From Showtime: Alice keeps vigil at Dana's bedside while she takes a turn for the worse; Carmen drops the unexpected on Shane; Bette's attempts at inner peace don't come easily; Lara calls from France looking for Dana; Jenny meets up with her ex-husband Tim and introduces him to Max; Peggy Peabody flies in to save Helena and the company; Tina embraces settles in with Henry.
My Rating: 4 out of 4
Tonight's episode of The L Word titled Losing the Light has to be most powerful episode of this series this season and possibly ever. I knew what was going to happen. It had been spoiled for me weeks ago, but even with the knowledge of this episode events, I still found myself in tears and angry at the way the events played out. I found myself the most involved I have been this entire season with this episode.
The episode opens with a phone call from Lara in Paris. She calls Dana's apartment in Los Angeles, and she says she wants to talk about coming home because she misses her. What she doesn't know is that Dana is in the hospital, and she has been for the last five days. Alice has not left her bedside the entire time, and we know that something big is going to happen the way they are counting down with the clock popping up every so often. Alice does end up leaving Dana's bedside at the urging of a nurse. She leaves for not very long, and she buys Dana a singing flower that sings "You are my Sunshine."
This episode doesn't really focus on Dana's passing, but the events that occur in a span of a couple of hours leading up to the moment of death. We see some surprises as former cast members return. One of those cast members being Tim, Jenny's ex. He has wasted no time at all. He's now married, and his wife is six months pregnant. He is town for a swim meet, and he and wife meet up with Jenny and Max. As soon as Jenny informs him that Max is pre-op transsexual, things get awkward.
The foursome go out to lunch, and things get heated with the former couple. Tim and Jenny both say things to each other, and Jenny blurts out to his wife about their last night tonight in Los Angeles. Tim leaves, and Jenny and Max follow. In the car, they talk, and Max actually defends Tim. I am flashing the Jenny dump Max sign now. This won't work out for them, and that becomes more and more apparent with each episode.
Shane and Carmen are also a focus this episode, and early on we learn that Shane isn't the only one that has cheated. Carmen informs Shane that she has cheated to with a Robin. Shane's immediate, as was mine, as this was Jenny's Robin, but we never know for sure. If it was the same Robin, that was a nice way to connect everyone, especially since Carmen and Jenny were together. It works well with inter connectivity of the chart. You would think with Carmen's confession this couple would be done with. However, it seems to put them on some common ground, and it makes them stronger for it. I saw the previews for next week, and we know this couple is here to stay. However, the Shane proposing to Carmen sounds like The L Word is taking a story line from Queer as Folk, which they have done before.
This episode also continues on the Dylan and Helena story line, as they meet with their lawyers about the sexual harassment charges brought against Helena. It seems Helena has a bad history in this department, so it is best to settle. Dylan's lawyer even shows the tape, and I'm not sure but the tape looked edited to make Helena look even worse. Helena's lawyer doesn't want to settle, but she confronts Dylan one more time and asks her to tell her that she doesn't want to see her again and that she never loved her. Dylan does say the first thing, but she never admits to never loving Helena. I so wanted these two together.
While all this is happening, Tina has just left the hospital to have lunch with Henry, the children and another couple. They seem to be in happy coupledom now, and Tina finally looks more at ease. However, she is bothered when one couple stops to compliment her family and the woman says something that implies she adopted Angelica due to her race. This does bother Tina. Bette is still away at her retreat, but she ends up leaving early. Her time during this episode is spent bonding with an older woman and man as they wait for the bus to pick them up. As for Kit and Angus, she is worried when he doesn't return her phone calls, but not much else happens with them this episode.
As I mentioned, Alice leaves the hospital for some fresh air for a few moments, and while outside she sees Tonya, a much different Tonya than we were used to. She was calmer, and the two end up talking. This exchange goes much better than the one between Jenny and Tim. It appears that Tonya is looking to have a baby, and she even tells Alice how she used to be jealous of her because of how much Dana loved her. Alice is on her way back to the room when Dana flat lines, and she arrives a few moments after. The doctor tells her what exactly happened, and she loses it in the hallway. What bothers me here is that when Dana passed on, she was alone. Others were supposed to show to help relieve Alice, but they hadn't when she left. I know she had to die in the story line, but I really don't like how our beloved Dana had to die alone. That part bothers me.
This episode was the best of this season. It was well written, and the actors did well in their roles. It was also realistic, but I still don't agree with Dana dying alone. It was really nice seeing Tim and Tonya again. At first, I was cheering Tim on in the parking lot, but then I was wanting to smack him when they were at lunch. I felt bad for everyone, but I feel especially bad for Alice. She loved Dana so much. This is going to hit her the hardest. Two more episodes left, and this season of The L Word is a wrap!
TV Review: The L Word Episode 3.10
TV Review: Grey's Anatomy Episode 2.20
From ABC: It becomes a bad day for Cristina when Bailey instructs her to take care of her baby. Meanwhile, Derek and Addison come to terms with their relationship, and Denny continues to be an obstacle in Alex's getting closer to Izzie.
