OUAT MEGA POST, PART 2: Pirates, Ships, and Witches, Oh my!

Just what you wanted from us: MORE THOUGHTS! Part 2 is under the cut (also, just in case you don't make it all the way to the bottom: Once Upon A Time is officially back tonight as of 33 minutes ago). Have fun watching (and possibly reading)!

Doctor Who: "The Angels Take Manhattan" Live Reaction Podcast: The Weeping Ashitaka's Angels Edition!

You saw that title right, folks. Who better to discuss an episode about the Weeping Angels than the Ashitaka's Angels, who also, consequently, wept with abandon after watching it (well, at least 2/3 of us did). Going in, we fully expected the Ponds' farewell to be an emotional one, and we were not disappointed. In this podcast, we discuss those pesky and creepy Weeping Angels and say goodbye to an amazing companion duo while wading waist-deep into an ocean of Pond feels. Wade with us, won't you? 

Here's the rundown:

00:00~00:53  Let the sadness begin!

00:54~09:36  Chapter 1: Crying. We talk about whether or not we cried, what parts made us cry, and what other episodes (if any) made us cry. Spoiler alert: One of us shed no tears.

09:37~19:20  Chapter 2: Least Favorite/Favorite parts; we also discuss different versions of the Angels,  Matt Smith's heartbreaking performance, and the Statue of Liberty

19:21~24:49  Chapter 3: Confusion, part 1: "How do those Angels work?" and other time-traveling queries. Also, why did Rory have to go back?!

24:50~26:47  Chapter 3, continued: Our theories on how "The Angel's Kiss" gets published; also, head canon!

26:48~33:54  Chapter 4: The Farewell Itself; We discuss how happy we were with how the Ponds departed/the finality of their departure

33:55~39:21  Chapter 5: River Song--why she can't travel too long w/The Doctor; the beginning of the end; our thoughts on The Doctor and River's relationship

39:22~45:32  Chapter 6: Emotional Respite a.k.a. we play a brief round of "WHO Said That?" (Yes, I am that corny sometimes) to distract ourselves from the sadness. Also, Maxine explains why she would carry a sledgehammer with her if she were The Doctor

45:33~46:54  Chapter 7: Scolding Rory (but not really)

46:55~53:07  Chapter 8: More Time-Travel Centered Confusion. Lea asks a big question about the very last scene + leftover favorite Amy/Rory moments

53:08~1:00:12  Chapter 9: Displacement. Maxine literally gets displaced in time for a quick second; we discuss The Doctor's having to let Amy go

1:00:13~1:03:51  Chapter 10: The Doctor. How he's been erasing himself from history, being scary while traveling alone, his dislike of endings

1:03:52~end  Chapter 11: Speculation on Oswin/Clara, how we'll process not seeing the Ponds anymore + wrapping up

Though the Ponds' days of time-travel with our favorite time lord have concluded, our discussion of it will continue. Our mid-season podcast recap will be happening soon! 

Doctor Who: "The Power of Three" Live Reaction Podcast! (The Repodcasting)

Why the 'repodcasting,' you ask? Because we love the show so much we had to talk about it twice (and not because of technical difficulties that occurred during the first recording)? Sure! Let's go with that. Tomorrow's episode, as all Whovians know, is when the Ponds say farewell. So, naturally, in this podcast, we couldn't help but dip into an ocean of Pond feels. Even Mrs. Hughes from Downton got in on it. It'll make more(?) sense when you listen.

Here's the rundown!

00:00~06:43  A quick recap and a Quotes Quiz! Which Doctor Who character said what?

06:44~12:31  General reactions/Our favorite parts

12:32~20:11  Lea blows Jenni's mind with a Doctor Who theory. More theories abound soon after.

20:12~26:32  A Spice Girls mention followed by the beginning of our Pond feels/ General companion commentary/ a discussion of the lonely Doctor

26:33~27:01  Spoilers?

27:02~31:27  A chat with Mrs. Hughes and more spoiler talk

31:28~31:53  Funniest scenes in "The Power of Three"

31:54~42:03  Favorite episode so far/General thoughts on this season as a whole/What kind of episodes appeal to us

42:04~44:44  A brief discussion about cardiac arrest

44:45~46:50  The Doctor vs. Rory: Who has better hair?

46:51~53:59  Our attempts to emotionally prepare for the Ponds' farewell episode

(50:48)           Lea does a spot-on Dalek impression

54:00~58:09  Comparing different companions' departures

58:10~1:07:59  Top Amy/Rory moments; Plus, a discussion of the dynamic between the Doctor and the Ponds; Basically, all the Pond feels are belong to us.

1:08:00~end  Wrapping up!


Are you prepared to say goodbye to Amy and Rory? Excited and/or terrified to encounter the Weeping Angels again? "The Angels Take Manhattan" airs tomorrow on BBCA at 9:00 p.m.!

Is it possible to cry from Pond feels and not blink for fear of the Weeping Angels at the same time? I guess we'll find out.

Television for the Week of September 16th

This is where I talk about all the tv I watched during the week. Featuring Boardwalk Empire, The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Project Runway.

Doctor Who: "Dinosaurs On A Spaceship" Reaction Podcast!!!

Once again, thanks to the Internet, the Ashitaka's Angels (and friends of the blog) got together on Saturday night to discuss our favorite time lord in the latest episode of Doctor Who, "Dinosaurs On A Spaceship"!

Full disclosure: there are a lot of tangents, but they enhance the discussion. Naturally :)

If you want to keep the whole podcast for yourself, you can actually download it by pressing the 'Download' button on the player.

If you want to skip around, here's the rundown!

00:00~09:27  General Reactions

09:28~13:00  Speculation on the Ponds' farewell

13:01~19:31  Our dream guest stars for Doctor Who
                      ...followed by a quick discussion of the Bifrost from the movie, Thor

19:32~22:05  How many times we thought of Jurassic Park during the episode;
                      ...Also, a clarification of the term "Goldbluming"

22:06~26:16  Thoughts on the relationship between Rory & his dad (played by Mr. Weasley!)

26:17~33:38  Our reactions to the Doctor letting Argus Filch die (Solomon in the episode); a discussion  of the Doctor's personality

33:39~38:53  Thoughts on the trajectory of future episodes based on "Dinosaurs On A Spaceship"

38:54~42:17  On whether or not Eleven's dark side will emerge

42:18~47:44  Lea's dog, Sonny, pays us a visit/ our favorite moments from the episode

(45:12~46:20  Technical difficulties, which made Lea, Jenni, and I sound like Daleks)

47:48~50:13  Clarification on what happened to the dinosaurs at the end

50:14~53:22  Wrapping up

Enjoy. And join us next week when we discuss Season 7, episode 3, "A Town Called Mercy". Same bat time, same bat channel :)

Supernatural mid-season finale, but mostly a lot of other stuff

I was going to do a season finale/mid-season finale recap of Boardwalk Empire, Supernatural, and Once Upon A Time. That was until I realized I just had TOO MANY FEELINGS regarding the Boardwalk Empire finale and couldn't even begin to coherently share them with the world. So I scrapped the idea. Before doing so however, I did end up writing a review of the last episode of Supernatural before the break. It's sitting on my harddrive, so I thought I'd post it anyways.

I will say this about Boardwalk Empire however, I thought the finale was actually a great episode of television that wrapped up an exciting, engrossing season. The Jimmy Darmody storyline was executed wonderfully and Michael Pitt has never been better. HOWEVER, I'm not sure I'll be watching the show anymore. The moment that Jimmy died was the moment I realized he was the only character I truly cared about on this show. I enjoy watching so many of the other actors and characters, but only really on a surface level and not on the deep level that I cared for Jimmy. The only character who comes close is Richard, but so many of his interactions came between him and Jimmy or Angela (and Jimmy/Richard was the OTP of the whole dang show, let's be honest). Jimmy dying actually made sense and in a way was a nice wrap-up for a character who was so damaged and lost, but ultimately found a sense of peace and closure in the end. But why, WHY do it this season? Why kill your most interesting character only 2 seasons in? I don't mind Jimmy dying, but save it for a series finale! I just can't imagine this show without Jimmy and I'm not sure I'll really want to. I'm grateful to this season for being so entertaining and for Michael Pitt being amazing every week, but my desire to continue watching might have just died with Nucky pulling the trigger.

