Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Dancing with the Stars - Week 7

Things continued along nicely this week after the no surprise elimination of Marlee last week. Things may be a little bit more chaotic this week with Cristian having his second dance cut short by a nasty cramp (a first I believe in this series)... but last night was surprises a plenty... and it was a night that each of our remaining teams had to perform 2 dances, one Ballroom and the other Latin.
It goes with out saying that Marissa & Tony are hitting their stride, and I honestly have never seen such a big goofy grin on Tony before. It looks good, they are dancing well together and kicked some butt last night. They started off with a great Tango and then later followed with a Rumba. Marissa is shining like a star and got her best scores, and ended up overall for the evening in the top performers.
Cristian & Cheryl had a bit more of a challenging time last night, and while their first dance (Viennese Waltz) was okay.. but they are trying to hard to play up the cutesy factor with Cristian and started showing his daughter... sigh... I hate it when they try to exploit children to get votes. Their second dance was a Samba, and Cristian was shaking it all like crazy until he got a cramp and things ended painfully. The poor guy was even sent off for medical care (what?) and they got a crappy score for effort. I don`t think that he will be cut tonight because of the injury... but they did have the lowest overall score for the evening.
Kristi & Mark were HOT HOT HOT again last night, and although they didn`t get a great score in their first dance (Viennese Waltz) because it was too `out of Len`s comfort zone`, they pulled off a great performance and in my eyes are still the team to beat. Their second dance (Cha Cha) was even better, but because non conventional it was panned by Len again. Mr. Cranky-pants was no fun at all last night while our other judges were all excited by seeing something new and different. After all was said and done, they were still up near the top of the pack. I don`t expect to see them get eliminated... but this is the first week that they have gotten lower scores than usual.
Mario & Karina are still boring me senseless. Yes I know he is cute... but I don`t like their chemistry and don`t find myself particularily interested in their performances (which is funny because the first couple of weeks I loved him and now have lost interest). They got a great score for their Mambo but only a decent one for their Foxtrot. I don`t expect to see them around at the end of the season. I expect to see them in the bottom 2 again tonight.
Shannon & Derek are trying to defuse the tension that has been around since they went on their rant about getting bad scores (and dissing the judges and other participants) and Shannon even went to the point of slapping on some fake booty to try to get some more hip action happening this week. It was okay.... they got a good score for their Tango (best score to date) but their Mambo (even with prosthetics) was just okay.... I have the feeling they will be leaving sooner than later but then again it depends on how the votes go. They are my choice to leave this week, but have the feeling it might be an upset and Cristian will be eliminated. We`ll see later!

Monday, April 28, 2008

MADtv - Albanian Idol

More genius from this past Saturday's all new MADtv. Their spoof of Idol was brilliant for the characters and the hilarious translation of the songs. The subtitles are too much... I was in hysterics with the lyrics to that Titanic song.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Weekend Rant - Spring Boost

Thursday is turning into a 3 night event as there is wayyyyyyyyyy too much playing this particular evening to be able to see all of it "live". Case in point, this week I watched Survivor, Supernatural and Lost the actual Thursday evening, and caught up with Smallville, Step it up & Dance on Friday evening while getting my Battlestar Galactica fix and then finally got around to watching CSI and l'il Bush on Saturday while getting the latest Doctor Who from the BBC (another astounding episode)..... and getting treated to a new Mad TV things are getting a little out of hand with this up and down/back and forth season... and I am looking forward to things getting back to a more normal pace.

I still don't understand why so much has to play on one night -- and thank the gods of wherever for file sharing and DVRs, otherwise I'd miss out on a few things. Yeah I know, it's pathetic.

This season of Survivor is turning into one of the better ones in recent years (and now it seems, future seasons will be in HD -- watch out!) and the last episode hit another home run with yet another "stoopid move". Last week Ozzy got blindsided and eliminated with out playing the Immunity Idol, so it was "re-hidden" on Exile Island. Jason gets sent to the Island, discovers it, and after another chain of events (and the most creative use of the word "Bitch" by Natalie), Jason gets blindsided (dolt) and gets sent home just like Ozzy... and that damned Idol is going back in to hiding, and we will have to see if someone finds it again....

The guys are in short supply ( only James and Erik are left) and the girls will start fighting amongst themselves once again.... girl power can go so far but it all depends on who wins Immunity over the next few weeks... and it seems that James has a nasty infected finger so you never know who will get an advantage this game... I still say watch out for Cirie.

Smallville didn't hit as well this week, Clark seemed pretty whiny and intense (none in a good way) and if Chloe wasn't around to keep it all together I am not sure what would be going on. Umm next week is about Time Travel and going back to Krypton? huh? Secret Agent Jimmy was mildly amusing but I would have preferred a better follow up to last week's better written episode. Still... another Lana free episode and that is a good thing in it's self.

