Who inspires our Top 9? We’ll find out shortly. And for the first time this season we’ve got two males dancing together. I always love the girl on girl and/or guy on guy action so I’m really excited. Hey, keep it clean! In the past, the Top Ten dances twice a night so now in addition to the partner dancing we’ll be seeing solos as well.
But first, how does my Cat look tonight? Amazing. I love the shimmery metallic dress and the pretty hair and makeup. She’s just lovely.
Growing up in Brooklyn, there were no contemporary, ballet, or modern dancers for Adechike to look up to. Alvin Alley’s Desmond Richardson was someone he wanted to be like. Desmond kept him inspired and motivated.
All-star partner: Lauren
Dave Scott / Hip Hop
Rehearsal: They’re having fun. Muscles and cushion.
Hot-N-Fun / N.E.R.D feat. Nelly Furtado
Performance: I like the outfits already. I know they have no choice in picking them but sometimes they can really help. They’re not exactly together but Adechike’s hitting it pretty hard. Fun story. I like this partnership. Adechike looks like he’s actually having some fun. Very enjoyable. I am a huge fan of Dave Scott. I got so excited when they mentioned his name.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: Dave Scott is bringing Adechike’s swagger and natural funk out. Great chemistry.
Mia: Welcome, Mr. Personality. It just shifted for him. She’s so happy to see that there’s some sunshine in there. Solid performance, solid piece of work. Yay!
Adam: Wooooo! He gives Adechike a standing ovation. Thanks for listening, learning, for dropping that wall. Adam’s so proud of him. Keep it up.
Ashley’s inspiration is her dance teacher. Without her, Ashley wouldn’t be the dancer she is today.
All-star partner: Ade
Dee Caspary / Contemporary
Rehearsal: Ashley is broken, she can’t stand or move on her own. Ade is her backbone. Trusting Ade is what it’s all about. They’re intertwined the whole time. They dance as one.
Cosmic Love / Florence + The Machine
Performance: I like the concept and so far the execution is very interesting – in a good way. Ade’s always a very strong partner and he’s totally there for her. I like the strange and new body positions they’re both making. Great connection. Really nice pair dancing. I like the separate moments as well as the connected moments. Very nice.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: They’re seeing contemporary again but she’s a completely different dancer this week. Doesn’t know if it’s Dee choreography or not. The steps didn’t get in the way; she just danced. Dee’s choreography is beautiful. This has been Ashley’s finest performance. Beautifully smooth. She let go and she completely engrossed us.
Mia: Being able to completely surrender yourself and know that someone will be there to catch you – what an amazing, beautiful concept. Extraordinary. Like a hurricane, like a summer breeze. Ashley is a cut above the other female dancers. Ashley is still her favorite female dancer.
Adam: Ashley is breathtaking. That was unbelievable and probably one of the best contemporary female performances of any season.
Billy’s solo
Something Bigger, Something Better / Amanda Blank
Great extension and lines. Wow. He is very flexible. Great control in his turns. Nice height on jumps. I still really love him.
Robert’s biggest inspiration is his mom. She’s been through a divorce, had three miscarriages, and had two babies born alive who later died. And she’s battled breast cancer. She made him the person he is today.
All-star partner: Courtney
Sonja Tayeh / Jazz
Rehearsal: Sonja’s goal is for the world to see how dynamically beautiful Robert is. The dance is powerful, intense, and creepy. Sonja pushes Robert to his limit.
XXXO / M.I.A.
Performance: Very Sonja, which is always a compliment. Great work by these two. Nice in-sync dancing. Great form. Great energy. Wow, he’s really throwing Courtney around that stage. Great partnership. It wasn’t pretty but that’s not what I wanted. Nice job.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: You can always tell a Sonja Tayeh piece. Outstanding. It suits Robert just as it suited Mark. He’s a very strong dancer. Lovely to see that Mark’s not contained and tight. Wants to see Robert that strength in everything he does.
Mia: Take ballet. It will refine him, ground him, give his movement weight. He’s amazing, but with that training it will take Robert to a new level. Great performance. Strength and twistedness was there. Great piece.
Adam: Robert is so engaged and engaging. So much commitment. Robert nailed the punctuation and the stops. Don’t jump down. He was awesome.
Further comment: I’m not sure anyone will ever be as wonderfully quirky as Mark and I don’t really want Robert to try. Having said that I still think Robert performed this piece very well. Did it have the flash and bang it needed to make people pick up the phone for him? I’m not sure it did.
Jose’s solo
Superbad / James Brown
Always engaging in his own style. Great balance and control in his head spin. Great tricks. Very nice job.
Melinda is inspired by so many things and people. Tap legend Harold Cromer is someone who inspires her. She met him seven years ago and he took her under his wing – passing on knowledge and wisdom about tap and about life.
All-star partner: Pasha
Fabian Sanchez / Salsa
Rehearsal: Melinda is Colombian so grew up with Salsa dancing. Salsa entails luring the guy in by being sexy and sensuous and playful. It’s a new side of Melinda.
Magdalena, Mi Amor (Quimbara) / D.L.G.
Performance: Nice opening. That heel caught in her dress could have really thrown Melinda off but I’m glad she took time to fix the problem. Pasha is amazing. Melinda is…not bad. I’m not hating her in this style. She’s doing a decent job at being sexy but I’m not sure she totally believes it. I’m seeing some really great tricks though. I like this new choreographer. And she’s attacking it now. It got a little better for me as it went on.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: He has a small problem. He doesn’t feel the fluidity of her movement. There’s a breakdown. The musicality of it didn’t sit comfortably.
Mia: Danced as hard as she could. At moments it feels like there are bricks on her legs. Pigeon toes are very obvious at moments. There are moments where Mia feels like they made a mistake last week by letting Cristina go.
Adam: Adam feels the same way about Cristina. There was a bit of a struggle. This is so far out of Melinda’s genre. She’s got a lot of gumption. She’s got tenacity and fire. Not sure that will get her through this week.
Further comment: I can’t believe I liked her performance more than the judges did but I think I’m giving her a lot of credit for really attacking it. I do think they made a mistake in letting Cristina go last week and as soon as Melinda picked Pasha out of the hat I knew she’d be in trouble. I think she might squeak by this week if they really want to get rid of a guy but I’m ready to see her go.
Kent’s solo
Down (Candlelight Remix) / Jay Sean
Great quality of movement. Great height in jumps. He’s a fun dancer to watch. Nice strength. He looks like he’s attacking it and having fun with it at the end there.
Alex’s solo
Rule the Planet / Planet of the Apes (soundtrack)
Wow. Nice opening. Great music. He’s showing some nice range. Great height on jumps and tricks. I still love him.
Lauren’s biggest inspiration is her student council advisor. Lauren goes to her for dance, family, and school problems. She’s in Haiti right now. She’s who Lauren wants to be when she grows up.
All-star partner: Neil
Joey Dowling / Broadway
Rehearsal: It’s all about this paperboy who sees a 1940’s actress and starts daydreaming about her. Because this is a daydream, they can be overdramatic in what they do. Lauren thinks seducing Neil will be kind of easy.
Let Me Entertain You / Debbie Gibson
Performance: Totally fun. I love it when Joey Dowling choreographs. Neil is a great partner but I can’t say I’m feeling the chemistry. It seems like they’re having fun but Lauren’s back to just dancing the steps. Wardrobe malfunction! Lauren recovered nicely. I liked the steps but not necessarily the delivery.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: That was a seduction and a half. Enjoyed it tremendously. Extremely seductive. Didn’t always feel the chemistry. It works out very well in the end.
Mia: Great piece, danced really well. Wants more slinkiness. As an athletic female dancer, Lauren has to work harder to have that feminine quality. If Lauren doesn’t tap into the character 100% don’t let that take her out of the race. Wants Lauren to let go a little bit more.
Adam: Wants Lauren to think of herself as dancing through water. For Adam, she brought back a young Sid Charisse. Jerome Robbins would have been proud. She’s great.
Ashley’s solo
Royal T / Crookers feat. Roisin Murphy
Started a bit to slow for me but great energy and movement after that. Nice control. Great use of the stage. I’m still a fan.
One of Billy’s inspirations is Legacy from Season 6. He saw him perform at a Florida theme park, which got him into Hip Hop.
All-star partner: Kathryn
Stacey Tookey / Contemporary
Rehearsal: The backstory is that Billy has broken her heart. She’s finally collected all the pieces and he comes back.
Jar of Hearts / Christina Perri
Performance: Awesome choreography so far. I’m loving the movement. Kathryn is giving him a lot and he’s there for her. Billy is really proving to us how amazing he is. Great music choice. Ah, I’m loving it. Nice chemistry at the end. Nice in-between moments.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: The best moment is at the end when they weren’t doing anything. He’s such a brilliant dancer and soloist. He’s got to get into partnerships with people. Didn’t quite believe it.
Mia: He gets so caught up in the perfection of the lines and technique that she loses him. So genius. She respects him as an artist but he needs to bring the element of connection. That’s the only thing that’s lacking.
Adam: Thinks Billy will see it all in playback. He’s superhuman. He could be one of the most exciting things to happen to dance in a long time.
Further comment: I get their point. In previous weeks I think Billy has made it look too easy but tonight I felel like he made it beautiful and connected. If he can work on chemistry, he might become close to unbeatable.
Robert’s solo
Hold You In My Arms / Ray LaMontagne
He can be wonderfully quirky. I see the joy in his dancing and it’s beautiful. Very emotive. Great form. I heart him.
Jose used to do Kung Fu and was inspired by Bruce Lee as a kid. He applied Bruce Lee’s philosophy to breaking.
All-star partner: Anya
Dmitry Chaplin / Samba
Rehearsal: This is the first time Jose has to do a partnering dance. They crashed a couple of times but that’s part of the process. Anya trusts him.
Long Time / Shakira
Anya is so freaking amazing. I love her. Jose’s doing ok so far. His form is off but he’s definitely there for her. He might be concentrating a little too hard. Jose’s giving it the old college try but he’s not doing it for me. I still love him but that wasn’t good enough.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: It’s great to have Dmitry back. He brings out the man of Jose. Dmitry’s introduced him into the “lost buttons on the shirt” club. Jose isn’t the best dancer on the show but he has magic in his eyes and smile. He’s got charisma. Jose controlled Anya. It’s pleasing to see. It brings a smile to Nigel’s face to watch Jose dance.
Mia: Completely baffles her. He’s not a great dancer in different genres but she loves Jose so much. He brings a sense of humbleness and openness and joyfulness that’s contagious. Jose just makes them happy.
Adam: Brilliant. Commitment, abandon. Jose made the dance work for Adam.
Melinda’s solo
Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down / Alicia Keys
Great music choice. She knows she’s fighting for her life here and she’s doing a great job. Nice tricks. Great movement across the stage. I enjoyed it and I love that she’s still smiling.
Kent’s biggest inspiration is his older brother Jared, who is becoming a youth pastor. Kent admires the way he lives his life.
All-star partner: Allison
Mandy Moore / Jazz
Rehearsal: Piece is based on strong dynamics, beautiful bodyline, and instant chemistry. Allison says Kent’s biggest challenge is to be a man instead of just acting like one.
Heartburn / Alicia Keys
Allison is a great partner and there’s some nice partner work. Kent has great form and totally commits but I don’t think he’s connecting with Allison the way he should be – he’s dancing out a lot. This is great choreography though. Nice acrobatics. I don’t see why this is Jazz piece per se, but it’s highly enjoyable.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: Kent’s got a great personality. He’s gonna be tough on Kent this week. Tells him to be careful to keep an honesty to his work. Kent’s becoming a little fake in his performance. Lines are terrific. He’s got a magical quality. Kent should have been using his partner instead of playing to the audience. Keep the integrity of the dance.
Mia: Kent gets caught up on the television personality of it as opposed to the artistry. Mia wants to see him going into different vocabulary and environments. It felt a little green, a little like a competition dancer. The work was there; it was how Kent translated it.
Adam: He wants to talk about Kent’s future. Kent is one of the most hirable dancers they’ve had on the show. He’s got to lose the hungry Jazz face. He’s better than that.
Adechike’s solo
Ruthless Gravity / Craig Armstrong
I really enjoy Adechike dancing in his own style. The positions he gets his body in are really amazing. He’s a great technician. Perhaps a bit too serious, but I still liked it.
Lauren’s solo
Unchained Melody / Cyndi Lauper
She’s an amazing technical dancer. It’s insane. I’m feeling the emotion. Great job.
Alex’s biggest inspiration was Edward Villella. He started out as a boxer from Queens and was known as the most masculine dancer in America. He made it cool for guys like Alex to dance. Edward took him under his wing at the Miami ballet.
All-star partner: Twitch
Tabitha & Napoleon Dumo / Hip Hop
Rehearsal: Tabitha was excited to have two guys until she found out she has Alex. Alex is very out of his element this week. Alex has to forget everything he’s been trained to do.
Outta Your Mind / Lil Jon & LM*AO
Performance: Great concept. Nice transitions. Alex is really committed and impressively loose. So much fun. Great partnership. It’s really surprising to see Alex dance in this style – and so well. He’s killing it. Really fun and clever. Nice ending. I watched it three times. The judges are on their feet.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: Not an ordinary routine. Concept is brilliant. It’s the best routine they’ve ever done on the show. Thanks to Twitch. This is about Alex though, doing the most incredible hip hop. If this routine isn’t up for an Emmy… One of the most fun Hip Hop routines they’ve ever had on the show.
Mia: Who the hell is he? Alex has defied everything about the ballet world. She is completely shocked. Seeing Alex dance next to Twitch is unreal and he’s the best in the business. Perfection.
Adam: This is Alex’s world and Adam is just visiting. He cannot tell Alex how proud Alex just made him be on this show. He can’t believe it. NappyTabs makes him crazy, he’s so proud of them.
That’s the way to end a show! NappyTabs is back. I don’t always love them but they really stepped it up this week. In fact, I was really happy with all the choreographers. Sometimes I think they’re just not inspired by their dancers but that wasn’t the case tonight. The other dancer I really loved tonight was Ashley. Dee Caspary is an absolutely welcome addition to the show. I know I sometimes experience choreographer fatigue so I love when the show adds new people to the mix. And even though I didn’t enjoy Melinda’s piece as much as I wanted to, I’m very happy to see new choreographer Fabian Sanchez added to the SYTYCD family.
Who do you think is in trouble? Melinda for sure. I think Jose could be in trouble even with his charisma. If we go on performance alone he should be in the bottom. Since Lauren took a bit of a step back in terms of her emotional connection to her partner she may be in the bottom. If I had to guess which other guy might be in danger, I would suggest Kent. I think it would be good to see him in danger. It would only help his level of performance and maybe make him really work on connecting with his partner. But if I’m being realistic, I'd say Kent is safe and Robert is on the chopping block. I liked his partner dance and his solo but I wonder if America likes him enough to keep him in this competition.
