'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - East Coast Show Update 10/12 - Tribal Council Boot

6 votes were read. One was for Cristina, the other five were for Stephannie.

Bye-bye, Stephannie. I liked ya!

'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - East Coast Show Update 10/12 - Immunity

Aitu won Immunity.

'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - East Coast Show Update 10/12 - Reward/Exile Choice

Raro won the Reward Challenge - more fishing equipment and a bottle of wine.

They also chose a person from Aitu to send to Exile Island (not immune) - Jonathan.

Tonight's 'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' Blogging Schedule

The show will be starting here in a few minutes. As usual, any important events will be posted in East Coast Updates - Immunity, Boot, and any other critical happenings - will be posted as aired here in the East.

If you don't see a new post, try refreshing the page or hitting the Archive link (right sidebar) for this month.

Sometime tomorrow I'll be adding discussion posts for both Nip/Tuck and The Bachelor. If you're interested in various discussion posts, check out the right sidebar of the main page!

Late tonight, I'll post a full review/recap of tonight's Survivor.

'Lost' - "The Glass Ballerina"

Graphic artist Zoetawny made me a Lost maze mug. It's great, but I have to keep entering the code to save the world. Now, how am I going to get some sleep tonight? Maybe I can take in a stranger and convince him to enter the code while I flee!

Tonight's episode of Lost was called "The Glass Ballerina" and it won't rank in my favorites. Not that it was horrible, mind you. Not at all. It was entertaining enough, but I feel a bit stuck in place after watching it.

The show opened with a flashback sequence of Sun as a child. She broke a glass ballerina figurine in her house, then lied to her very authoritative father, telling him the maid broke it. Even after he told her the maid would be fired and he obviously thought Sun broke it, she lied.

As usual, the show cut back and forth from flashbacks to vignettes on the island interweaving them throughout the episode. Sometimes it can make you dizzy, but that's Lost for you. I'm going to split this into the main threads of tonight's show. We have the Sun/Jin backstory in flashbacks, the Sayid/Jin/Sun mission on the island, and then the Kate/Sawyer/Jack/Others events.


The Sun and Jin Backstory
After the initial flashback with the busted ballerina, the next one also focused on Sun's lies or, to be more precise, her infidelity. A motel room, Sun in bed with her lover, Jae. He told her that her English is good enough to leave. "You could go to America!" He showed her a pearl necklace and vowed his love for her. She teared up and doesn't commit. Or, she didn't really have a chance to as her father arrived into the room. Eep!

Then it was Jin meeting up with his father-in-law, Sun's very authoritative Dad. Her father, his boss, wants him to take care of a man who's been "stealing" from him. Although the father never comes out point-blank and said it, he used phrases like "my shame is your shame." Jin knew it was basically a contract hit and refused, even tried to quit. Quitting wasn't allowed - he must restore their honor. Jin told Sun he had to deliver a message for her father and she knew. She begged him not to, claimed they could run away. But, he couldn't.

So, Jin confronted Jae, beat him and held a gun to his head. Well, there was a pillow in between the gun and the head, but I don't believe that's great cover. He couldn't do it. He couldn't kill Jae. Jae cried, he apologized. Jin told him to vanish. But, he didn't. Instead, as Jin sat in his car still shaking from the encounter, Jae's body thumped down. A suicide? He held the pearls he had planned to give to Sun.

The last flashback was Jae's funeral. Sun and dear rather evil Dad met up by surprise. Sun asked him if he was going to tell Jin. He told her that's not his place and commented on the suicide as well as the shame.

The Sayid, Sun, and Jin Island Mission
Sayid has hatched a rescue mission to save Jack, Sawyer, and Kate. He wants to sail to where the others are and save the world. Wait, that's Locke pushing the button. No, Sayid wants to save the captives. Or, perhaps, he just wants to confront the others?

Jin was reluctant to go with Sayid's plan and there doesn't seem to be a lot of trust there. Sun told Jin she wanted to go because she didn't want to be without him. (She sure was without him with Jae!)

They set sail and found a dock which seemed very out of place. Sayid suggested they camp for the night and make a fire. Supposedly the plan was to build a fire so Jack could see the smoke. But Sun saw through it and questioned Sayid. He admitted his plan was to build the fire to attract the Others. When they came, he'd kill all but two hostages. Why two? So they could be used against each other. "Just lie to Jin for twenty minutes more," he pleaded as they built the fire. Lie to Jin? Say it ain't so!

There was no need to lie to Jin, though. He figured it all out and said he also understands English more than people think he does. He and Sayid took guns and waited by the fire for the Others, sending Sun to the "safety" of the boat.

