TV Review: Supernatural Episode 1.16

Tuesday, February 28, 2006

From WB: While investigating a mysterious death in Chicago, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) run into Meg (guest star Nicki Aycox), who is thrilled to see Sam again. The brothers soon discover Meg is behind the murders and attempt to catch her. Unfortunately, Meg is one step ahead of them and unleashes shadow spirits on the brothers to ambush them. Sam and Dean realize the trap isn't for them, but for their father (Jeffrey Dean Morgan).

The Rating: 3 out of 4

This week we have a fresh new episode of Supernatural coming to us on the WB. This episode titled Shadow returned us to the main story line of this whole season to date, that being the search of the Winchester's father. While in Chicago investigating a cast of a strange death, the two meet up with Meg, the young woman Sam met when he ran off to California to find their dad on his own. As soon as the two walk away from meeting her, Sam immediately let's Dean know that he thinks her appearance there in Chicago is suspicious.

Because of this, he sends Dean off to look into her background and also into a strange symbol they found at the crime scene of their murder victim. While Dean is off doing that, Sam is watching Meg. Dean, of course, thinks there is something more to Sam's interest in Meg, and he would be right. The feelings of something fishy going on outweigh any romantic feelings Sam might have for the young woman.

When he sees her go off to an abandoned where house, he follows her. Once there, he sees her conjuring spirits using black magic. He overhears her talking to them, and then returns to Dean. He tells his brother all he heard, and they plan to return to the where house so they can be there when whoever Meg is waiting for to arrive does show up. Dean also thinks this is enough to call in their father when it appears both murder victims are from the same place they are.

Upon arriving at the where house, the brothers sneak in behind Meg, in the middle of another conjuring. However, she knows they are there, and the spirits attack the two. We then learn that the whole Chicago gig was a trap. Meg killed not one but two people from Lawrence to pull the brothers in. She didn't want them though. She was using them to lure their father in. He doesn't arrive, and Sam is able to get himself free. When he turns over the alter, it appears the spirits are angry and they yank Meg out the window where she falls several stories. She appears dead, but we see her soon again.

When Sam and Dean return to their hotel room, their father is there waiting for them. The three talk, and their father tells him they know it was a trap. he tells them the demon wants to stop him before he kills it. Sam and Dean want to join their father, but we soon see they won't be able to do that. The spirits have somehow followed Dean and Sam, and they attack the three men. They are able to escape when Sam sets off a flare. They leave the hotel, and Dean says they need to go there separate ways. Having Dean say it is especially hard to see because just earlier in the episode he was telling Sam how he wanted the three of them to be a family. Having Dean realize they can't do that at the moment was just sad to see.

In my mind, this was an okay episode of Supernatural. We had a return to the story line that hooked us in from the beginning, but it didn't quite pack the punch earlier episodes of this season have. what this episode did do once again is expand even more on the character's. Character development is one of the best things about this series, and this episode was no different. Doesn't look like we have a new episode next week. When we next see Supernatural, it will be airing on Thursday night at 9/8c, which puts it right up against FOX's The O.C.

American Idol: Top Ten Women

On tonight's American Idol, it was once again the women's turn to step up and perform. Last week, we saw two go home. How did the ladies do tonight? Honestly, few of the women impressed me tonight. As the judges mentioned time and time again tonight, it came down to song choice. Some of the women just didn't make the right choice. We did see a wide variety of song choices though. Tonight, the songs came from country, motown, movies and disco. Let's talk about tonight's performances.

On this week's episode, the order of the women was reversed from last week. This means tonight we saw Katharine McPhee open up the competition. She sang a Stevie Wonder song, and she did okay, but she didn't have the same power to her voice that she had in previous performances. I think she did good enough overall in this competition to stay. Next up was Kinnik Sky. She came out ready to take the audience to country land with a Grethen Wilson song. It was a great performance, but I agree with the judges when they say it was a fun song that didn't truly show what Kinnik is capable of. With four going home, will that hurt her?

I'm going to skip around a bit now to talk about Lisa Tucker and Paris Bennett. These two are the youngest females. Lisa performed third with a Jackson 5 classic, and Paris Bennett performed seventh with a Bette Midler made famous by the film Beaches. There is no doubt these two little powerhouses have what it takes to make it in the music business, but I definitely agree with the judges. They are picking songs to show this talent, but the songs they are picking are definitely way older than them. They can find more youthful songs that can demonstrate their vocal talents. They do need to stay young while they can because eventually they will have to perform those classics all the time.

Some of my favorite performances tonight came from those singing country genre songs. Unlike Kinnik that chose a fun country song, Melissa McGhee, Kellie Pickler and Mandisa chose country songs that can definitely demonstrate their vocal talents. Kellie and Mandisa also know how to work their personalities, and that ups the likeablility factor for both of them. Mandisa is also taking risks with her song choices, and the risks are definitely working for her. She is one of my favorites tonight. Melissa was another one that I enjoyed tonight too.

Two performers didn't grab me at all, and these are two I think we will see sent home on Thursday night. Those two performers were Heather Cox and Brenna Gethers. They just didn't demonstrate do it for me at all, and the judges didn't really like either performance either. With these as my two picks to go home, I'm not sure who the other two will be. The other performances really worked for me. Yes, we had our problems, but all in an all the women did okay. Not great.

I'll be back tomorrow night with a look at our men! Check out the songs sung on tonight's show on iTunes here:

Katharine McPhee: All in love is fair - Stevie Wonder
Kinnik Sky: Here for the party - Gretchen Wilson
Lisa Tucker: Who's Loving You - The Jackson 5
Melissa McGhee: Why haven't I heard from you - Reba McEntire
Heather Cox: Hero - Mariah Carey
Brenna Gethers: Last Dance - Donna Summer
Paris Bennett: Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler
Ayla Brown: I want you to need me - Celine Dion
Kellie Pickler: Something to talk about - Bonnie Raitt
Mandisa: Cry - Faith Hill

TV Review: The L Word Episode 3.08

Sunday, February 26, 2006

FROM Showtime: Moira informs everyone she is to be called Max; Kit gets a helping hand from Nona Hendryx; Helena takes Dana and the girls to a basketball game; Jenny gets busy trying to throw Max a benefit party; Tina moves out of Bette's bed; and Dana gets a new look.

My Rating: 2 out 4

This Well, the past few episodes had really improved from the episodes earlier on in the season. however, tonight's episode titled Latecomer just fell a bit short with me. As with the past two episodes, the opening scene took us back to a scene earlier on in the lives of our favorite lesbians. Tonight that scene took us back to the break-up of Dana and Alice, and I think my heart broke a little seeing it. Obviously Dana still loved her too, but she was the one that pulled away.

It sort of explained why Alice lost it at the beginning of the season, and it also explains why she is being so great with Dana now. Alice has basically taken on the role of care giver when it comes to Dana now that Lara is gone. Dana is also opening up to Alice more and more, and we see that as the episode progresses. Dana let's Alice take her to Shane to cut her hair, and she is the first to see Dana in her new post operative state. Dana really leans on Alice now, and Alice allows her to.

Everyone sees Dana's new look, and Helena even surprises her by taking everyone on her private jet to see Dana's favorite basketball team play in a game up north. When they arrive, Dana is surprised further by an announcement of her presence in the arena. Her first extinct is to run, but "Max" stops her.

A good part of this episode surrounds the arrival of Max. Moira officially asks everyone to only address her by the male name and as a man. You can definitely see the changes in Max already. However, not all of them are good. The hormones are having an adverse affect on Max's personality. We see one instance of this when Jenny tells Max she is writing their story. Max freaks out, and scares Jenny. Shane and Carmen come into the room, and the scene breaks up. However, from the previews for next week, this isn't the last time something of this nature will happen. Max also talks to Dana a great deal during the basketball trip, and he explains to the woman why he is doing what he is. In the end, Dana seems to understand, but that isn't quite clear.

