Tonight's 'Amazing Race' Blogging

The show just started here in the NYC area. Football, of course. I'll post the Philimination around 9:20 PM ET in an East Coast update. Later, a full recap/review will be posted. Stop on back!

TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, October 28, 2006

It's rainy and windy here in the Northeast, so it's a perfect day to rent movies, stay inside and quaff hot chocolate! And, of course, remember to set the clocks back an hour tonight. Spring forward and fall back, y'know.

What kind of TV related newsy bits have I found peeking around this morning on the Internet? Well, here ya go:

• If your heart is set on marrying Simon Cowell, don't fear - Simon Cowell Rules Out "Ridiculous" Marriage
• Reichen Lehmkuhl, Lance Bass's new love and past Amazing Race winner, claims he's receiving threats from exposing his experiences in the service - Former Amazing Race Winner Receives "Serious Threats" Over Book
• Preview for "House" on FOX November 1st
• I found this article - The Cho Brothers Almost Walk On Water - an interesting read. The ChoBros rule!
• RNO transcribed the most recent Insider video from The Amazing Race in this article.
• Extreme Makeover yanked, Lost sets its hiatus return date in this newsy bit.

Sneak Peek: TBS New Series '10 Items or Less'

Turner Broadcasting's cable station TBS has undergone programming changes since its incarnation back in 1976, going from the "The SuperStation" to the "Very Funny" station. Or, perhaps it's the Very Funny SuperStation.

Ah, but the question is...

How funny is it?

The station airs a stock group of syndicated sitcom series which have a track record for being Very Funny. And, come November, they'll be offering a new original series airing late-nights, geared for the adult market and, promising to be Very Funny.

I was lucky enough to secure a sneak peek at the first two episodes of 10 Items or Less, set to premiere November 27 at 11 PM ET/PT.

This series is the brainchild of creators and executive producers Nancy Hower, Robert Hickey, and John Lehr (who also stars in the show). It's not quite the typical sitcom as they're using a "loosely-scripted" format and depending on the cast for improvisation to make it Very Funny.

Does it work? Let me just go into the premise a bit before I answer that question...

Leslie Pool, played by John Lehr, is a rather unsuccessful businessman in New York City who takes it upon himself to run his deceased father's grocery store (dubbed Greens & Grains) back in his hometown in Ohio. Greens & Grains is a small independent grocery with a handful of quirky employees and a very competitive super grocery chain store right across the street - the Super Value Mart. The show is actually filmed in a real supermarket with real customers coming and going. And, it's "loosely-scripted" which means that while they have a detailed outline for each show, the actors don't work by script. They're given a general idea of where the episode wants to go and they're encouraged to improvise.

So, a lot of this show's success will depend on the comedic quick thinking of the cast. Does it work with the cast at hand? I think it does on the whole. These grocery employees are indeed "out there" but I myself have worked in stores over the years. Dang, some of these character-types do exist. I swear they do. Yeah, they may be exaggerated to a point, but they're out there. They really are. And, the actors in the series seem to be into character and thinking on their feet for the most part.

My personal favorite character interaction in the two episodes I saw was that between Christopher Liam Moore as Richard and Greg Davis Jr., as Buck. Buck's a bagger who, when offered a move up the ladder to cashier, sees the dollar signs and the big bucks in the esteemed cashier role. Richard is the current cashier, a very particular and rather persnickety individual. He feels threatened by Buck's aspiration to be a cashier, yet strangely drawn to following Buck's lead at times. Together, I find these two characters to be a hoot. (Yes, Very Funny.)

Overall, I think this series probably isn't going to take over the world, but it will attract an audience, especially in the 11 PM time slot when much of the programming is on the serious side. I had a few chortles and at least one guffaw while watching it - and I like to guffaw. I don't do it often enough.

One thing I think took a bit away from the show was the shakiness of the camera during rather still-focused shots. I'm a reality TV buff and I'm used to that sort of camera work, albeit I'm obviously a bit ignorant about the correct technical jargon for it. But, darn it, stop wiggling so much when focused on one character for a few moments! It detracts from the scene on hand.

The series will air Monday nights at 11 PM ET/PT on TBS starting November 27th. The cast includes John Lehr, Jennifer Elise Cox, Robert Clendenin, Greg Davis Jr., Chris Payne Gilbert, Kirsten Gronfield, Christopher Liam Moore, and Roberta Valderrama.

Tonight's 'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - 10/26

Tonight's show isn't a real episode. It's that mid-season recap with some new material thrown in. It's likely I won't blog about the show itself unless there's some fantastically amazing new material we haven't previously seen.

Of course, if you want to comment about the show's happenings here, go for it. I'll be listening and probably comment a bit myself. But I doubt an actual entry, per se. There will be no East Coast Updates as there won't really be any action.

Enjoy the show!