What did you think? I know you voted.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Rescue Me: Legacy by Sabrina A. Taylor
It’s been nearly a year since Tommy Gavin was shot twice by his grieving Uncle Teddy. With four bullets left in his gun, Teddy held Tommy’s buddies from the firehouse and family hostage refusing to let them help but just sit and watch Tommy bleeding out on the barroom floor…and us to wonder if it was actually the end for Tommy Gavin.
As season 6 opens, we find Tommy in the back of an ambulance with Lou and Tommy’s cousin Mickey and it doesn’t look good. As Tommy flat lines, we enter into one of Tommy’s dream sequences. Tommy finds himself in firefighter purgatory. There are rows upon rows of body bags on the floor all containing firefighters that begin to awaken and stand one by one. Tommy among them awakens to a welcoming Cousin Jimmy excited to tell him of all the fallen firefighters he will see once Tommy heads towards the bright light and crosses over. Instead Tommy hesitates and ends up sliding down a shaft into hell, which for Tommy is a never ending hallway of a burning building haunted by people from his past that he was unable to save.
The guys in the firehouse are experiencing their own hell which is Chief Fienberg ripping them a new one for putting the house in jeopardy of being shut down by the Mayor by drawing negative attention to a house filled with known trouble makers as the city is facing budget cuts.
Tommy Lives! Cousin Mickey picks up Tommy, and learns he is sneaking out of the hospital early. He tells Mickey that he was bored with physical therapy but Mickey quickly discovers that he has stolen a duffle bag full of morphine as well. Tommy learns that his family has had it with his suicidal alcoholic tendencies. Mickey, pretending to swig vodka, enters the freeway going the wrong direction in an attempt to give Tommy a taste of what it feels like to witness to someone spiraling out of control. Mickey then forces Tommy to sit down with Uncle Teddy. Uncle Teddy lets Tommy know that he’d like to say he is sorry for shooting Tommy twice, but he’s not, he pulls out a handgun and let’s Tommy know that if he begins drinking and drugging again, he looks forward to shooting him gain. Teddy does, however, give Tommy a pair of cuff links with the bullets the hospital pulled from his shoulder as a parting gift and a reminder.
When Tommy finally makes it home he receives a homecoming Gavin style. Janet punches him several times in his wounded shoulder and informs him she will be residing with him until she is convinced her children are safe and that Tommy is welcome to drink at home under her watch, Katy attempts to play bartender for him, he learns that Colleen is also allowed to drink at home and is doing so liberally, and he finds out that the guys from the Firehouse have been by to help out while he was in the hospital but Janet especially appreciates the help that she’s received from Franco.
Not finding any peace at home Tommy decides to go to the Firehouse where he’s greeted happily by the guys and learns that the Firehouse might be shut down. His reunion is short lived as the Firehouse gets a call, before they leave a jealous Tommy let’s Franco know that he’d appreciate it if he didn’t stop by and ‘help’ out anymore. There is also a moment with Lou and Tommy where Lou presses Tommy to tell him the truth about what he experienced when he was medically dead. Tommy remains silent. In the peace of the firehouse he is able to close his eyes and get a little rest that is until Cousin Jimmy comes to him in a dream also wanting to know what happened to Tommy in the afterlife. Waking from his sleeping nightmare Tommy opens his eyes to find Shelia perched next to him informing him that she visited him in the hospital, contemplated about pulling the plug on his life support, but decided against it and he now owes her and what she wants is her son off the job.
Tommy now ventures to the bar where he learns that he can no longer drink for free there but he is now a patron attraction as the guy who got shot and as he earns a drink by letting bar patrons take photos with him Uncle Teddy is present to see if Tommy will in fact take a sip.
Tommy slips out of the bar, with bottle of whiskey in tow, and wanders into a cathedral where we he sits tortured wondering his fate….and finishing off the bottle of whiskey.
As season 6 opens, we find Tommy in the back of an ambulance with Lou and Tommy’s cousin Mickey and it doesn’t look good. As Tommy flat lines, we enter into one of Tommy’s dream sequences. Tommy finds himself in firefighter purgatory. There are rows upon rows of body bags on the floor all containing firefighters that begin to awaken and stand one by one. Tommy among them awakens to a welcoming Cousin Jimmy excited to tell him of all the fallen firefighters he will see once Tommy heads towards the bright light and crosses over. Instead Tommy hesitates and ends up sliding down a shaft into hell, which for Tommy is a never ending hallway of a burning building haunted by people from his past that he was unable to save.
The guys in the firehouse are experiencing their own hell which is Chief Fienberg ripping them a new one for putting the house in jeopardy of being shut down by the Mayor by drawing negative attention to a house filled with known trouble makers as the city is facing budget cuts.
Tommy Lives! Cousin Mickey picks up Tommy, and learns he is sneaking out of the hospital early. He tells Mickey that he was bored with physical therapy but Mickey quickly discovers that he has stolen a duffle bag full of morphine as well. Tommy learns that his family has had it with his suicidal alcoholic tendencies. Mickey, pretending to swig vodka, enters the freeway going the wrong direction in an attempt to give Tommy a taste of what it feels like to witness to someone spiraling out of control. Mickey then forces Tommy to sit down with Uncle Teddy. Uncle Teddy lets Tommy know that he’d like to say he is sorry for shooting Tommy twice, but he’s not, he pulls out a handgun and let’s Tommy know that if he begins drinking and drugging again, he looks forward to shooting him gain. Teddy does, however, give Tommy a pair of cuff links with the bullets the hospital pulled from his shoulder as a parting gift and a reminder.
When Tommy finally makes it home he receives a homecoming Gavin style. Janet punches him several times in his wounded shoulder and informs him she will be residing with him until she is convinced her children are safe and that Tommy is welcome to drink at home under her watch, Katy attempts to play bartender for him, he learns that Colleen is also allowed to drink at home and is doing so liberally, and he finds out that the guys from the Firehouse have been by to help out while he was in the hospital but Janet especially appreciates the help that she’s received from Franco.
Not finding any peace at home Tommy decides to go to the Firehouse where he’s greeted happily by the guys and learns that the Firehouse might be shut down. His reunion is short lived as the Firehouse gets a call, before they leave a jealous Tommy let’s Franco know that he’d appreciate it if he didn’t stop by and ‘help’ out anymore. There is also a moment with Lou and Tommy where Lou presses Tommy to tell him the truth about what he experienced when he was medically dead. Tommy remains silent. In the peace of the firehouse he is able to close his eyes and get a little rest that is until Cousin Jimmy comes to him in a dream also wanting to know what happened to Tommy in the afterlife. Waking from his sleeping nightmare Tommy opens his eyes to find Shelia perched next to him informing him that she visited him in the hospital, contemplated about pulling the plug on his life support, but decided against it and he now owes her and what she wants is her son off the job.
Tommy now ventures to the bar where he learns that he can no longer drink for free there but he is now a patron attraction as the guy who got shot and as he earns a drink by letting bar patrons take photos with him Uncle Teddy is present to see if Tommy will in fact take a sip.
Tommy slips out of the bar, with bottle of whiskey in tow, and wanders into a cathedral where we he sits tortured wondering his fate….and finishing off the bottle of whiskey.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Snap Judgment_The Gates by Tina Charles
Interesting thing about ABC's The Gates. I liked the first episode enough that I looked forward to the second. And as I watched the second, I began to like it less and less. I made it about 15 minutes into "What Lies Beneath" and then I deleted it off my DVR. I'm actually really upset about my decision, but the episode was just not grabbing me like the pilot did. I found myself not caring about getting to know the characters. I'm seriously bummed because I love me some vampire TV shows. I watched Buffy, Angel and I'm currently into the CW's The Vampire Diaries and HBO's summer TV hit True Blood. I had no qualms about adding a third vampire show to my TV watching repertoire. Unfortunately, that won't be happening. Plus, I really, really want Frank Grillo (Prison Break, Guiding Light) to get his hit TV show. He deserves one. He's hot and he's talented. And he played Hart on CBS' late great soap Guiding Light back in the day. After The Gates finishes its run I sincerely hope Grillo finds a TV show that he can really sink his teeth into because this one is just not that show it pains me to say.
Monday, June 28, 2010
True Blood: It Hurts Me Too by Kara Howland
Sookie gets a werewolf bodyguard, Sam’s thieving family tracks him down in Bon Temps, and Bill switches his loyalties to the King of Mississippi. And that’s not even the half of it.
Perhaps I’ll start with the most disturbing part of this episode which was the end. Well, I’ll start a little before that. After Bill sets Lorena on fire at the end of the last episode, we see that she’s a bit crispy but essentially fine. Both Talbot – and to a lesser extent Russell – are peeved about the violence in their house. Talbot is distraught that the Celtic tapestry has been ruined and Russell wants Bill to put his fangs away in his house. We learn that Lorena is the one who recommended Bill to the King. In return, Russell promised Lorena that she could watch as he killed Bill’s human. Will Lorena ever learn? Or more accurately, will Bill ever learn to stop provoking his maker? She’s taught him this lesson before with his wife and now Lorena wants to teach it to him again with Sookie.
When Lorena turned Bill over a century ago she warned him that he could never return to his old life. Bill defies her and goes to visit his wife Caroline and their children only to learn that his son has died from the pox and his daughter is sick. His wife is distraught and overcome with grief to the point that she asks Bill to kill her when she finds out what he is. Lorena won’t allow it and commands Bill to glamour her. Caroline will never know Bill was there. She’ll keep thinking he was killed in the war.
Bill finally admits that Lorena has won. She’s stripped him of his freedom, his home, and his humanity. But at least Sookie will live. Although Russell made a promise to Lorena, he will honor his promise to Bill. Bill tells Lorena he’ll never love her before he bites her. Then they proceed to have very violent sex. The only reason I won’t say he raped her is because Lorena clearly wants him. She says she still loves him but the only way Bill can keep going is to turn her head completely around. It was very disturbing and violent. I know Bill is a vampire but I didn’t expect this kind of behavior from him. I guess it further proves that he really has lost all vestiges of his humanity.
Back in Bon Temps, Eric purposely takes the bullet Sookie meant for the wolf. The wolf sees the blood and turns back to his human form. Eric holds him off but it’s not long before the wolf gets some V in his system. Sookie hears the name Jackson in the man’s thoughts and Eric tells her “he knows” although Sookie doesn’t know what Eric means. Eric and Sookie ask the man some questions but he tells them nothing. After Eric sees the Werewolf Nazi symbol on the man’s collarbone he kills him. He tells Sookie he wouldn’t have been able to control the man with the V in his system but Sookie doesn’t believe him. But now that she knows where Bill is, she wants to leave immediately.
Eric can’t go to Jackson but asks Sookie to wait a day before she leaves. Although Eric will be able to feel it if Sookie’s in trouble there’s no way he’d be able to get to her in time so he sends Alcide to her. At first it looks like Alcide might attack Sookie. Her back it to him and she hears his thoughts as he approaches. But all is well. Eric has asked him to protect Sookie and she’ll need an in to get anywhere with the werewolves. Alcide isn’t a friend to his particular pack – in fact, he thinks they’re a cancer to his kind – but his ex is dating their leader so he might get somewhere with them.
So they set off for Jackson where Alcide takes Sookie to Lou Pines, the oldest were bar in Mississippi. When they split up Sookie gets into trouble almost immediately but she finds one of the werewolves responsible for kidnapping Bill. Alcide comes to her aid when it’s clear he’s going to harm her and the bouncer has to break it up. He also lets it slip that Alcide’s ex is getting engaged to Cooter. He thought Alcide knew.
Sam, somewhat disenchanted by his birth family, decides to return to Bon Temps. He’s surprised to see them show up at his bar the next night even though they discussed taking some time apart. Sam buys them dinner but Joe Lee soon takes advantage of his son’s hospitality and is serving shots to himself and Tommy. Sam puts his foot down. Tommy is underage and Joe Lee is drunk. When it looks like it might come to blows, Mindy steps in and convinces her men to leave. Later that night Sam is woken up by an alarm. It looks like Tommy came back to rob the place. I can’t say I’m surprised. Sam’s family seems like they’re very bad news.
Speaking of bad news, Tara and her creepy vampire Franklin are having mind-blowing sex. Tara tells Franklin he can bite her but he won’t do it because she wants him to. He asks her where her rage comes from but Tara refuses to give him any answers and won’t even give him her name. She usually doesn’t do one-night stands or vampires. Later, he tracks her down at Sookie’s house and glamours her into letting him in. He’s going to be big trouble. Even Jessica has trouble dealing with him earlier that night when he shows up at Bill’s. He tells her it’s his job to find things and wonders if she’s lost anything recently. Big trouble, I tell you. Jessica is at a loss without Bill around. She laments that no one ever tells her anything.
Know who else is clueless? Jason. He is so intent on becoming a cop he talks to Hoyt about it. As he half-heartedly studies for the exam – and gets every question wrong – he questions of there’s an easier and fast way to become a cop. He also tells Hoyt to move on from Jessica and find someone who can handle Hoyt’s “heat.”
In other relationship news, Arlene visits the doctor who tells her that she’s nine or ten week along. I can’t say that I am well versed in Bon Temps time, but I would say that would make the baby daddy Rene. Uh oh. Terry thinks Alrene’s going to dump him – and she wouldn’t be the first – but instead she tells him she has a baby on the way. Terry misinterprets and assumes he’s the father. For now, it looks like she’ll let him keep thinking that. You just know that’s going to blow up in her face.
Yet another dead body turns up in Bon Temps. Bud is so fed up he quits. The body has no head and no hands – looks like the handiwork of a vamp. I think we can assume this is Jessica’s dead trucker.
Other stuff:
- Russell asks Bill why he hasn’t turned Sookie into a vampire. He tells Bill that is real commitment.
- Sookie pays for Egg’s funeral and tells her it’s time to come home.
- Vampires really seem to like Yvetta. Not only did she participate in the six-hour boink-a-thon with Eric recently but now she’s currently having lesbian fun with Pam.
- Jason almost gives himself away to Tara. He’s so adamant about not being there the night of the shooting that Tara starts to get suspicious.
- Eric gives Lafayette a very nice car. He wants Lafayette to consider cultivating his loyal and wealthy clients. What does Eric have in mind? Lafayette is wise to be wary.
We’ve got a two week break until a new episode of True Blood and I think I need that much time to recover from this week’s episode. What did you think? I want to see where things are headed with Bill but I want him to try to hold on to some humanity. It’s clear even he doesn’t like himself right now. Things with Eric and Sookie look like they're about to heat up and Franklin will be nothing but more trouble for at least trouble and probably a few more people. I hope Sam can get his family out of his hair. I don’t think he wants to know these people. And good luck to Arlene. Terry deserves better then what she’s giving him right now.