Tina and Bette's problems continue this week, even though Tina didn't go through with sleeping with Josh at the start of the episode, Bette asks Tina to move out, but she backs off a bit and tells Tina to move into the guest room. This story is really starting to anger me because of the way these characters are being portrayed. This story line is probably my least favorite of this season. When season two ended, these two were on the mend. Season three opens six months later, and they have fallen apart. We still don't know why. Bette even gets mad at Tina for going to spend time with Kit when she is recording. She basically tells Tina that she isn't allowed to do that anymore because they are no longer a couple. That one threw me for a loop. Have both Bette and Tina completely lost it?

Speaking of losing it, what is up with Carmen? In tonight's episode, she had a dream that Shane gave Cherie a tattoo like the one they have, and because of that dream Shane is put in the dog house. I'm sorry, but that is just ridiculous. Yes, Shane cheated with Cherie, but come on it was just a dream. Shane didn't actually do that! It is obvious that Carmen has some issues, and I am liking her character less and less as this season progresses.

The story line I'm enjoying the most at the moment is that of Dylan and Helena. That will soon change next week based upon what I saw in the previews, but this week these two were hot. These two are definitely moving towards something, but that will soon all change. I will take this week's hotness and keep it locked in my memory.

Kit also had things to do this episode. We saw the return of Betty as they help Kit cut a record. Angus tries to help, but it is obvious no one wants his input. he actually leaves, but when he comes back he and Kit into some heated discussion that the ladies of Betty decide to listen to. Once they hear a bit, they side on his side, and Kit ends up backing down. Sigh I miss the Kit and Ivan story line like you wouldn't believe. I know kit is straight, but Angus annoys me a bit.

This episode just didn't do much for me. It had its good points, but I'm not sure I like the way some of the story lines are progressing. Maybe things will improve next week. This week just didn't cut it.

TV Review: Grey's Anatomy Episode 2.19

From ABC: Meredith and George suddenly find themselves at odds at work. Meanwhile Bailey, although technically still on maternity leave, finds herself treating Addison for an unusual feminine issue, and Alex finds himself oddly jealous when Izzie pays more attention to Denny.

My Rating: 2 out of 4

Tonight's episode of Grey's Anatomy titled What have I done to deserve this is probably in my mind one of the weakest episodes of this season so far. It had its moments, but it just didn't pack the punch I expected tonight. In this episode, we are dealing with the aftermath of last week's cliffhanger ending.

Yes, George did sleep with Meredith, and near the end of tonight's episode we actually get to see how that event actually happened. However, we have events that lead up to it, and going against the norm this week's voice over wrap around monologue went to George, instead of to Meredith. That is possibly why this episode felt so different. I'm so used to hearing Meredith, watching the events of each episode unfold through her eyes. Having that all happen from George's point of view felt a bit off.

Right from the beginning, we can see things are just a bit awkward between the new lovers. In fact, we can pretty much tell from the way Meredith and George are acting that things just didn't go well at all. Meredith looks guilty, and George looks like she killed his puppy. Definitely not a good sign there. This episode seemed to be a total turnaround from the George we've seen this season. He had been getting stronger, taking charge so to speak, but in this episode he played the total victim. I know what happened was bad, but I'm not sure about the way that he handled it.

Everyone is curious about the two, but neither one of them are talking. Meredith finally turns to Alex, and George walks in and overhears them talking. He assumes she told everyone, so he screams it out in a hallway. Everyone is shocked, but most of all George because he finds out that Meredith hadn't told everyone. He did that himself. In his haste to escape, he falls down the stairs and dislocates his shoulder. The rest of the interns then turn to Meredith. Izzie tells her if it becomes a case of choosing sides, she'd side with George. Cristina even tells Meredith she shouldn't have gone for the weaker guy.

At the end of their shift, George returns to Meredith's home and packs up his things. He moves out, and in a surprise move he ends up staying with Burke and Cristina. Meredith turns to Derek, and they decide to try being friends. I'm not sure how long that will last because some of the looks between these two definitely rate more than friendly. The episode ends with them out walking Meredith's dog.

This dog actually causes a whole lot of trouble for Addison this week. While she's out walking it in the morning, she feels the urge to go to the bathroom, and she finds the wrong spot to squat. She ends up with a case of poison oak in the worst possible area, and she has to ask Bailey to help her out, even though Bailey is technically on maternity leave. Bailey helps her though, and she even keeps the incident under wraps long enough until she finally pulls Derek in. Addison asks him if she has finally paid enough for cheating him, and he bursts out laughing. I have to admit that I did too. I feel bad for her though. In the end, it looks like Derek will end up with Meredith, and as much as I hate to admit it, I've actually started to like Addison.

The personal interactions between our interns weren't the only happenings this week. We had three cases come into the hospital, including the return of one from a previous episode. This episode brought the return of Denny, the heart patient that Izzie has developed a small crush on. He returns, and things heat up between them once again, much to the disappoint of Alex. He thought he and Izzie were a couple, but the way Izzie looks at Denny we know that isn't the case. The two actually have their first date on tonight's episode. Who says a man in a hospital bed can't be a great date?

The other two cases in this episode are a boy with a brain bleed and a man with an aneurysm in his heart. The man is actually set to be married, but when his soon to be wife learns of what is happening to her fiance, in sickness and health is thrown out the window. Burke treats the man, and pulls him into surgery when it appears his aneurysm blows. The surgery is a success. As for the boy, Derek is also able to treat him successfully as well.

As I mentioned, this episode of Grey's Anatomy felt a bit weak to me. It had its humorous moments, but it just didn't feel like the same Grey's Anatomy. That could simply be because it was told and viewed from George's perspective this week. We're all so used to Meredith being the lead, it just felt like a different show. With the events of this week, it is also making me wonder about some spoilers I heard about recently.

In a recent TV Guide article, Ellen Pompeo states that an intern will be leaving the program. Now we know that won't be Alex because he passed his exam. Could it really end up being George? He really didn't handle the situation well tonight, even if a fellow doctor did give him her number. It is really something to think about. With the Oscars next weekend on ABC, no new Grey's next week. The series seems to be going on a bit of a break. I'll definitely keep you posted on when it will return.

Dancing With The Stars: Grand Finale

It all came down to tonight. Ten couples, eight weeks, and a competition where only one couple would come out on top. Dancing With The Stars has captivated America since shortly after the New Year. Tonight, we know who pulled out all the stops to win. We also were able to see the couples eliminated from the competition earlier on for one final dance. All that and a performance by Mary J. Blige in a special Sunday night two-hour grand finale episode. Let's talk about tonight's final performances from our couples.

First up we had Jerry Rice. I think everyone reading this would agree that when it comes to this competition, Jerry is not the best dancer in this competition. I do commend him for his improvement. He is really having fun out there, and that wasn't more evident than it was tonight. However, in my opinion, he didn't dance his best. He still looks stiff, and I'm not sure how he could continue to receive these high scores. As one commenter suggested the other day, perhaps ABC needs to save face here with keeping him. Did ABC saving face earn him a win? His combined judges scores came in at eighty for his cha cha.

Next up, we had Stacy Keibler. She has dominated in this competition from week one. She has an advantage here with extensive dance training in her background. However, she had began to falter the last couple of weeks. The judges weren't as happy with her performances as they had been in the past. They wanted to see more of her, and I have to agree with them. I think her faltering continued on tonight, even with the judges giving her a perfect score tonight. Tonight's samba performance didn't just wow me in the least. She is great, but I think tonight's performance depended much to much on her sex appeal. How many times does one need to shake their butt and breasts in one short performance? Her combined scores came in at eighty-six.

Lastly, Drew Lachey came in with a jive performance with his partner. On Thursday night, he had stepped up his level of competition a bit, and he earned two perfect scores for his performances that night. That is something that hadn't been done before. Tonight's performance definitely stepped it up again, but in a shocker he only received a twenty-seven. That is a good score, but in my opinion his dance tonight was the best of the three, and it at least earned him another score comparable to what Stacy earned tonight.

Once all three danced, their combined judges scores were combined with the viewer's voting results, and we learned which one of the three couples was eliminated first leaving the competition down to two. Coming in third place, we had Stacy and Tony. The competition was now between Jerry Rice and Drew Lachey. Now as much as I wasn't thrilled with her performance the last couple of weeks, I didn't think she did bad enough to come in third place. This competition was definitely between Drew and herself. However, America spoke, and they chose Jerry Rice and Drew Lachey. Which of the two men was crowned champion?

