Fall TV - Sundays!

Hello!  It’s been a little over a month, and I have been busy watching hours upon hours of television for you!  Okay, I have been watching all of these great (and awful) shows for myself, but I wanted to let you know what you should be watching, and warn you of the shows, that must be cut!  As a fair warning and to prevent people from yelling at me, if I don’t mention a show, it’s not because I didn’t like the show, it just means that I don’t watch it.  i.e. Parenthood, The Good Wife, Vampire Diaries, etc..  I won’t be doing full episode recaps of all of the shows, but I will give you a brief synopsis of the first few episodes.  Warning!  Possible Spoiler Alerts!

Sunday TV is the best night of the week!  There are so many great shows, so if you only have room on your DVR for a few great shows, make sure you are watching the following:

The Amazing Race - CBS: Granted this show is in it’s 21^st season, CBS does an excellent job finding the right pair of people to race around the world solving clues and navigating unknown lands.  Here are some teams you should be on the lookout to win the game!

Natalie and Nadiya:  These twin sisters use humor and their strong sibling bond to navigate each leg.  They have admitted to breaking up with their sister’s boyfriend and taking tests for each other growing up.  They are fun to watch, and I hope they can take their game far.  They won the Express Pass in the 2^nd leg, so they will have the ability to skip any leg of the race.

Abbie and Ryan:  This dating couple won the first leg of the race this season, and with a new twist, if they win the last leg they will win $2,000,000!  This has to give them enough motivation to backstab, lie, and race their hardest in order to win each and every leg of the race. 

Trey & Lexi:  Next to Natalie and Nadiya, they are my second favorite team.  It makes it more interesting, since these two teams have allied with each other.  Their down home Texas charm and athleticism, will take this team far. 

The other teams include:  2 Chippendales workers, a rock star and lawyer, goat farmers, married monster truckers, and substitute teachers.  If you have enjoyed previous Emmy Award winning seasons, you will be just as happy with this season!

Once Upon A Time – ABC: The sophomore season of this hit drama starts off right where we left off.  The spell that kept all of the residents of Storybrooke woefully ignorant of their past fairytale lives was lifted.  Regina’s reign of the Evil Queen has come to a head, as the present day residents have called for her expulsion.  However, we have learned that once you leave Storybrooke, your mind is again erased, and you don’t remember you past lives.  Hopefully, poor Sneezy will get his memory back!  Episodes are divided between present day Storybrooke, past day Enchanted Forest, and present day Enchanted Forest that wasn’t touched by the Evil Queen’s original curse. This season has introduced some great new characters including, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Mulan, Lancelot, and the dastardly Captain Hook.  I thought that once magic had been restored to Storybrooke, that the show would go down hill, but it has delivered great episodes this season, and it promises much more!

Revenge – ABC: If you thought that last season of Revenge had many great twists, you won’t be disappointed with season 2!  We found out what happened right before and after the plane exploded with Victoria and Lydia onboard.  Also, we fast forward to summer in the Hamptons.  Amanda Clark aka the real Emily Thorn is pregnant with “Jack’s” baby.  Emily Thorn aka the real Amanda Clark is looking for answers from the man with gray hair, as he has the answers to the whereabouts of Emily’s aka the real Amanda Clark’s mother!  This season is also delving into new relationships between Charlotte and her newly discovered half sister Amanda Clarke aka the real Emily Thorn, but little does she know that Emily is her real sister! If you never watched the show, you might think that is very soap opera’esque…you would be correct.  The character development, plot twists, and the love hate relationship between Emily and Victoria keep this show fresh during the first few episodes of the second season. 

666 Park Avenue – ABC:  ABC wraps up their night of great drama with a new show.  I like this show, but I am not in love.  ABC is obviously drawing of the success of FX’s American Horror story, and they realize that horror shows on TV can be well received with their audience.  With that being said, each episode of 666 draws off of classic horror film plot lines.  The main characters are a dating couple, and they are the new managers of a luxurious and historical apartment complex, the Drake, in New York.    The owner’s of The Drake have their own back-stories and motives for Jane and Henry as the new building managers.  The show dives into and is currently developing the characters, so I am still intrigued.  I will probably continue to watch this to see if there is some grand scheme to all of the craziness!

