2-17-13  Revenge

Well after the set up for the inevitable sinking of the Amanda and reveal of who died, they take us back to the scene of the crime and we find the boys rolling Helen up in a rug…well that’s original! Clever, clever Vicky! She decides to “dress up” in Helen’s clothing (how fortunate that she was wearing sunglasses and a scarf on her head) and then get in the limo waiting for Helen in hopes of discovering….where the Initiative is? Who the Initiative is?  The very next scene has Vicky coming downstairs in her own home the next morning asking if the boys have disposed of the body…confused yet? The conversation, continues with Vick and Connie explaining to Daniel they are going to somehow put the blame on fauxAmanda.

After Ashley pays fauxEm’s a visit to “warn her” to keep fauxAmanda in line, fauxEm’s realizes that Amanda has her lap top and has used it to blackmail Connie.

In an unexpected turn of events, fauxEm (while looking for her lost lap top at fauxMandy’s) discovers that Nate Ryan is actually aboard the boat with the honeymooners. Clever Nolan, he highjacks Nates’ cloud and finds his cell’s last transmission was from the boat. Enter Padma, to the bar looking for Nolan, (who is looking a bit green actually) but instead finds Aidan who then in turn hands her his phone so that Nolan can tell her trust Aidan..got that? Not sure I do. Anyway, poor Nolan may not survive that boat ride, watch those waves fauxEm! Meanwhile back on the Amanda, fauxMandy tries to pull a fast one on Nate who has (shocker) already found her gun and emptied it before she can actually shoot him.  But she’s decided to try and “turn” him, make him feel bad for her and maybe convince him to work with her…huh? Clearly he just wants to see what she has on the lap top, that has Connie so nervous, obviously they are both just playing each other. However, Jack has overheard Mandy trying to convince Nate that she’s only on the island to get revenge and marrying Jack was just a ploy AND Jack believes it, so he’s clever enough to participate in the act by acting furious with her while sending Nate to look for the lap top. Good enough plan but Jack gets shot by a stray bullet while trying to escape and for some reason fauxMandy thinks by pushing the boat away with Jack in it and staying behind will save him…not sure but apparently it does because Nate doesn’t even try to chase him, curious.

Oh hello Aunt? Vicky (I’m a bit confused about the lineage but never the less..) when she comes looking for Charlotte to “invite her to their annual Labor Day party” (we all remember what happened at the last one, not sure I’d want to attend). The “invite” is just a ruse anyway for her to take Helen’s scarf and plant it under fauxMandy’s bed….subtle. Ok so quote of the week, “Conrad your gall never ceases to repulse me”, Vicky, Vicky, Vicky. Time for Helen’s replacement (Mr. Trask) to make his appearance and the party apparently is the perfect occasion to do so, guess who he’s looking for. Uh oh. They seem to have devised a somewhat plausible story after all, shedding all kinds of suspicion on fauxMandy and they send him on his way.

Ems and Nolan spend the better part of this episode in a boat searching for Jack and Mandy but eventually stumble upon wounded Jack in the dinghy. They haul him into their boat where Nolan is left in charge, by Ems, to get him to a hospital while she takes the motored dinghy to look for Mandy and Nate. In the meantime, Mandy has come up with a plan, she is going to sink the Amanda in order to get Nate to come into the below deck area. It works, she clonks him with something and hightails it above deck where Ems has arrived, miraculously just in time. Ems fights like a man and pretty much bests Nate but the gun they are wrestling for goes off and shoots a hole into the propane tank.  He almost  has Ems when Mandy finds the other gun and shoots Nate, he’s not dead, yet. Mandy heads back down to turn off the propane but Nate has decided to go out with a bang and holds his lighter up as if he’s going to flick it, which he does causing an explosion and both girls are thrown into the water. While Em does eventually find Mandy, Mandy is apparently mortally wounded and she makes Em promise to take care of Jack and her baby before she dies. 

