weirdly squished. Ellie Kemper is wearing a fancy swimsuit. Busy Phillips - well I don't even know what to say about that. Kristen Wiig made all of Twitter mad with that choker, and could girlfriend wear some color once in a while? I always love Emma Stone, but I had this. And it was like Maya Rudolph wanted to look frumpy. I love all of these women. And I want better for them.

Lea Michele, Heather Morris, Amber Riley, Jenna Ushkowitz

(Most of) The Women of Glee. A few made the highs list - Dianna Agron, Jayma Mays and Naya Rivera - and I don't have a photo of Jane Lynch, but she looked pretty good. But these women need to take some cues from their cast mates. Lea Michele is notorious for trying too hard, and this gown is the epitome of that. Too tight, slit too high. Her hair looked nice and shiny, though. Heather Morris is just a bad, bad scene. Amber Riley looks like a present that I hope came with a gift receipt. And Jenna, well she's the worst of all. What is that?

The Show Itself

Now, as for the actual awards show, it was pretty good. There were some laughs (Martin Scorcese! Everyone drink!), and Dick van Dyke introduced Mary Tyler Moore, who was receiving a much-deserved lifetime achievement award.

Not all the awards (full list here) jived with what I would have chosen, though. Actors vote on these, so I think emotion and likable personalities play a huge role. The Help received honors that I don't think are proportionate to the quality of the film, and I think we all know Betty White is not handed great material on Hot in Cleveland even though she herself is a very funny person.

As someone who's not a big Boardwalk Empire fan I wasn't thrilled to see the cast win in the drama category, and I was most certainly rooting for Kyle "Coach Taylor" Chandler for best actor. I hoped Parks and Recreation would beat out Modern Family for ensemble cast in a comedy even though, I know, they weren't nominated. That was a crime.

Did you guys see the red carpet or the awards? What's your take?

Chuck: Goodbye, Friends

2012-01-28T11:17:00.005-04:00

I'll just come out at say it: I loved the double-header series finale of Chuck. In fact, I'm not sure it's possible for me to be happier. Sure, I could probably nitpick if I wanted to. But that's the thing - I don't. I thought the plot was quick and exciting, I loved how the episodes called back precious moments from seasons past, and over and over again the episodes hit the perfect notes of emotion. It was beautiful.

Chuck vs. Sarah

Pitting Sarah against Chuck in the penultimate episode of the series? I thought it was a great idea. Sarah, with her memory erased thanks to Quinn and the Intersect, had a mission to take out Chuck. She lied to him and pretended everything was OK so she could snag the Intersect glasses before killing him, but Chuck knew something was wrong. And since Chuck is a spy who doesn't even like to fire a real gun, he certainly wasn't going to fight back when his wife and soulmate started kicking his butt.

Eventually, Sarah realized that Chuck had been telling the truth all along and Quinn was the bad guy - unfortunately, Quinn got away and she still didn't have her memory back. She believed Chuck when he said they were in love, but she didn't share those feelings. It was heartbreaking.

Chuck vs. The Goodbye

So in act two, Sarah sought to take Quinn out and Chuck offered to help - with the ulterior motive of making her fall back in love with him again. There was a Nerd Herd uniform, and wonderful glimpses back to "their story", how Chuck and Sarah came to be.

It all culminated at the symphony. Beckman, unaware that she had an important piece of the Intersect hidden amongst her badges, was enjoying a concert when Quinn revealed that she was sitting on top of the bomb. If she stood, it would go off. If the music ended, it would go off.

Cue a concert from Jeffster (that was hilarious), Sarah finally killing Quinn, and a touching moment where Chuck realized that the Intersect glasses, with only one upload left, could do one of two things: it could upload all of Sarah's memories for her, or it could put the Intersect in Chuck's head so he could diffuse the bomb.

All along, Sarah had flashes (ah! pun!) of memory. She rearranged things at a German version of the Wienerlicious where she used to work. And when Chuck wasn't sure he could stop the bomb, she remembered the Irene Demova Virus that he'd used on their first mission. In the end, the team saved the day.

What was great about this episode is exactly what was great about the season: everyone had their moment to shine. We saw Ellie intentionally crash a car to not only save Chuck, but to save Sarah from doing something she knew the real Sarah would never forgive herself for. We saw Jeff and Lester have their moment to shine, Chuck's mom came back to lend a helping hand, Beckman had her moments. Everyone was there.

When it was all over, it was bittersweet. There were a lot of happy endings, with lots of movement for our favorite characters. Ellie and Awesome moved to Chicago to accept prestigious positions at a hospital. Morgan and Alex announced they were moving in together. Casey decided to go after Verbanski and actually be happy. Jeff and Lester moved to Germany to become pop stars. Subway took over the Buy More, which was a funny little shout out to the sandwich company that saved our show. And we were left with Chuck and Sarah, sitting on a beach.

Chuck told Sarah their story, and they laughed and cried. And then, like in a Disney princess movie, they kissed. Maybe it wouldn't magically restore Sarah's memory like Morgan thought - he's watched a few too many princess movies with baby Clara. Maybe the optimistic viewers out there think that it did. But I think it was a sign of a fresh start for the couple. Maybe Sarah's memory will slowly come back, or pieces of it will. Maybe it won't. But they're starting a new life together, a life where they're no longer spies, and Sarah knew enough to know she wanted to be a part of it. That's what I think happened.

Chuck has always been a show that's not afraid to surprise you - Chuck's dad getting killed is often referenced. And I think the show stayed true to this in the finale. It would have been easy to diffuse the bomb another way and use the Intersect to restore Sarah's memory. But that's not the kind of show Chuck is. Chuck is funny and at times campy, it's action-packed, and most importantly it's emotional. It's got heart, but it's not afraid to make you hurt either.

Since Chuck is a show that's had more could-be season and series finales than probably any other show I've watched, I think any loyal viewer would say they're glad the show was allowed to absolutely leave on their own terms. I loved this final season, and I commend the show for delivering such a memorable finale.

Neptune Theatre: Mrs. Parliament's Night Out

2012-01-27T16:45:00.001-04:00

You know how sometimes I go to my local theatre and review plays? Well, I saw another on Sunday evening!

One of the perks of ~~being famous~~ ~~being locally famous~~ ~~having a successful blog~~...OK, one of the perks of having a blog and a few Twitter followers is that sometimes people invite you to stuff. I love that Neptune Theatre invites me to see their shows, because I always want to go anyway and I never turn down free stuff.

So on Wednesday night, I went to see Mrs. Parliament's Night Out!

Mrs. Parliament's Night Out stars Sheila McCarthy of CBC's Little Mosque on the Prairie. That's not a show I watch, but I recognized her because I see commercials all the time for the show when I watch Jeopardy. Because I am a huge nerd, and have a series recording on my PVR for Jeopardy. I also get weirdly competitive about it, like recently when the players on the show failed to complete the category "Reality TV Shows By Winner" in time, and I screamed at the top of my lungs:

"Those jerks! They didn't finish the category that I was bound to nail! I bet I would have gotten all five of those! They suck! I didn't get to run the category because they're a bunch of nerds who don't know anything about real life!"

Yeah. It was an ugly moment.

To be fair, I'm pretty sure the category that they were going for was something really obnoxious like symphonies or history. Anyway, that's a digression. The point was, I was familiar with Sheila McCarthy. That said, I still didn't know what to expect from the play.

OK, so the play. It was written by Norm Foster, and it's about a middle-aged woman named Theresa Parliament who realizes her life has gotten into a serious rut. Her husband is more interested in watching the news during dinner than talking to her, she rarely leaves the house, and she's generally feeling unfulfilled. Doesn't sound like a laugh and a half, right?

I'm pleasantly surprised to say that I thought the play was truly, genuinely funny. Not like laugh-because-everyone-else-is-and-you-feel-like-you-should funny, but funny. There were jokes. The delivery was good. Even the music had a peppy feel that made me feel like I was maybe watching a sitcom at times.

Theresa Parliament decides to start making the most of her life, by joining various clubs and groups and taking lessons in whatever she can find - whether she demonstrates a skill for it or not. She meets lots of wacky, interesting people and realizes that other people find her interesting as well.

One of my favorite characters in the play was Mrs. Parliament's elderly neighbour Carl Lewiki - I don't want to ruin the play by telling you too much about him, but I found his scenes hilarious. Major kudos to the actor, Wade Lynch, who himself is not old but managed to absolutely nail everything about the character.

I think you'll be surprised with the direction the story takes, and I definitely think you'll find yourself laughing out loud on more than one occasion. I went to the play with my boyfriend Rob, and he really enjoyed it as well. (FYI, local folk, we had dinner at the Foggy Goggle before the play and my mac & cheese was off the hook. Creamy wine sauce, caramelized onions, breadcrumbs...delicious!)

So often I'm already familiar with a story before I see the play, and I really wasn't sure if I'd like Mrs. Parliament's Night Out. Now I'm really glad I saw it!

Parks and Recreation: Bowled Over

2012-01-27T10:42:00.000-04:00

One of the things I've always loved about Parks and Recreation is that Leslie Knope is so incredibly likable, yet totally wackadoodle and flawed as well. Amy Poehler just nails her personality, and over the years the show has really fine tuned who Leslie Knope is and how she behaves.

Leslie isn't subtle, or gentle, or mellow. So when Leslie Knope finds out that one dude in a focus group said he wouldn't go bowling with her, she can't let it go. She's a great bowler! Just ask Ron! Leslie completely misses the point of the comment (and, possibly, the point of focus groups overall). Instead of realizing that it means some people don't perceive her as fun, or down-to-earth, or relatable, she focuses completely on the bowling aspect, and on that one voter.

So Leslie and Ben organize a bowling night. Ben thinks it's a good idea because voters (emphasis on the plural) will get to see Leslie in a more relaxed, casual atmosphere and realize that she's likable. Leslie thinks it's a good idea because she can invite the guy who didn't like her and focus all her energies on him, all night long.

She buys him beer and wings, she talks to him about the things he likes, she jovially high-fives him and she let's him win. And in the end, none of it works. He still won't vote for her. They place a bet - one bowling game, and if Leslie wins she gets his vote and if she loses she has to clean his house. She wins, and not only does he still refuse to vote for her but he calls her a bitch. Because he's a big jerk.

Ben hits him, and naturally that moment is the one caught by the photographer they invited. Whoops! But instead of apologizing like planned, Leslie changes her mind and stands by her man. She doesn't condone violence, but the guy was a jerk and Ben punching him was awesome! And that attitude ended up endearing her to other voters...even though one of those losers said he didn't like her earrings.

Meanwhile, Ron is disgusted with Tom's approach to bowling (underhanded, between the legs) and disgusted that it earns him strike after strike. Ron at the bowling alley was all kinds of priceless - did you know it doubles as his favorite restaurant? The menu is: Hamburgers, hotdogs. He's not afraid to eat there. When Ron Effing Swanson eats, it's the food that's scared.

It got even more hilarious when Ron later returned to the bowling alley in "disuise" (a hat and shades) and bowled a perfect game using Tom's technique. But he bowled under the name "Man" and told an employee that he was never there. Oh, the humiliation.

Over at April and Andy's house, Jerry was running a phone-a-thon to raise money for Leslie's campaign. It was a great mix of people, from April's disdain for everything to Andy's confusion about how to ask for donations to Chris's over-enthusiasm. When Chris overreacted to the idea of winning two movie passes for raising the most money, April decided to up her game and take him down. She did, but that wasn't what sucked the happiness out of Chris's world. That same evening, Millicent Gergich dumped him. Just as he was planning to ask her to move in with him! I'm glad the writers chose April as the one to reach out to Chris. She's one of the characters on this show that can be at risk of becoming a caricature, but having her show sincere empathy for Chris, while still in her awkward and distant way, was a nice way of keeping her character grounded.

Other things I loved:

Leslie thought Ben punching that guy was AWESOME, but I loved that he did it in the most awkward way possible, and I'm pretty sure the only reason the guy even fell over was because he was drunk.
"Straight down the middle, no hook, no spin, no fuss. Anything more and this becomes figure skating." - Ron
The look on Ron's face when they showed the bowling alley menu.
Tom squealing like a little girl when he finger got smashed between two balls.
"I wished for his happiness to go away. I might be a wizard." - April
The shots of April changing her speaking voice to cater to whoever was on the phone? Brilliant. Put that on Aubrey Plaza's Emmy reel, please. She deserves a nomination.
"I've never been very good at letting things go. I can't tell you how many times a fun tug of a war with a dog over a chew toy turned contentious. One of always gets mad." - Leslie
"Son, people can see you!" - Ron, when Tom bowls
The Entertainment 720 bowling ball!
"You're so down with strikes they should call you Norma Rae!" - Leslie

The Big Bang Theory: Bug Report

2012-01-27T10:13:00.002-04:00

"The Beta Test Initiation" was mostly about Penny and Leonard getting back together, but the funniest parts of The Big Bang Theory last night came courtesy of Raj and Sheldon.

