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The Summer 7: My Favorite Shows of Summer 2010 by Kara Howland

Ahhh. As summer comes to a close it’s time to look back and reflect on the summer shows I enjoyed. I’ve been a pretty active summer TV watcher for a while now and there has been a lot of great (and A LOT of bad) television. I don’t watch too much “reality” during the regular season but I allow it over the summer. Here’s what I enjoyed:



The Closer, TNT

I’m so pleased Kyra Sedgwick finally took home an Emmy for her portrayal of Deputy Chief Brenda Lee Johnson. She has always been my number one reason to watch this show. Even if I can solve the murder before Major Crimes does, I always enjoy watching Brenda Lee at work. She’s a smart, strong, and sexy female lead. And her relationships with Chief Pope, her squad, and her husband are always interesting. This season I’ve really enjoyed the move into the new building and Commander Taylor’s plight to get out of his cube. Watching Brenda deal with Mary McDonnell’s Captain Raydor is always great drama. I, like Brenda, am not sure she should be the next chief. I like to see her solving cases from week to week, even after six years.



True Blood, HBO

I love this show. All the supernatural elements are always interesting and often shocking. The large cast means there are always numerous storylines to follow if one or two should fall short (I’m talking to you Sam Merlotte). James Frain’s Franklin is my favorite addition to this year’s cast with Denis O’Hare’s King of Mississippi taking an extremely close second. I will never tire of Eric Northman or Alcide Herveaux (I’m so happy he’s returning next year) or their fight for Sookie’s affection. I thought I’d be a die-hard Sookie and Bill fan forever. Not so much after the finale. Now, I wouldn’t mind seeing her with Eric or Alcide. And what do we have to look forward to next year? More witchcraft, amongst other things. I can’t wait.



Rescue Me, FX

This show never disappoints and Denis Leary is a revelation. Whether it’s funny, daring, dramatic, or shocking there is always something here to satisfy. After Tommy pledges to go back on the wagon yet again, almost no one in his life believes him. Can you blame them? One thing I can always rely on this show for is authenticity. I feel like we know how real fire fighters are, how it is to struggle with addiction, what it feesl like to run into a burning building and emerge alive. That’s probably what I love most about this show and I’ll be sad when it ends next year. It’s been an emotional, violent, and ultimately cathartic experience. And I hope we see more of Sheila and Tommy extremely dysfunctional relationship. They are so wrong together it’s right.



Treme, HBO

After a somewhat slow start, this series really took off for me. I love music and this show does a fantastic job of infusing it into everything. Khandi Alexander needs to be nominated for something (an Emmy, a SAG Award, something) for her role as Ladonna, a struggling bar-owner with a weakness for her ex-husband and a burning need to know what happened to her incarcerated brother during Katrina. There are no weak links in casting here. John Goodman, Melissa Leo, and Clarke Peters - to name a few - have had great storylines. But maybe most importantly, this show has reopened my eyes to just how badly things were handled in New Orleans and it makes me want to visit this bowed but unbroken city. I can’t wait for season two.



Samantha Brown’s Asia, The Travel Channel

I am a huge fan of Samantha Brown and watch all the iterations of her shows – Great Weekends, Passport to Latin America, and Passport to Europe. What I’ve loved in particular about the Asia series is that Samantha is so excited to be there. I guess these trips have been a long time in coming and I can feel her wonder and excitement. I find these shows to be great vacation prep and I find Samantha to be a fun and knowledgeable guide. I like that she often takes the road less traveled and tries to have more authentic experiences. And now I have a huge list of places I’d love to visit.



So You Think You Can Dance, FOX

Season 4 will always be the high point of this series for me but I’ve enjoyed every summer airing as well. I think Cat Deeley needs to be Emmy-nominated for her hosting duties and I love it when she puts Nigel in his place. I also loved the new format - a top 10 (well 11) and the addition of the all-stars. The addition of new choreographers always excites me – even if it doesn’t work. We had a great group of kids to root for this year who danced their hearts out. I really thought Kent would take it all – those tween fans were insane – but I’m glad Lauren made a late surge to take it all. I didn’t buy tickets to this year’s tour but I did see the dancers from Season 4 perform at the Nokia. It. Was. Awesome.



Project Runway, Lifetime

I was so skeptical about the new 90-minute format and, quite frankly, I feel like there is the same amount of show with more commercials. In any case, I still love this show. I always enjoy the challenges and watching the contestants “make it work.” Tim Gunn is amazing as a mentor (I even enjoyed Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style when he was back on Bravo). My favorite part is always watching those designs walk the runway – whether they are atrocious or heavenly. This year has yielded a strong crop of designers but next season I’d like them all to stay out of the hospital. It makes me worry about how hard they are working. But I guess fashion is pain. Learn it. Live it. Love it.

Random Thoughts on Mad Men: Waldorf Stories by Kara Howland

And the student becomes the master. I don’t know about you but I found this week’s episode fascinating. We are learning a lot by watching the evolution – well, the devolution – of Don Draper. We see him when he’s an eager up and comer in the fur business. He takes his chance with Roger and manages to get a job offer, even though Roger can’t remember it. Much like Don can’t remember much of his weekend. He goes to bed with a brunette on Friday and wakes up with a blonde on Sunday. How does this man not have an STD? He really gets around.

I always enjoy the Don/Peggy dynamic and this week it feels like Peggy is continuing to come into her own. I don’t think we’ll have to worry about this particular pupil ever becoming too much like her teacher but I did like seeing her push the new art director around. It was pretty ballsy to strip down so he (as a nudist) could do the same and feel comfortable. Too bad he was so “distracted” by Peggy’s nudity. She also did the right thing in reminding Don that he basically stole that slogan from Roger’s wife’s cousin. And Don paid for it dearly by having to hire that little shrimp.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (in a different way): I’m ready for Don to stop living in the gutter. He is such a mess. I want him to wake up and take some responsibility – especially after seeing how low he’s sunk. I don’t need him to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed but perhaps he should cut back on the boozing and whoring. Seriously.

p.s. Did you see a few of the cast members on the cover of Rolling Stone? Check this out.

True Blood: Fresh Blood by Kara Howland

Sorry for the delay. As you may or may not know I was working the Red Carpet for the Emmys. I spoke to Rutina Wesley (sweet) and Alexander Skarsgard (shy) and saw Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer about five feet away – deep in their newlywed love haze. Oh yeah, I also talked to Mariana Klaveno. Although I really didn’t enjoy Lorena, she couldn’t have been more lovely in person.

Now let’s get to this week’s episode. According to the trades it was the most watched episode ever. Nice! I hope you’re preparing for the finale in two weeks. I’m sure it’ll be a doozy. Especially after what happened tonight. I’ll try to make this quick and relatively painless.

Jesus is just like a Virgin. As he and Lafayette are coming down from their high Jesus is ready to go again. Lafayette has never been on a trip like that and he warns Jesus they can’t control where they’ll go. After he sees Jesus turn into some kind of monster, Lafayette asks Jesus to go home for the night. He doesn’t even want him in the same room let alone the same bed. And when Lafayette wakes up later to voices, he sees that all sort of little dolls and figures are talking to him. And it’s pretty freaky.

Crystal is a were panther. She is expected to marry Felton, who is her half-brother, and breed with him until she gets too old or until she dies. At first it’s all a little too much for Jason to take in so he leaves to go in search of Sookie. All he finds is QB1 practicing at night with his boys as their bored girlfriends look on. As his friends leave, Jason accuses Kitsch of being on V. Kitsch says his coach gets it for him, his parents pay for it, and his principal uses it for his sex life. So there’s no one for Jason to tattle to. Jason thinks it’s all unfair but returns home. He doesn’t know what to do about Sookie or about Kitsch but he knows he doesn’t want to break up with Crystal. Now she’s worried about the raid. Her daddy and Felton are crazy enough to burn the whole place down instead of letting the DEA take it.