Once Upon A Time starts back up this week and I'm excited for it, but still mourning slightly foreign, sexy sheriff Graham. Not only will I miss his face, but his episode was by far the best episode of the series so far and I'm disappointed they got rid of the character right as he was learning the truth (although I do concede that with the nature of the show, there's a strong possibility he could come back or be seen again). Damn those Lost producers and their penchant for killing off attractive characters in first seasons *cough*Boone*cough*. Without going into any detail, I still think the show has its problems, but ultimately it's a fun ride with appealing characters, actors I like, and enough mystery to make it interesting. I'm sticking with it for now!

Ok, so I guess I did have more to say than I thought. Trust me though, I could have said A LOT more. And with a lot less coherence.

One final note however, I just caught up on Breaking Bad. Watched the Season 4 finale a few days ago. And THERE IS SO MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THIS SHOW BUT HOW DO YOU EVEN SAY IT?! A;SLDJKF;ALS;DKJF;ALSDFJALSDKJF SO GOOD. SO. GOOD.
I thought about writing posts for it, but I'm pretty sure they'd just devolve into keysmashes and paragraph after paragraph on how Jesse Pinkman is the greatest character ever. Also, Zozizzle is now starting her Breaking Bad watching and I don't want to risk spoiling her. So for now, no BB posts, but maybe one day! And hopefully with Zozizzle in tow! :)

Finally, my Supernatural review of 7x10, "Death's Door":

This is the best episode of Season 7. That's not really saying much since season 7 hasn't been that good so far. But I think I'll take it one step further and say it's one of the best episodes of the entire series. Certainly for me, one of the most memorable episodes of the past 2 seasons and the only episode this season that sticks out for me at all. And this is coming from someone who was never a huge fan of Bobby. It wasn't that I disliked the character, I just hated the show's over-reliance on Bobby as a fact-getter/problem-solver extraordinaire in the later seasons. Relying on Bobby for answers every once and a while is fine. Relying on Bobby for answers every single episode made Sam and Dean seem lazy. I longed for the days when they had to search dad's diary and figure things out for themselves. It was too easy! Still, this episode put the focus on Bobby and showed that the show still has the ability for great character development, interesting storytelling, and the ability to make me cry. Too often this season has told us what characters are thinking and feeling without any explanation as to why. Sam and Dean's "development" this season has felt extremely unsatisfying. I'm not buying their character arcs at all because it feels like the writers keep tacking on "issues" without any logical progression. Not to mention a storyline with the Leviathans that while it has potential, has never really felt like anything new. Sadly, the show had to kill off a main character to get interesting again, but ultimately I think it worked because it believably showed us exactly the kind of man Bobby is.
As Bobby lies dying from a gunshot wound to the brain, we get to quite literally go inside Bobby's head and take a journey through his past. Each flashback leads us to a deeper understanding of Bobby as a character and each one is more powerful than the next,  leading to the devastating scene of young Bobby shooting and killing his abusive father.
Flashbacks aren't exactly a new concept, but structurally this episode found really interesting ways to tell the story. The episode as a whole was visually beautiful, as the darkness, or "death", slowly crept up on Bobby, swallowing his memories. I enjoyed how Bobby was at times a passive observer to the memories and other times actively interacting with his friends, helping Rufus solve a case until even he started helping Bobby along to meet his darkest fear.
It was just a well written episode overall that was entertaining while still being character driven. More than anything though, this episode reminded me of what it feels like to be emotionally invested in Supernatural again. I'm just a casual viewer now. I'm not obsessed like I used to be. I'm not even really a "fan", to be perfectly honest. I watch now mostly out of a loyalty to a show I used to love so much, not because of any great enjoyment I'm getting out of this season. But every once and a while a scene will come along like the one that ended this episode, with Bobby looking on fondly at his two adopted sons, realizing he did alright for himself after all, and I remember what made this show so great.

American Idol Season 10: Some Stuff Happened

why is this picture so awkward?

So, some stuff happened on this show, idk. About halfway through the season I realized I didn't actually like this show nor gave a crap about what the outcome was going to be. See, I used to hate American Idol. I used to hate it a lot. And then Kris Allen happened and it took over my life and I've been watching ever since because of what? Some misguided illusion that I actually sort of liked this show? It was a lie. A LIE! In fact, I actually have Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler to thank for my realization, because their completely awful, terrible judging this season started my complete turn around ("the first half of that performance was excellent. The second half........was equally as good"). And everything that used to bug me about this show came flooding back and I was just done.

The majority of posts on this blog are about American Idol! How did this happen?! This is a tragedy! No. No more. I don't care about this show anymoooooooore. And I will not be watching it next season. No more of this!

Sure, the contestants are the best part, but dear lord, it's not the end of the world if your favorite gets eliminated. It is not worth 4 hours of your life to power vote for a contestant! Haley was probably my favorite contestant left, but after she got eliminated I went, ".......k" and then turned the channel to the Office finale. Yes, I know, the Lea from 2 years ago, would slap me in the face and then continue to power vote as she cries about how Kris Allen changed her life. This Lea? Still loves Kris with all her heart. She still is grateful to this show for giving him to her, but this Lea thinks a few votes for Lauren and a few votes for Haley last night were more than sufficient.

This is turning into a rant. I'm sorry. Let's talk about this season and the impending finale.

Hey, get this, this finale? Doesn't bother me at all. Scotty was an inevitable lock for the finale since probably the semis. I cannot begrudge the dude making it this far. Have his performances been groundbreaking, creative, or exciting? Hell no. Did he sing in tune, pick songs that fit his voice perfectly, sing about Jesus, mention his grandma, have a few quirks that young girls and old women found endearing (the sideways microphone! the crazy eyes!), play the guitar, and be the perfect All-American cutie? Hell yes! For all his 'aw shucks' demeanor, I kind of think Scotty is some kind of evil mastermind, because boy has been playing this show like a fiddle. I really do think he's going to win too.

And then there's little Lauwen. I...did not like Lauren at first. Not only was she pimped a crazy amount at the beginning, but she was always all up on Steven Tyler and it was creepy because you know Steven kind of liked it. And then her personality is kind of grating. That...hasn't changed. She can still be pretty insufferable. I give her a little bit of a pass because she is only 16, but girl needs to shut her mouth sometimes. HOWEVER, I totally warmed up to her because while Paul was whispering creepily into the camera and Casey was growling/shouting like a dying cat, there was little Lauwen singing in tune and singing well. I really really do like her voice, and while I don't think she's truly had a 'moment' this season, she's given a lot of really good, solid performances virtually every week. And as much as this song is soooo overplayed, I actually thought her "I Hope You Dance" won the round last night (I almost loved her "If I Die Young" performance before she lost it at the end). Is she going to win? Probably not. Do I want her to? Yes. I'm kind of surprised at how much I really do.

And then there's Haley. Haley is someone else who I kind of hated at the beginning. I totally thought she stole the spot of more deserving contestants and her first few weeks were all over the place. But then "Bennie and the Jets" happened and I was sold. Absolutely flippin love that performance and that studio. In fact, that was the first 'moment' for me this season. I think she had another moment with her "House of the Rising Sun" performance and I also greatly enjoyed her "Rolling in the Deep" and "What Is and What Should Never Be". She was the best contestant because she was unpredictable. She made different song choices and sang them in interesting ways. Was she without faults? Definitely not. She sometimes relied on the growl too much and I never felt like she really truly connected with her songs. But she was fun and seemed like a cool gal and could do wicked things with her voice and tbh, will probably release a better CD now that she didn't win than if she had and was forced to make a generic pop record.