Send Error Report

So, I guess Leonard and Penny are officially back together now? Last week they were secretly testing out their relationship before going public, but this week (without explanation) the whole gang knew their romance had been rekindled. We didn't even get to see any reactions. I mean, am I not supposed to wonder how Sheldon felt about this? Or what anyone said about how Penny and Leonard had lied about their first date going badly? It seemed like a weird time jump that threw me off for most of the episode.

I know this episode was about Leonard and Penny treating their relationship as a new version of software, pointing out flaws in one another, but all that nitpicking meant that I really didn't see much chemistry between the two. Their scenes together felt almost forced and awkward, which was disappointing since I really did want them to get back together. It's just, you know, shouldn't they seem happier about it?

The scene at the shooting range was finally the first time I saw a spark, but then Leonard shot himself in the toe and it was over. Personally, I think it would have been funnier had he accidentally shot Penny instead.

Wavin' Flag

Meanwhile, Sheldon and Amy decided to shoot a video podcast about flags. OK, that's really all there is - this wasn't a storyline so much as a running gag, but I found it hilarious.

I'm Siri I'm Not Real

I think this storyline might be a little divisive, but I thought Raj falling in love with Siri, the voice recognition function on his iPhone, was hilarious. Sure it was a tad ridiculous, but not for Raj since Siri is the one woman he can actually talk to. He descended into a whole new level of crazy, even inviting Howard and Bernadette over for a creepy double date. The closing tag, where Raj arrived at the "Office of Siri" only to realize that in person he was once again rendered speechless, was hilarious. Of course it was a dream, but clamming up in front of his fantasy woman, now a beautiful redhead, even in a dream was enough to ruin Siri for poor Raj.

On a big picture level, I'm still not sure where the show is going with Raj - and for now, that's OK. He fell in love with Siri, a female voice, and seems to really want a girlfriend. But the gay undertones are still there, like when he invited Howard to help him peel the plastic off his new iPhone, or when he said "Like Cher, Madonna, Adele, all the women that rock me," - all women who are gay icons. (If Adele isn't yet, she will be.) Previously we had Raj talking about what a good dad Howard will be in a way that felt like he sees him as a little more than a friend. Now, these things don't necessarily mean Raj is gay. But I feel like the show is intentionally keeping that option open and keeping us guessing, and I'm curious about when or if we'll see a conclusion.

So what did you guys think? Are you hoping to see more chemistry between Leonard and Penny, or do you think the sparks are already flying? Do you think Raj is gay? Does it matter? Sound off in the comments!

*Disclaimer: I completely forgot that most of what we saw last week was Leonard's fantasy sequence, and that he and Penny never actually decided to keep their relationship secret from the rest of the gang. Oops! And thanks to reader Wayne for clearing that up for me!

Sweet Home Alabama: Interview with Paige Duke

2012-01-25T16:09:00.000-04:00

Paige and her guys

By now you probably know that I'm a big fan of CMT's show Sweet Home Alabama, and that last season I had the opportunity to chat with Tribble Reese a few times about the show.

SWA has just entered its third season, and the Southern belle choosing among the city and country guys this round is Paige Duke. I got to chat with Paige today about what's happened on the show so far and what we have to look forward to this Friday night.

It turns out that Paige began filming her season of Sweet Home Alabama while the second season was still airing, so she had to keep her lips sealed that she was starring. On the previous season, Paige said she and Tribble ended on very good terms. "We both knew we were better off as friends," she said. "Some of the girls were starting to develop strong feelings for him, so I knew I shouldn't have stayed."

Now Paige has 22 guys vying for her affections, and things have gotten pretty heated in the house!

"Honestly, I'm not that surprised by anything that I see," Paige said. "I kind of knew, the guys would tell me what was going on and obviously it's different to see it, but I kind of knew which guys would act the way that act." Especially "Big Shaun" (obnoxious city guy from New York -- my words, not Paige's) who had some pretty rude things to say about the South in the first couple episodes.

"Big Shaun, he's gotten under a lot of people's skin." Paige said that she didn't like that Shaun described people from the South as drunk all the time or stupid, but she was glad he came on the show so that he could have his eyes opened. "It just shows his ignorance and not knowing any better. I just laugh it off, and don't really get offended by anything.I think people will be interested to see how his character plays out and what happens there."

It seems like the guys in the house have a more heated city vs. country rivalry than the girls did. Paige agreed, and said she thinks guys are more fun to watch than girls. "Guys can punch each other in the face and the next day they're over it," she said. "The girls, we were more concerned about saying the right thing or hurting someone's feelings. Ashley Ann, no one really liked her and so there was always tension in the house."

But, obviously, there are bound to be conflicts. "You know, there's 22 guys in a three bedroom house with no Internet, radio, TV, or anything. You're just talking about your emotions and they're becoming friends, some of them become like brothers, but you're all dating the same girl, so it's hard."

Paige said the ages of the guys in the house vary, but that it's not a big factor for her. "I'm 24, and I guess Shaun was the youngest at 21, so he's only three years younger than me. And Bubba was 30, I think he was the oldest. The older the guy, it doesn't really matter. So no, age doesn't really play a role, as long as the guy is successful and has his life together, and could sort of take care of me."

On last Friday's episode Paige had to let three guys go, including David after they shared a pretty awkward-looking date. "I don't think he was surprised," Paige said. "We didn't kiss, you know, and I didn't hold his hand. He likes to talk, but there's nothing wrong with that. He's a really sweet guy, but with the cameras there I think he got nervous and just talked talked talked."

Paige is really looking forward to this week's episode, in which we'll see the city guys and country guys go camping - Survivor style. "This is gonna be such a fun episode," Paige told me. "They just drop two crates with everything they could need for the night - fully feathered chickens, fishing gear, tents, everything. I couldn't stay overnight, I was there late with them but it was raining so I was OK with that. So I'm excited to see this too."

We also get to see Paige go on dates with Jeremiah (my favorite!) and Joey this week. "The city guys gave Jeremiah a hard time for taking me out on the combine, one guy said 'Where in the love manual does it say you should take a girl for a date on a tractor?' but I guess he hasn't heard the song "Big Green Tractor" by Jason Aldeen!"

Well, I don't know about y'all, but I can't wait to see all of that. Check back this weekend for a review of the third episode, and for now check out this hilarious clip - Jeremiah is my favorite so far, but Todd might be my favorite city guy now thanks to his dead-on impression of Boyd!

Let's make snap judgments about reality TV stars!

2012-01-25T12:52:00.001-04:00

Casts for the upcoming installments of Survivor and The Amazing Race have been announced and, let's face it, it can be kind of fun to make sweeping judgments about people based on their photos and a few small facts about their lives.I'm talking about forming your opinion before even watching video interviews - because, as many of you know, thanks to my participation in a Survivor office pool I do painstakingly view all the Survivor cast interviews I can get my hands on.

But this is just for fun. Let's go.

Survivor

You can see a full gallery of the new cast here , and I'm sure I'll have more to say about Survivor after I watch the video interviews.

Chelsea: Another blonde country gal.
Matt: Is he really an attorney? He looks like one of those models they find poolside in Vegas and cast on the show.
Kourtney: I feel bad for Kourtney, because when her mom decided to spell her name a stupid way I'm sure she wasn't yet aware of the Kardashians.
Colton: Colton is a gay republican who considers himself a mix of " Queen Parvati, Corinne, and JT." So...pretty, mean and stupid? Or smart, curly-haired and Southern?
Kat: Another pretty blonde.
Jay: I was going to make another joke about how Jay looks like a model, but then I read he actually is a model. Didn't the Survivor casting department learn anything from casting Cochran? We like nerds!
Alicia: I'm judging Alicia based on her swimsuit, and I bet you are too.
Troy: He wants his nickname to be "Troyzan", so I'm obligated to hate him.
Christina: If you're a career consultant but live in L.A., does that mean you mostly just help find aspiring actors, writers and models gigs at the nearest Starbucks?
Leif: As the first little person to compete on Survivor, Leif doesn't stand a chance in hell of making it to the finals. Too many people get freaked out that someone with a disability will beat them in the finals.
Monica: The only thing more obnoxious than listing your occupation as "Ex-NFL Player's Wife" might be listing it as "Ex-NFL Player's Ex-Wife".
Michael: Michael thinks he's like Ethan and Rupert. So, one of the most beloved players in Survivor history who won for being a really nice dude combined with one of the most resented players in Survivor history who was handed a million dollars for getting a flattering edit?
Sabrina: We don't have much to go on here, but she looks nice in pink.
Greg: Why are his pants so very high? Are they going to be like that all season? I will find that distracting. And is Rick from last season going to beat him up for appearing with an even bigger mustache? Is there some kind of "Ron Swanson Survivor Mustache of Greatness" prize to be awarded?
Nina: Nina won't do well. I can tell because she's a middle-aged woman with a short, severe haircut who is also a cop and compared herself to Stephenie LaGrossa and Sue Hawk. It's like the perfect cocktail of a bossy, shrill, completely self-unaware player. Who wants to bet that she's freaking out about building the camp before her tribe has even introduced themselves?
Bill: I'm not sure I've ever seen a dude and a name that don't jive up as much as this guy and the name "Bill". Bill is a stand-up comic, which means he could either be really funny and entertain his tribe during those long, boring days and nights, or he won't be as funny as he thinks he is and everyone will hate him.
Kimberley: Another pretty girl.
Jonas: A sushi chef? That could come in handy.

The Amazing Race

You can see a full gallery of the new cast here, so follow along as I offend some people.

Rachel & Dave: We all think Rachel looks older than 30, right? I don't see clean freak Dave doing well with the chaos of the race.
William "Bopper" & Mark: I love these guys already. I mean, one of them is called "Bopper"! Their ages might work against them, but I have a feeling they'll be likable.
Nary & Jamie: Federal agents??? Do they know Phillip Sheppard?! I hope they do. They both think the other one is stubborn, so this should be interesting.
Brendon & Rachel: So many thoughts! All flooding my head at once! I heard these people were going to be on - I don't watch Big Brother but I know from Allison's posts that I hate them. If that wasn't enough, I once listened to a podcast that featured an interview with Rachel and afterwards my ears were bleeding. Is that guy really a Ph.D. student? Is he getting his doctorate in going to the gym? He's at UCLA, so I wouldn't be surprised. And if I didn't already know I will hate these people, Rachel's outfit would be enough to convince me. Legwarmers I can get behind; the sparkly top on The Amazing Race not so much. Together is just plain obnoxious.
Joey "Fitness" & Danny: They're not from New Jersey, but in my mind they're from Jersey Shore. Sadly, this seems to have become requisite casting on reality TV shows.
Misa & Maiya: Even though they're not the twins on this season (that's Elliot & Andrew), I won't be able to tell these two apart. And since when is "Car Buyer" an occupation? Can I have that job?
Dave & Cherie: Speaking of imaginary professions, at least Dave and Cherie put quotes around "Ambassador of Laughter" so we know it's a bunch of crap. I'm assuming they're either unemployed or really pretentious clowns. Stand-up comics have too much self-respect and cleverness to use that term.
Elliot & Andrew: Wasn't it nice of Andrew to shave his head so the viewers at home will be able to tell these twin bros apart? Also, I had to Google "MLS" to figure out that Andrew is a soccer player. So a musician and a soccer player? And they're cute? I see CBS casting got my email, then. These guys could do well.
Kerri & Stacy: Stacy, being a basketball wife does not count as self-employed, even if you made it your job to marry a basketball player. Based on their pet peeves about each other, I don't see these cousins going far.
Vanessa & Ralph: I think I'm going to like these two just because one of Vanessa's pet peeves about Ralph is "he ends his sentences with prepositions." Let's just hope he's not as much of a Grade-A jerk as she says.
Art & J.J.: Border patrol agents who have plucked eyebrows and gold chains? Be still, my fluttering heart. I don't think I'll like these guys.

OK now, hit me with your snap judgments!

House of Lies: Not giving up yet

2012-01-25T11:41:00.000-04:00

House of Lies (Showtime)

I decided to wait a few weeks before reviewing House of Lies because I felt like I needed to get a sense of what the show was really like, and that didn't happen in only one episode. Now that I've seen three episodes, I feel like I know what House of Lies is and wants to be and I'm just not sure whether I like it.