Yvetta, the cardiologist, let’s Sookie escape with Bill. As they make their getaway in Sookie’s car Bill tells her he wants to start again and they talk about how idyllic their life would be if it could be a whole lot more normal. But they don’t make it that far before Eric and Russell hunt them down and take them back to Fangtasia. Eric makes Bill start a fight with him as Russell and Sookie go into the bar so he can tell Bill his plan. And the plan is to let both Eric and Russell drink from Sookie and walk into the daylight. To be a day walker is a vampire's most coveted desire. Sookie can’t believe Bill is going along with this – what choice does he have? He’s chained – and she tells him she hates him. Russell makes Eric walk into the daylight first and when Russell sees it’s working he goes outside too. Bill begs Pam to unchain him but she can’t take her bloodstained eyes away from the monitors. Just as Russell notices Eric has started smoking up Eric handcuffs himself to Russell. Now they can die together.

Sam seems to be turning into a male version of Tara. Sam shows up at the bar drunk and insults everyone who works for him as well as quite a few of the customers. Arlene and Holly leave and Terry stops talking to Sam. He even fires Tommy and tells him to get out of the rental. When Tara shows up she doesn’t appear to be that shocked by Sam’s behavior. She ends up confronting Andy about what she thinks really happened the night Eggs was shot. And she finally learns what actually happened. Now maybe she can move on. In the meantime, she and Sam are back to having sex. So Sam is a little distracted when Tommy cuts the alarm to the safe. Maybe this time Tommy will actually get away with all that money. I say good riddance.

Random tidbits:

- Who knew that silver and water solution was available at the local drug store? So convenient.

- Jason thought Crystal’s secret was shoplifting or something.

- Sookie is a human/fairy hybrid. Pure fairies have been extinct for a millennia.

- Summer is in cahoots with Hoyt’s mama, who isn’t dissuaded by their breakup. She’s still determined to tame her willful son.

- Russell has only loved one man during his entire lifetime and that man was Talbot.

- Eric likes Pam better when she’s cold and mean.

- Arlene tries to get rid of the baby with a kind of herbal tea Holly makes for her but she’s still pregnant the next morning even after her bleeding. Rene’s seed lives!

What a great episode. I don’t want Eric to die but I think his plan is kind of brilliant. Are they so weakened that Russell can’t drag himself and Eric out of the sun? We know how powerful he is. They’d better explain that in the first minute of the finale. Enquiring minds want to know!

I’m kind of surprised Sookie went from love to hate so fast with Bill. I know she thinks he betrayed her – and I’m sure she’s tired of that – but her feelings seems to be all over the place. I get that she might be feeling confused and betrayed by both Eric and Bill. I get that she can’t understand why Bill is going back on his promise so soon after they talked about their wonderful new life. And she’s afraid she’s about to die, especially since two vampires are drinking her blood. Something there just didn’t ring true for me.

I like where things are going for Lala. Maybe he’s finally had one too many hits of V. I’m very interested to see where that ends up going. One thing is certain. It will mess him up. Big time.

Arlene, of course, seemed to be certain she’d gotten rid of Rene’s baby. But as Holly said, if this soul is meant to be born it will be born. And apparently, it’s meant to come into this world. I do think Arlene is going a bit overboard with her assumptions that the baby will be pure evil. We don’t know that. And Terry wants to raise the baby as his own. I can understand that Arlene doesn’t want that life in her body but I’m not sure she’ll be able to get rid of it.

Drop Dead Diva: Bad Girls & Freeze the Day by Kara Howland

Sorry I didn’t get this up right away. I worked the Emmy red carpet yesterday and I was too exhausted to watch any TV. But I’m here now and I’ve got opinions!

Wow. My first opinion is that the past two hours are the best two hours of the show I’ve ever seen. Hands down. This is the kind of writing and acting I want to see on this show every week. I’m not saying I don’t already love this show because I do. But I think these last two episodes really showcased how amazing this show can be.

Let’s do the highlights then explore deeper. Parker’s former bedmate and current partner Claire Harrison returns to the firm after an eight-year absence. She left the firm to get married after she fell in love and now she’s back to get a divorce and to start practicing law again. She fakes evidence and fires Kim, who breaks up with Parker. Grayson meets the parents and admits that he’s scared of a future with Vanessa. She appreciates the honesty but breaks up with him. Grayson doesn’t want to lose another important woman in his life so he proposes. Fred asks Stacy out on another date but Stacy is afraid that they’ll burn out quickly if they start out too hot and heavy. Worried that he doesn’t care, Stacy makes him jealous until he admits how much he does care. Jane, once again resolving to tell Grayson who she really is, picks the time and place and even daydreams about their wedding. But before she can tell Grayson anything he asks Jane to be his best man. Upset, Jane runs out of the restaurant and when Grayson follows after her he’s hit by a car. When he regains consciousness momentarily, Grayson calls her Deb.

I’m leaving out a lot of details on purpose because I want to talk about relationships much more then the actual details of all the cases. Let’s start with Kim and Parker. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I really enjoy this relationship. When it started I was very nervous. It’s always a tricky proposition to be involved with the boss and I was worried Kim’s reputation and the work environment would be negatively affected. But they’ve seemed to make it work and I like that Parker is different with her. He really cares about her and was striving to make it seem like he had no bias. And I think he was succeeding. Should he have told Kim about the kiss? Absolutely but I don’t think he had a hidden agenda in keeping it from Kim. I think he was scared to tell her. He’s scared to mess up this great thing he’s got going. But silence can be the death of something. Even though Kim and Parker are apart now I don’t think it will be a permanent separation.

Fred and Stacy. They are adorable. I’m so happy Stacy decided to give Fred a chance. And I really like the way their relationship is progressing. I love that he’s jealous and even though Terri tries to get Fred to be Zen about it all he can’t fake it. He’s jealous. But that’s what Stacy wants. She’s not used to guys like Fred. She probably hasn’t had someone who cares about her like this for a long time. And she’s insecure too. She’s worried that Fred doesn’t care. But I think these two crazy kids will make it and in the meantime it’s fun watching their relationship evolve.

Jane and Grayson. Where to start. Even Grayson admits that they have a connection, which is why he asks Jane to stand up for him at his wedding. What I think is the most confounding thing about their relationship (aside from the fact that Deb inhabits Jane’s body and can't tell him) is that Jane always manages to talk Grayson into something without knowing what she’s doing. Every time she gives Grayson a speech it seems to send him running into the arms of another woman. Jane thinks she’s making a case for herself but she never is. Grayson always takes her little pearls of wisdom and applies them to his other relationships. But how would he know? Jane can’t tell him she’s Deb so he has to believe they’re forging a friendship and nothing else. And Jane is pretty good at hiding her feelings by now. I’m sure these soul mates will get together one day but I’m assuming there will be at least one more season of the whole will-they-or-won’t-they thing. If it’s too easy for these two to get together, I guess a lot of people would lose interest. Not me. But I guess that’s what they’re thinking. And by them I mean the writers and the network.

Ok. Now I’m ready to talk about the cases. Well, I really want to talk about Gail O’Grady and Gloria Reuben. It is so nice to see both of them on the small screen again. Gail is very convincing as a cyber bully. I feel so sorry for her daughter. Can you imagine growing up with a mother like that? She let her own child take the blame for something she did. That’s some bad parenting. And Gloria Reuben. I’m sure she’s worked since ER, but that was the last show I saw her on and I loved her character. Here she plays a woman who can’t imagine life without her husband. The irony is that her research could help bring him back. I’m glad Grayson and Jane convince her to continue to live her life. She's got to be awake to make that discovery.