People can get all up in arms about how the best contestant this season got prematurely eliminated, but I think in Haley's case it was too little too late. Haley started off the season with some either bad or completely unmemorable performances. Not to mention, quite a few trips to the bottom 3. Her fanbase was never establishing. Scotty and Lauren's fanbases were established in the first week and they never did anything so offensive that it dwindled. Haley has definitely been gaining momentum as the weeks went on and I definitely think her fanbase was growing, but it was just too late. Basically, it made sense to me that this was her time to go (not that I liked it, it just made sense).

And it totally makes sense to me that she was eliminated after this week's episode, tbh. Her voice sounded great last night, but I was about 99% sure her and her dad lit up before the episode, what with her falling all over the stage, that damn wind machine that had me laughing so hard I could barely hear her performance, and just a general air of craziness and I-don't-give-a-fuck attitude. Not to mention "You Oughta Know" was kind of a hot mess. Dude, the old women and young girls who make up the majority of the audience probably thought she was too weird and voted for the safe country duo. I'll miss Haley's presence on performance night, but I'm sure she'll be there on the finale results show strutting around like a drunk stripper and being awesome :')

A lot of people are already calling this finale "the most boring finale ever", and it probably will be if we get more performances like the ones we did Top 3 night. But I'm really really hoping we're gonna get something crazy. I know Randy has been crowing the "if it aint broke, don't fix it" line, but for once, I want Scotty to sing a pop song! Or sing a hard rock song! Or take an R&B song and make it country! Anything except some mid-tempo country song that I've never heard of. Lauren has actually branched out to other genres a little bit in the competition, but how about some Mumford and Sons? Or something else that you would never connect with Lauren. She has a lovely voice that I believe she can do way more with. I already know she can do pretty little country songs. Give me more! Lauren is going to need it! They need a girl winner, dammit!

So...what is this post even? I almost didn't post it, but there hasn't been an AI post in so long, I thought what the hell. If you read all this, I am truly sorry. But look at the bright side! Only one more week of this shit show!

Game of Thrones Episode Reaction 1.5 "The Wolf and the Lion"

This was definitely my favorite episode of the season as of right now. I adored the first 2 episodes, but I'll admit that episodes 3 and 4 were slightly less enjoyable. They were still great episodes of television and I liked them a lot, but I thought the pacing was a bit off and that the exposition was a little clunky, like they couldn't figure out how to seamlessly fit in the history of the series into the show. Through no fault of the writers, those episodes also featured a lot of "set-up" beats from the story. Episode 5 however is really when things start to pick up. What I liked about this episode is that it balanced the exciting, action-y plot of the book with introspective character moments written just for the screen. And they did it all without Dany or Jon! Something I didn't even realize until the episode had long ended. And while I love those 2 storylines on the show (especially all the Jon and Sam stuff from last episode), I didn't actually miss them; so engaged was I in this episode.

Three scenes in particular come to mind in showing how great the show is doing at adding even more background not in the book. The most powerful of which being the scene between Robert and Cersei. This scene was so good I immediately claimed this episode was the Best! Ever! after it was over. Their conversation about Lyanna kind of blew my mind, and with just a few lines Cersei became more fleshed out and actually more sympathetic to me than she ever was in the book. Their relationship is so sad and they are both just so messed up, and you can see the threads unraveling before your eyes. So many things in the series hinge on the decisions of those 2 characters and this scene went leaps and bounds in telling us why they do what they do. And I have to point out that both of those actors are friggin amazing. I've been especially impressed with Mark Addy. He was FANTASTIC this episode.

I also love that we would never have gotten a scene like the one between Varys and Littlefinger in the book. That's why this show is such a godsend!  It's something I've always wanted but never knew I did. And I still hate Littlefinger, but Aidan Gillen is doing a fantastic job at being just ambiguous enough to not know whether to trust. And I will always love Varys and his mind games (in fact, I have a ridiculous soft spot for Varys that cannot be explained). And those two characters battling it out like that? Beautiful! Also? Filled with sexual tension! It was palpable in Varys' eyes.

The Loras/Renly scene was one I had heard about but was a little aprehensive as to how they were going to play it, but man, I LOVED that scene. It's another one we could only get in the show as Renly/Loras is really only ever hinted at in the books (and something I never picked up on until AFTER I finished reading and saw some people talking about it and went, "ooooooh").  So much good stuff coming out of their conversation. I'm not sure whether this scene was as affective to non-readers, but besides setting up their secret relationship, we got an introduction on the Tyrells and their power, information about the dynamic between the Baratheon brothers (Stannis mention!), and what kind of person Renly is as well as planting the seeds for his storyline in the second season. These characters become even more important later and this scene is there as a reminder. I also will not deny the eye-candy. No, I will not (besides that though, I'm really enjoying both of those actors in their roles. Loras is almost exactly how I imagined him).

As far as the rest of the episode goes, the action scenes were suitably tense and violent as all get out. Like, really violent. Does every neck need to be slashed in a way that a fountain of blood flies out in a 10 foot radius? And I really didn't need to see that horse get killed that way D: I was also just starting to fall in love with Jory again and now he's dead! And it's made even sadder when you think back to the conversation he had with Jaime in the last episode :(
I don't need to mention Jaime in every review I do, but I am still loving Nikolaj Coster-Waldau's performance so much. His face in the entire last scene of the episode was just !!!!!!! so much love (even while he's doing a bad, bad thing). But all of the actors on this show are doing really phenomenal work. In fact, this show is just kind of phenomenal.

Bullet points so I'll stop the rambling:

• Arya's repeated, exasperated "I'm a girl!" is fantastic.
• Continuing to absolutely LOVE the actor who plays the Hound. MOAR HOUND!
• Lancel makes me laugh every time he's onscreen. Stupid Lancel.
• UNNECESSARY THEON NAKEDNESS IS UNNECESSARY! No...no no no no.
• And are they overexplaining the Greyjoy thing? I know Theon becomes more important later, but we went 3 episodes where he was just the random guy who hung out with Robb, and now all of a sudden it's like Greyjoy history lesson every episode! Effin Greyjoys.
• Yeah, so, they totally didn't shy away from the total batshit craziness of Lysa and the Eyrie. The breastfeeding was always so disturbing to me in the books, but I didn't think they would actually SHOW IT in the show. But no, it was just...right there. (Catelyn's look of "oh shi-" during that whole scene was amazing).
• I did however, love the way they did the sky cells.
• I also have a strange soft spot for Bronn in the books. And I am loving him right now in the show.
• I laughed at first at the scene with Bran reciting the places with their sigils and words because I thought it was just another way for the show to slip in some lore and exposition. However, that scene ended up being quite sad and heartbreaking for young Bran. I just want to hug him! Cutest child actor ever!
• MOAR ROBB!

Shit it going to continue to go down more and more with each passing episode. I know what's going to happen, but I seriously can't wait :D

American Idol Season 10 Top 11: Motown Week = Awesomesauce

Don't look so scared, Scotty

Casey - "Heard it Through the Grapevine"
Casey's problem has always been that he growls/screams half his songs without actually singing (and never getting called out for it :/). I HATED his Nirvana performance last week. HATED. Ahem.
LOL I have no idea if that was good or not. Or if I liked it. Casey puts so much of himself into his performances you can't help but like him! He's so charismatic. Yet it was still really growly. A LOT more control in it this week compared to last week, so I'm glad. But I really want him to just sit down and sing one week. No vocal acrobatics.

