Check out my thoughts on tonight's Chuck. What did you think of the Sarah-centric episode? Are you excited as we near the final month of Chuck? And how about White Collar's Tim DeKay dropping in?
As seasons go, this one is shaping up to be pretty darn good. Definitely superior to Season 7, which disappointed almost every fan on some level at some point and possibly better than a few of the earlier seasons (too early to judge completely). “Dark is the Night” kept up the season quality proving to be a fitting mid season finale, giving us drama, story and our usual dose of dark humour. I will venture to say it was a better episode even than the S7 season finale. It was enjoyable. But it was flawed. And is by no stretch of the imagination the best that the writers have given us or could have given us.
Meredith and Derek have lost the baby and the social worker has nailed the adoption door shut, there is no hope. Whilst this story has it’s charm and honesty (and unbelievable cuteness – cue another picture of Derek and Zola – pause for a moment and stare at it) I’ve always found it difficult to believe that these two doctors would ever end up with an adopted child. I may well be proven wrong, Zola may pop up again, but there was always a strong chance that the social workers would struggle to find Meredith and Derek a stable couple. After all, we’ve seen little about them recently to illustrate they are stable. It’s not that I don’t want them to, or that they don’t deserve a child, it’s that adoption is a road full of traps, roadblocks and bumps. I am sad for them, but also glad for the drama.
 |
| "No more talk about kids. I'm going to stop that now and go daydream of what life would be like if my mother didn't get Alzheimer's and Derek was still with Addison" |
Meredith retreats to being Meredith and her reaction leads us to one of my favourite scenes in the episode with Cristina and Derek. Ever since S8 “Adrift and At Peace” the bond developed between these two characters has disappeared, but here we get a reminder. Cristina reminds Derek that Meredith has a pattern of behaviour. She will come back.
Putting blocks in the Meredith Derek relationship seems to be the raison d’être for Grey’s but we can comfort ourselves that Derek is at least starting to spot the error of his ways.
 |
| "Yes, I know, it's all my fault" swoon swoon swoon |
Henry’s expiry date has arrived. Oh dear. We all knew this would happen, right from the very moment he appeared – as a patient. That he appeared in THE lift told us much about the impact he was intended to have on the show – clearly of some emotional importance to a character. And he was. Poor Teddy fell in love with him, lost him, but she doesn’t know it yet. The big ‘unveil’ being drawn out to 810. Much credit goes to the writers for this involved plot. Not only was Henry an entirely likeable character, written as a humorous, warm foil to Teddy’s serious professional, his demise has been neatly intertwined with Teddy and Cristina, an already complicated mentor/mentee relationship. Because although it is clear to the viewer that Cristina was blameless in his death, this fact will not be so clear to Teddy, and I suspect will be drawn out for some time through the rest of the season. I am looking forward to how the writers portray Teddy’s grief, hoping that they will continue to build some much-needed depth into this character.
 |
| I fear this is the last 'happy' shot of Teddy we're going to see for a while! |
If I have one criticism of this story within the episode it is that we know he’s died. I would have preferred the drama of not knowing – but then I do love a good cliffhanger! Actually I have two criticisms but the second is attached to my increasing dislike of Owen. Owen, if you want to be chief then bloody well act like it, and please take that dreadful over-acted hang dog look off your face.
Speaking of chief, I mean the real, one and only chief, Dr Webber. Wasn’t he lovely? Although he will always be chief to me I continue to love the fact that he is enjoying his ‘regular attending’ job, that he’s still learning and that he’s respecting the 5th years and their own experience. His interaction with Cristina as she enters the OR to start the surgery on Henry was a lovely continuation of “Heart in a Box”, he understands her, possibly more than most, he is willing to learn from her, and he pays no attention to her apparently ‘heartless’ approach to patient bedside manner. He’s relaxed, and comfortable with himself, and remains, as one of my commenter’s rightly pointed out, the heart of the show.
I am confident he will protect Cristina from the wrath of a grieving Teddy.
Alex and Meredith take off to save a baby under the guidance of (a not before time professional badass) Dr Robbins.
 |
| "Alex, we can't leave the baby" "Of course we can Meredith, it's a plastic doll" |
Whilst this little story arc clearly provided us with some drama I struggled to connect it to the main ongoing events at SGMW. It was merely a vehicle (no pun intended) to get Alex and Meredith talking. It worked. It was also probably meant as some kind of baby parallel with Zola, but if it was, it was lost on me. I couldn’t help but feel that the writers blew the punch line by having both characters walk out of the ambulance unscathed. And whilst they were treated to a desperately sad sight as they opened the door, the emotional impact had already severely diminished. The cynic in me would say that this was deliberate due to ongoing contract negotiations. To go into a two month hiatus with doubt over the survival of two original characters would have been an extraordinary kick in the pants to the fans. So whilst it reduced the impact it was the right decision to make. The conversation that preceded it between Alex and Meredith was quite true to character and illustrates that Alex still feels some responsibility for Meredith and Derek’s situation (although he shouldn’t) and doesn’t quite know what to do.