Terri and Stacy are awesome as always. I know I’m not giving them their due here, but I can’t even imagine this show without them. They are great comic relief and have also shown us some great dramatic work.

And I have to mention both the opening song and dance number, which I found highly enjoyable. Actually, I like it every time there is song and dance. It makes me smile. And an honorable mention goes out to Paula Abdul. I like her on this show.

What did you think? Will Grayson be ok? Will Kim and Parker get back together? Did Fred know Grayson was going to get hit by that car? I hope to find out on the next season of Drop Dead Diva.

Drop Dead Diva Extra

Hi all. I'm pretty excited for Sunday's two-hour finale and I'm thinking you are too. As you may or may not know Drop Dead Diva hasn't been picked up for another season yet. Check out this message from series creator Josh Berman and show them some facebook love.

The Big C: Summer Time by Kara Howland

Well, I liked this week’s episode more than I liked the premiere. That is definitely saying something.

Cathy is an interesting character. She’s been diagnosed with Stage 4 skin cancer yet she’s recently taken up smoking. She’s a teacher who is kind of a know-it-all (but not in a bad way) yet she doesn’t know that much about what those around her really need. I think she’s trying to do right by her son and her student Andrea, but I’m not sure they can be “fixed.” Cathy’s also trying to fix her relationship with herself, which I find the most compelling story. I like that she’s done putting up with the things that drive her crazy. She’s going to turn her son into a good man. She’s going to turn Andrea into a healthy young woman. I’m not sure there’s anything she can do about Sean or Paul, but I do think she’s trying to put some quality time into those relationships to make them work. And, I guess, she’s putting her true self into her visits with Doctor Todd.

There is absolutely potential in this show and I think it’s just starting to be realized. I like the humor here and even though I don’t like Oliver Platt’s character, he plays him well and makes him really funny. It’s unintentional, but it’ s still funny. I’m very interested to see where this will go so I’ll keep watching (but not writing) for at least for a few more episodes.

Random Thoughts on Mad Men: The Chrysanthemum and the Sword by Kara Howland

Don Draper is a genius. He certainly knows how to think outside the box, which helps the firm land Honda despite Roger’s racist comments. I like how Pete is really stepping up and making his opinions heard. And it’s different then the way he’s presented his ideas in the past. Before I felt like he was whiny and needy. Now I feel like he’s actually earned his right to say something to someone like Roger. Good job.

Betty and Don are at their most interesting when they fight. I love their interactions but I do hope they can put their personal acrimony aside to help their daughter because Sally is crying out for attention. She’s clearly still affected by the death of her grandfather and the absence of her father. I hope talking to Dr. Edna helps her.

Miss Blankenship is still amazing with that comic timing. I hope Don suffers through her for at least one more episode.

Drop Dead Diva: Good Grief by Kara Howland

I don’t watch The Bachelor but I do have an opinion about Jake Pavelka: he’s not a very good actor. He’s easy on the eyes though.

Jake makes a cameo appearance as a guy named Toby. A show called The One, with an eerily similar premise to that of The Bachelor, has just made one of the bachelorettes into a public laughing stock. She’s known as Weeping Wendy. She’s suing the show’s producer because she’s been humiliated. Even though she signed a release form, the judge will allow the jury to decide if the show caused her intentional infliction of emotional harm. The most interesting thing about this case, at least for me, is how it affects Kim and Parker’s relationship. But first a quick question: Is this the first time we’ve seen Parker in court? I’m trying to remember. I do like seeing him there, it just feels new and maybe a bit weird. Ok, back to Kim and Parker. She has every right to be wary of his romantic baggage. He’s the love ‘em and don’t ever talk to ‘em again when it’s over type. When he’s in a relationship he’s in 100%. When it’s over, he’s gone. All’s well that ends well though – at least for the case. The producer is in love with Wendy and urged Toby to pick the other girl. He knew Toby was all about launching his career while Wendy was all about finding true love. They end up going out to dinner to see if there’s something there.

Speaking of true love, Jane takes a case that doesn’t please Parker. Her client is dressing up as a clown even though his job is in corporate sales. His wife died about six months ago and that’s when the costume and makeup made its first appearance. The day before Evan’s wife died they spent time together and both got a kick out of a clown that made fun of her. Dressing up makes Evan feel close to his wife. The only problem is that people at his company are uncomfortable and when Evan uses his horn to answer a question in court, the judge holds him in contempt. With Grayson as Jane’s co-counsel she’s getting insight into how Grayson dealt with Deb’s death. He too was on a downward spiral until he realized Deb wouldn’t like the man he was becoming. Jane pulls out that piece of wisdom for Evan and helps him take his makeup off when Evan realizes what he’s doing. And as a bonus he gets his job back. I think it was a shame to put Barry Watson in all that makeup. But at least Jane and Grayson got to bond a bit.

Stacy likes Fred. Well, it’s about time. Jane suspects Stacy might have feelings for Fred when she wipes off her zit cream before he can see it. And later when Fred invites Stacy to dinner and she runs into an ex, Fred defends her honor. When Stacy kisses him, Fred realizes he might just be on a date with his dream girl. I like seeing these two crazy kids together. I’m excited to see where it goes now that Fred has a new “deal.”

Next week is the two-hour season finale and based on the previews it should be quite exciting. I won’t give anything away here but if you miss it you’ll be sorry. See you next week.

The Rachel Zoe Project: Changes in the Zoe Camp by Kara Howland

So…I wanted to try to do a marathon and catch up on all three episodes so far but I totally ran out of time this weekend. I’m hoping to catch up by the end of the week (wish me luck). In the meantime, I got one episode watched.

With Taylor’s shady departure and awards season imminent, Brad (now the Style Director) has to bring another person into the business. And what happened to Taylor you ask? Fired. The “financials” weren’t lining up. It seems like she was “borrowing” samples and never returning them and from what Rodger says it looks like her expense reports weren’t on the level either. Wow. I have no problem accusing Taylor of being a bratty drama queen (and perhaps also brilliant in terms of her styling) but I would have never pegged her for a thief and a liar. Seriously.

Rachel and Rodger starting looking to hire another person. Brad says this person will replace Taylor, but I don’t think that’s really true. They don’t seem to want another associate. They want an assistant and even though Taylor complained loudly about still performing assistant duties, technically she wasn’t an assistant.

Rachel thinks all six applicants are so green. And they are. Someone who is an “assistant” at Rachel Zoe is probably an associate somewhere else. And, of course, Rachel’s stressing about making the decision – she wants to make sure she picks a person who is no drama.

On top of everything they’ve just been hit with a Harper’s Bazaar shoot with Demi Moore. It’s shooting in four days with 10 looks, but Rachel wants 30 looks to choose from. It will be a playful and prop-y shoot, based on what they know now. The way it works is Rachel picks her looks from the runway, emails the editorial department and they try to pull as many pieces as possible. Rachel also brings her own pieces in. It’s a good thing the look books have just come in. Demi was Taylor’s client so Brad is feeling a bit stressed. It would be a disaster if any of Taylor’s clients left Rachel to go work with Taylor.

Since the concept isn’t 100% set, Brad wants to take a lot of looks to the shoot. He wants to prove that he can do more than Taylor was doing.

Bazaar sends Rachel a list of images they’ll be using in the shoots – oversized and undersized props. Brad is surprised to see a giraffe on the list with all the other props.