My Rating: 2 out of 4
Grey's Anatomy returns this week following an Oscar-induced hiatus last week. This week's episode is titled Band-Aid Covers the Bullet Hole, and there is a lot going on. We have the problems stemming from George and Meredith's liaison and the continuing angst between Izzie, Alex and her new love interest Denny causing friction between the two interns. This episode is also filled with medical humor and drama with four cases needing the doctor's attention, one being Denny.
Let's first talk about George and Meredith. George has moved in for the time being with Preston and Cristina, and the manner in which the two males are bonding frightens Cristina. George still isn't talking to Meredith, and everyone keeps telling her to apologize. Meanwhile, Meredith is trying the friends thing with Derek, and he tells her she doesn't have to tell him the big bad horrible thing that she did.
One of today's cases puts these two working together when a woman comes in with a fork protruding from her neck. They look into things, and Derek sees a rather large life-threatening aneurysm, which he wishes to operate on. Without the surgery, the woman, played by guest star Natalie Cole, would only have weeks to live. The surgery would turn this into decades. She is against the surgery, but eventually does change her mind.
Once the surgery is complete, Derek once again approaches Meredith, and he tells her that he was only kidding when he said she didn't have to tell him what she did. This leads her to tell him that she slept with George, and we can tell this news effects him, but he doesn't let her know that. she follows his advice, and goes to apologize to George, trapping him in the elevator, but I'm not sure if the ploy works. I think this news might actually push Derek back towards his wife, especially if his behavior at the end of tonight is any indication. He tells Addison that he is working on his faults from before in New York, and this news pleases her.
As for George, he is being hit on heavily by a new cast member played by Sara Ramirez, Dr. Kathy Torres. We first saw Dr. Torres on the last episode when she gave George her number. Apparently, he has called but hung up. She continues to pursue him, and they are too put together on a case. This case being a young man that has injured his finger right before an important life changing hockey game. In order to still play, he cuts off his finger using instructions he found on the Internet. When he returns to Seattle Grace, Kathy and George must operate to fix the damage, but they can't do much for him. His hockey career ends due to an infection he received from putting his hand in a cruddy glove.
The most humorous parts of tonight's episode surround Cristina. Her day is already on the wrong foot, and it only gets worse once Bailey returns to work. She has to bring her infant son in with her. When she is called into surgery, Bailey needs a babysitter, and she hands the baby off to Cristina. Just from this episode, we can tell Cristina isn't mother material. The baby doesn't stop crying the entire time, but it definitely makes for good humor. The only one that can get the baby to shut up is George.
Let's move on to Addison. She has her own case this week, a woman that needs a c-section. However, the woman's husband seems to take a liking to Addison. She eats up the attention because attention is lacking elsewhere. Once the baby is delivered, the man's attention reverts to his wife and child.
Izzie and Alex also continue with their problems this week. Izzie only has eyes for Denny, and this is angering Alex. He does confront Izzie on her attachment to Denny, but Izzie won't listen to him. This is only after Alex tells Denny about him and Izzie's sexual relationship. Meanwhile, Denny's condition is only worsening. Burke decides he wants to operate and place a new battery assist device inside him, so that he can last until a donor heart can be found. With the assist device, he'd have to remain in the hospital. He eventually decides to have the operation after Izzie talks to him, and it appears go well.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the man behind the role of Denny, surely is busy these days. He not only has a recurring role on Grey's but he can also be seen on the WB's Supernatural in a recurring role as well. The characters are complete opposites, which demonstrates this actor's versatility. We will see Denny once again in next week's episode.
This was a good episode of Grey's Anatomy, but I'm not sure if I would call it a great one. Something felt off about this episode. It was nice to see Grey's Anatomy back, and we have another episode next week. I keep hearing we have an extended break coming up soon for the series, which makes sense because they only filmed twenty-six episodes, and this was the twentieth. I think I'm getting tired of them stretching out the love triangle between Derek, Meredith and Addison still, but eventually Derek will end up with one of them. The writers behind the show know who, but they aren't telling.
TV Review: The O.C. Episode 3.16
From FOX: Summer asks Julie and Kirsten to find a woman for her father. Julie is not so sure she is the woman for Dr. Roberts anymore. Ryan helps Sadie find her uncle Jack, a man who seems to often have troubles with the law, because he owes money to someone and Sadie wants to collect. Marissa is yet again involved in another police investigation. Sandy is by her side.
My Rating: 2 out 4
The O.C. returns to FOX tonight after a month long American Idol induced hiatus with an episode titled The Road Warrior. I was glad to see the series back, but I felt this episode definitely fell a bit short of its usual flair. That isn't unusual though because this series has been having problems this entire season. Tonight was really only a continuance of those issues. However, a couple of the story lines or the lack of story lines does have me raising an eyebrow here. Let's talk about tonight's episode.
The main story line of tonight's episode revolved around Ryan and Sadie. The two are becoming close while Ryan helps Sadie with things surrounding Johnny's death. He is spending so much time with Sadie that he is spending little to no time with Marissa. The two have been having problems since before Johnny slipped off the cliff. Sadie tells Ryan that they are about to foreclose on the home that Johnny's mother owns.