Supernatural came back (again) this week with an okay but not great episode. I liked the premise of the episode ( Ghost Hunters Facers) but it was missing all of the Sam & Dean interactions that make the show so great. The other characters weren't interesting enough and once all was said and done (and erased) all they had was some bad memories and a lost friend, and that seemed kind of sucky as far as endings go. I think I am expecting more because there haven't been as many episodes due to the strike, and in a regular season it would have been better received.

Lost keeps sucking me in further and further and I hate to say it, but I might actually be pulling for Ben (yes, believe it or not) after this week's stunning death (be at peace Alex) and this Ben-centric episode. Seriously.... first there is the whole phone call warning system (way cool) and then Ben has weapons stashed everywhere and he gets everybody where he wants to make his stand. Unfortunately, he tries to bluff his way out of a dangerous situation where there are holding his daughter(not?) Alex as hostage and he pushes too far, believing that his conviction that because Alex supposedly doesn't mean anything to him, will not be used as a pawn in this struggle.

Ben miscalculates, or as he sees it, the rules get changed and Alex is sacrificed as a result. Ben goes wild, disappears through a mysterious door with hieroglyphics and before you know it the Smoke Monster is taking care of the invaders (I guess he turned off the protective field) and the next thing we know he is in the desert in a Dharma uniform. After assaulting a couple of probable bandits (in a very nifty way), he is off to Tunisia where we learn it is 2005 and he is meeting up with Said (as one of the Oceanic Six) and we learn why Said is working with Ben.

On the island.... something is up with Jack but I am not too worried as he has been seen in the flash forwards. Our gang learn that their new friends aren't there to save them (thanks Bernard) and there was some general mayhem everywhere. With Smokey on the loose I worry for the rest of the gang, and we already had several casualties courtesy of the invading force and I worry that there won't be any survivors other than the Six at this point. Locke, Hurley and Ben are off to see the wizard... Jacob on Island time but in the future things end up with Ben getting into a private building and his warning to Mr.Widmore about changing the rules and now it will cost him his daughter (Penny) had me on the edge of my seat.

So this is the shape of things to come.... things are moving along quickly and I have so many questions, the biggest being How the frack can Ben travel in time? This show is too cool...


Battlestar Galactica continues it's final season with great episode after great episode. I loved all the freedom of religion undertones this time around, but also all about the intense feelings of redemption and guilt that are being experienced by Tigh. His projections of his dead wife on Six were most disturbing, and even more disturbing to hear Six explaining how pain makes her feel and how she shares it with Tigh. yikes.


The President, and her way of dealing with Baltar, impressed the hell out of me ( I loved her comment to him that she was no longer in the mood to indulge him) and the weird scene of Six helping Baltar make his stand and taking back his right was strange.... it makes me wonder how real Six is and how she is not seen by the others yet can physically manipulate Baltar. There wasn't enough action with the big group of cylons this week nor with Starbuck and her crew but there is always next week.


Doctor Who is still a fun a ride as ever with not one, but two companions this week. Donna and the Doctor run into Martha, and we have some fun and games with the Sontarans, some interesting green technology and a rotten child genius. I love the character development and interaction, and find it quite interesting that Donna keeps running into some of the other companions of the Doctor, first Rose (although she didn't know it) and now Martha. I like how things are tying together, and the episode is great fun with Donna's family realizing that they know the Doctor from different situations. Of course it's a big cliffhanger, and I can hardly wait until the next episode to find out how this one turns out.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Girlicious: Thank god it`s FINALLY over

After the last couple of months, and last week`s ultra suckey episode where not one of the girls got eliminated, they finally decided to go with 4 of the girls (instead of the 3 that they said they were looking for) and poor Charlye was the only girl eliminated. Why you ask? Because she was HONEST and told the Judges that she wasn`t interested in being in a group with those 2 bitches, Natalie (uber bitch) and Chrystina (baby bitch).

I think the thing I found the most hilarious was how Charlye just up and vanished off the stage the moment she was eliminated... and was not interested in hanging around to see what happened next. It`s a shame really, because she has such talent and hopefully she will find something more interesting to do. All in all, I am pretty disappointed with the last couple of weeks and the sudden changes in group numbers. If Charlye had played nice would it have been all the girls? I still see some major meltdowns happening (I bet that Tiffanie will leave over time as she wasn`t too fond of those other 2 girls) and I can`t see how they can advertise that the 4 girls are the `Best of friends` --- we all watched the show and saw how catty and bitchy some of them are. Anyways.... let`s just hope that there are no more vanity projects in the future for Ms Antin ... do we really need another Pussycat Dolls clone?

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Dancing with the Stars - Week 6

Dancing with the Stars continued a great season with it`s first perfect score (big congrats to Kristi & Mark who pulled out a fantastic Jive and wasn`t Mark adorable all nerdy?). I loved the behind the scenes stuff and was surprised to learn that Kristi was born with club feet and managed to become a Gold medal winning figure skater. She is turning into an even bigger surprise than I expected. At the rate those 2 are going it`s going to be hard for any team to catch them....