Rachel gets a call that her old agency is now repping Taylor and that they’ve sent out a press release about it. And Rachel didn’t know anything about this. You have to admit that it’s a shrewd move by both Taylor and Rachel’s old agency. Whatever the real story is, Taylor is a stylist and she’s going to do whatever she needs to do to get a job.

Rachel’s feeling the pressure. She wants Demi and Bazaar to be happy and she wants the photographs to be iconic and beautiful.

The shoot is in Malibu and all the looks are from the Spring runways. Rachel’s going for Alice in Wonderland, a little surreal and little dream-like. The shoot seems to be going well but there is one Marc Jacobs piece that Rachel keeps asking Brad about that isn’t there yet. Brad’s definitely feeling like they’re short-staffed; there’s only so much he can do (a refrain I feel like we heard a lot from Taylor). When the bloomer outfit arrives but there seem to be undergarments missing so they decide not to use it.

Location change. They move from the house to the beach. Rachel has to be carried down to the beach because of her shoes. She claims not to own flats, which I believe. Here comes the giraffe and Demi is in the Alexander McQueen. Beautiful.

With the Bazaar shoot done, Rachel makes the call to Ashley. She’s hired. She needs to start immediately because they’re so insane right now.

Brad wants Rachel to see the latest issue of Paper before she’s ambushed with her. A while back Brad and Taylor were approached by the magazine and asked to style each other for a photo shoot. At the time it was a great idea, now it’s awkward now. Rachel tears Taylor’s pictures up, throws them in the fireplace, and wants to light a fire. She doesn’t wish Taylor the best. Rachel just wants Taylor out of her mind.

What a great episode. More than anything I watch the show for the fashion. Sometimes I want to fast-forward through all the drama. Whether or not Taylor is on the show, there will always be drama. Rachel is always freaking out about something and so is Brad. Rachel’s’ studio seems like the perfect environment for that. I just roll my eyes and go with it. I do think both Rachel and Brad have every right to feel betrayed and angry. But they both need to get over it and do their jobs. I know Taylor was with Rachel for four years and she considered her family, but cut those heartstrings Rachel. Stuff like this happens all the time in the business world. You hope it won’t happen to you but you’ve got to move on when it does.

I, for one, am very excited about awards season. I always like seeing all the dresses and the finished looks. I can’t wait to see what Rachel puts on her clients for the Globes. And who is the mystery client who defects to Taylor for the big show? I don’t know since I haven’t watched that episode yet. But when I do, I’ll meet you back here.

Random Thoughts on Mad Men: The Rejected by Kara Howland

Trudy is finally pregnant and Don gets his just desserts, sort of.

I’m not sure how to feel about the fact that Pete Campbell is soon to be a father (for the second time). Pete even admits that it feels different then he expected it to. Well, I should certainly hope so. The first time he was told he was a father was a complete and unwelcome shock. This time, it’s something that Trudy – and maybe to a much lesser degree Peter – has been anticipating. Peggy’s reaction is quite interesting and I liked their little interaction at the end of the episode. I wonder if Peggy will ever truly get over Pete.

Don is finally called out by Allison. When some of the girls who are participating in a focus group at work start talking about how ex-boyfriends didn’t seem to appreciate, or in some cases even notice them, it’s a little too much for Allison to take. She knows Don is watching and doesn’t feel comfortable confiding in the group. When Don finds her in his office later he once again wants to pretend like everything is ok. But Allison is sick of it. She’s embarrassed and she wants to go work for a woman. When she asks for a reference and Don can’t even be bothered to write it, it’s the last straw. She makes a bit of a scene as she leaves. Good for her. It’s about time someone called Don on his atrocious behavior. I think he’s finally starting to realize the error of his ways, which isn’t so good for everyone in his life. Because when he feels threatened he lashes out in really ugly ways. Tonight’s episode should be a doozy.

P.S. Miss Blankenship is awesome. She’s an unexpected and welcome dose of hilarity.

First Watch The Big C: Pilot by Kara Howland

It’s taking everything in my power to not write this as a snap judgment. Everything. In. My. Power. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love Laura Linney. She is luminous and raw and brave and harrowing. Not necessarily in this, but in films and television shows in the past. And she’s absolutely the best thing in this mess of a show.

Let’s talk about what I didn’t like: Oliver Platt’s Paul is a baby and she calls him on it. She even tells her son she only wants to raise one child and she picks him, which is why his father no longer lives with them. Her son Adam is such a spoiled brat that he pretends to be a thief, then pretends to cut his own finger off, and finally he won’t plunge the toilet after he stops it up. Oh, and he screams like a girl. Her brother Sean is strange. He’s homeless by choice and is kind of an eco-terrorist. I mean, we haven’t seem him do anything violent (yet) but he’s very confrontational.

Let’s talk about what I kinda like: Marlene starts out as an unpleasant neighbor who calls the police on Cathy but ends up as someone who is probably going to be a great friend. After years of living her life to die, Marlene seems to finally have awoken. Gabby Sidibe’s Andrea is a mean girl who Cathy wants to help turn into a skinny b*tch. Cathy tells her she’s give her $100 for every pound she loses, as long as she stops smoking. Apparently, every cigarette you smoke takes six months off your life. Cathy is full of these fun little facts. Cathy’s oncologist Dr. Todd seems like he’s a good doctor. Cathy is his first terminal case. I think he’s handling pretty well but considering her attitude I’m not sure how he could be handling it better.

I’d like to have dessert and alcohol at every meal. Well, that’s not true. I’d love dessert with every meal. If I have to have cancer in order to do that, as Liz Lemon would say that’s a deal breaker. I find her attitude about her cancer very strange and yet kind of refreshing. It’s her choice whether or not to tell anyone about her condition and she’s chosen to keep it to herself. She’s finally breaking out of her “boring” and “nice” mold and living her life. Now, it’s preferable to do that before you get a death sentence but at least she’s doing what she wants to do.

I will give this at least one more episode and, frankly, it’s only because of Laura Linney. Please oh please make it a good one.

I do realize there is a possibility I am in the minority here as the season premiere broke some records. Check it out.

True Blood: Everything is Broken by Kara Howland

Tommy provokes Sam into losing control. I don’t know about you but I’m over this story line. Before tonight I thought it was kinda boring but now I want to be done with it. Tommy is a no-good brat. He has no manners, he’s a thief, and he rubs everyone the wrong way. The fact that he could provoke Sam to such violence is disturbing. And I think Sam is going to pay for that outburst. Crystal’s daddy is going come back for Sam and it won’t be good.

Arlene doesn’t want to keep her baby. After Tommy steals Arlene’s tip, Holly tries to comfort her. Arlene admits that Terry ain’t the baby daddy and that what she’s carrying inside of her is a time bomb. When Holly asks if Arlene wants to keep the baby, Arlene admits that she doesn’t. She says she won’t go to a clinic but Holly says there are other ways to take care of it.

Eric and Pam are on lock down. When Eric flies to Fangtasia and admits he staked Talbot, Pam comments that she’s never seen Eric panicked. Since Eric took a vampire’s life he has every right to be scared. Pam says the best place they can hide is in a human’s house – maybe Sookie – but Eric isn’t having any of that. And before they can leave Nan Flannigan and the V Fed desend on them. Eric tells them the whole story – who Russell is, what Russell did to his family, how Russell gives his blood to werewolves, etc. The authority later disavows all knowledge and tells Eric to take care of it, but with his own resources.

Russell returns home to find Talbot’s entrails on the floor. He’s pretty heartbroken and gathers up Talbot’s remains. We’re not sure why until we see the remains in a glass urn. Kinda gross, but I guess Russell needs something to talk to. He thinks the AVL (American Vampire League) is protecting Eric and that doesn’t sit well with him. Russell reigns havoc and vengeance down on them when reveals his agenda on live TV and after ripping the spine out of the newscaster who was on previously. Russell tells the world he is the true face of vampires. He drinks blood from humans and thinks human’s are beneath him. Nan’s got her work cut out for her.

