'Lost' - "Stranger in a Strange Land"

Well, I think I enjoyed the novel of the same name a bit better. ABC hyped and hyped this episode claiming we would have the answers to three of the mysteries. Hmmm... yes, they answered the meaning of Jack's tattoo, but then brought up the possibility of another meaning.

As for the other two mysteries, I think things are a bit murky. I believe the questions where exactly do the Others really live and why do they abduct the children. Or, maybe one mystery was why Jack saved Ben. If you think anything else was remotely addressed, let me know. I may be missing something.

This episode was Jack-centric and I'm beginning to think I prefer when they focus on Locke, Sayid, Charlie, and the others who weren't captured by the Others. I like smoke monsters and giant polar bears. I'm kind of tired on the ongoing love-triangle drama between Kate, Sawyer, and Jack.

In Flashbacks
The flashback segments brought us back to when Jack was living the easy life in Phuket, Thailand. He met a young woman named Achara while helping a young boy with a kite (which Jack himself had no clue how to fly). They struck it off well together, shared a bed, shared dinners at her brother's restaurant and were having a great ol' time of life.

When he mentioned his father, she told him she didn't want to hear about him. "You are here to find yourself." And, then she told him that she had "a gift." No, not the kind of gift you give someone, more like a special power sort of thing.

Jack was intrigued by Achara's mystery and followed her to find her going into what I thought was a brothel. Hey, she was dressed hooker-ish, high-class hooker, but hooker indeed. I was wrong, though. It was a tattoo parlor of sorts. She told him that she "can see who people are" and make special tattoos for them. She refused to tell Jack "who he is," but said he was a leader and a great man who gets very angry. She reluctantly put his tattoo on him, but warned him there would be consequences.

Jack returned to the beach where he frightened the child he had helped earlier. Achara's brother and a group of men came along, looked at the tattoo and stomped Jack senseless telling him to leave the beach, leave the country.

On The Island - Kate, Sawyer, and Karl
Sawyer, Kate, and Karl were still where we last left them -- rowing to their island. Kate wanted to go back for Jack, but Sawyer nixed the Freckles... and blah, blah. Karl came to for a moment to tell them that "God loves you as he loved Jacob."

Sawyer and company land on the island to make camp overnight. Sawyer and Kate kept arguing, Karl spoke again. "You shouldn't fight. You're lucky to be alive."

They asked Karl about the Others. He told them that the Others didn't live on "that" island, they lived on this one (where 815 crashed). That island was only used for projects. When asked why they abducted the children, he told them it was to give them a better life. When pressed "a better life than whose," he told them, "A better life than yours." We found out he has no clue who the Brady Bunch were, but he did have a backyard when growing up.

Karl is bereft without his beloved Alex. Sawyer, kind soul that he is, told him to "Cowboy up!" When Sawyer told him if he loved her that much, he should go back to get her, Karl told him that if he did, he'd be killed this time.

That got Sawyer thinking about his own situation with Kate (and Sawyer). He told her she only was with him the one time because she thought he was a dead man. The main island scenes ended with Karl star-gazing and a shot of Alex doing the same -- something they used to do together.

The Other Island - Jack, Ben, and More
Jack was being moved from the dry dolphin tank area to the cages so that the Others could put Juliet in the tank. No, they're not happy that she shot the one who tried to kill Sawyer and Kate. She's a prisoner and they (Jack and Juliet) cross paths in handcuffs to their destinations.

There's a new sheriff in town and her name is Isabel. Jack later found out that Ben, if he could be, is still the leader and Isabel is just his top gun... or something to that effect.

Juliet, accompanied by guards, asked Jack if he would help Ben. Despite her own predicament, she had been asked to check his failing condition. His sutures show signs of infection and it could be life-threatening. Jack pressured her to tell him why she's in trouble and she told him she just killed someone. She asked that he attend to Ben as a personal favor. Jack doesn't want to help either Ben or Juliet, no way, no how.

Isabel stopped by his cage and started to speak Chinese. She mentioned his tattoo. Jack said that he had been lying when he told Tom that Juliet asked him to kill Ben. When asked why he was lying for Juliet, he said he wasn't. He was lying so his friend could escape.

Jack was put back in the polar bear cage and we endured a flashback incident in Thailand. Upon returning our view to the cage, it was almost like the cage was in an actual zoo with folks milling about looking at the animals (Jack).

Jack recognized some of the Taillies -- folks from the tail section of the plane who were abducted as they were being led by Ana Lucia. One of them, Cindy, spoke with him. She told Jack they were watchers, just there to watch. Um, okay. They didn't know that Ana Lucia had died. He tried pressing for more information, but she was frightened and left. One of the abducted children, Zach, turned to look at Jack while clutching his teddy bear. He looked very eerie, for the lack of a better word.
After the watchers scattered, Alex came along and broke the surveillance camera to the cage. She demanded to know why Jack saved Ben. He told her that he would answer her questions when she answered his about Juliet -- where was she, what was happening. Alex told him she had killed "one of us." The penalty would be death, an eye for an eye and all that. Jack then told her that he saved Ben because he said he would. He demanded she get him out of the cage.

He went to Ben and attended his infection on the basis of Ben saving Juliet. Ben gave a note to the trial folks and Isabel despite telling Jack that Juliet doesn't care anything about him because "she's one of us."

Jack was told by Alex that Juliet's life would be spared, but she would be a "marked woman." They branded her back with a mark sort of like this -- >|<. Juliet brought him a sandwich and told them that everyone (including him) had to head back to the other island. Isabel later came along and told him that his tattoo means "He walks amongst us, but he's not one of us." Jack denied that meaning and I have to say that something stronger had to set off Achara's brother for the beating and exile. The Others and Jack rowed out to a large ship and [Lost clunk]...

All in all, I preferred last week's episode. How about you?

Tonight's Blogging Schedule - Thursday, Feb. 22, 2007

A review/recap of last night's Lost is currently in progress and should be posted within an hour or so after the time this entry. So, if you're a Lost fan, please check back! I'd love to read your thoughts about the episode.

At 8 PM ET/PT American Idol is scheduled and tonight two guys and two girls will be voted off. I will post an East Coast Update with the names of those voted off by 9 PM ET for those from other time zones who have to know and also for any discussion. I don't plan on recap/reviewing the Thursday show in its entirety but you can check here to see who goes home.

Also at 8 PM ET/PT, Survivor 14: Fiji starts. I'll post important happenings (Reward, Immunity, cast off) as they happen in East Coast time. A full review/recap will be posted late this evening.

If you're a Grey's Anatomy fan, remember there's a group of blog readers regularly discussing the show at the Grey's Anatomy Discussion entry. They'd love to have new folks join in on the conversation!

Surviving Idols ready?

[And, hi to Mark.]

'American Idol 6' - Top 12 Girls - Part 2

I covered the first six girls performing in Part 1. So, if you haven't read that one, please do! And, of course, if you hit the American Idol 6 label at the bottom of any American Idol 6 entry on this blog, it will bring up all the show's entries. You can also use the show title in the Categories section on the sidebar of the main blog page for the same result.