'Lost' - "Every Man For Himself"

Graphic artist Zoetawny made me another new tag! Cool. Now I can rotate them! (She rocks, y'know.)

I swear I'm getting just a tad more lost each week watching Lost, aren't you? Perhaps I was doing better when I knew a bit less, the days of pushing the button, a strange French woman, and mysterious hatches. I really can't figure the Others out at all. They keep claiming they're not evil and the show has shown us evil in the "good" people stranded on the island.

I can't help but think of Benjamin Limus (whom I used to think of as Henry Gale) as being almost the persona of evil. Michael Emerson, who plays the role, is perfect for the part and he can creep me out with a single glance. How can he be on the side of Good? I just don't see it.

Tonight's episode had no polar bears running amok and didn't really answer any of our past questions, per se. Did it bring up a few new questions? Well, of course. It's Lost, after all.

The show opened up on the camp where Desmond's character is getting even a bit more quirky. He told Claire that she should move the baby down the beach as he needed to fix her shelter roof. Charlie, jealous and jumpy dude that he is, balked and Desmond seemed to give up on the idea. But, he didn't give up.

Instead, he asked the still-not-officially-introduced character Paulo for a golf club. He rigged it to a wooden pole and thus, he saved the world as easy as pushing a button. Okay, it actually acted as a lightning rod and took a blow that supposedly would have struck Claire's shelter. How did he know a storm would hit so suddenly? And, more importantly, how did he know lightning would strike right there? I haven't a clue. I said he's growing more quirky.

The majority of the show focused on the captives - Jack, Sawyer, and Kate. In flashback sequences this week, Sawyer's past was expanded upon. Again, the flashback sequences were interspersed with the "now" and they both tied in together in theme. I'm separating them here so I don't get dizzy jumping back and forth from past to present.

Sawyer in Flashbacks
The flashbacks focused on Sawyer's prison days. He was a tough guy (of course) and had problems with the prison warden. Or, so he claimed to a new prisoner who seemed to be abused by the inmates and receiving special privileges from the warden. That guy stole ten million dollars, yet said he didn't do it. The warden and other prisoners were sure he did it and hid the money.

In one sequence, both Sawyer and the other prisoner (Munson?) were visited by women. Munson's woman was blackmailing him and Sawyer's woman was the girlfriend whom he swindled and the reason he was in jail. She showed him a baby picture and claimed it was his daughter, Clementine. That explains why he's sung the song before. He denied being the father.

He grew closer with Munson after the visit and, dang, the con man conned the other con man. Munson told him where the ten million dollars was hidden and asked him to relocate it for him.

It turns out it was all a Get Out of Jail Free Card played by Sawyer. He was working for the Feds and the prison warden in a deal to get a hefty commission and leave a free man. He asked that his take, er... commission be put in a fund for Clementine with no way she could find out who gave her the money.

The "Now" on the Island
They've occupied Jack with cartoons, but that just isn't doing the trick. The Others continue to keep Jack separate in the dolphin cage while Sawyer and Kate are in the bear cages, as well as working together on the chain gang. Jack tried to stir up a problem with Juliet by accusing her of being Benjamin's pawn. She denied that Benjamin was the leader.

It was all interrupted by Benjamin himself bursting in. He needed Juliet to attend to Danny's girl (as Sawyer called her), Coleen -- the one who was shot by Sun in the episode before last. Juliet is their only doctor. Meanwhile, Sawyer and Kate see Cole being carried on the stretcher. Sawyer chalks it up to a point for their side and says it's a ticket out of there. I don't really understand his reasoning, but that's okay. I'm lost, of course.

Sawyer came up with a plan to use the food/water/music button in his cage to create a puddle of water and electrocute the next Other who came to the cage. Well, that happened to be Benjamin who beat Sawyer's butt. Sawyer previously said none of the men really knew how to fight. But tonight he found that Benjamin can wipe the floor with him without raising a sweat.

For his attempt against Ben, Sawyer was taken by the others and awakened strapped to a table, then knocked out with a huge needle of something. When he awakened after his surgery of some sort, Ben went bananas shaking a rabbit in a cage until it supposedly died. He told Sawyer that he had implanted pacemakers in both the rabbit and him. If the heart beat goes over a certain rate, the pacemaker would explode and kill him as it did the rabbit. EEK! He gave Sawyer a watch-like heart monitor. As his allowed excited rate is 140 beats per minute, a warning alarm triggers at 125 and he'd need to rest. It was to keep him from attacking others or escaping and he wasn't to tell Kate. Okay.

Meanwhile, Juliet, against the wishes of her Other buddies, wanted Jack to try to save the gunshot victim. They set off alarms to cover any voices, put a hood over his head, and led him by the cages with Kate and Sawyer. They called him, they knew it was him. But he couldn't hear them over the alarms.