Crystal is a liar. It’s something we already know but I’m getting tired of all her lies. She lies to her family and she lies to Jason. When Crystal is discovered at Jason’s house she tells her fiancé that Jason kidnapped her and then she says Jason raped her. Yes, she did it to avoid a beating from her fiancé. In fact, when he turns his back she clocks him with the butt of Jason’s shotgun. She trusses him up real good and they leave him by the side of the road after calling the police. The only problem is that he somehow gets loose and almost kills deputy Kevin. Jason doesn’t seem to know what’s going on (no surprise there) but there’s a lot Crystal isn’t telling Jason. And it’s past time for her to come clean.

Hoyt can’t stand his new girlfriend. Jessica is upset when she sees Hoyt with Summer. She asks him why he can’t go somewhere else but Hoyt reminds her that Bon Temps is his town and he’s been coming to Merlottes for years. When Summer goes to the bathroom, we learn that Summer loves dolls (which Hoyt hates) and that she only talks about herself. But it’s better then sitting around thinking about Jessica all the time.

Bill says he knows what Sookie is. I don’t know if they’re back together or not but their time in the shower together and their disposal of a dead body certain has them working as a team again. I, for one, don’t need them to figure things out yet. I like them together and I like them apart. I think I’m happy either way. The most interesting – shocking, really – part is when Bill ends up in the dreamplace Sookie went a few episodes ago. He meets Claudine and she assumes Bill has killed Sookie. Bill assures her he hasn’t and tries to convince her he doesn’t want Sookie’s light. But he tells Claudine he needs to know what Sookie is so that she can protect herself.

Sookie’s cousin Hadley kidnaps her own son. She tells Sookie she’s sorry she told Queen Sophie Ann and Eric about her and now she’s scared for her son Hunter. She thinks he might be like Sookie, which Sookie confirms. Hadley freaks out and drags Hunter out of there – presumably to go on the run. I guess we’ll see.

Tara refuses to see a shrink to discuss what’s happened to her. She goes to a group instead, where she sees Holly. Holly is a rape survivor. She gives the group a few details of the assault and tells them she still thinks people are worth trusting. We can see that really resonates with Tara.

An un-dead Franklin finds Tara. I knew he wasn’t dead. Even though Tara did a great job of beating his head in I knew he’d be back. And I’m so impressed that Tara stood up for herself. She tells Franklin she wants him to kill her. That way she’ll be rid of him for good and he’ll have nothing. That really sets him off and he starts choking her. When Jason interrupts with his shotgun I’m not too impressed. When he pulls the trigger and Franklin explodes that’s another matter. He has enough of a brain to use wooden bullets. Good job Jason. And now that’s the end of Franklin.

In the only happy development, Jesus and Lafayette are deep in a love haze. Well, maybe a lust haze. I’m happy Lafayette has something good in his life. His mama running away from the home turns out to be a good think when Jesus turns up to retrieve her. I like where their relationship is going and I hope it continues to be a good thing for them both. But this is True Blood, so I’m not holding my breath.

Another great episode. I’ve always enjoyed this show but this season I feel really engaged. The only storyline I hate is Sam’s, even though I love his character. So as soon as the Mickens get the heck out of dodge – and permanently – I think I can return to enjoying Sam more. The vampire mythology we keep learning is always interesting and I’m very happy we’re about to learn what Sookie is. I wouldn’t mind seeing a bit more of Alcide in future episodes (and I know he’s a regular next season) but otherwise I’m pretty happy. Even if sometimes it seems like this show will run off the rails it usually pulls itself back just in the nick of time.

Drop Dead Diva: Will & Grayson by Kara Howland

I don’t know about you but I knew Jane would never date a married man – not the old Jane and certainly not the new Jane. I also had my suspicions about who ended things between Vanessa and Will. I’m glad the truth came to light.

Grayson and Vanessa. Let’s start there. I have to admit I’m already kinda bored with this relationship. I really like Jaime Ray Newman (in fact, I think she’s great on Eureka right now) but she isn’t doing anything for me here. But she is a great romantic foil. There has to be something or someone keeping Grayson and Jane apart and she’s a good enough excuse. Things were a bit more interesting when Kim was that romantic foil – although I’m really enjoying her relationship with Parker and how Jane is managing to get her little digs in about it this week– but I guess I can’t have everything I want.

Anyway, back to tonight’s episode. During the course of Grayson’s case, he discovers that Vanessa has an ex-fiancé Will Casey who also happens to be the defendant in his case. He is closing up shop and moving his factory down to Mexico. His competitor is essentially running him out of town. Grayson gets this case because Vanessa represents Will and it’s a conflict of interest. There are two interesting things that come out of this case (at least for me): a) Grayson learns that Vanessa lied to him about her relationship but also discovers why it ended and b) Grayson finds out a way to keep the company local and saves over 100 people from the unemployment line. Oh, I guess there’s one more thing we learn: c) Will is a pretty good guy. Grayson knows he doesn’t like to loose, but he’s willing to overlook that for the good of his employees. I do have a question though. If Grayson was able to find out how to save Will’s company, why wasn’t Will? It didn’t take Grayson that long to come up with a good solution. I’m just sayin’.

Jane and Todd. Although Todd’s wife Hope Prentiss believes Jane broke up her marriage, there’s not enough evidence to go on to believe this is the case. But since Jane only has Deb’s memories, there’s no way to know what really happened unless she can track Todd down and discover the truth. Since Hope has pictures of Jane and Tony emerging from a motel it shouldn’t be that hard. Jane and her trusty sidekick Jane go to the motel and find a pair of prescription sunglasses Todd must have left behind. Terri works her magic and Jane finds Todd, who is very surprised to see her. After she explains to him that she has no memories from before the shooting Todd tells her what was actually going on. He discovered some dirty cops in his division and he was working with Jane so she could bring the evidence to the D.A. But when Jane got shot, Todd felt he had to go on the run since the dirty cops were framing him.

Now that Jane really knows what’s going on it’s up to her to find the audio evidence, which Todd gave to her 8 months ago, and get Todd out of trouble. When she does discover the recording the judge won’t allow it in to evidence. They turn to Kim to help them. She goes undercover and gets one of the dirty cops to talk and she gets all of that on tape. And as easy as that, the charges against Todd are dismissed. Now, I don’t believe that any cop – even a dirty one – would be that careless even with a pretty woman. But, Jane’s client is back home with his family so all’s well that ends well.

Well, kinda. Fred and Stacy. So Stacy knows how Fred feels and I think she’s wisely choosing to play dumb. He notices that she’s watching a lot of old movies to “hone her craft” and decides to make a recruitment video for the firm and cast Stacy in the lead. It’s more than that though. Stacy lets it be known that she won’t be dating until she gets her career into gear and Fred just can’t have that. So they spend some time making the video and when Fred shows it to Kim it’s a bit of a disaster. I would call it porn, but it’s not nearly that bad. It’s just very obvious that Fred is in love with Stacy from the way he shot and cut the piece together. Kim promises it will never see the light of day but Fred gets a kiss on the check for his efforts. At least he’s scoring some points.

One random thought: I had no idea Jane was so bad at telling jokes. Terri referring to Jane’s inability to make jokes was funny but Jane actually telling that horrible joke and then laughing hysterically about it was pretty fun.

Another random thought: Watching Stacy practice being a lawyer – then slipping up and throwing medical terms into her speech – was pretty funny. She’s such great comic relief.

Only one more episode before the 2-hour season finale. I’m excited. How about you?