Thia - "Heatwave"
OMG a fast song! A FAST SONG! Don't mess this up Thia. And she's actually smiling and showing personality. She looks way more comfortable up there, except the part where she looked to the backup singers like she forgot the words, lulz. i think this was my favorite performance of hers, buuuuut it was still a little karaoke. Who is she?! Who is she as an artist? I honestly have no idea and have absolutely no clue what kind of CD she'd make.

Jacob - "You're All I Need to Get By"
If Jacob just stood up there and danced he would be my favorite contestant. Some of the  contestants problems is that they don't really feel the song. Jacob's problem is that he feels it too much lol. Onto the performance, he's showing so much restraint and this is really great so far. I can finally appreciate how awesome his voice really is. And the faces he's pulling are amazing. AHHHHH THIS WAS THE BEST JACOB PERFORMANCE OF THE COMPETITION OMG. I LOVE HIM AGAIN. JACOOOOOB.

Lauren - "You Keep Me Hanging On"
Wow. Her voice is SO. GOOD. I kind of wish I didn't have to look at her/hear her speak because otherwise she might be one of my favorites. This is one of her best performances I think and I like how she frequently does more uptempo songs.

Stefano - "Hello"
Hey, Haven't you heard? Stefano is the new frontrunner apparently. His voice kind of sounds nasally on this song. He seems to be emotionally connecting to the song though. It was alright. Not terrible, but not groundbreaking. Kind of sleepy if i'm being honest. lol and the judges were all saying he wasn't connecting. idk, i just can't bring myself to liking him.

Haley - "You've Really Got a Hold on Me"
Haley has one of the most interesting voices left. I kind of hated her at first because I felt like she took Kendra's spot, but I've been warming up to her more and more as her unique tone has been shown off. I don't expect her long for this world, unfortunately.  Holy moley, is she all over the place lol. That was certainly interesting, but I couldn't even pay attention to her voice that much. She was just jumping all over the place and was walking down the stairs like a drunk stripper. Aaaaaand I'm the only one who didn't like that apparently. I want to like her soooo badly, but her performances just don't match her amazing voice, for me for you.

Scotty - "For Once in My Life"
SCOTTAAAAAY! Being forced to not do country, this is what i've been waiting for! THIS IS HIS TRUE TEST! This sounds exactly like all of his other performances lol. And tbh, I cannot stop laughing his voice sounds so weird on this song. His high notes are a lot better than i thought they would be. I thought it was a solid Scotty performance. But I think it maybe was a little too slow? Still, I like Scotty.

Pia - "All In Love is Fair"
Please don't bore me Pia, your voice is so good. I want to like you so badly. omg another ballad, stopp ittttt. She starts and I fall asleep. Yeah yeah, her singing is effortless and amazing, but omg she is so boring. I wouldn't be unhappy if she won. She would deserve it, but I can't imagine ever buying her CD. I like that the judges are calling her out on the constant ballads though. She better go uptempo next week.

Paul - "Tracks of My Tears"
Paul was my early favorite and while I still like him, I've been pretty disappointed in him the last 2 weeks. I still love his voice, but it just hasn't worked on the songs he's been singing. And the drunken stumbling didn't really help. So the fact that he's using a guitar again this week makes me happy because I really think he needs to do things more in his style. He made it really folksy and different and he's rocking it out. I think I liked it. I was the first drastic rearrangement of the season and I think he succeeded with it.

Naima - "Dancing in the Street"
Things are never boring with Naima at least. She's gonna dance again this performance. I like it when she does that. I like that she's different and contemporary with her style. Her voice sounds sooo much better this week than the last few. Waaaah her dancing breakdown was so fun! Drummers popped up and she just went crazy. SHE'S SO MUCH FUN I LIKE HER. Great performance.

James - "Livin for the City"
James has really surprised me. I've liked his performances waaaaay more than I ever thought I would. I'm still not a huge fan of his voice, but he's using it really really well right now. Great great song choice for him.  Ahhh he has so much control over his voice, he's doing really well. I really did like it a lot. I'm not sure if it was my favorite of his performances, but he is turning into one of the most consistent performers this season......I never thought I'd say that.

OMG THIS WAS SUCH A GOOD WEEK FOR IDOL! Perhaps the best overall week this entire season.  I have no idea who is going to go home or will be in the bottom. I still don't feel ~attached to any one contestant this season the way I did the past two, but I'm really impressed with all of them.

Best of the night: Jacob
Worst: Stefano
Bottom Three: Haley, Thia, Stefano
Going home: Haley

Community 2.14 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons

Love. So much love. This might be one of my favorite episodes of the whole series. I always enjoy the show's "fantasy" type episodes, which are often very over-the-top and meta (like the paintball episode or the claymation episode), so I was very excited for this one. And I was not disappointed!

Being a huge Lord of the Rings geek, the almost identical musical cues to Howard Shore's score as well as the running voice over filled me with such glee. I've only played something similar to D&D once, so I don't have much experience with the rules, however the episode was enjoyable to follow for the sheer absurdity of it, while still keeping in character.
I do find Britta annoying on occasion, but her outrage at the treatment of the goblins was perfect and one of my favorite parts of the episode, along with her distress over the death of the goblin waiter, Kyle (with an awesome performance from Abed, the dungeon master).
Annie pantomiming her character, Hector the Well-Endowed's, sex scene was outrageous and amazing on so many levels.
And then there was Chang...playing an elf...in black face. I said previously that Chang should be in every scene ever, but I kind of like what the show is doing with him, in that he normally comes in, acts completely and utterly ridiculous and hilarious for a little while, and then leaves. Makes you appreciate his genius all the more.
The one thing I had a problem with this episode was Pierce, mostly because it's really hard to like Pierce. Chevy Chase is fantastic and the character can be hilarious at times, but he's still a really horrible person, and this episode emphasized that. It's kind of hard to root for him as part of the group.  There's part of me that kind of admires the show for just going with it and showing that Pierce isn't really an admirable human being at all, but there's another part that constantly wants to slap him.

Above all though, this episode had really great group dynamics and a Jeff who was sympathetic and trying to right a wrong by helping out Neil. I liked Jeff's characterization in this and I loved how everyone came together to help someone else. This episode really had it all and has further cemented this show as one of my personal favorites.

Downton Abbey Episode 1 Recap: If You Read This Whole Post, I'll Give You A Fancy British Lady Hat

Like Lea said, we at the blog have promised to post more for 2011, so...

...hold on to your hats, because this post is a small Russian novel. The upcoming ones will be shorter, I promise! 

Let's get to it, shall we?

Seeing as I’d only watched PBS’ Emma and Sherlock Holmes last year, I’m kind of a novice when it comes the Masterpiece Series. Both shows were well-cast, had great performances, and were overall extremely enjoyable. When I saw a new series, Downton Abbey, was premiering last Sunday, I decided to DVR it just to try it out. The components—another glimpse of British society, an interesting and expansive cast with some heavy hitters (hello, Dame Maggie Smith!)—looked promising. My verdict so far after episode 1? Downton Abbey delivers in many ways.

The Rundown: Since this show has a fleet of a cast, I'm going to play the lazy card and direct you to the PBS Masterpiece site, which gives a much more thorough and clear synopsis and character rundown than I ever could. 

BUT! Here are the basics if YOU want to play the lazy card and not click on the link: Basically, the story begins in 1912, right when news breaks about the Titanic sinking. The Crawleys find out that 2 of their male relatives, one of whom was supposed to take over their countryside estate, Downton Abbey, were passengers on the liner and did not make it. Mary, the Crawleys' eldest daughter was to marry Patrick, her father's nephew, and produce an heir to the family fortune. Since Patrick died, Mary either has to find another suitor or lose the family fortune to the only eligible male relative left, Lord Grantham's 3rd cousin once removed, Matthew Crawley. There are also servants. Also, Maggie Smith plays the HBIC, the Dowager Countess, Violet Crawley. *Gasp* There. That was a mouthful. 