Oh, no! The Others want the boat, not the people! Several boarded in the dark of night. Down below deck, Sun retrieved a gun and tried to convince a blonde female Other (not Juliet) to let her escape. The female Other knew Sun's name and didn't think she'd shoot. No go with that and Sun shot her. She barely escaped with her own life as the men on deck shot at her.

Ah, but she fell overboard and swam to Jin, who was already frantically swimming to her. All lovey-dovey and even Sayid showed remorse for his wayward mission.

Jack, Sawyer, and Kate Still Held Captive
Juliet made soup for Jack who's still being held in the dry dolphin tank. He seems to have lost his appetite and wasn't overly cooperative. When Juliet met up with Benry (Henry/Ben), he flirted just a bit... a bit bitter, it seems. "You never made soup for me." They were interrupted by the blonde Not Juliet (possibly Colleen) who told them that the "Iraqi found the decoy village and had a boat."

"I want that boat," said Benry in an absolutely chilling tone. It was like he didn't care if the people lived or died - he wanted the boat.

Sawyer and Kate were awakened by loud parade music, then carted off to a workfarm just a bit short of being on the chain gang. Kate had to chop up rocks while Sawyer had to haul the chopped rocks in a wheelbarrow. There were several other prisoners doing the same work. They were warned not to talk or try to escape; the punishment would be electrical shocks from a handheld shock doohickey.

A woman in the bushes (not one of the prisoners) whispered to Kate, said the dress she was wearing was hers, and asked if they were living in the bear cages. She asked about Carl, someone she seems to think may be in one of the cages. She disappeared as quickly as she had appeared. Was this Alex, Rousseau's daughter? I believe it was.


Then there was The Kiss, the one featured in promos. And, just as the spoilers predicted, the kiss wasn't what it seemed. Oh, yes, it was a kiss and indeed a kiss between Sawyer and Kate. But, it was a scheme on Sawyer's part to either escape or, failing that, size up the enemy. It ended up being the latter as he reported back to Kate after their return to the cages. He thinks most of the men have never had to fight anyone, but the blonde woman would kill in a minute. As Kate and Sawyer talked, Benry monitored every bit of their conversation on several monitors much like the hatch with the monitors of the other hatches.

Back to Jack, Benry tried to start over by explaining that he couldn't say anything when he was held captive. He introduced himself to Jack, which got the Rolling Stones song "Sympathy for the Devil" running through my mind -- "Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and fame... what's puzzling you is the nature of my game." He said his full name is Benjamin Linus and he extended his hand, a hand Jack refused to shake.

He told Jack that he's lived on the island all of his life and that Jack needs to change his perspective. When Jack questioned if home was where he had sent Walt and Michael, he affirmed it. Then he proved to Jack that he has contact with the world at large. His proof? The Boston Red Sox winning the world series. He showed him a videotape of the win.

"I will take you home. But you must listen and do what I tell you..."

And that was that; the episode is done. Very few answers, if any. Not even too many new questions. What I'm left with are nagging issues:

• The Others claim to be Good, not Evil. Jack, Sawyer, and Kate were handpicked to be captives. Sawyer and Kate have outlaw backgrounds, Jack has issues. Are they Evil?
• How did the Blonde Other know Sawyer's name is James? How did the Other on the boat know Sun's name? Where did they get that file on Jack last week?
• Last week there was a reference that DHARMA was long ago, but there has to be some sort of organization behind the flow of information.
• Where are the children?
• Each backstory exposes weaknesses of the stranded. What are the weaknesses of the Others?
• Why was Benry so intent on getting ahold of the boat? After all, if he has contact with the world, he wouldn't need it. Or, is it just that he doesn't want them to have it?
• What's the reason behind a decoy village? How many others have fallen into the island's grip?
• Are all of the Others like Benry, lifelong island residents?

Oh, I just don't know. I'm as Lost as all get-out!

What's On TV Tonight? Wednesday - Oct. 11, 2006

I guess it's a good thing that I won't be watching all of the shows which catch my eye as I peruse tonight's listings. It's a rainy night here and the perfect sort of evening to be curled up with a throw over my shoulders, a mug of hot chocolate, and a warm television. Or two, and don't forget the VCR!

Here are the shows on the schedule which have my attention, some enough to note here, others enough to watch, and one I'll be watching and blogging.