If House of Lies didn't have the cast that it did, it's unlikely that I'd be watching. Or I'd be watching with much less interest. But the series stars some people I really root for. I can't say I'm a massive Don Cheadle fan, but he's been in several movies I've liked and I certainly have nothing against the guy. The show also features Ben Schwartz, who is known for being hilarious on Parks and Recreation as Jean-Ralphio and adorable when singing with Zooey Deschanel. I love him.

I am also a huge Kristen Bell fan, and she's the main reason I tuned in. I love Veronica Mars, I love Kristen Bell in interviews, I want her to be cast as Johanna in The Hunger Games and, on top of digging her appearances in Party Down and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I even enjoy her work in the sub-par rom-coms she's had to make over the years. Hell, the combined appeal of Kristen Bell, John Krasinski and Rob Riggle might even be enough to convince me to go see this really stupid looking whale movie.

OK, so I just bombarded you with a million links, but you get my point: I wanted to like this show. And the thing is, I might like House of Lies. There are certainly elements of the show I find interesting. So let's talk.

House of Lies is about a group of management consultants led by Cheadle's character Marty Kaan. They travel the country trying to soak up as much money as they can from big corporations by making themselves seem vital to the business. In the age of Occupy Wall Street at the 1%, it's an interesting focus for the show. Marty and his colleagues make good money, but you're not supposed to hate them for it because they're making it by swindling the 1%.

This scene from episode three? It was just dumb.

I like the edgy camaraderie among the four consultants, and when they're ribbing each other the show it at its best. That kind of witty, snappy language needs to be more present in the show. My issue with House of Lies is that it often feels like it's trying really, really hard to be as edgy as possible. There are sex scenes that feel meant to shock me, but mostly just make me roll my eyes at the unbelievability of it all.

Throughout the show, Marty stops what's happening so he can explain something to the audience. It's a gimmick that I think works a lot of the time, but I can see it turning some viewers off of the show.

Marty's son is pretty damn cute.

We also get to see a lot of Marty's home life. He lives with his father and young son. His son likes to cross-dress and is exploring gender dynamics in a way that would (and does, as we learn from some issues the kid has at school) make some people uncomfortable. Marty embraces this in a way that some viewers might think is meant to solely garner sympathy for the character, but I think is in line with the rest of his persona. Marty says and does what he wants, he takes shit from no one. Even, or especially, when that comes to his son. I believe that this character would yell at a school principal for not wanting his son to audition for the part of "Sandy" in the school's production of Grease.

However, as the show has progressed we're also supposed to be seeing Marty as reckless and damaged (his mother committed suicide) and I'm not sure if that will hold up. It is very possible to root for an anti-hero. I've been watching Dexter for years, and Marty certainly isn't a serial killer. I just hope the show figures out how to make Marty charming enough - you can be a jerk, but you need to be damn clever about it if I'm going to like you. Otherwise, the show will just be about rich jerks taking money from richer, bigger jerks, and who wants to watch that?

So, have you guys been watching House of Lies? What are your thoughts so far?

Sweet Home Alabama: Paint the Country Red

2012-01-24T16:45:00.002-04:00

My apologies for the late review of Friday's episode of Sweet Home Alabama. You'll just have to trust me when I say I had one hell of a weekend. (Not in a crazy party girl way, but in a weird, multiple mishaps way.) But I will hopefully be chatting with Paige Duke tomorrow, so keep an eye out for that bonus post.

Well Hay There!

The episode kicked off with Shaun's date with Paige. The city guys gave Shaun a lot of crap about his outfit, but what they don't seem to understand yet is that Paige is a country gal. I don't think she minded the plaid shirt and cowboy hat.

The date involved throwing around some bales of hay, which was weird, but I've always liked that Sweet Home Alabama dates are nice and simple. The guy and girl can actually talk and get to know each other, rather than screaming "This is so cool!" over and over while on a helicopter. Basically, Sweet Home Alabama is the sweet, rural cousin of The Bachelor. I also review The Bachelor, but more to mock it relentlessly. I actually rather enjoy this show.

So, Shaun. I'm sure we all felt for him when we watched him tell Paige about how his horse, Credit Card (fantastic name) had been stolen, and it was truly awful to hear that the jerks who stole the horse had tied it to a tree with no food or water, letting it die. Honestly, that's disgusting.

But we have a show to discuss, so let's talk about the rest of Paige and Shaun's date. Paige seemed really into Shaun, but I still can't help but think he's too young for her. What do you guys think?

Paint-ballin'

The group date this week was a paintball competition - city vs. country, and since the guys in the house had been arguing a lot I expected it to be pretty heated. Shaun, the New Yorker I can't stand, managed to shoot one of his own guys. I think he was too busy complaining about how he hates the outdoors to pay attention to the game. Seriously? Stop giving city dwellers a bad name. Paintball is fun!

Paige spent one round with each team, and won both times. To be fair, though, it seemed like the location had a lot to do with who won. Afterwards, Paige invited Landon to join her for a picnic date. Landon is the guy with a kid, and he seems nice enough, but as I said last week I don't see much chemistry between him and Paige. I still think someone should put him in touch with Mandy from last season.

Landon really blew it for me, and probably anyone else who's seen The Bachelor, when he said he was there to "defend her [Paige] and protect her heart." Oh no. No one let him go get a tattoo of that, OK?

Suit Up!

The last date of the week went to David, the commercial broker from Chicago. I had a feeling the date wouldn't go well. Last week I was annoyed when David didn't take his sunglasses off to meet Paige, and he ALWAYS wears a suit. It's great that he brought her flowers and all, but the guy just reeked of trying to hard.

The date was a disaster. Listen up, fellas: You need to LISTEN on dates. Yeah, you want the girl to get to know what you're all about. But get to know her, too! David talked Paige's ear off, droning on about himself and his job. He had no idea she was having a terrible time. Pathetic.

Bye Bye, Boys

This week Paige had to say goodbye to three guys. First up was Severn, the hairstylist/purse designer. It was pretty obvious from the start that he wouldn't be around long. But hey, at least Paige scored a free clutch.

Next, Paige said goodbye to a country guy - Seth Tidwell. This one surprised me. We barely saw the dude, but he was one of the better looking guys on the show, he was a country guy, owns his own company and has a dog. It seems like there would be enough common ground there to keep him around, but Seth was quick to agree that there was no spark. Were you guys surprised Seth didn't last longer?

Finally, Paige sent David home. After such a dud of a date, that was really a no-brainer.

Other guys that stood out this week, though not in a good way, were Andy and Jeremy. Jeremy is just an idiot - who crushes up crackers and throws them in someone's hair? A toddler? Even I, as a feisty two year-old, had the chutzpah to (allegedly! I'll deny til death!) cut my sister's hair. Crackers? That's small beans. Andy didn't come across much better, since we saw a montage of all his boozing and a few of the guys suggested he's just there to party. Last week I listed him as one of my favorites - after all he's from the South, is handsome and wore a bow-tie. It's as though he was cast specifically to please me. But he just seemed like a sloppy drunk this week. We'll see if he can redeem himself.

Next week it looks like Jeremiah will get a date, which I'm excited to see. I had him pegged from the start as someone who seems nice, and when he gave Paige his bandana during paintball we saw that even more. It also seems like the city vs. country conflicts will keep heating up. It certainly seems like guys have more arguments on this show than the girls do. It'll be interesting to see how those tensions come out when Paige takes all the guys on a camping trip in the next episode.

The Bachelor: Hook, Line and Sinker

2012-01-24T10:34:00.001-04:00

Oh, The Bachelor. Is it possible that you're taking a page out of Sweet Home Alabama's book this week in going to Park City, Utah? It was awfully rural, and by Bachelor standards those dates were down-to-earth. Sure there was the occasional helicopter and fear-conquering activity, but fly fishing, horseback riding and picnics are all dates that seem more up Devin, Tribble, or Paige's alleys.

This is Major Ben to Ground Control

The first one-on-one date this week went to Rachel, who informed us that her previous relationship had ended because of her "communication issues". Whatever that means. Seeing Ben arrive to pick up another girl sent Kacie B. into a teary emotional spiral, because she just wants to be at the grocery store with Ben. So romantic.

Speaking of romance, helicopter alert! The first of the season, and surely not the last. I wouldn't be surprised if we get weekly appearances from helicopters from now on. After getting dropped off, Rachel and Ben went for a nice canoe ride (ride? trip? excursion?) and then had a picnic. It was...awkward. Rachel is very pretty, and her deep-ish voice makes her seem mellow, so Ben was willing to put in the effort to try and make the date a success. But holy crap, did he ever had to put in a lot of work.

Over a fireside dinner, Ben again tried to get Rachel to "open up". Is it just me, or does Ben seem particularly concerned with finding out about everyone's past relationships? It's all he asks about! There's more to a person than who they've dated, Mr. Flajnik. Anyway, eventually Rachel rambled on with some nonsensical thoughts about her communication issues and how she worries about them, and Bend decided that was enough "opening up" to qualify her for a rose. You know if she wasn't so pretty she'd have gotten the boot.

Is there Tiger Blood running through Courtney's veins?

The next day, Ben hopped on a pony (yes, yes, I know it's a horse - I say PONY, OK?) to greet the women who'd been selected for the group date. The lucky gals were Jamie, Casey S., Blakeley, Lindzi, Samantha, Kacie B., and Courtney. Courtney was less than thrilled to be spending the day around women, while back at home Emily was hoping that the group setting would reveal some of Courtney's bitchy/crazy/socially inept side to Ben.

The women and Ben went on a lovely horse ride, though none of them wore a helmet and you do NOT want to hear my story about the time I went on a horseback safari in Africa and one of the girls I was with got thrown from her horse as it was galloping into the rhinoceros area and ended up with a sprained ankle and a concussion. OK, that kind of is the story - but trust me, with details it gets even crazier. Moral of the story is, this girl wears a helmet on a pony.

The group arrived at a river, where they all had to put on boots and waders and go fly fishing. Look, it's not that I can't be outdoorsy. OK, I'm not great at being outdoorsy, but I enjoy certain activities that don't involve my couch and the TV. But this? This looked really boring. Only one person caught a fish! And, naturally, it was Courtney. UGH. I mean, seriously, was there only one fish in that stream or something? Like the date rose, it too was planted by producers?

First of all, Courtney made every single possible metaphor about fishing and catching a man. It was sickening. Second of all, why does she keep saying "winning"? I know this show probably filmed while Charlie Sheen's #winning was a thing, and I know that Courtney likely does not have the brain capacity to realize that by the time the show would air that trend would be long gone. But she's said "winning" at least eight times so far already! That's way too much! And doesn't she know that quoting Charlie Sheen really isn't going to make her look like less of a nutjob?

At the post-fishing cocktail party, all the women were vying for alone time with Ben. First Casey S. pulled him aside, revealed that she's had two serious relationships, expressed her surprise that Ben has been in love four - FOUR! - times, and then got cut off by Nicki. Nicki and Ben seemed to connect more, as Nicki shared that her boss died a week before she left for the show and Ben shared that he lost a friend only two days before filming. They talked about living life to the fullest (which is really just Bachelor code for "Let's kiss") and then she was interrupted by Samantha.

Samantha was drunk, right? I mean, that has to be the only explanation for her weird, giggly airhead behavior. I mean, either that or she really is that much of an airhead. If Courtney is Charlie Sheen, then Samantha is one of his sad, lost sheep "goddesses". Samantha complained to Ben that she'd been on three group dates in a row, which Ben didn't appreciate. After all, some girls have so far gotten even less time with him. "Group dates to me are a good way to watch and observe," Ben started to explain, when Samantha cut him off with "So what are you observing?" Uh-oh! Don't ask if you don't want to know! Ben laid a truth bomb on her: "What I want to see is if you can handle yourself in a group setting. And to be completely honest, the group dates that you've been on, you've been kind of highly emotional. I wonder if you're even here for me, or if you take this seriously - because in your actions I don't see it, and that's why you continue to be on group dates."

Yup, girlfriend got told. And since she's highly emotional, she didn't take the criticism well. The conversation concluded with Ben telling Samantha that he didn't see their relationship going much farther, and it would be best if they just ended it now. So Samantha said goodbye to the gals, went back to the hotel to pack her stuff, and Ben walked her out.

Next Ben spends some alone time with Kacie B., who once again feels immediately reassured that she's his favorite, but that was before Courtney got her alone time. Once Courtney and Ben were alone, she pulled out all the stops by telling Ben that she was questioning everything and needed reassurance. And the sucker bought it. He changed his mind on who the date rose was going to (my money was on Nicki) and gave it to Courtney so that she'd feel better. Barf. I swear to god, this thing is going to come down to some sort of good vs. evil showdown with Kacie B. and Courtney, and if she ends up with Courtney he deserves all the misery that comes with her.