Following up from last week.. it was no big surprise that Priscilla was let go last week and this week it looks like Marlee is in big danger of being let go. It`s your typical `Survival of the Fittest` and last week we had the oldest competitor let go and this week it will more than likely be the hardest working but most challenged competitor. I feel for Marlee as you can see how hard she works (and it is just astounding that she has done as well as she has to date), but as the competition advances and the dances become harder and harder it is even harder for some one who can`t hear and who needs to be on the beat all the time.

I think that Marlee has broken a lot of assumptions that we all have regarding deaf people, and I think she has been an astounding role model and example to everyone. Her dance with Fabian was good (she still surprises me) but you could feel how it was forced and how her partner kept grabbing her and moving her in the right direction. I do have to say that she looked great-- and I am still really impressed overall.

Shannon Elizabeth & Derek danced a nice Rumba and you can see that there is some definate chemistry between the 2 of them (Samantha called them on their ` Showmance` and the 2 of them tried to blow it off.) They got the average score of the evening (24) and should still be around this week. The girls in the audience seem enamored with Derek (mr bare chest at the beach) and that might help keep em around for a couple of more weeks.

Jason Taylor & Edyta pulled off a nice and steamy Cha Cha.... and although Jason didn`t `dance big` he has great chemistry with Edyta (they look so hot together) and they got a decent score (24). The judges seemed to be kinda bitchy last night (mostly Bruno and Carrie Ann) but they were still giving out good scores.

Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl did a Foxtrot, which, was Cristian`s best dance to date. They looked great together, the dance flowed well and it`s kind of funny that Cristian does better in Ballroom than in Latin... it must be more of that Chilean stuff. They got all 9s and were in the top performers of the evenign which was a big difference over last week when they were in the bottom 2. Len promised to moon if they were in the bottom 2 so let`s just hope that the public voted!

Mario & Karina did a steamy Rumba... which was a little too slutty for Len (no surprise there) but was loved by Carrie Ann and Bruno who thought it was `hot hot hot` and better than good sex. I still find their chemistry kinda funny, but they did a nice job and got an almost perfect score of 28.

My favorite was on fire last night. Marissa Jaret Winokur & Tony pulled out all the stops with the Viennese Waltz and they had a lovely, flowing dance that whirled around the dance floor. Marissa has really gotten her groove back and I was happy to see that they got a couple of 9s and Marissa (and Tony) were both so excited. They really are a good example of how much fun the show is.

It was fun last night to see the first group number (even if it was pretty chaotic) and I am still pretty impressed with the overall quality of the dancers this time around... and I wonder if those rumors that Paula Abdul wants to participate (she was there last night--hmmm) are true?

So tonight will be the big result show... and rumor has it we will see some of our favorites from year`s past, including Mel & Maks, and I can hardly wait! I just hope that they don`t rush it all at the end like last week and that our eliminated couple has time to say good bye before doing their last dance. Bye Marlee, you did a great job and you will be missed.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Weekend Rant - Things are going to get a bit messy

Smallville pulled out one of their best episodes (of all time) this week with "Descent" and the episode really highlighted Lex as he continued down his path to complete evil. Killing your dad and then burning your manifestation of your "good" side makes for a very deep and disturbing character and it was an extremely well performed episode by Michael (Lex). I am still in complete awe with his portrayal and interpretation of the character. Lex is on a one way ticket to hell and he doesn't care who is in his way or what he has to do to get to his goal. Kudos to dear old Dad, who, unless there is some other miraculous resurrection, will be gone and the last "adult" cast member will be finished on the series.

I could have done with a bit less of the hokey Veritas crap and the Traveller stuff, but the episode was pure story without all the usual angst that is in a regular episode of Smallville.... could it possible have been the fact that Lana wasn't in this episode (Kara neither) made it seem less whiny? Things are tying up nicely this season, and now if they could finally start getting Clark "oomphed" up a bit and get him flying, (they are still avoiding that, but the time has come my friends-- you better go with it) but they have started upping the anty when it comes to Clark and his powers ( I thought his creative use of Heat vision was great this week) and I would really like to see him becoming more of his potential and less of the angst ridden whiny character that they often portray him as.
Cirie has reinforced (once again) my theory that you CAN NOT trust her in the latest happenings on Survivor:Micronesia ... and I have been saying for weeks to get rid of her-- and now Ozzy has been eliminated from the competition in a bone headed move that is way up there with "bad moves" in Survivor. (James is still the champ with having 2 Immunity Idols and getting the boot). It broke my heart to see Ozzy go, but let's be honest here... he was starting to get way too egotistical about the whole thing and he was outplayed in some major shenanigans. Erik is really growing on me after his visit to the Micronesian village (and after all that beer and Betel nuts) and he is quickly becoming my favorite player to watch with his whole "wide eyed innocent thing". The girls are getting their groove on in many ways and I think the claws will be coming out soon which should make for some good episodes. I still wish Ami was around to work that whole "girl power" vibe, but just seeing the look on Eliza's face when Ozzy got eliminated was worth the shock. Ozzy was less than graceful with his exit and he should have followed his earlier feelings and pulled out the Idol. Yet another one wasted... what is the use of having one if you don't use it? It's still a shame to see him gone and it looks like the guys are the endangered species this round.