• CBS at 8 PM ET/PT has a new episode of Jericho. This week should see the arrival of strangers, or at least one stranger, to the town - the first to come from outside Jericho since the nuclear explosion. The episode is entitled "Wall of Jericho" and I'll watch.
• Also at 8 PM, but on NBC and for only a half-hour is the debut of 30 Rock. I like Tina Fey, but I'm a bit ambivalent about the rest of the cast. Due to my old love of SNL back in the days, I'll tape this one and give it a shot.
• At 8:30 on NBC, the debut of Twenty Good Years with John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor. Two "older" guys decide to live every day like it's their last. Okay. Maybe, maybe not. It's not something that's striking me as a must-watch, but since I'll be taping 30 Rock, I'll tape the hour.
• On ABC at 8 PM, it's Dancing With The Stars. I've watched about ten minutes of this so far this season and just a bit more last season. It's popular, though. I just don't think I want to see Jerry Springer waltzing. I just don't.
• On the CW Network at 8 PM, there's America's Next Top Model, another show with its fans. But, not my cuppa tea.
• At 9 PM, I'm going to be Lost! According to the listings: "The Glass Ballerina" Sun's and Jin's lives are in danger; Kate and Sawyer must work in harsh conditions; Henry makes Jack a tempting offer that will be difficult to refuse." I'll be watching, probably taping, and blogging later on tonight about the episode.
• While I'm all about Lost, CBS has Criminal Minds and NBC has The Biggest Loser. I keep wanting to watch CM, but its timeslot is bad. And, the one time I caught it in a rerun, it didn't catch me. I've no desire to watch The Biggest Loser.
• At 10 PM, it's a toss-up which I'll watch and which I'll tape... C.S.I.: NY or The Nine. Both will eventually be seen by me.

What are your TV plans for tonight? Is anyone watching those odd soap opera type shows on stations like My9 in NYC? I'm talking Desire and Fashion House. I don't believe I've ever heard anyone mention them and, as far as I'm concerned, I'd rather watch old syndicated reruns. But that could be me.

TV Newsy Bits and Other Stuff - Oct. 10, 2006

Well, well, well. What's been happening with the boob tube and me last night and today?

Last night, I once again watched Heroes. I'm not sure where the story is going, but I'm sticking with this one. I've been a comic book fan for eons, although I've fallen away some over the years. I love the character of Hiro more each time I see him. I'm not sure how the show can work longterm as there's supposedly some sort of nuclear disaster appearing within weeks, but I'll go for the ride with them. And... if I were to have some sort of superpower of my choice, I'd choose flight. After all, I could skip all the New Jersey traffic congestion.

I also caught JP, recently cast out on Survivor, on Late Night with David Letterman. He seemed very different than he did on the island. He definitely wants a job and sure sounds like he wants show biz.

Tonight, it was the Law and Order block for me. The second one (SVU) had Jerry Lewis appearing as Munch's uncle. He's suffering from a depression-related disease which at times mimics Alzheimer's. I think he did very well in the role, but in the end, the episode was more tragic than most. But, sometimes it's good to think.

What did you watch?

In TV Newsy Bits, here's some of the scoop I found out there:

• For American Idol fans, Bo Bice Hospitalized
• William Shatner to Host New ABC Reality Game Show "Show Me the Money"
• Big Brother 7 Contestant Will Kirby to Appear on "The Young and the Restless"
• Suresh Tracks Down a Genetically Advanced "Superman" Next Week on Heroes
• Laying odds on this season's ‘Amazing Race’ - REALITY TV - MSNBC.com
• 'Amazing Race' Upcoming Episode In-Depth
• IGN: Exclusive Survivor: Cook Islands Interview: J.P.
• TV Cocktail: A TV Blog at iVillage.com
• Boogie Has Had A Good Year - Something I'm sure we're happy to hear!

'The Amazing Race 10' - Ep. 4 -or- "Up, Over, Under and Around in Circles"

Eight teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?

Once again, they switched the introduction to the show. They should be due for a non-elimination leg soon - I'm thinking next week. When the show started off with the word "next" in lieu of "tonight," I thought it may be this show, but it was indeed a Philimination leg.

And, I have the lowdown.

Health concerns continue to plague some of the teams as we head into the fourth leg. Mary's sprained ankle is still a problem and we learned that Rob collapsed due to heat dehydration. He was treated and deemed fit to continue racing. Since he's one of my own personal least favorites, I wouldn't have minded if they told him, "No! Stop racing! Rest for three days!" Ah, but that wasn't the case.

As the teams took off from the last Pit Stop, a rice paddy in Vietnam, I noticed that the gap betwixt first and last place had narrowed in comparison to last week's start. The first team (ChoBros) left at 10:55 PM and the last team (TnT) left at 11:48 - not even an hour apart.