Homeland – Showtime:  There is a reason Damien Lewis and Claire Danes won best actor and actress in a drama this year at the Emmys.  Season 2 picks up a few months after season 1 left off.  Carrie is trying to lead a normal life after her electroshock therapy.  Her memories are still choppy, and it leaves the audience wondering if Carrie still remembers her last second realizations from last season!  Brody is now moving his way up the political ladder, and we get to see his ascent to possible VP candidate.  If you haven’t seen this show, I won’t give away any other spoilers, but I will tell you that this is my favorite drama on TV right now.  It keeps you guessing, and the creators, writers, etc know how to keep you guessing until the end of each episode.  You never know who is lying, a traitor, hiding dark secrets, having an affair, or just crazy!  If you only watch one show on Sundays, be sure that it is Homeland.

Dexter – Showtime: Currently in the 7^th season, Dexter continues to entertain audiences.  I am not sure how I feel about the plotline this season, but the superb acting of Michael C. Hall makes the show great season after season.  After last year’s shocking revelation, Deborah is trying to make sense of her emotions.  She was grappling with her newfound feelings of love for Dexter, but then she sees him killing Travis at the end of last season.  My favorite plotline this season is the fact that LaGuerta is also getting close to Dexter’s truth.  This season makes the audience ponder; can Dexter really control his Dark Passenger?  It also continually raises the question, is killing murders wrong?  This has been a theme for all of the seasons past, yet this season Deborah is trying to help Dexter suppress his desires to kill.  As this show is the lead-in to Homeland, I always try to watch it first.  Like I said before Michael C. Hall deserves great rewards for his work, but it’s time to make room for Homeland! 

The Walking Dead – AMC: I have just started watching this show on Netflix, and I will definitely continue to watch.  I am only on season 2, so I won’t write much, however, it’s a great show!  Like all great dramas, there is always a feeling of suspense and unanswered questions.  I am currently recording season 3, so I hope to catch up over Christmas break. 

So, I hope you like really long posts, as this one is insanely long-winded!  What shows do you most enjoy on Sunday nights?  Are you more of a drama or comedy person?  Let me know!

 

Big Brother – Wednesday, September 19th – FINALE NIGHT!

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So we have been waiting for this night for 2.5 months.  Does Dan have what it takes to win this game?  I seriously hope not, but if these other two dumb-dumbs want to take him to the final two, then they have no one to blame but themselves.  We last left the HGs being flung up against the wall.  Not in the Ari Bachelor’esque style, but the cruel Big Brother method.  My favorite thing about finale night is when they light everyone’s picture on the introduction video.  It makes me think about the first episode of the season, and makes me so excited for next year! 

            While on the flying hooks, Danielle says she realizes that she has no one in this house, and she has to rely on herself.  Welcome to the game, Danielle!  15 minutes before last week’s eviction, Dan cut a deal with Ian to fall off in the first 10 minutes of the game.  I know Ian is a smart player, so I would be shocked if he actually goes through with it.  17 minutes into the competition, Ian throws the competition, and that is the worst thing you can do.  After he drops, Dan sends Ian inside in order to talk to Danielle alone.  Dan then tries to convince Danielle to fall.  There is no way she would throw this game, right?  10 minutes later, she gives up, so she can earn Dan’s trust.  I can’t believe how easy they are making this for Dan.  How can you win this game if you throw the competitions?  Why are they seeking Dan's approval and trust?  He should be seeking their trust!  I am almost ready to stop writing right now.  It’s so frustrating to see these people make mistake after mistake!

            The second task involves climbing a building and cleaning windows.  The windows have faces of an evicted HG.  You must find all the HGs and put them in order of where they were evicted.  The person with the fastest time wins part two.  They made it seem like Ian went faster, but I have a feeling Danielle will win this part, thus ensuring him 3^rd place.  I was wrong!  Ian wins with a time of 6:04 compared to Danielle’s time of 7:31.  His strategy of just wiping away the names helped him out.  Now, Danielle and Dan had a strategy of what to say and do if she were to win.  Dan says this would ensure Danielle being taken to the final two, but if Ian wins part three his allegiance to Dan might be the downfall of this plan.  Ian doesn’t like confrontation, so Danielle’s fake argument with Dan might just work.  Danielle yells at Ian threatening him with fewer jury votes.  Ian doesn’t respond well to threats though.  Dan wants to use Ian’s anxiety about Danielle to have him throw part three of the competition.  Ian says he won’t throw this competition, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he does. As Ian leaves, Dan says menacingly, "You will throw this competition."  Yikes!