Battlestar Galactica is so fracking good that I am now dreading the day it ends.
This week's episode "The ties that bind", continued rocketing our storyline into much unfamiliar and very disturbing territory.
The ties that bind - Cally & the Chief - besides the obvious;their child -- is their violent past and when Cally discovers, much by accident and suspicion, all about her dear hubby and some of his friends their shocking Cylon secret ("skinjobs") and she ultimately pays the price for this knowledge. Her discovery, the surreal scene that followed of Chief chatting with her and trying to explain the false truth and her violent attack on him before going off to try to commit suicide was astounding.
I was worried for the baby (probably some hybrid?) and you could feel the fear and tension that Cally had as she wrestled with the dilemma of Cylon hubby (and crew) and when one of our dear skinjob friends shows up (Tory) and tries to play nice before ultimately slapping her down and grants her death wish by blasting Cally out the airlock ... I was completely blown away. Just when you thought there was hope and redemption for some characters you realize that they are a lost cause. Tory has been mostly a background character, but since the reveal that she is one of the Cylons her storyline has been taking on a whole new direction and she has been given the chance to show some acting chops. Her sudden shifts have been very effective. Now of course... if Cally shows up next week on a Resurrection Ship we might have the identity of our unknown Cylon... and maybe that could explain why their baby has never shown up on the radar as important before... just a theory.
The ties that bind -- Starbuck & Anders -- the on again off again couple are off with a crew on the Demetrius looking for the way to Earth. Adama still has a spark of hope in Starbuck, and although our heroine is feeling disconnected and not quite herself (me thinks red herring, making us think that she might be Cylon when I think she will be the one that will save them all) and has some rough hot sex with stud man. Starbuck is painting some pretty pictures and going all Sistine Chapel in her quarters. The girl is not as crazy as anyone should think. The whole " Oh frack it let's just frack " scene should clear up any misconceptions about the word frack.
The ties that bind -- Six & the other Cylons -- and their ongoing civil war. Suddenly there is a vote and they want to unite the 12 models? I never imagined Cylons to have neither a spiritual nor such an emotional side and am fracking fascinated over the current internal struggles with in the machines. Seeing the trap that our friends just jumped into (and not a Resurrection ship around) might mean some change in the status quo.
There was still tons more (incredible to believe, all that in one hour) but I was less intrigued by the political stuff (although I love the President) and think that they are still wasting the Apollo character. I am sure this will all tie together in ways I could never imagine.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Bones - The Man in the Mud

After several months off (the last time was before Christmas), we finally got down to some fresh Bones this week and I am a very happy camper indeed.
Things picked up well from where we were last time, and our friend Sweets is now an official member of the cast (for how long no one knows -- I still have the feeling that something about him is too good to be true and would not be surprised if there is some kind of a connection with the mysterious Gormagon ... time will tell on that one.)
I think the thing that I have missed the most is the rapid fire and very funny exchanges between the characters. Bones is so out of tune with regular day to day stuff and her apparant lack of social skills always makes for a good laugh. The storyline with the body being discovered in the mud pool and Bones insisting that the mud be drained and sent off for analysis was just too funny. People don`t know when/how/if to take her seriously (and they should, she doesn`t really joke around) and it always makes me giggle to see how easily Temperance can make people`s heads spin.
Unfortunately there wasn`t a lot with some of the supporting cast this week (Zack and Jack were hilarious playing king of the lab while Angela didn`t have enough of a role this week and neither did Cam) and I was pleasantly surprised to see one of the `Others` from Lost playing the snarky lawyer for one of our suspects. His comment about sarcasm not being translated well on the transcript was pretty good, and I wonder if he will be another character that will show up from time to time.
Having the sessions with Bones, Booth and Sweets was absolutely the best part of the episode. I love the interaction, the `double date` scenario and how Bones and Booth turned things around (and against) Sweets while watching him have a meltdown with his fish loving girlfriend. Bone`s sheer incredulation about `fish and people aren`t the same-- people can`t breath underwater` went beyond answering a rhetorical question to clearly demonstrating her different perspective on life. Booth was such a surprise on the `date`.. and for someone who didn`t want to go and `make something`, he did a great job on his horse (too funny) and had a much better time watching Sweets and his girlfriend bash heads than anything else. Having Sweets taken under the care of Bones and Booth at the end of the episode (after Sweets gets dumped) was brilliant, and made for another great episode. I can hardly wait until next week!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Dancing with the Stars - Week 5

After letting go of Adam Corolla last week (no real surprise here) and having the big shock of seeing Priscilla Presley in the bottom 2, things got quite a bit messier this week.

Latin week is usually touted as being a hot and sexy night... and spray tans aside, I was pretty disappointed in the over all performance level last night. Some of the teams did very well, but if you didn`t do well it was, well, pretty crappy.