He also couldn't save Coleen. She died despite his efforts. So, Danny the Other, went out and beat Sawyer to a pulp just because. All the time he was beating him, Sawyer couldn't fight back because he didn't want the pacemaker to blow up. Also, Danny kept shouting to Kate, "Do you love him? Do you love him?" Finally, when she said she did, he stopped.

But, you must remember, they say they're the Good Guys.

Sawyer, with his macho man image, claimed that Danny "hit like a girl." Kate realized she could fit through the bars at the top of her bear cage and wanted to escape. It worked. She got out and was stunned when Sawyer refused to go with her. He told her that it's "every man for himself" and that she should leave him behind. We know it's the pacemaker-bomb bit, but Kate didn't have a clue. She climbed back in her cage probably figuring she now knows how to get out.

But, she won't escape because that Evil Benjamin was at his bank of monitors watching every moment of it!

Then I got more lost with the next events. Benjamin and his henchment took Sawyer for a long walk up a hill which triggered his monitor. Sawyer thought they were trying to kill him, so did I. Then Ben showed him that the dead rabbit is still alive, said it was only sedated, and that neither Sawyer nor the rabbit had pacemakers. Conning the con man. Of course, that ties in with the flashback sequences. Benjamin says he's a better con man. I say he's just evil personafied.

Then they walked to a cliff which overlooked where the Oceanic 815 crash victims were. I just can't get the significance of that scene at all. To me, all it showed was that there are two separate islands in close proximity in an otherwise wide open sea. Did I miss something?

Back at the Others, Jack had noticed an x-ray of a man's spine as he attended to the gunshot victim. He grilled Juliet about it saying that a tumor on the spine is obvious and that person was in danger. That spine is Benjamin's.

Just one real question for me this week. Why was the rabbit labeled with an 8? It's one of the Lost recurring numbers, but...!

Oh, I'm still Lost. Will I ever be Found?

TV Newsy Bits - Monday, October 23, 2006

Tonight was Heroes night for me once again. I'm hooked. I'm not quite sure how long the premise will be able to be dragged out, though. If they save the world from the one NYC blast, is it over? Or will they "see" more problems and keep saving the world? Now that the ones with the powers are starting to meet up, I'm enjoying the show even more.

And, of course, my favorite character on the show is Hiro, played by Masi Oka. I found an interesting interview with him at Q&A with Masi Oka - if you enjoy the show, check out the interview!

In other stuff:

• Survivor's Cao Boi's local paper had an online write-up about him. Loved or hated on 'Survivor,' Cao Boi still loved at home - Roanoke.com
• 'Lost' Losing its Audience?
• Both Cristina and Cao Boi are scheduled to be on Letterman tonight. I'll be watching!

What did you watch tonight?

'The Amazing Race 10' - Ep. 6 -or- "Dumped in Kuwait"

Seven teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?

Yes, there are still seven teams, at least for the start of the show. Last week's non-elimination leg saved David and Mary, the last team to arrive at the Pit Stop. In a new twist this season, they kept their money and possessions, but were marked for elimination. If they didn't arrive at the Pit Stop first in the next leg (tonight's show), they would have to wait out a 30-minute penalty. That could very well cost them the race.

So, how did it all play out? I'm pleased with tonight's show.

The teams left Chennai (India), the location of their last Pit Stop, headed to Kuwait City. They were given a product placement video clue from Phil Keoghan instructing them to buy airline tickets at a travel agent, then fly to Kuwait where they would drive to the mystery location pictured on their screens.

At the travel agent, we saw not one, but two, "cards" played. Peter lied and said Sarah had a medical emergency with her leg that was dire. While she has the problem with the hydraulic fluid, there's no way they can fix it on the race. I noticed she didn't say one word about her leg. (Dump him, Sarah! He's using you and creeping me out!) The other card was the "We're Beauty Queens" card, used by Dustin and Kandice.

A lot of good the cards did -- all of the teams, including David and Mary, were on the same flight out of Mumbai. Ha! All of the teams also thought to check on the Internet at the travel agency or ask about the mystery location image. So, they all knew they were looking for the Kuwait Towers, too.

Even though the teams bunched up and all took the same flight, they once again bunched up at the Kuwait Towers as they didn't open until 11:00. Each team had to take a number, then search for the next clue when the doors opened. When they opened the clue, included was a Fast Forward - the first of two in this season's race. If a team successfully completes the Fast Forward task, they can go directly to the Pit Stop. Now, who needs the FF the most?

Well, David and Mary! The Cho brothers, Erwin and Godwin, bluffed other teams and indicated that they themselves were going to take the Fast Forward. Actually, they were anticipating David and Mary taking it so they would surely stay in the race. David/Mary, the ChoBros, and Lyn/Karlyn have a tight alliance going on. Even though they both are afraid of heights and it was apparent that the task at the Towers would be height-related, Erwin and Godwin wanted David and Mary to take a chance for first place with the Fast Forward. They rock!