Drop It Like It's Hot

The third date this week went to Jennifer, the redheaded accountant who seems refreshingly normal and had previously been declared the best kisser in the house by Ben. The first part of their date was yet another fear-conquering activity, because apparently Ben really buys into this whole scary thing= trust=true love fairytale. Their mission? To be lowered into a crater and then dropped into a pool of water.

After that excursion, Ben and Jennifer chatted over dinner. Jennifer told Ben that her last relationship lasted four years and she loved him, but he wasn't going to marry her. He asked if her 9-5 (actually, more like 8-5, she corrected him) lifestyle could handle his loosey-goosey winemaking schedule, and she said it could. Be a little flexible and get free wine for life? I'm sure most women won't have a problem with that, Ben. In the midst of some kind of monsoon, Ben presented Jennifer with a rose and then they celebrated by attending a country music concert while dancing on some kind of weird pedestal, well above the rest of the crowd.

I like Jennifer and I like that she seems the most normal and grounded of the bunch, but I'm not sure she can compete with too-sweet Kacie or sexy-but-mean Courtney. Is a third place finish in Jennifer's cards? (And, as a reminder, these are innocent predictions so no spoilers please!)

Cocktail of Disaster

Cocktail party time! Before we dive in, can we all just take a moment to acknowledge the fact that Courtney's role as Villain of the House seems to have taken the focus off Blakeley entirely? With her, er, buxom figure and "career" as a "VIP cocktail waitress", it seemed like Blakeley was being set up as another unlikable person in the house. But now she's touching up girls' roots like she's gal pal #1. Way to go against stereotype, Blakeley!

Emily went into the cocktail party with a dangerous idea - that she would use her time with Ben to warn him about Courtney's two-faced personality. This is almost never a good idea, but if it has to be done I think there is a very particular way to go about it:

Approach the bachelor before a rose ceremony when you've already had a date that week, and you already have a rose. This means you're not really in danger of going home, and that you've had enough alone time already that you're not wasting the precious few moments you get by talking about someone else.
Choose your words carefully! It's important to emphasize "I like you, but I also care about you as a friend" and "You've been hurt before, and I just don't want to see that happen again" and "If it were me, I would want to know." Just saying "There's a girl here who's really mean to everyone but you, and you've totally misjudged her" is not effective.
Once it's been brought up, NEVER BRING IT UP AGAIN. This will be Emily's demise. She brought Courtney up with Ben, and we all saw that it did not go over well. Even Emily knew it. But we saw from previews that this won't be the last time she brings up Courtney to Ben, and that is a HUGE mistake. She dodged a bullet in not getting eliminated this week, and the smart thing to do would be to never talk to him about Courtney again.

After her ill-fated conversation with Ben, Emily confided in Casey S. and, well, some other girl I don't care about, that the chat had not gone so well. Oops! Emily chose the wrong girl to talk to, because apparently Casey S. is the one girl in the house who actually likes Courtney. Not only did she come to Courtney's defense, but she immediately went and repeated the whole conversation to Courtney. Later, Courtney abrasively confronted Emily about it, Emily played dumb, and both girls ended up looking bad.

Time for the rose ceremony! Emily was rightfully worried that she wouldn't get a rose, but since Ben had already cut Samantha loose he only had to send one more girl packing.

Lindzi, Jamie, Nicki, Kacie B. and Elyse were called - Elyse whispered "You won't regret this" in Ben's ear in a way that made me wonder if she'd be paying a visit to his hotel room later that night. Then Blakeley, Casey, and Emily were called. So it was sayonara to Monica, the girl who we'd barely seen since the first episode when she flirted relentlessly with Blakeley.

Finally, Ben announced that they were all heading to Vieques, Puerto Rico! Yay! Everyone cheered except for Courtney, who flatly announced "I was just there two weeks ago." Wow. I really, really hate you. Then, just to make sure every single person watching would make a comparison between her and Kristen Wiig's character Penelope on SNL, as they all toasted Courtney stretched her arm up high and said "I can go the highest!"

Someone, please, shove a champagne flute down that girl's throat.

Chuck: Omigod there are only two episodes left!

2012-01-22T20:27:00.000-04:00

Guys! I know I haven't written about Chuck very much this season - not since November, actually - but that's just because Friday night isn't exactly the most convenient viewing time for the show. I'm not blaming NBC, I know what the show's ratings are like and I'm just happy to have gotten five seasons of the show. But since I tend to spend Sundays through Thursdays most weeks holed up in my apartment watching television, I do like to try and actually interact with people outside of the Interwebs on Friday and Saturdays. So yeah, sometimes it takes me a few days to get around to watching Chuck, and I don't usually have time to blog about it on the weekends.

But - BUT - holy crap, can we talk about how great this season has been? SO GREAT.

Admittedly, I was a little worried when the season began. At first, Morgan having the Intersect and the gang breaking out on their own wasn't bringing the excitement previous seasons had. But now it's all tied together, making perfect sense, and I absolutely love where this season has taken us. There's been loads of action, beautiful heartwarming moments, and hilarious storylines. I mean, Jeff and Lester? This was their best season yet, I think.

Now there are only two episodes left, and they both air this Friday night (January 27th). First, let's quickly recap a few of the highlights from the season since I last checked in on the blog.

"Chuck vs. The Hack Off", December 9: An appearance from Abed! What's not to love?
"Chuck vs. The Curse", December 16: This episode saw Ellie and Awesome get captured after a case of mistaken identity, and it was such a good opportunity to let Sarah Lancaster and Ryan McPartlin show us what they've got.
"Chuck vs. The Santa Suit", December 23: General Beckman kissing Chuck. Unbelievable. In a good way. Also, I loved seeing the return of Shaw.
"Chuck vs. The Baby", December 30: This was SUCH a great episode for Sarah, since we finally got to learn about her relationship with her mother. It was totally unexpected, and I loved it.
"Chuck vs. The Kept Man", January 6: This episode was all about letting Adam Baldwin remind us that he's really funny. Plus, this episode had Sarah thinking she might be pregnant, and her and Chuck's desire to start a family soon have been a major theme for the past few episodes.
"Chuck vs. Bo", January 13: I've never been the biggest Jeff and Lester fan, but they were hilarious in this episode. I love how Jeff has become such a level-headed dude this season, because it really freshened up how that duo interacts with each other and how they come into play in the series overall. Plus, Bo Derek and the return of Morgan's horrible frosted tips!

"Chuck vs. The Bullet Train", January 20

OK, so I just finished watching this episode and it was SO exciting. As you can gather from the quick comments above, this season has really given all our favorite characters their moments to shine. It's been absolutely fantastic. This episode managed to bring almost all our favorite characters together (I'm sure we'll see Beckman again before the series is through) in such a dramatic, suspenseful, wonderful way.

In order to save Chuck last week, Sarah had to download the damaged Intersect program - the one that made Morgan go crazy - into her head. Sarah had a bunch of amazing, bad-ass moments, but then the Intersect started to hurt her brain. Turns out it's the amount of flashes that start making the brain deteriorate, and Sarah had flashed about 40 times in only two days. While Sarah, Chuck and Casey were fighting Quinn on the bullet train in Japan, Alex had been taken hostage by some baddies in Burbank.

Continuing the incredible journey of Jeff and Lester, they spotted Alex getting led out of the Buy More by gunpoint and knew something was up. Morgan and Awesome were busted after only a couple minutes, but Jeff and Lester actually managed to save Alex, Morgan and Awesome with a little long-distance help from Casey. It was fantastic. In particular, the fact that they played "Oh Canada".

After sharing some really sweet moments regarding their desire to settle down and start a family, Chuck and Sarah are seeing that vision being put in serious jeopardy. Sarah was captured by Quinn, who not only used the Intersect to torture her but cleared her mind of memories. She woke up alone and confused in a hotel, and Quinn has told her that he's her CIA handler. Her mission? Take down one Chuck Bartowski.

I have faith that Chuck and the gang will be able to save Sarah - that drawing Chuck made of him and Sarah, their picket fence and their baby will almost certainly come into play - but it won't be easy. We're getting a double-header of episodes on Friday, and I have no doubt that I'll be on the edge of my seat the whole time.

So if you're a Chuck fan, head down to the comments section and let me know what you've thought of this season.

Grey's Anatomy: 10,000 surgeries, one birthday

2012-01-20T15:58:00.000-04:00

So here's a piece of advice: Don't watch Grey's Anatomy online at your desk during lunch, because if you do you may find yourself tearing up at work. Not because Dr. Richard Webber is singing "My Funny Valentine" to his wife, who has Alzheimer's, while he's in the OR. Obviously not because of that. Because while I was watching the show I choked on my salad. I mean, er, that story's not even about me, it's about my friend Susie. Anyway, yeah.

Continuing it's streak of good episodes, Grey's Anatomy was really great last night. "Hope for the Hopeless" had a bunch of good storylines, and brought up some lingering drama from earlier in the season.

The Medical Cases

1) Derek and Lexie were to operate on a young boy with an inoperable tumor. His mom had been turned down by eight other surgeons, so it was Magical McDreamy to the rescue. I'd been a little annoyed in the past about how Derek seemed to be performing weekly miracle surgeries, so I was actually happy that this storyline had a rather sad outcome. Cruel, I know. Once Derek opened the kid up, he realized that the 5% chance of survival he thought existed wasn't real, and he refused to operate. The twist? The kid's mom hadn't told him he had a tumor, but the kid knew anyway. Lexie knew that, and she was pretty upset to find out that Derek wasn't even going to try to save the boy's life. But without any hope for survival, it was better to give the kid three more months of visiting old battle sites with his mom.

2) Meanwhile, Meredith and Bailey were performing a liver transplant on two sisters, played by Nia Vardalos and Roz from Frasier. Roz wouldn't cut Nia a break about the giant sacrifice she was making, and there were some funny eye-rolling moments, but mostly the storyline was a dud. If there was some kind of subtext here that tied into what else was going on, I didn't see it. Meanwhile, Meredith spent the episode debating if she should declare general surgery as her area of expertise. Everyone said it was a no-brainer because of her mother's legacy, which is exactly why she was hesitant. It wasn't until Zola's birthday party, when Richard told her that she's nothing like her mother, that she was convinced.

3) Teddy continues to work like crazy following Henry's death, and everyone in the hospital is giving her casseroles for being a widow. The surgery this week - a guy who impaled himself on a wrought iron fence during a bicycling accident - wasn't that interesting, but the drama came from the fact that Teddy did it despite clear orders from Owen to go home and rest. That caused a lot of problems for Cristina and Owen, which I'll get to.

4) And lastly, the episode marked Dr. Webber's 10,000th surgery. Holy crap, that's a lot. The surgery wasn't anything special - I have a feeling that for such a milestone you'd want something simple, because nothing will put a damper on your 10,000th surgery celebration party like a dead patient. It was what happened that pulled my heartstrings.

The Drama

Just as Dr. Webber started to operate, he was paged to the lobby. April went to see what was up, and it was Adele. She left home, wandering almost seven miles to get to the hospital in a state of confusion that her her thinking Richard was going to leave her for Ellis Grey. April brought her into the OR theater and, via the sound system, Richard tried to calm her down. Following some advice from Meredith, he tried to remind her of a happy memory by singing "My Funny Valentine". There was some tremendous acting work from Loretta Devine, and it was basically one of the saddest things I've ever seen. Alzheimer's runs in my family, so I'm rather sensitive to this storyline, but I think all can agree it was really damn touching.

Richard canceled his party, the one he'd asked Bailey all about at the beginning of the episode (red velvet cake with cream cheese icing is my favorite, too!), so that he could go home and care for his wife. Later, once she was lucid again, she insisted he go attend Zola's first birthday party at Meredith's house. I've always loved interactions with Richard and Meredith, and all their moments together at the party were warm and touching. A nice balance to the majority of the episode. Meredith presenting Richard with Zola's birthday cake (which now just said "Yay" instead of "Yay Zola!") for his 10,000th surgery was such a nice display of the relationship they've come to have.

The party was a great excuse for us to see all the doctors interacting in good and bad ways. We saw Callie and Arizona continue to tease Mark because he still hasn't said "I love you" back to his hot girlfriend, but they laid off when he explained why he doesn't want to rush things. I used to want him and Lexie to get back together, but now that I've seen the new girlfriend interact so well with Callie, Arizona and the baby I'm pretty on board with his new relationship.