Before we found out, we had the couples eliminated in the previous weeks of this competition return for one more performance. Each couple came out for a brief performance that lasted all of a minute. first up, we saw the first four couples eliminated come out. After a commercial break, we saw the next three couples eliminated return for similar performances, only a bit longer than the previous four. It was truly wonderful to see our couples return, and as the host said we could remember what we loved about them and why they were no longer in the competition. Once they performed, we took a look back at the entire competition.

After another performance by Mary J. Blige and a few more commercial breaks, we finally learned who would be this season's Dancing With The Stars champion. Our winners were Drew Lachey and his partner Cheryl Burke. I am so pleased to see them win. They honestly stepped up in recent weeks, and they deserved to win the championship this season. During the entire competition, for myself personally my two favorites were Lisa Rinna and Drew Lachey. I'm glad to see one of them win. Congratulations Drew!

Dancing With The Stars: The Finals

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Well, last week we saw our couples dwindle down to three when in an upset, Lisa Rinna was eliminated from the competition. Tonight, our three remaining couples danced for our judges and America one final time for their vote. Who shined and who didn't on tonight's show?

First, let's talk about the program itself. Tonight's episode was an expanded two hour edition with the recent placing of Crumbs on hiatus by ABC. Tonight's competition didn't truly get under way until part way into the second hour of the broadcast. Prior to that, we saw a recap of the final three couples performances and also some of the special performances made by our professionals during the results shows of the competition.

By the time our three couples took the stage, I was more than ready to see what they were going to do tonight. For tonight's competition, they were given the choice of performing one of their favorite past performances and then they were given the chance to perform a freestyle they choreographed themselves. This was there chance to forget the rules and just let loose. Did they do that? I'll take a look at them now one by one.

First up tonight was Jerry Rice. He shocked me and many others by staying on past last week's elimination. Out of the three remaining couples, he is the least up to par when it comes to dancing. That was shown again tonight. However, the judges gave him the highest scores he's received of this competition so far. In my mind, he didn't deserve them. During his freestyle performance especially, he looked stiff, and I think his partner is what is saving him here. I will say those lifts were impressive, but other than that I wasn't all that impressed with Jerry's performance tonight.

Next up, we had Stacy Keibler. She's the best female of this competition, and tonight it didn't look like it was her night. With her partner, she performed their jive. This was a great performance, and they did receive a perfect score. However, when it came time for their freestyle performance, it looked like a different Stacy took the stage. I was truly disappointed with her freestyle performance. This was Stacy's opportunity to take a few risks and do something different. She stayed safe in my opinion, and in my mind this could possibly hurt her. It could even possibly cost her the competition.

Last up, we had Drew Lachey. He has done extremely well, and he is the best male celebrity dancer of this competition. He stood up tonight and he did well. He was my favorite tonight by far. With his partner, he performed a repeat of their paso doble to Thriller. The first time I saw this performance I loved it, and I loved it again tonight. As for their freestyle, they went all out. They definitely went beyond the norm. Cheryl and Drew did a country type dance that definitely mixed up some styles. In my mind, they deserve to win this competition.

My one concern here is Jerry Rice. With such high scores given to him, do we have a chance for an upset here? I hope not. Last season, we saw Kelly Monaco come from behind to win the competition. Let's not have the same happen. Place your vote, America! Check back her Sunday Night for the results of this competition following a special two hour grand finale episode of Dancing With The Stars!

Scores:
Jerry Rice: 26 - 27 - 53 total
Stacy Keibler: 30 - 26 - 56 total
Drew Lachey: 30 - 30 - 60 total

American Idol Top 24 Eliminations

Well, America has spoken, and four of the top twenty-four are now on their way home. The eliminations in my mind weren't all too surprising on the female side. however, I'm a bit shocked with one of the males eliminated tonight. Before we get to those eliminations though, let's talk about the show. The first half of tonight's program contained a group performance of Taking' it Easy. The rest of the first half of the program was review of the last two nights. Once eliminated, the singers also performed one final time as well.

Now let's move on to the ladies eliminated. Tonight, we saw Becky O'Donahue and Stevie Scott go home. Stevie was probably one of my least favorite performances last night, and on my forum I even said it was possible she would go home tonight. Seeing Becky go home now is a bit surprising now that I think about it again, but she wasn't one of the better performances last night either.

As for the men, tonight we saw Bobby Bennett and Patrick Hall sent home. Bobby gave one of the worst performances last night, and I saw many choose him to go home. However, I'm a bit shocked to see Patrick Hall go home at this point in the competition. He wasn't one of the best performances last night, but there were a few that were worse than him. I was actually sad to see him go home now. I thought for sure we'd see David Radford eliminated tonight.

Looks like my Blog of the week, The Dramedy of Life, agrees with me on Patrick Hall's elimination. Hop on over and click my blog of the week on my sidebar to find out another's person's perspective on this week's eliminations.

American Idol - The Top 12 Men

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Well, I think many of you that have been following my American Idol commentary since the season began know I've been rooting pretty big for the ladies in the competition. Well, tonight it was the guys turns to show me and America just what they have, and let me tell you I was truly impressed by the male singers in this year's competition. The top twelve men came out tonight, and they did well. A few had their problems, and Simon had no problem pointing those out to them when needed. I actually found myself agreeing with Simon some, but I think he was too harsh with others.

Tonight though we saw performances of songs from everyone to Barry Manilow to Bon Jovi and George Michael. Music from the 50s all the way to the 90s and beyond made for ride range of performances and vocals from our men. In my mind, the men actually stepped up a bit more tonight than the ladies did last night even. This competition is anyone's game at this point. Let's talk about tonight's performances.

The show opened up with Patrick Hall. He rocked out a bit, and this was a step out of his music style for him. The judges caught onto that right away, and they told him to stick to what he is. I agree. I love the song he chose, but it wasn't the song for him. Next up, we had David Radford. This one is the Rat Pack style crooner, and he also jumped out of his style a bit with his song choice. The judges were definitely not feeling the performance, and neither was I. Paula did like him, but Randy and Simon didn't. Third, we had country rocker Bucky Covington. He came out and he wow'ed both me and the judges. He did really well, and I haven't really seen him much up to this point in the competition, but tonight really made me take notice of him. He's also very real as Ryan mentioned, and that makes him very likeable and accessible to the American Public.

Now let's talk about some performances that weren't all that great in my mind tonight. They were good performances, but possibly not American Idol material. I actually found myself agreeing with Simon on some points. I think he went too far with some of his critiques, but I agreed with the points he made. The three that stand out in my mind as "just okay" are Will Makar, Jose Penala, Kevin Covais and Bobby Bennett. These three just didn't hit a homerun for me. I actually found myself looking away and not wanting to watch them perform. Their voices just weren't strong enough in my mind tonight.

The performances that stood out to me as excellent tonight were Chris Daughtry, Gedeon McKinney, Elliot Yamin, Ace Young, and Taylor Hicks. I am almost positive we will see these five continue on to next week's round. Chris happened to pick one of my favorite songs of all time, and I am a die hard Bon Jovi fan, and he did really well. He isn't Jon Bon Jovi, but he made the song his. Ace did the same with his performance of George Michael. Another tough song for anyone because George's voice is quite distinctive. As for Taylor Hicks, I really am starting to love this guy. I heard some songs off his recently self-released CD, and he is really making me take notice of him.

There were a couple of things I noticed about tonight's show. I also noticed it last night. We have a wide range of performers here, but we have a lot of very young ones. These teens, if they don't make it here, we will see again. I have no doubt of that in my mind. Another thing I noticed tonight is the judges aren't really matching up. Two will go one way, and Simon will go another. Ryan even jumped in tonight with one of the singers, Bobby Bennett, and he tried to help the guy out. Simon wasn't having it though.

Tomorrow night, we will lose four contestants - two men and two ladies. Who do you think will stay on pass tomorrow night America? Check below for a list of songs performed on tonight's show, all available for download via iTunes.