With the cause of Johnny's death still being debated by the police, the insurance claim is up in the air. Sadie decides to pursue Johnny's father Jack for back child support so that her aunt doesn't lose her home. This sets the pair on a road trip, first to Brea and then to Indio where Johnny's father has moved to. They find him easily enough by looking in the yellow pages. Sadie sees his name on an ad for a bail bondsman, which is a bit of luck if you ask me.
They do find him, and Jack isn't too receptive to Sadie coming to him. Things get ugly, and Ryan ends up with a few bruises. Sadie and he leave, but once Sadie tells him a bit more about Jack he goes back. This time he leaves with money in hand. While these two are on this little road trip, they definitely bond, even playing a little game of strip poker during their night in a desert motel room. Things continue to heat up between these two it appears next week.
The secondary story line of this episode revolved around Summer's dad. Summer thinks he needs a new woman in his life, so she decides to go to Julie and Kirsten for help in the match making department. What she doesn't know is that he's already found a woman, Julie Cooper. The couple have decided to keep their relationship secret from their daughters. However, the secret isn't under wraps for long when Taylor ends up seeing the two out in what she calls an 'illicit liaison' which honestly was nothing more than dinner and some risque conversation. Small stuff really when it comes to Julie Cooper. Taylor tells Seth, and they both tell Summer. The younger couple goes to the site of Julie and Neil's next date, and the secret is definitely out then. Julie and Neil just don't know it yet.
Marissa has more troubles than just Ryan and her relationship troubles. The police are questioning the cause of Johnny's death, and they are looking straight at her. They want to question her, but she goes to Sandy for help. He then is with her during questioning, and it looks like the matter is quickly handled. This story line really confused me. I am not sure why Marissa would be implicated in Johnny's death. She arrived on scene just before he slipped, and if anyone would deserve suspicion I think it would be Ryan. I think we could have gone without this plot line, but at least it was quickly handled.
Another interesting development when it comes to Marissa is the new interest Johnny's arch rival, Volchok. He seems to have a thing for Marissa, and with Ryan fading out of the picture things seem to be heading towards these two hooking. I've seen promo pictures for this very event, so it is only a matter of time before he does happen. However, once again I don't see why it should. This guy has beat Ryan, made out with Johnny's girlfriend, and kidnapped Marissa to lure Ryan out. I've heard of loving a bad boy, but this takes the cake.
The minor sub plot surrounding Sandy's hospital deal continues this week, and he is going in to get the deal. He asks Matt to ask his new girlfriend to intervene with her father on their behalf, and he even sets up a dinner for the four of them so he can approach her himself. He does, much to the disappointment of Kirsten. They land another shot at the deal, but Maya breaks up with Matt in the process. Can we get this hospital deal done now please?
It was really great to see The O.C. return. I just think this episode ran a bit sluggish for me. The story lines I've mentioned and the total lack of the Seth pot story line this episode really has me wondering about this series. This might be another case of too many breaks hurting a series, as I mentioned last night with Bones. Hopefully, the next ten episodes go by with little to no breaks.
American Idol: Top 16 Eliminations
Tonight we now know who our are top twelve in this year's American Idol. These top singers will now compete through May with one leaving the show each Wednesday night. Tonight's results show started with a performance by one of last year's contestants, Bo Bice. He sang his current single, The Real Thing. Once he was off stage, it was time to know who would be going home.
Our women came up first, and we learned in quick form that Kinnik Sky had the lowest score of the women. This wasn't a surprise. She had done well, but not great. She really needed to step it up this week, and it just wasn't there. We next moved onto the men, and the lowest score of that bunch was Will Makar. Again not a surprise because he definitely didn't have it last night.
We then returned to the woman and the two next two lowest scorers were quickly pulled out of the remaining women. Those two singers being Melissa McGhee and Ayla Brown. Melissa has impressed me week after week, as has Ayla. It was only this week that Ayla faltered, and that was due to her song choice. After a commercial break, we learned that it was Ayla sent home. I was truly sad to see her go, especially with the amount of emotion she showed when she heard the news.
The men were up next, and the two lowest bottom scorers here were Bucky & Gedeon. Bucky has definitely grown on me over the course of the competition. He isn't one of the better performers in the competition, but he is definitely good. Gedeon also has a future in singing, and I thought he made have made it into the top twelve.
These are your top twelve: Chris Daughtry, Kevin Covais, Bucky Covington, Taylor Hicks, Elliot Yamin, Ace Young, Paris Bennett, Lisa Tucker, Melissa McGhee, Katharine McPhee, Mandisa, and Kellie Pickler.
TV Review: Bones Episode 1.14
From FOX: When three small, random bone fragments are discovered at the site of a plane crash, but do not belong to any of the plane crash victims, Brennan must use every trick she has to find out who they belong to and how they met their end.
My Rating: 3 out of 4
Bones returns to FOX with an all-new episode after a three week hiatus. Tonight episode titled The Man in the Fairway was a welcome return of the series, but I found myself having a difficult time getting into the Bones mindset. How are these breaks and time switches hurting this series? It is possible. Next week, the series moves times again.