The teams had to take a taxi to Hanoi, then collect 588 Vietnamese Dong. That's the currency in Vietnam; 1 Vietnamese Dong = 0.00006458 US Dollar, so it's not a heck of a lot of money, eh? They then had to travel to a park where an auditory clue, in addition to crickets, started a fiasco of mixed-up directions and a Kimberly/Robert rude cab blow-out. The clue itself was hard to understand in either language - English or Vietnamese. Some teams wrote it phonetically; other teams asked their cabbies to listen.

Some just disrespected their cabbies. Yes, I'm talking about Rob. I don't know why someone would expect a cab driver in Vietnam to understand English and, even when the cabbie doesn't speak the language, he sure can understand tone. Give me Mary and David, with Mary hugging the taxi driver and telling him she loved him instead.

After all the clue confusion and cab-clamoring, all the teams ended up on the same bus headed to Ha Long Bay. There they faced a Roadblock, a task only one member of the team must perform. This particular Roadblock had them using mechanical ascenders to scale the side of a cliff. It was a 90' ascension directly up and used both arm and leg strength.

And, this is where I get surly. Peter, of Peter/Sarah fame, takes the easy Roadblocks and lets Sarah, who has a prosthetic leg, perform the hard ones. (Dump him, Sarah!) Yes, I know editing plays a part, but if Peter hadn't made yet another remark in the line of his "disability card" utterances and then sat smugly drinking a cold beverage as Sarah struggled...! His line this time was "Pull the handicapped placard out and get in the front of the line" as only three ascenders were available at a time. This guy needs some serious dumping by Sarah, seriously. Watching Sarah climb the cliff, I think I had more concern than he did.

As Godwin Cho prepared to go up, he declared he was leaving all of his possessions to his brother. And, it was neat to watch Karlyn go up the cliff struggling, yet busting with pride at her accomplishment. It could have been editing, but it looked like every other team member remaining at the bottom cheered their mates on while Peter relaxed.

The teams had to find their next clue in an absolutely stunning cave - Sung Cot Cave. It reminded me of visiting Carlsbad Caverns. There wasn't too much excitement at hand in the cave as the teams basically just had to find their clues to their next destination, which happened to be a Detour. A Detour is a choice between two tasks, each with a local touch, performed by both members of the team.

The choices this leg were Over or Under. In Over, the teams had to take a boat called a junk, then row a smaller boat called a sandpan - sort of a wide and flat rowboat to pick up and deliver goods to two destinations in a floating village. In Under, teams took a junk, then rowed a sandpan to a location where oyster baskets were marked by buoys. They had to harvest and deliver 30 baskets of oysters.

All of the teams had trouble manuevering their sandpans and I don't think I've heard that much fussing and fretting on one task in ages. Tears, whining, arguing, and then some more tears. Peter fussed that he wanted to give up and I thought I saw contempt in Sarah's eyes. (Dump him, Sarah!) Mary and David snapped at each other and she gave him a "you're not the boss of me" comeback. Remember, at the beginning of the season, she claimed that where they're from, the man is the boss. I don't think so! Most of the teams went for Under, but Lyn and Karlyn succeeded at Over. All of the teams found out that rowing a sandpan in high winds isn't like rowing a canoe.
Much to my dismay, Rob and Kimberly finished the task first and hit the mat at the Pit Stop at Soi Sim Island first. I don't like their bickering. Phil commented on it, too. "Are you being nice to each other?" Yeah, sure they are! As the first place winners of the leg, they each won a jet ski. That's better than the one home entertainment center that Godwin and Erwin won last week, but it's no trip for two... which may be a good thing in the light of their relationship or lack thereof.



This is the order at the Pit Stop:

1. Rob/Kimberly
2. Peter/Sarah
3. Tyler/James
4. Erwin/Godwin
5. David/Mary
6. Lyn/Karlyn
7. Dustin/Kandice
8. Tom/Terry (TnT) - last and Philiminated.

In a bit towards the end of the show, Sarah told Peter she didn't appreciate him saying he was going to give up when she had worked so hard to climb the cliff. He sat there and said nothing. In a confessional she held without him, she seems to realize he's not the dream love she thought he was. Dump him, Sarah!

Supposedly, this race is one of the most extensive ever. Why are they still in Vietnam? I'm finding it a beautiful and exotic country, but they've traveled hardly at all the last two legs.

Mary is proving to be my must-watch racer each week. Between her funny lines and her reaction to wondrous places and peoples, she's fun to watch. Yes, she fussed some about her sprained ankle, but I could see her forging on with a cast if she had to do so. She may be one of the more "country bumpkin" types than we've seen on the show before, but she's definitely an ambassador of good will with the natives.