Patrick Hall: Come to my window - Melissa Etherdige
David Radford: Crazy Little Thing Called Love - The Brian Setzer Orchestra
Bucky Covington: Simple Man - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Will Makar: I Want You Back - The Jackson 5
Jose Penala: Reasons - Earth, Wind & Fire
Chris Daughtry: Wanted Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi
Kevin Covais: One Last Cry - Brian McKnight
Gedeon McKinney: Shout - Isley Brothers
Elliot Yamin: If You Really Love Me - Stevie Wonder
Bobby Bennett: Copacabana - Barry Manilow
Ace Young: Father Figure - George Michael
Taylor Hicks: Levon - Elton John

For another person's perspective on the American Idol competition, check out my all new Blog of the Week on my sidebar, The Dramedy of Life. She has some more thoughts on this year's competition so definitely check her out!

American Idol: The Top 12 Women

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

American Idol comes at us this week finally with the real competition. Now the fate of this year's competitors are now in your hands America. Tonight, it was the ladies turn to show us what they've got! Were you impressed? Who did you vote for tonight? Let me tell you what I think about tonight's performances. In my mind, we had some highlights, some lowlights, and some new faces.

Tonight started off with some real heart and soul. Mandisa has been one of my favorites since the beginning, and she certainly put on a show tonight. She made the others to follow her stand up and take notice I'm sure. I was truly impressed with her performance, as were the judges. Next up, we had Kellie Pickler, and she also did well. She needs some work, but she is definitely one to watch.

Third up was Becky O'Donahue. She can sing, and she definitely have the looks down, but I don't think her voice is strong enough to keep her through to the end. I may be wrong. She's made it this far already, so she can sing. Following Becky, we had seventeen year old, Ayla Brown. She came in and amazed everyone. She has a wonderful voice, and I truly think she'll go far in this competition. Fifth up was Paris Bennett. Now, this girl can sing like a professional. She has stage presence, and she has talent. She will be there as the competition goes on.

Now, the middle of tonight's line-up had it rough. These three women came in and I just didn't feel tried their best. Perhaps it was song choice because three definitely had the talent to make it this far. However, Stevie Scott, Brenna Gethers and Heather Cox definitely didn't perform to Idol status this week.

Our final four of the night brought us two new faces and two familiar ones. Let's talk about the familiar ones, Lisa Tucker and Katharine McPhee. I wouldn't be shocked in the least if one of these two ladies is our next American Idol. They have what it takes to make it. Katharine definitely brought the show to an amazing close. We also had two new faces never before seen on television this season, Melissa McGhee and Kinnik Sky. Both performed well, but they both had their problems during their performances. Will we see them again? Not sure. We will have to wait and see.

Here is the list of songs performed on tonight's American Idol. Check back tomorrow night for what I think of the men!

Mandisa: Never - Heart
Kellie Pickler: How Far - Martina McBride
Becky O'Donahue: Because The Night - 10,000 Maniacs
Ayla Brown: Reflection - Christina Aguilera
Paris Bennett: Midnight Train to Georgia - Gladys Knight & the Pips
Stevie Scott: To Where You Are - Josh Groban
Brenna Gethers: You Are The Sunshine of my Life - Stevie Wonder
Heather Cox: When You Tell Me That You Love Me - American Idol 4
Melissa McGhee: When the lights go down - Faith Hill
Lisa Tucker: I Am Changing - Jennifer Holliday
Kinnik Sky:Get Here - Oleta Adams
Katharine McPhee: Since I Fell For You - Barbara Streisand

TV Review: The L Word Episode 3.07

Sunday, February 19, 2006

From Showtime: Jenny injects hormones into Moira; Dana undergoes chemo therapy and lashes out at Lara; Shane and Carmen get matching tattoos; Alice frantically searches for the Dana cutout; B52s hit the stage at The Planet; Kit fires Billie; and Tina takes another step towards Josh.

My Rating: 3 out of 4

Once again this series seems to have made a complete turnaround from earlier episodes this season. I was so unhappy with how season three opened up, but the series has now improved, and I am enjoying this series as much as I did when the series opened up season one. This episode titled Lonestar once again opens up with a scene that relates to the characters in the show. Last week, we saw a younger Bette experimenting with straight sex. This week, we see an older Bette with Alice having sex at the opera. We all knew these two had a relationship together before Bette met Tina, but we never knew that Bette left Alice for Tina. Now we do from an conversation between the two women during the episode.

We then jump to present day to see the lifesize Dana get trashed. From there we go to Jenny and Moira. Jenny is helping Moira transition into Max by helping her take her testosterone injections. Billy has somehow gotten them for Moira. Jenny is given Max her injections a bit early since she is leaving for NY to meet with her editor. Once Jenny leaves, Moira and Billy once again have a small meeting that leads to sex. I wonder if Moira will tell Jenny when she returns from NY. Jenny is really into helping Moira transition to a man.

In NY, Jenny's meeting with her editor doesn't go as she expected it would. The editor wants to make major changes to her work, and Jenny isn't willing to do that. The two have words, and Jenny walks out. She then goes to the publisher, and she tries to smooth things over between the two women, but the editor ends up saying she isn't the right women to edit Jenny's book. Something that Jenny appreciates because she really didn't feel she could honestly make the changes the editor wanted her to.

A major focus of this episode is on Dana and her battle with cancer. She is now undergoing chemotherapy, and this whole ordeal is truly getting to her. It is making her bitter and mean. She is quite mean to Lara, and she finally pushes Lara to the point where she leaves Dana. I think this was a bit quick. I thought Lara wouldn't leave Dana so quickly, but I can see why she left with how Dana was treating her. Dana then turns to Alice for support. Alice is a much different person than Lara, and as she tells Dana she won't take any shit from her. I think that is the type of person Dana needs by her side right now. She needs someone strong, and Lara wasn't. Alice even gets Dana out of the house and to The Planet for the B-52's performance on tonight's episode. Alice is told by her vampire lover to find the lifesize Dana cut-out, and she does try, but that is probably a lost cause.

The other major story line in this episode has to deal with Tina and Bette's relationship. The two are apart this week. Bette is at home, and she does try to be a good friend to Dana during her time of need. She shows Dana some relaxation exercises her therapist taught her. While Bette is helping Dana, Tina is off in Canada with Josh, the producer she is infatuated with. The two get closer over the time they are together, and they are about to have sex, when Josh makes a comment about her not being a lesbian. This somehow sets Tina off, and she pushes him away. She then kicks him out. I was so happy to see her not go through with it, but from the looks of the previews for next week, it might already be too late for Bette and Tina's relationship.

Minor plot lines this episode revolve around the building relationship between Dylan and Helena and Kit's firing of Billy. I think Dylan and Helena are good together. Let's hope this story line continues on. As for Kit, she walks in and catches Billy high as a kite with the door to the cafe wide open. This isn't acceptable, and she fires him right away. Also Shane and Carmen get matching tattoos this episode, but something tells me there is trouble ahead for the couple. Shane and Carmen also confront Moira on the injections, and news of what Moira is doing soon spreads throughout the group.

Even though this series has improved greatly since the season began, I still have some problems with the series. One being what appears to be a writer mess-up. As I mentioned earlier in this episode we see Alice and Bette during their time as a couple, and it is also referenced in the episode. However, the reference doesn't fit with how the relationship was described during season one. In this episode, it is made to sound like Bette left Tina for Alice. However, when their relationship is mentioned in season one, episode eleven, it appears they were already broken up when Bette meet Tina. One thing I hate is when writers can't keep the back story of the characters right. I know it is a small detail, but I was talking about it with a friend just now, and she immediately picked up on that back story snafu.

I'm also a bit confused over another point. That comes with Moira and Jenny. I'm not sure I understand how easily Jenny took finding Billie and Moira last week. She handled it a bit too well. I wonder how she will handle it if she finds out it happened again. Hopefully, she won't be as forgiving. I am really enjoying the more recent episodes. I'm glad to see Alice sane again. i really had missed my L Word, and with some minor problems I am glad to see it back. You can download the preview of episode eight here, courtesy of Titan on Media Blvd.