            Poor naïve Shane.  He deserved to be evicted, and his exile to jury was to be expected.  The 6-part jury then debates about whom they think they should win.  They always makes it seem like they will vote one way, but they always vote another way.  They say that Ian was a rat.  This is coming from Jenn and Frank who made a deal with Dan, and he betrayed them as soon as he had the opportunity!  How is Jenn defending Dan’s game and bashing Ian’s game?  I don’t get it.  I think it would be a huge mistake to take Dan to the finale.  If Ian wins part three, he better think about taking Danielle with him instead of Dan. 

Speaking of part three!  Dan looks so smug while Ian looks like he is about to spew all over the place.  Julie asks Ian and Dan questions about comments the jury has made.  They both get the first two questions correctly, but then Dan misses the next 3.  Could this be a part of his strategy?  Ian did it!  He won final HOH!  I hope hope hope that he picks Danielle to go to the end with him.  HE CAN’T WIN AGAINST DAN!  And just like that, Ian gave Dan another $500,000.  Ian decides to evict Danielle because he believes that she has too many friends in the jury.  He also wants to keep his final two deal with Dan.  Here’s how I see the votes going down tonight.

Ashley: Ian

Britney: Ian

Frank: Ian

Joe: Dan

Jenn: Dan

Shane: Dan

Danielle: Dan

            I am just so sick and torn.  It’s hard to hate Dan for playing the game well, but I want Ian to win so much more!  During the jury question portion of the game, Ian quickly realizes that Dan is a ruthless player, and he won’t go down without a fight.  Dan seems prepared for all of his questions, and Ian is giving lackluster responses.  It seems like it might come down to if the jury respects a cleanly played game over Dan’s dirty game.  Finally!  Danielle finally asks Ian if he had a final two deal with Dan.  It’s funny because they should have been asking these question weeks ago, but I guess when someone grooms you about strategy, flatters you when you need comforting, and makes you think you are special, it’s hard to see the bad in them.  I am now conflicted over who might win.  That last comment might have swayed a few people…. 

            Ian speaks his mind and states the facts of his game play.  Dan tries to flatter the rest of the jury members and ironically he was the least believable tonight.  He actually tries to throw Ian under the bus because he was “lucky” this season.  That is a load of crap!  I hope Ian wins!  Even while the jury was voting Dan was sucking up to all of them.  He is such a sleaze ball!  Here’s how the votes went down.

Ashley: Ian (Her dream board paid off!)

Britney: Ian

Frank: Ian

Joe: Ian

Jenn: Ian – What?!  Shocker!!

Shane: Ian

Danielle: Dan

            This is one of the few seasons that I am happy for the winner!  I will also have to say that Dr. Will called it in week 2 or 3 when he said that Ian would win the game!  Frank even wins Fan Favorite!  A newbie won the game!  I didn’t think it was possible.  This show is so great!  As always, I want to hear what you think.  Let me know in the comments below.

My 2012 Primetime Emmy Predictions

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With Fall TV quickly approaching, it’s a great time to start reflecting on last year’s greatest moments, actors and shows.  I am going to give you a breakdown of some of the major categories, nominations, and my predictions of who will take home the Emmy! 

**WARNING THIS MAY CONTAIN A FEW SPOILERS**

Outstanding Comedy Series:

Will this be their year?

The Big Bang Theory

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Girls

Modern Family

30 Rock

Veep

Although I think the HBO freshman comedies Girls and Veep deserve some accolades this year, I have to give the award to The Big Bang Theory.  I think the series stays fresh year to year, and after last season’s heartwarming season finale, I would be surprised if they didn’t win! 

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

It was Knope 2012, will it be Poehler 2012?

Zooey Deschanel (New Girl)

Lena Dunham (Girls)

Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie)

Tina Fey (30 Rock)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)

Melissa McCarthy (Mike and Molly)

Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation)

After last year’s hilarious beauty pageant’esque acceptance performance, masterminded by Amy Poehler and Martha Plimpton, I think that Amy deserves the nod just for that.  However, she definitely deserves the win for blazing through Pawnee’s campaign trail.  Her chemistry with Adam Scott helps keep the show heartwarming and endearing!