Lite Bite Top Chef: Kenny is Eliminated by Kara Howland

I just watched this week's episode. Now I know a lot of people think Kenny has a huge ego - I'm not disputing that - and the judges have mentioned more than once that he needs to edit his dishes. And even if Team 2121 was the losing team in this week's restaurant wars, I still think the judges sent the wrong chef home.

From what we saw, it looks like Alex had almost no hand in preparing any of the food. Yes, he was asked to butcher the lamb (which Angelo had to redo because Alex was screwing it up). Yes, he was asked to prepare the fish (which Tiffany had to redo because it was still scaly and boney when Alex got through with it). So what did Alex do other then harass the wait staff and tell the judge's they'd be eating pork when they were actually eating lamb? A whole bunch of nothing. But I think Amanda should have been up on the chopping block too. It sounds like her one dish was almost inedible; the beef was overdone and the greens were horrible. Why didn't she get put up on the block? I'm trying to remember if Top Chef has always sent the team leader home from the losing team during restaurant wars. Do you guys know? I would have been more than okay with Amanda going home since Alex was "safe" this week. I'm not quite sure why Amanda's still in the competition. I think she's been safe in the middle (or near the bottom). She needs to step it up or be sent home.

But let's revisit Alex for a moment. It seems like he's aware that his team had absolutely no confidence in him. And if that was the case he should have fought to prepare something of his own just in case Evoo was the losing restaurant. Having a hand in prep isn't nearly the same as preparing a dish. And Padma was very clear that each team member had to prepare a dish. For whatever reason, the culinary Gods have chosen to keep Alex in this competition but that had better end pretty soon. I want to see him step up and prepare an amazing dish (hopefully not involving a pea puree) or be sent packing.

I would have liked to see "the beast" hang around for a few more episodes. I don't think Kenny would have won the competition but his rivalry with Angelo was great for watercooler talk. Somehow, I think Angelo might be a little less compelling next week. I will definitely tune in to find out.

Want to know what Kenny really thought about this elimination? Check this out.

So You Think You Can Dance: The Finale Part 2 by Kara Howland

And the winner is…

…usually I would torture you a bit. I’ve never understood why the finale is 2 hours long. I understand that they want to heighten our expectations and I’m sure Fox and all it’s affiliates want to make as much money as possible (on commercials, of course). But it’s a whole lotta torture as far as I’m concerned. So I’ll tell you right now who the winner is: it’s Lauren.

And what about the highlights from tonight’s show? You know I have to start with the wonderfully delicious Cat Deeley. I feel like she’s really stepped up her game this season. I’ve always loved her but this year I enjoyed the back-and-forth dialogue she got going with both the dancers and the judges. It’s nice to see her personality come out beyond the audition episodes. I hope we get to see even more of that next summer. Oh, yeah. I forgot to talk about how she looks tonight. Divine. The dress is a bit over-the-top for me but it’s the finale. I’ll allow it.

Group Dance
Ra / Nathan Lanier
Nice spotlight moment for Melinda doing her tap thing. I love seeing Dom and Jose battle it out in their style. Twitch surrounded by his girls in red is hot. Oh, I love that Alex is there. He’s not allowed to stand unassisted but I love that he’s there in a chair. Great spotlight for the rest of the guys. And then they all come together (contestants and all-stars) with the final 3 at the front of the pack. Christopher Scott from LXD choreographed.

Finally. There’s my Mary Murphy. I have missed her all season. Seriously.

What do the judges want to see again?
Kenny Ortega chooses Tyce DiOrio’s Shoeless Joe – Kent and Neil
Nigel picks Stacey Tookey’s Mad World – Billy and Ade

Special Guest #1: Quest
Suzy / Caravan Palace
Hok’s hair gets stranger and stranger but I still love him. Ryan is still great too. I love the b-boys. Always so inventive and visually stimulating.

What other performances do the judges want to see again?
Mia wants to re-view NappyTabs’ Fallin’ – Adechike and Comfort

A judge doesn’t pick it, but Kent and Anya’s My First Kiss piece is next.

Tyce would like to re-visit NappyTabs’ Scars – Robert and Dominic

Nigel takes to the stage for his performance. He claims the Season 7 curse has happened again. He’s got two stand-ins but a 7 year-old interrupts. Luke wants to fill in for Nigel. The kid has some chops. It goes on for a bit too long for me but he was adorable. So talented.

The Menzari Brothers impressed Nigel on National Dance day so they get their time in the spotlight. Very nice precision. Great job and fun to watch.

Another favorite routine of the judges?
Nigel picks Miriam and Leonardo’s Oblivion – Lauren and Pasha
Adam chooses Travis Wall’s Fix You – Robert and Allison

Last season’s winner Russel performs with Lil’ C
Hazardous / Buckmouth
Krumping is so cool. It’s nice to see two amazing technicians battle in this style. They are really amazing. And I like that it’s a slower version of what we’d usually think of Krump. This way we can really see everything.

What other highlights do the judges want to see from this season?
Mary Murphy requests to see NappyTab’s Battle for the Beat – Jose and Dominic. Was it just me or did Jose seem very low energy in that? It was a little disappointing this time.

Nigel invited this season’s SYTYCD winner from the UK version. She performs a Mandy Moore piece with all-star Neil. Her name is Charlie Bruce.
I Surrender / Celine Dion
Pretty impressive after a quiet start. Wow. This piece is very lift-heavy but I’m really enjoying it. Nice job.

It’s time to see the final three on the stage. For one of them the journey ends now. The dancer in 3rd place is Robert.

What’s the next stand out routine?
Adam wants to see NappyTabs’ My Chick Bad – Lauren and Twitch
Cat picks Sonya Tayeh’s Hallelujah – Alex and Allison

There’s time for two more favorite performances. What are they?
Stacey wants to see Nakul Dev Mahajan’s Ganesh – Billy and Robert
Mia picks the final piece, Travis Wall’s How It Ends – Kent and Neil

It’s time for some music. Black Gold with Shine.

There’s one last surprise that Cat claims everyone will be talking about tomorrow. I had heard it was Ellen Degeneres but I had to see it to believe it. She’s no Alex but I’m really enjoying Outta Your Mind with Twitch. It’s making me laugh if nothing else. And then they bring Alex out on his crutches. Nice!

Let’s get down to business. Lauren and Kent come back out on stage. Kent takes the runner-up spot and Lauren takes it all. I’m genuinely shocked but so incredibly happy for her. Wow. WOW.

So You Think You Can Dance: The Finale Part 1 by Kara Howland

You can call me crazy, but watched every single episode again. I don’t tend to erase any episodes (including the results shows) until the end of the season. And I’m glad I kept them all because I was reminded of a lot of great performances. I still mourn the premature loses of Alex and Ashley and I’m still sad Billy isn’t in the finale. But I’m confident Kent, Lauren, and Robert will dance their asses off tonight and we should have a great show tonight.

And what of Cat you ask? I like her sparkly little black number. Her hair and makeup look great and she’s adorable, as always.

I think I see something I already like. The judge’s panel consists of only 3. Good. That’s the way it should be. And I just learned that everyone dances 5 times tonight. Nice.

The highlight reel makes me remember that we haven’t seen Hi Hat or Mary Murphy all season. I know Mary choreographed something but Hi Hat didn’t. Boo. I was looking forward to seeing what Hi Hat could do and I would have liked to see Mary Murphy on the panel (with her subbing in for Mia or Adam) at least once this season.