Perhaps I’ll start with the most disturbing part of this episode which was the end. Well, I’ll start a little before that. After Bill sets Lorena on fire at the end of the last episode, we see that she’s a bit crispy but essentially fine. Both Talbot – and to a lesser extent Russell – are peeved about the violence in their house. Talbot is distraught that the Celtic tapestry has been ruined and Russell wants Bill to put his fangs away in his house. We learn that Lorena is the one who recommended Bill to the King. In return, Russell promised Lorena that she could watch as he killed Bill’s human. Will Lorena ever learn? Or more accurately, will Bill ever learn to stop provoking his maker? She’s taught him this lesson before with his wife and now Lorena wants to teach it to him again with Sookie.
When Lorena turned Bill over a century ago she warned him that he could never return to his old life. Bill defies her and goes to visit his wife Caroline and their children only to learn that his son has died from the pox and his daughter is sick. His wife is distraught and overcome with grief to the point that she asks Bill to kill her when she finds out what he is. Lorena won’t allow it and commands Bill to glamour her. Caroline will never know Bill was there. She’ll keep thinking he was killed in the war.
Bill finally admits that Lorena has won. She’s stripped him of his freedom, his home, and his humanity. But at least Sookie will live. Although Russell made a promise to Lorena, he will honor his promise to Bill. Bill tells Lorena he’ll never love her before he bites her. Then they proceed to have very violent sex. The only reason I won’t say he raped her is because Lorena clearly wants him. She says she still loves him but the only way Bill can keep going is to turn her head completely around. It was very disturbing and violent. I know Bill is a vampire but I didn’t expect this kind of behavior from him. I guess it further proves that he really has lost all vestiges of his humanity.
Back in Bon Temps, Eric purposely takes the bullet Sookie meant for the wolf. The wolf sees the blood and turns back to his human form. Eric holds him off but it’s not long before the wolf gets some V in his system. Sookie hears the name Jackson in the man’s thoughts and Eric tells her “he knows” although Sookie doesn’t know what Eric means. Eric and Sookie ask the man some questions but he tells them nothing. After Eric sees the Werewolf Nazi symbol on the man’s collarbone he kills him. He tells Sookie he wouldn’t have been able to control the man with the V in his system but Sookie doesn’t believe him. But now that she knows where Bill is, she wants to leave immediately.
Eric can’t go to Jackson but asks Sookie to wait a day before she leaves. Although Eric will be able to feel it if Sookie’s in trouble there’s no way he’d be able to get to her in time so he sends Alcide to her. At first it looks like Alcide might attack Sookie. Her back it to him and she hears his thoughts as he approaches. But all is well. Eric has asked him to protect Sookie and she’ll need an in to get anywhere with the werewolves. Alcide isn’t a friend to his particular pack – in fact, he thinks they’re a cancer to his kind – but his ex is dating their leader so he might get somewhere with them.
So they set off for Jackson where Alcide takes Sookie to Lou Pines, the oldest were bar in Mississippi. When they split up Sookie gets into trouble almost immediately but she finds one of the werewolves responsible for kidnapping Bill. Alcide comes to her aid when it’s clear he’s going to harm her and the bouncer has to break it up. He also lets it slip that Alcide’s ex is getting engaged to Cooter. He thought Alcide knew.
Sam, somewhat disenchanted by his birth family, decides to return to Bon Temps. He’s surprised to see them show up at his bar the next night even though they discussed taking some time apart. Sam buys them dinner but Joe Lee soon takes advantage of his son’s hospitality and is serving shots to himself and Tommy. Sam puts his foot down. Tommy is underage and Joe Lee is drunk. When it looks like it might come to blows, Mindy steps in and convinces her men to leave. Later that night Sam is woken up by an alarm. It looks like Tommy came back to rob the place. I can’t say I’m surprised. Sam’s family seems like they’re very bad news.
Speaking of bad news, Tara and her creepy vampire Franklin are having mind-blowing sex. Tara tells Franklin he can bite her but he won’t do it because she wants him to. He asks her where her rage comes from but Tara refuses to give him any answers and won’t even give him her name. She usually doesn’t do one-night stands or vampires. Later, he tracks her down at Sookie’s house and glamours her into letting him in. He’s going to be big trouble. Even Jessica has trouble dealing with him earlier that night when he shows up at Bill’s. He tells her it’s his job to find things and wonders if she’s lost anything recently. Big trouble, I tell you. Jessica is at a loss without Bill around. She laments that no one ever tells her anything.
Know who else is clueless? Jason. He is so intent on becoming a cop he talks to Hoyt about it. As he half-heartedly studies for the exam – and gets every question wrong – he questions of there’s an easier and fast way to become a cop. He also tells Hoyt to move on from Jessica and find someone who can handle Hoyt’s “heat.”
In other relationship news, Arlene visits the doctor who tells her that she’s nine or ten week along. I can’t say that I am well versed in Bon Temps time, but I would say that would make the baby daddy Rene. Uh oh. Terry thinks Alrene’s going to dump him – and she wouldn’t be the first – but instead she tells him she has a baby on the way. Terry misinterprets and assumes he’s the father. For now, it looks like she’ll let him keep thinking that. You just know that’s going to blow up in her face.
Yet another dead body turns up in Bon Temps. Bud is so fed up he quits. The body has no head and no hands – looks like the handiwork of a vamp. I think we can assume this is Jessica’s dead trucker.
Other stuff:
- Russell asks Bill why he hasn’t turned Sookie into a vampire. He tells Bill that is real commitment.
- Sookie pays for Egg’s funeral and tells her it’s time to come home.
- Vampires really seem to like Yvetta. Not only did she participate in the six-hour boink-a-thon with Eric recently but now she’s currently having lesbian fun with Pam.
- Jason almost gives himself away to Tara. He’s so adamant about not being there the night of the shooting that Tara starts to get suspicious.
- Eric gives Lafayette a very nice car. He wants Lafayette to consider cultivating his loyal and wealthy clients. What does Eric have in mind? Lafayette is wise to be wary.
We’ve got a two week break until a new episode of True Blood and I think I need that much time to recover from this week’s episode. What did you think? I want to see where things are headed with Bill but I want him to try to hold on to some humanity. It’s clear even he doesn’t like himself right now. Things with Eric and Sookie look like they're about to heat up and Franklin will be nothing but more trouble for at least trouble and probably a few more people. I hope Sam can get his family out of his hair. I don’t think he wants to know these people. And good luck to Arlene. Terry deserves better then what she’s giving him right now.
Drop Dead Diva: Home & Away by Kara Howland
Jane’s memories of Deb help Grayson’s case, Terri gets way more screen time – and a great storyline, and something is going on between Kim and Parker.
I don’t know about you but I am not that happy about this Kim and Parker development. I don’t think I’m the only one holding out hope that Parker and Ricki Lake’s Susan would become something, am I? I mean, I do understand that it’s easier (and probably cheaper for the production budget) to get two regular characters to hook up but does it have to be these two? I like Kim bitchy and bitter and if she actually finds happiness with Parker (which would be a miracle) I just don’t know where we’d be. Since I brought them up let’s look a little closer.
We know Kim and Parker shared a drink at the end of last week’s episode. And we know something is going on because Parker brings Kim a coffee in the morning. My first reaction – and I even wrote this down in my notes – was that they slept together. And I was so happy when that turned out not to be the case but quite frankly, I think it’s just a matter of time before that happens. The coffee sparked Fred’s curiosity which led him to introduce himself to Parker’s executive assistant David. David, the soul of discretion, refused to give Fred the lowdown. In the meantime, David and Fred become fast friends. Jane warns Fred that David is gay and is possibly making a move but David is committed and just wants to be friends. Fred’s whole “you can’t tell just by looking at someone” attitude makes me laugh. I admit that I have very faulty gaydar but his naïveté is interesting considering his previous job. I love him anyway.
We got a little more facetime with Grayson this week which has been sorely overdue. He and Kim are tag-teaming on an assault and battery case. Having just served as a juror on an assault case, I feel my expertise and insight will be especially helpful here. I’m totally kidding. I did learn a lot during my jury tenure though and I hope if you’re ever called, you will serve. End of lesson. Back to show. Helen is accused of assault and battery after she punches the coach of her little girl’s basketball team. The charter of the team states that everyone plays regardless of ability.
Even though Helen doesn’t think she hit the coach that hard he’s wearing a neck brace and his x-rays show damage to his neck. During the first meeting the coach keeps looking at a picture of Deb. It turns out Jane knows him as Aspen Jack. Deb dated him before she met Grayson and he’s not such a nice guy. She didn’t learn until later that he was married with two kids while they dated. And during their vacation in Aspen, Jack was served up a helping of karmic justice when he got hurt on the slopes and ended up in a neckbrace.
Stacey is sent on a mission to recover the incriminating picture from Deb’s scrapbook, which happens to be in Grayson’s house. Now that Grayson is moving Jane is worried he might find the picture. She strategically cuts Deb out of the picture and makes sure it gets into Grayson’s hands. They use it to prove that the damage was preexisting. I hope Aspen Jack is ashamed of himself. I know there are a lot of people out there who take advantage of people but I’m glad he doesn’t get away with it. Oh, and Grayson decides not to move.
And what’s going on with our Jane this week, you ask? She and Tony are in a sex haze. Well, not so much a haze as a happy place. They’re finally on track and making things work. That whole cauliflower thing is adorable. Leave it to Terri to coitus interruptus – but it turns out to be for a very good cause and I’m happy we get more Terri facetime this week as well. Terri and her cousin Edward are in the slammer. Terri has what must be an astounding number of unpaid parking tickets. Edward comes to her defense and they’re both thrown in jail. To make a long – and somewhat convoluted – story short, Edward is in the country on a tourist visa and he’s being deported back to South Korea immediately.
If Terri and her mom can find out the identity of Edward’s father they should be able to keep him in the country. All they have to go on is a photo of Edward’s father is his military fatigues. But there’s something fishy here. Terri’s mom seems skittish and not very helpful and we soon learn why. Edward’s real father is North Korean and that’s what they use to keep him in the country. Jane argues for asylum and the judge is able to countermand her earlier ruling to keep Edward in the country.
And what else is going on with our Jane, you ask? She and Tony are having sexy time as I mentioned. Apparently I’m so happy about it I had to mention it twice. Tony is in a good place because he got that job as an assistant US Attorney that he wanted and he and Jane finally seem to be in sync. I thought the show might make a bigger deal out of Jane having sex in her new body for the first time but I’m kind of glad they didn’t. But I think we all know a happy Jane isn’t a Jane we’re used to seeing. Tony finds out the department of Justice wants to relocate him to Washington DC. And I know I’m not the only one who was surprised and pleased when he asked Jane to go with him. It was such a lovely gesture and I think it proves how right Tony is for Jane in so many ways. But Jane feels like she’s not done with Los Angeles yet. And if she moved to DC that would be the end of her and Grayson. Even though Jane says she’s moved on her little what-if chat with Parker proves she still holds out some hope on that front. And I do too.
I’ll see you in two weeks. Have a great 4th of July! Oh, and if you’re in Los Angeles check out this upcoming Drop Dead Diva event.
I don’t know about you but I am not that happy about this Kim and Parker development. I don’t think I’m the only one holding out hope that Parker and Ricki Lake’s Susan would become something, am I? I mean, I do understand that it’s easier (and probably cheaper for the production budget) to get two regular characters to hook up but does it have to be these two? I like Kim bitchy and bitter and if she actually finds happiness with Parker (which would be a miracle) I just don’t know where we’d be. Since I brought them up let’s look a little closer.
We know Kim and Parker shared a drink at the end of last week’s episode. And we know something is going on because Parker brings Kim a coffee in the morning. My first reaction – and I even wrote this down in my notes – was that they slept together. And I was so happy when that turned out not to be the case but quite frankly, I think it’s just a matter of time before that happens. The coffee sparked Fred’s curiosity which led him to introduce himself to Parker’s executive assistant David. David, the soul of discretion, refused to give Fred the lowdown. In the meantime, David and Fred become fast friends. Jane warns Fred that David is gay and is possibly making a move but David is committed and just wants to be friends. Fred’s whole “you can’t tell just by looking at someone” attitude makes me laugh. I admit that I have very faulty gaydar but his naïveté is interesting considering his previous job. I love him anyway.
We got a little more facetime with Grayson this week which has been sorely overdue. He and Kim are tag-teaming on an assault and battery case. Having just served as a juror on an assault case, I feel my expertise and insight will be especially helpful here. I’m totally kidding. I did learn a lot during my jury tenure though and I hope if you’re ever called, you will serve. End of lesson. Back to show. Helen is accused of assault and battery after she punches the coach of her little girl’s basketball team. The charter of the team states that everyone plays regardless of ability.
Even though Helen doesn’t think she hit the coach that hard he’s wearing a neck brace and his x-rays show damage to his neck. During the first meeting the coach keeps looking at a picture of Deb. It turns out Jane knows him as Aspen Jack. Deb dated him before she met Grayson and he’s not such a nice guy. She didn’t learn until later that he was married with two kids while they dated. And during their vacation in Aspen, Jack was served up a helping of karmic justice when he got hurt on the slopes and ended up in a neckbrace.
Stacey is sent on a mission to recover the incriminating picture from Deb’s scrapbook, which happens to be in Grayson’s house. Now that Grayson is moving Jane is worried he might find the picture. She strategically cuts Deb out of the picture and makes sure it gets into Grayson’s hands. They use it to prove that the damage was preexisting. I hope Aspen Jack is ashamed of himself. I know there are a lot of people out there who take advantage of people but I’m glad he doesn’t get away with it. Oh, and Grayson decides not to move.
And what’s going on with our Jane this week, you ask? She and Tony are in a sex haze. Well, not so much a haze as a happy place. They’re finally on track and making things work. That whole cauliflower thing is adorable. Leave it to Terri to coitus interruptus – but it turns out to be for a very good cause and I’m happy we get more Terri facetime this week as well. Terri and her cousin Edward are in the slammer. Terri has what must be an astounding number of unpaid parking tickets. Edward comes to her defense and they’re both thrown in jail. To make a long – and somewhat convoluted – story short, Edward is in the country on a tourist visa and he’s being deported back to South Korea immediately.
If Terri and her mom can find out the identity of Edward’s father they should be able to keep him in the country. All they have to go on is a photo of Edward’s father is his military fatigues. But there’s something fishy here. Terri’s mom seems skittish and not very helpful and we soon learn why. Edward’s real father is North Korean and that’s what they use to keep him in the country. Jane argues for asylum and the judge is able to countermand her earlier ruling to keep Edward in the country.