With a new baby in the family, April, Alex and Avery decided it was time to move out of Meredith's house. April originally wanted to get away from Alex and his gross one night stands, but she ended up settling on a three bedroom apartment for all of them. We're meant to think this means she still has feelings for Alex (or at least, that's what I assume) but I would MUCH rather it mean that she has a thing for Avery and didn't want to move in with him alone.

Owen was still angry with Cristina at the party, supposedly over her insubordination in the whole surgery thing with Teddy. But when he saw her playing with Zola, I think we all knew there was much more to his anger than just a professional dispute. It all came out in the kitchen during the party, when they started yelling at each other about the surgery, and about how Cristina always gets what she wants, and how it always will come back to the abortion. And when Owen yelled "You killed our baby! You don't ever forget that!" Uh-oh. I'm not sure there's any hope of coming back from that. Cristina and Owen might be over for good, don't you think? I can't say I ever thought they were right together in the first place. Also, everyone at the party heard the fight. Yikes.

We won't find out what happens there right away. The next episode is called "If/Then" and is an imaginary "What if?" situation. Personally, I'm really intrigued by that idea. What do you guys think? Are you looking forward to that episode? What did you think of this week's?

Parks and Recreation: Positively Negative

2012-01-20T12:41:00.000-04:00

Paul Rudd AND Adam Scott? On Parks and Recreation? Gah! Had Jason Segel also appeared on the show last night, I'm quite sure my heart would have given out from the excitement of seeing all my pretend boyfriends in one place.

"Campaign Ad" saw Leslie and Ben butt heads when they had to come up with a campaign ad to air during the big Pawnee high school basketball game. Leslie wanted to be true to herself and stay positive. Ben wanted to go negative and point out the many, many flaws in Leslie's opponent's campaign. Paul Rudd played said opponent, a dumb and rich guy named Bobby Newport who's had everything handed to him on a silver platter and expects the same of the election. I'm glad Leslie's opponent was like this - had he been a sinister villain it would have been too easy to side with Ben about the attack ad. Bobby Newport is a perfectly nice guy, but he's dumb and has never had to work hard and doesn't even want to be on City Council. Leslie wants to beat him, but he's not such a jerk that she wants to publicly rip him to shreds. She wants to politely warn him that she'll kick his butt in a debate, and then do it.

The episode was packed with humor, in so many ways. The Bobby Newport character was delightfully ridiculous, as were both of the ads Ben and Leslie originally created. Leslie had a giant list of things she was "pro", but never even mentioned that she was running for City Council. Ben, Jerry and Tom (Tom & Jerry? Ben & Jerry's? What joke should I make???) spent most of their time practicing their attack ad voices, which had me in a fit of giggles. Just watch!

The whole campaign team agreed, though, that Ben's ad was the one that would get the job done. Leslie couldn't go through with it, though - yes, she dreamed of winning an election, but she also dreamed of running a positive campaign. A compromise was found - they created an ad using the pretend campaign ad Leslie Knope had made at age ten, and used Bobby Newport's own campaign ad to point out the flaws with his candidacy. Unfortunately, they had to put it on YouTube since they'd already lost their ad time.

Meanwhile, after Andy hurt his head we all learned that there are approximately 4,000 things wrong with him. He and April spent the day visiting multiple doctors and having their various needs attended to. Again, it was silly and ridiculous in the most delightful way. As the couple tried to flee the hospital to escape a $500 bill (poor Andy has no idea what "insurance" really is) Andy ran head into an ambulance.

I also loved the stuff with Chris and Ron. After Chris asked Ron to attend a meeting cutting programs, he invited the mustached one out for lunch. Ron said no, Chris laughed, and suddenly a confused Ron was out for lunch with Chris. Ron quickly put a kibosh on the budding friendship, and later Chris revealed that he was actually considering Ron for Ben's old job. Interesting! I wouldn't mind seeing Leslie lose that election if it meant she could have Ron's old job, and he'd work under Chris.

There were so many small, hilarious moments in this episode that I'm almost certain to watch it again. What did you guys think of "Campaign Ad"? Did Paul Rudd crack you up?

"Some of those things are symptoms, and some of them are just being a person." - Ann
Tom bets on all horses.
Among Andy's other injuries was hitting his head when he sneezed his face into a wall.
"I ate a Twix with the wrapper still on and the wrapper never came out." - Andy
"He is attractive, and charming, and his family employs half the town. But, so what? I am a lifelong government bureaucrat who's well versed in the issues. And those are the kind of sexy qualifications that win elections." - Leslie
"I hit my head, or brain helmet." - Andy
"Next thing I knew we were at lunch. Did he drug me?" - Ron

Some of my favorites:

Better Better Business Bureau
Westside Detoxification and Revitalization Project (What's the Westside???)
Fewer Libraries
Playgrounds, Playgrounds, Playgrounds
One police officer for every 5 citizens
Start Talking to Cuba Again
Unionizing Ice Cream Trucks
Get Europe out of debt

The Office: A Party to Remember

2012-01-20T11:21:00.000-04:00

At a certain point, I guess I'll just have to accept that while The Office is still a show I like, it's no longer the show it once was. Last night's episode, "Pool Party" was perfectly acceptable yet didn't manage to hit the level of comedy that previous Dunder Mifflin party episodes have.

Thanks to his divorce from Maura Tierney, Robert California had to sell his house - a playboy mansion type home that never saw the debauchery it was intended for because he got married and settled down. So Kevin suggested one last hurrah, and pretty soon the entire office was at Robert's house for a pool party.

Much of the episode centered around Erin trying to make Andy jealous, because Meredith revealed to her that Andy had followed her home after the Christmas party. She used Dwight to do it, but Andy was too concerned with a missing engagement ring to take notice. The storyline itself was just OK, but Ellie Kemper was hilarious. Erin's lingering feelings for Andy and jealousy about his new relationship has really given her a chance to show off her comedic chops.

There wasn't a lot else going on in the episode, but there were little things that made me laugh. Darryl was nervous about exposing his less-than-fit body to his crush Val, but eventually gave in and had a good time. Toby got way in over his head pretending to be a wine expert. Jim kept trying, and failing, to make an early exit - something that he apparently is a pro at. Gabe and Ryan were hilariously competing to be the most intense party-goer, staying until the wee hours of the morning to impress Robert. Kelly found Andy's misplaced engagement ring (he's not planning to propose yet - his parents just gave him a ring because they like his new girlfriend) and then, when Andy told her a ring from a failed marriage is cursed, tried to destroy it with Phyllis.

While I didn't dislike this episode, I do think some improvements need to be made. If I'm meant to really care about the Andy/Erin/Jessica storyline, Jessica needs more of a personality. I want Andy and Erin together, and right now Jessica is just a bland brunette standing in the way. What am I supposed to think about her? Is she nice? Bitchy? What? Also, without Pam around Jim's role in the world of the office has essentially evaporated. I loved the cold open where he tried to make Stanley laugh by pulling pranks on Dwight, when really Stanley and Dwight were in cahoots by getting Jim to feed them by making him think Stanley only found food-related humor funny. There needs to be more stuff like that. Otherwise, he's just a nice dude working an OK job who can't wait to get home to his wife and kids. Admirable, but not funny or interesting. What did you guys think about "Pool Party"?

Other quotes and moments I liked:

"I haven't proposed to anyone in years." - Andy, the new Ross Gellar
Kevin told Val she was being racist when she asked if Darryl doesn't swim.
"I don't mean to brag, but New Year's Eve...I was home by nine." - Jim, a guy after my own heart
Jim driving over Robert's lawn when he finally managed to leave.
Does Dwight really care about Erin? It seemed that way when he confronted Andy.

The Big bang Theory: On Again

2012-01-20T11:00:00.000-04:00

Happy 100th, episode, The Big Bang Theory! To celebrate this milestone, the show decided to revisit the idea of Leonard and Penny as a couple. It turned out that most of what we saw was a fake-out, which is a decision I had mixed feelings about.

Leonard just up and decided to ask Penny out on a date, approximately two years after they last broke up. She agreed, and after spending some time picking out a hot outfit with her gal pals, the two went out for dinner. It didn't go well.

Later that night, Leonard got a text message from Penny. The two ended up sleeping together, and then agreed that they would publicly announce they were back together until they could privately figure out if it was a good idea. That turned out to be a mistake, since some ribbing from their friends about the failed reconciliation caused more arguing. They end up in bed together again, and Leonard tells Penny that he can't imagine any positive outcomes for their relationship.

Cut back to the top of the stairs, where Leonard had originally asked Penny out. Everything that had happened was just Leonard thinking through whether it was a good idea to try and get back together with Penny - despite the less than promising sequence of events that played out in his head, he went ahead and did it. Penny accepted, but the episode ended before we saw them actually go out.

On the one hand, I thought the fake-out was both expected and cheap, and I felt like the writers didn't do a good enough job setting up Leonard's motivations for asking Penny out. We've known for a long time that Penny isn't over Leonard, and I would have liked to see more of Leonard's side of the equation. That said, I was glad the whole thing wasn't real because I do want Leonard and Penny back together. However, if that happens it needs to be different than last time. We need to see that these characters have grown as people since they were last together and that the relationship will be different this time. Otherwise, what's the point?

I read another review that criticized the low-brow humor in the rest of the episode, specifically the scene with Sheldon, Raj and Howard playing Settlers of Catan. Maybe it's because I was recently introduced to that game and am now obsessed with it, but I thought that was hilarious. Everyone makes those jokes when they play, and it was so fitting that Sheldon wouldn't get it.

Even though I have mixed feelings about "The Recombination Hypothesis", I'm glad to see some plot movement when it comes to Leonard and Penny. What did you guys think? And check out a few of my favorite quotes and moments from the episode:

I love whenever Leonard's mother is referenced. I really hope we find out more about this "Needy Baby, Greedy Baby" book.
"Promise me that when our new waitress comes over you will not start a complicated on-again, off-again relationship with her because I am very very hungry." - Sheldon
I feel like the show could benefit from more unfortunate acting gigs for Penny. A production of Anne Frank above a bowling alley? A hemorrhoid commercial? I want to see more - and as I've said before, I wouldn't mind if Penny started achieving some minor success as an actress either.
Leonard is 100% right about the subtext of "always".
In Leonard's daydream, Bernadette had reservations about double-dating with Amy and Sheldon. In real life, Amy was the one dissing Bernadette and Howard.

Up All Night: Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose!

2012-01-20T10:37:00.000-04:00

OK, it's official: The reason I enjoy Up All Night so much is because it's the TV show that comes as close as possible to mirroring my actual life. OK, not my life - I'm not married, don't have a fancy job working for a daytime talk show, I don't have a baby and my hair will never look as good as Christina Applegate's. But Reagan and Chris? Their personalities and the dynamic of their relationship are eerily similar to my boyfriend Rob and I, from Chris's love of hockey to Reagan's over-competitive spirit to the significance they place on watching Friday Night Lights.

I mean, as soon as I heard the FNL theme music, I had to laugh. You have no idea how much I love that show, so I loved that watching the series finale was an actual plot on a sitcom I watch.

OK, here's what happened: Reagan and Chris had been watching the whole series on DVD together, but when it came time to see the finale Reagan kept getting held up at work or coming home late and nodding off during the show. Chris was dying to see it (obviously) and when his pal from a playgroup said she was in the same boat, they committed the second worst thing you can do in a relationship and watched it together. (Cheating is still worse, of course. But it's damn close.)

The one flaw in this storyline is that the series finale of FNL was so good that Chris shouldn't have had a problem watching it a second time. Anyway, he managed to fake his way through it but when his pal Laura and her husband come over for a BBQ later she accidentally spilled the beans. I thought the whole storyline was pretty funny, and it was rooted in a pretty realistic concern - there aren't a lot of stay-at-home dads out there, and when they form bonds with other stay-at-home moms it can be a little intimidating. It wasn't that Reagan really thought Chris would cheat (note her relief when she realized that Laura was not the Real Housewife looking mom in the playgroup), but even without that concern it would be normal for Reagan to feel twinges of jealousy over Chris's special connection with another woman, even though it's based on inside jokes rather than actual flirtations.

Unfortunately, I don't think this was supposed to be the main storyline of the episode, and the actual A-plot fell a little flat for me. I love Megan Mullally, so I thought her guest appearance would be really funny. She was playing a woman who used to be on Ava's show all the time, and left to create her own show. She kept poaching episode ideas from Ava, and Reagan wasn't having it. The thing was, it just never seemed to go anywhere. The writers needed to turn it up a notch - I didn't get the idea that Mullally's character of Shayna was particularly evil or particularly nice.