On to the commentary!!!! One aspect I find interesting about this show so far is that it looks at both the lives of the Crawley family as well as the servants. It gives us a glimpse of life both upstairs and downstairs. In true Masterpiece fashion, both glimpses are nuanced in their own right. Like the Crawleys, the servants' stories so far are given real character depth; within their group, they have their own inner hierarchy, their own hidden or not so hidden ambitions, regrets, desires, etc. No one in this show is easy to characterize, which I love. 

With any good show, it only takes one episode to find a few great characters that are stellar at chewing up scenery, and DA does not disappoint. I give you...

My Favorite Characters So Far,  In No Particular Order:   

HBIC. Scene stealer.

1) The Dowager Countess herself, Violet Crawley

Maggie Smith, correction Dame Maggie Smith, is brilliantly cast as the matriarch bent on saving the Crawley estate; she manages to steal every scene she's in, naturally. That usually happens when you've been a national treasure on stage and screen for multiple decades. Violet Crawley loves her family, but she's not your typical warm and fuzzy grandmother. Smith plays her as a woman who knows she's pulling the strings but with good intentions. 

I also can't help but think of McGonagall when she comes on screen, but that's not a detriment in any way, shape or form. 

2) Mr. Bates, Lord Grantham's Dignified Beyond Belief Valet

Perhaps the most sympathetic character in the show. And it's not just because he's a valet with a limp. Every expression that comes across John Coyle's face is tinged with just a hint of sadness, but not so much that it's overdone. He's stoic enough that he conveys this quietly wounded quality that makes me root for his life to get better. His interactions with possible love interest, Anna, were very sweet and a bit heartbreaking. I wonder why he didn't say anything to stop her from leaving his doorstep? It could've been he was just acting like the gentleman he is, but is there something else? This is Masterpiece Classic, after all. Secrets and secret lives are the lifeblood to a show like this. 

Speaking of....can we talk. 

Other Characters I Don't Necessarily Like, but Like to Watch:

Not your typical footman.

1) Thomas

Though he may not warm the cockles of my heart, Thomas, one of the footmen, is certainly a character to watch. He exudes arrogance and an ambition that seems ruthless and mean at times. However, we also get a glimpse of his vulnerability when he shows his affection for the Duke of Crowborough. He briefly lets down his guard for his secret love interest, only to be rejected and dismissed as a summer dalliance. To add insult to injury, the Duke throws all traces of their relationship (a stack of letters) into the fireplace, and their history literally goes up in smoke. It's interesting to see that even Thomas can get hurt; that scene made me sympathetic towards him, despite his usual abrasive qualities. 

Matthew; Lady Mary Crawley, trying to keep a tightfisted hold of her fortune since 1912.

2) Lady Mary Crawley

There's no mistaking she's a bit of an ice queen, but she has shades of gray as well. Like Thomas, Mary's definitely got a secret or two underneath her cool exterior. What I want to know is what is her relationship to the author of the letter she keeps tucked in her book? It was signed 'Sincerely, Evelyn'. Who could that be??? 

Other thoughts: She and cousin Matthew didn't exactly have the friendliest of introductions, but I have a feeling they're supposed to end up married to each other. They seem to be thrown together as part of your typical adversarial relationship turned romantic, or rather, 'girl-thinks-guy-can-barely-hold-a-knife-like-a gentleman, guy-refuses-to-become-haughty-aristocrat-like-girl, they meet in the middle somehow, hate turns to love sort of deal'. (Unless, the 'Evelyn' in that mysterious letter makes an appearance (which could throw an interesting wrench in the plot)). From the previews for ep. 2, it looks like Mary's going to have a dalliance or two of her own. We'll have to wait and see.

Other Stuff I Just Thought Was Cool:

Bells. Shiny. Oh, hey, Mr. Carson!

1) The bell system the servants answer to. 

It is wayyy more awesome-looking than a boring modern day intercom. DO WANT.

2) The Pre-WWI Bromance between Lord Grantham and Mr. Bates. 

When LG ran after the carriage to stop his old war buddy from leaving, thus giving him a second chance at keeping his job, my heart melted a little. 

3) The Dowager Countess' hats. 

In addition to making good period dramas, the British really know how to make and wear hats. I almost want one for myself, but I'm pretty sure I could only pull it off if I had a matching country side estate complete with a fleet of servants, both of which would be riddled with intrigue. Oh, well. A girl can dream. 

Every matriarch worth her salt needs a good hat that says, 'I run this bizzle.'

Episode 2 airs tomorrow night on PBS at 9 p.m.! 

[Image credits: fanpop.com, pbs.org]

So You Think You Can Dance Season 7: Top 11 Perform

Who's ready for some SYTYCD?! This season is a bit different from past seasons.  Instead of a Top 20, there's a Top 11, and every week someone gets paired up with a dancer from a past season, or an "All Star" as you will.  Also, apparently the judges get to choose who goes home every single week, instead of just during the first half of the competition (laaaaaaame). Also, also, MARY MURPHY IS GONE!!!!!111 WOO WOO!!!1111  You have no idea how happy this makes me.  Mary Murphy was like Kara DioGuardi times a thousand.  Mia Michaels is a crazy bitch, but oh lordy is she better than Mary.

I won't bore you with detailed thoughts about everyone's performances.  I got too lazy to do that.  I will say that it was really super awesome to see some of my favorite dancers again though :D  Mark, Pasha, Neil, Ade! YAAAAAAAAAAY! Definitely the best part of the episode.  As there are less and less contestants though, does that just mean certain All Stars will take breaks certain weeks since they're attached to a specific style, or...how does that work exactly?

Despite the fact that it was super awesome seeing the old dancers again, I still felt the whole thing was a little strange in that they weren't being judged at all.  They were there on the stage, having just as much participation as the actual contestant, yet we're supposed to ignore them?  Often I thought the All Stars were better than the contestant, so I either couldn't really pay attention to the contestant at all OR the contestant paled in comparison and I thought they were worse than they probably were.  For example, Pasha and Melinda's Jive, all I could focus on was Pasha who was killing it, so when they started bashing Melinda afterward, I was just like, "oh...really? I thought it was good".  Really though, just Pasha was good lol.  Or Mark and Christina's Jazz.  Mark is so unbelievably good at that style of dance that I thought he totally outdanced Christina and she wasn't that good.  Of course, the judges loved her lol.   It's all a bit distracting. Aw well, I'll keep looking forward to seeing my favorite All Stars every week anyways.

One of the highlights of the night was Alex and Allison's contemporary piece.  First, I have to point out the fact that Sonya is totally my favorite choreographer.  Girl is amazing.  Second, the Jeff Buckley version of Hallelujah is one of the greatest songs ever, so it already had that going for it.  But it was still really really amazing. Both of those dancers were incredible and it gave me goosebumps.  Just gut wrenching (best ever though? I don't think so).  Another highlight was Robert and Courtney's African Jazz. SO fun and totally flawless.  I think I really like that Robert guy.  I will root for you, Robert!

Anyone else watching? What did ya think?

A travishamockery

I can't really write a coherent blog post right now

Instead read this article: http://cultural-learnings.com/2010/05/27/american-idol-season-9-finale-in-defence-of-kris-allen/





Basically.

American Idol Season 9 Top 2: Do we even care?

To be honest, I'm feeling kind of zen about this whole thing.  Lee used to fill me with such rage, but now I don't really even care who wins.  I'm still on team Crystal, but if Lee wins, eh, whatever.  I'm sure Crystal will be fine and this season will deserve an Idol who sings out of tune half the time :)

Such a change from last season, heh.  I didn't really think I would ever like a season as much as Season 8, but I didn't think I would hold so much hatred turned apathy towards this season either.  I will never forget you though, Didi, Lilly, Alex, Crystal, and.....TIM!