And what else is going on with our Jane, you ask? She and Tony are having sexy time as I mentioned. Apparently I’m so happy about it I had to mention it twice. Tony is in a good place because he got that job as an assistant US Attorney that he wanted and he and Jane finally seem to be in sync. I thought the show might make a bigger deal out of Jane having sex in her new body for the first time but I’m kind of glad they didn’t. But I think we all know a happy Jane isn’t a Jane we’re used to seeing. Tony finds out the department of Justice wants to relocate him to Washington DC. And I know I’m not the only one who was surprised and pleased when he asked Jane to go with him. It was such a lovely gesture and I think it proves how right Tony is for Jane in so many ways. But Jane feels like she’s not done with Los Angeles yet. And if she moved to DC that would be the end of her and Grayson. Even though Jane says she’s moved on her little what-if chat with Parker proves she still holds out some hope on that front. And I do too.
I’ll see you in two weeks. Have a great 4th of July! Oh, and if you’re in Los Angeles check out this upcoming Drop Dead Diva event.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Snap Judgment_Rookie Blue: Fresh Paint by Kara Howland
We start out in a bar as the new recruits are cuffed. We don’t know they’re new recruits yet (well, we do if we have any idea what the title means). The first rookie to get out of their cuffs – by any means necessary – drinks for free. The blonde chick (we don’t know her name yet) manages to get someone to produce a key so she can get uncuffed first The blond girl shows up to work the next day with her dad, who appears to be a chief. Diaz (the warm and fuzzy guy from the previous night) says some sort of prayer before getting out of the car. Nash sneaks out of her cop boyfriend’s car the next morning. Gregory Smith's character bikes to work. And McNally (Missy Peregrym) seems late as she runs up to the entrance. And of course, there’s narration. There is no training, we hear, that prepares you for life on the street. Welcome to precinct 15. Diaz’s new partner is cranky and warms him he has no patience and little team spirit right now. He’s going through a divorce. Nash’s partner is thrilled to get “Jenny from the Block” and makes it clear that her huge – and may I say ugly – bag isn’t coming in the car. McNally’s new partner is munching on a pastry. Her partner recognizes the name but she doesn’t give him anything.
I had pretty low expectations coming in so I’m happy to say I didn’t hate this. I also didn’t like it enough to get past the “introductions phase.” I like Missy Peregrym but everyone and everything seems pretty stereotypical and if I’m going to watch a cop show I want some originality and perhaps a bit more grit. This seems a little too lite for me and honestly, I’m not prepared to watch another show that uses voiceover in this way. I got enough of that from Grey’s Anatomy when I used to watch it. So, unfortunately, I was only able to make it to the 6 minute mark on this one. Ouch. But perhaps is fared better with you. What did you think?
I had pretty low expectations coming in so I’m happy to say I didn’t hate this. I also didn’t like it enough to get past the “introductions phase.” I like Missy Peregrym but everyone and everything seems pretty stereotypical and if I’m going to watch a cop show I want some originality and perhaps a bit more grit. This seems a little too lite for me and honestly, I’m not prepared to watch another show that uses voiceover in this way. I got enough of that from Grey’s Anatomy when I used to watch it. So, unfortunately, I was only able to make it to the 6 minute mark on this one. Ouch. But perhaps is fared better with you. What did you think?
True Blood Extra: Oh Sookie
This video has been making the rounds lately and I love it. It's Snoop Dogg's ode to Sookie. True Blood's third episode of Season 3 "It Hurts Me Too" airs tonight @ 9PM on HBO...
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Snap Judgment_Hot in Cleveland by Tina Charles
This isn't so much a snap judgment since I decided to watch two episodes before making my mind up about the TV Land sitcom. Here's the thing. It could use a lot more laughs. I laughed a few times during the series premiere but in the second episode I probably laughed once. Having said that, there's something really comforting about a show that features stars we've enjoyed in shows from years past. I like all the actresses involved: the greatness that is Betty White (The Golden Girls, Mary Tyler Moore); Valerie Bertinelli (One Day at a Time, Jenny Craig), Jane Leeves (Frasier) and Wendie Malick (Just Shoot Me). Too bad they don't have better material but at this point I don't know if I really care since this sitcom sort of takes me back to the sitcoms from the 70s, 80s and 90s. And that retro feel starts at the very beginning with the "this show was recorded in front of a live studio audience" voiceover. The whole premise is contrived and the writing is stilted but I do hope the dialogue and jokes improve as the series goes along. Bonus points for the John Schneider guest star appearance in the premiere, however. It's always good to see him. Hot in Cleveland isn't so much hot as it is lukewarm but I think TV Land is wise to air this show during the summer when it doesn't have as many sitcom competitors (sitcom-petitors?).
Thursday, June 24, 2010
So You Think You Can Dance: The Top 9 Revealed by Kara Howland
After last night’s tough critiques, I’m waiting with baited breath to see who’s in the bottom 3. Are your favorites in danger or are they safe? Skip to the end to find out.
In the meantime, Cat is rocking a smoky eye and black mini with an asymmetrical zipper. She looks amazing.
Let’s group dance.
Royal T / Crookers feat. Roisin Murphy
I’d say it’s a Jazz piece, probably choreographed by Sonja. Yep, it is.
It’s great. Very moody and evocative. The short part featuring the guys is pretty amazing. There are so many good dancers this year – their technical ability is insane. Now everyone is back together. Those outfits are a bit wacky, but really cool. Strange and awesome. Loved it. Love Sonja.
More about National Dance Day. It’s on July 31st if you’ve forgotten already. Go to fox.com/dance and tell and/or show them what your plans are for that day. You might end up on TV. Sounds cool.
The first group up is Kent, Adechike, and Cristina.
Cristina’s in the bottom again. Boo! Why don’t people vote for her? She doesn’t deserve to be there.
Adam: Cristina was fabulous. He’s shocked; he doesn’t get it. She needs to fight.
The next group up is Alex, Ashley, Melinda, and Jose.
As I suspected, Melinda is in the bottom again. It’s interesting though. Watching the highlight package tonight, I feel like I did see Melinda’s lines and technique that for some reason I just didn’t see last night. Actually, I think I was so confused and disappointed by the piece yesterday that I refused to see it.
Nigel: Not sure what the audience didn’t see but there’s something missing. He wants her to show her vulnerability. She needs to find something that allows her to connect with people. He even suggests the reason she’s in the bottom again might have been the dress (I did hate it).
The last group up is Lauren, Billy, and Robert.
Robert is the final contestant dancing for his life. I’m not surprised. I didn’t love his performance last night even though I adore him.
Mia: She’s shocked. She knows she was a little harsh last night. He is one of their favorite performers this season. She tells him to fight with everything he’s got.
Guest Performance No. 1
It’s Bryan Gaynor. Yay! I love watching him dance. And he’s back on the show, this time with his crew Remote Control
Agnus Dei / Eskmo
I like their cool outfits. Very interesting beginning. They’re great. Actually their amazing. These guys are real technicians. I don’t even want to type it’s so cool. Their fluidity and quality of movement are sick! Wow. WOW.
Solos
Cristina
Quimbara / Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco
Nice fire. Great technique. She’s really working that upper body. Nice job. She’s got great spirit.
Melinda
Heels / Q-Tip
She’s fun in her style. Great job. Great performer. She gives us more to look at then just her feet, which I like. Really nice job.
Robert
Everywhere I Go / Lissie
He’s great. Nice big movement. Showing us his great technique and really nice emotion. He was really dancing for his life.
Guest Performance No. 2
Debi Nova singing Drummer Boy is backed by six SYTYCD all-stars. Nice. Maybe the producers finally figured out we’re way more interested and invested if there’s actual dancing during the musical performance.
For me the song is kind of forgettable but it’s so nice to see the all-stars dancing. Yay! I am surprised to see Comfort amongst this group because I think she’s strongest in Hip Hop. But she’s totally holding her own.
Random aside: Cat is so tall. Wow. I still love my towering giant.
It’s about that time. The judge’s decision is not unanimous this week. Nigel asks Robert to step forward. As he knows, they lost a girl last week. It would be easy to send Robert home but they’re going to give him another week. Robert leaves the stage.
Next up is Melinda. He doesn’t know what it is. The public isn’t connecting with her. It was his opinion to let Melinda go but Mia and Adam are insistent that she stays. Melinda leaves the stage.
Cristina is going home. Nigel tells her she was absolutely brilliant last night. She’s grown beyond what they thought. Her work ethic is good but she can be just a bit slow. They wish her love and give her so much respect for what she does.
I have to admit I am disappointed. I think Cristina had two great performances in the last few weeks. But the judge’s are the ones calling the shots right now so I guess I have to accept their decision. I don’t know if I can respect it, but I’ll accept it.
What did you think? Did the right dancer leave the competition tonight.
In the meantime, Cat is rocking a smoky eye and black mini with an asymmetrical zipper. She looks amazing.
Let’s group dance.
Royal T / Crookers feat. Roisin Murphy
I’d say it’s a Jazz piece, probably choreographed by Sonja. Yep, it is.
It’s great. Very moody and evocative. The short part featuring the guys is pretty amazing. There are so many good dancers this year – their technical ability is insane. Now everyone is back together. Those outfits are a bit wacky, but really cool. Strange and awesome. Loved it. Love Sonja.
More about National Dance Day. It’s on July 31st if you’ve forgotten already. Go to fox.com/dance and tell and/or show them what your plans are for that day. You might end up on TV. Sounds cool.
The first group up is Kent, Adechike, and Cristina.
Cristina’s in the bottom again. Boo! Why don’t people vote for her? She doesn’t deserve to be there.
Adam: Cristina was fabulous. He’s shocked; he doesn’t get it. She needs to fight.
The next group up is Alex, Ashley, Melinda, and Jose.
As I suspected, Melinda is in the bottom again. It’s interesting though. Watching the highlight package tonight, I feel like I did see Melinda’s lines and technique that for some reason I just didn’t see last night. Actually, I think I was so confused and disappointed by the piece yesterday that I refused to see it.
Nigel: Not sure what the audience didn’t see but there’s something missing. He wants her to show her vulnerability. She needs to find something that allows her to connect with people. He even suggests the reason she’s in the bottom again might have been the dress (I did hate it).
The last group up is Lauren, Billy, and Robert.
Robert is the final contestant dancing for his life. I’m not surprised. I didn’t love his performance last night even though I adore him.
Mia: She’s shocked. She knows she was a little harsh last night. He is one of their favorite performers this season. She tells him to fight with everything he’s got.
Guest Performance No. 1
It’s Bryan Gaynor. Yay! I love watching him dance. And he’s back on the show, this time with his crew Remote Control
Agnus Dei / Eskmo
I like their cool outfits. Very interesting beginning. They’re great. Actually their amazing. These guys are real technicians. I don’t even want to type it’s so cool. Their fluidity and quality of movement are sick! Wow. WOW.
Solos
Cristina
Quimbara / Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco
Nice fire. Great technique. She’s really working that upper body. Nice job. She’s got great spirit.
Melinda
Heels / Q-Tip
She’s fun in her style. Great job. Great performer. She gives us more to look at then just her feet, which I like. Really nice job.
Robert
Everywhere I Go / Lissie
He’s great. Nice big movement. Showing us his great technique and really nice emotion. He was really dancing for his life.
Guest Performance No. 2
Debi Nova singing Drummer Boy is backed by six SYTYCD all-stars. Nice. Maybe the producers finally figured out we’re way more interested and invested if there’s actual dancing during the musical performance.
For me the song is kind of forgettable but it’s so nice to see the all-stars dancing. Yay! I am surprised to see Comfort amongst this group because I think she’s strongest in Hip Hop. But she’s totally holding her own.
Random aside: Cat is so tall. Wow. I still love my towering giant.
It’s about that time. The judge’s decision is not unanimous this week. Nigel asks Robert to step forward. As he knows, they lost a girl last week. It would be easy to send Robert home but they’re going to give him another week. Robert leaves the stage.
Next up is Melinda. He doesn’t know what it is. The public isn’t connecting with her. It was his opinion to let Melinda go but Mia and Adam are insistent that she stays. Melinda leaves the stage.
Cristina is going home. Nigel tells her she was absolutely brilliant last night. She’s grown beyond what they thought. Her work ethic is good but she can be just a bit slow. They wish her love and give her so much respect for what she does.
I have to admit I am disappointed. I think Cristina had two great performances in the last few weeks. But the judge’s are the ones calling the shots right now so I guess I have to accept their decision. I don’t know if I can respect it, but I’ll accept it.
What did you think? Did the right dancer leave the competition tonight.
So You Think You Can Dance: The Top 10 Perform by Kara Howland
So…remember last week when I said I would try to make this week’s blog a little shorter? I lied. I’m sorry. I just couldn’t stop typing! Enough about me, let’s talk about the fabulous Cat Deeley. I love the white number with the feathers at the neckline and at the hem. Hot!
The luck of the draw will keep Neil and Twitch from the dance floor this week. A new twist, which I’m sure you all picked up on, is that the when the competitors pick an all-star from the box that determines the style of dance they’ll be performing that week. I like it.
Cristina was shy as a kid. She was a dancing flower in a recital and her outfit ripped and her undies were showing.
All-star partner: Pasha
Choreographer: Jean-Marc Genereux & France / Paso Doble
Rehearsal: Requires a very strong man and a strong lady. She’s a gypsy and he’s a tyrant. Crazy lifts and turns. It’s scary. Cristina doesn’t like to ride roller coasters but she’s going for it.
Ira Deorum/Sanctus / James Dooley
Performance: Strong start. Great faces, passion. Cristina is totally meeting his focus and commitment. Great dancing in sync. Sexy. I expected her to be more of a cape, but I didn’t mind this more active role at all. Really fun to watch.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: Have to remember the elements: passion, power, fire, and then control. Did Cristina bring that? Yes she did. There’s no question. Great start to the show. Pasha excellent. Great choreography.
Mia: It was everything. Has every element. It’s the whole package and a perfect partnership. Fabulous. Thanks them for that performance.
Adam: Pasha Doble. Mucho caliente! Cristina’s confidence and commitment to her character is extraordinary.
Adechike’s dad was a dancer. He’s the coolest guy he knows. Adechike was always fresh. In 2004, there was a fire and they lost everything.
All-star partner: Allison
Choreographer: Mandy Moore / Contemporary
Rehearsal: This week they’re not doing a dance with a story; it’s just about emotions. Adechike wants to connect with his partner. He knows he needs to take more of a light-hearted approach. Connect strength in his body to the passion and power in his heart.
Listen to Your Heart / (Edmee’s Unplugged Vocal Edit) D.H.T. Feat. Edmee
Performance: Adechike is amazing in contemporary. He has moments of connection with his partner – yay! This is a nice partnership. Great partner work and lifts. Wow. I’m kinda being blown away by the technique right now. I’m watching, not typing which is always a great sign. I really liked it. Adechike really listened to what the judges said last week but he can go further.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: He sees a major improvement. Watch that he doesn’t interrupt the flow of his emotional side with the steps. Control that. Get so used to the movements that it’s muscle memory. He wants to see Adechike smile more.