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Two-peat?

Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)

Don Cheadle (House of Lies)

Louis C.K. (Louie)

Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men)

Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)

Although it’s hard to argue for the same person winning back-to-back years, I think he might even be able to beat out this year’s front-runner, Louis C.K.  Jim delves far into his character including his off putting personality, neurosis and relationship with Amy Farrah Fowler. 

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory)

Julie Bowen (Modern Family)

Kathryn Joosten (Desperate Housewives)

Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)

Merritt Wever (Nurse Jackie)

Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)

I think it would be sweet for Kristen Wiig to win as this was her last season on SNL, I have to give the award to freshman nominee Merrit Wever.  Her role as Zoey in Nurse Jackie epitomizes comedy.  She is kooky and isn’t afraid to let her freak flag fly!  She will definitely be a long shot as people are expecting Mayim, Julie and Sofia to be the frontrunners in this race.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family)

Will he be able to beat out the entire MF cast?

Max Greenfield (New Girl)
Bill Hader (SNL)
Ed O'Neill (Modern Family)
Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)

If I weren't biased I would give the Emmy to Ed O'Neill.  However, Max's character, Schmidt, is hilarious and a bit OCD.  How can I not pick him?  This show started off slow this season, and I think this is a 1000:1 shot, but he anchors the core group of four.  However, the Emmy voters might see that three seasons leading Modern Family might be worth tipping their hats to Ed.

Outstanding Drama Series

Boardwalk Empire

Breaking Bad

Downton Abbey

Will Breaking Bad break Mad Men's winning streak?

Game of Thrones

Homeland

Mad Men

This is the hardest category for me to pick.  I loved Homeland’s premier season, and Game of Thrones has become a show more than just for a bored D&D nerd.  However, there has been more chatter around my own office of Breaking Bad.  Season 4 culminated into the development of some of TV’s finest moments that kept me guessing and wanting more.  I predict that this show will win the most awards of the night.  It’s time for Mad Men to move over!

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Kathy Bates (Harry’s Law)

Glenn Close (Damages)

Claire Danes (Homeland)

Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey)

Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)

Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men)

Although Fat Betty (bam-a-lam) deserves some recognition for the extra poundage she had to overcome this season, I have to give the Emmy to Claire Danes.  Her gripping performance was further enhanced by her paranoia and intense scenes with Damian Lewis all season.  Homeland was a hit from the pilot, and Claire was extraordinary all season long. 

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Hugh Bonneville (House)

Heisenberg!

Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire)

Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)

Michael Hall (Dexter)

Jon Hamm (Mad Men)

Damian Lewis (Homeland)

I believe Bryan won this category two years ago, and I think he will rise to the top again.  His role of Walter White/Heisenberg was moving, entertaining and a little frightening.  His character has developed over the first four seasons, and you can see a remarkable change from a timid Chemistry teacher to Meth Aficionado! Granted, I was able to observe this change as I just started watching this series a few months ago on Netflix.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Christine Baranksi (The Good Wife)

Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey)

Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad)

Chrstina Hendricks (Mad Men)

Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife)

Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)

I am not sure why Anna is in the Supporting Actress category, but I was Team Joan all season of Mad Men.  Even being a new mother this season, Joan is just as fiery this season as in the past.  She deserves the win this year, and I would be disappointed if she loses.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Jim Carter (Downton Abbey)

Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey)

Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)

Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad)

Gus FTW!

Jared Harris (Mad Men)

Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)

Although, I might have made some unusual predictions so far, I am willing to bet a lot on the fact that Giancarlo Esposito will take home the Emmy.  He gave a brilliant performance as Gus on Breaking Bad.  This ruthless drug lord proved that even a man of few words could convey such a terrifying character so well.

Here are some of my other predictions of the night.

Dot Marie Jones – Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Bobby Canavale – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Joan Cusack – Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Mark Mogalis – Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series – aka Best Bell Ringer Actor

American Horror Story – Best Miniseries

Connie Britton – Outstanding Lead Actress in a Mini Series

Jessica Lange – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Mini Series

Bill Paxton – Outstanding Lead Actor in Mini Series

Dennis O’Hare – Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Mini Series

I haven’t seen some of the other mini series or movies, so these may appear to be biased!  I would love to hear what you think!  Let me know in the comment section below!