But the plot lines of this episode struggled to move beyond mediocre and the strong Teddy story was negated by the contrived and poorly executed ‘mistake’ storyline. Regular readers of this blog will know I am no Jackson Avery fan, but even I can spot when two characters/actors have been stitched up. Neither the brilliant Sara Ramirez, nor the pretty (that’s the only positive adjective I can use to describe him) yet dull Jessie Williams deserved the treatment they received. Given the gravity of the surgical mistake made and the fact that this is a career defining moment for both Dr Torres and Dr Avery this story was given insufficient and superficial treatment.
 |
| Yes, I usually avoid including pictures of Avery, but ladies and gentlemen we are now looking at a massive FAIL. *insert evil laugh* (Not you Callie of course!) |
It was a device to get Teddy into a different surgery and keep Callie busy. There was absolutely no emotional investment in the patient. We did not see the surgery, nor did we see any interaction between the two surgeons before, during or after the event, only after they discover an error. There has been some build up to this event from Callie’s perspective – brilliant surgeries in the past few episodes – and Jackson, despite being the Günther, has been shown to lack confidence and is decidedly the weakest of the 5th years technically. But neither character deserved the lip service they received. Don’t get me wrong, I am secretly pleased that Jackson is messing up, but still, that’s not the point...The most engaging part of this story presented itself in the form of Bailey coaching Callie. This interaction has helped to save the storyline from the abyss. When is there ever a bad scene between Callie and Bailey!
Perhaps I was expecting too much of this episode. It was, after all, merely a mid season finale. But it was built up by television writers and critics with crescendo. And if you know music, you will know that at the end of the crescendo is some form of worthy climax.
It was enjoyable, there were moments of brilliant writing and acting – the entire Teddy/Henry/Cristina/Richard arc – also include the lovely comic timing of Chyler Leigh when she’s talking to Owen – you know this is still a quality show. There was story progression in other areas. We finally got to hear an admission from Derek that he is partly responsible for the situation he finds himself in with Meredith. Despite the fact that she doesn’t want his children Owen knows that Cristina has a big heart. And Arizona and Mark continue to demonstrate that they have found some peace with each other. And as a side point, wasn’t it great to see Arizona as the badass tiny human surgeon at last.
I really felt more for the characters in this episode than I did in the “emotional shoot out” that was the S7 finale. I really enjoyed the episode the first time around. But I had to watch it again to write this review and to be honest, doing that was something of a chore.
The very best moments:
Watching Cristina become aware of who it is - brilliant Sandra Oh.
 |
| The moment Cristina realises she's only gone and screwed up her Cardio-God-In-Waiting title. |
Cristina and Richard – the more I see of this surgical mentor/mentee type relationship the more I love it.
Meredith and Alex arguing in the ambulance. Oh how I’ve missed their banter.
And the best dialogue:
Cristina to Derek – “She always comes back , she might need a minute to back away but she comes back.”
M: “I offered to time share Sofia with Derek and Meredith, if they don’t end up with kids of their own. He said no.”
A: “Why?”
D: “Because your child is not a rental car. We’re not gonna take her out one week a month”
A: “Have you seen her? Because she’s heartstoppingly adorable”
D: “You’re missing the point”
M: “HE’s missing the point”
A: “No, she’s delicious, she’s addictive, why wouldn’t you want to parent her”
Oh Dreamy, you’ve SO missed the point.
 |
| A: "Seriously Derek, if you could take Sofia off our hands then Callie and I will finally be rid of Mark" M: "aww Arizona you don't really mean that, you're just havin' a laugh" A: "No really Derek, take her" |
And finally I offer a big UP to the lovely, brilliant, funny and adorable Scott Foley. We will miss you.
But please don’t come back as Dead Henry. I beg you.
Written by brouhaha aka @pipmaxine who apologises for the tardiness of this review.
Happy new year everyone!
Glee, New Girl & Raising Hope - New Episodes starting January 17, 2012 - Promo
Source: raising-hope.us
Torrey DeVitto Previews Stint on The Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars Return
TV Fanatics are about to enjoy a double dose of Torrey DeVitto.
The actress will make her return to Pretty Little Liars soon after it returns with new episodes next week, while she also debuts next month on The Vampire Diaries. DeVitto offered a preview of her latter character, Dr. Mary Fell, over the phone with me on Friday.
Read Full article at TVFanatic
Wilson's Top 10 Television Shows of 2011
Hello SpoilerTV readers! It's that time of the year again -- you know, that time where people are absolutely bats*** insane and fighting each other over soulless corporate products that make people "happy"...Ah, I love Christmas. I also love those posts that magazines and blogs post around the end of the year that blatantly expose their opinions on the entertainment of the previous year. It's a mixed feeling for me to read those reviews (which are usually lengthy and drowning in rhetoric) because sometimes (well, more like all the time) I have issues with their opinions and I feel like my opinion is better, and I inevitably ignore their list and think of one of my own. Then, well...then I keep it to myself.
Well, guess what? I'm projecting my own opinions on all you people now, so let me take a moment to ceremoniously laugh like a villain: MUAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!!
Ok, so now that I've taken care of that little nugget of delight, let's move onto my top ten shows of the year. I base these on a combination of things:
1) Let it be known that I am biased! I like shows even when from a critical standpoint there may be better shows out there! Also, factor in the fact that I'm not omniscient (well, as far as I know!) so there's probably some shows I missed out on this year. Just know that I'll catch up eventually *coughBreakingBadcough*
2) Strength of the writing. Yes, even when the actors can't get their act together, sometimes good writing still prevails.
3) The quality of the acting -- No, I don't ignore the acting, it's just the slightest bit lower on my list of priorities.
4) Production values -- When all else fails, pretty effects and nice sets still take the sting out of a roughly-acted or written show.