Kent
All-star partner: Lauren
Nakul Dev Mahajan / Bollywood
Rehearsal: It’s about a couple at the altar and the groom gets cold feet. Bollywood is campy so Nakul encourages Kent to bring on the faces.
Om Mangalam / Kambakkht Ishq (soundtrack)
Performance: I like this dance when it’s fast. I’m really enjoying it so far but I don’t need to see Kent flipping around the stage. Great energy and it looks like they’re having a blast. Very nice job.
Judge’s critiques:
Nigel says it’s great fun choreography, great costumes, and great dancing. Mia thinks it’s perfectly tailored to Kent. He hit everything precisely. Kentish. Adam thinks the energizer bunny should retire. He’s the feel good dancer of the year.
Further critique: I agree. I thought it was highly enjoyable and I didn’t mind Kent’s crazy faces. This time.

Lauren
All-star partner: Twitch
Tabitha & Napoleon / Hip Hop
Rehearsal: It’s about struggle so it’s a presidential debate – a debate through dance. Their movements mirror the lyrics and their speeches.
Power / Kanye West
Performance: It’s cool so far. Lauren’s hitting it very hard. She’s great in this style. Great side-by-side and individual dancing. Interesting concept, very nice execution.
Judge’s critiques:
Nigel says art inspires art. NappyTabs is just so good at inspiring people to dance. She dances that so strongly. Lauren brings out strength. She’s transfixing. Mia calls her filthy. What a season NappyTabs has had. Mia doesn’t know if there’s anything Lauren can’t do. She loves the masculine/feminine balance. Adam says Lauren makes him proud to be sitting in his chair. She’s one of his favorite girls the show has ever had.
Further comment: Love her.

Robert
All-star partner: Mark
Tyce DiOrio / Jazz
Rehearsal: The piece is a power surge of electrical energy.
Whip It / Devo
Performance: Great song choice. Fun opening. They aren’t perfectly in sync, which is throwing me off a bit. I think Robert’s nerves might be getting to him. I am enjoying it but it’s a little weird.
Judge’s critiques:
Nigel says Tyce has done an incredible job of choreographing something that doesn’t look like him. He likes that Robert and Mark had fun doing it. Mia wants them to be on tour with Adam Ant. She loves the look. For her, Robert is the most improved of the season. The piece is awesome. Adam thinks this piece is a testament to the addition of the all-stars. Robert dances like he’s not competing.
Further comment: I just didn’t love it as much as the judges did. Even though I love Mark in perhaps a slightly unhealthy way, I think they did Robert a disservice tonight to pair him with a guy for this style. It’s just my opinion.

Kent’s solo
The Finish Line / Train
A bit too frenetic for me. Why is he dancing like he’s desperate? I didn’t enjoy it at all. He rushed through his tricks and didn’t seem to have much control. Take a deep breath, Kent.

Lauren and Robert
Dee Caspary / Contemporary
Rehearsal: It’s about them going home and being at piece with how the journey has been. They’re having trouble with their prop pillow.
That Home / Cinematic Orchestra
Performance: The piece is so cool but the pillow is a huge distraction. Make it go away! Great technique. Wow. Amazing connection – physical and emotional. I loved it. And I warmed up to the pillow.
Judge’s critiques:
Nigel complements Dee on the choreography. There are touches of genius. Strength sums them both up. Very beautiful from the pair of them. Mia calls Dee unreal. The use of the pillow, the fluidity, the connection is never-ending. This is the most delicious performance from Robert to date. He’s so open and humble. Mia expected perfection and Lauren is perfection. She’s such a proud Mama Mia right now. All Adam saw up there was how much they love and support each other, as well as beauty.
Further comment: These two dancers have come a really long way. Lauren is strong yet vulnerable. Robert managed to put that wacky personality away so we can focus on his dancing. I love these two, together and apart.

Kent and Lauren
Mandy Moore / Jazz
Rehearsal: Mandy wants the piece to embody quirky and cool just like Lauren and Kent do. There’s no kissing this week. Yes, there is.
Hip to be Square / Huey Lewis & the News
Performance: Great music. The piece is very cute but it’s not really doing anything for me. Is it just me or does it seems a little low energy? I can see that they’re doing some tricks but the energy feels off.
Judge’s critiques:
Nigel doesn’t feel they were challenged enough. They kept the characters well and did what was asked of them. Mia isn’t sure what to say. It was fun, right? She enjoyed the quirkiness. They killed it but she didn’t like it. Adam loves them, that was crazy, get out of here.
Further comment: I’m glad the judges managed to put into words what I couldn’t. I didn’t care for it either.

Robert’s solo
The District Sleeps Alone / The Postal Service
Great quality of movement. Interesting body positions. Nice levels. Very nice control. A great showcase for his talent.

Kent
All-star partner: Allison
Stacey Tookey / Contemporary
Rehearsal: It’s about looking into a relationship everyone thinks is perfect but they have a lot of problems they don’t talk about. Who’s going to break first? Stacey is digging through to an honest place.
Sundrenched World (Live Session) / Joshua Radin
Performance: A nice, quiet start. Great connections. They are dancing with and off of each other so well. Kent is really giving us something here. That string/puppet thing is really cool. Very nice dancing and great emotion.
Judge’s critiques:
Nigel thinks Kent’s lines get better and stronger each week. Emotions are real. Honesty to the performance. The only chink in his armor is his upper body strength, although it didn’t show here. Mia feels like he’s so invested. Kent’s technique and solidity is flawless. When he says “Get off of me” at the end, it’s genius. It’s a love fest from Mia. Adam is wondering what’s going on with Kent right now. Kent just became an artist. Adam is so proud of him. So special, brilliant.
Further critique: I was really feeling this piece from Kent tonight. I do feel the brilliance. And you can see how emotionally invested in it he is.

Lauren’s solo
I’m Goin’ Down / Mary J Blige
Nice levels. Great technique. She’s showing us her heart and she looks like she’s really enjoying it out there. I heart her.

Robert
All-star partner: Kathryn
Spence Liff / Broadway
Rehearsal: An interrogation room. Kathryn is a sexy, hot interrogator. Robert’s got to keep his cool for this number.
Cool / West Side Story (1961 soundtrack)
Performance: I like his solo at the beginning. Great chemistry with Kathryn. I’m really enjoying them dancing together. Great movement across the stage. I saw a lot of typical Broadway dancing but I really enjoyed it. Great job.
Judge’s critiques:
This is one of Nigel’s favorite pieces of music. Robert danced it very well. He is showing all the different sides to his dancing technique. He’s delighted with Robert’s journey on the show. Mia got a little nervous when she heard the music. She loves the classic feel. He put his own story behind it. She wanted a little more simmer. This is a special piece of choreography for Adam. Spencer put a fresh spin on it. Jerome Roberts would have been proud of Robert.
Further critique: I am not familiar with the original. Having no reference point I really loved it. And you know how I usually feel about Broadway so that’s really saying something.

Lauren
All-star partner: Pasha
Melanie Lapatin & Tony Meredith / Cha cha
Rehearsal: Lauren sees Pasha and she loses her mind. Sometimes she gets a little dirty.
Not Myself Tonight / Christina Aquilera
Performance: Great connection at the beginning. Very sexy. I’m loving it. I want her to have a better connection with Pasha. She’s dancing a little too much to the crowd for me. Those lifts were very intricate, and very well done.
Judge’s critiques:
Nigel says it’s a fabulous routine. The foot-action, knee-stops, everything. It looked near-perfect. She’s the best contemporary girl they’ve had do a ballroom routine. It looks like she got everything right. Mia wants to know who Lauren is. Mia’s so happy she stood up for Lauren’s butt this season. She owns everything. If Mia was still dancing she’s want to dance just like Lauren. She never gets bored watching her. Adam says Lauren feels the music like no one else on this show. She understands the notes and rhythms and embodies it.
Further critique: Technically, I did think Lauren was quite impressive. I still wanted a little bit more of a connection between Lauren and her partner.