That is where the line for the promo for this week's show took place. Nothing had really happened to the Cho brothers; David and Mary just didn't want them eliminated because they secured the FF for them.

Sure enough, the clue at the Towers was a Roadblock, a task only one member of the team can complete. And, yes, it had to do with heights. The team member had to climb the circular ladder (pictured above) up the side of one of the towers, 610 feet high. Once at the top, the racer had to retrieve a bag with puzzle parts, return to the ground, get more puzzle parts from a trunk, and complete a puzzle which contained a message in Arabic (their next clue).

Of course, Peter immediately said Sarah would climb - "I think you climb here, Sarah." He is so horrible to her and hasn't done not a one physical task. Peter, she has one leg, you creep! You climb! Again, editing may play a part, but they showed him relaxing as she struggled. She did better than Erwin Cho, though. It was evident that he was terrified almost to the point of choking on the task, but he made it. He knew how bad he was with heights and knew he could have easily gone for the Fast Forward.

Meanwhile, Team Kentucky (David and Mary) were off to the Fast Forward. This was an exciting one for them. They had to find a certain oil field and retrieve the clue leading them to the Pit Stop amidst a simulated (yet very real) oil fire. David what thrilled, he had a childhood dream of being a fireman. Both donned protective gear and went for the clue box using shields.

Back at the Towers, the teams all had their puzzles translated by locals and were off to a bead market, then to the Al Sadiq Water Towers where they faced a Detour, a task both members of the team must complete. Detours always are a choice between two tasks, each one having something to do with the region or its culture. This Detour was Manual (old-fashioned) or Automatic (new-fangled). In Manual, it was actually manual labor as teams had to fill several bags of camel feed, seal them, then lug and stack them. In Automatic, there were really neat little robotic jockeys they had to attach to the back of camels, then complete a race.

Some of the teams wanted to do the camel race, but couldn't find it so they went to Manual. It seems the teams who got very lost found the camel racing. Tyler and James drove aimlessly and hopelessly through the streets of Kuwait City, but not as aimlessly and hopelessly as did Peter and Sarah. The Pretty Boys took it well under the circumstances, not blamiming each other for being lost, but very disappointed. In contrast, Peter blamed Sarah, snapped at her and insulted her. Finally, the Boy Toys found the camel racing and made quick work of the task. Peter and Sarah were still searching for the Manual task in the dark.

The arrival oreger at the Pit Stop was as follows:

1. David and Mary - Came in long ahead of the others thanks to the ChoBros and the Fast Forward. They also won a trip for two to Jamaica for placing first.
2. Dustin/Kandice
3. Rob/Kimberly
4. Lyn/Karlyn
5. Erwin/Godwin
6. Tyler/James
7. Sarah/Peter - eliminated from the race.

The Good

• Sarah dumped Peter at the Pit Stop confessional. She said he wasn't the kind, compassionate, caring sort of amny she desires. You go, girl!
• The ChoBros are fantastic. I bet their parents are proud of them. They even got a local police officer to lead them at one point.

The Bad

• Lyn and Karlyn were very nasty to the Beauty Queens and I thought they treated the locals very abruptly in doing so. They wanted the locals to not give the other team directions and practically yanked at them. Sheesh!
• Peter in general.

The Ugly (American)

• The notable Kimberly/Rob exchange of the week when instructed to go by a certain mosque: Kimberly: "We have to go by the grand mass." Rob: "Mosque. Grande Mosque. It's not a street name." Kim: "Whatever."

I want Rob and Kimberly out next.

'The Amazing Race 10' East Coast Update 10/22 - Pit Stop Arrival and Philimination

The arrival at the Pit Stop:
1. Mary and David used the FF - Won a trip for two to Jamaica
2. Dustin and Kandice
3. Rob and Kimberly
4. Lyn and Karlyn
5. Erwin and Godwin
6. Tyler and James
7. Peter and Sarah - Philiminated.

And, more important... Sarah dumped him! You go, girl!

A full review/recap will be posted later tonight.

'The Amazing Race 10' East Coast Update 10/22 - FF Used

Thanks to the ChoBros, David and Mary used the Fast Forward, snagged 1st place and are now redeemed.

'The Amazing Race 10' Blogging Schedule Tonight 10/22

TAR is starting about ten minutes late here in the NYC area. Football, of course, is the blame for the late start. I will post an East Coast Update on the Finish Line order and the Philimination at about 9:10 ET for those in other time zones. Late tonight, I'll post the show review/recap.

'The Amazing Race' Goes All Stars Next Season

They've done it for other reality shows and its coming has been rumored for some time. Now it seems to be inevitable. According to the TVgasm website, the filming of The Amazing Race 11 is to start next month. And, not only that, we're in store for watching a season of teams who have previously raced the race. Big Brother did the same, as did Survivor even earlier. Apparently the "all star" format is successful, but it's not always this fan's favorite.