This week, Brennan and Zach arrive on the site of a private plane crash. The jet that crashed had two Chinese Nationals on board, and a total of five bodies on board. However, Bones and Zach soon find the remains of two additional bodies. One of a what appears to be a man on the ground, and the other someone on board the plane that was no where on the flight manifest. Finding out the identity of the unlisted body becomes Brennan's top priority. However, she is more interested in the bone fragments she found on the ground.
Her interest is peeked further when a man arrives at her lab asking about the bone fragments and the plane crash. He knows more than he should, and he tells Booth and Bones he thinks the bone fragments belong to his long missing father. Jesse also knows a lot about Temperance and the disappearance of her own parents. He gives her the case files of his father's disappearance.
Brennan moves forward on the bone fragments, even though Goodman told her and her team to find the identity of the sixth plane passenger. The team works on both cases simultaneously, while keeping it secret from Goodman. As for Jesse, he continues to talk to Bones, focusing on the disappearance of her parents as some kind of bonding tool. She does eventually give her parent's file to the man. He even tries to bond further with her by trying to kiss her in her office.
They continue to work on the bone fragments, working towards a cause of death and suspect. Jesse believes his step-mother, a much younger woman, killed his father. The woman is a bit rude, but she does bring to the light that Jesse has his own reasons for killing his father. When Bones and Booth go to him, He does tell them that what his step-mother said is true, but he didn't kill his father.
As for cause of death, the body was frozen, cut up and then fed through a wood chipper. Zach and Hodgins are given the task of putting a body through the wood chipper once the actual machine is located. This is something they take great pleasure in, and although the scene is a bit disturbing, I found humor in it as well. Even if I had trouble watching the scene without flinching.
As for the sixth body, it appears to be a female prostitute. The team is able to put a face to her, and then Angela is given the task of locating the girl in Escort service files. They put together a list of names, and then they send it to the F.B.I. That is when Goodman tells them to move on to the bone fragments. They had already done that though.
Once they found the wood chipper, they find a possible second suspect which clears the man's wife. He is questioned, but it doesn't appear he was available at the time of death due to his being in jail at the time. They go to the golf course to find more bone fragments, and they are successful.
Studying these bone fragments actually makes it clear that Jesse's father wasn't the victim. They do have their suspect though, and they discover that he had in fact killed his brother. By the end of the episode, Bones has retrieved the file on her parents from Jesse, and she then asks Booth to help her by looking into it.
A good episode with some humorous moments. I am glad to see the series back. I think the extended breaks are lessening my interest in this series. I hope it stays around a while now, so that doesn't happen. This began as one of my favorite new series this season, and this time hopping and several breaks are now hurting it. Don't forget to catch Bones in its all new time slot of 8/7c next Wednesday night!
American Idol: Top 8 Men
Last night we saw the women in the competition take the stage on American Idol. Tonight was the men's turn, and it was an okay show. Then men did okay. We had a few stand-out performances, but nothing all that wow impressive in my mind. the judges seem to be more on tonight, but once again Paula raised my eyebrow once or twice with her behavior. Let's talk about tonight's performances.
Gedeon McKinney opened tonight's program with his performance of a classic love song. Every time I see Gedeon take the stage, I find it hard to believe he is only seventeen years old. He has a great voice that works well with the classics. He did good tonight, and I am personally picky when someone sings that song because it is one of my all-time favorites.
Next, we have Chris Daughtry. He has amazed me week after week, and this week was no exception. He has a great rock voice, and I'd buy his CD for sure when he releases one. I think we'll see Chris make it past this competition. Fuel has already approached him to take over their lead singing position if this American Idol gig doesn't work out. Chris is going places. That is for sure.
Next up was Kevin Covais. I think Kevin is just adorable, but I wasn't all that impressed with this week's performance. The same for Will Makar. I wouldn't be too surprised if these were the two that went home this week. Bucky came in and performed between these two, and he did his country thing. He is great each and every week, but I think I agree with Simon. I'm not sure if Bucky is American Idol material.
Taylor Hicks, Elliot Yamin and Ace Young closed out the night. Taylor and Elliot never fail to put in good performances, and they did so again tonight. However, tonight is the first night I found myself not enjoying Ace's performance. Randy and Paula loved him, but I found myself cringing for the first time tonight. Perhaps, I just don't like falsetto.
Tomorrow night, we will know who our top twelve in this year's competition. In my mind though, it is getting pretty clear who our final two will be. I think this competition will end up being between Chris and Mandisa. They have clearly dominated this competition, and I think they will continue to do so. Check back tomorrow night for my thoughts on this week's eliminations. Here are the songs performed on this week's show available for download via iTunes:
Gedeon McKinney: When a Man Loves a Woman - Percy Sledge
Chris Daughtry: Broken - Seether
Kevin Covais: Vincent - Don McLean
Bucky Covington: Wave on Wave - Pat Green
Will Makar: How sweet it is - James Taylor
Taylor Hicks: Takin' it to the streets - Doobie Brothers
Elliot Yamin: Heaven - Bryan Adams
Ace Young: Butterflies - Michael Jackson
American Idol: Top 8 Women
Competition is definitely heating up this week as we are on our way to the top twelve remaining in the competition. This week we have sixteen left, and by the end of Thursday nights program, we will see two more ladies and two more men sent home. Tonight was the ladies night to shine, and shine they did. They made it very difficult for me to choose who would be sent home, and this is something I'm still pondering now as I write this.