Big Brother – September 13th – Nominations, POV, & Eviction!

So the last few weeks have flown by, and Big Brother has been crazy!  I watched BB live’ish last night, and I forgot to blog about it.  I will write about it next, but it will definitely be shortened, as it’s now out of date.  Let’s not fret though because tonight promises to be a great episode!  I am so excited to see what’s been going on in that jury house!!!!

Say wha??

Last night Danielle won her second HOH of the season.  She narrowly beat out Dan in the tiebreaker question, and tonight we will see if she can win the game.  As Janelle tweeted last night, the remaining HGs are just pawns in Dan’s game.  If she wants to win, she will go after him.  No one will win against Dan!  I just saw the HGs on the couch, and Dan is in a t-shirt while Ian and Shane are all dressed up for live TV.  If this is any sign of things to come, I am baffled at Danielle’s stupidity.  Again, it’s easier for me to tell her to get rid of Dan, but come on!  I feel like you would have to be blind not to see how he has worked you all over this summer!  I was rooting for Jenn last night, but I was upset she didn’t throw Dan under the bus in the process.  Whoever is in charge of evicting Dan will win this game!  The Quack Pack is in the final four, and Ian thinks he has it all worked out.  He thinks Danielle and Shane are a pair, while he and Dan are the second pair.  Little does he know that Dan has a final 3 deal with Danielle and Shane.  I hope he realizes it soon because his life in this game appears to be drawing to a close.  Dan gives his marching orders to Danielle.  He wants her to nominate Ian and himself.  He wants Shane to feel comfortable with Danielle, and Danielle to feel comfortable with him.  This way, Shane will in essence vote out the person he feels least comfortable with in the game.  Here I thought that Dan would want to stay off the block.  I thought he would tell her that he would vote out Shane for her, so that she wouldn’t have to get the blood on her hands.  He even gives her a nice nominations speech as well.  How can they not see that he is running this game?  Danielle is worried about nominations because she doesn’t want to sign the check over to the wrong person.  That mistake was made when you did everything Dan told you all summer long.  If Danielle wants to win this game, she needs to go to the final 2 with Shane.  She doesn’t have a chance against Dan, and she has a slightly greater chance with Ian, but she has a 100% chance against Shane!  She listens to Dan, and she nominates him and Ian.  Ian realizes it’s not as important to not be nominated, as it is to win POV this week.  The winner of the POV cannot only save themselves, if they are nominated, but they also get the deciding vote!

Reunited!  Love the jury house!

Yes!  The portion of BB that I have been hoping to see, the jury house!  If I had to guess, Ashley spent most of her time meditating, making a new dream board, and talking to herself.  I was so close!  She said she has been spending her time meditating and blowing bubbles.  The bubbles represent the other BB players and their life during the game.  I thought that would be it, but then we see her making a dream board!  You probably think that I watch the show then I blog about it, but I promise you I type as I watch the show.  On her dream board she wants Frank to be the next HOH, which the universe granted!  I need her to make me one of those!  She wants Dan to be the next HG to join her, and he would have been, had it not been for his deceitful ways! Britney enters the house, and she calls her eviction Funeral Gate, and she tells her that Dan is going to win this game!  It’s like they asked a Magic 8 ball, and it said that all signs point to Dan!  They both suspect that Frank will be the next one to walk in the house, and they hit the nail on the head again!  If only they could have used their premonitions to see their own evictions!  Britney hopes that Frank is the next one to enter the jury, as he was responsible for booting her out.  Bitter Banana Britney got her wish, and their giddiness will soon be crushed when loudmouth Joe joins the group.  Frank is super disappointed in Dan, and he regrets falling for Dan’s lies.  Britney and Frank have a brawl in the living room, and they end up agreeing that Dan duped them.  Joe enters the jury house next.  That is all. I will write about him.  Britney and Frank start hashing out their argument again, and Britney makes a great point.  Frank voted out Britney, and in doing so signed his own death warrant.  I don’t agree with her when she says that he was targeted due to his poor social game.  He was targeted because he won over and over again.  I also don’t agree when Frank likens deceit in the BB house as the same as infidelity outside of the house.  It is just a game, and all is fair in the BB house!  I know it sucks because you never know whom you can trust, but that’s the way this game is played.  If everyone were honest with each other, it would be the most boring show ever. 