I was happy to see that Marissa is really getting her groove back. After pulling out a great performance last week, she was my favorite again this week with her very sassy Samba. I have to say that this is the first year that I really like Tony (he usually grates on me, but this year we are seeing a lighter, funner side of him) and they are doing a great job together. Seeing Tony all excited and happy for Marissa makes each performance even more memorable, and I really hope to see them around for several weeks still. They got medium scores (all 8s) but had some of the best energy last night.

Mario & Karina started off the evening with their Samba.... and I have no idea what the judges were seeing, because it was not one of the highlights of the evening for me. I have completely lost interest in Mario`s performances and didn`t understand why he scored well.

Priscilla Presley & Louis tried to do a pretty intricate Rumba... but it was too difficult and felt forced and awkward. As much as I love Priscilla I think that she will be finished after this week and it may be the right time. She still looks great and works like a demon, but that isn`t always enough. She is still the classiest act on the dance floor this season.

Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl did an adequate Rumba, but it was lacking the `oomph` that they had last week. They have weird chemistry.... if they could fix that they could probably go a lot further.

Marlee Matlin & Fabian did an amazing job for an intricate Samba that must be impossibly difficult for some one that can`t hear. Seriously-- I have no idea how Marlee does so well and keeps such a positive attitude with such a big challenge. They didn`t get the best score, but deserve to stick around and show the world more of their great attitude and effort.

Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark are still the couple to beat, and did another amazing Rumba last night. They got the highest scores (2 10s-- wow) and work so beautifully together. I always look forward to seeing what they will do, and they made it all look so effortless last night compared to other teams. It may be hard to know them off the top spot after this week.

Shannon Elizabeth & Derek got bad comments from the judges for their Samba, but I really think the judges were being too harsh. They put together a great routine, and although Shannon didn`t shake it as much as some of the other girls (she has less to shake), they did a great job and you can tell how much she puts into it by her level of exhaustion at the end of the performance. Poor Derek got hit with food poisoning this week (bad season for him) but there seems to be some kind of connection happening with his partner and I wonder if there is another romance in the works?

Jason Taylor & Edyta finished off the performances with a Rumba that was very smooth and had some interesting extensions done by Edyta (good lord...). They got great scores and are sure to be around for the next while as they are pretty much the number 2 team. Why is it that all the girls wear such mini costumes yet we are not treated to the same thing with the guys? Seems a little sexist to me....

I think that Priscilla will be eliminated tonight.... but stranger things have happened and you never know...

Monday, April 14, 2008

Desperate Housewives - some answers... and yes more questions

It was great getting back to Wisteria Lane last night, but I am still finding the whole TV season pretty disjointed and hard to keep up with. The Strike screwed up most of this season but atleast there was some interesting developments last night.

I never saw the OC, but after my first episode with the yummy Chris Carmack as Susan`s cousin Tim (huh? where the hell did he suddenly come from?) who guest starred in this episode and I was wondering what I had missed previously. The guy is pretty hot... and he certainly got busy very quickly during his visit...

Susan was slightly more bearable this week, and I loved how she was freaking out worrying that her cousin was after the 18 year old... when it turns out it was Katherine that took his virginity at 16 when he visited before `Band Camp`. This was around the time that Katherine got rid of the abusive ex husband... and them hooking up again seemed to be good timing, after all she is just breaking up with her current husband and I guess Katherine`s cougar instincts come out in times of crisis....

We got tons of info concerning Katherine and the great mystery that is her ex-husband. The way things look.... it appears that Katherine killed her ex with the candlestick in the Library (?) or maybe the Study... it all seemed very Clue to me... all I know is that her other ex is still in the picture and her poor daughter is in serious need of therapy. I`d still like to know more about that mysterious burial in the woods.... I am assuming that is close to home and a big surprise that Lynette`s gang of monsters haven`t discovered it. I think the cross in the ground formed out of rocks might have caught some one`s attention... but I digress...

Gaby and Carlos were probably the most fun last night, and besides Gaby being the vapid and completely self centered woman that she is, she has me in hysterics with her abusing Carlos after she learned he might be permanently blind. Oh the drama... the bitchfest with Edie made the whole episode for me, and I love how those 2 interact.

I wasn`t that thrilled with Lynette`s sudden need for Church (and don`t believe that almost everyone in that particular `hood goes to church every week either..) but her interaction with Bree and the Minister was great... and her acceptance by the Catholic Church (`They are the only ones that don`t care if I have this many children`) was hysterical. Bree is one scary woman when she wants something and their discussion on faith was quite interesting.

I am still wondering where the gay couple is.... can`t they try to do a half decent story with them? Still.... I am happy to have some new episodes and looking forward to some new dirt...

Friday, April 11, 2008

Weekend Rant: It`s a mad mad mad world

Survivor Micronesia (aka Fans vs Favorites) continued it's great season with an all out chaotic episode this week. Not only do we get the merge (which seemed a tad bit early to me), but we could some funny play with the phony baloney Immunity Idol, some fierce competition in the Immunity Challenge and some hilarious game moves by some of the players. We actually saw more of the other players this week than we have at any other time.