Onto the last (but far from least) girls performing tonight...

Nicole Tranquillo was next up on the stage singing "Stay" by Chaka Khan. (Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan... oh, I'm sorry. I can't say Chaka Khan without doing that.) Oh, my. I'm not sure what to say about the performance. I didn't care for it. Maybe I'll just keep saying, "Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan."

Randy was a firm no. Paula said it was good. My eyes went rolling with that! Simon called it indulgent, fake, and over-rehearsed. Bingo, Simon.

Then it was Haley Scarnato singing Celine Dion's "It's All Coming Back to Me Now." Um. Okay. I found it boring, but that song is a bit draggy anyway. It wasn't as bad as Sundance's song last night, but close.

The second Randy sighed, I knew I was right. He said it was "just okay." Simon said she sounded like she was a 40-year-old. Hey! Is there something wrong with being 40? Oh, wait... she's about half that age. I think she might be gone soon, maybe tomorrow.

Doolittle is a misnomer. This girl can do a lot. Melinda Doolittle has been one of my favorites since her first audition and she's getting better each time I see her. She's growing her confidence, yet retaining a humble presence. She belted out Aretha's "Since You've Been Gone" in a style which had to make Aretha proud.

WOW! Now, this is the best performance of the night... so far. The judges were as ecstatic as I was. Randy yo-yo'd and said she "blew it out of the box." Paula didn't say she was pretty, but called her a "firecracker" and a "front-runner." Simon said she's an "incredible singer and a fantastic person." Yay, I say.
Alaina Alexander followed a tough act. And, she didn't make the grade as far as I'm concerned. She sang The Pretenders' "Brass in Pocket." While I like the song, her version did nothing for me. It wasn't horrible, no. But it didn't excite me.

Randy sighed and said it wasn't great. Paula said she didn't make it her own. Simon quoted some lyrics from the song -- "I'm special" -- and then claimed she wasn't.

Then we had to endure another Simon/Ryan spat. I don't know what's with them this year, but I find it annoying. Just give the boys boxing gloves and let them duke it out or something. Simon thinks Ryan is biased in favor of Alaina and Ryan thought he's overly harsh to her. Give me a break, guys.

Gina Glocksen, who's never been one of my favorites, sang next. She performed Celine Dion's "All By Myself." It's a hard song and historically hasn't gone over too well with contestants on the show. I didn't care for it.

Paula and Randy both thought it was good. Simon didn't think she hit the "big note" and Gina took issue with that. She kind of sort of hit it, but the whole song seemed a bit off to me. I thought she was too "throaty" at times during the song.

And then all heck broke loose with Lakisha Jones' performance. I have to claim bias -- she and Melinda Doolittle have been my favorites all along. But, wow, Lakisha rocked the house with a song perfect for the occasion in oh-so-many ways. The song was "And I Tell You I'm Not Going" (how perfect is that?) and it's from Dreamgirls with Jennifer Hudson. Her performance was the epitome of the term "owning the song." Tremendous! Yay, Lakisha!

The judges were as awed as I was to the point of Simon predicting a win which garnered him glares from the other judges. I know that's been a controversy during past seasons -- Simon declaring a winner. He said she and a few others were in a different league.

They sure are.

'American Idol 6' - Top 12 Girls - Part 1

In a way, tonight's Girls Night Up was shorter than last night. That's because they spent more than a few minutes recapping last night's show. Argh. For the sake of expedience as I'm also tied up with Lost tonight, I'm using graphics from the American Idol website instead of digital photos I've taken myself. I formatted them and loaded them to my FTP space earlier today to make it faster to get them up tonight.

First up tonight was Stephanie Edwards singing Alicia Key's "How Come You Don't Call Me." I thought her performance was better than any of the guys last night although at times it seemed a bit strained to me.

The judges were thrilled. Randy said she sang it with conviction. Paula gushed as only Paula can gush. Simon said it was a million times better than any of the performances last night.

Off to a good start, I say.

Amy Krebs hit the stage next with Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me." Now, some folks won't get the reference as it's one of those age things, but some will -- I can't hear of anyone with the name of "Krebs" without thinking of Maynard G. Krebs. There. I said it. Oh, I'm surely remembering reruns.

I wasn't thrilled by her performance at all. I think the judges liked it more than I did, but they weren't enthused either. Randy called it a safe song, too safe, and Paula agreed with him.

Next was Leslie Hunt who made a rather fatal error of trying to sing Aretha. At least, I thought it to be fatal. She sang "Natural Woman" better than I do when I'm in the shower, but that's not saying much.

The judges were much more gracious with her than I would have been. Randy did his sighing bit and then said it was "just okay." Paula went off on a tangent about song picks without saying what she thought about the performance. Simon just said, "that was not great." Um, all right. It sure wasn't. I think Leslie's days on the show may be numbered if she makes it through tomorrow night's cut.

Yikes! FOX has a bad photo of Sabrina Sloan up on their website. She's much more attractive than this photo. She also went for an Aretha Franklin song - "I Never Love A Man The Way I Love You." I feel she blew Leslie's Aretha out of the water. This girl's a contender!

The judges were also excited about Sabrina's performance. Randy exclaimed, "We finally have a competition!" Paula gushed and gave her a standing ovation. Simon declared it the best performance of the night so far. Would that declaration last through the night?
Jersey Girl Antonella Barba sang "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing." That's a song I remember coming from Aerosmith, but it's possible there have been other versions. Oh, so not good. I think she may have bought her ticket home.

Randy blatantly said, "That wasn't good. It was bland." Paula once again avoided the subject -- "You're a pretty girl." (Say what?) Simon said she did serious damage to the chances of remaining in the competition. I agree with him.

She is a pretty girl with a nice smile, though.

I haven't been too impressed with Jordin Sparks so far during the competition. Tonight she raised my opinion a notch with Tracy Chapman's "Give Me One Reason." While I don't think she's going to be the winner and might not make the top twelve finalists, I think she showed great personal strides in how she sang and handled herself on stage.

I think the judges basically agreed with me. They spoke of her natural talent, song choices, and pushing herself. They didn't think she was great, but she didn't fail either.

Part Two with the remaining six girls is here. What did you think of the girls vs. the guys?

TV Newsy Bits - Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Oh, my... I've been busy watching television lately, haven't I? Of course, I still have to work and do things like eat and sleep, too. Gack. I'll be happy when American Idol isn't five hours a week! That's a bit too much and I forgot to tape Law and Order: Criminal Intent last night.

Before I go on with the actual TV Newsy Bits, I'd like to thank all the readers for their comments on so many entries! I read each one and, although I may not always agree with everyone, I like to read your takes on the shows. If you're interested in a particular show I write about, there is a label at the bottom of each one and a list of Categories in the main sidebar of the blog. By clicking on the show title, you'll bring up all entries in that category, newest first.