Now it time for the POV!  It looks like the game is tailored for Ian as he remembers everything.  You have clues describing ex HGs.  You connect their faces with the correct clues to build the perfect molecule.  The person to do this in the fastest time wins the POV.  As always, clues can describe multiple HGs, but there is only one possible master solution.  Ian was the first to ring the bell, but he had numerous mistakes.  He doesn’t know where he messed up, so it gives hope to the other HGs.  Shane is the next to ring in.  He is wrong too. Ian hits the buzzer again, and he has fewer mistakes, but he is still confused.  He messes up a couple of more names, and this might be the end of his game.  Danielle hits the buzzer and she only has two mistakes.  The faces are right by each other, so she can quickly fix her puzzle!  Dan finally hits his buzzer, but he has 6 mistakes.  He seems to be falling behind fast!  Ian hits his buzzer again, and he has three mistakes.  One of them is OTEV asked for their corn, and he should know that OTEV didn’t ask for Frank as he was playing that game.  He did ask for Ashley, and if he can switch the other two mistakes, he should be golden.  He was too slow though!  Danielle finds her two mistakes, and she wins POV!  I don’t want to see Ian go home, but I know that Danielle, Shane and Dan are pretty tight.  I hope Ian has had enough time to convince Shane to keep him in the house!  It might not matter though if Dan gets in Danielle’s head. 

Dan goes up to chat with Danielle after the POV.  Dan asked her, “What are you going to do?”  Without missing a beat, Danielle replied, “What do you want me to do?”  Are you freaking kidding me?  Danielle, Dan stopped being your coach 4 weeks ago.  You don’t need him in this game!  Dan doesn’t trust Shane, so he tries to sway Danielle to use the POV on him and put Shane on the block.  Dan says that he will vote to keep Shane, but she is more concerned with making it to the final two.  After this week, Danielle might have a pretty even chance at beating Dan, if they both go to the final two.  I know I said different at the beginning of this post, but she has won when she needed it the most.  She has been on the block more times than Dan, and she can hold her own against him.  However, she should still take Shane because I think she will have an easier time to beat him. 

Danielle tells Shane her plan, and he believes that Dan will keep him safe.  The POV ceremony is live, and that makes me think that Dan truly believes he will stay in the house.  Again this is all conjecture as I suspect that Dan is only in a t-shirt for this reason.  Poor Ian gives a speech about giving a dog his day, and then Dan starts giving his.  He says he wants to write a book about Danielle as she has taught him so much in this game.  He says if she uses the POV on him, that Chelsea would be so happy.  Yeah, she would be happy because you are doing exactly what you didn’t want to do.  You would be giving him the check.  Now, I don’t see any reason why Dan would evict Shane if he is taken off of the block.  He has a final two deal with Danielle and Ian, so it would seem to be great for him to go to the final three with them, but if he evicts Shane, Danielle would not take him to the final two.  “This decision is to help my game” blah blah blah.  I don’t buy it, and you just handed Dan a $500,000 check!  Shane said he was unprepared for this decision, but I don’t buy his act for one second.  He is careful to thank CBS and BB, and then even throw Ian a nice compliment.  It’s the same thing I would do, if I knew that Ian was about to join the jury.  It breaks my heart to think that Ian probably thinks he isn’t going anywhere tonight.  Now, Ian’s speech seems less prepared. 

OMG! Dan did it!  He evicted Shane!  Maybe this will work to his advantage.  Danielle will be so rattled that she might not do well in tonight’s endurance competition.  Dan immediately takes Danielle into the claw machine room, while Ian has a panic attack.  Dan tells her that it’s been his goal to get her to the final two.  He tells her that Ian will never take him to the finale because of all of the lies.  Dan is so good at manipulating people.  He knows full well that Ian will take him to the final two, and now he thinks that Danielle will take him to the finale as well.  If Danielle doesn’t see this as the ultimate betrayal, then Dan deserves to win the game.  I said this last week, but I still don’t understand why the HGs aren’t comparing notes with each other.  All Danielle had to do this week is to sit down with Ian and Shane and ask them if they have final two or three deals with Dan.  The only person you can trust in this house is yourself. 

How many times does this need to happen before Danielle catches on!