TV Review: Grey's Anatomy Episode 2.18

From ABC: Someone from Derek and Addison's past arrives in Seattle and shakes things up. Meanwhile, Burke learns about Christina's secret and, after a visit with her mother, Meredith looks into more of her family's dirty laundry.

My Rating: 4 out of 4

Usually after a huge intense episode, such as the ones that Grey's Anatomy has had the last couple of weeks, you have an episode that doesn't quite live up to the episode or episodes before because admit it sometimes it is hard to top a great episode. However, this is something that Grey's Anatomy does each and every week. This episode titled Yesterday was just as good as last week's, but it had a bit of a lighter feel to it. Things weren't as intense, but they were no less emotion filled than last week's episode, or the episode before that. This week, all our major characters had something happening. We even saw the return of Ellis Grey this episode. We also had three cases that were interesting and ranging from the humorous to the heartbreaking. Let's talk about the episode shall we?

Tonight, the episode opens up on Cristina and Burke in their apartment. Yang is probably in the most carefree mood I've ever seen this character in, and she ends up dancing around the room with Burke. you know when things are going so good, the other shoe is about to fall, and that is definitely the case here. The phone rings, and Burke answers. The call is from her landlord, and he tells Burke that Cristina's apartment has flooded. The apartment that Burke didn't know she still even had. Uh oh! This definitely causes some tension between the two throughout the episode. We don't even really know how they resolve it until the end when Burke makes an impassioned speech to confront her, and yes, he even says the l word here! She informs that her apartment is no more, and he leaves the room.

The majority of this episode surrounds a visitor to Seattle Grace Hospital from Addison and Derek's past. He arrives on scene, and he immediately starts making waves by hitting on Meredith. Once Derek punches him, we learn that this is Mark, the man that Addison had the affair with back in New York, and yes he knows all about Meredith. Is this a case of the former best friend wanting to piss off Derek by hitting on his new flame? It is possible. Mark has come to Seattle for one reason and one reason only. He wants Addison back. He even tells her several times during the episode that her husband no longer loves her, and he does. He even pulls the 'I'll be at the bar across the street waiting for you' bit that didn't work at all for Meredith earlier in the season. It doesn't work here for him either because Addison doesn't show up.

However, once he is there he learns from Alex that there is a case of Lionitis in the hospital, and he is immediately interested. He is one of the plastic surgeons in NYC, and this type of case is the type that makes you known in the medical profession. he goes to the parents to ask if he can work on the teenager's face. He is already set for a neurosurgery, so performing the plastic surgery at the same time is possible. The original surgery is quite dangerous though, and once Derek learns what Mark wants to do, he is immediately against it. They go to Webber, get into it verbally, and in the end Webber sides with Mark, even if he doesn't really want to.

Derek goes to the parents to try to change their mind, but the teenager is set on wanting the surgery to correct his face. However, it is not meant to be. He dies on the operating table, and in a touching moment Mark, along with Alex and Cristina, perform the plastic surgery on his dead body. This broke my heart, and it actually made me like Mark. I could actually see what Addison saw in him that made her cheat on Derek. The writers of Grey's Anatomy are really good at making the characters human, with flaws and good points all mixed together to make a full character. This is just another instance of that.

The next case that the staff are working on is a man with a tumor caused by years of smoking. He has a one in four chance of even surviving the operation. While he waits for his surgery, he decides to make video tapes to send to the people in his life for when he dies. Meredith offers to help him, but she wishes she hadn't when she learns these tapes aren't filled with love and heart filled good-byes. Instead, they are all the things this man wished he had said over the years. It is final message to go to those that hurt or wronged him over the years. She helps him make the tapes, and then offers to send them off, but she doesn't really want to. Burke tells her if she said she would do it, she should do it. The man miraculously survives surgery, and even though he survived, he still wants Meredith to mail the tapes so he has his peace.

This leads Meredith to make a decision about her own life. Early in the episode, we see Meredith visiting her mother, and during the visit Ellis Grey lets the cat out of the bag about an affair she had in the past. She doesn't say with who, but Meredith goes to Webber to ask about her father. Once the man lives and asks her to send the tapes anyway, she decides to go and see her father. He left Meredith and her mother nearly twenty years before. She even has to look him up in the phone book. She shows up on his doorstep, and she confronts him on why he left and the affair. He doesn't give her any of the answers she was looking for, and I think my heart hurt just a bit for her.

The last case is of a woman that spontaneously orgasms at will. A bit of humor thrown in to balance the other two cases. All the interns want to see this woman in action, but it is Addison and Izzie's case. They do find the cause of the problem, and by the end of the episode, she is ready to go in for surgery. This case led to a lot of discussion about sex to be had by the interns. As we know, Alex and Izzie's relationship has gotten sexual, but Izzie wants them to just be friends because the relationship didn't work in the past. Friends with benefits possibly? I think so.

This train of discussion also leads to George stepping up and making his play for Meredith. Finally! he first tries the asking her out approach, but she totally ignores him. He goes to Izzie, and she tells him to make her see him. So that night at home, he goes into Meredith's room and he tells her the sweetest line I've heard since Jerry Maguire. Meredith doesn't say a word in response, but she gets him naked. Then the episode ends! These writers are also very good at teasing us aren't they? Thus ends, another episode of Grey's Anatomy!

This show really does keep getting better and better. I've totally fallen in love with this show, and I think it is clear it is my favorite series on air at the moment. Each and every week, we are taken in to these lives, and yes they aggravate and frustrate us, but they do so in such a way that we keep coming back for more. I received a comment earlier this week that I can't seem to find now asking why I thought this series was so good. What exactly does this series have? I don't think it has just one thing. It has what I would call the total package. It has excellent writing, good acting, great characters, and everything put together makes for one great show. This is the series that keeps going and going, and I truly hope it keeps doing so for a long time to come. You can download a preview of next week's episode here, courtesy of greys-fans.com.

Saturday Night Movie Review: The New World

Saturday, February 18, 2006

A bit something this week for my Saturday Night movie review. Today I had the pleasure of seeing a new release to theaters, The New World. This movie hit the big screen last month in limited release. I'd heard a great deal about the movie, and I had been wanting to check it out for myself.

It tells the story of the life and loves of a young savage woman known to us as Pocahontas. The movie stars Colin Farrell and Christian Bale as her two loves, the wild captain John Smith and the tamer John Rolfe. The role of Pocahontas, also known as Rebecca in the movie, is played by relative new comer, Q'orianka Kilcher, cousin to songstress Jewel Kilcher.

This movie sucks in you for two and a half hours. It does feel a bit slow in parts, but the film is so visually stunning that it keeps you watching the movie as it tells the story of this young woman. When the British land in the New World, she is immediately thrust into change, and this change in her life takes the form of Captain John Smith. Even at the young age of twelve, she finds herself in love with the man. The scenes between the two are definitely eyebrow raising, especially when one learns that Q'orianka was only fourteen when the movie was filmed. However, the more romantic scenes are definitely tame by today's standards.

We follow her life as she learns her love is dead, and a new love finds her, that of John Rolfe. When she learns Captain John Smith never died, she draws back from Rolfe, even though they have been together for years and have a child together. When she travels to England with him and their son, Rolfe allows her to see Smith because he knows he cannot keep her if her heart belongs to another. In the end, she chooses Rolfe, but as the story goes she dies soon thereafter.

This movie is just beautiful to watch. Most of the story is told in voice over by each of the three main characters throughout the movie, and these softly spoken words even add to the beauty of this film. I'd recommend seeing this film if you can in theaters or if you can find it on DVD when it is released. It is a beautiful re-telling of one of the oldest known love stories.

Dancing With The Stars Week 7 Elimination

Friday, February 17, 2006

Well perhaps I take my television too seriously, but I am actually upset over Lisa Rinna being eliminated from the competition tonight. Not only because the fact she was my personal choice to win the competition, but the fact that she lost a spot in the final three to Jerry Rice, who we all know isn't as good a dancer as Lisa is. He even appeared shocked when it was announced he had been saved from elimination.

Lisa has been the dancer that improved the most during this competition, and she has really shined the last couple of weeks. I even voted for her myself last night via online. My brother watched the series for the first time last night, and he even said out of the four couples, he thought Lisa was the best. He said it appears to be a popularity contest more than a dance contest, and I think I might actually agree with him on that point.