**5) Last but not least, entertainment value. Sure, it has good actors, sure it's written to be cynical and dark and therefore appeals to my demographic...so why do I feel like I'm being punished when I'm watching this show?
HONORABLE MENTIONS (To be in this category means that I absolutely loved these shows, but just slightly less than the numbered shows listed below)
Person of Interest
Covert Affairs
Alphas
American Horror Story
Enlightened
Damages
Harry's Law
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Being Human (US)
Supernatural
The Walking Dead
Community
The Closer
Shameless
10 Raising Hope
I'm surprised by how many comedies will have made it into this list, but it's true...comedies were exceptional this year, and this show has me on the floor laughing uncontrollably every episode. They've got a great family and somehow keep it light and entertaining while also somehow pulling off bathroom humor with class! This is my favorite family sitcom since Malcolm in the Middle, and it's the rightful heir to that comedy throne, easily.
9 The Vampire Diaries
I feel so odd having VD in my top 10 list. It feels like by all means it should not be here, what with teenagers and hundred year-old vampires having sex and doing stupid stuff, it's all twilight right? Well, not really. This show is ridiculous at times with the love triangle fluff, but there's some serious stuff going down on this show. It's got a break-neck pace that makes every episode feel like a season finale, and has legitimate writing for main story arcs, and well-written flashback episodes that fill in the holes of the whole story that is being played-out. I'm amazed at how fresh and winding the story is on this show. It could've easily slid down the hill into mediocrity (I mean, did you see the first half of season 1? Absolute dreck) but it hit a huge stride mid-season and since season 2, it's been nothing but gore and unbelievable twists. Somehow this show mixes it up every 4-5 episodes and brings in something or someone new that throws all the well-laid plans of vamps and men out the window to up the stakes a bit more.
8 Game of Thrones
A sweeping epic brimming with talent, crackling dialogue, brilliant acting all around, and all based on one of the most critically-acclaimed series of fiction in the past 25 years. It's nothing but a recipe for greatness. I enjoyed every episode and I ran through every episode like a mad addict. This is genre television at its absolute best. The only thing that holds it back for me, is that it felt like a tease...The REAL show begins next year, it seems. I just need more now!
7 Justified
Two words: Mags Bennett. season 2 of Justified is perfection. The pacing, the acting, the swagger of Raylan, perfectly portrayed by Tim Olyphant...It's just brilliant. FX has hit the proverbial gold mine with quality television in the last 10 years, and Justified is probably its most promising drama. The power struggle between the law enforcement and the broken groups of backwoods thugs was intense and immensely gratifying.
I'll bet that even this stellar season can be topped somehow by season 3, which debuts in only a couple weeks!
6 SUITS
This was probably the biggest surprise of the year for me. I really did not expect this show to be so good. But (much like the show at the #1 spot) I was just enthralled by the ability of the cast and the writers and the sets and the stories that all fell together so well. This is another great example of characters driving a show rather than a story of the week taking the wheel. The main premise is a tad thin and arguably rough to get past, but if we can ignore the whole "Doesn't have a law degree" issue for a couple of seasons and just focus on all these characters on the board, and let them go at each other's throats all the while keeping the dialogue as pristine as possible, and the adept story-telling in play, then this will go down in my personal all-time favorites list.
5 Homeland
The twisty tale of Brody and Carrie. I never knew what to expect next. One minute we're convinced he's a terrorist, the next he's having sex with his accuser. Left and right this show brought it in it's freshman season. I wish I could throw all the emmys and golden globes at each of the cast members. Claire Danes definitely gave the best female performance of the year (and that's a tight race between many others that I found to be stellar this year) and Damian Lewis could scare the s*** out of me one moment, and have me seize up on the verge of tears the next moment. I believe I'll stop here so that I don't divulge anymore of the incredible twists this show had this year.
4 Parks & Recreation
I believe that P&R was without a doubt, my favorite network comedy this year. I was torn for a while between P&R and Community because they are both incredible shows. However, sometimes the interaction of Ron Swanson, Leslie Knope, and the rest of the amazing group of people in the Parks department just win out. I believe the sincere affection that Leslie and Ben showed for each other was very effective, and to add that on top of a series of hilarious and witty dialogue, and pitch-perfect delivery from each of the cast members, it's balanced out to be one of the most rewarding comedies I've ever watched, and has come a long way since the misguided first season.
3 Fringe
The Abrams epic science fiction series flew into high-gear with the 3rd season premiere. While I am of the opinion that the first half of season 3 (which aired in 2010) is superior to the second half, and season 4 has yet to really gain its footing, Fringe remains in its niche: vastly superior in almost every aspect to most television. It has an air of sophistication, from the well-crafted and amazingly-portrayed characters, to the alarming and inventive twists and turns. The dialogue is precise and crackling, and the scripts seem to be created merely to extract every last bit of talent from its cast, as things can turn on a dime and we have completely new characters with each of their nuances shifted. The tales of death and tragedy that surround these characters in their attempts to restore order are routinely fraught with tears and laughter. Fringe has had its issues this year here and there, but there is no denying this drama its place in the best of the best. (Obligatory nod to the amazing Anna Torv, John Noble, Joshua Jackson, Lance Reddick, and Jasika Nicole. I love you guys!)