The night opened up with a performance from Paris Bennett. She is one of the youngest in the competition, and she finally took the advice of the judges by choosing a more youthful song. I think this is the first time I thought she was just good and not great. As Simon said she'll make it through to the next round because of her past performances up to this point, but based on this performance alone I'd put her nearer to the bottom. Next up was Lisa Tucker. She performed well with a ballad, but I never even heard of the song before. She did well though, so that shouldn't show negatively on her.
Melissa McGhee was up next, and she sang a great song. One of my favorites in fact. Randy and Paula both gave her performance and song choice praise, but Simon is ready to send her packing this week. I actually really enjoyed her performance this week, and I would hate to see her go home. Next we had Kinnik Sky, and I think her performance tonight was the one I liked the least. It just didn't do very much for me, and I wouldn't be shocked if she was sent home this Thursday.
The next four came up and they all gave strong performances. Katharine brought us some Aretha, while Ayla brought us something new and on the charts now. Mandisa brought down the house with an old Chaka Khan hit and Kellie closed out the show with some Melissa. These women are all amazing performers, and I enjoyed each and every one of them. Out of the four, Ayla was probably the least of my favorites, but I think that might be the song she chose more than anything. I don't think it fit her.
Kellie is surprising me every week, and she has been one of my favorites all season. She's just adorable. Although I'm a bit confused by Simon's comments at the end of her performance tonight. I'm wondering if something happened when Carrie Underwood returned last Thursday night for him to basically blast her on tonight's show by saying he liked Kellie better. I think that comment shocked everyone, and if Kellie hadn't gone dead last we might have had some elaboration on that by Ryan and the others.
All in all, the women did great tonight, and I'm really hard pressed to pick two to go home. Kinnik is definitely on my list, but I think the other seven have all done well enough to be there. Check back here tomorrow night for my thoughts on how the men did.
Here are the songs performed on tonight's show, mostly available for download on iTunes:
Paris Bennett: Conga - Gloria Estefan
Lisa Tucker: Here's Where I Stand - Tiffany Taylor
Melissa McGhee: What About Love - Heart
Kinnik Sky: If I Ain't Got You - Alicia Keys
Katharine McPhee: Think - Aretha Franklin
Ayla Brown: Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield
Mandisa: I'm Every Woman - Chaka Khan
Kellie Pickler: I'm The Only One - Kellie Pickler
TV Review: The L Word Episode 3.09
From Showtime: Dana meets Dr. Susan Love and looks like she's on the road to recovery; Carmen comes out to her family; Helena gets slapped with a law suit; Jenny goes to an F to M transsexual support group to deal with Max; Bette keeps struggling to find inner peace.
My Rating: 3 out of 4
Tonight's episode titled Lead, Follow or Get out of the way lacked the strength of a true episode. It felt more like a set-up episode, preparing us for things to come. It did have its moments though, and it was an improvement over last week's episode. Tonight, the opening sequence once again took us back to an earlier time in the lives of our lesbians, this week continuing the scene from last week in which Dana and Alice ended their relationship. We see Dana turn to Lara, but not as a lover. Dana makes it clear she didn't leave Alice for Dana. The break-up appears to have been difficult for both of them.
Now let's move on to the present time. First let's talk about Bette. Last week, she left Los Angeles for a silent retreat. She is still there, and she is still having difficulty finding her own inner peace. We don't see her much this episode, but we do cut away to her at the retreat a few times during the episode. Most of the focus this episode is on Tina. This week, we see her makes friends with a man that joins Angelica's swim group, Henry. He has a young son, and it is the little boy that joins the group which consists of Angelica and Helena's two children. We can see sparks start to fly. He calls her so they can go out on what appears to be a date. The date turns into a daytime event to dinner and then to sex up against the door of her bedroom.
Now I've mentioned how unhappy I've been with this Tina and Bette story line this season. This unhappiness continues this week. I don't believe for one that Tina would hand her baby off to a man she just recently met. I also didn't think Tina would be the type to just jump into bed with a man either, but obviously she is. Tina is not the same character and that bothers me.
Another issue I'm having with the The L Word at the moment is the passage of time. We learn in the opening sequence that it has been seven months since Dana and Alice split, which means it has only been a month in real time on The L Word. All this has happened in a month. In the past, I've been confused by the passing of time in television series, and I mentioned this a great deal in reviews I've written for another site on Queer as Folk. A lot of the events this season are just unrealistic when you look at the month long time frame. They just don't fit.
Now let's move onto Jenny and Max. This week, Max is throwing a fund raiser in order to raise money for his top surgery. He is a bit on edge, and Kit tries to talk to him about things. however, he gets a bit snippy with her, telling her how she doesn't understand. If any of the characters on the series would understand, it is probably Kit because of her dealings with Ivan in her past. Ivan lived as a man, but he was still a woman on the outside. He learned to be happy that way. I think Kit was trying to make this point to Max, and he just didn't understand that.