Even though I felt like the guest appearance from Mullally was a bit of a missed opportunity, I liked the episode overall. What did you guys think?

Revenge: Collateral Damage

2012-01-19T13:07:00.000-04:00

So much happened on Revenge last night, yet there were no red X's marked over people's faces and no daunting images of cottages being burned to the ground. No, what happened in "Commitment" was almost entirely emotional. And did it ever pack a punch.

Let's not bury the lede. This week we saw Daniel's super romantic, rain-soaked proposal to Emily, which she of course accepted. As you can imagine, Daniels' parents were not thrilled. By the end of the episode we had watched Emily decide not to go through with the engagement, and then call off that detente again to keep on truckin'.

Why was Emily about to put her revenge mission on hold? Emotional and physical damage, that's why. Obviously, she was much more concerned about Jack than Charlotte, but let's talk about Charlotte first.

Poor Charlotte. She's just a rich, pretty teenage girl who wants to spend her last year of high school with her boyfriend. She has no idea that the father she adores isn't really her father, which would leave her only with the lunatic mother she detests. (Not that I think Conrad is any better a person, but Charlotte certainly does.) Daniel knows now, and that conniving witch Victoria has concocted yet another lie, lest her son believe she'd been unfaithful with a terrorist - she told Daniel that David Clarke had raped her, resulting in the pregnancy.

Emily made sure that Conrad discovered the truth about Charlotte's true paternity, because it means dashing any hopes Victoria has about getting a good divorce settlement. Conrad kicked Charlotte out of the South Fork Inn, and she showed up at Emily's beach house. She noticed the ring on Emily's finger and had a much warmer reaction to the news of the engagement than the rest of Daniel's family, telling Emily "I've always wanted to have a sister." Oh, the subtext! Even Emily, with ice water running through her veins (in a way that I very much admire, that's not an insult) had to have felt some kind of sympathy there. This girl is her father's child, after all, and we all know Emily loved her father.

Emily's goal this week was not only to inform Conrad of the paternity scandal, but to frame Amanda for revealing that information. That meant sending footage of Treadwell's interview with David to Conrad, and then planting the original tapes in Amanda's possession. Victoria has long been on to Fake Amanda though, and she invited her over for tea to sneak a DNA sample. Luckily for Emily, that lawyer who so kindly offered up his services to Victoria (I thought he was trying to get in her ~~pants~~ cocktail dress) has been in Emily's pocket the whole time. He switched the samples so that the DNA test confirmed that Fake Amanda and Charlotte are half sisters. We also learned that the only reason the lawyer didn't appeal David Clarke's conviction in the first place was because David knew that would mean drawing Amanda into the trial and he insisted on protecting his daughter.

It sounds like Emily has everything well under control, but that's not true. Her plans went awry when Victoria called in one of Frank's thugs-for-hire to search Amanda and Jack's apartment for the tapes, and he beat the crap out of Jack in the process. Collateral damage that Emily regretted, but it also gave her an opportunity to convince Fake Amanda to leave town. Amanda wasn't willing to go before, but with Jack's safety on the line she gave in. For now - I think we all know it's not the last we'll see of the Amanda Clarke imposter.

Nolan, who acts as Emily's conscience more and more these days, forced her to face the ugly truth that innocent people are getting hurt thanks to Emily's vendetta. She considered putting her plan on hold, reassessing and finding a way to take the Graysons down without marrying into their family. Of course, thanks to the pilot we all knew that wouldn't happen so I'm glad Emily only briefly considered this notion. Her mind immediately changed when Daniel confided in Emily about Charlotte's true paternity, with Victoria's added embellishment that the pregnancy was the result of rape. Revenge? Yeah, that's still on.

"Commitment" was a great episode, and it was interesting to see Emily have to face some of the harsh realities of her plans. In a lot of ways, she's becoming all too similar to the woman she's trying to take down. Victoria tricked Conrad into marriage with a fake pregnancy and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Emily's intentions with Daniel aren't what she's made them out to be, and she too has proven that she won't let anyone get in the way of her journey for vengeance. You can't ignore that people are suffering for Emily. Nolan took a knife to the arm as well as had his affair with Tyler revealed against his wishes. Jack was bloodied and bruised. And other than being rich and having horrible parents, we've seen no reason as to why Daniel or Charlotte should suffer, but they inevitably will. It's what makes this show so good.

A couple other things to note:

Jack still has an interview tape under his bed, that should become important.
The moment where Nolan tried to comfort Emily by putting an arm around her and she rejected him? Very Lisbeth Salander, which I loved.
I don't feel sorry for Ashley, but it was a little funny when she realized that Victoria is a sinking ship, telling Nolan (of all people!) that "All I’ve got to show for my summer with the Graysons is a gun-wielding psychotic ex-boyfriend who made out with you."
Nolan dropping a truthbomb on Emily: "I may have Jack's blood all over my jacket but you have it all over your hands."
If/when Amanda comes back, do you think she'll have something to wear other than too-short denim cut-offs and an army green tank top?
From what I read (but I avoid reading too much, so no spoilers please!) February sweeps is going to be very good to Revenge fans.

Modern Family: Oh, Fudge!

2012-01-19T11:51:00.000-04:00

I'll admit it, I was not a fan of New Lily when we met her. Sorry, OK? I know, saying "I found her rude and lacking in comedic timing" was a bit overboard, but I really did miss Old Lily.

Since the first episode with new, toddler Lily, she has slowly grown on me. I'm still not OK with the lack of explanation about how she grew so quickly (I mean, lack of explanation other than "This is a fictional TV show and we all know it, they wanted a kid who actually talked, so stop being such a loser and get on with your life", obviously) but I'm starting to understand the benefit of this Lily. She can be funny. Case in point, I loved last night's episode of Modern Family. In fact, I thought the show went three for three this week in funny storylines.

Bleep My Kid Says

"Little Bo Bleep" featured dear little Lily uttering her first curse word, much to the horror of Mitch. Cam's reaction? Laughter. Because if Cam has two weaknesses, they're for kids cursing and old people rapping. It was a pretty basic storyline, but one that delivered a lot of laughs for me. I liked that Mitch and Cam both reacted in ways that I thought were true to their characters, but without heading down the tired path of having them argue over the situation too much. Mitch simply didn't want Lily to keep saying the word, and Cam wasn't able to rein in his giggles.

The pressure was on, too, since Lily was about to appear as a flower girl in a family friend's wedding. (The dresses lit up. That was quite something. I can only assume this family friend or relative was a gypsy, based on my knowledge of TLC's My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.) Cam teared up immediately, as someone like Cam does at weddings, and upon seeing her beloved daddy cry Lily did the one thing she knew would make him laugh - she dropped that F-bomb! In the church! In the middle of the ceremony! Everyone laughed, and Cam carried Lily out like the ticking bomb she kind of is. Like I said, it may not have been the world's most original story but I still thought it was one that was utterly hilarious.

*For those concerned, the young actress who plays Lily was actually saying "fudge" the whole time. So calm down, Parents Television Council and other lunatics. Yeah, I'm looking at you, "No Cussing Club."

Puggle Problems

Meanwhile, Jay's dog Stella was one suicide watch since she kept jumping into the pool despite not knowing how to swim. The result? Absolutely hilarious. I will never not find Jay's intense love for this dog hilarious, as well as Gloria's not so quiet disdain for it. It's a great reversal of what you'd expect from them and provides a lot of comedic material.

While visiting Claire at her city council debate, her opponent (a puggle expert, who weighed in even though Stella is a French bulldog) suggested that Gloria's palpable dislike for Stella could be driving the poor thing to suicide. Right before the wedding, Stella jumped into the pool again. Unfortunately the only person around to save her was Gloria, who was already dressed to the nines for the wedding. Overcome by guilt, she jumped in to save Stella, and afterwards they all realized that Stella was actually just trying to get to the vent where her favorite squeaky toy was trapped. Funny mix up, right? Not for poor Gloria, who had to attend the wedding with wet hair.

Angry and Unlikable

The last funny storyline revisited Claire's decision to run for city council. Right before her debate with Duane Bailey (David Cross, who has an incredible knack for playing characters who both make me laugh and immensely annoy me) she found out that polls revealed people found her angry and unlikable. So the family took on the task of helping Claire change her behavior so that she'd come across better.

What I liked about this storyline was that it acknowledged something that many viewers of Modern Family often say - that Claire's character often comes across as shrill, annoying or - there's that word again - unlikable. And in some ways, they're right. She's the one that has to rein in her goofy husband and keep two of her three children from doing stupid things. She has a sarcastic sense of humor and rolls her eyes a lot - something I personally relate to and, yeah, some people hate that. While I do think Claire's character can be a bit much at times, I like that she's flawed. I like that you can see how Jay, Claire and Mitch are all so alike and have all partnered up with people who aren't as practical or acerbic as they are. (Remember Pritchetts vs. Dreamers?) Claire isn't an unlikable person to her family, but on a public stage she can come across that way.

Unfortunately for Claire, being peppered with harsh criticisms from your own family right before a debate - one that's televised on the public access channel, no less! - isn't exactly a confidence booster. Luckily, Claire has Alex. They had a couple of really cute bonding moments this episode, and Alex reminded Claire to be confident and powerful as she took on her opponent. At first, she was. And then it all went to hell.

Duane brought up Phil's hotel debacle from last Valentine's Day, when he was arrested after accidentally entering the wrong hotel room and, er, preparing to see his wife. Both Claire and Phil tried to explain and defend the situation, but they were too flustered to do it well. The result? A hilarious YouTube clip that went viral and got autotuned. Yes! The only thing better than Phil Dunphy actin' a fool is Phil Dunphy actin' a fool while autotuned.

So what did you guys think of the episode? I thought it was hilarious - and I really want to see more of Claire's political campaign. Personally, I hope she wins. The timing seems right for Claire to make a change and work outside the home, and it would provide some fresh material for not only her character, but the whole clan. Now, check out a few of my favorite quotes and moments from the episode:

"Some voters find Claire angry and unlikeable. To those voters I would say...wait till she reads this." - Phil"It's my fault. I let her out, and then I got caught up in my couponing." - Manny
Claire: "How'd you get so smart?"
Alex: "I've always assumed adoption or baby switch."
"This is my new favorite show." - Cam, watching the debate disaster on public access
"Oh, now we’re political? We leave town on gay pride weekend because we don’t like traffic." - Mitch, when Cam suggests they use marriage rights as a reason to skip the wedding
"You still have so much left to smell!" - Gloria, trying to convince Stella not to kill herself

Raising Hope: Baby Genius

2012-01-18T13:21:00.000-04:00

I know "The Chance family is stupid" isn't exactly a new storyline on Raising Hope, but last night's episode was one of my favorites so far this season. "Mrs. Smartypants" saw Jimmy, and then Burt and Virginia, attempt to get their GEDs after realizing that Hope is a very smart baby.

The problem? Jimmy had a baby with a smart girl - a serial killer, but smart nonetheless. As Virginia explained it, Lucy was "was a college graduate who avoided the police for years while she went on a murder spree. You're a high school dropout who's been arrested five times for peeing in public." Ah, but she did name her baby Princess Beyonce. And now that kid is smart, succeeding at the shapes toy at age two when Jimmy still couldn't do it at age four. It's only a matter of time before Hope is smarter than Jimmy. So off to his GED course Jimmy went, which just happened to be taught by his old high school teacher who was not only around when Jimmy dropped out of school, but Virginia and Burt too. I love any opportunity to flash back to goth Jimmy, so I thought it was hilarious.

Not wanting to be the dumbest one in the family, Virginia and Burt decided to come too. To pass the test they all got tutors - Sabrina helped Jimmy, Maw Maw helped Virginia and, surprisingly, Frank helped Burt. Alas, they all failed. Turns out they're all good at different things. So they devised a plan - in order for Jimmy to get his GED, they would each put his name on the portion of the test they were best at.

Personally, I loved the episode. "Mrs. Smartypants" managed to make fun of the Chances in a warm way because they were really making fun of themselves, and that's when this show works the best. What did you guys think?

Here are some of my favorite quotes and moments:

"I am not going from the Moe to the Curly in this trio." - Virginia
The song Maw Maw taught Virgina about all the American wars? Amazing.
Burt's cup-stacking project - random, but hilarious.
Burt wearing a shirt that says "I’d Rather Be in Virginia".
The opposite of a right triangle is either a wrong or left triangle. Obviously.
Jimmy reciting an answer louder when Sabrina asked him about volume.
"Put down the book and go watch TV... and nothing smart! No PBS and no NBC Sitcoms!" - Virginia

New Girl: He built this Schmidty

2012-01-18T13:03:00.000-04:00

Considering how much I hated Glee last night, I was happy to discover that both New Girl and Raising Hope delivered delightfully funny episodes. Not only did "The Story Of The 50" bring the return of the Douchebag Jar (I gag I find hilarious), but it introduced a few new characters and social dynamics within the group.