I'm still cheering on the ChoBros for the win, but David and Mary would certainly make for a very different finale. I like Sarah, but not Peter. I'm not too thrilled with either Kimberly or Rob, and the pretty teams (Dustin/Kandice, Tyler/James) aren't striking me much at all, nor did TnT. I wouldn't mind seeing Karlyn and Lyn hang in there. I think they're pretty amazed at what they've done and I bet their children are thrilled, too.

Just get out of Vietnam and stop all the crying, teams!

Oh.

And, dump him, Sarah!

'The Amazing Race 10' - 10/08 East Coast Update - Arrival Order and Philimination

The arrival to the Pit Stop:

1. Rob/Kimberly - Won a jet ski each
2. Peter/Sarah
3. Tyler/James
4. Erwin/Godwin
5. David/Mary
6. Lyn/Karlyn
7. Dustin/Kandice
8. Tom/Terry - Eliminated

Tonight's 'Amazing Race 10' Blogging Schedule

Once again, here on the East Coast (at least in the NYC viewing area), TAR is a bit delayed due to the football game running over.

I know football has its fans, but I'm not one of them.

I'm not quite sure when 60 Minutes started as I started watching America's Funniest Home Videos on ABC. Once it's over, I'll switch to the tail end of 60 Minutes to await TAR. I believe it's less than 10 or 15 minutes behind schedule, but I'm not sure. But, as a result, East Coast Update posts on the show will be running as late as the show is. As usual, an entire review/recap will be posted later in the evening. But I will post East Coast Updates as far as the Pit Stop Arrival Order and Philimination as they appear.

Darn football.

TV Newsy Bits - October 7, 2006

I'll be addressing some of the comments later on this evening - I thank you all for commenting! I just have to catch up after a few busy workdays.

As I'll be gone most of the day, I wanted to leave you with a few tidbits o' stuff that I thought you'd like to check out...

• A Surgical Intern Has a Medical Emergency Next Week on "Grey's Anatomy"
• Reality Dish: Murtzcellanious: Murtz Jaffer Interviews Bilal Abdul-Mani From The Amazing Race 10 - Don't ask me what's with all the exclamation points. It's very interesting, but I read it utilizing them and he sounds very um... excitable. "So I've been fasting for the past 23 years!!!!" Eep. (I hope they left some for someone else on the Internet to use.)
• Reality Dish: [SPOILER] Details Revealed About Next Week's Survivor Episode
• RNO: Transcript of JP, Survivor's latest castoff, on The Early Show.
• Heroes Given Full Season Order from NBC

See y'all later! (See, I snagged an exclamation point out of that interview. I had to. There were no more in the punctuation stockroom.)

'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - Ep. 4 -or- "That's no nut, it's a crab!"

17 are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

Dang. There are still a lot of them there! I bet we'll see a double cast-off sometime soon.

The show opened to a pouting Ozzy on Aitu. "If you're going to vote me out, do it soon. Waah, waah. I don't want to keep catching food for you if you're just going to vote me out. Waah." Of course, the opening scenes to tonight's show are from just after Tribal Council on the last show. While we tend to think it's a week, it's only been a few hours for Ozzy. There. I did my best to defend his pouting. He's irking me, so I can't defend him any more for personal reasons.

It's Day 9 and a boat brought Candice back from her Exile Island jaunt. Immediately JessFlicka and Sundra were at her questioning why Raro chose her to go to Exile Island. In confessional, she said she tried to play dumb, but I doubt she'll ever be Thespian of the Year. "Oh, really? They tried to save me from Tribal Council, y'think? I didn't even think of that!"

The seeds of gender wars are brewing (I like to mix my metaphors) in Raro as the men laze about and the women are doing most of the work. The guys just don't see this. Well, they see it, but since they're all-powerful men and they're needed so darned much on the tribe, they have no fear. They form an alliance of testosterone or four, you figure which. They know the women will keep them.


Yeah, right.

The Reward Challenge this week was physical and mental. And, it looked like it hurt for some. Two tribe members were attached together by a rope while the others pushed and pulled them through an obstacle course. Then there was diving to retrieve a wheel, swimming, running, deciphering a phrase using the wheel to get the clues - enough to make your head spin. On Raro, Stephannie sat out as they have one more member.

The winners received three blankets, two pillows, and a hammock. They also got to choose a person from the losing tribe to send to Exile Island. Unlike last week, the Exile will return in time for Tribal Council and will not be safe. That is, if that tribe goes to Tribal Council. Aitu won and sent Adam off to the island.