2 The Big C
The second season of The Big C was nothing short of a season-long epiphany. Between truly hysterical moments and probably a few of the most tragic and gut-wrenching moments I've ever witnessed, The ups were comprised of the most heartfelt and powerfully happy ups imaginable, and the downs were sudden and palpable. I was so enamored by this show that I found myself trying to catch my breath after each episode, whether it end with the titular character defending her right to keep her job in spite of her condition, or with the redemption of a character sealed with unforeseen consequences. There are universal truths buried in the scripts of this show, and to call them poignant would be an understatement.
1 The Good Wife
From the second half of the second season through the first half of the third season, this show has been nothing but good to me. "Good" meaning incredible, entertaining, and a breath of fresh air. There are few shows on television that have to do with law that don't put me to sleep. I tend to enjoy a good hour of a closed-case law show, but only on a rare occasion that I don't feel the need to be engrossed in it, or if I need something on in the background while I'm working through an assignment or something of the like. The Good Wife is hardly an hour of mindless law jargon. Granted there are a few cases that seem to be overdone or familiar, however there's almost always something missing from the narrative, a twist, that turns it all on its head. The cases range from gruesome to strange and funny. However, it's usually the case that the story of the week seems to serve as more of a backstory to the real matters at hand: the endless struggle of the characters, back and forth in power struggles, inner demons, and a long list of "game-changing" twists that turn the show on its head on a regular basis.
The stories of these characters are all fleshed out, and brought out to the open. Each character is perfectly cast, and well-placed in all the events that unfold. The disturbingly serene smirk of Anika Noni Rose's Wendy Scott-Carr in her conquest for office, Archie Panjabi's Kalinda procuring means to ends without going into details, Christine Baranski's Diane, an unbelievably fierce, yet morally commendable veteran lawyer...the list goes on. From every main cast member to each and every guest star, (Lisbeth Tascioni!) there's nothing but emmy-worthy acting on this show.
The wit and the pacing is also a huge positive. I mean, what other show could go from spinning the image of a senator fellating Santa Claus (..."Here comes Santa"-Eli Gold) to a scheme "investigation" into judicial corruption, all the while taking on huge themes and really laying on thick the importance of character-driven drama...I am impressed by this show on a weekly basis, while also being more entertained than by any other show this year.
Ok, I'm rambling... Your turn! What are your top 10 shows of 2011?
Well folks, here it is! The season finale has aired and we’re back to talk you through it. Or around it. Or behind it. Or whatever it is that we do.
This week’s Terranova Podcast can be obtained right away from iTunes and our feed. It’s the all-singing all-dancing season finale this week - “Occupation / Resistance”.
So what did you think? Is the show coming back? Did the finale deliver? E-mail us your thoughts at terranovacast@gmail.com, leave some love on our Facebook page or get in touch with us via Twitter. Please don’t leave stains though. They take forever to clean up.
And don’t forget you can visit our web-presence on the Podcast page at www.dvmpe.com. Go there. Immediately. And send your friends and neighbours there too. Unless you want to maintain a decent relationship with them, in which case you can just send them a picture of a cute puppy peeking out of a boot or something.
Let’s kick this pig!
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Here is the official promo for the return of The Good Wife from its winter hiatus on Sunday 8th January 2012 at 9/8c on CBS.
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Hey again, Grimmsters! It’s time for another Grimm Podcast!
This week’s hirsute edition is available from our feed or from iTunes right now. We’re discussing “Let Your Hair Down” this week, where a girl who’s been living on the fringes of society almost gets cut down in her prime until Nick and Monroe head off the threat…. OK OK… Enough puns...
Got anything you’d like to add to the discussion? If so, e-mail us at thegrimmpodcast@gmail.com
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See you next time!
J & L
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American Horror Cast is back again, Horrorphiles!
Join your hosts Dave “The Klone” Maresca, Jamie “The Boogieman” Bougher, and Lindsey Monroe-Bougher as they discuss the spectacular penultimate episode of this season of American Horror Story, “Birth”. It’s available from iTunes or from our RSS feed.
What an episode! We’ve still not fully recovered, have you? So what did you think? Got anything to add to our theories? If so, e-mail AmericanHorrorCast@
Our mini-site is over at www.dvmpe.com. You’ll find it by clicking on the “Podcasts” link and following the ‘Currently Airing on TV’ link.
See you at the season finale, folks!
The Horrorcasters
The Horrorcasters
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Latest from Eonline - Various Shows - 20th December
Read all the spoilers here
Hey again, Once Upon a Time fans! It’s time for another edition of The Once Upon a Time Podcast, hot off the DVMPE presses!
Subscribe to us over on iTunes (or download from our feed) and have a listen to this week’s episode. This week we're talking about the heartbreaking 7th episode of "Once Upon a Time" - The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.
Leave us some feedback at iTunes, and you can also have your say by e-mailing us at OnceUponaTimePodcast@gmail.
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The latest edition of ‘Podcast of Interest’ is live!
It’s available right now from iTunes (or our feed) and this week, David Vox Mullen & Joe Buchanan walk through Episode 10 of Person of Interest, “Number Crunch”.
We have some fantastic theories this week, but we’re sure you have plenty of your own. If you do, let us know! E-mail us atpodcastofinterest@gmail.com, get in touch on Twitter , visit our mini-site on the podcast page of www.dvmpe.com or leave us a voicemail on our hotline at 213-373-4264. That’s 213-37-FINCH.
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See you again next time!
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Here is Sean Furfaro's recap of the Season Finale of Survivor South Pacific.