Nick is dating a hot lawyer named Julia, who I immediately like because she's played by Party Down's Lizzy Caplan and because she's quite funny. They do Bill Cosby impressions and joke about how Nick dropped out of law school when he realized he hates lawyers, and he tried to keep her away from his embarrassing friends/roommates. I liked how Nick's embarrassment of his friends played out as Julia was invited to Schmidt's big 29th birthday bash and got to see not only how crazy Nick's friends are, but all of the embarrassing things Nick has done with them. Like inventing something called "Bro Juice".

Schmidt had a lot riding on his birthday party, since it was the last of his 20s and he has a lot of douchey friends to impress - particularly, his college frenemy Benjamin. Turns out Schmidt was fat in college, which provides a lot of insight as to why he's so desperate to impress all the time. When his plans for a party bus fell through thanks to Frankie Muniz, Jess stepped in to try and throw a Schmidt-worthy affair. And of course, it had Jess written all over it. The bus was a school bus, there were safety helmets, and she accidentally ordered a last-minute male stripper.

We also met Jess's boss for the first time, a vice-principal who confiscates drugs from the kids for her own use.The character didn't get a lot of material, but she was funny enough that I'd like to see her again. Oddly missing from the party was CeCe - shouldn't she have been there?

Benjamin proved what a jackass he really is when he relentlessly hit on Jess, causing an uproar that led to Nick's date punching him out and the bus crashing. Turns out Julia has some anger management issues. Luckily, Nick finds then sexy. There was a moment of group solidarity that New Girl does well, but it was immediately tempered when, while waiting for the tow truck together, Schmidt tried to kiss Jess. And that, my friends, was how he ended up having to put $50 in the douchebag jar - an act that we'd witnessed at the beginning of the episode. I think my favorite thing, though, was the montage of all the other times Schmidt has had to pay up for the jar before leading to this all-time high.

What did you guys think of the episode? Did it make you laugh? Here are a few other moments and quotes I liked:

"We have a very weird, girl-style friendship where we kind of hate each other. We're bronemies. He's my fremesis." - Schmidt, telling Jess about his friend Benjamin
Jess: "I've got it! We are going to throw Schmidt a birthday party. [Guys shake their heads.] Yes! Because it's his 29th birthday, and we care."
Nick: "Jess, Schmidt's world is different than ours. They speak a different language. They shorten every word to one syllable, okay? He once called an oven an 'ovs'. He calls an airport 'airp'."
Winston: "They call ketchup 'ketch'."
Nick: "Last month he went to a party called 'Bros Before Hos... on the Moon'. What does that even mean? And the dress code was Yacht Flair!"
Winston: "He has a friend who legally changed his middle name to 'Doin'it'. Just one word - Doinit."
Nick: "You are not emotionally, mentally, and spiritually prepared to throw these d-bags a party."
"Hi, yes! I'd like to order a last-minute stripper. Oh, ummm... preferably of Asian heritage, with a heart of gold and... a... crotch of gold. Mmmhmmm, yeah, I'll hold." - Jess
"Luxury... dessert... I'm a warrior poet, man!" - Schmidt, being career coached by the male stripper

Schmidt-ism:

"Ooooh, Jess. I just found a Groupon for hypnosis lessons. Think what we can do with that... sex stuff!"
"Someone's personalized condoms just came in the mail!"
"Guys, has anyone seen my good pea coat?"
"Winston, did you know that NWA didn't stand for 'Never Walk Alone'?"
"Have you seen my shark skin laptop sleeve?"
"Darn it! Has anyone seen my croquet cleats?"
"Hey Jess [lifting up expensive watch], have you seen my other timepiece?"
"Nick, I came up with the best name for an uncircumcised penis: Bishop in a Turtleneck!"
Schmidt walks into the apartment wearing a Pride-ready black tank top and a conductor hat.
"Damn it! I can't find my driving moccasins anywhere!"

Parenthood: Cello, Nice To Meet You

2012-01-18T12:28:00.000-04:00

Parenthood is always fantastic, but you know an episode has been particularly good when at least one storyline creates some kind of debate in the household. This week, I had to pause the show to discuss Haddie Braverman with my boyfriend. So let's start there, shall we?

The Graduate

I haven't always been the biggest Haddie Braverman fan. There was a period of time where I found her incredibly whiny and annoying. But the show has done a really good job of letting Haddie mature, while still experiencing flawed moments. She kind of screwed things up with Alex (getting drunk at that party), but I think that relationship helped her become an adult in a lot of ways.

The episode when Max ran away was some of Sarah Ramos's best work, because it gave us another glimpse into what it's like to be Haddie Braverman. I can't imagine what it would feel like to be a teenage girl growing up in a world where her needs always have to come second. She's handled it really well, and I think in this week's storyline Haddie continued to show a lot of maturity and selflessness.

Haddie got her acceptance letter for Cornell, the Ivy league school in Ithaca, NY that she's always wanted to attend. With Haddie's good grades, sports, student council and volunteer work, I think her character was long ago set up as a Rory Gilmore type who has worked hard to achieve her dreams. But as soon as she got the acceptance letter, Adam started worrying about how he'd pay the sky high tuition.

Since Adam was basically second in command at the shoe company, I'm going to guess that once upon a time he was making a lot of money and would have been able to at least help pay for Haddie to go to an Ivy League college. But times are tough. Unemployment, Max's medical needs, the new baby and the new business have all eaten into their savings. Because he used to pull in a good salary at T&S, Haddie likely wouldn't qualify for very much financial aid. So he and Kristina had to break the news to their daughter that she couldn't go to Cornell.

So here's where the debate comes in. My boyfriend, the practical one, thought Haddie should have understood the reasoning - Berkeley is a fantastic school, and attending there would save her a lot of money. She wouldn't be drowning in student loans when she graduated. And then I kind of stopped listening when he started going on about return on investment and how much more money Haddie would have to earn for the cost of Cornell to be worth it. And logically, he's right. But you know what? It would still really, really suck to have to hear that.

I think Haddie dealt with the situation exceptionally well, and it was really an example of how being Max's older sister has turned her into this kind of person. She wasn't angry with her parents, she didn't lash out or blame them. But naturally, she was upset. She was having to say goodbye to her dream school, and that sucks. When Kristina tried to talk to her about it, I thought Kristina was being the insensitive one. She needed to let Haddie be disappointed for a while. Haddie was handling it so well, but it was a crushing disappointment and, yes, it was yet another example of how Max's needs have infringed on Haddie's life.

Of course, eventually, Adam told Haddie that he will try to find a way to make it happen. Realistically, a kid like Haddie would probably have to suck it up and go to Berkeley - which, to her credit, is exactly what Haddie was trying to do. Or, I suppose, she could say "You know what? I want to go to Cornell so badly that I am willing to put myself in a bunch of debt, work a job or two while I'm in college and deal with the fact that I won't be able to afford a lot of visits home." Haddie's basically an adult now, and I think that's her decision to make. But since this show is set in Northern California, I have a feeling that Haddie will end up making piece with the idea of attending Berkeley. Veronica Mars dealt with a similar issue, though on Gilmore Girls there were rich grandparents to bail Lorelai and Rory out.

Musical Chairs

The rest of the episode was also really great, although I spent a lot of time yelling at Jasmine through my TV screen. It all began when Crosby kissed Lily, and Jasmine saw it. Crosby told Jasmine that Lily's not just some hookup but a girl he really likes, and he wanted to take Jabbar to see her perform at an outdoor concert.

It was clear from the beginning that Jasmine was jealous, but I liked the way they showed it in small ways. Jabbar never seemed to be in real danger of seeing his dad kissing a pretty cellist and, if he had, it wouldn't have been the end of the world. Yet Jasmine told Crosby that she "ran interference", making it a bigger deal than it was. Then she invited herself and Dr. Joe to the concert, which even Adam thought was weird. At the concert you could see the jealousy on her face when Lily had a cute little moment of bonding with Jabbar, and again when she watched Crosby's face as he watched his new love interest perform.

On the one hand, yes, I yelled at Jasmine. She let Crosby go, she was the first to get serious with another person, and she has a kind and handsome doctor beau to be paying attention to. She has no right to be feeling jealous about Crosby when he tried so hard to work things out after his infidelity and she decided things were over for good. But on the other hand, feelings are complicated. He's the father of her child, they were engaged, she loved him. Even though she's with someone else now, seeing someone else making Crosby so happy might sting a little. Yet, because Jasmine has never been my favorite character, all I could think was "Well now you know how Crosby felt. Remember the time Dr. Joe ruined Harry Potter? Yeah. Chew on that for a while." It also appears that Dr. Joe knows something is up, so if Jasmine doesn't get those feelings of jealousy under control she could end up without Joe or Crosby.

Anyway, it was nice to see Lily get along so well with Jabbar, and I hope things work out between her and Crosby. I'd like to see what Crosby is like in a stable, long-term relationship when his family isn't on the line the way it was with Jasmine. I'd also like to see if he's matured or learned anything since he screwed things up with Jasmine.

I only have one complaint with the show, and that's what Jabbar said when they got home from the concert. "Mommy, I like Daddy's new friend," would have sufficed. It seems like a normal thing for a kid to say, and we could see Jasmine's reaction all over her face. But "Daddy seems really happy"? That's a tad too insightful for a kid who's about six years old and should be more concerned with the ice cream he got on the way home than with reading into his single dad's emotional state.

Family Ties

Since Haddie has become a mature, reasonable adult, Drew Holt has stepped into the role of Teenager I Hate. At least this week, anyway. Can we talk about what a brat he's being?

I love Drew with Amy, because he's a shy and awkward kid who's finally coming out of his shell. And I loved the material he got this week overall, even though it made me so annoyed at him. He spends a lot of nights over at Amy's house, something that Sarah is trying desperately to be OK with. And there he is, hanging out with Amy's parents, when Sarah comes by to drop off his cell phone and he acts like she has just done The Worst Thing Ever. What is this kid's problem? It's not like Sarah walked in on him spending private, intimate time with Amy so that she could give him a used Kleenex. She walked up the street so she could give him his cell phone, which he needed to keep his promise to text his mother, and she didn't interrupt anything awkward. Is he embarrassed of her? What gives?

Things got even more difficult for Sarah when Amy's parents invited her to join them all on a trip to visit a nearby college. It was where they had met, and Amy was considering going there. On the trip, it was revealed that Amy's parents knew a lot more about Drew and his plans for the future - like that he wants to major in biology - than his own mother does. Ouch. That's got to sting. And when Sarah tried to ask Drew to keep her in the loop on things like that, he acted like a bratty little snot. I hated him. I never want a teenage son.

I also liked how Sarah's failed attempts to connect with her son tied into her relationship with Zeek, which has grown since she moved back in with her parents. After undergoing some tests Zeek got some scary news about a heart condition, and he freaked out a little. He bought an Airstream without asking Camille first, which pretty much screams later-life crisis. I think Sarah knew something was up, and she opted to hang out with her dad and have pizza in the new trailer rather than having dinner with her hot boyfriend. It was a small moment, but one of those funny, sweet ones that Parenthood always nails.

Speaking of small, sweet moments - how great was it when Zeek revealed that he bought the trailer to help fulfill Camille's long ago dream of painting missions. I had to Google what that is (and Wikipedia is having a self-imposed blackout today) but from what I could briefly gather, it's a series of 21 religious and military outposts built by Spanish Catholics in California between 1769 and 1823. Anyway, I thought it was a lovely idea.

Labor Pains

I have to say, I'm really impressed with what the writers have done in the Julia/Joel/Zoe storyline. This started out as something a little icky and uncomfortable, but if you can allow yourself to get past that I think it has turned into something really interesting.

Since Zoe is staying with Julia and Joel, they're trying to be sensitive to the emotions she might be feeling as someone who is about to give up her child. Julia tried to shield her from the nursery, but Zoe's a smart chick and knew what was going on. And it's all so messy and complicated. On the one hand, Julia really is concerned for Zoe's well-being and doesn't want to cause her any emotional distress. But she's also concerned for herself and her family, concerned that Zoe will change her mind about the adoption before the baby is born. It's a totally normal fear, and it's something that all prospective adopting parents go through. Even though the papers have been signed, nothing is for sure and there's still a lot of anxiety about whether you are indeed going to have a baby. I like that the writers have allowed these concerns to emerge subtly.