Kent and Robert
Miriam Larici & Leonardo Barrionuevo / Malevos
Rehearsal: It’s a fight. Malevos means gangster. They’re from the outskirts and they’re ready to battle it out, Tango-style. The footwork is crazy.
The Chosen/Drum Addict / Taylor Long
Performance: I always love new things on this show. It’s interesting because it’s basically a Tango but with two guys. I’m enjoying this. The footwork looks pretty crisp but not flawless. I think they’ve got their characters down. I want them to be going after it a little harder though. The intensity at the end is nice but it looks like they have a little technical difficulty.
Judge’s critiques:
Nigel had never heard of this routine. It’s what the men do to practice the Tango before they dance it with women. All of the dancers have worked so hard this week and throughout the competition. Nigel asks the audience to vote. They all deserve it. Mia loves the feel of this piece. There was a debonair quality as well as a hood quality. Great performance. The legwork could be tighter. It wasn’t perfection but she loved it. There were some elements that weren’t quite right but at this point it doesn’t matter. The final three have become Adam’s favorite dancers from any season. They entered as kids and came out seasoned professionals.
Further critique: I would have loved to see it danced completely clean, but I still enjoyed the emotion and the story. Great job.

Even though it might not seem like it, I will be happy if any three of these dancers take home the crown tomorrow night. I think they all danced brilliantly and I want to see them all succeed in the dance world and in life.

What did you think of the finale? Who got your vote? Who do you think will win it all?

Random Thoughts on Mad Men: The Good News by Kara Howland

Gentleman, shall we begin 1965?

Christina Hendricks' Joan. What an interesting character. She goes to the doctor to make sure everything is in working order for whenever she and her husband decide to start adding to their family. Not only do we learn that Joan’s had two abortions but we also learn that she doesn’t trust her husband’s medical skills. When she cuts herself badly she wants to go to the hospital despite the fact that her husband is a surgeon. Now, I’m sure there’s much more behind her decision not to trust him. First, he’s a rapist. I think for Joan to go on in her everyday life she has put that out of her mind. She’s kind of resigned to her home life. Maybe that’s why she such a take charge kind of girl at work. And second, she has no idea when he’ll be shipped off to basic training. After that, he can be sent to Vietnam at any time. Whether or not she has any intention of starting a family with this man – and it seems like she does – there’s real hesitation here. Maybe part of her is realizing what a mistake it would be to settle for this guy. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Jon Hamm’s Don. What a debauched character. He’s been on a downward spiral so far this season and in some ways I think he’s hit rock bottom tonight. He learns that the first Mrs. Don Draper has cancer but she doesn’t know about it. I still can’t believe there was a time – and in the not so distant past – when doctors weren’t required to tell their patients what was going on with their own bodies. Anna has a right to know. If the cancer is as advanced as everyone seems to think it is, doesn’t she have a right to know so she can live her last weeks or months how she sees fit? I don’t think Don will get to bring his kids out to see her for Easter. I’m sure she’ll be long gone by then. And how many people will Don corrupt before he wakes up and tries to be a better man? Not only was I embarrassed – for both him and Stephanie – when he made a move on her niece but I was a little appalled. I know she’s in college. I know it’s 1964. But really? Will Don try to have sex with every single woman he meets? And what about Lane? At first I liked that they were doing some male bonding. It’s nice to see Lane lighten up a bit. He’s always so serious and dour all the time. And even if his marriage is breaking up, I don’t really think that’s a reason for Don to introduce him to a prostitute. I’m sure it was accepted back then but that doesn’t make it ok. Lane wanted a distraction and he certainly got one.

What will 1965 bring to our favorite characters? We'll have to wait and find out.

Drop Dead Diva: Last Year’s Model by Kara Howland

Parker unintentionally favors Kim at work, Stacy discovers how Fred feels about her, and Grayson thinks he sees the ghost of Deb.

Jane declares herself a rainmaker after a client, Charlotte Perkins, contacts her and asks for Jane to take on her the case. But there’s a problem. Parker is happy to take the case but he makes Kim first chair. When Jane cries foul and tells Parker she knows about their relationship, Parker has quite a good comeback. Out of any lawyer at the firm Kim has won the most employment-related cases. Jane doesn’t have a quick comeback for that. In fact, I was a little surprised she would throw Parker’s relationship with Kim in his face like that. I know she can sometimes be rash and speak before she thinks but he’s the managing partner. She might want to watch the way she speaks to him. If she wants to become a partner there, that is.

But, back to the case. Of course it’s our intrepid Jane who thinks of a strategy to win the case. At first, they decide to try it as a discrimination case. But when their client turns out to be in her 30s instead of her 50s, they reconsider their strategy briefly before deciding to proceed. After the judge dismisses the case, Jane refiles it as a sexual harassment case. And they get somewhere with that. Even though Clasky says a reasonable person wouldn’t find the work environment hostile, when Jane calls a reasonable person to the stand she helps Jane clench the win for her client.

In the meantime, Stacy is a bit delinquent on her credit card bill. Instead of sending money for the minimum payment due she buys a pair of deeply discounted Marc Jacobs shoes. Hoping to get her out of trouble, Fred offers to get her a quick and easy job. She’ll make $175. All Stacy needs to do is serve some divorce papers to Molly Hobbs. But it isn’t so easy. Molly is the picture of a young woman in love. She’s only been married for six weeks and she’s hard to give bad news too. So hard that Stacy can’t do it. And when Fred tries he doesn’t have any luck either. It’s only after meeting her husband that Fred realizes Molly will be better off without that jerk. Fred gives him a whole speech – basically telling him everything he loves about Stacey, which she overhears although Fred doesn’t realize that. When Mr. Hobbs says he wants to meet this person Fred knows these two don’t belong together. When Fred shows up again Molly admits to knowing everything. She just wanted to stick it to her husband. After Fred gives Stacy her money, she asks him out on a date. So cute. I’m glad Stacy knows about Fred’s feelings. Hopefully she’ll give him a chance.

Grayson takes on clients who think their house has been haunted. At first he thinks they’re playing a trick on him but he and Terri go to the house to check it out. Terri is freaked out and jumps at every creaky sound and flickering light. But Grayson is made a believer when he sees Deb. She asks how he is and asks if he’s seeing someone. And Grayson lies and says no. In court, the judge quickly dismisses the case even though Grayson admits – in open court, no less – that he saw a ghost in his client’s house. Grayson goes back to the house to talk to Deb and admits that he is seeing someone. And just then Vanessa shows up. She finds evidence of toxic mold and with that Grayson wins his case. When he goes to congratulate Jane on her win, he admits he saw Deb in the haunted house, which is a big surprise to Jane. Grayson admits to her that if he believed in ghosts he’d like to think Deb would find a way to stay close to him.

There was a lot of good stuff in tonight’s episode. I will have to admit to being cautiously optimistic about Kim and Parker. I like them together, despite my better judgment. I like that Kim threatened to end things with Parker if he gave her first chair on the case because they’d been sleeping together. I also like that she told Jane Grayson is still in love with his dead girlfriend. That’s got to give Jane just a little bit of hope. I’m wondering what it means that he saw Deb even though we know Deb’s spirit is in Jane’s body. I hope that explain that and soon.

I can’t believe there are only a few more episodes left before the finale. How’d we get here so fast? I do have a juicy little tidbit for you, which I found on tvguide.com. Don’t read it if you don’t want to know about the finale.

See you next week.

Mad Men Extra

I don't know about you, but I'm always happy to read anything that gets published about Mad Men. Check out The Envelope's take on the season so far.