Anyways, I feel like I could keep typing for hours about this episode.  However, my second favorite moment tonight is when they show Julie’s tweet about Dan!  She must have been busy during commercial break! 

I decided that it’s far too late for me to write another entry about last night’s episode, so here’s what I will do.  I will give another entry this weekend outlining Dan, Danielle’s and Ian’s chances of winning the game.  I will dissect their game play for the entire season, and even try to give you an insight to how I think the jury will vote.  If you still want to know what happened last night, see my haiku below.

Houseguests play Veto

Shane claims his last victory

Jenn walks out the door

Maybe I should write all my posts in haiku! 

Not impressed with their game play!

 

Fall TV!

So pumped for the return of Homeland!

Let me first apologize for the lack of blog posts this week.  I was extremely busy last week and this week, and it’s hard for me to watch and write!  I am going to catch up today, and I am so excited! (I am currently caught up through today!)  My latest Entertainment Weekly came in the mail this weekend, and it’s their Fall TV preview issue.  I will be going through it today, and setting up all of my recordings.  It’s my version of fantasy football!  I will stop blogging episode recaps for about 3 weeks while I try out these new shows.  I will still be blogging, but it will be more of my opinion of what to watch, and what not to watch this season.  I will give you some reviews of what I watch week to week, and what will or will not make the cut in the next few months.  I usually also predict which shows will get cancelled or renewed just from their first few episodes.  This time of year makes me so happy!  I will also be documenting the Emmy Awards on Sunday, September 23^rd, so I hope that you guys will get some joy out of that as well.  I hope you guys will get some insight from my posts over the next few weeks.  Please let me know here if you have favorite shows this season by posting in the comment section below!

*As an aside, The New Normal premieres tomorrow night, and the second episode will air tomorrow during it's regular time slot* 

Big Brother – Sunday, September 9th – HOH & Nominations

I love that Big Brother airs on Sunday nights, yet I hate that it means that the weekend is over!  I am also glad I set my recordings an hour longer than what they usually last.  The show was delayed due to football running over time this week (no punt intended :)).  Yet, I am already digressing, so let’s begin!

Tonight’s episode gives us a better insight to what happened during the double eviction.  Dan is unapologetic for sending Frank home this week.  Jenn realizes that she has no other option than to keep her alliance with Danielle and Dan, even though they were responsible for evicting Frank.  After Dan won HOH he realized this would be a perfect opportunity to send Ian home as well.  This would work out perfectly, as he would be getting the two strongest players out of the house.  Dan convinces Ian that he is just going up as a pawn, but he wants to send him out the door.  I am happy now that Ian won the POV.  Dan convinces Danielle to tell Shane to get ready to send Ian out of this game.  Danielle then says that no one wants to sit next to Ian in the finale, but she needs to realize that no one can win against Dan either!  Ian figures that Dan was lying to him, so I hope he can make some great moves this week.  After Ian wins POV, Dan tries to convince Danielle and Jenn to vote out Shane.  Dan is making hasty decisions, and the fact that this is a double eviction night make him not think irrationally.  Dan then convinces Shane that he should be in the final three with him.  Shane and Danielle need to realize that Dan only has in own interests at heart.  Dan then has the gall to threaten Ian not to vote out Danielle, as she was the replacement nominee.  Ian shouldn’t take orders from him considering he was almost out of the house a few minutes ago.  This was a really intense hour in the house!  Oh, I hope Shane or Danielle wins HOH, and they take out Dan this week.  He is too cunning for his own good.  Also, Dan has to realize that everyone is going to be talking behind his back this week.  There are a few alliances.  Let me take this time to highlight them. 

You can't trust him!

1.     Dan, Danielle and Jenn. 

2.     The Quack Pack, which is Dan, Danielle, Shane and Ian. 

3.     Shane, Danielle and Dan

What is the common factor?  It’s Dan!  They have to realize that he needs to go home if they want to win this game.  PLEASE DON’T LET HIM WIN AGAIN!  WE WILL NEVER HEAR THE END OF IT!