The sudden merge, the interesting feast ( bats? yuck..) and the choosing of the name was all insane. I loved how Erik made up a word (Dabu) and it became the name for the merged tribe. This season is going in so many different directions compared to previous ones. The jealous looks and tension that is starting to pop up because of Alexis and her interest in Ozzy (I think everyone is infatuated with him) and of course, Amanda and her big interest in Ozzy and her sudden bad feelings towards Alexis seems to speak volumes.... Pavarti and her ability to make a deal with everyone is going to end up screwing her and probably a few people around her...

Jason is trying to prove his mettle against Ozzy (it seems all the Fan boys have a man-crush on our uber-player) and they go for broke in their endurance Challenge. Although Jason wins, his attitude makes him a poor winner, and he has already promised his buddy Eliza the " Hidden Immunity Idol " that he found on Exile Island (aka the fake placed there by Ozzy), and once he shows her the Idol, Eliza is pretty convinced that it's a fake (very perceptive) but decided to go for broke and plays it anyways.

An interesting move.... and Ozzy almost lost it big time at Tribal Council when Eliza pulled that out of her bag and tried to avoid being ousted..... the gang seems to be getting a little uppity with Ozzy and I am beginning to worry for him... we'll see what happens with all of that over the next few weeks. My biggest concern at the moment is still Cirie.... I just don't trust her...

Battlestar Galactica continues it's mind blowing final season with a huge episode on Ethics (amongst the Cylons and how some of the factions want to keep the Raiders lobotomized as they are beginning to evolve... and that won't do for some of them), and a ton of development with Starbuck's story and about Trust. Her sudden appearance makes many of them think that she is a Cylon and they don't trust her judgement (or story for that matter) and after a great confrontation with the President (and comparing Trust/Faith issues) we learn that Starbuck is going insane as they move farther and farther away from Earth... and that she might lose her contact with Earth if they keep moving away. Holy frack.... the stories, characterizations and acting that this series brings blows my mind. Katee Sackoff kicks major butt in her freak out scenes and I can not believe what they pack into one hour.

Step it up & Dance had a not bad second episode.... I liked the visit to see L'effleur des Sens and then learning more about the Apache style of dance. The competition was interesting.... I do like seeing the dancers divided into the "Winning" and "Elimination" groups after their initial audition. I'll still give it a couple of weeks to see how it grows on me but it hasn't become essential viewing nor is it trashy enough (yet) to warrant being given "Guilty Pleasure" status.

I still haven't completely recovered from the jaw dropping season finale of Torchwood to really say anything except " holey crap..."

Doctor Who has played 2 great episodes this far on the BBC, and this week's Pompeii Episode was just terrific. I love Catherine Tate and her Donna Noble character has been adding an interesting dimension with the Doctor. She has me in hysterics last week when they finally met up again in "Partners in Crime" and she pleasantly surprised in this week's Time Travel episode. I still get the occasional hint of some of her more noted characters when she gets going, but she is doing some nice dramatic work here. The Doctor keeps things as cheeky as usual.

The show is as well produced as ever and all the makeup, costumes, decor and sets were phenomenal this time around ( I hear they used the sets of Rome for this episode) and each episode has been leaving me giddy. I can hardly wait until next week... the Ood are back and that is never a good thing!

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Girlicious - Star Quality

Things are getting down to choosing the final 3, and this week the ­­­­`girls` were split into 2 groups of 3 to do some `Old school` songs (more of a burlesque feel like the Pussycat Dolls)and there was much drama about Chrystina being with the `other girls` instead of bff Natalie. As a surprise our gang were sent off to film for their first music video and joy of joys, they were filming on a yacht and got all decked out in the trashiest and miniest sailor outfits.

Robin pulls her other sibling (Steven) in as producer for the video and I am thanking the Gods that her brother Jonathon (he of the `banging` hair ) has not been seen this season. I wonder if there are others lurking somewhere else..

Natalie is still being one of the biggest bitches on the show and goes on and on about having won the Charisma challenge it will be easy to pull out the Star Quality and show the other girls what it is all about.

Yeah right....

The filming goes okay... but Carrie is still struggling with dancing (the girl can rock a song like no one) and the filming is a challenge for her. Chrystina keeps getting out performed by the girls around here and it shows that her confidence is taking a hard hit this time around. I am not sure if they keep trying to sell Natalie as a viable contender (or they keep highlighting her because she has that bitch factor) and there is the whole trashy bathtub scene with her and Chrystina bonding instead of practicing. I am pretty sure their work ethic is being noted and it will impede them from winning.