My Random Thoughts:
- Previously on…Survivor, 5 minutes and 44 seconds spent recapping the entire season (seriously, I timed it), from pork ripping to Ozzy fishing. We waited half an hour because of football (Damn you, Tim Tebow!), and we still have to sit through this? I propose that in the event that Survivor is delayed because of football or golf in the future, then the excessive recap gets ditched off the top. The only thing I think that was relevant from this segment was Coach saying that swearing “as a Christian man” is an irrevocable promise.
- For our final Night Vision Recap at Redemption (Non) Island, Brandon wakes up Ozzy, laughing about his own demise. Brandon says that it hurts to be stabbed in the back by your closest friend, but that it’s ok because he forgives Albert for “what he did.” Presumably that means that he feels Albert should have given him the necklace back, or does he think that Albert was the deciding vote that eliminated him?
Ozzy scoffed at Brandon’s decision-making, correctly calling his move to give the Immunity necklace away as foolish, and criticized L’il Hantz for apparently thinking that he’s playing the game with God. “He’s playing with human beings who are greedy and want that money”, Ozzy told us.
Benjamin then went on to say “I am not going to sit here and have people bullshit me”, and rant about how he refuses to be made a fool out of, because he’s been made a fool of “too many times” because of this game. I have to say, that’s probably his own fault, because of his ridiculous antics the first two times he played the game, like calling himself the Dragon Slayer, Coach Chi on the beach, and all the fake stories he would tell at Tribal Council. Sorry Benji, you made your own bed on that one.
- The Final Redemption (Non) Island Duel, which I saw a preview for earlier in the week, was to simply hang on to a pole as long as possible…or as I called it, “what challenge can we make the easiest for Ozzy to win?” Remember that this is a guy that I have referred to as Survivor’s Spider Monkey since his first season on the show. Upon hearing Jeff explain what the Duel would be, there was a fantastic camera shot of Brandon gulping as if to say “I’m screwed.”
- Ozzy was insincerely welcomed back at camp, and Coach had a heart-to-heart with him, hinting that if he won Immunity, he would consider giving it to Ozzy since Coach already has the Hidden Immunity Idol. Ozzy wasn’t buying into his vagueness, and flat-out asked him if he would hand one of them over. Coach’s response was that he would if he thinks Ozzy is in jeopardy.
HA! Of course, Coach didn’t give him a straight answer, and if you noticed, he didn’t say the magic words: “as a Christian man!” Ozzy was rightfully skeptical, and said “who in their right mind would want to take me?"
- What the hell?? A close-up shot of a spider?? After a FULL season with no spiders, now my arachnophobic ass has to get blindsided by one in the Finale?? Unbelievable!
- The Immunity Challenge was a twist on the old Survivor standby, building a House of Cards, except that there was an added portion that would see the castaways have to build the tower with only one hand while the other one was balancing a teeter-totter. Jeff gives us one final dirty innuendo: “Everybody grab your handle,” which obviously confused Sophie.
- Speaking of Sophie, she told us that she builds Houses of Cards for fun. She also has a book on how to make them. (Also, don’t forget she knows Russian. Why were we ever even told that since it never came up in the show again?) The only thing I was sure of, was that with Sophie boasting about her skill, there was no way she would win…a notion confirmed with her inability to keep track of how many pieces she had, and coming up about a foot-and-a-half short. On a second try, her stack fell, leading to this amazing exchange:
Sophie: "Hey Albert, drop your stack and come pick up my pieces."
Albert: "I’m in a pretty decent spot right now."
Sophie: "Drop your damn stack and pick up my pieces! I’m going to beat you!"
Albert: "I gotta..."
Sophie: "Albert just drop your stack!"
Jeff: "Let me make it easy for you. There is no helping in this challenge. It was designed as an Individual Immunity. It will be played as an Individual Immunity. If you want Ozzy out of this game, beat him."
Ozzy wins, of course, and punches his tile tower in celebration. Sophie says “I should have won that.” Yes, you probably should have…but only if you could count tiles. Bad tile management.
- Back at camp, Ozzy talked about how he won the challenge, and Sophie sulked some more. Coach and Albert talked about voting out Rick since he’s “got the best shot to win this game right now.” Ozzy wants Sophie gone because “She’s a frickin’ brat.” Coach says he’s not voting for Rick, but that he thinks Sophie has turned on the Silent Cowboy.
- At Tribal Council #1: Savaii excited to see Ozzy, Coach is wearing his (no longer Hidden) Immunity Idol, and Ozzy reminded us that as much as you may like him, he is completely devoid of personality. Seriously, this was the exchange between him and Jeff right at the beginning of Tribal Council:
Jeff: “You knew you had to win, or you were gone tonight.”
Ozzy: “I’m not an idiot. I knew that if I didn’t win, I’d be going home tonight.”
Coach talked about family, Ozzy revealed Coach’s proposed plan, and then Sophie and Ozzy got into a schoolyard argument about who respects who. It was Junior High BS, ending with Sophie saying the only thing that proves you lost an argument: “Whatever.”
- Two quick side notes: First, I had some fun at Rick’s expense earlier this season, joking that he was using the term “Prince Albert” without really knowing the dirty reference. Many of you Googled it, and I’m sorry if you were actually subjected to a photo when you did. I just wanted to point out that earlier today, Edna tweeted out this photo of Rick, saying “Cowboy Rick just has been educated on what a Prince Albert actually is! This is his reaction.”
