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?

'The Amazing Race 10' - Ep. 3 -or- "Fuel, Fowl and the Hanoi Hilton"

Nine teams remain. Who will be eliminated tonight?

Okay, I noticed last week that Phil did the introduction with the word "next" instead of "tonight." Is it a clue of some sort? Well, the results were the same. A team was indeed eliminated from The Amazing Race tonight. And, I might add, it wasn't a team I wanted to see leave.

Let's jump right on in with the pack at the race...

We left the teams at the last Pit Stop in Mongolia. As is standard, the teams left in the same order as they had arrived, albeit twelve hours later. Peter and Sarah were the first to get the clue and to head off on a mission to get to the Hoa Lo Prison or, as it's nicknamed, the "Hanoi Hilton" in Hanoi, Vietnam. I noticed that there was about a two hour gap between first and last. Peter/Sarah left at 6:54 AM and, in last place, Lyn/Karlyn left at 9:02 AM.

The teams started the leg with zero (as in zilch, nothing, dead-po' broke) dollars and were warned that they couldn't beg or sell anything. So, some teams were a bit better off than others with saved money from the previous two legs of the race. Sarah/Peter had $40, Dustin/Kandice had $24, but others were as low as Duke/Lauren with a paltry $11.

The money was more of an issue than departure times as the teams hit a bunching point at the airport and all teams ended up on the same flight to Hanoi.

Drama? Was there drama? Sure, there was! Tom and Terry threw a fit when they thought Dustin and Kandice cut in front of them in line. And, of course, it was all for naught.

What about physical woes? Well, of course! Mary hurt her ankle in the last leg and, in a confessional spot said, "I didn't leave my kids for nuthin" as she vowed to race on. Sarah's prosthetic leg is still leaking hydraulic fluid and, while it doesn't seem to be causing her any additional pain, the knee isn't responding as it should and not bending as well. As a result, her running is almost like a jolting hop-a-long. She might still be able to outrun Mary or Lyn/Karlyn, but she's not in her personal marathon condition.

Once in Hanoi, Duke picked up a local woman who promised to lead them to the prison, but really just wanted to use them for a ride to go see her brother a half-hour from their destination. Lauren was against it all along and I think she restrained from saying, "I told you so!" Thankfully, their cab driver accepted their $11 and didn't call the cops for fare-beating.

Lyn and Karlyn tried to get David and Mary aboard in their taxi to help them, but both teams wouldn't fit. David was completely awestruck at being in Vietnam. His Dad was a Vietnam War veteran and his thoughts sometimes clouded his judgment in this leg of the race. Of course, that makes me feel old because I'm old enough to be David's mother. Oh, say it ain't so!

The teams once again bunched up as they awaited a 9 AM opening. Their quest was to find the display containing John McCain's flightsuit within the prison museum, Maiso Centrale. Tom and Terry were the first to discover the suit and scampered off with nary a word to the other teams.

From the Hanoi Hilton, teams had to go to Hanoi's Old Quarter where they had to face this leg's Roadblock (a task which can only be completed by one member of each team). This one that seemed fun but I personally think it was a bit lame when compared to others. They had to "charm people and turn a buck" on the streets of Hanoi... selling flowers. (What's that sound? Is that the sound of rolling eyes?) The good thing is that they get to keep the money made - all of what amounts to about $5 (USD). Why Peter sold flowers while Sarah ends up with physical tasks, I don't know. (Dump him, Sarah!) Lauren was thrilled with the native womens' response to her father selling flowers.

Although Peter and Sarah were in good standing at that time, they took a wrong bus to the next destination, the town of Vac. David was still thinking of his father's days in Vietnam and Tom/Terry apparently weren't thinking at all. Earlier the show had a blurb about the teams being prohibited from riding or driving motorcycles or motorbikes in Vietnam due to safety issues. So, what does Team TT do? They ride with locals on motorbikes to the next stop, a Detour.

The teams have a choice between locally-inspired tasks in a Detour. In this one, they had to choose between Fuel or Fowl. In Fuel, the teams had to make 30 coal bricks (used as fuel) to specification. In Fowl, the teams had to make a birdcage to specification. Most of the teams chose Fuel, but that wasn't coal as we know it. As David, the coalminer says, "This ain't real coal!" And, I believe it was Mary who said, "Oh! This is just like Play-Doh!" Lauren and Duke tackled the birdcage only because they got lost searching for the Fuel site.