Mia: Adechike needs to tap into that joy on a much more consistent level. Performance did get better. Small movement is gorgeous. Dance is an art form and a heartform. That’s what is lacking.
Adam: Technically, he’s so good. He’s dancing from his head. Get out of his head and deliver and let go and be there for his partner. Tremendous routine. Danced it beautifully.
Alex started out as a tapper at age 7. He had a lot of energy as a kid. His teachers told him to take ballet but he found it boring.
All-star partner: Lauren
Choreographer: Tyce Diorio / Broadway
Rehearsal: Inspired by the Fosse style, but this is Tyce’s take on it. Alex wants to do some homework so he won’t look like a fool. It’s quiet fire. Cool, sexy feeling. Not too much partnering. We know he can fly, but we want to see the style of it.
Summertime / Sylvester
Performance: Great Fosse influence. Great side-by-side dancing. Alex is selling it to me. And I love Lauren. Again, I’m watching and not typing. Alex is a real competitor in this competition. Nice job. I really love him.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: Would have liked Alex to look at “Kiss Me Kate.” Alex needs to bring a little more power to his performance. Technically it’s there. Looks like he danced with his shoulders up. Alex needs to work hard in changing genre. Good job.
Mia: Fosse is so internal. Physically, technically perfection. She wants it to be inside and sinewy. Mia wants to see the style that was lacking.
Adam: Alex’s talent is so expansive. It’s not about ability, it’s about versatility and growth. It’s a little bit of the antithesis of Fosse. There weren’t a lot of levels. A lot of flash and no smolder but Alex is an extraordinary dancer.
Further comment: I get where the judge’s are coming from but I still liked it. I think Alex showed great power and when I actually like a Broadway number I say it. And I liked it.
Ashley’s mom liked to dress her up like a girly-girl. Her hair was curled every day by her mom. She did her first competition at the age of 4.
All-star partner: Mark
Choreographer: Travis Wall / Jazz
Rehearsal: This story is about her breaking up with Mark and then realizing she wants him back. Some hard partnering because it’s so fast. It’s going to be hard for Ashley because she’s never lost anyone she’s loved. She promises that by the end of the dance Mark will be her boyfriend.
Wonderful / Annie Lennox
Performance: Mark is such an amazing partner. Really nice partner work. Great form. I’m watching and not typing again. Really nice. Great emotion. I totally loved it.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: He’s got a note to Travis: make sure to separate Jazz from Contemporary. Nigel doesn’t feel like he’s learned anything new about Ashley. He wants to see her pushed in other areas. Good luck to her. Loved the dive lift.
Mia: Loved the walk in the beginning. Ashley is one of her favorite girls. She needs to be aware of her transitions. Keep the story alive through the lifts. She delivers.
Adam: It’s about the stuff the choreographer didn’t give you. Some beautiful invention in there. Would have liked to see more moments when Ashley just breathes. Pretty fab.
Further comment: I can see how the judge’s wanted to actually see a Jazz piece instead of a Contemporary piece but don’t gang up on my Travis. Whatever we did see tonight was beautiful.
Billy was a fat baby. His parents kept putting him in awkward outfits. His first performance was as part of a hip hop group.
All-star partner: Comfort
Choreographer: Lil C / Krump
Rehearsal: Krump originated in South Central LA. Billy’s biggest challenge will be being tough. Lil C needs to transform him into Billy be Buck. Billy thinks he can fake it.
So U Think U Can Krump / Tha J-Squad
Performance: I am so glad Krumping has made a return to this program. I’m smiling and enjoying it so far. It’s not as ugly and hard as it usually is which I think is a good choice. Comfort is a great partner for Billy. It’s kind of a slowed down version of Krumping and I liked it. I’m impressed with Billy’s attempt with this genre. It is such a hard style.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: He hated that music. This is the toughest more alien style on the program for him. Krump is a warriors dance. Billy hasn’t found the warrior in himself yet. Nigel celebrates that Billy put himself through it and gave it everything he had.
Mia: He’s knocking on the warrior’s door but is afraid to open it. Billy was trying to be a badass. It was Billy be Whack. She still loves him.
Adam: Billy was trying so hard out there. He got no buck. That was a bad experiment, a failed experiment but Billy’s one of the best dancers on the show. He didn’t have enough hit or rebound.
Robert was crazy as a little kid. He was jumping off the walls and always on the dance floor.
All-star partner: Anya
Choreographer: Jean-Marc Genereux & France / Argentine Tango
Rehearsal: He is now Roberto Rodano. The only way Robert can transform his passion for Anya is through dance. There’s a lot of footwork and direction changes. Robert is completely out of is comfort zone. It’s gonna be really hot, hopefully.
Libertango / Bond Quartet
Performance: Sexy for sure. Nice lifts. Anya’s amazing. I heart her. Robert’s doing pretty well from what I can tell. Nice smolder between them. I think Robert may be concentrating a bit too hard. A little awkward. Decent footwork, I think but nothing to write home about. Not a bad effort. I fear the judge’s will tear him apart.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: Roberto took on the character and controlled his partner. Robert’s carriage was tremendous. Had some great choreography to work with. One of the best routines of the night.
Mia: It didn’t give her chills at all. She expected Robert to be flawless. She feels like Anya devoured him. Needed more commitment.
Adam: He was one foot on each side. Beautiful footwork for someone who’s never done this before. He looks fabulous but really stressed out. Robert’s amazing but he needs to breathe in and stretch his steps.
Melinda was a quirky child. Her parents wanted them to be involved in the arts so it made her kind of a strange kid. But that quirkiness helped shape her.
All-star partner: Ade
Choreographer: Stacey Tookey / Contemporary
Rehearsal: Exploring the relationship between mother Earth and mankind. It’s on everyone’s mind. The piece requires a lot of trust. Ade is strong. Melinda knows he’s got her back. It’s like they’re in a war.
Squander / Skunk Anansie
Performance: Hmmm. I don’t know what to write. I’m not loving it although I think it’s being danced well. Ok, I don’t get it but Ade is absolutely there for her. I feel like Ade’s being showcased here instead of Melinda, which is not good. Huh.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: Lovely idea. He understands what Stacey’s saying. For a tapper, Melinda’s got some fantastic lines. She’s got to be on it and hit those lines. Absolutely tremendous.
Mia: Loves the concept, the story, the approach. The dress is a little something – not good – for her. Lines are gorgeous. It was yay.
Adam: Great. Very little to add. She is fantastic.
Further comment: I don’t know why the judges are so in love with Melinda but I definitely did not see what they saw. I didn’t get it and I kinda didn’t like it. I thought she was forgettable and Ade was great.
Jose was very athletic as a kid. He started training as a b-boy at 13 when his best friend introduced him to it and started battling at 14.
All-star partner: Kathryn
Choreographer: Nakul Dev Mahajan / Bollywood
Rehearsal: Jose doesn’t even know how to spell the name of this genre. It’s a genie in a bottle theme. Really intricate and fast. Jose doesn’t know what he’s doing but he’s got positive energy.
Marjaani Marjaani Kasame / Billu Barder (Soundtrack)
Performance: Cute opening. Wow, Jose is surprising and impressing me. Nice technique. I love that they’re spinning so fast that things are flying off them. It looks like Jose is having a blast. Very cute ending. I really enjoyed it.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: We’re really taking people out of their element this week. Jose didn’t quite get there but Nigel liked his persistence. Wants to see consistency and see Jose really go for it. His performance was tremendous. Not sure Jose’s finger positioning is right but it didn’t matter to Nigel.
Mia: She loves him so much right now. Jose was so wrong but so right. Was it really Bollywood? She doesn’t know but it was fun. He’s tackling everything with a smile on his face.
Adam: If there were a prize for the brightest light on this show Jose would have won it already. He is an absolute joy. It was totally wrong but sign, sealed, delivered, Adam is his.
Further comment: I completely agree with the judges but I think Jose made a great effort and I’m voting for him. I want to see him continue to grow and try new genres.
Lauren was really talkative and hyper as a kid. She was all over the place in her first dance performance.
All-star partner: Dominic
Choreographer: Tessandra Chavez / Lyrical Hip Hop
Rehearsal: Hip Hop is usually upbeat and about having fun but this piece is sending a serious message. It’s about women who get themselves in abusive relationships. It’s about the emotional connection. Lauren thinks this is a gift. Her challenge will be an emotional one. Tessandra wants to see them go to a place they’ve never been in their lives.
If I Were A Boy / Beyonce
Performance: Lauren’s killing it. Once again, I’m watching instead of typing. Great steps, great technique. I’m seeing some great emotion from Lauren. Nice assisted lift. Really great partnership but I wanted a little more from Lauren. It was danced well.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: He believed the performance. Welcomes Tessandra to the SYTYCD family. Wants Lauren to give herself a more solid base. Looks like she has a bit of a swayed back. Mia says she’s just got a good butt. Really fine performance from both of them.
Mia: It worked so much. Outstanding performance. The only moments she wanted to feel more is the abuse part. Mia both of them to get out of the dance and show more of the abuser and abused relationship. She wanted to be disturbed. One of the best performances of the night.
Adam: Lauren is so technically adept. Wants to talk to her as a director. She took his notes. He can’t tell her how much he appreciates it. He can see her in an emotionally raw space right now and he wants her to celebrate that. Extraordinary performance.
Kent’s head was huge when he was younger. His first performance was at 8 and it was kind of all over the place.
All-star partner: Courtney
Choreographer: Tyce Diorio / Jazz
Rehearsal: The story is about this couple that’s together and not together. You want what you can’t have. Kent isn’t used to touching his partner so much. Kent admits it’s a stretch for him.
Amy Amy Amy / Amy Winehouse
Performance: Wow, it’s pretty sexy. I love Courtney. She’s a really great partner for Kent. Great chemistry. I do want Kent to be going for it a bit more with Courtney. That could have been stronger. But I did really like it. That Courtney is hot, hot, hot.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: Kent’s journey is moving very fast. What is he wearing? Enjoyed it. Nigel classes that performance as Jazz. Nigel doesn’t think Kent was having as much fun as he did last week. He thinks Courtney would eat him alive.
Mia: Doesn’t know how she feels out it. There were moments of great technique and physicality. Kent needs to transform himself to the piece he’s doing. He needs to step into a more mature role now.
Adam: It’s not about an external character. Kent needs to find it within himself. He’s a fantastic performer and great dancer and it was great to see Kent dance.
Going on the judges critiques, I think quite a few people are in danger of being in the bottom. But some of those dancers have so much charisma and charm that I don’t think they should be worried. I’d say Melinda is in the bottom. I didn’t enjoy her performance even though the judges liked it. In terms of performance, I’d say Robert, Billy, and Kent might want to step it up next week. But I never really know how people are going to vote, I just not how I’m going to.
What did you think about the performances? Personally I don’t want to see everyone dance perfectly. I want them to attack it and dance with exuberance. I want them to try to get as much technique and emotional resonance out of it as possible. For people like Jose, Kent, and Alex I want them to remain in this competition and be exposed to new genres. It will be interesting to see if any of the guys are in the bottom three. I think the judges will probably want to send a guy home to keep things somewhat even. We’ll see.
Did you vote?
The luck of the draw will keep Neil and Twitch from the dance floor this week. A new twist, which I’m sure you all picked up on, is that the when the competitors pick an all-star from the box that determines the style of dance they’ll be performing that week. I like it.
Cristina was shy as a kid. She was a dancing flower in a recital and her outfit ripped and her undies were showing.
All-star partner: Pasha
Choreographer: Jean-Marc Genereux & France / Paso Doble
Rehearsal: Requires a very strong man and a strong lady. She’s a gypsy and he’s a tyrant. Crazy lifts and turns. It’s scary. Cristina doesn’t like to ride roller coasters but she’s going for it.
Ira Deorum/Sanctus / James Dooley
Performance: Strong start. Great faces, passion. Cristina is totally meeting his focus and commitment. Great dancing in sync. Sexy. I expected her to be more of a cape, but I didn’t mind this more active role at all. Really fun to watch.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: Have to remember the elements: passion, power, fire, and then control. Did Cristina bring that? Yes she did. There’s no question. Great start to the show. Pasha excellent. Great choreography.
Mia: It was everything. Has every element. It’s the whole package and a perfect partnership. Fabulous. Thanks them for that performance.
Adam: Pasha Doble. Mucho caliente! Cristina’s confidence and commitment to her character is extraordinary.
Adechike’s dad was a dancer. He’s the coolest guy he knows. Adechike was always fresh. In 2004, there was a fire and they lost everything.
All-star partner: Allison
Choreographer: Mandy Moore / Contemporary
Rehearsal: This week they’re not doing a dance with a story; it’s just about emotions. Adechike wants to connect with his partner. He knows he needs to take more of a light-hearted approach. Connect strength in his body to the passion and power in his heart.
Listen to Your Heart / (Edmee’s Unplugged Vocal Edit) D.H.T. Feat. Edmee
Performance: Adechike is amazing in contemporary. He has moments of connection with his partner – yay! This is a nice partnership. Great partner work and lifts. Wow. I’m kinda being blown away by the technique right now. I’m watching, not typing which is always a great sign. I really liked it. Adechike really listened to what the judges said last week but he can go further.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: He sees a major improvement. Watch that he doesn’t interrupt the flow of his emotional side with the steps. Control that. Get so used to the movements that it’s muscle memory. He wants to see Adechike smile more.
Mia: Adechike needs to tap into that joy on a much more consistent level. Performance did get better. Small movement is gorgeous. Dance is an art form and a heartform. That’s what is lacking.
Adam: Technically, he’s so good. He’s dancing from his head. Get out of his head and deliver and let go and be there for his partner. Tremendous routine. Danced it beautifully.
Alex started out as a tapper at age 7. He had a lot of energy as a kid. His teachers told him to take ballet but he found it boring.
All-star partner: Lauren
Choreographer: Tyce Diorio / Broadway
Rehearsal: Inspired by the Fosse style, but this is Tyce’s take on it. Alex wants to do some homework so he won’t look like a fool. It’s quiet fire. Cool, sexy feeling. Not too much partnering. We know he can fly, but we want to see the style of it.
Summertime / Sylvester
Performance: Great Fosse influence. Great side-by-side dancing. Alex is selling it to me. And I love Lauren. Again, I’m watching and not typing. Alex is a real competitor in this competition. Nice job. I really love him.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: Would have liked Alex to look at “Kiss Me Kate.” Alex needs to bring a little more power to his performance. Technically it’s there. Looks like he danced with his shoulders up. Alex needs to work hard in changing genre. Good job.
Mia: Fosse is so internal. Physically, technically perfection. She wants it to be inside and sinewy. Mia wants to see the style that was lacking.