So far, two teams from TAR5 are listed as participants in the new season. I fear neither team was too popular in their season, at least not according to the Internet buzz at the time.

Bickering and sometimes "Ugly Americans on Exhibit" Colin Guinn and Christie Woods are one of the teams revealed. Colin, of course, is most remembered for his infamous line, "My ox is broken!" That happened when an ox just didn't want to steer the way he wanted it to go. The couple argued their way to near the finish line only to be beat out by the Force for Good, Kim and Chip. Their motivation for undertaking the race at the time, other than the million dollars, was to test their relationship and possibly marry. Whether they're married or not these days is unsure. But, it's sure they'll fuss and fight through the All Stars season.

The other team linked to the All Stars version is cousins Charla Faddoul and Mirna Hindoyan. This is a team that many fans so wanted to cheer on, but they made it hard for the fans to do so. Mirna fretted, made her cousin handle all the tougher tasks, and obsessed about looking pretty for Phil Keoghan at the finish mat each leg. She also did her best to perpetuate stereotypes of little people with the way she treated Charla. At least, that's this show fan's perception. On the other hand, there's Charla, a little person. She can do a lot, but needs a better partner. Fans called them out for using the "Dwarf Card" to get ahead. Charla and Mirna were most recently seen on last years Battle of the Reality Stars (BRAVO). Their relationship didn't seem to change much over time.

Amazing Race ALL STARS or Amazing Race Villains? It could be worse. We could be in for another season of watching Jonathan and Victoria Baker. It would be better if these shows polled the viewers about what teams they'd like to see return if they feel they have to have all "all star" season. Better yet, I'd rather not see an "all star" season at all.

TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, October 21, 2006

Oh, my. Yesterday was a double whammy day here for me and I couldn't post to the blog. First, strong wind gusts brought down a tree practically in front of my apartment building. It actually fell on one parked car and one car which was driving by - a huge tree uprooted. Yikes! No one was hurt, though two vehicles will go to car heaven. But, my power was out through the evening hours.

Then, when the power returned, I tried to post and Blogger's servers were down. As I said, a double whammy. But I'm here now and here are the TV Newsy bits from the past few days:

• Reality to set in at NBC with shift to cheaper fare - Orlando Sentinel : Television
• Amazing Race and Survivor Cook Islands Finales Announced
• The First Fifteen Days Are Revisited Next Week on Survivor Cook Islands
• Cao Boi and Cristina on The Early Show - Also linked there are separate Reality News Online interviews with each castoff, worth reading!
• The mystery of Jae's death - USATODAY.com - Some of these very same questions went through my mind.
• Big Brother's Howie hits eBay with auction items from the show.
• Jack is Called On to Save One of "The Others" Next Week on "Lost"

I received some promotional goodies from TBS (the SuperStation). I'll hopefully have time to investigate them thoroughly over the weekend and give you the lowdown on two new shows set to debut next month - My Boys and 10 Items or Less.

And, but of course, we have The Amazing Race tomorrow night. The promos make me think a team I enjoy may be in trouble. Eek!

'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - Ep. 6 -or- "When Good Voodoo Goes Bad"

Fourteen are left. Who will be voted off tonight?

Now, this was one rockin' and rollin', get down and get dirty, episode! All they would need is some jello (or mud) and it could have been held ringside for the big bucks.

The show opened with Raro on Night 14. Tension, hurt feelings, and verbal jousting were the order of the night. Understandably, Cristina's feelings were hurt because Adam called her out as "annoying" at Tribal Council. So, they argued. Brad thought it was insensitive of Adam, yet let them orally duke it out without his interference. Cristina cried. Adam didn't cry.

Then it was Day 15 and we were plopped into Aitu territory where Ozzy once again was being Poseidon Man, fishing for the troops. Despite his vow a few weeks back, he continues to supply his tribe with food he catches or climbs to get. Jonathan remarked about Ozzy's talents, but noted that Ozzy isn't anyone to be against after the merge. He's right. But, then again, Jonathan himself isn't one to be against after the merge.

The tree mail they received promised a feast to the winning team and talked about a well-balanced team being needed. The mail was in the shape of a mast. It didn't say whether the challenge would be Reward only or Immunity, but since it didn't mention bringing the Idol, it appeared to be Reward only to most of the tribe members.

Except for the Lone Cao Boi, that is. He wants to drag the Idol to everything as a "spiritual" thing, pride, a fellow member of the tribe, and a host of other reasons. Jonathan told him he was against bringing it because it would come across as gloating over their wins. Cao Boi got very abrupt. Fine, just fine. It stayed at camp.