As the teams completed the task, it was a foot race to the Pit Stop on a rice paddy still in Vietnam. The ChoBros arrived first and, like Tyler and BJ last year, got rooked on their prize. Instead of a cool trip, they got a home entertainment system. Not one for each of them, just one. Bummer!

But, not as much of a bummer as what happened to Terry and Tom. They slid into second place only to get nicked for their riding the forbidden to ride motorbikes. They received a half-hour penalty and it was an anxious wait as the other teams arrived to the Pit Stop. At least in editing, it looks like they barely squeaked into the last spot before Philimination.

The rest of the teams arrived at the Pit Stop in this order:
2. Tyler/James
3. Rob/Kimberly
4. Dustin/Kandice
5. Peter/Sarah
6. Lyn/Karlyn
6. David/Mary
8. Tom/Terry squeak back in.
9. Last and eliminated from the race - Duke/Lauren.


Rats. I liked them. If only it could have been Rob and Kimberly, although we didn't really see a lot of them in this leg.

I think this week's challenges were a bit on the ho-hum side, but it may just be the adventurer within me. I'm liking the possibility that some teams may work together if they can. Lyn/Karlyn think David and Mary are great and are also bonding with the ChoBros and Team TT. I'm still liking the ChoBros a lot and I'm admiring David and Mary's spunk and the relationship between them more each week. We didn't see a heck of a lot of the Rehab Model Boys, and that was fine with me. I don't think they'll stay in the background too long, but it was nice to go a week without hearing how "saved" they are.

I still think that Peter's using Sarah and I can't help but think that she's realizing they're not a match made in heaven.

Dump him, Sarah!

'The Amazing Race 10' - East Coast 10/01 Show Update - Pit Stop Arrival Order

1. The ChoBros. - Also won a state of the art home entertainment center.
(2.) Tom and Terry... but, they didn't follow a safety restriction regarding prohibiting riding or driving a motorcycle or motorbike in Vietnam, a 30 minute penalty. They must wait it out.
2. Tyler/James
3. Rob/Kimberly
4. Dustin/Kandice
5. Peter/Sarah
6. Lyn/Karlyn
7. David/Mary
8. Tom and Terry back in.
9. Last and Philiminated - Duke and Lauren.

'Amazing Race 10' - Tonight's Blogging Schedule

The start of tonight's The Amazing Race 10 episode has been delayed by football.

I don't like football.

I don't like delays of shows I enjoy due to football.

You don't even want me to go there!

60 Minutes started at a bit after 7:30 PM here in the NYC area, so TAR should start a bit after 8:30 PM. As usual, I'll post important show-changing stuff here on the blog as it airs in East Coast time. Later tonight, I'll post a review/recap of the episode.

To get to the latest blog entry, it may be necessary to refresh the main blog page or hit the link for October in the Archives links on the right sidebar of the main blog page.

'Lost' - Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculations

I've done it. I've searched the web looking for all of the spoilers, rumors, and pure speculation regarding the upcoming season of Lost. The season premieres this Wednesday, October 4, at 9 PM ET/PT in most viewing areas. Check your local listings so you don't miss it!

And, if you don't want to know spoilers for Season Three, then quietly close the article and move along. There's nothing to see here, nothing at all. Ah, but if you do want to know, read on...

From Kristin at E! Online, I gathered these gems (the commentary, of course, is my own):

Executive Producer Bryan Burk said, "We're opening a whole new world for you in season three." Yikes! Have we even explored the worlds already opened onto us? He promises the show will spiral into new and unexpected directions. Hmm, now I'm a show fan, but I think I'd like to have some more answers before more spirals take place. Burk said the show will delve deeper into the Others; we'll learn more about them as the storylines focus on them.

There is also a new Brazilian "hot" male character to be introduced this season -- Rodrigo Santoro and his new friend (or is it?) Kiele Sanchez. Lots of on-screen chemistry is promised. Oh, hot and heavy stuff, eh?

Burk also said the hatch is gone, done and over with. This season will feature entirely new sets. Eep! But... but... I still have unsolved mysteries about the hatch!

Amongst the teasers Kristin shared for the show, we have the fact (rumor, speculation) that two people close to Sun die. She said they're close to her in very different ways. Hmmm... I hope it's not Jin. Or Hurley! Could it be Michael? At least we have a ray of hope with dead characters on this show. Sometimes the dead come back. No, not like in a Stephen King novel... in flashbacks.