I'm not really sure how Jerry could come from last place in the judges scoring with a 41 to stay in the competition. Lisa was in third place with 53 behind Stacy and Drew that were tied at 55. Lisa has put a lot of herself into this competition, and when you compare the dancers the top three scorers from last night's show should be the ones that remain. I think Jerry has done well, but he just isn't up to the same level the other three celebrities are.

I think this competition is now between Stacy and Drew. Let's hope Jerry doesn't come from behind and take it all. Stacy and Drew have both been excellent throughout. Let's not have a repeat of season one in which Kelly Monaco came from dead last place to become champion. Next Thursday night, we have the finals. Then on Sunday, February 26th, we have the grand finale where one of our couples will be crowned champion.

Dancing With The Stars: The Semi-Finals

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Dancing With The Stars comes at us this week with the seventh week of the competition, the semi-finals in which we have our four remaining couples going for the three spots on next week's finale. This week's competition got even tougher for our remaining dancers. Not only had they had to learn one, but this time around they had to learn two dances. The second performed solo just like the first, not in a group like the previous two weeks. The dancers know that time is now growing short, so they must put their best foot forward if they want to succeed. Let's talk about this week's performances.

Stacy Keibler opened this week's show with a Quickstep. She is definitely on top of her game, and she has been the favorite to win this competition with two perfect scores the last two weeks. Her Quickstep was good, but it also earned her lowest scores in recent weeks. She's come under scrutiny the past week or two because it has come to light that she has extensive dance training in her background. Some are wondering if this is fair to her competitors. The only other competitor with some dance background is Drew Lachey, a former bandmember of the boyband 98 degrees. Stacy's second performance of the night, the Cha Cha Cha, earned her a higher score, but we didn't see a perfect thirty again this week. Has Stacy peaked too soon?

Next up, we had Jerry Rice. Now he may not be the best dancer left in this competition, but he certainly does put effort into it. He is fun to watch, and you can tell he has fun out there. I think the judges were a bit harsh to him this week. He knows he isn't the best compared to the other three, but he is having fun out there. That said, I think it is time for Jerry to go home. No, he isn't the best left, but I commend him for his effort. I've truly enjoyed watching him. Tonight, Jerry performed the tango and Rumba, and he didn't do all that well, but he still had the audience applauding him. In the beginning, I actually wondered about him and how he would do, and I was truly surprised by how well he did do.

Lisa and Louie came up next, and I agree with the judges when they say she is the most improved of the dancers. She is a joy to watch. I've actually met Lisa in the past, and she has the greatest personality. I'd love to see her win this thing, and I think it is possible she could. Tonight, she performed the FoxTrot and Cha Cha Cha with her partner, and they came in third with the scores. However, she is only two points behind our two leaders. She definitely has a shot to pull it off. You can see she has put a lot of herself into this competition, and I hope she makes it through to the finals. Last week kind of scared me when she was in the bottom two. That was a shock to see. Let's hope she is able to stick around for the finals.

The last performance of the night was by Drew Lachey. He also scored the highest score of the night with his Rumba. He was a bit concerned about it, but he did well. he is the best male dancer of the competition, and I wouldn't be too shocked if he won this week. His FoxTrot received one of his lowest scores in recent weeks, but his Rumba put him in a tie with Stacy.

This competition is really anyone's game at this point. Stacy, Drew and Lisa all have a shot of winning the final next week. That is if all three are there next week. We know the viewer vote can change everything? Are the viewers that behind Jerry Rice to keep him in the competition for the finals? I truly hope not. As much as I love him, the top three I've mentioned truly belong in next week's grand finale. Check back tomorrow night on the results show to see who America sends home.

Combined Scores:

Stacy Keibler - 55
Jerry Rice - 41
Lisa Rinna - 53
Drew Lachey - 55

American Idol Week 5: Hollywood Week Ends

American Idol wraps up Hollywood week this week with two episodes that aired on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. By the end of Wednesday's show, we knew who our top twelve were. However, we had a bit of a journey to get there. let's first review the events on Tuesday night. That was when we had our group auditions, followed briefly by final acapella auditions by the forty-four left in the competition at that point. That would be their last performance before the judges made their final cuts in the chair round.

Tuesday night wasn't so much about the performances though. It was what happened behind the scenes that got the most attention by American Idol. The contestants were given one night in order to get together into groups and put together a choreographed performance of a song. there was conflict almost from the get-go. Singers switching groups, singers not wanting to practice (instead favoring sleep) and personality conflicts seemed to pop up the most in this round of the competition. Some just don't work well in groups, and it is this part of the audition that shows this. However, I'm not all that sure why they have a group performance. Most American Idol contestants go on to form solo careers. They don't form groups.

A majority of the focus on Tuesday's show was on the Brittenum twins. They seem to be everywhere, and people either loved them or hated them. I think I might have laughed out loud when they called their behavior on American Idol up to that point as completely angelic. These two certainly liked to stir the pot. When the second twin auditioned during the group round, he actually left the competition because he thought his brother had not passed on to the next round. Once he learned that wasn't the case, he had to suck it up and ask the judges to allow him back him. They did, but they made him and his brother sweat it out a bit before telling him so. However, Wednesday night we learned that the twins had been eliminated due to their legal troubles. No more twins! Bye bye!

Wednesday night we had the final cut before America is allowed to vote. From now on it isn't up to the judges, but the American voting public that watches American Idol. During the chair round, we were allowed to see each of the remaining contestants go up and learn if they made the cut. There was a focus on some, and those were some of the familiar faces we've been seeing since their first auditions when the series premiered a month ago.

In my mind, we have some amazing talent. However, some in the top twelve, especially on the girls side, are new faces to me. I don't recall seeing them very much in previous auditions, but they are talented. On the girls side, I'm still rooting for Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler, Paris Bennett and Lisa Tucker. On the boys side, I am rooting for Ace Young and Chris Daughtry. I know only one of them can win, but I think these six have the ability to make the top ten in any case. Tune in next week to see the top twelve perform on Tuesday and Wednesday with the first elimination by voting to air on Thursday.

These are America's Top 24:

BOYS: Ace Young, Bobby Bennett, Bucky Covington, Chris Daughtry, David Radford, Elliott Yamin, Gedeon McKinney, Jose Penala, Kevin Covais, Patrick Hall, Taylor Hicks, William Makar

GIRLS: Ayla Brown, Becky O'Donahue, Brenna Gethers, Heather Cox, Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler, Kinnik Sky, Lisa Tucker, Mandisa Hundley, Melissa McGhee, Paris Bennett, Stephanie Scott

TV Review: Bones Episode 1.13

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

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TV Review: Lost Episode 2.14

FROM ABC: When Rousseau leads Sayid to a mysterious captive in the jungle, he becomes determined to find out if he is one of the "Others." Meanwhile, Sawyer discovers Hurley's potentially devastating breech of the survivors' trust and blackmails him into helping track an elusive island creature that won't leave Sawyer alone.


My Rating: 4 out of 4

I’ll be the first to admit I haven’t been all too thrilled with the last few episodes of Lost. The one highlight being last week’s conning by Sawyer. However, tonight’s episode titled One of them had me totally involved and interested. It was a Sayid-centric episode, and Sayid as a character has always interested me. We really hadn’t seen all that much of Sayid since the episode Shannon was shot, but the little we did see of him it was obvious he was a changed man because of her death. That change is even more apparent as this episode progresses.

During the episode, we see flashbacks to when Sayid was younger during Desert Storm. at the beginning of the episode, he is taken captive by Americans, and then asked to interrogate his commanding officer in order to help them find a downed helicopter pilot. The officer is less than forthcoming. The Americans try a different tactic, and they show Sayid a village he has relatives bombed with Sarin gas. The order given by his commanding officer. They then send Sayid back into the room ready to torture his commanding officer. It works, but it is too late for the pilot. He has already been killed.