Ah, it was time for the down and dirty at the Reward Challenge. I have no clue what the producers are doing. This one almost begged for injuries and it's lucky no one got hurt besides bruises, scrapes, and scratches. Cao Boi sat out as the odd man over. Then each tribe chose three members to cling onto a pole which was secured to the ground. Two members from the opposing tribe then had to remove them from the poles and drag them across the sand for quite a ways to the finish line.

Cristina fought dirty as they JessFlicka fought her. Chokeholds, hair-pulling, attempts at disrobing were the off-color moves during that battle. When it came time for the guys to move Ozzy, they just snagged him from the pole and carried him by the pants for a ways. He struggled, but couldn't beat them for long.

Oh? The prize? Well, the winners got a feast. But there's a hitch. Jeff told them that both tribes would each vote out a member tonight. The winning tribe would go to Tribal Council first, then feast and sit in the jury box during the losing tribe's Tribal Council. The feast was lamb shanks, bread, and apple cider. He also said there would be one more surprise. Every tribe member of each tribe gave the challenge their all, but in the end it was another win for Aitu.

Back at the Aitu camp, they were proud of their win, but worried about Tribal Council. Cao Boi came up with Plan Voodoo, an attempt to bring the hidden Immunity Idol into play and vote out one of the original Caucasion tribe members. He fears that, after the merge, the ex-Caucasian tribe will be a huge alliance and wants their numbers decimated. He also thought Jonathan had the Idol when it's actually Yul (the one to whom he was telling his plan) who has it.

Jonathan, meanwhile, wants Cao Boi out as the wild card. He has his points, too. Cao Boi has proved a bit bizarre and, though interesting, he can be annoying and problematic. The women seemed to be leaning a bit more towards voting out Jonathan, even Becky who's in the Becky/Candice/Yul/Jonathan alliance. Ozzy seemed a bit iffy about it all. I think he may have just been happy to be off the radar at the moment -- the ex-Latino tribe members have been dropping like flies. Only Ozzy and Cristina remain from that tribe.

Over at Raro, Nathan decided they didn't need lamb and he caught a nice-sized octopus for their own little feast. With tensions they way they are, Cristina was the largest target. She knew it, campaigned, and only had a decent response from Nathan.

Cao Boi, of course, brought the Immunity Idol to Aitu's Tribal Council. When Jeff Probst questioned him about it, he decided it could be another tribe member sitting there. He also told Jeff that people either love or hate him. That got a snicker from his tribemates. He rambled on about his voting choice being a chess game scenario looking down the robe. Deep, man, deep. Or not. He admitted that his plan was to expose the hidden Immunity Idol, something which may have been better left unsaid at Tribal Council, but that's Cao Boi for you.

In the end, it was bad voodoo for the Zen Master. Cao Boi was voted off with the only votes not for him being his own (Candice) and JessFlicka (Jonathan), his Zen Buddy Grasshopper.

Then it was time for Aitu to sit in the jury box and feast and Raro to hold their Tribal Council. The "Cristina annoying" bit was all rehashed; Jeff mentioned how many challenges they've lost (most of them). Then he announced a new twist right before Raro was ready to vote. Aitu would kidnap one of Raro's tribe members. That member wouldn't vote in the Tribal Council, but would also be safe from the vote. He also would quickly feast for a few minutes, then return with Aitu to their camp through the next Reward Challenge. They chose Nate.

Aitu, including the kidnapped Nathan, left before the votes were cast for Raro. Even Nate's vote couldn't have saved her. Cristina was voted out by all but two votes. She voted for Jenny, as did Brad.

A few random thoughts...

• Ozzy is the sole Survivor of the original Latino tribe.
• I didn't know Cao Boi had the sneakiness in him to come up with Plan Voodoo. Had Yul not had the Idol, it probably would have played out. But both Becky and Yul knew Jonathan didn't have it.
• While Cao Boi wanted to break up the original Caucasion tribe, he neglected to include his buddy JessFlicka in there.
• I know some might think it as racist on Cao Boi's part, but the Caucasian tribe is the only one that is still intact. I'd target them, too.
• My personal favorite remains Yul, though I'm also liking Jonathan more each week, too. Ozzy is a tremendous player, but he's so dang moody when things don't go his way. To me, he's a bit of a wild card in his own right. He's actually playing the people end of things much better the past few weeks.

'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - East Coast Update 10/19 - Raro Tribal Council

Cristina was voted out.

A full recap/review will be posted late this evening. Stop back! :-)

'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - East Coast Update 10/19 - New Twist

Nate was kidnapped by Aitu in new twist. He's immune from Raro TC and eats with them. He will be returned to his tribe at the next Reward Challenge.

'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - East Coast Update 10/19 - Aitu Tribal Council

Cao Boi voted out.