2/17/2013 Amazing Race

So the first leg’s winner’s will receive not only an “express pass” for themselves but a second one to give out to any team of their choice. And they’re off to……Bora Bora, via LA International but there is only room for 5 teams on the first flight.  Surprisingly, at least to me, Wynona and “what’s a mullet” (aka Chuck) seem to have arrived first! Wasn’t expecting that, but it doesn’t last.  Immediately 5 other teams arrive and the first flight is full. So the cutie’s from Youtube seem to bond with the newlyweds and right off the bat, I can see the Newlyweds, country singers and maybe the asian girls (Pam & Winnie), bowing out…but let’s see. The OBGYN’s come up with a plan between the first 5 teams, on the first flight, that whichever one of them wins the passes will just give the second one to the second place team. Clever and tactful, no hurt feelings, BUT will they stick to it?  After arriving in Bora Bora, one contestant from each team is going up in a helicopter and jumping out….whoa. NEVER going to happen in MY world but more power to ‘em.  First ones out, John and Jamil ….Um yeah gulp. They land and meet up with their partners (Jessica and John/dating couple in first) and they’re off! Father and son cancer survivors (Dave and Connor) are next, youtube girl and redneck follow. All the teams head for the beach and search through 400 sand castles looking for a clue and they must rebuild any castle they destroy! The sandcastles are basically just a sand pail of sand turned over, so it’s not that bad.

Next they show the rest of the teams arriving for their helicopter rides. Possible fatal mistake when one of the roller derby moms, Mona misses a slot to sign up for the helicopter ride and the team behind them grabs it, leaving the roller derby moms the last spot.

Back at the beach, the teams are cooking, it’s hot out there. Chuck & Wynona/Alabama/Rednecks approach some native woman looking for the clue, they then realize they need to go further to find it. Mona and Beth arrive last to the beach. Teams start finding the clues and they have to head out to the a canoe type boat, put it together and paddle their way to the pit stop.

Jessica and John (dating couple) win the first leg and the passes. They have to five the 2^nd pass to a team before the 4^th leg. The hockey guys are team number two, but they were on the 2^nd flight and not a part of the “pass” agreement. Dave and Connor are third, and WERE on the first flight so “should” get the 2^nd pass.  Pam and Winnie are team 4th, Mona and Beth are 5^th   (Nice come from behind). Joey & Meghan are 6^th, Chuck and Wynonna (Rednecks/Alabama/Mullet) are 7^th.  Idries & Jamil (twin Obgyn’s) are 8^th.  Three teams (firemen – Matt & Daniel, Max & Katie – Newlyweds, Caroline & Jennifer – country singers) are left sweating on the beach and they come to an agreement to all quit, take the penalty together…..it’s a 4 hour penalty, and to make it a race to the pit stop between the 3 of them. They all think they can beat the other, and they’re off to the canoes. Max & Katie come in 9^th, Caroline and Jennifer take 10^th and the firefighters are last (they kept falling out of the canoe) so they are eliminated, much to their dismay since they can’t believe a couple of girls beat them.

2-13-13  Survivor

Andrea? Who is Andrea? And “Franchescwa”….don’t remember her either. These are suppose to be “favorites”…how can they be favorites if we don’t remember them? I’m not a real fan of the “fan vs favs” shows but it seems like the networks have really embraced this concept. True to form, the “fan’s” start out full of bravado, bragging and threatening to “take them down”….has this EVER worked? EVER?

First competition, and the winners are taking back beans back to camp…what happened to rice? Once again, these people strip down to their skivvies to play in the water….WHERE ARE THEIR SWIMSUITS? WHY do they NEVER have them on? Brandon’s put on some weight :\. After the first two rounds, it’s tied. Phillip starts off the third round in his precious pink panties. He literally drags the fan with the float over to the pole. Francesca’s a beast! She drags ALL four of them to their pole too! Malcolm….sigh….oh yeah back to the competition, Malcolm losing his shorts and I’m paying attention :D. This is a rough one but ultimately, Malcolm reaches the pole taking it home for the favs….Malcolm, my hero.

Gota, the fans team name. (Gota = gotta win?) Oh there’s the rice! They got a machete and rice! Reynold called his canteen a canister, ok. Matt’s beard ponytail is going to make me crazy and the fans are already bickering. Mr. Cocky Marine Corp actually brings home the fire, well done. The two Beefcakes decide to align, no brainer. Eddie, beefcake one, shares that he and Hope are the only two good looking people there, thanks for letting us in on that. First night = serious cuddling/spooning/caressing, is this EVER a good idea? How clueless can you be? How does anyone think that EVERYone else doesn’t see/hear them? Reynold and Ally were the “cuddlers” and they think they are so cute and when they hang out with Eddie and Hope, they’ve determined that they are the “cool kids”. Michael wants to play both sides, we’ll see how that works.