"The Boxer" Reprise - 
MG:Erm...that was......good! :D  I have a feeling Randy's jacket is going to be my favorite thing of the night though.
Z: He wasn't as pitchy this time around. It was awright, dawg. Randy's elephant/argyle jacket still takes the cake.

"Me and Bobby McGee" Reprise-
Z: I love her guitar! It's weathered and distressed and it looks like it has a soul. Her voice is amazing, as always. Mamasox rocks.
MG: Round one goes to Jack Bowersox!  I think I'm already drunk.

Producer's choice Lee - "Everybody Hurts":
MG: He still looks scared.  Oh lord, it's Lee's choir.  WHERE IS BAGPIPE?!  At least he sang in tune? Sort of?
Z: OMGed, the choir? Really? Kara described Lee as "emotionally accessible"? Yeah, maybe in an alternate universe, DioGuardi. Good song choice, but he still held back.

Producer's choice Crystal - "Black Velvet":
MG:  Oh man, this is dramatic as hell.  I'm really afraid she's going to fall down the stairs.  And she survived!  This is rockin'! Sing it, girlfrand!  SHE'S ON THE HOT TAMALE TRAIN!!!! WHOO WHOO!!!!!11
Z: Girl rocked it out!!! This stage is huge. I'm wary of Simon's complements for Crystal...I wouldn't put it past him to use reverse-psychology to make sure Lee's fans put it into overdrive tonight.


Lee coronation song - "Beautiful Day"
MG: What?  Um....this isn't a song about natural disasters!  WHAT IS THIS SHIT?!  Where are the mountains?!  THE HURRICANES?!  He sounds out of tune.  This is so unfair to every other Idol winner and runner-up....dear god.  This sucks.  I'm just saying.  It's not because I'm pissed he doesn't have to sing about believing in yourself or whatever, he just...doesn't sound very good.  THIS IS THE GUY YOU WANT AS YOUR IDOL, AMERICA?!......When is Kris Allen coming back?
Z: Simon is infuriating me. Lee Dewyze is the only one who needs a break?! His voice was a little iffy in spots and very 'yell-y' in others.  I really hope Crystal gets an equally liked song as 'Beautiful Day.' I really don't want voters to vote for the 'song' they like more. It's about the artistry, people! Let's remember that.

Crystal "coronation song" - "Up to the Mountain"
MG: MOUNTAIN! I've got my mountain! Crystal wins.  Game over. Ok, I'll talk about the performance.  So much emotion.  Just...OMG they said Lee was the one with emotional connection?!  Hahahahahahaha.  This is like, maybe one of the best performances of the season.  I feel tears.  The tears might be coming.  Now, this was a moment.  YOU WANTED A MOTHERFRAKKIN MOMENT?!  THERE YOU FUCKING GO!
If she doesn't win now, I just....I don't even know.
Z: Basically, I'm just getting my phone ready, cuz I REALLY want this girl to win now. This is my proudest moment as a Crystal fan. Seriously. She sang with conviction and soul, and...I just...love her. That is all.
My voting hand is poised and ready.

So....I still don't really care who wins, I guess, but if Crystal doesn't win, it'll just be...sad.  I think her performances tonight were so strong, especially her last song, that she should win on merit alone.  There is just no way, shape or form that Lee was better than her tonight (or the whole season, but that's a whole nother argument)
Having said that, I think Lee does have more screaming tweens and cougars voting for him.  Also, they kind of de-pimped him this episode (even though he deserved it), so it might mobilize his fanbase.

Z: To be honest,  Crystal has been the shining beacon in the fog that has been season 9. Though the Lee fans may be pulling out the stops voting-wise, I really hope that Crystal prevails. Tonight was really her night. During the entire season, she's been the ARTIST to beat. I don't think I could ever say the same for Lee.

Amen

Now where is Kris?

American Idol Season 9 Top 3: Dead to me

Before this episode even starts, I know I'm going to vote for either Casey or Crystal.  DO NOT SETTLE FOR MEDIOCRITY! VOTE FOR THE GOAT! BOW-ER-SOX! BOW-ER-SOX!


Casey - Alright With Me by Eric Hutchinson: I don't know it. This is just an Ok song, for me for you.  That was good, but maybe not ~amazing.  Casey needed a 'Heartless' to make it into the finale, and this wasn't it. Casey :(
Z: I can kind of understand Casey picked this song in order to show more of his artist side (it's kind of obscure so no one could compare it to the original). His vocals were strong, but his delivery needed to pack more of a punch. Casey, you need to be better than Lee! I hope his second song is better.

Crystal - Come to My Window by Melissa Etheridge: Harmonica FTW!  She should always sing songs just like that. I don't really have much to say. It was just good.
Z: Crystal's vocals were strong, but I agree with Kara--an acoustic arrangement might have been an improvement. I'm excited to hear her second song!!!! Btw, I love her mic stand.

Lee - Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynrd:  Oh god, of course Lee's got the pimp spot.  OMG look at his eyes.  There's no emotion there.  He creeps me out.  And he has a giant head.  He's going to his "Daughtry place".  Oh crap, the judges are going to love this.  I just don't like his voice.  He hits like, half of his notes, but it's not as noticeable because he just screams everything.
Z: Oh, no. They're totally pimping him. Some of his notes weren't that great. But, of course, the judges won't say anything about that. Their Lee-love is blinding them!!!! Let the scales fall from your eyes, judges!!! Please.



Casey - Daughters by John Mayer: Lovin it so far.  Much better.  I love it when he does his ballad thing.  AND A FACE MELTING SOLO!
Z: Of course, Simon critiques Casey's guitar solo... Simon, stop taking Casey down so you can elevate Lee later...Simon, you make me sad.  Anyways, I think it's great anytime Casey shows his vulnerable side. His soloing and vocals were strong and totally fit the song (boo to you, Simon).


Crystal - Maybe I'm Amazed by Paul McCartney: No instrument.  I love this song so much.  Sing it, girlfrand.  Slow. Motherfucking. Clap. Girl just threw down.
Z: Mind Grapes and I just did the *Susan Boyle-face-held-in-hands* gesture. I swoon at her voice. Girlfriend got SOUL.

Lee -  Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley: Full orchestra, fancy lighting, full choir descending from the heavens.  I am a changed woman.  Put me to bed, mama.  I have seen enough to know that I have seen too much..........I hate this show.
Z: And good music dies to the sound of thunderous applause. (Too harsh?)


I still cannot believe that just happened. Like, really? Really really? Just....LOL forever OMG this show is so stupid and I hate it so much.

So...Lee is going to win this show.  Whatever.  This season deserves him. I don't even give a fuck anymore.
Z: I still have hope that Lee Dewyze/Gokey-rehash will not win. However, I do think he will make the final 2, considering how Simon lavished the full-on orchestra/gospel choir treatment on him. Even though it's a long shot, I'm voting to keep Casey in the game. C'mon, people! We need to make a C^2 finale happen!! C^2 supporters, let's rally ourselves and UNITE!!!!!!

American Idol Season 9 Top 4: And here's to you, Mrs. DioGuardi

Long time, no blog.  Oops.  Sorry about the lack of AI posts, folks. To be honest, it was a combination of me being lazy and me not caring about this season enough to have any sort of opinion.  But hey, I'm happy Aaron Kelly left last week! I'm also happy Siobhan and her leaves left too.  I also have formed a deep and burning hatred for Lee DeWyze, who needs to GTFO as soon as possible.  Still on the Crystal train, but I've also jumped on the Casey train after his "Don't" performance.  I'll probably end up voting for him this week because I'm constantly fearing him going home.  Hey, it's kind of like what it was like to root for Kris last season! Oh, joy.