The kiss we see in the promos isn't what it seems according to Kristin. But, there will be another kiss. Is this a Judas Kiss? I don't know. I'm just conveying the information here. Uh-oh. There will be sex in Jack's bed. Will Jack be a part of this? I'm not thinking so. Change those sheets, at least! Sawyer will be shown as a "bonafide wuss"? How could that be? Supposedly, he'll have good reason for his wussiness. I guess we'll be the judge of that!

Terry O'Quinn (John Locke character) said that he's been told that the show will reveal why he was in a wheelchair, but he can't tell when or how or anything else about it. Heck, these actors don't even really know the skinny on this show.

I found the Spoilerfix site interesting. They mention that while some spoilers are indeed spoilers, the producers and cast often put forth what they call "foilers" -- deliberate false spoilers to foil the attempts of the spoilers crowd. That could be a show on its own, it seems. But, it all goes into why I named this article with "rumors" and "speculation" in its title. I can't guarantee any of this will happen. We'll have to watch to see what's a spoiler and what's a foiler.

Here's what I gleaned from their site, foilers and spoilers, along with my reactions:

The first episode entitled "A Tale of Two Cities" will concentrate on Jack (Matthew Fox) with flashback sequences about his drinking father and possible infidelity on the part of his wife, Sarah. Desmond will turn up at the hatch naked. Wait! I thought the hatch was done and over with according to the other spoilers! Perhaps the hatch will cringe at the sight of a dirty naked Desmond and implode. Or something. And, no, that's not a spoiler. That's just my odd mind. The premiere also focuses on Jack, Sawyer, and Kate as prisoners of the Others.

The second episode is "The Glass Ballerina" and it will mainly focus on Sun and Jin. Sayid puts Sun and Jin in danger with his plan to locate the captured by the Others bunch. Henry will make a proposition to Jack that Jack may find hard to turn down. A new character named Colleen is set to appear in the third episode. She's tough and seems to have military training of some sort. She distrusts most people and is only emotional when with her "significant other." Not to be confused with her significant Other. Or maybe, I don't know. Is she herself an Other? Where did she come from? Was she on the plane? I don't know.

The third episode entitled "Further Instructions" focuses on John Locke. There is supposed to be a "trippy airport-set dream sequence" according to the TV Guide. Hurley is the flight attendant, Desmond is the pilot, and Claire and Charlie are married. But, it's all a dream. Or is it? (Cue organ music here.) In this episode, it's also predicted that a dead character will return. Boone (Ian Somerhalder) must be at his sister's side... or something. I'm sure death hasn't hurt his good looks any. Wait, this isn't a flashback or part of the dream. Supposedly, Boone hooks up with John Locke on a "kung fu"-like journey to expose an island mystery. John Locke is also supposed to revert to his previous mysterious and knowing ways, Grasshopper. Good. I like that character better. I've always predicted that Locke is the Key to the island and he could very well be if he goes back to that persona.

The episode also reveals the fate of Eko, Desmond, and Locke after the hatch's implosion. (See! I said the hatch would implode after experiencing a naked Desmond!) Oh, no... it's the new characters Nikki and Paulo who have sex in Jack's bed! Already? Some introduction to the characters, eh?

Okay, there are the spoilers for the first three episodes. Once those are digested, I'll write about more down the road. Remember, some are spoilers, some may be foilers. But, this Wednesday, we'll all be watching the season premiere!

'Grey's Anatomy' - Blog Meet Up Discussion

Are you a fan of Grey's Anatomy? Do you want to talk about the show or its characters with blog friends?

Well, here's the spot!

The show's official website is located at ABC.com Grey's Anatomy and your show talk can certainly be located right here.

Darn. I wish they didn't put this one up against C.S.I. I've only caught it a few times because it was up against something else I watched in the past. One of these days I'll catch up on the reruns. But, in the meantime, I'd love to read your thoughts about the show!

'Desperate Housewives' - Blog Meet Up Discussion

By request, here it is! A place for blog readers to discuss the show Desperate Housewives with friends.

Deal the skinny on the latest episode or rant about the characters - it's up to you.

Now, this is a show that I've tried and just can't get into, but who knows? Maybe reading your comments will get me to try it again.

The official website for the show is here.

Have fun and get talkin' "desperate"!