Also, please keep in mind that this is your home for East Coast Updates for boots (voted off, castaway, fired, etc.) on The Apprentice, Survivor 14: Fiji, The Amazing Race 11: All Stars, and soon (tomorrow night) the voted off from American Idol 6. I started doing those as so many folks in other time zones really want to know. So, I post quick updates as the shows air here in the NYC area and post longer review/recaps afterwards.

What about those TV Newsy Bits? Here you go:

• You like to have fun with the voting for American Idol, but the polls are closed? AOL Television has an Idol Ranking poll with some results which might surprise you.
• My friends over at Buddy TV have posted their exclusive interview with John Vito and Jill, eliminated in the first leg of this season's Amazing Race. RNO also has an interview with them posted.
• Want some spoilers about Survivor 14: Fiji? You can try here. Or here. But don't say I didn't warn you that they're spoilers. And, of course, they could be foilers, too. The only spoiler I could tell you about tomorrow's show is that one of the Ravu members will start a fire with water on an eyeglass lens. Heh.
• In other Survivor 14: Fiji news, Reality News Online (RNO) has posted their exit interview with Erica, voted off last week on the show.
• News reports are rampant all over the web - Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - has met its demise or "indefinite hiatus." Although I didn't enjoy the show, I know several blog readers here did and I'm sorry to hear it's been canceled.
• Celebrity Spider (amongst many others) is reporting that Fantasia will be singing and make some sort of "special announcement" on Thursday's American Idol results show.

'American Idol 6' - The Top 12 Guys - Part 2

Are you ready for the next six of the most talented male singers in America? Yes, feel free to insert a bit of sarcasm in there. I have the first six performers of the way-too-long show in this article, so here's the rest...

Beatboxer Blake Lewis with his fauxhawk gone awry was next in the competition. I personally think what he does with his human beatbox is amazing. And, yes, he can sing, too. He sang "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane and did a decent job. He didn't quite rock my world, but if I were in the youth market, he'd certainly have my vote to stay.

Simon declared it the best of the night so far while Randy and Paula missed the beatbox but liked the song. Me? I can't really see him going on to win Grammy Awards, but I think with his talents he should be able to draw a fan base in the entertainment industry.

Sanjaya Malakar was up next trying another Stevie Wonder song, "Knock Me Off My Feet." I felt he did okay, but it wasn't a great song choice. It made him sound a bit like a kid and, since he's perhaps the only teenager in the competition at this point, he has to step up a bit.

Simon was very rough on him, but Sanjaya took the criticism well. His parents should be proud of him. Paula and Randy were more kind, but Sanjaya has his work cut out for him. Oh... Simon is right - the girls will love his hair. I think the teen vote will keep him in the competition at least through this week.

My personal favorite, partly due to his sense of humor and partly due to his bluesy voice, Chris Sligh was next. He sang "Typical" by Mute Math -- showing how untypical he really is. A solid performance according to Randy and Paula, but a confrontation between Simon and Ryan Seacrest overshadowed the whole thing.

Simon called Ryan "sweetheart" and Ryan made a scene. The next thing you know, it was all about snapping at each other and I feel it put Chris in a bad light. If this is a clue what may happen down the road, no one has to worry about Paula's state of mind anymore. They should just anticipate fisticuffs between Ryan and Simon.

Jared Cotter, the sole New York area contestant, was next up on the stage. This guy is smooth, but I'm very iffy about him. He sang "You're Like a Dream Come True" by Brian McKnight. He did it well enough. He'll get the teen vote along with others getting the teen vote. But I'm not seeing a winner of it all here.

Paula and Randy seemed to think along my own lines... okay, nothing really exceptional. Simon called the performance "unadventurous and nasally."

A.J. Tabaldo performed next, giving us a spirited and enthusiastic rendition of "Never Too Much" by Luther Vandross. A.J. is the one who's been trying five years to get on the show. I do like his spirit, but I feel he's not long for the competition. I really think he should be something other than a shipping clerk, but I don't see pop star. Perhaps cruise ship entertainment? I don't know.

Simon thinks theme park. Okay, that would do it, too. Paula danced and Randy claimed "you can blow" (which is good, of course).

Phil Stacy, the one whose wife gave birth to his new daughter early when he was on his first audition, was next. He sang "Could Not Ask For More" by Edwin McCain as his wife beamed from her seat in the audience.

Randy loved it, declaring it the best performance of the night. Simon was decidedly less enthusiastic about it.

Me? I don't know. All I can think of while watching Phil is that some men shouldn't have bald heads because they have lumpy or odd-shaped heads. Some can get away with it, some can't. Phil can't. I know that's shallow of me, but there you go. His voice is okay, but he doesn't rock my socks. That said, I loved watching his proud wife in the audience.

Tonight the top twelve girls will perform. As I also watch and review/recap Lost, my take on them may be a bit more abbreviated than this one. Time (and talent) will tell. I'm feeling a bit let down by the men so far, maybe my favorite women will snag my attention.

'American Idol 6' - The Top 12 Guys - Part 1

If they didn't run all the commercials, tonight's two-hour show could have finished in an hour or so. American Idol is always saturated with commercials, but tonight seemed worse than usual. Feh.

Tonight was the Guys Night Up. Tomorrow is the top twelve girls and then on Thursday two from each group will be eliminated. The pressure is on! Now, although I credit the male group chosen for being better on the whole than last season's group, I'm not feeling the passion in the performances. True, I think there's only one very young guy (Sanjaya) and no Kevin Covais types. But other than Chris Sligh, I'm just not seeing a stand-out talent.

Rudy Cardenas took the stage first with a version of "Free Ride" which I know as done by the Edgar Winter Group. Um. Okay. He performed the song with a lot of energy.

Was I thrilled? Nope. He wasn't bad, but it just didn't seem the right sort of song for him, I don't think. Randy said it was corny. Paula enjoyed it. Simon said it wasn't anything unique. I agree with both Randy and Simon. I'd say he might have a shot at being one of the two leaving on Thursday.

Brandon Rogers was up next singing Michael Jackson's "Rock With You." I thought, for what it was, he did fine. I think that Brandon has commercial appeal and he can sing. Again, nothing which really struck me as super-fantastic, but decent.

Paula thought he should do less runs in the song, as did Randy. Simon said it was safe and predictable. They're all right.

For an excellent initial audition, it's been nothing but downhill for the Sundance Kid. The song he chose was popular circa 1967 or so - "Nights in White Satin" by the Moody Blues. Except for memories of the times, it drags way too much for a show like American Idol. I don't think he was as off key as the judges claimed, but I think he sealed his fate. Simon said it reminded him of a Dad singing at a wedding. It just reminded me of the slow-dancing theme of my school days and smoke-filled rooms.

I like Paul Kim, barefooted and all. I don't think he'll make it to the end without shoes, but I enjoy his singing. He sang George Michael's "Careless Whisper." I thought he did okay.

The judges thought along the same lines as me. Okay. Of course, that may not be good enough at this stage of the game. But I think he's probably safe on Thursday.