- Back to the episode, where Ozzy is hoarding coconuts, and Coach is pissed at Ozzy for spilling the beans. Coach says he wants to clear the air, but then tells Ozzy that what he did was disrespectful and that it saddened him. How is that clearing the air?
Ozzy malaproped (if that’s not a word, it damn well should be) that he was putting “all my cards in one basket.” He then talked about how he felt like he can’t trust Coach, because any time he has trusted someone in the past in this game, he got burned. But he still said “I do want to go to the end with you because I still believe that that’s how this game should be.”
- The Final Immunity Challenge (Once again with no Fallen Comrades Walk!) was an obstacle course and puzzle. I was half expecting Sophie to just tell Albert to go and get all of her pieces for her, but she was content just to yell at him as he was crossing the same areas as her. Spider Monkey whizzed through the whole course gathering puzzles pieces, and Coach inexplicably decided to do somersaults through a net tunnel.
Ozzy reached the puzzle phase first, but it was Sophie who ended up winning Immunity by being the first to solve it. Clearly this must have been because she knows Russian. No? We’re seriously not going to hear any more on this Russian thing?
- At Camp, Coach symbolically relinquished the title of Dragon Slayer to Sophie. He then told Sophie and Albert not to talk to Ozzy, because “I don’t want him to cause dissention.” He then idiotically followed it up by essentially saying “But…I’m gonna go talk to him right now.”
Did anyone think it would matter?
- Tribal Coucil #2: In short, Sophie feels amazing, Coach’s heart is breaking again, Ozzy says that Coach should force a tie so they can sit beside each other at the Final Tribal Council with Sophie, and Albert compared Ozzy to Jeff Gordon. In the end, the Upolu alliance was too strong to break, and Ozzy was voted out.
“Third time’s a charm, baby”, Ozzy said before he sprinted down the Blue-Lit Walk of Shame. Wait a minute, wasn’t he runner up the first time? How is the third time a charm? Is it because of all the fish he ate?
I have to say, I was honestly happy to be heading to the Final Tribal Council with three players who, in my mind, all had a legit shot to win the million.
- At the final Tribal Council (where Ozzy appeared to be doing his best impression of Wendy), the three opening arguments went like this: Albert: This is a social experiment, a game about people, and I like you all. Sophie: Outwit, Outlast, Outplay means I played the best. Coach: I can’t believe I’m here, I had an uphill battle, I played with compassion, love, appreciation, and respect.
- The Jury members then had their opportunity to question or comment to the Final Three, and here’s a brief summary of what happened:
- Ozzy: Sophie is a brat, Albert was in the right place at the right time, and Coach, did you play with honour and integrity? Coach answered that he did most of the time, but there were some times when he didn’t. Honest answer.
- Jim: Albert, why should the other two not be here, and don’t start with a compliment. Albert responds by complimenting Jim.
- Dawn: Sophie, what was your strategy behind aligning with Coach and Albert? Sophie answers that she wishes she were a man, and compares Coach to a young girl.
- Floral Print Rick: Coaxes an apology from Coach, then calls Albert a scumbag for taking Brandon’s necklace and “using the God thing” (Albert’s response not permitted).
- Brandon: Coach tries to kiss his ass, tells him he should be up there, and that he wants to make it up to him. Brandon forgives him, but then asks Albert, “Did you know I was going home?” When Albert tries to justify, Brandon demands a Yes or No answer, and after some awkward back and forth, Albert finally responds with ”I didn’t know that you were going home”, and L’Il Hantz said simply “You lie.”
- Whitney: Said to Albert, “You’re sleazy”, and then I stopped listening, because how awesome is it that the married woman who cheated on her husband while she was on Survivor is calling someone else sleazy?
- Keith: Asked Coach if he was going to play the Idol for himself or for the team. Coach gave a BS answer, and Sophie revealed that Coach had the Idol longer than he claimed, and the entire lie to make it look like the prayer was the reason they found it. Brandon was visibly shocked…and don’t we all wish Brandon hadn’t already asked his question?
I think that was a million-dollar answer from Sophie.
- Cochran: Tells Coach that he played an impressive game, but asks him to share his strategy without talking about honour. Coach said “I came in trying to do the right thing, and I ended up doing the wrong things. I came up short, and I’m sorry. I wanted to get to the end and I kept justifying my actions. I’m a terrible strategist.” Again, a very honest answer.
- Coming in to the Final Tribal Council, I thought it was even across the board, and after the questioning, I gave it to Sophie, until Coach’s final answer to Cochran, then I put it as an even shot between Coach and Sophie.
- The only votes we see are Cochran voting for Coach, and Dawn voting for Sophie, while Rick pulled the Eliza Orlins trick of acting like he was still undecided in the voting booth.
And with that, Jeff and his Bluest-of-Blue Shirts exited Tribal Council with the votes in hand, magically appearing in Los Angeles to read the results. The votes went like this: Coach, Sophie, Coach, Sophie, Coach, Sophie, Sophie, Sophie, final vote unseen (but presumably Sophie, or we would have seen it).
- Congratulations to Sophie Clarke on a well-deserved win in Survivor South Pacific.
- Sophie is flustered, is Facebook friends with almost everyone in her town of 1500, and wants to be more like Dawn. I would have liked to hear Jeff ask her if it was by design that she revealed the info about Coach's lie about the Hidden Immunity Idol. I'm wondering if it was something she specifically kept in her back pocket to only come out in front of a Jury at the end.