As for Jenny and Max, there are some more tense moments between the two. At the fund raiser, Max goes off on Jenny when she is dancing with another guy. Jenny stands up to him, and when Max starts to go after Jenny, Shane makes it clear that Max better not hurt Jenny. The two talk though, and things seem fine until the next day when Max sees how much he didn't make at the party. The two get into it again, and that is the last we see of the couple. Rumor is Tim returns next episode. I wonder what he is doing back, and for how long he will stick around.
Let's move on to Shane and Carmen. Carmen is annoying me more than the Tina and Bette story line are. She's not the same girl of last season. I know Shane has been a little off lately, but Carmen is making an even bigger deal out of than it needs to be. On tonight's episode, Carmen goes so far as to out herself to her family. This gets her and Shane thrown out. Once they are home, Shane and Carmen end up in a heated discussion, and Carmen even goes so far as to tell Shane what does she know about family. Definitely a low blow in my book.
As for Dana and Alice, Dana has some good moments at the start of the episode. It looks like she is on the way to recovery. Alice meets a woman at Max's party, and everyone talks her into going out on a date. She doesn't want to, but even Dana pushes her to go. When she goes though, Dana calls and Alice rushes back home. Dana has taken a turn for the worse, and Alice takes her to the hospital. She calls Shane while Carmen and Shane are fighting, and she is on her way to the hospital to join Alice. From the spoilers I've read and the preview for tonight's episode, things do not look like they come out good for Dana. next episode.
There were two minor sub plots this episode. first, Kit and Angus talk about marriage, but Kit won't marry him because she doesn't want to do something her own sister can't do. He loves her even more for that, and he suggests they move in together. As for Helena and Dylan, the relationship goes from red hot to ice cold when Dylan tricks Helena into videotaping them in a light that looks very bad for Helena. She then sues Helena for sexual harassment, and it appears to be something that had been planned all along. Poor Helena. I actually feel bad for her, and it looks like the plan was more Danny's idea, Dylan's boyfriend. Dylan actually looked guilty. Could she have developed feelings for Helena in the process?
Like I said this episode really felt like an episode leading up to intense drama for next week. It was a decent episode. I'm just not happy with certain story lines that are being played out, and it is ruining the show a bit for me. I can't wait to see what happens next week though. Showtime calls it the episode that changes everything.
Saturday Night Premiere: The Ring Two
Tonight's Saturday Night Premiere is The Ring Two. Yes, Samara is back. Naomi Watts returns in this horror sequel to the ever popular original The Ring, and if possible this movie even scared me more than original did. In this sequel, Rachel Keller has moved her and her son from Seattle to a small town in Oregon, which she hopes will end her dealings with Samara.
However, when a teenage boy is found dead, she immediately learns that Samara still lives on. Rachel destroys the tape, but this only seems to free Samara from whatever prison she's in. Samara then goes after and claims Rachel's son Aidan. We learn that Samara wants a mother of her own. Rachel learns more about the young girl, and she finally learns how to put an end to her. Or does she?
We really don't know. The ending of the movie really left that open to interpretation. As I said, I think this sequel might have been better than the original. Sure the big secret was out, but what was even more scary is seeing what else Samara was capable of. She added a few more tricks to her repertoire. I found myself on the edge of my seat through the entire second half of the film.
As I have said on this blog before, Naomi Watts is one of my favorite actresses, and she did amazing her once again. She's perfect for this type of role. I'd really recommend this movie, but remember to watch it with the lights on. You might never look at a snowy television screen or the bath the same again.
TV Review: ER Episode 12.15
From NBC: Dr. Carter (Noah Wyle) is joined by Dr. Dakarai (Eamonn Walker) in the Sudanese desert as they work to treat hundreds of disease infested, and famine stricken people. Carter and Dr. Dakarai must spring into action to save a woman who was raped by a militant group. Meanwhile, back at County General, Dr. Clemente (John Leguizamo) returns from New Jersey wounded. Pratt (Mekhi Phifer) and Neela (Parminder Nagra) quickly work to save a 14 year-old involved in a hit and run accident, but Pratt is infuriated when he discovers who hit the young teen. Laura Innes, Goran Visnjic, Maura Tierney and Scott Grimes also star.
My Rating: 3 out of 4
ER makes it post-Olympic return to NBC tonight with an all-new episode that also marks the return of one of the most beloved characters of this series long history, Dr. John Carter. However, in my opinion what was supposed to be his triumphant return to the series, really wasn't. I'll explain why. Noah Wyle did wonderful tonight. It was great see Carter again, but I wanted to see him back at County General. I wanted to see him walk through the doors of the ER, and I wanted to see the look on everyone's face when he did so. Even if it was just a visit of some sort. I didn't want to see him in the middle of Sudanese desert with no interaction whatsoever with his former friends and colleagues. That doesn't make a true triumphant return for this wonderful character. His being in Darfur does put light on the situation happening there, and that in itself is good. I just expected him to be in Chicago, and not halfway around the world.
On tonight's episode, we see Carter working at a camp in Darfur with an American woman and a local man. we see the horrible conditions they are all living. We then see a woman attacked and brought in. It is obvious she has been raped, and in this locale this is unforgivable. Her husband goes off to find the men responsible, and Carter and the local doctor go after him. The local doctor is reluctant, but Carter is ever persistent. They do find the group's camp, but they are already too late The husband has also found them. He is being beaten. Carter and the doctor are almost caught as well, but they aren't found. Before the group of militants drive off, they shoot the husband, and he dies of his injuries. Carter and the man do take him back to their camp to his wife and children. The man is then buried.