Bikal, the fav’s team name. The favs start out early, forming cliques and strategizing. Phillip is already getting crazy, he’s got rules, then more rules and then he’s figuring out his alliance. Then he renames everyone, he’s so “stealth”…bahahahaha, NOT. He announces that he’s recruited 6 people and then he wants another one, Eric, but he broaches it to Eric full of ego and threatening him, typical Phillip, no social game. Doesn’t take long for Cochran to get sunburnt and apparently has an allergic reaction to it by his feet swelling up, they are BIG and RED!

Immunity challenge – they have to climb a tower, drop crates, grab the sandbags from the broken crates and toss them into targets, first one to score 6 wins. Fans start out losing but Reynold pulls out a win over Malcolm when throwing the sandbags and the Fav’s are going to tribal. That may be a first, fans winning so early in the game.

Bikal, seemed to be torn between voting off Phillip or Francesca. WHAT WAS the little brown thing that was jumping from tree to tree with a grasshopper in it’s mouth?

Tribal – Who’s Andrea again? Speaking of hidden immunity idols, there was ZERO talk of this. You’d think the fav’s would’ve been all over that. It was the Francesca and Andrea show..with Francesca taking it home (literally) yet again. Interesting play of votes. She clearly  has no clue how to play this game, still.  Strange how this episode was an hour and a half. I think they should embrace the latest trend of the TWO hour show. 

2/11/13  Biggest Loser

I agree with Gina, WHY didn’t they send her home? I will never understand the thought process of some of these contestants. Do they not remember that this IS a competition?

Half way through the game and it’s SINGLES PLUS the food temptation challenge! Oh my. So they have 10 minutes to each as much as they can, the one who eats the most wins a 2 lb. advantage….seems like a catch 22 to me (you eat, you gain, you only need the advantage if you eat?), then they are told they also get to share the 2 lb. advantage with someone else, still….just say no. They are all in the room together but to keep them from knowing what the others are doing, the lights are turned off. Danni is brilliant! She decides instead of eating, she’ll work out! Francelina and Alex, chow down! Francelina wins after hogging down over a 1,000 calories…ew. Next question, who will she give the advantage to…..Alex earned it but will she? She does!

So they go to work out and Jill gets in Jeff’s face and she’s being Jill. But then Jill gets all shrink on him, there’s the “moment” we saw in the previews.

Dolvett is being a drill sergeant but it’s Dolvett and who doesn’t love Dolvett?

Weeks challenge has a prize of the winner getting to bring someone to the ranch for 24 hours, oh wait the winner gets to choose another contestant to bring someone too. OH cool, they glow in the dark! And they’re off, running across an arena, last one to reach the circle of light is out. They keep this up until one person is left, the lights moves up the seats to the upper levels, it moves further each time. Danni wins! She shares it with ….. Gina! Gina was last, but how sweet of Danni, then she’s not done, she gives her own visit away to Mike. Major points for this girl. Aww the reunions are heartwarming. Michaels wife brings their baby too, this was a tear jerker episode.

The weigh in, what is Allie wearing? Am I the only one that thinks this dress makes her chest look tiny? :\

Francelina has the 2 lb advantage, good thing, she only lost 4 lbs, thinking she would’ve lost more if she hadn’t blown through all those desserts. Alex is next, she starts out at 204 and is hoping to hit Onederland, and she loses 6 so she’s golden, plus she has the extra 2 lbs. that Francelina gave her. Danni starts at 207 and she pulls a 6 which does NOT guarantee her safety. But Alex is safe at this point. Joe is up, he starts with 291 and loses 12, he’s safe. Jeff starts with 323, loses 11 and he’s good to go. Gina begins with 193 and has to lose more than 5 to stay safe, she manages a 9, poor Danni isn’t looking happy (wonder if the give aways earlier in the week will help her if she needs it). Jackson, has 279 from last time and he doesn’t really lose that much weight typically, so when he pulls a 13, he’s safe and he surprises everyone else and that pushes Francelina below the line (see what happens when you make excuses to cheat?). Michael’s starting weight is 363 and he loses 10 which isn’t enough to save him. Danni’s safe and Michael and Francelina are on the block.

Danni voted for Micheal, game play? Alex votes for Francelina. Gina votes for Michael. Jeff votes Michael, Michael went home L boooo.  And boo on Jeff for going back on his word to Michael.