Next to take the stage was Justin Timberlake's doppelganger, Chris Richardson. The voice, the haircut, the dance moves... I swear he's Timberlake's stand-in. That could be good for him in view of much of the audience, but doesn't do much for me. He sang "I Don't Want To Be" by Gavin DeGraw and did it well in a Timberlake kind of way.

I do enjoy watching his parents in the audience, though. Randy and Paula were positive, Simon was glad the show returned to the current century. But he also said that the song made his voice "sound small." I'm sure he's a shoe-in to make the cut on Thursday.

Nick Pedro, the one who choked on the lyrics and quit last year in the Hollywood Rounds, sang "Now and Forever" by Richard Marx. This is another sort of draggy-slow song. I think he can sing well and he can exhibit personality. Where was it?

Simon, Paula, and Randy were bored.

So was I.

Due to the length and graphics in this entry, I'm splitting the show's coverage into two entries. Please check back for the next one!

Sneaking a Peek at 'The Black Donnellys'

Starting next Monday night (Feb. 26) after Heroes, it's The Black Donnellys. No, I'm not sure of the status of Studio 60 as I never got into that show. I'll try to find out if it's canceled or just on a hiatus. But I'm intrigued by the premise and writers behind Donnellys.

The show is written and produced by Bobby Moresco and Paul Haggis, the award-winning team who brought us Million Dollar Baby and Crash in the movie studios. I thought Crash was an exceptionally well-done movie. The story follows four brothers from an Irish family and has drawn comparisons to a younger Sopranos with the fun of Entourage.

I received a link from NBC with video sneak peek of the show and invite you all to check it out! The official website for the show is here. Despite my reality television addiction, I love good crime-related dramas. I'll be there.

Are you planning on watching this one?

'Heroes' - "Unexpected" - A BulletPoint Report

Now, this is edge-of-your-seat excitement in a television show. Tonight's episode flew by as if Peter was flying over the Empire State Building carrying Claude (Invisible Man). Oh, wait. That happened.

Here's the lowdown and dirty on the latest:

• Lionel Sprague (Radioactive Dude) met up with the newest hero, Hannah. She's called "Wireless." She can send transmissions such as emails, phone calls and such through her mind. She told him that "they" got to her, too. They decide she could wire them, he can nuke 'em and they team up together to save themselves and save the world.
  
• Mrs. Bennet recognizes Claire again.
  
• Isaac Mendez (Future Painter) called Mr. Bennet. Bennet arrives in NYC and sees Isaac's paintings of Peter Petrelli's footprints. "He's invisible!" Isaac, whether driven by jealousy or under Bennet's influence, believes that Peter will indeed blow up the city (by blowing up himself).
• Matt Parkman (Mind Reading Suspended Cop) gave his wife one of the rings from last week's Malsky incident. As she called him on the fact that it's worth 40 grand, he got a call to meet Sprague and Wireless. He teams up with them to save themselves and, of course, save the world.
  
• Sylar is still pretending to be Zane Taylor with Mohinder Suresh. They travel to meet a new hero, a woman named Dale who has super-hearing. She became uneasy around Sylar/Zane because of something she heard in his heartbeat. He did the metal-melting bit to show others have powers. Mohinder himself seemed a bit uneasy with Sylar as he talked about his father being killed by um... Sylar. Yes, of course, Sylar sneaked back to Dale in the evening and stole her brain and, thus stole her power. "What's that I hear in your heart?" "Murder." The power didn't set well with him. She had mentioned headaches and he had severe ones after stealing the brain.
• Meanwhile, back in Las Vegas, Hiro's Vulcan hand greeting was re-shown and I snagged a shot. Yay.
• Hiro teamed up with a reluctant Gaming Commission man to go find Ando and what's-her-name who roughly kidnapped Ando. The man lectured Hiro about how partners will always bring you down - if something happens, their blood is on your hands. They find them and a shootout ensues between the woman (Hope, was she?) and the Gaming Commission man. The pink bag was full of casino chips. Ando got grazed by a bullet and Hiro managed to stop a bullet. So his power is back.
• Alas, Hiro decides he has to be a hero on his own. Ando wasn't happy. He had gotten into thinking it was his destiny as well as Hiro's. (And I'd like it to be - I love the team of Hiro and Ando!)
  
• Ando takes the Versa and Hiro boards a bus all alone.
  
• The kicker to that scene was that the bus driver was none other than Stan Lee, the creator of Spider-Man and many Marvel Comics. I love it! I saw his name in the beginning credits and was watching for him. Perfect!
• Back at the Bennet's home, Claire's "mother" (Mrs. Bennet, not her real one) collapsed in the kitchen.
  
• Back in NYC, Peter and Claude (Invisible Dude) were wrassling on the roof of the DeVeaux Building (where the pigeons are). Okay, Claude claimed he wanted Peter to call on his powers. He's trying to make him use them to save himself and... the world. All of a sudden, Bennet and his henchmen are there with some special vision guns which can see invisible people. Who woulda thunk it? When they started to shoot, Peter grabbed Claude and flew away to safety. Oh, wait... Peter also showed that he has telekinesis and remembered that may have came from Sylar (he said the man who killed the cheerleader). Claude got ticked that Peter brought attention to him and vanished again.
• Claire called Bennet before he could go after Peter and Claude. She told him that her mother was in the hospital. The nurse told her that her mother had a subdural hemorrhage or bruise on the brain. Claire was sure the Haitian did it to her. She told the nurse, who probably thought she was whacked. When Mr. Bennet arrived, Claire went off on him. She doesn't trust him and thinks that he's going to be the ruin of the family. She must protect the family. She thinks he's evil.
• When the Bennet family arrives home, who's there? It's a confrontation by Sprague, Wireless, and Matt Parkman! With weapons and powers.
• Back in NYC, Peter confronted Isaac and they got into a bit of a battle. Bennet had given Isaac a gun to protect himself from Peter. But Peter turned invisible, used other powers and dodged the bullets. Remember, though, the promos for the show kept saying, "Someone dies." They didn't mean Dale.

• As Isaac tried to shoot the Invisible Peter, Simone came through the door. Twice to the chest, someone dies. Rest in peace, Simone. You can join your father.

Oh, I'm so loving this show!

'The Apprentice 6: L.A.' - Ep. 6 -or- "The Corporate Octopus"

Yes, it sure is the corporate world, although some of these candidates (and often Trump himself) exhibit behavior not fitting of the arena.

Oh, but tonight's show certainly contained some of the elements I've experienced as folks try to crawl to the top of the corporate ladder over the dead bodies of their co-workers. Cat fights, office romances, backstabbing, and eye-rolling. I know I sound cynical, perhaps a bit jaded. But I am. I'm better behind a computer than playing office politics.

The show opened with Arrow awaiting the return of those not fired in the boardroom from last week's show. Frank and company went on and on that if Surya wasn't fired (they thought he should be), then he must be made Project Manager and "step up." Meanwhile Surya (who wasn't fired) was telling Trump he wanted to step up his game and, when he returned to Tent City, he insisted on being Project Manager. So, around it goes. Aimee was still the PM for Kinetics as her team won its last task, no thanks to her leadership from what I saw.