After the challenge, Ozzy was fishing again despite his fussing. They're doing well with the fishing. Ozzy caught nine of the eleven fish caught by the men. In a confessional, he bragged about how they wouldn't vote him out because he catches all the food. Not so fast there, OzMan. Food seems like the least of the worries this season. You irk them like you irk me and, trust me, they don't need you to get them food. They can do it themselves. When you think you're the sole provider, you probably aren't going to make it to be the Sole Survivor.


Over at the Raro campsite, they're bummed. And, not only that, JP is lazing about while expecting others to wait on him hand and foot. This really, really irks me. My two favorites the first show were JP and Ozzy, and neither is the man he appeared to be in the premiere. Ms. Flirt, otherwise known as Parvati, is even ticked off at him.

Parvati's main flirt-target is still Nathan, who's pretty loyal to JP. But she went to him with her complaints anyway. He hinted that JP's time will come and they should just let it happen. He also said he had her back. As they talked, he was trying to break open a nut with his hands. All of a sudden he yelled that the nut pinched him. "That's not nut, it's a crab! Ow!" In a confessional, he admitted to being interested in Parvati, but said he had to keep his mind on the game.

Cao Boi is wearing thin on me now. Sigh. He did the stupidest thing in the workd tonight. He was poking a stick at a large bird in a nest. They had been looking at boobies, but this seemed a lot larger. He knocked the nest to the ground in search of eggs. No eggs, but there's a baby bird that may have lost its life in the fiasco. Jonathan picked up the fallen nestling and had tears in his eyes. Cao Boi replaced the bird's nest and nestling back in the tree. The mother sat on the nest, but the nest wasn't left too secure and there's human scent on the baby bird. Stupid, stupid Cao Boi. He feeds bad and said sometimes the kid in him takes over. But, he's not a kid. That was incredibly stupid for him to do. I hope he stops and thinks from now on.

The Immunity Challenge had tribe members assembling a puzzle-stretcher, running across the island, one swimming out to rescue yet another tied to a mast, returning carrying the rescued member, starting a fire to burn a rope and raise the tribe's flag. A typical Survivor challenge, y'know. It came down to the fire and Cao Boi shined for Aitu. He danced, he smoked, and he got it going while Stephannie is the one who took the heat for a Raro loss.


"Cao Boi's the Zen Firemaster, " said one of the guys. Stephannie felt horrible and blurted out that it was all her fault. Yikes, Steph! Hush! Everyone automatically assumed that what she said in the heat of the moment meant they should vote her out because she wants to go home. Say what? Nathan feels bad because she's his "Hiki-hood love," but he'll do what she wants.

Heh. But then Cristina and Jenny noticed JP laying about once again. Him! They had to get the women to vote out him instead of Stephannie. Steph admitted to them that she didn't want to go home. They know they can get Rebecca in on the plan, try for Parvati and were unsure of the results. They hit up Brad for their Womens Alliance. Will it work?

Sure enough, it will!

At the Tribal Council, Jeff read off seven votes, when it hit five for JP and two for Stephannie, JP was banished. Or, more precisely, bamboozled. Or, even blindsided. Whatever it was, he just stood there and said, "Damn. You guys outwitted me big time. That was pretty good.."

Hey, the logo reads "Outwit, Outplay, Outlast."

In the end, it was only JP and Nathan voting for Stephannie, all the other votes were for JP. Interesting, eh? I'm not sure how they got Adam. Nathan's facial expressions showed he didn't have a clue what was going on as Jeff read the votes.

Buh-bye, JP.

Outwit, Outplay, Outblog

"Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - East Coast 10/05 Show Update - Tribal Council

7 votes read, 5 for JP and 2 for Stephannie - Nathan and JP were the only votes for Stephannie. Bamboozled!

JP is voted off.

UPDATE: A full review/recap will be posted late tonight.

"Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - East Coast 10/05 Show Update - Immunity

Aitu won Immunity.

"Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - East Coast 10/05 Show Update - Reward/Exile

Aitu won Reward (3 blankets, 2 pillows and a hammock) and sent one Raro to Exile Island. They chose Adam. He will return before Tribal Council and isn't exempt.

Tonight's 'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' Blogging and Stuff

It's Thursday! As I always do, any important events on Survivor will be posted to the blog in East Coast Updates, including the boot at the end of the show. If you can't see the most recent post, refresh the page or use the October link in the Archives on the right sidebar of the main page.

I'm loving the Lost discussion and theories for that entry! Quistian, there may be a 12-Step Program for you. Heehee! Your theories sound good. No, I don't follow all the puzzles and stuff for the show.

AwesomMel - don't take the trash can on your comments personally. It's because you're signing in to comment with a Blogger account. You can delete your own comment if you want.