- Did you notice how Jeff always hears things from “people on the street?” Are you telling me that he just stops on the street and talks Survivor with random people? Does that really happen? I doubt it.
- Coach talked about having a “Prayer-palooza” with Albert and Brandon,,,and 3 people clapped in response. He then learned that that he would have won if he brought Rick instead of Sophie. In short, Coach can now talk to Colby about million-dollar bad decisions on who should go to the Final.
- Cochran wrote a paper at Harvard on the Survivor Jury system, and said “I can’t play an under the radar game, because I’m perpetually over the radar…freaking out all the time.” He also revealed that he was single and invited people (presumably women) to “come at me.”
- New Ink Brandon revealed that nobody is proud of him, and nobody came to the show, except for Uncle Russell, who looked miserable. I was disgusted that we saw that little sock-burning Hobbit only 90 seconds into the Reunion Show, and that we had to talk to him at all.
Probst went out in to the audience to talk to his favourite villain, saying “Stand up, Hantz” when he got to his seat. How awesome would it have been when the vertically-challenged Russell stood up, if Probst would have said “No seriously, stand up”?
What a garbage speech, too. More self-congratulatory bullshit from the best player to never actually win anything. “I made greatness”, he told us. What a load of crap. And please keep in mind that I was one of the biggest Russell fans for his first two seasons, and I still insist that he should have won both of those seasons, but I’m just sick of him.
And when Jeff suggested Russell vs. Brandon for a future season, while there was polite applause from the studio audience, you know that most of the viewing audience at home screamed at their television “NO F**KING WAY!”
- Papa Bear hugged everyone in sight, Edna is pregnant, Angry C had giant earrings, I still couldn’t understand a word Stacey said, and Jeff is disappointed in Jim for not lasting longer. He also pointed out that Whitney was in “another relationship” when she hooked up with Keith, which was a super-polite way of saying she cheated on her husband. No interaction with Papa Bear, Semhar, Elyse, or Mikayla, and Rick remained silent…but Jeff may not have noticed him sitting there in the front row.
- Survivor 24 will be called Survivor One World, and will feature Men vs. Women as two tribes live on one beach . No Returning Players. No Redemption Island. Thank God.
(Sean bends down and Tebows)
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The sixth season of Dexter has ended with a shocking cliffhanger
that has been long, long, long overdue.
Image Credit to RH
DEBRA FINALLY CAUGHT DEXTER KILLING!
The Question is . . .
What will happen next?
The Poll
Image Credit to RH
DEBRA FINALLY CAUGHT DEXTER KILLING!
The Question is . . .
What will happen next?
The Poll
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Last week, we had the girls - this week on Leverage, it's all about the boys. Read my review of "The Boys' Night Out Job" and share your thoughts. What did you think about the two episodes as a whole? Did you prefer one over the other?
Read my review of "Chuck Versus The Curse" and share your thoughts. Did you enjoy the episode? And what do you think of a certain character appearing in next week's promo?
Brittany Frederick
DigitalAirwaves.net
Big Red Chairs (The Voice Fanblog)
Examiner.com
Starpulse.com
and more. Visit my homepage.
Twitter: @tvbrittanyf
It looks like Chase is about to have quite a religious experience on House.
To read the spoilers click here
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The Burn Notice season finale is here! Read my review of "Fail Safe" and share your thoughts. Is it too early to speculate on season six yet?
Survivor South Pacific, Episode 13 Recap: “Cheer Up, Man. God’s Got Everything Under Control.”
Here is Sean Furfaro's recap of Survivor South Pacific, Episode 13.
My Random Thoughts:
- Previously on…Survivor, Albert and Brandon were in the same alliance, but Albert was trying to mix things up in terms of the pecking order, which was starting to annoy his allies. Meanwhile “Brandon was also infuriating the Tribe”, and Papa Hantz tried to bully Coach. Edna did some scrambling, but still was sent to Redemption (Non) Island, where Jeff told us that “Ozzy lies in wait.”
- Night Vision Recap at Te Tuna camp: the Final Five celebrated because they did what they said they were going to do, stick together to the end. As we watched them hold hands and pray together, we heard Coach say that the real game begins tonight, and now it was “every cat for themselves."
- The next morning, Coach and Sophie were chatting over what appeared to be morning coffee, when we saw Albert get up and start working on the rest of the Tribe. But all I could notice was that Albert was sleeping in his blue sweater. There goes my theory that it stayed immaculately clean so that he could wear it to Tribal Council. Albert says that he likes Rick the least, but since he’s also the least dangerous, he wants him there at the end since he will be easy to beat. Ideally, he wants to be sitting beside Coach and Rick.
Ozzy finished the slide puzzle first, and when Edna was having trouble, Albert started giving her directions on what to do. I’m not sure if it actually helped her, nor am I sure that she should have been listening to him, since he was referring to a hatchet as a machete. When she finally caught up to Ozzy on the final stage of the puzzle, all 5 Upolu members were trying to help her, as Jeff constantly reminded us that they were “the same people that voted Edna out.”
Johnny Blue Shirt then told us “this would be a major upset if Edna defeated Ozzy.” Why would it be an upset? At the point he said it, it was essentially 6 on 1, wasn’t it? Isn’t it more of an upset if Ozzy wins at this point?