Donald Trump once again was off jetting around and left the teams to be observed by bigwigs from the company involved in the task. This time around, the task itself looked like it could be fun and challenging at the same time. The teams had to promote a Priceline.com sweepstakes in a shopping mall. Whichever team had the most sign-ups wins. It sounds pretty easy to me!

At Arrow, Surya, who really gets way into the analytics of things, did his thing while Frank and James passed around a caricature of him. Yes, I do agree with them that he can be a bit too intense. But I also think Frank can be too much of a clown and, while he hasn't said "at the end of the day" in the past two episodes, he's now referring to himself in the third person. "Frankie likes that!" He's beginning to remind me of the annoying character Bob in the Becker series.

At Kinetic, Aimee was boasting how she had learned from her errors in the past. She started delegating away not even realizing that some of her delegation had one person in two places. [Insert a lot of eye-rolling from her team here.] She's not a good leader. I see it. They see it. She doesn't see it -- she thinks she's driven, passionate, enthusiastic... but where is her leadership?

At the mall, Kinetic belated realized that most of the customers didn't speak English and suffered for it in their sales. They had two team members, Derek and Muna, who spoke Spanish. But had they noticed before it was too late, they had plenty of money to hire translators. Instead of focusing on anything important, it looked like Aimee's only corporate decision was the fact she didn't like a little pink inflated octopus on the counter. [Insert my own eye-rolling here.]

Surya wasn't a heck of a lot better as he wandered the mall not getting results when he should have been manning his counter. His team members noticed his absence and it certainly did nothing to endear him with them.

Before the initial boardroom, the two Priceline Bigwigs told Trump that the ones they noticed in a good light were Derek, Muna, and Frank. To Frank's credit, he did sell well. Arrow won the right to move back into the mansion with 359 sign-ups against Kinetic's 326. Did Arrow credit Surya for the win? Nope. Did Surya credit himself for the win? Yes, but he also mentioned teamwork.

Arrow's prize was surfing lessons (oh, wow) and brunch at Gladstone's in Malibu. Alas, poor Nicole got stung by a jellyfish and her knight in shining armor, Tim, accompanied her to the doctor's office. So, both of them missed the brunch. Later they would smooch in the pool. Yes, it all sounds like an office romance to me!

Don Junior (The Trumpling) sat in the boardroom with Surya and the Big Donald. So much for Sean Yazbeck or someone un-Trump. The big boardroom turned out to be a bit of a cat fight as Aimee's whole team (rightfully) turned on her lack of leadership in the task. She chose to bring Jenn and Derek into the boardroom blaming them for her not realizing that most of the customers in the mall didn't speak English. Oh, geez. How could she not tell? Oh, wait... she was too wrapped up in wondering if they should have a committee to decide if the inflated octopus should be banished.

With little other choice, "Aimee, you're fired."

I still say, "Trump, step up. Your show is sinking. New York, no candidates living in tents, no need for candidates to be in bathing suits for a serious corporate job, bring back the business lessons."

Do you think he'll listen to me?

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' Season Premiere -or- "Don't let your Frat Boys grow up to be cowboys"

It seems like it was a long time in coming once the news got out that this season would be an "All Stars" season. For the most part, I think the team choices were good. I don't care for a few of them and I'm ambivalent about others, but I generally understand the reason they're on the show.

Unlike other seasons of the show, tonight's season premiere was only an hour. That, in a way, was a good thing as golf (of all things) delayed its start here. (Don't get me going on that!) But, even with two hours, I often feel the first team out really doesn't get remembered. At least with the "All Star" format, we know the team. And, it's one of the ones about which I was ambivalent. Phew!

Tonight's premiere, whether due to the abbreviated hour-long version or not, didn't seem to cover as much ground as did previous premieres. The teams raced on boats to Miami, bringing about a comment from Ian (an ex-narcotics officer) about Miami Vice. They got into their nifty TAR-Mercedes cars and headed off to the airport. Since a few of the teams, especially Oswald and Danny, were familiar with the area, there was a lot of following without hesitation from the other teams.

There were two flights available, an American airlines flight which left twenty minutes after a Copa flight but arrived almost two hours earlier to their destination - Ecuador. The more quick-thinking teams thought to ask, but David and Mary just jumped on the tickets for the flight which left the earliest. This, of course, is after Mary said in the show's introduction, "I can win first place without anyone giving it to me."

I will give them credit for trying to be sneaky lying to the Beauty Queens (Dustin and Kandice) by telling them that's the quickest flight after they found out it wasn't. But Dustin and Kandice didn't fall for it and only ended up on the same flight as they were later to the airport. In the end, it didn't matter which flight folks were on as both the first place and Philiminated teams were on the American Airlines flight. It was what went on in between the airport and the Pit Stop which made the difference.

There was no Roadblock in this leg. If there had been one, I have my doubts that one of my favorite teams could have made it through it. Oh, my... the Frat Boys, in particular Drew, are not in shape. Drew was falling; Charla beat him in a footrace at one point. Ack! Sort of like Boo on Survivor 14: Fiji, Drew stands a chance to "hurt himself out of the race." I'd hate to see that happen as I really like Kevin and Drew.

Once the teams landed in Ecuador, they had to find Pim's Restaurant where they collected tags for their departure times. Those times were 7:00am, 7:15am, and 7:30am. Romber was the first team there and most used locals to get to their destination. Ah, they remember their lessons learned, eh?

In the morning, the teams left at their fifteen-minute intervals. But once again, sometimes it doesn't matter when you leave. It's how you screw up in between which makes the difference. They had to go to the north entrance of the Cotopaxi National Park. Some went to the south entrance. Some couldn't find the park.

Once there, the teams were given directions for a Detour -- a choice between two tasks having to do with the local culture. They had a choice between Wrangle It or Recover It. In Wrangle It, teams had to lasso a wild horse, trim its hooves, and cut its mane and tail. The horses were in a corralled area, so it wasn't like they had to go hunting for one.

But in Recover It, hunting was involved. One team member had to dress in a historical military uniform and search a field for three missing items from the uniform - a sword, an epaulet, and a button. Romber, in a rather unusually not-bright move for them, first chose Recover It, then switched over to Wrangle It once they realized they had to find a button in a huge field. That didn't hurt them any as they made quick work of the task despite their hesitance to go for an animals challenge.

After the completion of the Detour, teams had to walk (run) to the Pit Stop. Alas, while some teams were hitting the Pit Stop, still others were almost hopelessly behind. Charla/Mirna, David/Mary, Jill/John Vito were just plain old lost or misguided trying to find the right spot in the park. Drew and Kevin were lost with bad luck in the form of a flat tire.