'Survivor 13: Cook Islands' - East Coast Update 10/19 - Reward

Aitu won Reward. They will get a feast.

But... it's going to be at Tribal Council. Jeff announced that both tribes will vote someone off. The winning tribe (Aitu) goes to TC first, then feasts in the jury box while observing Raro's Tribal Council.

Jeff also said there would be one more surprise tonight.

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

As per the usual, I'll be watching the show (you knew that) here on the East Coast. As important events air, I'll post East Coast Updates here. They generally include Reward, Immunity, and the boot. Later on tonight, I'll post a full recap/review of the episode.

In order to view the newest posts to the blog, you may have to refresh the main blog page. Sometimes it also works even better to hit the Archive link for October (located in the right sidebar of the main page).

Survivors ready?

'Lost' - "Further Instructions"

Sometimes the dead come back. And, sometimes they're still good-looking, too.

Oh, but I'm ahead of myself here. Tonight was the third episode of the anticipated six or so episodes before the show goes back on hiatus. Supposedly, we'll have 23 new episodes this season, but we're only getting a handful for the fall.

The spoilers had it right, yet had it wrong, too. Yes, this show was focused on John Locke, that's true. But another happening just didn't happen. Even according to the TV Guide, Claire was supposed to discover the two newcomers, Paulo and Nikki, in Jack's tent. It didn't happen. At the end of the show I noticed them in the crowd, but no tent incident and not even an introduction at all. Was it a foiler instead of a spoiler? One that even hit the big time? If the scene was cut, I certainly have to wonder how they're going to introduce these two new characters. Did they just fall out of the sky? Well, it's Lost. It could have happened.

Onto the show...
This week, it was more of Locke's backstory shown. We found out nothing further about the captives (Sawyer, Kate, and Jack). But I've always maintained that Locke is the key to the island, so it was all good for me. As its usual way, the show was set between present island happenings and flashbacks. Oh, and one odd dream-like mystical sequence, too.

The show's opening included Locke's previous statement "Each one of us was brought here for a reason." They briefly recapped Locke's decision to stop pushing the button - "You killed us all!" "No, I saved you all." And, then his admission that he was wrong as the hatch imploded.

Cut to the new -- Desmond was seen running naked through the woods and John Locke was laying wounded in the grass. Charlie discovers him and Locke asked for his help. Well, he lost his voice somehow, so he wrote it. He wrote to Charlie that he needed to "speak to the island." He wanted Charlie to guard him as he built some sort of meditation hut.

Now, since the show jumps back between flashbacks and the "now," it's hard to make it all make sense when writing about it. (That is, if Lost makes sense at all!) So, I'm going to segregate the flashbacks and the "now" and you'll see some connections betwixt the two.

Locke's Tale in Flashbacks
An unshaven Locke was driving a pick-up truck through a rural area and picked up a young hitchhiker named Eddie. Within minutes of picking him up, local police stopped the truck. When the cop asked Locke what was in the back of the truck, he replied, "Groceries and guns." Yep, there sure were guns of all types. Locke told the cop to look in a red book and he'd find all the proper records. Apparently all was legal and Locke (with the hitchiker) went on his way.

Locke took Eddie to what seemed to be a commune, one which had taken in Locke after his problems with his father. It was a place where he felt he was part of the family once again, a "real family." They talked about how some folks are farmers and others are hunters. All seemed hunky-dory. And, it was, on the surface.

Ah, but this wasn't just a commune. Eddie saw mysterious happenings by a greenhouse which seemed to be guarded and off limits. John just sort of hushed him and told him they had orchard duty.

Eddie told Locke that he wanted to be in on whatever they were going to blow up as he figured from the gun delivery, fertilizer, and mysteriously guarded greenhouse that was what the group was all about. John Locke laughed almost to a guffaw and told him he'd talk to Jan and Mike (the commune leaders).

But it was Jan and Mike who wanted to talk to Locke first. They had found that Eddie was a newly-hired cop, gone undercover to bust them. Bust them for bombs or terrorist activities? Nope, it was a major marijuana growing operation. John, who often lectured Charlie about drugs, was involved in heavy pot trade.

After they told him how he screwed up the whole operation, he told them he'd fix it. He went to the woods with Eddie on the premise of a hunting trip. John confronted him asking if the cops had picked him to target and Eddie finally admitted it. John had given Eddie an unloaded gun and was planning to shoot him. Eddie told him that he was a farmer, not a hunter. John told him he was wrong -- "I am a hunter." He took aim, then couldn't pull the trigger. End of the flashbacks.

The "Now" On The Island
Now, where did I leave off? No, I'm not Lost. Well, maybe. Oh, yeah... Locke was building his "magic hut" as Charlie dubbed it. He warned Charlie not to come in and his voice was still gone missing. When it was completed, he stepped inside.