Back at the ER, a teenage boy is brought in with severe injuries after being hit. Pratt and Abby call in surgical, and Neela comes down. She makes a decision that goes against Pratt, and it nearly costs the boy his life. Pratt does go over her head and calls her boss down. The teenager is taken up to surgery and he does live. The twist here is it is Pratt's friend that is responsible for the accident. He had helped his friend in an earlier episode by switching his blood out, so his friend wouldn't be arrested. Pratt does talk his friend into turning himself in, and after he reveals what he did to Neela she urges Pratt to take his own advice. Will he? We'll have to wait and see what happens.
We also have more on the Clemente front. The cops are still questioning him, but he returns to the hospital this week. He spends most of the episode at Jodie's bedside, and lucky for him she does end up waking up. We assume she also clears his name with the cops, but her husband is still out for blood. Frankly, her husband scares me a bit, but we'll have to keep an eye on this. The episode ends with him driving away from the hospital after calling Clemente.
This episode was really weak to me. I expected more out of the return of John Carter, and I feel a bit let down. This series is still good, but not as good as it used to be. Next week's episode does have my interest based on tonight's previews. My favorite part of tonight's episode was Luka and Abby and the baby naming discussion. As it turns out, her pregnancy secret is out. She wouldn't have been able to hide it for much longer in any case.
American Idol: Top Ten Eliminations
America voted, and I can honestly say I couldn't be happier with tonight's eliminations. I think the people that should go home this week did go home. Of course I'm sad to see the four leave, but this competition is now getting down to the final competitors. You can't have an off night at this point in the competition, and you definitely can't have two off nights in a row. When that happens, it is time to go. That's the bottom line.
Tonight, before we got to our eliminations we had a couple of performances. One, a group performance by the contestants left in the competition. We then saw the return of last year's American Idol, Carrie Underwood, with a performance of her hit Jesus Takes The Wheel. Both performances were great lead-in's to the results we were all waiting for.
As they did this week, the ladies went up first. Ryan pulled out the bottom three and then began elimination. The first to go home tonight was Brenna Gethers. Last night, she performed Last Dance, and as Simon said he was probably her last chance. She just didn't demonstrate her singing ability. After a commercial break, we then said good-bye to Heather Cox. Kinnik Sky was the third of the bottom three, but we'll see her again next week. Heather hadn't impressed me at all either week, so it was time for her to go as well.
Next up were the men. Once again, Ryan pulled out the bottom three. This time it was Jose Penala, Kevin Covais, and David Radford. David and Jose weren't any surprise. I picked those two to go home this week last night. What shocked me was seeing Kevin make the bottom three. I really like him, and I hope that doesn't mean he'll go home early. He's young, but he's good. Not the best of the bunch, but he definitely has potential.
Next week, we have the top sixteen go for the twelve remaining spots. Our women will perform on Tuesday night, and we will see the men on Wednesday night. I'll be back next week with my thoughts on the next round of American Idol.
TV Review: Lost Episode 2.15
FROM ABC: A desperate Claire, along with Kate and Rousseau, attempts a return to the scene of her kidnapping where she believes she might find the cure for Baby Aaron's mysterious illness. Meanwhile, Jack and Locke must keep their prisoner a secret from the rest of the survivors
My Rating: 3 out of 4
Lost returns with an all-new episode this week titled Maternity Leave. This is a Claire centric episode, but instead of the flashbacks going back to her life before her time on the island, they went to the mysterious two weeks that she lost when Ethan kidnapped her. The episode begins with Aaron being sick with a fever and a rash. She wakes up Locke, and he goes to get Jack from the hatch. Jack goes to her camp, and he tells her that the baby is absolutely fine. He just has a fever, and it should go down by the morning.
When it doesn't, Claire asks Kate for her help. She also goes to Libby because she knows before the plane crash, Libby was a therapist. She wants Libby to help her remember the time she was kidnapped because Rousseau came to her camp the night before and told her that the baby was infected. Libby hypnotizes Claire, and she begins to remember what happened. She is in a room with Ethan, and it appears he is giving her a medical exam. He also injects her with something to help the baby. The memory flashes come quicker to her, and she panics. Libby pulls her out.
However, the brief memories she did have pull Claire into wanting to find the place she was held during her captivity. She will go with or without Kate, but she would rather Kate come with her. Kate then goes to Sawyer to ask for a gun. He gives her the usual amount of trouble, but when he hears what she is doing and why, he relents fairly easily. Claire and Kate then go into the jungle to find Rousseau. Claire thinks the woman will lead her to the site of her captivity.
They find her, but it is clear the French woman has no idea where Claire was taken. Claire remembers seeing her near the site and scratching her, but that is all. Claire continues to search for the location with Kate and Rosseau close behind her. They eventually find the site, another Dharma bunker, but there is no one in it. The woman begin to search. Claire ends up in the room that was meant to be her baby's nursery. She even founds a baby booty she knitted while there.