The birthing class Julia and Zoe went to was awful, because the teacher kept talking about how the pain of childbirth would be worth it since holding your child for the first time is the best feeling in the world. Yikes. Zoe also gave some input into the colors Julia was thinking about painting the baby's room, and later she asked Julia to give the baby a watch that had been her grandfather's. What I hope, as I've said before, is that the show isn't steering towards Zoe reconsidering adoption but instead Zoe reconsidering open adoption. Would she want to be a part of the baby's life? Would Julia and Joel be OK with that? How do the logistics of that work? I know there are families who have open adoptions like this, but I know so little about it. I think if the writers approached the topic with the same amount of care and research that they've approached having a child with Asperger's, it could be a really interesting storyline for this family.

Politics

Bobby Little continues to make me uncomfortable. It's obvious that he's into Amber - and yeah, she's awesome. But how old is she? Nineteen? How old is he? Thirty? Even with the campaign work aside, it seems too inappropriate. That said, I like the rest of this storyline.

I like that Amber is excelling in her job in a very realistic way. She doesn't have a post-secondary education (yet), so she show had to be careful not to make her success seem too easy. Instead, I think they've done a good job at excelling at tasks that are all personality based. She's honest, we learned that in the last episode. She also has a great work initiative - I've worked in fundraising and knowing names of and personal details about the people you need to hit up for money is a very important skill. And it seems as though Amber is a good writer - something that higher education can help with, but also tends to be an inherent skill some people have. She's good with people (watching her keep the drunk guy occupied was priceless) and she knows how to be someone's right-hand gal.

Meanwhile, I also like how Kristina is being treated. She's good at her job, but still in a slightly awkward Kristina-ish way (like how she stayed at the podium just a little too long after introducing Bob Little). She works hard and misses Nora, and I'm glad the show hasn't glossed over the fact that a working mom might really miss her new baby who's at home. Yet, I really don't feel like the show has judged Kristina for her decision at all or suggested that she should feel guilty. I think she seems happy, and I like that.

I think my favorite thing about this episode was that the writers somehow managed to deliver storylines for all the main characters without any of them feeling underdeveloped or inadequate. What did you guys think?

Glee: Yes/No? Definitely No.

2012-01-18T11:04:00.000-04:00

Brace yourselves, for I'm about to rant.

I was looking forward to this episode of Glee. Will proposing to Emma? I've been waiting for that since before the ink on his divorce to Terri was dry. I'd even seen some positive tweets about the episode from critics who got an advanced screener of the episode, so I was hoping this big episode would help redeem this season of Glee for me, at least a little bit.

This is what I get for being an optimist. I'm not sure I could have hated this episode more. Aside from a few small details (Hi, Helen Mirren! You're still awesome!), I hated everything about "Yes/No". EVERYTHING.

Synchronized swimming? What the hell was that? THAT was the big romantic proposal? Barf. And I'm sorry, but can we talk about Will asking FINN to be his best man? WHAT? That screams inappropriate. WTF, Will Schuester? Where are all your adult friends? In what universe is it OK to have a high school boy who you teach act as your best man and plan your bachelor party? He's a teenager! That should be illegal!

Ranting aside, I think that scene indicated what has become a huge flaw for the character of Will Schuester and Glee in general. In order for a show with a big cast like this to work, you need to get the feeling that characters have lives outside of what we see on screen. Sometimes that comes across, like what we see with Kurt and Rachel's friendship, or the time we got a little more insight into Santana and her grandmother. But the show has epically failed when it comes to Will. His character has been shoved into this weird McKinley High vacuum where suddenly he has no outside life. No friends, no family, no issues or storylines that don't immediately relate to the glee club. And that's weird.

OK. Deep breath. Let's take it from the top.

Summer Lovin'

Things started out fine. I'm a Grease fan, so I rather enjoyed Mercedes and Sam's take on "Summer Nights". I like those two as a couple, and I'm totally fine with the idea of Mercedes feeling conflicted and confused about this love triangle she finds herself in. It was one of the few bright spots in the episode. I also liked the way the performance was set up, more as a fantasy than an actual performance. Glee did a lot of that this week, and it's something I think the show should try to do more.

Meanwhile, Becky's inner voice (which was Dame Helen Mirren - "You may be wondering why I sound like the Queen of England. It’s simple. In my mind, I can sound like whomever I want. So lay off, haters!") let us know that she has a big crush on Artie. She went to Sue for advice, who said she could do better than Artie but should ask him out if she likes him. The worst outcome is that he could say no.

Sue Sylvester was full of advice and warmheartedness this week. She barely flinched when she found out that Coach Bieste and Cooter the football recruiter had eloped, and when Emma sighed that she wasn't sure Will wanted to marry her she told her to do it herself - after all, it's not the 1950s anymore. When did Sue get so helpful?

That led to another fantasy musical sequence, probably my favorite of the night - Emma singing "Wedding Bell Blues" by Laura Nyro (or The 5th Dimension), but changing the lyrics from "marry me, Bill" to "marry me, Will". The lyrics fit the situation perfectly, and I thought Jayma Mays did a really excellent job.The best part? Singing backup were Sue and Bieste, wearing those godawful hats from the royal wedding. That? That was hilarious.

And then it all went to hell.

Worst Man

Sam wants to win back Mercedes, but she wasn't ready to dump her new boyfriend Shane. Sam assumed that it was either a) Because Shane is black or b) Because Shane has a letterman's jacket. Oh Sam. Pretty, but dumb. He decided that to win Mercedes back he'd have to also get a letterman's jacket, but the only team that still needed athletes was synchronized swimming. NeNe Leakes appeared as the coach, which was kind of funny but mostly just came out of nowhere.

Meanwhile, since Emma had accidentally blurted something out about marriage following her fantasy sequence song, Will decided that it was finally time to ask his ginger-haired OCD soulmate to tie the knot. Obviously, the first people he announced his major news to was the glee club. Why? They're children! Get some friends, Will! Where are your parents? Don't you have any siblings? Argh!

The kids' assignment for the week was to come up with a number that would knock Emma's well-washed socks off. Because if there's anything a marriage proposal needs, it's the presence of 15 teenagers singing about true love. Kind of like the time New Directions performed at Sue's sister's funeral. Stop letting these kids get so involved in your personal lives!

From there, Will continued to botch the proposal even more. First, he asked Emma's weird, hateful parents for their blessing. Obviously, they said no. They also planted some seeds of doubt in his head - how would their crazy daughter deal with the mess of babies? Oh no! Looks like Will has changed his mind, and he basically said that to Emma. Will telling Emma he had doubts about marrying her was like stomping on a kitten.

Later, Will went engagement ring shopping with Finn. Yes, Finn Hudson. A student. And then he asked Finn to be his best man. Ridiculous. But it gets even better! And by better I mean far, far worse. After accepting Will's offer to be his best man, Finn decided to confide something in Will. Now, considering he's just agreed to be the BEST MAN AT HIS WEDDING, you could assume that Finn was telling this to Will as a supposed best friend, and not a student. It turned out that Finn was considering enlisting in the army after high school, to follow in the footsteps of his war hero father.

Cut to the next day, where Will has called a very teacher-like meeting with Finn, Emma and Finn's parents. Wow, what a guy! It turns out that no one wanted Finn to join the army. Guys, this was super weird. What was the message Glee was trying to get through here? I wouldn't be psyched for my kid to enlist either. It's dangerous, being in the army. But what happened was weird - Finn's mom told him that his dad hadn't died at war. He came back from Iraq a different guy, with serious troubles. He became a drug addict and died from an overdose.

It just felt like the lesson being jammed down everyone's throat was "Don't join the military because war turns people into junkies!" I'm not saying there isn't an interesting dialogue to be had about how war changes people and can ruin their lives, but this storyline was handled so clumsily.

Sink or Swim

Meanwhile, Artie accepted Becky's invitation to go to Breadstix and had a really good time. But the situation was complicated - Artie liked hanging out with Becky and ignored his friends' suggestions that he might be leading her on, but then he freaked out when she suggested the two become...intimate. This was also a storyline that was handled clumsily. Was I really supposed to be OK with the idea that Becky had sent Artie a racy photo? That's a touchy subject for all high school students - they're minors so it's technically child pornography, photos can surface later and ruin your life, etc. That's a real issue, and it was completely brushed aside. Then add into the mix the fact that Becky has Down Syndrome? There's just no way you can ask me to be fine with the idea of a teenager with Down Syndrome using a cell phone to send a racy photo to a boy.

Artie went to Sue for advice - what is she, vying for Emma's job? - who told him to treat Becky like a real person and be honest with her. Well, at least Glee kind of got that right. Sue has remained consistent in her view that people with special needs should be treated how they want to be treated - like everyone else. Sue consoled a brokenhearted Becky with ice cream and a chick flick, and that was rather nice to see. However, I also felt like it sugarcoated a deeper issue. Becky knew that Artie didn't want to go out with her because she has Downs. And at some point, Becky will have to know she won't be able to date boys like that. I mean, if you saw a dude dating a girl with Down Syndrome wouldn't you be uncomfortable? Wouldn't you assume he was taking advantage of her? This is thin ice and I'm trying to choose my words carefully, but overall I just felt like Glee tried to tackle this sensitive storyline that needs to be handled with kid gloves, and result felt off.

OK, the proposal. I thought it was lame! High school students performing a synchronized swimming routine while singing a Rihanna song? A song about finding love in a hopeless place? What's the hopeless place? Lima? Will's first marriage? Emma's OCD? That's not romantic! Anyway, Emma said yes and I'm happy they're getting married. But man, was that stupid.

OK, on to the "big twist". I don't know about y'all, but I saw Finn proposing to Rachel from a mile away. Like, all season - was it really never supposed to cross my mind that Finn might propose to Rachel as a way to secure the one good thing in his life? Come on. Anyway, I hate teenagers getting engaged so I really hope she says no. I also really hope she gets into NYADA. I know there isn't going to be a Glee spinoff with Rachel and Kurt living in New York, but I just don't think a girl like Rachel would stay in Lima, Ohio. Rachel, Finn and Kurt are staying on Glee next season, and I hope the show finds a realistic way to include their storylines. But I don't have high hopes.

OK, what did you guys think of "Yes/No"? Did you hate it? Love it? I think it was a polarizing episode, so sound off in the comments!

Other thoughts and favorite quotes from "Yes/No":

Of the songs suggested to Will for his proposal ("Moves Like Jagger"/"Jumpin' Jack Flash" performed by Artie, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" performed by Rachel, Tina, Mercedes and Santana, or "Without You" performed by Rachel) the girls' song was my favorite.
"You can maybe go one day without the driving clothes. It's a wheel chair Artie, not a Porsche." - Sue
"Is that a mohawk, Puckerman, or did someone glue a squirrel to your head?" - Becky
The next episode is a Michael Jackson tribute episode. What are the odds that these storylines will be picked back up?

How I Met Your Mother: 150 Episodes

2012-01-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

Can you believe last night was How I Met Your Mother's 150th episode? Actually, I can - this show has been around for a while now and, in some ways, it's starting to feel tired. For me, "46 Minutes" was hit and miss. There were bits I loved, but there were also bits that felt tired. All in all, I was happy with the way things ended - the gang all having breakfast at Marshall and Lily's new Long Island home. It's a sign that the show is growing up, something I think it needs to do in order to deliver fresh material.

There were definitely bits I loved, like the two re-imagined credit sequences and the idea of "New Relationship Chicken" which is totally a thing.

I think the show lost me when the gang (minus Marshall and Lily, plus Kevin) visited a strip club. I get it - without the sane presence of a married couple, no one said no to Barney's proposition of going to a strip club. But with the return of Lily's stripper doppelganger, the whole thing just felt recycled to me. The strip club was followed by a series of shadier and shadier events, but throughout the whole thing I just never really understood why anyone was doing this.

Meanwhile, Marshall and Lily struggled with what it means to be homeowners - specifically, finding the fuse box. It was funny enough, and I liked seeing the whole gang have breakfast together in the morning. But for the show to be able to continue, I feel like Ted, Robin and Barney are going to have to start to catch up to where Marshall and Lily are in life. Where is Ted's house? Is it near Long Island? Why do we hardly ever hear about it?

I don't know why else the episode didn't really do it for me, but I hope the show doesn't continue to feel off now that Marshall and Lily are living in the suburbs. What did you guys think of "46 Minutes"? Let me know, and check out a few other quotes and moments that made me chuckle.

I have never related to a character on this show more than when Kevin exclaimed "I hate doing things and going anywhere!"
"We Built Chip City"
"It's like when they canceled Party Of Five for the second time...I mean...when they canceled...sports." - Ted