2/10/13 Revenge

Shouldn’t be surprised that fauxEm’s still has her “faux” pipe cleaner wedding ring from her “faux” wedding to Jack as a child. It’s always been crystal clear that she has never fallen OUT of love with him.

Daddy is planning to run for Governor, well I did NOT see that one coming. He’s also getting in bed with “Mr. Shadypants”, the scary Ryan brother, aka Nate. BUT Ashley is running interference, to keep Mr. Shadypants in his place, it would seem. Ashley sure has developed quite an ego even with mom Vicky!

I like that Decklyn and Charlotte are back together, I think.

The “Initiative” is playing Daniel like a violin. It’s amazing the control they have over him.

The phone call fauxEm’s gets while with Aiden, from Nolan, leaves you thinking that he found a “Jane Doe” that fits the description of Aiden’s sister. And they’re off, to the coroners to read the coroners report to confirm whether it’s her or not. It would appear, that it is.

Jack and Daddy dearest throw down the gauntlet’s, and war is declared. UNTIL fauxMandy rears her protective head. Let it never be said, this girl has a timid bone in her body.  Sneaking into fauxEm’s “hidden nook” and (surprise) correctly guessing the password to her computer, then finding the perfect blackmail video to use in her scheme, is such a coincidence! None the less, off she goes to daddy dearest, aka Connie, and proceeds to blackmail him into selling his half of the bar back to Jack, in spite of his plans of grandeur for the “waterfront”….best laid plans and all that. First call is to his partner in crime, Nate Ryan. Then he follows through, signing over his share of the bar to Jack…now you KNOW this isn’t the end of that. Off to meet with the “scary” Ryan who, true to character, offers to “remove the leverage”…clearly Conrad, knows exactly how to play Mr. Ryan. Seems like the writing is on the wall for the new Mr. & Mrs…..they certainly want us to believe that anyway.

Enter Padma. Or should I say, RE enter (this girl is coming and going like a see saw). Nolan, who was expressly warned to NOT let her know he was on to her, let’s her know that he’s on to her. She accuses him of spying on her. Quote of the week, “Hey, careful who you’re calling black, little kettle”, said the Nolan to the “little kettle”. Little Kettle, aka Padma, clearly knows Nolan’s office is bugged and leaves no doubt in his mind of that fact either when she writes “not here” and shows it to him. Still don’t trust her, but Nolan wants to.

Mama Vicky, takes the necessary paperwork to Daniel, who’s office, of course, is being monitored by the Initiative….Maybe that’s exactly why Vicky went there, to flush out Helen? Well if that was her intent, it worked. Helen made a fatal mistake turning her back on mama bear Vicky. Oh dear, now what?

The wedding….fauxEm’s dream come true minus herself. L How shocking that she gave fauxAmanda the pipe cleaner ring! Oh Nolan, ever the fashion statement!

As they newlyweds drift off into the distance, we see Mr. Shadypants is on the boat and it’s clear, he’s up to no good.

SMASH  2-5-13  IT'S BAAAACK with a double episode.

I didn’t love the numerous flashbacks/flashforwards  playing while Karen was singing. It left me with numerous questions. Guessing that was the point…

So they had a great run in Boston and the next goal is to open on Broadway. “I hope you’re ready, it all starts now”…this weeks quote. Dear Ivy, "a woman scorned", words to remember. Her career in this show is clearly on the downhill.

I don’t think anyone would argue, Jennifer Hudson can belt one out. But I was surprised to see Karen going out with Derek “the womanizer”. I love Eileen & Jerry’s banter, so bitterly funny. The sarcasm runs deep between these two and it’s good tv. The interaction between these two past lovers keeps the laughs coming and never disappoint.

I found it out of character for the “director” to state that “Ivy and the ensemble are going to sing Smash”…I mean, why not just say “the ensemble is going to sing Smash”? Clearly, they had to point out that Ivy was included for the storyline but it didn’t seem authentic to the circumstances. I don’t like Karen’s new persona, using her connection with Derek/running to him to adversely affect someone, Ivy in this case. I mean I get that, I’d want to lash out too, but it doesn’t suit Karen’s character. I did love the duet with Karen and “Ronnie” aka Veronica aka Jennifer Hudson. Powerful. I did NOT love Karens dress, meh, Veronica’s was way more flattering and I hate when anyone thinks it’s classy to wear something that barely covers and teases to UNcover.