In more of the flashbacks, we see Ethan telling her that there is only enough vaccine for her baby. Once she has the baby, she will be returned to her friends. If she wants to keep her baby, they will let her. It is her decision. However, a teenage girl wakes Claire up to get her out of the facility because they plan to cut her baby out of her and then kill her. The girl helps her escape, and then Rousseau helps her get back to the camp.
It also appears the teenage girl is possibly Rousseau's daughter. When the three find no sign of anyone, they leave. However, Kate did find some costuming and theater glue that could have been used for an appearance of one of the others. We see him in normal attire talking to Ethan during one of Claire's flashbacks. They return to camp, Rousseau leaving them in the jungle, and Aaron's fever has broken.
The Claire story line isn't all that happened in this episode. In the last episode, a man had been found in the jungle by Rousseau and Sayid. This man is still being held captive in the bunker. This week, Locke and Jack must continue to keep the man locked up and secret. It doesn't work all that well because in a visit to the hatch, Eko discovers the man is there, and he goes to Locke to ask to see him. After some work, he is able to get in and talk the man. He sees this as sort of a confession that absolves him of his sins. An interesting scene for a very complex Mr. Eko. I truly love his character.
Well, before I get into what I thought of this episode, let me tell you that we don't have new episodes at all the next two weeks. The calendar I saw didn't go past that, so I'm not sure if an all-new episode will air on March 22nd or not. lost seems to be truly losing steam for me though. The episodes aren't packing as much as a punch as they once were, and this is something I even mentioned on my entertainment blog earlier today.
Tonight's episode was good because it brought back Claire and the story line about her kidnapping. Many fans wanted to know what happened during those two weeks when she was gone. Now we're left wondering where these others now went to. No one was in that bunker, and I know I had pondered a third bunker earlier this season. Now we've seen it, and it is empty. So where are these others holding up now? Are there more bunkers and hatches on the island we haven't seen.
Also, what about this infection? What exactly is it? Does the baby have it? His fever did break, but that doesn't mean he's clean. This opens a door to some more happenings. It could take the show in another direction. I just hope this show picks up a bit of speed because I'm not all that interested right now. You can download a preview for the next episode, airing March 22nd, here, courtesy of txvoodoo on livejournal. If you missed last night's episode you can download it via iTunes here.
American Idol: Top Ten Men
I'm not honestly sure what happened with American Idol this week, but I didn't find myself entertained. Even more, I didn't feel myself amazed with any performer's particular performance to say there is the next American Idol. That happened last night with the females, and again tonight with the men. However, I did find myself enjoying the men more than I did with the ladies. I think that might be more about the song choice. The men picked some more current songs, at least some did in any case. While last night's songs were dominated by country. Tonight was dominated by soul and rhythm & blues. We did some country, and we some new pop too, and the variety was welcomed.
Last night, the women went in reverse order. However, tonight the men switched it up. They started in reverse order, but then they bounced around a bit. My two favorite performances of tonight's show were two of the last ones, Bucky Covington and Chris Daughtry. In fact, Chris is becoming my choice for American Idol. I've always been a bit of a rock girl at heart. First he performed Bon Jovi last week. Automatic points for him last week on that front. This week, he performed one of my all-time favorite Fuel songs. Bucky is great too, and I hadn't really paid much attention to him before the competition really got rolling. I definitely disagree with what Simon said about Bucky being a good pre-headlining performer. This week, Bucky did a great country rock performance with a song by Garth Brooks. Can't go wrong with Garth in my opinion.
I also enjoyed Ace tonight. He sang another one of my favorite songs. He was a bit tired though, which seemed to be a running theme of tonight's show. Last night, it was song choice. Tonight was the singer's not singing as strong as they could have. I'm not sure if I do recall how many of tonight's performers mentioning they had tired their voice. It shows you how committed they are to this competition, but they shouldn't sing so much that their voice doesn't shine when they get on stage. Song choice was the problem with one of tonight's performers, Elliot Yamin. He did a great performance, but the judges felt it was a bad song choice for him. I happen to agree. I also enjoyed Will Makar's performance, but the judges didn't.
I'm looking at the who we have left and thinking back over tonight's performances, and I'm not sure who will be sent home tomorrow night. If I had to pick based on tonight's performances, I'd say it is possible we're saying good-bye to Jose Penala and David Radford. Neither one were up to par with their previous performances. This week though it really is anyone's guess.
Check back tomorrow night for my thoughts on this week's eliminations. Here are the songs used on tonight's performance available on iTunes.
Taylor Hicks: Easy - Commodores
Elliot Yamin: Moody's Mood for love - James Moody
Ace Young: If you're not the one - Daniel Bedingfield
Gedeon McKinney: A Change is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke
Kevin Covais: I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye
Jose Penala: Overjoyed -Stevie Wonder
Will Makar: Lady - Kenny Rogers
Bucky Covington: Thunder Rolls - Garth Brooks
David Radford: The Way you look tonight - Frank Sinatra
Chris Daughtry:Fuel - Hemorrage (in my hands)
TV Review: Supernatural Episode 1.16
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
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
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.