Adam: Alex’s talent is so expansive. It’s not about ability, it’s about versatility and growth. It’s a little bit of the antithesis of Fosse. There weren’t a lot of levels. A lot of flash and no smolder but Alex is an extraordinary dancer.
Further comment: I get where the judge’s are coming from but I still liked it. I think Alex showed great power and when I actually like a Broadway number I say it. And I liked it.
Ashley’s mom liked to dress her up like a girly-girl. Her hair was curled every day by her mom. She did her first competition at the age of 4.
All-star partner: Mark
Choreographer: Travis Wall / Jazz
Rehearsal: This story is about her breaking up with Mark and then realizing she wants him back. Some hard partnering because it’s so fast. It’s going to be hard for Ashley because she’s never lost anyone she’s loved. She promises that by the end of the dance Mark will be her boyfriend.
Wonderful / Annie Lennox
Performance: Mark is such an amazing partner. Really nice partner work. Great form. I’m watching and not typing again. Really nice. Great emotion. I totally loved it.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: He’s got a note to Travis: make sure to separate Jazz from Contemporary. Nigel doesn’t feel like he’s learned anything new about Ashley. He wants to see her pushed in other areas. Good luck to her. Loved the dive lift.
Mia: Loved the walk in the beginning. Ashley is one of her favorite girls. She needs to be aware of her transitions. Keep the story alive through the lifts. She delivers.
Adam: It’s about the stuff the choreographer didn’t give you. Some beautiful invention in there. Would have liked to see more moments when Ashley just breathes. Pretty fab.
Further comment: I can see how the judge’s wanted to actually see a Jazz piece instead of a Contemporary piece but don’t gang up on my Travis. Whatever we did see tonight was beautiful.
Billy was a fat baby. His parents kept putting him in awkward outfits. His first performance was as part of a hip hop group.
All-star partner: Comfort
Choreographer: Lil C / Krump
Rehearsal: Krump originated in South Central LA. Billy’s biggest challenge will be being tough. Lil C needs to transform him into Billy be Buck. Billy thinks he can fake it.
So U Think U Can Krump / Tha J-Squad
Performance: I am so glad Krumping has made a return to this program. I’m smiling and enjoying it so far. It’s not as ugly and hard as it usually is which I think is a good choice. Comfort is a great partner for Billy. It’s kind of a slowed down version of Krumping and I liked it. I’m impressed with Billy’s attempt with this genre. It is such a hard style.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: He hated that music. This is the toughest more alien style on the program for him. Krump is a warriors dance. Billy hasn’t found the warrior in himself yet. Nigel celebrates that Billy put himself through it and gave it everything he had.
Mia: He’s knocking on the warrior’s door but is afraid to open it. Billy was trying to be a badass. It was Billy be Whack. She still loves him.
Adam: Billy was trying so hard out there. He got no buck. That was a bad experiment, a failed experiment but Billy’s one of the best dancers on the show. He didn’t have enough hit or rebound.
Robert was crazy as a little kid. He was jumping off the walls and always on the dance floor.
All-star partner: Anya
Choreographer: Jean-Marc Genereux & France / Argentine Tango
Rehearsal: He is now Roberto Rodano. The only way Robert can transform his passion for Anya is through dance. There’s a lot of footwork and direction changes. Robert is completely out of is comfort zone. It’s gonna be really hot, hopefully.
Libertango / Bond Quartet
Performance: Sexy for sure. Nice lifts. Anya’s amazing. I heart her. Robert’s doing pretty well from what I can tell. Nice smolder between them. I think Robert may be concentrating a bit too hard. A little awkward. Decent footwork, I think but nothing to write home about. Not a bad effort. I fear the judge’s will tear him apart.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: Roberto took on the character and controlled his partner. Robert’s carriage was tremendous. Had some great choreography to work with. One of the best routines of the night.
Mia: It didn’t give her chills at all. She expected Robert to be flawless. She feels like Anya devoured him. Needed more commitment.
Adam: He was one foot on each side. Beautiful footwork for someone who’s never done this before. He looks fabulous but really stressed out. Robert’s amazing but he needs to breathe in and stretch his steps.
Melinda was a quirky child. Her parents wanted them to be involved in the arts so it made her kind of a strange kid. But that quirkiness helped shape her.
All-star partner: Ade
Choreographer: Stacey Tookey / Contemporary
Rehearsal: Exploring the relationship between mother Earth and mankind. It’s on everyone’s mind. The piece requires a lot of trust. Ade is strong. Melinda knows he’s got her back. It’s like they’re in a war.
Squander / Skunk Anansie
Performance: Hmmm. I don’t know what to write. I’m not loving it although I think it’s being danced well. Ok, I don’t get it but Ade is absolutely there for her. I feel like Ade’s being showcased here instead of Melinda, which is not good. Huh.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: Lovely idea. He understands what Stacey’s saying. For a tapper, Melinda’s got some fantastic lines. She’s got to be on it and hit those lines. Absolutely tremendous.
Mia: Loves the concept, the story, the approach. The dress is a little something – not good – for her. Lines are gorgeous. It was yay.
Adam: Great. Very little to add. She is fantastic.
Further comment: I don’t know why the judges are so in love with Melinda but I definitely did not see what they saw. I didn’t get it and I kinda didn’t like it. I thought she was forgettable and Ade was great.
Jose was very athletic as a kid. He started training as a b-boy at 13 when his best friend introduced him to it and started battling at 14.
All-star partner: Kathryn
Choreographer: Nakul Dev Mahajan / Bollywood
Rehearsal: Jose doesn’t even know how to spell the name of this genre. It’s a genie in a bottle theme. Really intricate and fast. Jose doesn’t know what he’s doing but he’s got positive energy.
Marjaani Marjaani Kasame / Billu Barder (Soundtrack)
Performance: Cute opening. Wow, Jose is surprising and impressing me. Nice technique. I love that they’re spinning so fast that things are flying off them. It looks like Jose is having a blast. Very cute ending. I really enjoyed it.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: We’re really taking people out of their element this week. Jose didn’t quite get there but Nigel liked his persistence. Wants to see consistency and see Jose really go for it. His performance was tremendous. Not sure Jose’s finger positioning is right but it didn’t matter to Nigel.
Mia: She loves him so much right now. Jose was so wrong but so right. Was it really Bollywood? She doesn’t know but it was fun. He’s tackling everything with a smile on his face.
Adam: If there were a prize for the brightest light on this show Jose would have won it already. He is an absolute joy. It was totally wrong but sign, sealed, delivered, Adam is his.
Further comment: I completely agree with the judges but I think Jose made a great effort and I’m voting for him. I want to see him continue to grow and try new genres.
Lauren was really talkative and hyper as a kid. She was all over the place in her first dance performance.
All-star partner: Dominic
Choreographer: Tessandra Chavez / Lyrical Hip Hop
Rehearsal: Hip Hop is usually upbeat and about having fun but this piece is sending a serious message. It’s about women who get themselves in abusive relationships. It’s about the emotional connection. Lauren thinks this is a gift. Her challenge will be an emotional one. Tessandra wants to see them go to a place they’ve never been in their lives.
If I Were A Boy / Beyonce
Performance: Lauren’s killing it. Once again, I’m watching instead of typing. Great steps, great technique. I’m seeing some great emotion from Lauren. Nice assisted lift. Really great partnership but I wanted a little more from Lauren. It was danced well.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: He believed the performance. Welcomes Tessandra to the SYTYCD family. Wants Lauren to give herself a more solid base. Looks like she has a bit of a swayed back. Mia says she’s just got a good butt. Really fine performance from both of them.
Mia: It worked so much. Outstanding performance. The only moments she wanted to feel more is the abuse part. Mia both of them to get out of the dance and show more of the abuser and abused relationship. She wanted to be disturbed. One of the best performances of the night.
Adam: Lauren is so technically adept. Wants to talk to her as a director. She took his notes. He can’t tell her how much he appreciates it. He can see her in an emotionally raw space right now and he wants her to celebrate that. Extraordinary performance.
Kent’s head was huge when he was younger. His first performance was at 8 and it was kind of all over the place.
All-star partner: Courtney
Choreographer: Tyce Diorio / Jazz
Rehearsal: The story is about this couple that’s together and not together. You want what you can’t have. Kent isn’t used to touching his partner so much. Kent admits it’s a stretch for him.
Amy Amy Amy / Amy Winehouse
Performance: Wow, it’s pretty sexy. I love Courtney. She’s a really great partner for Kent. Great chemistry. I do want Kent to be going for it a bit more with Courtney. That could have been stronger. But I did really like it. That Courtney is hot, hot, hot.
Judge’s critiques
Nigel: Kent’s journey is moving very fast. What is he wearing? Enjoyed it. Nigel classes that performance as Jazz. Nigel doesn’t think Kent was having as much fun as he did last week. He thinks Courtney would eat him alive.
Mia: Doesn’t know how she feels out it. There were moments of great technique and physicality. Kent needs to transform himself to the piece he’s doing. He needs to step into a more mature role now.
Adam: It’s not about an external character. Kent needs to find it within himself. He’s a fantastic performer and great dancer and it was great to see Kent dance.
Going on the judges critiques, I think quite a few people are in danger of being in the bottom. But some of those dancers have so much charisma and charm that I don’t think they should be worried. I’d say Melinda is in the bottom. I didn’t enjoy her performance even though the judges liked it. In terms of performance, I’d say Robert, Billy, and Kent might want to step it up next week. But I never really know how people are going to vote, I just not how I’m going to.
What did you think about the performances? Personally I don’t want to see everyone dance perfectly. I want them to attack it and dance with exuberance. I want them to try to get as much technique and emotional resonance out of it as possible. For people like Jose, Kent, and Alex I want them to remain in this competition and be exposed to new genres. It will be interesting to see if any of the guys are in the bottom three. I think the judges will probably want to send a guy home to keep things somewhat even. We’ll see.
Did you vote?
Royal Pains Extra
TVGuide.com has an article about the fourth episode of the second season of the awesomely addictive USA Network series Royal Pains. It's a tad spoilerriffic but a good read thanks to an interview with RP star Mark Feuerstein. The episode titled "Medusa" airs Thursday night June 24th @ 10pm Eastern.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Top Chef D.C.: Outside the Lunchbox by Tina Charles
So far the show's main story is Kenny versus Angelo. It's shaping up to be a good rivalry. Will this storyline continue? At the beginning of the hour, we see the cheftestants at the house. Talk covers John leaving and Angelo winning both challenges in the first episode. Cut to the Top Chef kitchen where the contestants enter and Padma greets everyone. At her side is one of the guys that feeds President Obama and his family, Sam Kass. He's the assistant White House Chef and Food Initiative Coordinator. He's also rockin' the bald head very well.
Quickfire Challenge: Make a Biparti-SANdwich
-Teams of 2 (attached at the hip) have to make a sandwich in 30 minutes
-Each chef can only use one hand
I kind of like the play on Bipartisan. Probably because I love puns
First of all
The pairs and their sandwiches:
• Kenny & Ed (Korean chili-rubbed tuna) - Ed's left-handed and Kenny's right-handed; this pairing could work. Sam liked the spice of their sandwich.
• Angelo & Tracey (flounder marinated in fish sauce) - Tracey reveals she has a secret crush on Angelo. However
• Tamesha & Amanda (grilled sandwich w/ prosciutto & swiss cheese) – One word: awkward.
• Timothy & Alex (Croque Madame) – They instantly have knife issues. I don't blame anyone. They haven't played the trust game yet. They don't know their teammates at all. I don't know if I would let anyone get near my hand with a big freakin' knife.
• Stephen & Jacqueline (chicken and avocado) – I'm immediately worried about these two. They didn't fare too well in the first episode.
• Arnold & Kelly (curry-rubbed grilled chicken breast) – They work real well right away. I'm impressed.
• Tiffany & Lynne (flatbread saltimbocca) – Sam says it's hard to eat. Lynne admits it's more of a knife-and-fork sandwich. Who wants a knife-and-fork sandwich?
• Andrea & Kevin (Philly Cuban) – I didn't really get an impression of this team before Sam judges their dish. Sam likes the pickle in the sandwich.
I don't know how the chefs get it all done. That seems like a difficult challenge. Sam thinks the chefs just got a taste of how hard it is to work in a cooperative way.
The bottom: Stephen & Jacqueline (not creative); Lynne & Tiffany (not great texture)
The top: Tracey & Angelo (Angelo
The winners: Tracey & Angelo
That's three challenges in a row for Angelo. Is that a first for Top Chef? If not, how many times has this feat been achieved? Is anyone keeping track? Well this win doesn't bother me as much although I would really love Kenny to get one of these wins. Tracey and Angelo now have immunity. They can coast.
Elimination Challenge: Cook a School Lunch
-Use the same restrictive budget the public schools have: $2.68 / child. That's $134.00 for all 50 kids
-Sam takes four of those dollars away for labor and supplies so the chefs have a budget of $130.00
-Lunches consist of a main course
-Must be delicious and healthy
-Teams of 4 (every person on team is responsible for 1 item on the menu)
-They only have 30 minutes to plan and 2 ½ hours to prep and cook; 1 hour to heat up the food at the school
The elimination challenge focuses on "Let's Move
The teams:
Team 1: Angelo
Team 2: Amanda
Team 3: Alex
Team 4: Tiffany
Did Jacqueline say she's doing dessert? Did she not learn from John? Amanda sure did. She knows well enough to stay away from the sweet stuff. Then we learn a little more about Jacqueline's life. When she was in high school her parents went through a nasty divorce and she had to be the mom to her younger sister. Learning about these people's lives isn't really that great a sign. It's usually a sign that that person's going home.
I love the shopping portion of the episode. The teams go way over their 130 dollar budget. It's really sad when you think that's what schools go through everyday however.
The Cooking
Team 3: Andrea's telling Tracey what she's making. And she's all "It's my idea." Which it is her idea but there's no need to be so obnoxious about it.
Team 1: Kenny's making the dessert
Team 2: Amanda's feeling stressed. Jacqueline feels her dessert's too starchy so she adds sugar. More sugar! What?
Team 4: Kelly's acting like the leader when there were no leaders designated.
Downtime
• Tracey talks to Kelly about how this challenge hits close to home. She's been raising her girlfriend's daughter and she admits they go out for fast food at least once a week. It really seems to affect her. I'm liking Tracey more this episode. See? I said in the last blog I am able to change my mind. I'm still not sure about Angelo though. One thing I can say about him is that he's smart.
• Arnold and the rest of Team 4 let Kelly know she's taking too much credit. I don't really know what purpose this serves. Oh I get it.