In the end, the finishing order to the Pit Stop was:

1. Rob and Amber - They also won a skiing vacation at Whistler for coming in first.
2. Oswald and Danny (You go, Cha Chas!)
3. Teri and Ian (He wears funny hats.)
4. Eric and Danielle
5. Joe and Bill (Team Guido after their dog)
6. Dustin and Kandice (Evil Beauty Queens not so evil tonight)
7. Uchenna and Joyce
8. Charla and Mirna
9. David and Mary
10. Kevin and Drew
11. John Vito and Jill -- Philiminated

Hmmm... I was so hyped to watch the show tonight that I ended up feeling a bit letdown. My adrenalin didn't pump as much as it should during a TAR episode. Don't get me wrong. It kept me entertained enough, I guess. It was good to see teams I enjoyed so much from their own seasons, like Kevin and Drew, the ChaChas and Team Guido (they set the standard for teams you love to hate on the show). I wasn't so upset that John and Jill went even though I always thought them to be nice folks. I would have preferred a Teri/Ian or Eric/Danielle boot, but at least it wasn't Kevin and Drew.

To me, something was off tonight. Perhaps it was the one-hour format or the fact they didn't travel a lot. Perhaps it was because you just can't go home again. I don't know. But I do know I'll be watching again next week.

Your thoughts?

'The Apprentice: L.A.' - East Coast Update - Fired 2/18/07

Aimee was fired on tonight's show... which I haven't really seen yet due to the delayed start of The Amazing Race 11: All Stars. Once I view my tape tomorrow early evening, a full recap/review will be posted.

Sorry, Trump... you're delayed.

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - Finish Order and Philimination - East Coast Update 2/18

Here's the finish order at the Pit Stop:

1. Rob and Amber (Romber)
2. Oswald and Danny (ChaChas)
3. Teri and Ian
4. Eric and Danielle
5. Joe and Bill (Team Guido)
6. Dustin and Kandice
7. Uchenna and Joyce
8. Charla and Mirna
9. David and Mary
10. Kevin and Drew
11. John Vito and Jill -- Philiminated

A full recap/review will be posted later tonight. Please stop back and let me know your thoughts on the show!

TAR Will Begin Shortly Here in the NYC Area

They must have abbreviated 60 Minutes to a mere portion of an hour. It just ended here, so The Amazing Race 11: All Stars season premiere will start momentarily. Expect an East Coast Update on the boot in about an hour and a full review/recap will be posted later tonight. You can get to all of my TAR 11 blog entries by hitting the label you see at the bottom of this entry.

I Hate Golf -or- Stupid Evil CBS

In its infinite wisdom, CBS was airing some golf thing which ran overtime. Although 60 Minutes is on now as I type this, I flipped to the network at about 7:40 and it hadn't started yet at that time.

So, I expect the season premiere of The Amazing Race 11: All Stars just might start sometime before 9 PM here on the East Coast. What the heck is wrong with them? Do they (CBS) consider The Amazing Race, the winner of more than a few Emmy awards, less important than golf? Stupid, stupid CBS. Or, maybe stupid me as I thought since football was over, I'd actually be able to watch TAR at its regularly scheduled time.

Grr.

Bloggy Bits

As I'm sure many of the readers here know, The Amazing Race 11: All Stars begins tonight at 8 PM ET/PT on CBS. I'm planning on posting an East Coast Update for the first boot as the show airs here in the New York City Area. Of course, a full recap/review of the show will be posted by late tonight. I hope you all will join me and share your thoughts on the show!

Ah, but what does that do to my The Apprentice: L.A. review/recaps? Well, since that show itself will be knocked into a 10 PM slot within a few weeks, I'd say now is the time I start writing it up Mondays after I return home from work (but before primetime shows air). I'll post the fired in an East Coast Update as the show airs, but the long article will have to be delayed. I apologize to any fans of the show, but I'm so much more of a TAR fan at heart. Yet, I must get up early on Monday mornings, so something has to go or be delayed. "Trump, you're delayed!"

I have another new show timing conflict I'll be facing later in the week when American Idol goes to three days. Yes, the third day will be on Thursday up against Survivor 14: Fiji. Eep. Since the third night of AI is basically the boot show, I don't plan on writing a full review of that night. But I will watch for the AI contestants voted off while watching Survivor (yes, I can multi-task) and get the news out in a quick American Idol East Coast Update. I plan on continuing full coverage of the Tuesday and Wednesday night American Idol shows and, for sure, full coverage of Survivor.

If I didn't have to do that pesky thing called "working for a living," I could write everything up in the middle of the night, but alas...

Thankfully, there is no Big Brother running right now.

Make Mine Pants - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - Feb. 19-23, 2007

Happy New Year! Yes, today is the start of the Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year and it's the year of Worldwide Pants!

Um... okay, it's the Year of the Pig. Babies born during this year are said to be lucky, but it's not all that lucky for those of us who are already around. David Letterman, born in 1947, was born in the Year of the Pig as were Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger. I was not born in the Year of the Pig (Ram here like Mark Twain and Michelangelo), but I'm lucky anyway... I have another week of fresh shows this week on The Late Show with David Letterman!

Here are the guests we can expect this week:

• Monday, Feb. 19: Jim Carrey promoting his latest movie (which sounds very creepy-interesting), The Number 23. The Daytona 500 winner will also be on the show.
• Tuesday, Feb. 20: Barbara Walters promoting her Oscars special and musical guest K-os whose latest CD is Hymns for Disco. Shark attack survivor Eric Nerhus is also on the plate. Maybe I should phrase that differently?
• Wednesday, Feb. 21: Stupid Human Tricks, John Travolta (Wild Hogs), and Broadway's Spring Awakening.
• Thursday, Feb. 22: Billy Bob Thornton (The Astronaut Farmer), Rashida Jones (The Office), and Barenaked Ladies finally admitting Barenaked Ladies Are Men.
• Friday, Feb. 23: Samuel L. Jackson (Black Snake Moan) and comedian Jim Gaffigan (My Boys).

TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, February 17, 2007

Not really television news, but it's expected to finally get over the freezing point here in the NYC Greater Metropolitan Area. Yes! Okay, only three degrees over freezing, but it's a start. Sunny and 35... it's kind of like a tropical heat wave!

Again, it's a Saturday night full of mostly repeats, but I see that BET has The Wire on at 9 PM (unlike last week when I had to tape it at 2 AM Wednesday to catch it). Oh, I'm so into the show! It's like Homicide: Life on the Street done narcotics (and a bit rough) and is written by the same person who's responsible for Homicide.

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• Sad news for the NYC news buffs... longtime reporter and news anchor from WNBC, Ralph Penza has died. For decades, he was the "hard-hitting" reporter exposing stories and he even had a creative edge about how he did stories from a sort of film-making angle.
• The good people at Buddy TV have an interview with ousted castaway Erica, the latest to be voted off Survivor 14: Fiji. She credits her MySpace page for getting her on the show. Huh. The whole interview is an interesting read.
• Remember Amy Crews from Big Brother? You know, the one who was smitten (so to say) with Marcellas Reynolds. She recently visited a chat at Jokers Updates and they have the transcript up.
• Celebrity Spider has mild promotional spoilers for this week's Lost episode while the New York Post has an article about the show's declining ratings.
• Anna Nicole Smith is still dead.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - Ep. 2 -or- "Pineapple Power Goes Against Well-Fed and Well-Rested"

No, tonight wasn't a thrill a minute, but I think I'm going to really enjoy this season. I've already picked a few favorites to cheer on - Earl and Yau-Man. And, one I thought might be tough, but may talk her way into an early boot... did so. The attitude will get you every time.