Wow the Sh** really hit the fan. EVERYthing seems to have fallen in the crapper at the same time. Leave it Karen to “discover” one last strand of hope. 

Part 2

Well this episode was aptly named, The Fallout. Seems like everyone is dealing with issues…tax, sexual harassment, personal…seems never ending. Karen, actress turned recruiter, but of course.

This week’s quote(s): Eileen, “Boys, there’s nothing to be gained by turning on each other”. Tom, “But it feels good”. Hahahha, good one. And then there was this one by Derek, “Oh Tom did you pack something warm for your trip to the moral high ground?”…. their constant bickering never gets old. Julia’s meltdown seems out of character to me, ok I get that her WHOLE life fell apart but not sure she is so weak that she’d let it go this long. I also, can’t see her being bff with Ivy but I suppose stranger things have happened. Oh Tom, way to “open mouth and insert foot”, promising to deliver not only Julia but to deliver a speech as well. Funny how he didn’t know this was exactly the thing to snap Julia out of her funk BUT leave it to Tom to “fall” into a solution. YES, Julia’s back, good to see.

LOVED Derek’s drunken delusion number. Also LOVED Ivy’s leather blazer she was wearing when she found the drunken stupor named Derek hanging out on her stoop. She impressed me when she avoided Derek’s lame attempt to get in her pants….again. You go Ivy, maybe you’ll change my impression of you after all. I did feel a tiny twinge of pity for her when she arrived at Derek’s with her attempt at a reconciliation only to hear him tell Karen, as she’s leaving, that her coming over was “nothing”. Seemed brutal.

BIGGEST LOSER  2-4-13 

Surprise! The first conflict is between Gina and Bob! They really get into it. Wasn’t expecting that. But  he calls her out for her attitude BUT eventually, they hug it out. The teams are all going to be represented at the final weigh in by only one member. No pressure for Jillian :D.

Why does Biingo spell his name with 2 i’s?

The weekly challenge is for only one contestant per team also. They’re matching calories to food, but the prize is a team win, letters from home. Of course, it’s NOT THAT easy, they have to traverse a balance beam, dodging swinging padded rollers and they suck at dodging! IF/WHEN they finally get to the end of the beam they grab a numbered plate and have to negotiate the beam back to the matching food. No one BUT Danni seems to be able to master this one. The biggest obstacle was the balance beam but then they had to get the right calories matched to the right food, five times. Oh and there are extra plates/calories…so it’s even harder. Danni finally takes it home but she’s also the only one to get the letters..Good on her.

Bob kills his team, they’ve slid through FIVE weigh-in’s so far. The odds are NOT in this teams favor that they’ll be able to keep this up. Jill takes Danni to an indoor parkour park, now THAT’S fun! Dolvett takes his to a boxing ring, where Laila Ali runs them through a whole work out, that looked like fun too! I enjoy the alternative workouts, just helps people to imagine/create different ways to stay in shape.

Final weigh in and only one team member’s weight will count for the whole team. The trainers will roll a die with the contestants pics on it to determine who’s weight will count. Which makes me wonder, a die is 6 sided right? Dolvetts team is 3 members so you figure 2 pics of each one. But Bob’s is 5 members and I’m not sure how they made that fair, then I see there is a BL logo on one side, problem solved :D. Joe is the “winner” from Dolvett’s team, everyone is ecstatic, he’s a good loser (meaning he loses the most weight typically). They still have to weigh in every contestant for the game, Jackson (how is he even still here?) only loses 1 pound. Francelina brings home 7! Then Joe is up, he loses 8…Jill’s team is next.  Danni is the only one left so of course she has to beat Joe, or loses more than 5 pounds. She loses 6! White team and Jill are safe for one more week. Bob’s team is next. Jeff is the one that counts for the blue team. But first, Gina loses 4, Alex loses 3 (not looking very good :\), Michael loses 8, David loses 3 and blue team is worried. Jeff has the weight of the team on his shoulders, he loses 6….Bob’s team’s first losing week L. Having said that, Michael and Jeff lose the most on the blue team. Michael can’t go home, time to vote. David goes home L, he’s been injured the whole show but clearly isn’t able to help his team as much as the rest. Understandable, in my opinion. I felt horrible for him though.

Did Allison have a pink patch of hair this week? Looked like they were trying to hide it by pulling it back, fail.