Edna was a good sport on her way out, at least. Instead of getting weepy and trying to keep her buff, she was ready to throw it in the fire, saying ‘this smells so bad that I’m going to be happy to burn it.”
- At Camp, Albert talked about the concept of honour and integrity within the group, and then said “the interesting thing about the honour and integrity card is…in the game of Survivor, I don’t care a single thing about honour and integrity. I really don’t.” I think we all knew that, but it was a sign of things to come for Albert in this episode.
- Sophie pointed out to Coach that Ozzy has spent his days on Redemption (Non) Island making inroads with the Jury members. She astutely pointed out that he’s the last person that really gets to talk to them before they leave, he feeds them, and he comforts them after they get voted out. “Every single Jury Member has gone through “Ozzy’s Pleasure Dome” on the way out.” (On a side note, I think “Ozzy’s Pleasure Dome” was also the name of one of his pre-Survivor soft-core porn movies.)
Sophie then suggests that the smart move would be to send Brandon to Redemption (Non) Island, because it would pit “the two most dangerous players” against each other in a Duel, ensuring that at least one of them is out. Sophie believes that Brandon would definitely win the game, since he is the most trustworthy and godly. I’m not sure I agree with that. I definitely agree that Brandon is the most trustworthy and godly…but a favourite to win the game?
- Albert tells Coach that Sophie is dangerous. Coach disagrees, and thinks Albert is intimidated because Sophie is smarter than him. Brandon enters and in about 15 seconds, Coach is calling him a bully and comparing him to Russell. Coach talking about Russell reminded me of this classic picture from Heroes vs. Villains.
- I’m not even going to bother with breaking down the Immunity Challenge: bright colours, climbing walls, raising flags, winning pizza. What else do you need to know? Brandon wins, gets all Tim Tebow in celebration, and chooses silent Rick as his pizza buddy. (By the way, screw the jet ski delivery, bring back the damn helicopter!)
- During Pizza time, Sophie went to smell the pizza (which regrettably is not code for anything, I’m sorry) and talk strategy, and before we knew it, Brandon had called a family meeting where everyone seemed to be yelling. Albert lied about what he said to Rick, Rick got mad, Albert got defensive, Sophie swore, and Albert just tried to talk louder than everyone else as his defense. Sophie summed up Albert’s new situation by saying “instead of a nice little blindside, he gets to go out looking more pathetic than he’s looked this whole game.”
Brandon then went to Coach and laid out his entire plan to save Albert, including the offer to give him the Immunity Necklace. He told Coach “I know you’ll never vote against me. And I know you’d never do anything or vote any way that you knew that I was going home.” Did anyone else think that Brandon was already halfway down the Erik Reichenbach Hall of Shame at this point?
Coach’s response was a bullshit vague answer of “I need to pray, and I promise you this. I will do whatever God tells me to do.” He then hit the beach and assumed the position. He prayed, and the name came to him. “My soul has never grieved like it does in this moment”, he told us.
Jeff: “So…the long awaited Tribal council where there are only 5 left, and look at you Brandon, sitting with Immunity. Very powerful spot for you.”
Brandon: “I want to give my Immunity necklace up.”
Nothing like getting the big elephant in the room out of the way as soon as possible, huh Brandon? Why not just give it up at the end of Tribal Council and see what happens? Handing it over right away and laying out the plan was absurd. But then again, Brandon has never really done anything that’s in the best interest of his overall game. The shocked looks all around were something to see, weren’t they?
Brandon then told a story about what his life was like when he was in a gang, and as much as I’ve given him a really hard time this season (and justifiably so), this story resonated with me because I could see how much he wanted and craved for someone he was loyal to, to actually give back to him in the way he gave to the ones he cared about. He talked about “people taking my loyalty for…what they wanted to use it for, and then leaving me hanging.” At that moment, I said, out loud: “If Coach votes for him after hearing that…he’s a scumbag.”
Sophie’s rolled her eyes, Rick said something inconsequential, Coach has the Idol, and Jeff suggested the option that Albert give the Immunity Necklace back to Brandon. Albert said he would “if I realistically believe that he’s in trouble”, which means “no friggin’ chance, Blue Shirt.” I can’t even argue this, because the only thing dumber than giving the Immunity Necklace away, is giving it back when you know you need it. (By the way, no blue sweater for Albert this time, must be because he slept in it.)
The votes were counted, and how alarming is it when the quietest guy on the show says the smartest words of the episode (“Dumb Move”)? Coach did end up voting for Brandon, and solidified his stance as a scumbag in my eyes. Not because he voted for Brandon, but because he voted for Brandon after all of his high and mighty “honour and integrity” talk. Just when I thought we were indeed seeing a new Coach, I was wrong. Same guy, same dirt, same lies.
- I never thought I’d say this, but I really want Brandon to win the Final Duel on Sunday, and see what happens when he returns to the game. The Finale should be good, regardless of who wins the Duel.
This Sunday: The 3-Hour Season Finale and Live Reunion Show
One note about this Sunday’s Season Finale. What I’m planning to do is to watch the 2-hour Finale as it happens, and then once the winner is announced, work on my recap so that it is up within an hour of the show ending, as it usually is. So, if it all works out, it will be up right around the time the Reunion Show is ending.
Make sure you bookmark and come back then, because I’m hoping it will be up…and if it’s not, it will be posted shortly after. Then, after it’s posted, I’m going to go back and watch the Reunion Show, and write an addendum on the end of the recap afterwards.
Thanks for reading.
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