Present day, Danielle is back. Ana Lucia comes to find Jack when she sees her, but instead she finds Sayid. When he sees who Danielle, he sends Ana Lucia back to the camp with an order not to tell anyone what she saw. He finds Danielle, and she wants Sayid to go with her. He isn’t all that trusting of her after their last encounter, but once she gives him a gun,, he ends up following her. She leads him to a man one of her traps captured in the forest. She thinks the man is one of them, but Sayid lets the man down anyway. When the man tries to run, Danielle shoots him with her bow and arrow.

Because of this, Sayid takes the man back to the hatch so that Jack can look at him, and they can find out who he is. Sayid finds Locke, and Jack soon arrives on scene. Sayid wants to know who the man is because he doesn’t totally believe his story. The man says his balloon crashed on the island, and his wife died of illness. Jack tends to the man, while Sayid talks Locke into changing the codes for the armory. once that is done, Sayid and Jack convince Jack that the best place to put the man is in that room. They all drag him in there, and Sayid slams the door shut on them both.

TV Review: Supernatural Episode 1.15

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

From WB: Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) head to Minnesota where a young boy (guest star Ryan Drescher) witnesses a man vanish into thin air. Upon searching for clues, Sam is abducted by what he assumes is a supernatural being, and Dean is left to search frantically for his brother. However, both are stunned when they realize the kidnappers are human, and using the captives as human prey for a twisted hunting expedition.

My Rating: 4 out of 4

Supernatural comes to us this week with a fresh new episode titled The Benders, and this episode is probably what I think is the least supernatural episode of these series to date, ranking right up there with the bugs episode from earlier in the season. Even with the lack of anything really supernatural going on, this episode was still one of the better episodes of the series.

This week, the two brothers head off to Minnesota to work on a case in which a man has vanished into thin air. A small boy that witnessed his father's disappearance says he heard a monster and then saw his father taken away. The boy's mother blames his sighting on the fact that he was watching a scary movie at the time. The two brother's pose as state police in order to interview the mother and her son.

That night, Sam and Dean are at the local bar discussing the case and planning their attack. Sam wants to find a place to sleep, and Dean wants to stay. Sam leaves on his own, and in the parking lot of the bar he is taken by some unseen force. An hour later Dean goes out to find him, and Sam is nowhere to be found.

The next day, Dean goes to the local sheriff, once again posing as someone from the state police, looking for Sam. The sheriff helps him, and once they see the surveillance footage from a traffic camera outside the bar, they find it is possible someone took Sam. This case is starting to look less supernatural by the minute as the episode progresses on. We then see Sam locked up in a cage, and the cage next to him is the man that disappeared. Two men come in to feed the other man, and any doubts that this episode had a supernatural tone are now gone.

The sheriff helping Dean does a check on his badge number, and she finds out that Dean isn't who he says he is. This leads her to want to arrest him and take him in. She doesn't though after he pleads his case. She says she will take him in once they find Sam. At some point later, Dean asks her why she didn't take him in right off, and she tells him that her brother disappeared much like Sam did three years before, so she understood where he was coming from. Back with Sam, the man is let loose, and we soon learn the purpose of the kidnappings. In some odd hunting game, the man is gone after and killed by two other men living in the house. Sam can hear the man's screams as he dies.

Dean and the sheriff follow the trail they discovered, and it leads them to a private road. They have had some good fortune and found the property where Sam is being held. Dean wants to go with the sheriff, but she tricks him and locks him to the car with her handcuffs. Up at the house, she finds a little girl. While she is talking to her, the girl's father comes up and hits her over the end from behind with a shovel. She is now taken captive.

When she doesn't come back, Dean finds a way to come out just before the men from the house come to find her truck. He makes it up to the house, and then finds the sheriff and Sam locked in cages. When he goes to find the key, the little girl spots him, and he is captured as well. The family tries to get him to talk, but Dean isn't talking until the father burns him with hot iron. He then sends his son to shoot both Sam and the sheriff.

When the son arrives, Sam is ready, and he is able to overpower him to get free. He also let's out the sheriff, but when the son doesn't return the father and his brother come looking for him. Sam and the sheriff are able to fight off the two as well, and Sam leaves the sheriff with the father. She questions him about her brother because Dean found his car on the property, and when she gets an answer she doesn't like, she shoots the man. Once this is done, the three meet up outside, and she lets them both go. The Winchester brothers walk off, and she is left to deal with the state police and FBI.

Not a lot of character development in this episode, other than the fact we are able to see the lengths Dean will go to in order to protect his brother. Past episodes it was Sam doing for Dean and going the extra mile. Now it was the other way around. Dean feels responsible for his younger brother, and we can see their bond strengthening each episode. No new episode next week. Supernatural will return in two weeks with an all new episode that returns us to the main story line of this series, their father and the demon behind the death of their mother and Jessica. The previews for the next episode look great. I can't wait.

TV Review: The L Word Episode 3.06

Monday, February 13, 2006

From Showtime: Tina continues to struggle with her sexual feelings for men; Kit gives in to Angus; the girls rush to the hospital to be by Dana's side; New York comes calling to Jenny; Moira finds there's a shortcut to getting male hormones.

My Rating: 4 out of 4

I think the writers of my favorite television programs conspired together tonight to make me cry, because once again I found myself in tears by the end of tonight's L Word. Before I head into the content of tonight's episode, let me talk about the opening sequence just a little bit. Each and every week before the opening credits, we have a scene of two people experiencing a gay or lesbian experience. These usually don't stick with me long past the airing of the opening credits, but this episode's opening scene was different because it finally connected us to the stars of our series.

This week, one of the people involved was Bette, a young Bette having sex with a man. This also relates to what is currently happening in the series with her relationship with Tina. At this point, Tina is finding herself attracted to a man, Josh the producer she is working with to be exact. On this episode, Bette gives Tina permission to explore those feelings with a man, but she does tell Tina there is a chance she might not be there when she is done figuring things out. Bette and Tina are probably where my major problem with this series is at the moment. Bette and Tina have totally switched roles. Tina is the tough working woman, and Bette is more of the Tina like character we saw season one. What a switch, and I'm not sure I really like it all that much.

Since I basically jumped right into discussing the episode as far as Bette and Tina are concerned, let's talk about our other ladies. The episode opens up with Shane returning home after a night spent with Cherie. Carmen is up waiting for her, and something certainly hits the fan. The two get into it, and Carmen goes into her whole monogamy speech. She pushes Shane to finally agree to at least try, and the two make up. I'm having a real problem with Carmen this season though. She isn't the same girl from last season. This one is more witchy.

As for Jenny, she is working at The Planet, when the publisher from New York that has her book comes to town. The publisher wants her book, and they want it now. The woman comes with a fall publishing date, and what appears to be a large advance for her. This is the news she's been waiting for, but the publisher does question her on how much of her fictional story is based on her own personal life. As a writer, this part of the story line is bothering me a bit because first time authors aren't usually handled, and it can take years to have a book published. One the show it is a matter of months before the book hits the shelves. A bit unrealistic, but the series writer's have taken a bit of license here it seems.

That night Jenny goes out with the girls to see Sleater-Kinney and celebrate her success. Moira is with her as Max, and Max has actually been talking to Billie about obtaining male hormones. She finally goes to Billie for them, and in a bit of an odd encounter, the two have something happen between them. In essence, Billie gives Max a blow job, which Jenny walks in. Jenny handles it better than I would have, and everything appears fine between the two.

A good part of this episode focused on Dana and her cancer. On tonight's episode, she went in to have her breast removed. Once surgery was done, it became clear that her cancer had spread. Lara tries to find out Dana's condition, but the doctor says she's not family. Lara calls Alice to get in touch with Dana's family. They rush to her bedside and send Lara on her way. Lara stays, and once Alice arrives at the hospital she stands up for Lara.

This shows a very real problem the gay and lesbian community faces today. If one partner gets ill or dies, the other partner has no legal rights whatsoever the way society stands now. This also would affect those families where children are involved, as they are with Bette and Tina. If Tina was to die with no legal documention stating Bette is Angelica's mother, then Bette would have no rights to the baby. As for tonight's episode, Alice calls the girls and they all show up at Dana's bedside. this is the scene that really made me cry.