Jamie Foxx again! He was a good mentor last season, but...he mentored an entirely different theme lol.

Jamie Foxx is a crazy person. He has shirts he's going to give them?

Lee DeWyze- "Kiss From A Rose"
Jamie is getting all up in his face. LOL like Danny Gokey last season! OMG HE REALLY IS NEW GOKEY! Ok, I like this song, Lee. Don't fuck up.  Pull your pants up.  He sounds a little ahead of the music. Or behind the music? OMG did he just smile? Shocking.  That was...ok.  Honestly, he sounded out of breath and not good for a lot of that. I don't even know. It was kind of boring and unoriginal and he didn't sing it THAT well.  And not everyone loves him, Kara, jeez!  NEW GOKEY!

Mike-"Will You Be There"
His stupid wave LOL.  The song from Free Willy.  Staircase!  Oh there you go, gospel choir behind him.  Break it down, Big Mike!  Mike has a really good voice.  That was good, but there weren't that many...lyrics in the song.  And it was kind of safe, yeah?  Simon doesn't know Free Willy and they have to explain it to him.  I don't know why, but I'm laughing so hard.

Mike sings more in tune than Lee! He has every single week!  I'm just saying!!!!!!

Crystal and Lee - Falling Slowly
Oh shit...oh shit oh shit oh shit.  Uh oh.  I'm having so many conflicting thoughts right now.  As some of you may have forgotten, Kris Allen sang this song on Idol last year and killed it.  He also plays it a lot during his live shows now.  This season has pretty much recycled every single song Kris sang on Idol last year. Sigh.  They're playing the guitar to each other.  They're alternating in the verses.  This is nice so far and they actually changed up the arrangement. Aw they're singing different things at the same time.  Lee is definitely louder than Crystal, but OMG I kind of really liked that.  A lot.  Urgh Lee, I hate that I like something you did.

The praise for them was deserved, but this was TOTALLY a way to pimp out both Lee and Crystal.  We'll see what they say about the other duet, but I have a feeling there will be some de-pimping going on.

Also, the show has yet to mention Kris's name a single time despite the fact that so many people have sang songs he's sung before.  Hm...

Casey- "Mrs. Robinson"
He's singing for all his cougar fans!  You go, Casey! He's playing a mandolin! Or Big Mike's tiny ukulele guitar, one of the two.  No! Stop clapping, swaybots!  Aw Casey...I like it when he does his slower songs.  I think he did really well.  Very pretty.  He seemed really emotional singing it.  Oh god, they're going with the Kara jokes again.  And they're not stopping.  And the de-pimping of Casey begins :(

That was WAY better than Lee's performance.  I'm just saying.

Crystal- "I'm Alright"
A song from Caddyshack.  I do not know this song. She's bringing a little energy.  I love her acapella opening.  Also, man playing drums on stage is awesome.  Also, the breakdown is fucking sweet. That was a great performance, per usual. Has Simon seen no movie ever? Crystal's boyfriend has American flag pants. Wat? They seem like such an unlikely pair, but I kind of love it.

Casey and Mike- "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?"
LMAO this was the song I was hoping for...because it's just so terrible. How many times can you say the word "ever" in a song? Or "really" for that matter?  Oh mmmm Casey's guitar playing is hot. Nice.  Ok, this is good. Yay good harmonies! Yay good verses! Yay good duet!  And wow, they really were nice to them.  I'm kind of shocked.

Best of the night: Solo wise Casey or Crystal, with maybe a slight edge to Casey.  I did really like the Falling Slowly duet too though, god help me.

Worst of the night: It was Lee. It totally was. Don't deny it. It was. Sadly, I have a feeling we'll be saying goodbye to Mike or Casey anyways.

5.16 "The Parts in the Sum of the Whole"

Ever wonder about Brennan and Booth's first case? Well this week the writer's finally revealed what happened between them so many years ago and why Brennan hated Booth.

A young girl is dead, a mother is devastated and Booth, after a four year case cannot prove who murdered the girl. Booth going on his instincts believes that a federal judge is at fault for the murder of this young musician. With a point in the right direction from Cam, he hires the Jefforsian and Temprance Brennan.

From the moment they official meet it is clear that she has no sense of humor and is all rationale. Still, they hit it off. After she proves her talent and demonstrates her desire for the truth. I really appreciated the fact that the characters remained true to her they are even in the past. This fact becomes very clear when Brennan punches the judge in the nose after he makes some rude comments to her and invades her personal space.

As a result Booth then becomes charged with firing her. Deja Vu anyone? So, thus starts the tradition of them getting drunk together. Under the power of liquor Booth fires Brennan, as instructed. And after a series of realizations what that means, Brennan and Booth share their first kiss which quickly turns into them rushing out the bar. In the end, they don't go home together.

The next day he's instructed to re-hire her and this is where everything seems to unravel. They start to argue, she thinks he got her drunk to take advantage of her in some way. It all ends with them solving the case and Brennan slapping Booth after te lling him she hates him and will never work with him again.

After learning this, Sweet's theory is shot, that they are secretly in love with each other. Out of frustration he tells them, they need to realize the truth and confess it to one another. He eloquently puts it that they punished each other for missing their moment. And in true Bones and Booth fashion they exit talking about grabbing a bite to eat. Yet, you could tell on the couch that Booth is in love with Brennan, so he takes a chance! And he puts his heart and feelings out there, all to get refused. Brennan tells him it won't be fair. The episode is based on the definition of insanity. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. So, attempting to act and answer logically, Brennan tells him that she cannot change, she is incapable of loving him back. So, Booth with a broken heart, gracious accepts and tells her that he has to move on.

And this is devasting not only to Booth but to me! I just can't understand how she can't see that they are two parts of a whole. So I'm pretty pissed at her, whether that's rationale or not I don't care!! It's personally my opinion that he will be incapable of moving on. Because his heart and soul lie with her. Knowing Booth, he'll try, but he'll find it impossible. He may not realize it, and she certainly doesn't but he is completely devoted to her.

Besides their being a brilliant team, I really love the dynamic pairing that they are. So far now I will remain a faithful viewer and fan...

Things that made me happy

• Zach was back, if only for a mere moment
• Hodgen's hair and anger problems

American Idol Season 9 Top 9 Redux: The Next Elvis

Well....

I'm sure no one wants to hear my thoughts about Adam mentoring.  So I won't bore you with that :)

Anyhoo, it's Elvis week.  I wish Tim was in a Vegas Elvis outfit.  That's the only thing that would make this episode any good :)

This week you have 3 opinionated bloggers.  I (Mind Grapes) will be writing in purple. Green will be Zozizzle.  And our good friend, The Derelict, will be writing in blue.

Crystal - Saved

Electric guitar for Crystal this week.  She's going with gospel yes!  OMG this breakdown is fucking sweet.  Ah I love her!

And now a message from Crystal's biggest fan:  CAN I GET AN AMEN?!  CAN I GET A HALLELUJAH?! 

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Mamasox tells me so.

Andrew - Hound Dog
Zozizzle just compared Adam's hairstyle to a character from DBZ.  That is the greatest thing I've ever heard.  This has a little latin flavor.  He's trying with the ~swagger.  I have no idea if that was any good.
2 words. Awk. Ward. Also, it sounded like a song Kate Gosselin and her partner would dance to on Dancing With the Stars.
He has no grace.  Did you see when he galumphed towards the swaybots?  He sounded like what a lounge singer in the Catskills circa 1958 thinks is "hep."

Tim - Can't Help Falling in Love

Oh Timmeh.  Making the ladies swoon :D  OMG I'm imagining thousands of 10 year olds squeeing into their pillows right now.  Holy crap.  Timothy!  This is legit kind of....really really good.