            Dan realizes that there are now 3 people upset at him.  Jenn, Ian and Shane could spell the end for him and Danielle this week.  This is a bad time to start making enemies!  Danielle tells Shane the half-truth.  She says that Shane was going to go up to replace Ian, yet he was only going to be a pawn.  Shane is too thick to understand that he was really close to going home, but it will only take one conversation to cause some chaos in the house.  So after all of this, they have to compete in the next HOH competition!  This competition involves questions from past events this summer.  The HGs must answer the question, and the answer is a number corresponding to the day the competition or event took place.  However, there is a twist.  They must use a ball as it rolls down an alley.  Wherever the ball lands, is their answer.  So even if they know the exact day, they still have to maneuver the ball wisely.  For every day they are off, they will get a penalty point.  Whoever has the least amount of penalty points wins the game.  Here is a breakdown of the rounds!

Round 1: On what day was Baby Zingbot born?  36

Shane: 34 – 2 points

Ian: 36 – 0 points

Jenn: 39 – 3 points

Danielle: 49 – 13 points

I miss this guy!

Round 2: On what day did Frank win his 3^rd POV? 48

Shane: 50 – 2 points (4)

Ian: 49 – 1 point (1)

Jenn: 48 – 0 points (3)

Danielle 44 – 4 points (17)

Round 3: On what day was Willie expelled? 14

Shane: 12 – 2 points (6)

Ian: 20 – 6 points (7)

Jenn: 2 – 12 points (15)

Danielle: 12 – 2 points (19)

Round 4: On what day did Jessie Claus make an appearance? 56

Shane: 59 – 3 points (9)

Ian: 55 – 1 point (8)

Jenn: 57 – 1 point (16)

Danielle: 58 – 2 points (21)

Final Round: On what day was the POV used to take someone off the block? 17

Shane: 22 – 5 points (14)

Ian: 11 – 6 points (14)

Jenn: 16 – 1 point (17)

Danielle: 13 – 4 points (25)

Tie Breaker: On what day was the first coach evicted from the BB House? 34

Shane: 30 – 4 points (18)

Ian: 32 – 2 points (16)

Ian wins HOH, and I couldn’t be happier!  Jenn already knows that she is going on the block, but if I were her, I would throw Dan under the bus!  She knows that Dan was going after Shane and Ian, so her best move is to have Ian put up Shane and Dan.  Ian says that he can put up Dan as a pawn against Jenn.  Dan says he isn’t cool with it, even though he did the same thing to Dan a little over an hour ago.  It’s at this point I wish I could yell at my TV.  Well, I do yell at it, so I guess I wish that they could actually hear me!  Dan is confident that he can convince Ian to change his mind.  He is so egotistical, and I hope that Ian can see through Dan’s lies. 

What?!  It’s another week of Pandora’s Box?  By this time, I don’t have to explain what it is.  This time, Ian sees that he can get a message from someone who loves him.  It appears to be his parents.  This time I would be super wary of the choice.  He cannot afford to have something good happen to the rest of the house.  In the end Ian decides to open the box.  No offense to my friends and family, but if I were about 14 days away from seeing you again, I would hope you wouldn’t care that I skipped opening up what could be the downfall of my entire game.  Just as I suspected, it’s not Ian’s parents he gets a message from, but it’s Rachel!  Who can forget such phrases as: FLOATERS GRAB YOUR LIFE VEST! NO ONE GETS BETWEEN ME AND MY MAN! TEQUILLA!  She gives him some advice about thinking about Brendan for the rest of the game.  The other HGs get video messages from their loved ones instead.  Shane gets a message from his sister.  Jenn gets a great message from her mother.  Danielle gets a message from her mother as well.  Rachel keeps giving advice to Ian on how to win the game.  My favorite strategy was what she called “straddlegizing”.  She and Brendon would straddle in the hammock, and they would also strategize at the same time.  Dan gets a message from his wife, and I couldn’t care less.  He has sworn on his religion, wife, wedding ring etc..so the fact that he cried afterward meant nothing to me. 

            Finally, it’s time for the nomination ceremony!  I feel like this episode had so many twists.  Ian decides to nominate Shane and Jenn this week.  I can’t believe that Dan has manipulated him to changing his nominations!  It doesn’t really matter though as there is going to be a POV winner.  Jenn says she has a fighter inside of her, and if I were her, I would start throwing Dan under the bus!  Maybe Danielle will get the guts to tell Shane about Dan’s intentions.  There is another special eviction episode this week, so I wonder if it’s going to be another double eviction!  That would make me so happy!  What do you think?  Who’s going home?  Let me know!