Another plot of this episode deals with Helena. She has developed feelings for her straight producer, and this is definitely causing problems for her and the other woman. Dylan, the woman, seems to throw caution out the window when she returns to Helena after telling her she is straight. I really like how this story line is developing, and I want to see what happens next.

This series seems to be picking back up to where it was in the past. Tonight's episode was one of the best this series has had in some time. It felt like the old L Word I fell in love with. There are some plot line issues, but all in all I'm enjoying this series more than I was when the season started. I hope it stays that way.

TV Review: Grey's Anatomy Episode 2.17

Sunday, February 12, 2006

From ABC: Despite the best efforts of the Seattle Grace staff, the code black situation escalates.

My Rating: 4 out of 4

I think this series might have killed me just a little tonight. I think there is no doubt, at least not in my mind, that this was the best episode of this series. I laughed and I cried throughout the last half hour especially. This episode had it all, and it had intensity. Last week's episode gave us a Code Black when a an was brought into Seattle Grace Hospital after being shot in the chest by a homemade bazooka. Once the staff learns of this situation goes from life threatening to one person to life threatening to many many more.

The entire hospital is actually at risk. A young woman paramedic, Hannah played by guest star Christina Ricci, holds the man life in her hands because her hand is resting on the bomb. The bomb squad is called in and the O.R. is evacuated. However, the young woman ends up panicking and running out of the room. Due to Meredith's quick moving, she ends up being the one with her hand on the bomb. That is how we ended things last week.

This week in the episode titled (As we know it), we pick up things right where we left off. Meredith still has her hand on the bomb, and the bomb squad and Burke are best trying to figure out how to remove the bomb without blowing everyone up. The rest of the surgical staff is at loose ends because most of the surgical wing has been closed off. The only OR's running are Burke's and Shepard's.

Derek is hard at work on Bailey's husband. He was in a car accident on his way to the hospital to be with Bailey as she gave birth. Once she learned of her husband's condition, she decided to put an end to her labor, if only it was that easy right? Her condition becomes life threatening to her unborn baby the longer she waits to give birth. Addison is trying to talk into giving birth, but we all know how stubborn Bailey can be once she puts her mind to it. Her husband also has a tough time of it, and at point Derek almost loses him. Derek knows how important Bailey's husband is to her so he goes above and beyond to save the man.

However, by the end of the episode George has somehow talked her into giving birth. He got tough with her, and it worked. I really loved George in this episode. Even after Addison yells at him in the hallway when he approaches her about Bailey, he still tries. Bailey gives birth to a beautiful boy, who she even names William George. That was one of the happier moment's of this episode. It needed it because this episode was really heart stopping.

While the bomb is in play, there is a lot going on in the hospital. Once Izzie, Alex and George find out it is now Meredith with her hand the bomb, the three deal with the news in their own ways. Izzie has a panic attack of sorts, and she goes off to be on her own. Alex follows though, and he comforts her as best he can. However, it looks like the kind of comfort she wants at the moment is sexual. The two finally had sex for the first time on last week's episode. Once that is done, the two go to Webber to ask for something to do. He gives it to them by having some sort of attack. At first glance it appears to be a heart attack, but that isn't the case we learn once tests are run.

Before he has his attack, we learn from Webber that the OR where the bomb is directly over an oxygen line, which means if the bomb does go off in that room there is a chance that the whole hospital could blow up. This means they must move the gurney, Meredith and all, out of that room as carefully as possible. After a few tense moments, and Cristina telling Meredith that Burke told her I love you while she was sleeping the night before, they do make it safely into another operating room.

Burke goes to work and we soon know it is okay for Meredith to remove her hand with the bomb in it out of the man's body. She has a last moment freak out just before she does, and she tells those in the room to make sure that George and Izzie get to keep her house if she dies. She also has a moment where she sees Derek in her mind, and this last moment encouragement gives her the boost she needs to remove her hand. She does so successfully, and Burke goes to work on operating on the man.

Meredith steps out of the operating room to watch the bomb squad leader walk off with the bomb, and this is when it goes off. It literally leaves nothing left of one and possibly two bomb squad members, including the leader. Meredith is knocked unconscious from the blast but she is relatively unhurt. Cristina and Izzie help Meredith clean up, and she goes home with a cut on her forehead, which when I think of it is almost in the same exact spot she hurt her head a few episodes back.

As for Derek, he learns Meredith was the one holding the bomb while in surgery with Bailey's husband, and once he and Burke are both out, his first thoughts are to find Meredith, but Addison finds him first. Webber's wife is perceptive, and she knows when Derek was asking for a she, it wasn't his wife. Derek ends up on Meredith's doorstep, and this is probably one of the best Meredith and Derek scenes this season. However, I wanted to ram my head against the first hard surface because it just kept stringing us along.

As I mentioned when I began this review, this was the best episode of this season, and possibly even the series. I know it had me on the edge of my seat, even more so than last week's episode. Grey's Anatomy is one of the best series on television, and this episode just proved that. Last week, thirty eight million viewers tuned in, and that is nearly double the numbers of a standard episode of Grey's Anatomy. Let's hope some of those new viewers that tuned in last week stuck around to see the conclusion tonight. They were surely not disappointed if they did.

Saturday Night Premiere: Hide and Seek

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Tonight's Saturday night premiere is Hide and Seek from HBO. This movie stars Robert de Niro and young Dakota Fanning, who I think is one of the best younger actresses I've seen in quite some time. Also she didn't screech so much in this movie, so it was a definite plus. This film is a horror flick from 2005, and I've truly been bored with most horror movies the last few years. The films are either predictable, cheesy, full of blood and guts or just plain boring. I wasn't sure what I would find here, but I'd heard this movie was good.

I went into viewing it with an open mind, and I can say I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. This movie tells the story of a man and his daughter when they move to the country after the mother's suicide. Things begin to happen almost immediately, and the daughter blames all the events on her new imaginary friend. People begin to die, and the father blames the deaths on his daughter. However, it is quite clear a child couldn't have committed the murders in this film. However, there is a shocking twist to this film that I really didn't even see coming. I don't want to give it away, but I think I enjoyed this twist as much as the twist in The Skeleton Key.

I do have one problem with this film, and that is more of a casting decision. Even though Robert de Niro is a wonderful actor, and he has been for many years, I am not sure he was the right person to cast to play the father of Dakota Fanning's character, Emily. She is so young, and he is years older than her. I'd see him playing her grandfather more than her father. I also wished they had shown more of Famke Janssen's character as well. A twist might have been to have her and Emily's father end up together, instead the love interest of David is Elizabeth played by Jennifer Jason Leigh.

The thing with horror films today is that everything has been done before. The trick is to try to make something new out of the old standard plots. Did Hide and Seek succeed in doing that? Most will say it didn't. From what I've read of fan reaction to the film, it wasn't all that well recieved from everyone. Reviews seem to be mixed. In my opinion though, this is one of the better of the new modern horror films, and it is definitely worth a look. Dakota Fanning turns in another wonderful performance here, and Robert de Niro did as well. I'm also curious about the alternate endings mentioned to be on the DVD. Maybe I'll have to to try and check those out. This film would be one to watch with the lights on.

Dancing With The Stars Week 6 Elimination

Friday, February 10, 2006

This week's results show was probably one of the better results shows in this series. A performance by Natasha Bedingfield, another performance of the classic song from Dirty Dancing by Bill Medley with a dance taken from the movie by two of our professional dancers on the show, and another dance performed by a group of dancers from one of the professonial's dance classes. All this made for a somewhat enjoyable hour while we waited to find out who went home.

The first announced safe tonight actually gave us a pretty good idea on who would be sent home at the end of the hour. Jerry Rice and his partner will be around for at least another week. By the end of the hour we knew that the other lowest scorer from last night's show had been eliminated. George Hamilton had brought some lightheartedness and fun to the competition, but his skill was definitely not up to par in what was needed at this stage in the game.

The other four couples do have some skill, and I still believe it is between the top three couples. Jerry Rice is an okay dancer, but I think it would take a miracle for him to pull off a win here. Stacy is certainly a favorite, but I'd love to see Lisa Rinna come from third and take it all.

 
 
 
 
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