Fire, potions, mystery, and meditation were the name of the game inside the hut. Boone (played by Ian Somerhalder) appeared, looking darn good for a dead guy. "I was the sacrifice the island demanded. I'm here to help you find your way."

He took Locke on a fantasy dream sequence to the airport, the one where the passengers boarded Oceanic Flight 815. It was the same, but different. The people were the same, but Hurley was a ticket agent; Desmond was on the escalater; Claire and Charlie were a couple with a baby; Henry was the security man.

Locke still couldn't talk, but Boone told him he'd talk when he had something to say. The ongoing theme to the "dream" was that he had to clean up his own mess. It was apparent that Locke had to save someone, but everyone they went by Boone pretty much declared as safe or not in trouble.

"You have to clean up your own mess. They've got him. You don't have much time."

A bear's face briefly flashed the screen, then John burst from the hut with a knife in his hand declaring that he had to save Mr. Eko's life. Charlie followed him although John asked him not to. "Bad things happen to people who hang around me." They found signs that Eko had been dragged by a large polar bear. (Woohoo! The polar bear is back!)

As they tracked through the woods, they came upon the site of what was once the hatch, now just a huge crater in the ground. Then John found an "active kill" - a dead animal of some sort - and decided the bear must be nearby. A noise in the woods! Run! John Locke throws his knife... right into Hurley's canteen. The timeframe is such that Hurley is on his way back to the camp after being released by the Others.

Hurley told John and Charlie about the Others taking Jack, Sawyer, and Kate captive. They told him that John wanted to save Eko and that the bear was nearby. "What bear?" Well, dang it, what other bear, dude? Sheesh! Hurley headed to the beach campsite and Charlie and John continued on their mission at hand.

They came across what appeared to be the bear's lair. Okay, bear's den? A cave and John insisted he enter alone, leaving Charlie to look worried outside. With a lighted torch in hand, John stumbled over what seemed to me to be a computer part of some kind, perhaps it was some metal casing from something else.

He found a skull. And, he found Eko. And, even better yet, Eko was not the skull! He also found the bear. Eep. He fought it off with the torch while dragging Eko from the cave. Eko was in very rough shape.

Meanwhile, Hurley came across the still naked Desmond in the woods. He gave Desmond his tie-dyed shirt from his pack and they talked about the "fail-safe" key Desmond had used when the button wasn't pushed to save the world. (If you watch the show, you know what I mean.) Hurley told Desmond that the sky turned purple and everything vibrated. Desmond seemed to know that the Others took captives and that "Locke's going after them. He said so in a speech." Hurley told him no; Locke's going to save Eko and kill bears.

Back to Locke and Eko, John told Eko he saw Boone and that if he hadn't have stopped pushing the button, he wouldn't have had to save him (Eko). Cleaning up his mess, eh? John apologized. He also said he could have saved them -- Sawyer, Kate, and Jack.

Eko came to for long enough to tell Locke that it wasn't too late. He could still protect and save them. "You will find them. You are a hunter, John." He then closed his eyes. Charlie and John carried him back to the beach camp where there are two new people lurking about in the crowd not introduced and that was that for the episode. Locke said he will find their friends and bring them home.

Okay, the new issues this week:

• In the cave, that didn't look like the giant polar bear to me.
• Why was Locke messed up with a militant pot operation? How did he go from there to working in a box factory?
• Didn't Mike (commune) make a showing as an Other before? He looks familiar.
• How come Desmond lost all of his clothes in the explosion of the hatch, yet doesn't seem to be hurt at all?
• How does Desmond know things which happened or will happen? Has he become suddenly psychic?

No answers this week, just new questions.

Oh, heck. I'm Lost.

TV Newsy Bits - Monday, October 16, 2006

It's Monday! That means I watched How I Met Your Mother and Heroes. Yes, I watched The Class, but I'm writing that one off a bit. Well, maybe not. I don't know. The jury is still out on that one for me. (And I also got a summons to do actual jury duty today. Hopefully it's a television show jury! Yeah, right.) I tried once again with Studio 60 and it's just not keeping my interest. I ended up turning to the earlier news and plan to hit the sack a bit early. After all, Letterman is a rerun tonight.

In Blog TV News, don't forget there are show discussion posts for people following AOL GoldRush, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, and the odd bedfellows of Nip/Tuck and The Bachelor. If you're following the AOL contest and want to talk clues, or if you're a fan of any of those shows - drop on in! There are some great folks talking about 'em! The links are also located in the right sidebar of my main blog page.

In other TV news, here's the Link o' Interest I've found:

• Janelle and Will from Big Brother 7: All Stars will be doing a Jokers Update chat next Thursday, Oct. 26.
• In-depth info on next week's Amazing Race episode. Minor spoilers, beware.
• What? You haven't had enough of Boston Rob (Survivor, TAR, etc.)? Check out his latest TV adventure.