The Event
Prep time: Kelly says she wants to end Angelo's winning streak. The valve to Team 1's foam gun is broken. Angelo asks another team for some help they refuse. It is a competition and they're sick of Angelo winning. So I understand why they say no. I just like it when there's good sportsmanship. Tom Colicchio arrives. He thinks Kevin's fruit with yogurt foam is a good idea. Tom's mom ran a lunch school program for 20 years so this challenge is very close to his heart. Tom goes to Team 4 and
Serving the Judges
Team 3
The Menu: Picnic Coleslaw with yogurt; grilled apple cider bbq chicken (skinless); mac & cheese with whole wheat crust
The Judges: good comments for the cole slaw
Team 1
The Menu: Chicken Burger with Fiesta Rice; Peanut Butter & Celery crudités
The Judges: They're not overly enthusiastic about the meal. They have nothing bad to say about Kenny's bread pudding but the judges want to know where the vegetables are
Team 4
The Menu: Black Bean Cake & Crispy sweet potatoes; Braised Pork Carnitas Tacos with Pickled Onions & Cilantro; Roasted Corn Salad with Cilantro with Lime Vinaigrette & Chili Oil; Carmelized Sweet Potatoes & Sherbert
The Judges: Gail loves all the color on the plate; They love the taco and the salad; Lynne's bean cake is a little spicy; They like the dessert too.
Team 2
The Menu: Braised Chicken Thigh in Sherry Jus; Sweet Onion Rice with Tomato
The Judges: Not into the "sherry jus" aspect of the dish for kids; they like Tamesha's salad but Sam and Tom definitely feel something went wrong with Jacqueline's dessert; Stephen's rice is good but mushy
Jacqueline's feeling good about her dessert. She says it sold out.
Judges' Table
Kevin snores in the stew room. I wonder how long it is before Padma makes her entrance. She wants to see Teams 1 and 3 first which is odd since the judges didn't have all that many great things to say about their food. The losers get the awesome dramatic entrance edit and music this time around. When Padma tells the teams they had the worst menus of the day you can tell the cheftestants are kind of shocked since they were called to face the judges first.
Jacqueline explains her dessert. Sam's on to her asking if she had to add a lot of sugar
Ed is told his dish was pretty spicy. He needed to be careful since he was cooking for kids. Sam calls Team 1 on their lack of vegetables. Kenny says they realized that and that's why they roasted the tomato on the burger. Sam makes it known that tomato's a fruit. Embarrassing moment for Kenny there. The attention turns to Angelo. Tom wants to know if he would have handled peanut butter and celery if he didn't have immunity. Angelo says he can't answer that. He's unbelievable. Tom says he doesn't want to draw the conclusion that Angelo sabotaged the team because he doesn't think the
Gail: "Why did you choose to use sherry?"
Amanda: "Because for me I really like chicken braised with sherry normally I like it with mushrooms…"
Gail: "I like it too. There's a lot of things I like. I love vodka. Not cooking with it!"
Gail gets the gold star for this week's Top Chef. The losing teams go back to the stew room and tell the other two teams that they are the groups with the best dishes. Kenny and Stephen are talking about how that even though two team members are immune
The judges feel Angelo's team had the worst meal. They would have sent Angelo home had he not had immunity. Although Angelo wouldn’t have made peanut butter and celery had he not been immune. The devil. They do blame Kenny for not being more proactive in getting vegetables on those plates. Cut to Angelo telling Tracey he doesn't like Kenny. He totally threw the challenge. Angelo's officially on the villain list. The judges hate Amanda's sherry braised chicken. Jacqueline's dessert is deemed too sweet thanks to gobs of sugar. Then they actually get around to talking about the winning teams. Gail digs the tacos. They had vegetables and fruit. The two teams found innovative ways to make their meals healthy and delicious.
Padma asks to see Lynne
Snap Judgment_Memphis Beat: It’s Alright Mama by Kara Howland
I like TNT. I’m a big fan of The Closer and almost all of the procedurals they re-run every day. I’m not sure the world needs another cop show but I like Jason Lee (even though I didn’t watch My Name is Earl) and I love Alfre Woodard. I wouldn’t say I had high hopes for this show but I thought it might be another cop show I could add to my repertoire. I only made it nineteen minutes into the hour. Usually I like to watch the entire show before I make up my mind up there were two eye-rolling incidents I just couldn’t get past.
The first moment happened when Jason Lee’s Detective Dwight Hendricks was able to come up with the identity of the lost/missing person he was ordered to help so quickly. Even though the detectives usually don’t take on a 10-15, the new lieutenant ordered him to take the case. Lo and behold, it actually turns into something. My second issue surfaced when Dwight started to wax poetic about some Sam Cooke song and how it worked its sexy magic on the parents of some of the cops there. I realize the history of Memphis is saturated in music - which I like - and that things are done a little differently in the south (I grew up in the South so I really do know) but it came off as disingenuous and a bit insulting to me.
There’s some great talent here, but I won’t be watching this show. I do have one question for anyone who knows a little something about Memphis. Are there really that many Elvis impersonators there?
The first moment happened when Jason Lee’s Detective Dwight Hendricks was able to come up with the identity of the lost/missing person he was ordered to help so quickly. Even though the detectives usually don’t take on a 10-15, the new lieutenant ordered him to take the case. Lo and behold, it actually turns into something. My second issue surfaced when Dwight started to wax poetic about some Sam Cooke song and how it worked its sexy magic on the parents of some of the cops there. I realize the history of Memphis is saturated in music - which I like - and that things are done a little differently in the south (I grew up in the South so I really do know) but it came off as disingenuous and a bit insulting to me.
There’s some great talent here, but I won’t be watching this show. I do have one question for anyone who knows a little something about Memphis. Are there really that many Elvis impersonators there?
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Snap Judgment_Scoundrels: And Jill Came Tumbling After by Kara Howland
I must admit I was pretty excited to hear Virginia Madsen would be on TV this summer. She’s been on my radar since Candyman, which scared the bejesus out of me when I was younger. I’ve been waiting and hoping she’d show up in primetime in something worthy of her talents. I’m not sure I can fully express my disappointment in this show – well, my disappointment in the first ten minutes of this show. That’s how long I made it. Virginia Madsen’s Cheryl is the only character who even made a lasting impression on me in those ten minutes. I’ve never seen David James Elliot in anything (no, I did not watch JAG), although I think he’s decent eye candy. The only one of the children who I felt anything for was Vanessa Marano’s Hope; she seemed plucky. And I thought Carlos Bernard’s cop could be an interesting foil for this family of thieves. But since I couldn’t make it through the entire show, I certainly won’t be watching the series. What is your snap judgment? Did you make it through the whole hour?
Monday, June 21, 2010
True Blood Extra
Check out this great Q&A with Mississippi Vampire King Russell Edgington. I couldn't wait until next week's episode to find out more about him. He's gonna be trouble. Big trouble.
True Blood: Beautifully Broken by Tina Charles
That was an enjoyable hour of television, wasn't it? And I don't mean in a 48-minutes because of commercials kind of way, I'm talking a full 60 minutes. So happy this show is on HBO. It wouldn't work anywhere else. Before I get into all that happened during "Beautifully Broken" can I just talk about this show's cast? So stellar. In this episode particularly there are some nice little moments between characters that I've grown to love like: Eric & Sookie; Sookie & Jason, Lafayette & Tara; Eric & Godric and even Andy & Jason, the newest bromance to take True Blood by storm. My new favorite scene partners: Jessica & Pam. And I already know Lafayette and Jesus scenes are going to sparkle. Kevin Alejandro's looking hot isn't he? I don't blame Lafayette for instantly crushing on the guy who's taking care of his crazy, racist mom in the psychiatric institution.
Bill and his werewolf kidnappers
At the end of the Season 3 premiere Bill was facing down a bunch of werewolves. When the action picks back up in Episode 2, Bill's bloody and he's viciously taken care of most of the wolves; in fact he rips off the ear of one of the little buggers. Pretty soon, a guy in red coat and white horse rides up and Bill refers to him as "your majesty." It's the Vampire King (VK) of Mississippi Russell Edgington. We find out that the wolves were Bill's kidnappers. They were just supposed to escort Bill across state lines, not drain him of some of his blood too. Russell wants Bill to come back to his manse so he's pretty uppity about the way his werewolf minions (including Coot) have treated the vampire.
The VK takes Bill back to his plantation-like home where he meets Russell's significant other, Talbot. Talbot is pretty flamboyant and talking about decorating the house and it's pretty funny. There are a lot of new characters being introduced in this episode; it's a lot to absorb but the show takes care of the introductions in a pretty seamless way. At Russell's abode, I do feel like we've just stepped into a scene from the miniseries North and South which took place during the Civil War. One minor difference: colonial soldiers have been replaced by gay vampires. Bill's pretty impatient with this whole thing. He wants to get back to Bon Temps and Sookie but Russell's not having it.
During dinner of Warm Blood Bisque and Blood Gelato, he has a proposal for Mr. Compton (who looks extremely sexy in a tux). One of the VK's goals is to marry the Vampire Queen of Louisiana (VQ). She's pretty resistant to the idea so he needs Bill to find out what The VQ's secrets are. And in return, he'll make Bill the Sheriff of Mississippi's Area 2. That deal doesn't really fly with Bill. Does he even have ambitions to become a Sheriff? Russell doesn't understand why the VQ has relegated him to Bon Temps. Bill explains that it's his home. You get the feeling a territory war is brewing especially when the Vampire King goes for the jugular and threatens Sookie if Bill doesn't do what he asks. He says it's too bad Sookie has to pay for her boyfriend's stubbornness. Bill's maker Lorena crashes the party and Bill burns her for her trouble. Awesome moment.
Sookie, Eric and Operation Werewolf
Sookie's beside herself with worry over Bill. So naturally, she turns to Eric for help. Again. She tells him about how she and Jessica found that dead body while they were searching for her vampire boyfriend. The body had an insignia they found out had to do with Operation Werewolf. Eric lies to Sookie saying he knows next to nothing about the creatures except that they are territorial, vicious and pathologically secretive. Being secretive's a good thing in Eric's book because he feels Sookie's so blinded by her obsession with Bill if she did find out information about the "Nazi Werewolves," she'd alert the entire planet. Love that Jessica calls them Nazi Werewolves.
While Eric's alone he flashbacks to Augsburg, Germany circa 1945 when he and Godric were posing as soldiers in the SS to hunt the Nazi Werewolves. They find a female one that attacks Eric. She says they're on the same side, but after he uncovers the insignia, Eric rages that they're not. Then he kills her. So Eric definitely knows a lot more than he's telling Sookie. He rectifies that situation later when he visits her at her grandma's house under the guise of protection, not lust (yeah, right). He tells her he lied to her and major exposition about the dangerous human-wolf combos is revealed: They are organized, well-funded and highly trained; and they're fueled by vampire blood which is very different lore than I've ever heard before. That definitely ups the antagonism between vampires and werewolves. The danger factor for the supernatural creatures has been raised.
Eric tells Sookie he's risking everything by telling her what he knows which is weird because his loyalty is not to Bill. Eric warns her that they're coming for her (she's already spotted one that mysteriously disappeared) and that he owes her. And she better invite him into her grandma's house so he can protect her. I love the way he offers his protection. He tells her he's going to stay and protect her or have passionate primal sex with her: "How about both?" I'm sure Eric-Sookie shippers rejoiced when the Sheriff uttered those words. She makes sure Eric gets a good look at her engagement ring which signifies she's off limits.
Tara & Lafayette
Tara's quick downward spiral after Eggs was killed results in her taking an overdose of pills. Lafayette realizes what his cousin's up to in the bathroom, breaks in and makes her throw up right away before the pills can take effect. He loads her in the car to get her to the hospital, but she manages to talk him out of it. Instead Lafayette takes Tara to a psychiatric institution where his mom Ruby Jean Reynolds is a patient. That's where we get to see Alfre Woodard and Kevin Alejandro for the first time this season. The reason Lafayette wants Tara to see what happened to his mom is because he wants to prevent the same thing from happening to her. He talks about how there's a darkness with the women in their family. Lafayette is pretty fierce in this episode, dealing with Tara's crisis, seeing his mom for the first time in months (although he has been paying the bills this whole time) and meeting Jesus, the Mexican orderly taking care of his mom. Ruby is racist, extremely surly and insulting to her son. But the upside to this little visit isn't just that it serves as a bit of a wake-up call to Tara, but again, this is where Lafayette meets Jesus. Those two are going to look good together.
Later, Tara's back at Merlotte's not tending bar when she meets a mysterious gentleman. I believe this is the same guy that broke into Bill's house searching for information on Sookie and her family history. (We saw some sort of family tree where Earl Stackhouse and Sookie Stackhouse's names were circled.) But we know this guy is the one who broke in because the camera pans down to his rather large feet. The same large feet we saw walkin' around Bill's place. It turns out this guy is a vampire since he asks Tara for a bottle of True Blood. He then ends up coming to her rescue when Tara battles a couple of local yahoos who took offense to her relationship with Eggs. Tara sure knows how to slap a guy and slap him hard. Wow.
Sam's Search for his family ends
Sam ends up reuniting with his birth parents. I'm not sure whether to be happy for Sam or not. One thing I am happy about is the fact he now knows where his shape-shifting tendencies came from. His mom and his brother are both 'shifters. His mom had him when she was 16 and his dad was in jail for a 12-year stretch (he says for a crime he didn't commit). In fact, his dad says he didn't even know about Sam until after he was given up for adoption. Anyway, his mom seems truly apologetic and truly happy to see Sam. The same can't be said for his little brother, Tommy. The kid has a serious chip on his shoulder and you know that the life he's lead can't have been a good one. He and Sam have a "whose life is worse" conversation but it all ends up with the two of them shifting to their dog selves (Tommy's a pit bull) and going for a run. When the dogs are about to be run over by a car, Tommy easily shifts into a bird and escapes the situation. Sam barely gets out of the way and shifts back into his naked, human form and he has to be thinkin' his birth family can teach the dog new tricks.
Other Bon Temps Goings-On
-Jessica asks Pam for advice on how to feed without killing. And more importantly she tries to find out what to do with the body if you accidentally kill the human. Jessica goes home to take care of things and Hoyt's there. He's understanding and playing nice and wants to get back together. Even though she doesn't want to, she sends him away. And then after she gets the tool she needs to get rid of the dead body in her coffin she goes to take care of it. But the body's gone. And this is after she spent the night with it. (Eww....)
-Good scenes between Terry and Sookie. Terry helps Sookie track a werewolf although she does swear him to secrecy.
-Terry comes up with a list of ten reasons why Arlene can trust him with her kids. Of course Arlene's preggers and not telling Terry yet. And during a good portion of the list-reading she's getting sick in the bathroom.
-Jason and Sookie bond while cleaning grandma's house. Jason vows to help Sookie find Bill.
-Jason and Andy's bromance continues although all of a sudden Andy's a hero for killing Eggs. Jason's a bit jealous but really he just wants to have a purpose. He wants to stop hurting people, he wants to be a good guy. Andy's got faith in him. I love this friendship. Jason wants to make things right because Sookie's blaming herself for Eggs' death. Andy ends up taking Jason out on one of his police calls. Andy tells Jason to stay in the car but of course he doesn't. The drug dealer runs out of the house and after Jason spots a mysterious blonde-haired woman, he apprehends the perp.