It's easy for me to say that. But I know I couldn't mesh well out there with the others. I'd be better off stranded all alone on an island.

18 are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

As the show opened, they spent a lot of time focusing on how well Moto was doing living in the lap of luxury while Ravu members were licking leaves hoping for a few drops of water. Moto is comfy with their couch, pillows, silverware, dinnerware, and an abundance of food to the point where their tummies are full. Over at Ravu, they're hacking open coconuts to gather water and spent a very long and fruitless session trying to make fire.

Boo turns out to be accident-prone. He somehow managed to jab himself in the eye with a stick or something. Then he hit his hand with an axe which continued on to strike his leg. Then, as Dreamz (Dre) was saying, "Boo will hurt himself out of the game" - the hammock in which Boo was resting broke loose and slammed him to the ground. I'm sure the bits were edited to be sequenced that way, but it was funny.

When Sylvia (sent off to Exile Island and doomed to join last week's losing tribe, Ravu) arrived, Yau-Man hugged her with ulterior motives. Sure enough, he sneaked a peek in her shoulder bag looking to see if she had the hidden Immunity Idol. Of course, we know her clue was that it's hidden at the camp.

Once again, she rubbed some folks wrong. I said last week that she came across as bossy to me. Perhaps not "dictating" as James/Boston/Rocky calls it, but definitely bossy. She's treading thin ice here. She already is an outsider, best not to be a bossy outsider. Some of the tribe members talked and it was decided that if they lose the next challenge, Sylvia would be voted off.

Although Ravu had explored several places looking for fruit or anything edible, Erica found a pineapple patch (perhaps not the proper terminology, but you understand) right near the camp. I thought Earl's reaction was priceless - "I have to marry her now. She saved my life." Pumped up on pineapple power, they thought they were invincible.

The Immunity and Reward Challenge were combined into one. The tribes had to row out to their tribe's flag, turn around, gather four crates and clasp them to their boats, then return to shore. Once there, they had to assemble a flagpole puzzle (what's with all the puzzles?) and raise their flag. Not only was Immunity up for grabs, but Reward for Moto would be fishing gear. Since Ravu still didn't have fire, their Reward would be flint. The winning tribe also would choose a member from the other tribe to send to Exile Island.

For the longest time, it looked like Ravu had their act together and would win. Although it hasn't been specifically mentioned (that I caught), they're under the belief that if they win, they would get the good camp. I believe that could be the case.

But we didn't find out tonight. They had been leading all through the water, but when it came to assembling the puzzle pole, all their teamwork fell to the wayside. Erica freaked out and started yelling while Sylvia was the target of her dagger-eyes. The team ended up focusing on Erica as much as the task at hand. Moto won it and chose to send Earl to Exile Island.

Then, back at the Ravu camp, it became a funky Bizarro world, as Anthony put it. Oh, I kind of like him, too. James/Rocky (whatever) had declared an alliance with Erica last week, but now that he was angry with her... under the bus! He and Mookie decided that Sylvia can go next, but Erica must go now. I love how those who believe they have power make these decisions. They went all around the camp seeking support for their plan.

Anthony balked a bit, but then seemed to go along with the plan. Or, at least to their faces, he did. Sylvia, who considered herself toast, loved the plan. I personally thought she got a bit too eager and should have played it a bit more laid-back, but that may just be me.

Over on Exile Island, Earl read the first clue to the hidden Immunity Idol and then his own. His clue indicated that the Idol is in a high spot. Oh... and he killed one of the poisonous sea snakes which slithered near him. He said that he doesn't like to kill animals and that snakes are misunderstood creatures. But then he mentioned that by leaving it be, that could be the one which kills him. So he killed it with a machete. "We now have come to an understanding."

In the end, the Ravu members all betrayed their buddy Erica except for Anthony and Earl because he wasn't there. Anthony and Erica voted for Sylvia to go.

Now, I foresee problems the longer Ravu stays in the deprived camp. They still don't have fire. James/Rocky seems to call the shots while I think Earl's call would be much better thought out. In the promo blurb for next week, they mention a Moto member in serious trouble. Could it be Boo hurting himself off the show? I don't know.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 02/15 - Boot

Erica was voted off.

A full review/recap will be posted late tonight. Please stop back and share your thoughts on the show!

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 02/15 - Immunity, Reward, Exile

Moto won Immunity and Reward (combined challenge) again. They got fishing gear and sent Earl off to Exile Island. Ravu will lose a member at Tribal Council.

Tonight's 'Survivor 14: Fiji' Blogging Schedule

As the show airs on the East Coast, I'll post East Coast updates on the important happenings (Reward, Exile, Immunity, and the Boot) as they happen here. The show will start in a little more than a half-hour from the time I post this.

You can always pull up all of the Survivor 14: Fiji blog entries with the most recent showing first by hitting the Survivor: Fiji label you see at the bottom of this (or any Survivor Fiji-related) entries. Or you can also pull them up by hitting the show title under Categories in the main sidebar of the blog. That should get you to the most recent entry rather easily.

A full review/recap of the show will be posted late tonight.

Survivors ready?

'Lost' - "Flashes Before Your Eyes"

Okay... Lost is back! Yeah, I know it technically came back last week from its hiatus. What I mean is that the good Lost is back after a period of waning. At least, that's how I've been feeling about most of the autumn "season" episodes.

This episode, "Flashes Before Your Eyes," was a Desmond-centric one and we've really only previously seen bits and pieces of this guy. The show utilized flashbacks, sort of. They weren't the regular flashbacks we're used to seeing which tell us about a character's history.

Tying in with the hidden message in the "Not in Portland" episode - "Only fools are enslaved by time and space" - as well as comments made by Desmond, the flashbacks were more along the line of time traveling. I don't think he's a fool.

The show opened with Desmond discovering Hurley and Charlie going through the missing Sawyer's belongings. He led them out in the woods where they met up with Locke and Sayid who were returning to camp after burying Mr. Eko. Locke claimed that he wanted Charlie and Hurley to present a calm front over the death so the others wouldn't panic. "The island killed him."

As Desmond talked to Charlie and Hurley by the beach, he all of a sudden took off for the water, pulling a drowning Claire from a certain death. Or, was it? Hurley and Charlie, determined to find out why or if Desmond could see the future, decided to get him drunk. (Okay, that was a bit weak, but we're talking Hurley and Charlie here, not Rhodes scholars.)

Desmond balked at first, but upon seeing an expensive bottle of whiskey, he imbibed with them. Charlie went from nice drunk to nasty as he pushed Desmond for answers, then called him a coward. Desmond passed out... only to awaken in the past, but with knowledge of the future. Are you following me on that? It was a present deja vu. In the transition, it all flashed before our eyes - the hatch, the countdown numbers (to save the world), and more.