After all the drama, Carrie is finally eliminated (too rock and too tall if you look at the other girls) and Natalie is in the bottom 2. Charlye and Nichole are my 2 picks for being in the group, and the final position will be more than likely Tiffanie. I just want to see Natalie hit the road next week, and was giggling with delight this week when she was told that she was weak and needed the group to support her..... yeah right... Star Quality??? LOL

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Dancing with the Stars - Week 4

The competition is really heating up, and I can`t believe how many 10s were thrown around last night. There were a few surprises all around and things are pretty much on track with Steve Guttenberg being eliminated last week (probably from trying to be too nice) and last night was great with our teams doing either the Paso Doble or the Viennese Waltz .

Kristi Yamaguchi & Mark did a killer Paso Doble (that Mark just kills me with his choice of music and his hot choreography) and Kristi emoted way better than last week. It`s no surprise when they get the first 10s of the contest and end up with an almost perfect score of 29. I think that Mark really wants to win this year and hope to see one of the male dancers take home the trophy this year.

Priscilla Presley & Louie are still surprising me each time they hit the dance floor to do their waltz. While this wasn`t my favorite dance they have done so far (it was kind of dull if you ask me), I still can`t get over how hard Priscilla works and how well she does for a lady that has no real experience in this kind of performance. Although they didn`t get very good scores, I think they will still be around for several weeks and hope this is not the end of the road. Did you see Lisa Marie in the audience? That girl got the best of the gene pool from both her parents it appears...

Adam Corolla & Julianne were wild.... and although Zorro on the unicycle was amusing, Adam is completely out of his element and did a terrible job with the rest of the Paso Doble. Sure he is learning a few things, but the guy is no dancer and shouldn`t be around for too much longer. Let`s make it quick and painless and let him go....

Marlee Matlin & Fabian are still the biggest revelation of the season. I would have never thought that someone who can`t hear would do so well in a dance competition, and I was fascinated by Marlee talking about trying to keep her balance with all the spinning that you need to do in the Waltz, and it made me realize that it must be even harder for her with no hearing. I am utterly flabbergasted each time she does a routine, and really hope we will have the chance to see more. They got medium level scores so hopefully that will keep them out of danger for awhile.

Mario & Karina did their Paso Doble and if anyone else was close to leaving last night it had to be him. Mario seems to have lost his `oomph` that he had in the first few weeks and I found him less fluid. Too bad, he`s a sexy guy but he seriously needs to get his mojo back.

Jason Taylor & Edyta did the most amazing Waltz last night and I can not get over how fluid Jason is. Damn sexy also.... and it`s a shame he can`t do lifts with his partner because those 2 are great together. They got tied for top score (take that Kristi) and are serious contenders. If this keeps up they will be fighting to the end for that Mirror Ball trophy.

Cristian de la Fuente & Cheryl did a nice job with their Paso ( I loved Cristian getting all manly and shirtless for the dance) and I am not sure if Cheryl is turning into one of those dreaded `Showbiz moms` but she is getting real hard on Cristian. They are improving each week, and should still be around for awhile, but I don`t see them going all the way to the end with some of those even fiercer competitors out there.

Shannon Elizabeth & Derek had some drama (something about Derek hurting his neck) but pulled off a beautiful Waltz (just stunning) and got the second highest scores of the evening and their first 10. Shannon is becoming a better dancer each week and was very impressive with some of the spins she was performing, and best of all they got a 10 from Len.

Things finished up with Marissa Jaret Winokur & Tony doing a great Paso Doble and Marisa finally broke out of her shell and hit the dance floor with all guns blazing. She is such a fireball, it was nice to see her committed to the performance and she was great. They got better scores than last week and I hope this is the beginning of her kicking butt and taking names. I would love to see her go all the way, and if she keeps taking chances she should do well.

We`ll see how things play out tonight at the elimination, I am pretty sure that Adam will be off but you never know... it is in the hands of that dreaded voting public and you never know how it will turn out, except Adam does have a pretty serious deficit in points to start with...

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Weekend Rant - Endings & Beginnings

What a week.... not only did we start getting towards the end of Girlicious (and what a bitchfest that " Road so far" episode was..) but we got the awesome finale of " Make Me a SuperModel" and the first episode of the final season of Battlestar Galactica........ all that and the season finale of Torchwood and the brand new season of Doctor Who.

Honestly my head is spinning with all the starting and stopping, but here is a quick rant on my TV viewing.

Girlicious is the delicious train wreck that I expect it to be. The "girls" (all different versions it appears) are so catty and difficult with each other that you can hardly see 3 of them working together, let alone forming the "Next great girl group". Yeah right... This show is such a joke... and fills that void missing by shows like JDMA or any other bitchy dribble. I will be along for the ride, always hoping that bitchy Natalie doesn't go all the way..

Make me a SuperModel finished things in fine fashion with Holly taking home the big prize (and well deserved) while my favorite Ronnie came in second, followed by his bro-mance (Ben) and the ever bland Perry. Holly is the finest Hillbilly model since Elly May Clampett and made the season half the success it was. I loved all the "surprises" in the finale (Holly's fiance is hot..) but could have done with out the manufactured drama they call Perry. Puhleese...