Fun Lines
"Cooter? Seriously?"
"Nazi Werewolves."
"Excuse me gentlemen, I need to drain the second course."
"I ain't ever been in the front seat before."
Bill and his werewolf kidnappers
At the end of the Season 3 premiere Bill was facing down a bunch of werewolves. When the action picks back up in Episode 2, Bill's bloody and he's viciously taken care of most of the wolves; in fact he rips off the ear of one of the little buggers. Pretty soon, a guy in red coat and white horse rides up and Bill refers to him as "your majesty." It's the Vampire King (VK) of Mississippi Russell Edgington. We find out that the wolves were Bill's kidnappers. They were just supposed to escort Bill across state lines, not drain him of some of his blood too. Russell wants Bill to come back to his manse so he's pretty uppity about the way his werewolf minions (including Coot) have treated the vampire.
The VK takes Bill back to his plantation-like home where he meets Russell's significant other, Talbot. Talbot is pretty flamboyant and talking about decorating the house and it's pretty funny. There are a lot of new characters being introduced in this episode; it's a lot to absorb but the show takes care of the introductions in a pretty seamless way. At Russell's abode, I do feel like we've just stepped into a scene from the miniseries North and South which took place during the Civil War. One minor difference: colonial soldiers have been replaced by gay vampires. Bill's pretty impatient with this whole thing. He wants to get back to Bon Temps and Sookie but Russell's not having it.
During dinner of Warm Blood Bisque and Blood Gelato, he has a proposal for Mr. Compton (who looks extremely sexy in a tux). One of the VK's goals is to marry the Vampire Queen of Louisiana (VQ). She's pretty resistant to the idea so he needs Bill to find out what The VQ's secrets are. And in return, he'll make Bill the Sheriff of Mississippi's Area 2. That deal doesn't really fly with Bill. Does he even have ambitions to become a Sheriff? Russell doesn't understand why the VQ has relegated him to Bon Temps. Bill explains that it's his home. You get the feeling a territory war is brewing especially when the Vampire King goes for the jugular and threatens Sookie if Bill doesn't do what he asks. He says it's too bad Sookie has to pay for her boyfriend's stubbornness. Bill's maker Lorena crashes the party and Bill burns her for her trouble. Awesome moment.
Sookie, Eric and Operation Werewolf
Sookie's beside herself with worry over Bill. So naturally, she turns to Eric for help. Again. She tells him about how she and Jessica found that dead body while they were searching for her vampire boyfriend. The body had an insignia they found out had to do with Operation Werewolf. Eric lies to Sookie saying he knows next to nothing about the creatures except that they are territorial, vicious and pathologically secretive. Being secretive's a good thing in Eric's book because he feels Sookie's so blinded by her obsession with Bill if she did find out information about the "Nazi Werewolves," she'd alert the entire planet. Love that Jessica calls them Nazi Werewolves.
While Eric's alone he flashbacks to Augsburg, Germany circa 1945 when he and Godric were posing as soldiers in the SS to hunt the Nazi Werewolves. They find a female one that attacks Eric. She says they're on the same side, but after he uncovers the insignia, Eric rages that they're not. Then he kills her. So Eric definitely knows a lot more than he's telling Sookie. He rectifies that situation later when he visits her at her grandma's house under the guise of protection, not lust (yeah, right). He tells her he lied to her and major exposition about the dangerous human-wolf combos is revealed: They are organized, well-funded and highly trained; and they're fueled by vampire blood which is very different lore than I've ever heard before. That definitely ups the antagonism between vampires and werewolves. The danger factor for the supernatural creatures has been raised.
Eric tells Sookie he's risking everything by telling her what he knows which is weird because his loyalty is not to Bill. Eric warns her that they're coming for her (she's already spotted one that mysteriously disappeared) and that he owes her. And she better invite him into her grandma's house so he can protect her. I love the way he offers his protection. He tells her he's going to stay and protect her or have passionate primal sex with her: "How about both?" I'm sure Eric-Sookie shippers rejoiced when the Sheriff uttered those words. She makes sure Eric gets a good look at her engagement ring which signifies she's off limits.
Tara & Lafayette
Tara's quick downward spiral after Eggs was killed results in her taking an overdose of pills. Lafayette realizes what his cousin's up to in the bathroom, breaks in and makes her throw up right away before the pills can take effect. He loads her in the car to get her to the hospital, but she manages to talk him out of it. Instead Lafayette takes Tara to a psychiatric institution where his mom Ruby Jean Reynolds is a patient. That's where we get to see Alfre Woodard and Kevin Alejandro for the first time this season. The reason Lafayette wants Tara to see what happened to his mom is because he wants to prevent the same thing from happening to her. He talks about how there's a darkness with the women in their family. Lafayette is pretty fierce in this episode, dealing with Tara's crisis, seeing his mom for the first time in months (although he has been paying the bills this whole time) and meeting Jesus, the Mexican orderly taking care of his mom. Ruby is racist, extremely surly and insulting to her son. But the upside to this little visit isn't just that it serves as a bit of a wake-up call to Tara, but again, this is where Lafayette meets Jesus. Those two are going to look good together.
Later, Tara's back at Merlotte's not tending bar when she meets a mysterious gentleman. I believe this is the same guy that broke into Bill's house searching for information on Sookie and her family history. (We saw some sort of family tree where Earl Stackhouse and Sookie Stackhouse's names were circled.) But we know this guy is the one who broke in because the camera pans down to his rather large feet. The same large feet we saw walkin' around Bill's place. It turns out this guy is a vampire since he asks Tara for a bottle of True Blood. He then ends up coming to her rescue when Tara battles a couple of local yahoos who took offense to her relationship with Eggs. Tara sure knows how to slap a guy and slap him hard. Wow.
Sam's Search for his family ends
Sam ends up reuniting with his birth parents. I'm not sure whether to be happy for Sam or not. One thing I am happy about is the fact he now knows where his shape-shifting tendencies came from. His mom and his brother are both 'shifters. His mom had him when she was 16 and his dad was in jail for a 12-year stretch (he says for a crime he didn't commit). In fact, his dad says he didn't even know about Sam until after he was given up for adoption. Anyway, his mom seems truly apologetic and truly happy to see Sam. The same can't be said for his little brother, Tommy. The kid has a serious chip on his shoulder and you know that the life he's lead can't have been a good one. He and Sam have a "whose life is worse" conversation but it all ends up with the two of them shifting to their dog selves (Tommy's a pit bull) and going for a run. When the dogs are about to be run over by a car, Tommy easily shifts into a bird and escapes the situation. Sam barely gets out of the way and shifts back into his naked, human form and he has to be thinkin' his birth family can teach the dog new tricks.
Other Bon Temps Goings-On
-Jessica asks Pam for advice on how to feed without killing. And more importantly she tries to find out what to do with the body if you accidentally kill the human. Jessica goes home to take care of things and Hoyt's there. He's understanding and playing nice and wants to get back together. Even though she doesn't want to, she sends him away. And then after she gets the tool she needs to get rid of the dead body in her coffin she goes to take care of it. But the body's gone. And this is after she spent the night with it. (Eww....)
-Good scenes between Terry and Sookie. Terry helps Sookie track a werewolf although she does swear him to secrecy.
-Terry comes up with a list of ten reasons why Arlene can trust him with her kids. Of course Arlene's preggers and not telling Terry yet. And during a good portion of the list-reading she's getting sick in the bathroom.
-Jason and Sookie bond while cleaning grandma's house. Jason vows to help Sookie find Bill.
-Jason and Andy's bromance continues although all of a sudden Andy's a hero for killing Eggs. Jason's a bit jealous but really he just wants to have a purpose. He wants to stop hurting people, he wants to be a good guy. Andy's got faith in him. I love this friendship. Jason wants to make things right because Sookie's blaming herself for Eggs' death. Andy ends up taking Jason out on one of his police calls. Andy tells Jason to stay in the car but of course he doesn't. The drug dealer runs out of the house and after Jason spots a mysterious blonde-haired woman, he apprehends the perp.
Fun Lines
"Cooter? Seriously?"
"Nazi Werewolves."
"Excuse me gentlemen, I need to drain the second course."
"I ain't ever been in the front seat before."
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Drop Dead Diva: The Long Road to Napa by Kara Howland
Stacy is feeling a bit underappreciated this week. Neither Jane nor Fred has time for her homemade breakfast. Instead they are wondering where missing shoes and lost keys are as they hurriedly head out the door. So what does Stacy decide to do? She goes into business for herself and invents the arm-velope. Fred, always eager to please Stacy, agrees to help her with her endeavor only to be laid off when a Japanese company sends them a cease-and-desist letter. Apparently Stacy accidentally stole their idea, which they called a sun sleeve. Better luck next time Stacy.
At the office, Fred more than has his hands full with Kim although she seems to be taking things a bit easier on him. She even runs her own errand. Fred can’t take the suspense though and peeks into Kim’s pharmacy bag to see what he missed: a pregnancy test kit. And wouldn’t you know it, Kim personal life ties perfectly into her professional life. Her old friend Caitlin adopted a baby three weeks ago. Kim’s been meaning to drop by or send a gift but she’s been too busy. It turns out birth mother has kidnapped Caitlin’s baby so Kim has a new case.
Jane, on the other hand, has one more client then she thought she’d have. Maria Ellis is wavering in her decision to divorce her husband. He’s married to his job, never around, and she suspects he might be cheating. When Jane finds proof of his infidelity they discover that he’s actually married to another woman. Jane takes both women on and they sue Charles Ellis for fraud. The best part of this case, at least for me, is that Tony is opposing counsel. I didn’t like it when Tony broke up with Jane last week. I get that he’s upset and hurt – I would be too. But they’re so cute together. I didn’t want it to be over. And it’s not. Their back-and-forths and little digs at each other in court lead them back into each other’s arms. But let’s go back to the case for a moment. Things seem to be coming down on Tony’s side until Terri uncovers something among Charles’ assets. Even if Charles managed to find two soulmates in his lifetime – one in Maria and one in Emily – how can he explain a fiancée? He can’t. Case closed.
Kim’s case is getting more complicated and convoluted. The baby’s birth mother Lana has 30 days to reclaim her baby, which she does, but only if she didn’t sign a waiver, which she did. Opposing counsel is trying to prove Lana was suffering from post partum depression, which would void the waiver. And even though Lana claims the she didn’t really have control over her actions and emtions before, Kim and Caitlin think she wants her baby back because the baby’s father Joey is back in the picture. The case is further complicated by the fact that Caitlin gave Lana $20K. It could look like a payoff although Caitlin thought she was helping Lana with medical bills. When Parker forces Kim and Jane to work on this case together they discover Joey has $100K in his bank account. He found a couple who’ve been wanting to adopt a baby boy for a long time and he basically sold his child to them. Devastated, Lana kicks him to the curb and Kim warms him not to run from the FBI, who are waiting for him outside.
What was has all this taught Kim? That she’s not ready for kid. So I guess it’s a good thing she isn’t pregnant. But Fred thought she was when he told Jane. And Jane’s reaction is very interesting. I think I’d be devastated too if my ex was about to have a baby with a woman I loath. But Grayson, once again proving what a great guy he is, says he’ll do the right thing. And even though he and Kim aren’t together any more I believe he would have been a really great father to that kid. But thank God it was a false alarm. I like my Kim bitchy and I’m just not sure she could pull that off with a kid on her hip.
And one very important revelation came to Jane after the baby drama. As Deb, she’s glad Kim’s not pregnant. As Jane she feels like it’s none of her business. It is sad to see Jane give up on her soulmate but I like Tony and I’m happy she’s moving on with her new life.
What did you think of the episode? I’d like a little more Grayson next week.
At the office, Fred more than has his hands full with Kim although she seems to be taking things a bit easier on him. She even runs her own errand. Fred can’t take the suspense though and peeks into Kim’s pharmacy bag to see what he missed: a pregnancy test kit. And wouldn’t you know it, Kim personal life ties perfectly into her professional life. Her old friend Caitlin adopted a baby three weeks ago. Kim’s been meaning to drop by or send a gift but she’s been too busy. It turns out birth mother has kidnapped Caitlin’s baby so Kim has a new case.
Jane, on the other hand, has one more client then she thought she’d have. Maria Ellis is wavering in her decision to divorce her husband. He’s married to his job, never around, and she suspects he might be cheating. When Jane finds proof of his infidelity they discover that he’s actually married to another woman. Jane takes both women on and they sue Charles Ellis for fraud. The best part of this case, at least for me, is that Tony is opposing counsel. I didn’t like it when Tony broke up with Jane last week. I get that he’s upset and hurt – I would be too. But they’re so cute together. I didn’t want it to be over. And it’s not. Their back-and-forths and little digs at each other in court lead them back into each other’s arms. But let’s go back to the case for a moment. Things seem to be coming down on Tony’s side until Terri uncovers something among Charles’ assets. Even if Charles managed to find two soulmates in his lifetime – one in Maria and one in Emily – how can he explain a fiancée? He can’t. Case closed.
Kim’s case is getting more complicated and convoluted. The baby’s birth mother Lana has 30 days to reclaim her baby, which she does, but only if she didn’t sign a waiver, which she did. Opposing counsel is trying to prove Lana was suffering from post partum depression, which would void the waiver. And even though Lana claims the she didn’t really have control over her actions and emtions before, Kim and Caitlin think she wants her baby back because the baby’s father Joey is back in the picture. The case is further complicated by the fact that Caitlin gave Lana $20K. It could look like a payoff although Caitlin thought she was helping Lana with medical bills. When Parker forces Kim and Jane to work on this case together they discover Joey has $100K in his bank account. He found a couple who’ve been wanting to adopt a baby boy for a long time and he basically sold his child to them. Devastated, Lana kicks him to the curb and Kim warms him not to run from the FBI, who are waiting for him outside.
What was has all this taught Kim? That she’s not ready for kid. So I guess it’s a good thing she isn’t pregnant. But Fred thought she was when he told Jane. And Jane’s reaction is very interesting. I think I’d be devastated too if my ex was about to have a baby with a woman I loath. But Grayson, once again proving what a great guy he is, says he’ll do the right thing. And even though he and Kim aren’t together any more I believe he would have been a really great father to that kid. But thank God it was a false alarm. I like my Kim bitchy and I’m just not sure she could pull that off with a kid on her hip.
And one very important revelation came to Jane after the baby drama. As Deb, she’s glad Kim’s not pregnant. As Jane she feels like it’s none of her business. It is sad to see Jane give up on her soulmate but I like Tony and I’m happy she’s moving on with her new life.
What did you think of the episode? I’d like a little more Grayson next week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)