Wow. That was actually good! Color me pleasantly surprised. Aaannnd....there's his trademark smile! Interesting fact: It's been said every time Tim smiles, 10 girls faint across the nation.

Lee - A Little Less Conversation

Just his acoustic guitar. Yay I like this.  Oh, there's the band.  Alright, I'm diggin this.  Still not really smiling.  Uh...Yeah, that was good.

I like Lee.  He's non-offensive.  But.  But he has no charisma.  He's trying, but it's just not something that can be learned.  He's got a good voice but his personality as a live performer is just non-existent.

Honestly, he could have a great career if he could just release albums and not perform live...sorry to say.

Aaron - Blue Suede Shoes

Oh lord, creepy stance rocking again.  Oh man, this is awkward. Uh...

It was a'right, dawg. That's all.  

His mother's name is Kelly Kelly.

Siobhan - Suspicious Minds

Hey, guess what guys?! SHE'S LIKE ADAM! OMG no one's ever pointed that out before.  She's pretty. 

They are the same because they're both WEIRD!!!111!!!!!!!!!!!!!@!@!2!!!!!

Only... not.  Weird clothes does not equal SAME.

This song is too freaking '70s for me.

She does have a great voice.  I think I liked it.  I wasn't crazy about it, but I liked it better than last week.

Big Mike -In the Ghetto

Big Mike did pretty well--his vocals sounded good, and he created an intimate moment singing on the stage. Nice job, Big Mike. 

I'll say this about Big Mike, he's always in tune.

Katie - Baby, What Do You Want Me To Do 

Casey - Lawdy Miss Clawdy
Last week got me on the Casey train!  No, not like that. I'm not Kara.  That was good, but I kind of wish it was just him and the guitar again.  I felt like the band didn't really add to it that much.  Eh...I was a little disappointed.

He hot.  Oh, his vocals?  Good.  I'm riding the Casey train.  

But for me (for you) tonight I'd put Crystal first, Tim (!) second, and Casey tied with Lee in third/fourth.  Big Mike is a whatevs for me.

Bottom three?  I'm a little terrified (TM Kara DioGuardi) that Siobhan will be bottom three.  Joining her is Andrew (I'm still feeling the Crystal song, so hallelujah) and Aaron Kelly (Kelly Kelly).  Who is going home?  Kim Jong Andrew Gokey and Kelly Kelly.

Best of the Night:

Crystal, and...Tim? :O

Ditto.

Who's going home?
Andrew and...Aaron, but I  think there might be a shocker this week.

In a perfect world, Andrew and Aaron will go home next week. But...let's be real...we're talking about American Idol, so...who knows. 

American Idol Season 9 Top 9: Let's butcher the Beatles!

I must first apologize for no AI post last week.  Most distressing.

It's Lennon/McCartney week tonight! Yay! Train wrecks!  Before we start however, I would like to have a moment of silence for my poor, sweet, beautiful Didi, who did not deserve to go home last week, but has left us just the same :(

......


How depressing is it that my favorite guy and my favorite girl have already been eliminated? :/


PAUUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLLLLL  <3______<3

Aaron - The Long and Winding Road
Aaron is Yoda apparently.  This is so sleepy.  JFC Aaron, can you not make every song you sing so freaking boring?  He made this beautiful song so dreary.  It never goes anywhere.  He needed to add something somewhere.  Kick it up a notch!  OMG Simon just eye rolled at Aaron's answer haha that was amazing. Simon, you saucy minx.

Katie Stevens - Let It Be
I hate her song choice, but I knew I would hate her choice no matter what she did.  Kris sang this on Idol a few weeks ago and was amazing, so, yeah, there's no way I'm going to like this.  Once again, her voice isn't bad at all, but it's so not interesting.  At least she changed her song up more than Aaron did.  The end picks up in tempo, but it still never really goes anywhere that amazing.  Randy thinks it's her best performance, and...yeah, I guess it is.  She booooores me, and I just don't like her so she can GTFO.

Andrew - Can't Buy Me Love
His shirt is too yellow.  He's made the song a little more funky.  The chorus is pretty close to the original though.  I'm enjoying this, I suppose.  Despite the fact that he sped up the song, his vocals are still a little bland.  The judges think it's all a bit corny, and yeah.

Big Mike - Eleanor Rigby
I am intrigued.  Ooooh strings on the stage.  Oh hot damn, it's an R&B version of the song.  This is a really interesting arrangement.  Way WAY different from the original.  I'm bobbing my head, but I have to be honest, I'm not sure if I like it.  When it worked it was awesome, the ending was really cool and powerful.  But there were parts to it that didn't really work.  Still, while I'm not sure I loved it, I have to give him props for trying something so different.

Crystal Bowersox - Come Together
Ok, Crystal, I like you.  So I will forgive you for singing a song Kris already sang on the show (and which I suspect you'll sing much differently).  Nooooo Crystal has a cold.  It's ok, she'll still be better than everyone else.  Her baby is so cute!  Oh holy shit, is that a fucking Didgeridoo?!  She's done her Crystal thang to it.  Made it really folksy and cool.  The breakdown is really really awesome, and of course she totally lets loose at the end and proves what an amazing singer she is.  Solid solid performance.  DIDGERIDOO!!!!!!!

Tim - All My Lovin
Smiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiile.  Electric guitar?  This is such a good song choice for him lol.  OMG he has Beatles hair hahaha.  Tim, I love you.  He didn't really change the song around very much, but whatever, it's working for him.  Tiiiiiiim, I don't even know what to say lol. He's just Tim.  Poor Tim though, they're so condescending to him and it bothers me.  Like, a lot.  It makes me want to vote for him.

Casey - Jealous Guy
This is a really interesting song choice.  I would never have even thought of it, but it's such a good song.  Acoustic guitar with cello! Mmmmm cello.  Bonus points for that.  This is a really good move by Casey.  I finally feel like I can focus on his vocals.  Dude, it looks like he's gonna cry.  This is emotional.  I liked it.  That was a fantastic arrangement.   Definitely his best performance.  I'm happy for him.

Siobhan - Across the Universe
Her outfit is very strange.  This is just emphasizing how much I don't really care for her voice.  It sounds so nasally.  She's singing it fine, but it just sounds like she's struggling or something.  I know she isn't, but it sounds like she is.  It's not really effortless. Hey, no screaming though.  That's good.  I'm gonna be honest, I wasn't that impressed.  I wish I liked her voice better :/

Lee - Hey Jude
Lee is a worry wart.  This is not surprising.  OMG CRYSTAL JUST SAID LEE AND ANDREW WOULD HAVE DANNY GOKEY BABIES! I LOVE HER!!!!!  Ahem, OK, back to Lee.  He hasn't really changed the song around that much and he's a bit pitchy.  It's that problem he's always had where he sounds better when he's screaming than when he's just singing normally.  WAT? BAGPIPES!!!!!  WTF?!  OMG I THINK HE'S OUTDONE THE DIDGERIDOO AND I DID NOT THINK THAT WAS POSSIBLE.  ....................that was the weirdest performance I've ever seen on Idol OMFG LOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOL.  I don't even know right now.  I don't even know.  All I can think about is man in kilt with bagpipes.  I don't even know if it was a good performance, but I'm kind of in love with Lee over the fact that he was just like.....BAGPIPES! THIS PERFORMANCE NEEDS BAGPIPES!  Just...LOL forever.

Best of the night:  Casey.  It was a great performance and there was the surprise factor there too.  Second best is a tie b/w the guy who played the Didgeridoo and the guy who played the Bagpipes.

Who's going home:  Aaron, maybe? Could it possibly be time for Tim?  Andrew, mayhaps?

I feel like this is the week where Crystal, Casey, and Lee are firmly in the front runner category.  But we'll have to see what happens.

DIDGERIDOO!