'Lost' Season Three Premiere

Tonight was the night - the eagerly anticipated season premiere of Lost.

And now, I think I'm more lost than I ever was before. No polar bears, no dark wisps of smoke, and a focus on only those held captive by the Others (Jack, Kate, and Sawyer) with no other folks other than the Others and flashbacks to Jack's father and wife.

The show opened in a very un-Lost-like state. It could have been Nebraska on a lazy Sunday afternoon. But, these weren't your normal Pleasant Valley Sunday friendly neighbors. No, they were the Others! They have normal homes, a normal-looking rural sort of neighborhood. A woman chose to play a CD with Petula Clark's song "Downtown." (What's it all mean?) And, they were holding a fairly normal activity -- a meeting of a book club. The book club leader, addressed as Julie by another, defended the choice saying, "This is my favorite book!" An older man thought the book literary trash. "It's by-the-numbers religious hokum-pokum."

The book in question? Stephen King's Carrie, in hardcover. I had to freeze-frame my tape, see that its title was short and began with a "C," then look for covers online as it doesn't match my own original paperback of the book from 1973. But, that's what it was, for sure... a hardcover edition released in 1974, of Carrie. What's the significance of the book? Well, I don't know. I figure it must have some meaning or they wouldn't have shown a traceable book cover. Of course, Carrie was the outcast girl who wreaked havoc on her high school.

The Others, Henry, in particular, look a lot younger than they did in previous episodes. His hair is a healthy dark brown and there aren't the deep lines in his face. Oh. And, Henry's name is Ben. The woman running the book club made a comment about being foolish enough to "pick a book Ben wouldn't like." So, Henry/Ben has some power. The book club meeting was interrupted by what looked like an earthquake, but was the magnetic forces which caused Oceanic Flight 815 to crash. All of the Others, who seem like normal ol' people, ran out and watched it split into three parts falling over the island.

Ben assigned Ethan (remember him?) to join the survivors (if any) of the fuselage crash site and to be one of them. "You were on the plane," he said. He told him to listen, learn, and not get caught; he wants lists in three days. Others were assigned to find the other two parts of the plane.

"So, I guess I'm out of the book club."

Then it cuts to "present day" and Jack, Kate, and Sawyer are each held captive in separate areas. Sawyer is in what is later revealed to be a bear cage complete with a tricky way to obtain a fish biscuit and water. An older teenaged boy is in an adjacent cage. The teen warned Sawyer not to play with a button and Sawyer being Sawyer just had to play with it... and got blown across the cage. Later, the boy would help Sawyer escape. Don't get excited, his escape didn't last long. He was tasered and brought back to the bear cage.

Kate's scene begins in a shower room similar to ones in gyms. Hey, wait! The public shower played a part in Carrie! Nope, no dirty pillows. An older man we previously knew as Zeke attended to Kate and gave her a towel, soap, shampoo, and a dress to put on afterwards. She feared he would leer, but he told her that she wasn't his type. Don't ask. I don't know what his type would be. All dressed up and no place to go? Nope, she had a date with Henry. Ben. Whatever. A breakfast by the sea, accompanied with a warning from Ben. "The next couple of weeks are going to be very unpleasant."

What's up with Jack? Well, he's in what's revealed later to be an undersea, but dry, dolphin pool. Book Club Julie, who introduces herself to Jack as Juliet, is his watchman. He tried to escape, too. Juliet told him that his dehydration will eventually cause hallucinations and we went through a series of flashbacks. Scenes of his wife with another man (no, get your minds out of the gutter) and his father ran on and off through the show. His obsession with finding out his wife's lover even took a turn at accusing his father, cracking up, getting busted, and generally going berserk. Odd.

When he attacked Juliet and tried to escape, Ben/Henry warned him that if he opened a door, they'd all die. He went ahead and opened it. Nope, they didn't die! But water rushed in and that's when he figured they were under the sea. Juliet calmed him with a file which she claimed was "his life." She told him several facts about his background and told him Sarah (his ex-wife) was happy.

Meanwhile, after breakfast Kate was put in an adjacent bear cage to Sawyer. He shared a fish biscuit with "Freckles."

Tonight's episode is on the ABC website if you missed it. But, now we have a bunch of new mysteries and no answers.

• Why was Julie/Juliet crying as she listened to "Downtown"?
• What is the significance of the Carrie novel, if any? How did they get several copies of it?
• How did they get vehicles? How come their houses are stocked with food and have electricity? Where did this stuff all come from?
• Those bear cages are pretty big. Could one have been the domicile of a certain gigantic polar bear from the first season?
• Bear cages and dolphin pools? How do they work in with DHARMA? Or the Hanso Foundation?
• How long have these people been on the island? Many are childbearing age. We know they've stolen children. Why are there no children?