Checked out " Step it up & Dance" and will give it another shot before dropping it.. am not sure if the show fills me "Dance" needs (Dancing with the Stars & Do You think You can Dance usually do that) but it did have some interesting moments in it's first look.

Concerning Survivor: Micronesia: DO NOT F**K with Ozzy. I was upset the Amy got the boot after butting heads with superstar man. The game is getting meaner but I still want Ozzy to win.

Battlestar Galactica started off the season strong with continuing the storyline from over a year ago (time flies..) and the discovery that " “There are twelve Cylon models. Seven are Known. Four are Hidden. One Remains” and that things are as fracking complicated and interesting as before.

The return of Starbuck and the strife that the situation creates, the struggle with some of the crew learning that they are Cylon, the new status of Baltar amongst some of the crew.... the situations and characterizations are dead on as usual. I loved the scene with our Four chatting together (and some of the weird flashes, it kind of reminded me of Lost at times) and the big fight scene with Anders getting scanned and then the Cylons retreating. This is not simple Sci Fi, it's complex pathos and humanity and inhumanity all woven into one complicated Gordian knot.

And like that famous knot, this one has is coming to it's inevitable conclusion at the end of the series and this part of the story. ( which probably means that it will finish with them discovering Earth.)

I am still along for the ride.. and yet still dreading "The End" as in some ways I don't want the stories to end and I want to see more of the characters, but then again there might be some kind of continuation in the adaptation to life in our universe after this series. I do know that I will be enjoying the series as long as it continues.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Dancing with the Stars - Week 3

This season is certainly out doing the last one.. not only do we have several `better` dancers than in previous years, but some of the performers are getting scores wayyyyy higher than previous competitions. (atleast this early in the game)

Last week played out pretty much how I figured it would, and Monica and Penn left (I was surprised that Adam wasn`t gone but he has been full of surprises so far) and after our first 2 performances and the double elimination we are down to a`regular` single dance/single elimination competition and seeing all the different Tangos and Jives last night was a real treat.

Marlee Matlin is still kicking major butt in the competition... and you can`t help but be impressed by the fact that she dances up a storm and has such `musicality` for some one who can`t even hear the music. Seriously, the woman is a strong contender at this point and has been getting some pretty decent scores for her Jive last night.

Steve Guttenberg did a bit better last night, looked more serious (it was the Tango after all) and did a nice job with his dance. Decent scores as well, but not sure if his lovey dovey attitude will keep him in it or if his lack of dance ability will do him in eventually. He does a better job than last week and that is encouraging.

Cristian de la Fuente looked like bambi caught in the headlights last night. I personally wasn`t that impressed with his performance ( the judges thought he was better) and he got good scores. It looks like he is terrified of being in the bottom 2 again and I am not too sure he will go real far... my choice for one of the least popular this week.

Mario was all whining and complaining about being too busy and not having that much time to practice over the week... and personally I think that is in very poor taste, after all he did make a committment to the show and is now not able to give it his all? tsk tsk.... he did an okay job, his partner seemed kind of pissy with him but you can`t deny that the guy has talent and presence and I hope to see him around for awhile still.

Shannon Elizabeth impressed the hell out of me last night... not only is our awkward girl who is all legs pulling out some hot performances, she is picking things up quickly and looked great. She put so much into the dance she needed to rest after (it was very cute) and I hope she hangs around for awhile, she has great potential.

Adam Corolla was a surprise... not only did he look like he was dancing (big improvement over last week) but he looked like he was having fun, and stayed in character for his Tango. Julianne looked great in her dark wig, and did a great job with the choreography. They even got a decent score and it was a very pleasant surprise indeed!

Marissa Jaret Winokur has such energy and charm that you want her to do well... but I really think that her partner and choreographer Tony, let her down last night. Her routine was pretty dull for a Jive.... and the judges felt the same way. I hope she sticks around but is probably in the bottom 2 due to lack of content.. and it would be a shame to see someone of her talent leave so early.

Priscilla Presley is still the biggest shock of this round. I still can`t get over how well she dances and the way she portrays different characters each time around. Her Tango was hot, she ruled the dance floor and got one of the highest scores of the night. I hope she is around until the finale, I am utterly fascinated each time she is on the dance floor, and that is the sign of a good performer.

Jason Taylor is still a beautiful big man that moves so smoothly around the dance floor.... and has the attention of pretty much all the viewing public. Graceful is not a word usually associated with football players, but it suits him well and he is great to watch, and pretty damn sexy. He got another good score, and a small kick in the ass from the judges who told him to let go and make it work. He should be around for quite a bit still.

Finally we got around to Kristi Yamaguchi who pulled out all the stops (again) is practically running away with the competition. All that figure skating experience is paying off and all she learns now is to emote.... her Tango was lacking `fire` and `anger` but she kicked ass in a very big way. Expect to see her around for quite awhile.

We`ll find out tonight... hopefully Marissa will be hanging around longer and I would prefer to see Cristian hit the road... we`ll see.....