The only thing I really learned tonight was that Ethan was indeed an Other and assigned to blend in with the survivors. That and the fact that Jack acted like a real jerk about his wife's marital fling. No, I'm not suggesting he just accept it, but he went over the edge.

Oh, heck. I'm Lost.

What a Good TV Night Ahead

Jericho is starting up now as I write this. I have it on and I'm taping Bones. At 9 PM, I'll be watching the Lost season premiere and taking notes for a blog entry about it. Oh. I'll also be taping it just in case I want to go back over something or not watch it notebook on lap. Then, at 10 PM, I have to catch the premiere of The Nine. I've read previews and it looks like that one's a "keeper." That'll knock my C.S.I.: NY to taping status. It will also make my Lost review/recap a bit later tonight, but my goal is to get that posted before I hit the sack.

Remember - I've set up posts for AOL/Gold Rush clue sharing, and the discussion of Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives. Feel free to share the links with friends interested in the shows and have a good time!

Now I have some serious TV-watching to attend to...

TV Newsy Bits: 'The Amazing Race' WIll Race Again For Season 11

It's amazing! Yes, it really is!

Although never a top show in the ratings arena, The Amazing Race has been chalking up the Emmy awards season after season. In this day of reality television overload, TAR shines through the pack. CBS recently announced that The Amazing Race has been renewed for an 11th season, delighting the show's many diehard fans.

The change to Sunday nights with the "Race, Case, Trace" CBS line-up - (Amazing Race, Cold Case, Without a Trace) - has improved the ratings for The Amazing Race, while perhaps not working as well on the latter two shows. Despite football games delaying its start on the East Coast, the CBS Sunday evening line-up performed well on October 1, leading with a 9.5 rating and 15 share of the audience.

What sets TAR apart from the many reality shows on television? The premise is only a bit of the distinction — each season has 10 to 12 teams of two contestants, each with an existing relationship (family, friends, dating, etc.), running a whirlwind race around the globe, with the winning team bringing home one million dollars. Viewers of the show get glimpses of various customs, cultures, and historical places, along with breathtaking scenery of wondrous countries as they watch the teams sometimes implode, but more often grow closer through the race.

I'm a fan of the show and I don't believe I've ever missed an episode. On a personal level, one of the things I love about the show is that it often inspires me to find out more about an area through which the race was run. For example, this past week, the racers were in Hanoi, Vietnam. One of the clues led them to find John McCain's flight suit at the "Hanoi Hilton." I had some recollection of this, but watching the show made me go online and learn more about it. Other episodes find me searching for more information on religious and cultural rites. The Amazing Race touches on numerous topics, and makes me think, research and learn. No other reality television show does that for me. (Okay, I'll admit that Survivor had me looking up howling monkeys last season.)

The Amazing Race is hosted by Phil Keoghan and, as a bit of the Internet seeps in, the term for when a team is eliminated has evolved to them being "Philiminated." This is done with great affection for the show's host, of course. As the teams race around the world, they have to perform both mental and physical tasks to move ahead. It can be edge-of-your-seat watching and the race to the mat can get viewers up and cheering for their favorite teams.

The Amazing Race airs every Sunday night following 60 Minutes on CBS. That would normally put it at an 8 PM ET/PT start, but football games may delay its airing on the East Coast. If you haven't watched the show, tune in and find out why it brings home the awards every season. It's exciting, interesting, and definitely entertaining -- even if you're not into the reality television genre.

TV Newsy Bits for October 2, 2006

It's Monday!

Well, I can pretend to be excited about it, can't I?

I watched the second episode of Heroes tonight. I'm not sure where that show is going, but I'm going to stick with it. I guess I'm a bit of a comic-geek wandering mind type. Of course, my favorite character on the show is Hiro. His YATA exclamation in NYC reminds me so much of BJ and Tyler last season on The Amazing Race with their TATOW!

I want to thank everyone in the comments from the day. You folks are fantastic and, did you notice? Not one commenter stood up and said, "I think you're wrong about Peter. He's a saint." Heh.

In other real TV news:

• Cecilia, the recent Survivor castoff, will be on Letterman tonight. Well, at least at the Hello Deli around the corner.
• Heroes Continue to Test Their Newfound Abilities Next Week on Heroes
• Bones Preview Clips for October 4th
• In Depth Episode (Possible Spoiler) Info for Survivor 10/05

What did you watch tonight?