His intended bride had just moved in with him and he planned to ask her father for her hand in marriage. The clock in the room read 1:08 and the very familiar beep-beep of the microwave mimicked the countdown beep-beep in the hatch. When he went to the father's office, a deliveryman had a package "for (4?) 815." Island numbers and memories were all around him, from a ship replica to a polar bear painting.

Instead of allowing him to marry his daughter Penny, the father insulted him and told him he's not worthy of drinking his expensive whiskey (the same type as on the island), could never do the race around the world and was a... coward. Desmond decided he was going to marry Penny anyway. It was off to a jewelers to buy a ring! On his way there, he came across Charlie playing music for tips in the street. His sign listed his middle name as Hieronymus, perhaps like Hieronymus Bosch? Desmond knew Charlie and called him by name, but Charlie didn't recognize him at all.

Ah, but who was behind the counter at the jewelry counter? Why, it was none other than the woman who played in the movie The Others. She started to show Desmond rings, but then refused to sell him one. She knew all about him, from his name to his special ability. She took him on a walk, pointing out a man with red Converse sneakers. After they turned away, a scaffold fell killing Mr. Red Sneaks.

Desmond questioned why she didn't save the man if she knew that would happen. She told him she didn't because it was meant to be. If she saved him from that instance of death, another would take place and it would keep happening as the death was meant to take place. She called it "course-correcting." She was insistent that Desmond not marry Penny and let the course go as it should - to the island, to push the button to save the world, etc.

Desmond left her and went to a local pub where he tried to convince a friend that he knew the future by telling the outcome of a soccer game. Alas, he was wrong. But how could that be? He was so sure of the game. Well, perhaps it was just the wrong night. And, it was. The next night, his predictions went down as they should. He wasn't so much telling the future as he was reliving his past.

He didn't marry Penny. He knew that he had to take the correct course, the course which was meant to be. She called him a coward for backing out. That's when he returned to the bar and found out he had the wrong day's game in mind. He also got conked in the head with a bat.

And we're back at the island. Charlie asked Desmond what he felt when he turned the safe-key after the code hadn't been entered and the explosion occurred. Desmond told him he saw his life flash before his eyes. When Charlie asked him about saving Claire from drowning and the earlier deflecting lightning from striking her to save her life. Desmond somberly told him, "I wasn't saving Claire. I was saving you. You drowned this morning saving Claire. You were electrocuted when lightning struck the tent. I saved you both times.

Uh-oh. The lady at the jewelry shop told him you can't course-correct. It's going to keep happening in other fashions as it's meant to be.

[Insert the Lost clunk here.]

Wow... this was the best episode in quite some time. What did you think?

'American Idol 6' - The Top 24 Finalists

Tonight was the big night even though we didn't see too much in the way of performances. The show was basically the chair in front of the judges and either a yes or a no. Still missing is dear Jenry. (Sniffle)

But here's who made it through to the next stage:

For the girls:

1. Melinda Doolittle (yes!)
2. Gina Glocksen
3. Haley Scarnato
4. Jordin Sparks
5. Stephanie Edwards
6. Leslie Hunt
7. Alaina Alexander
8. Sabrina Sloan
9. Lakisha Jones
10. Nicole Tranquillo
11. Amy Krebs
12. Antonella Barba

The guys who moved on:

1. Sanjaya Malakar
2. Brandon Rogers
3. Phil Stacy
4. Chris Sligh (yes!)
5. Blake Lewis
6. Rudy Cardenas
7. Paul Kim
8. Nick Pedro
9. Chris Richardson
10. Jerome Chism
11. Jared Cotter
12. Sundance Head

Hmmm... I'm not remembering some of these folks at all. Me? I personally want a season of being entertained and serenaded by Chris Sligh. He's a hoot!

I've very pleased with Lakisha and Melinda being chosen, too. I think Lakisha is a powerful singer and it's time for Melinda to prove she's not just a back-up singer.

But, darn... Chris Sligh is such a fun goofy guy. He's like a John Popper with a zany sense of humor.

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Ice, ice, baby... Happy Valentine's Day! Where I live, the blizzard itself never really showed, but we were pelted with ice and freezing rain in addition to a few inches of snow. So, it's treacherous out there. The roads all have a coating of ice and the NJ State Police reported over 1200 accidents today. That, of course, doesn't even take into consideration all of the cities and towns which have their own jurisdictions.

I am not going out there tonight. I'm staying in and plan to watch television. (Like I needed an excuse!) Whatever will I watch...?

In the 8 PM ET/PT hour, while the Jericho (CBS) episode is new, it's not really a new Jericho episode. It's one of those recap/catch up episodes. The actual new episodes start next week. NBC has a new episode of Friday Night Lights. I never understand why the show is on Wednesdays... just to confuse me, I guess. FOX is airing a new Bones (and that's my choice for the hour), while ABC has new George Lopez and Knights of Prosperity. I really wish they'd put Knights with something else. I don't care for George Lopez and won't sit through it to see Knights, a show I've liked the little I've seen of it. The CW has a new Beauty and the Geek scheduled.

At 9 PM ET/PT, I'll be glued to the American Idol show on FOX. They're cutting the field to 24 contestants and you know I have to watch! But if you're not an American Idol fan, not to worry -- there are some good shows on against it. Criminal Minds is new on CBS (I'll be taping it), Deal or No Deal is new and all Valentine's Day fluff on NBC (blech), ABC is repeating the um... winter season... premiere of Lost (last week's show), and CW has a new episode of One Tree Hill.

Then at 10 PM ET/PT, I'll be tuning in for the new Lost episode on ABC while taping the new C.S.I.: NY episode on CBS. NBC has a new Medium episode, not my cuppa tea, but I know folks seem to enjoy the show.

In the late night arena, I'm up for the continuation of Ventriloquist Week on The Late Show with David Letterman.

And, when I head off to work in the morning, all that ice better be gone. Work on it, New Jersey!

'American Idol 6' - Onto Hollywood

The Hollywood rounds are a bit too much of a whirlwind for my liking. Although folks said the two-hour shows were a bit too long, tonight's one-hour Hollywood run seemed to touch on a lot and focus on only a few contestants. 172 made the cut to Hollywood during the auditions, but I didn't even catch a glimpse of some I had enjoyed. For example, Jenry from New York. Where was he? Did I blink and miss him?

The show set forth a perfect example of the existence of foilers on the Internet. No, I'm not talking spoilers, I'm talk foilers. They're rumors, possibly set in motion by the show itself, and ultimately untrue.

• The Foiler: Jory Steinberg aced her way through the competition and is in the top 24. The Reality: She got ditched in Hollywood after Simon blasted her whole group for being unoriginal and an "absolutely horrible start to the day."
• The Foiler: Long-haired and long-bearded Sean Michel was kicked off the show for refusing to change his look. The Reality: Sean got the boot for poor performance, nothing at all to do with how he looks.

Since about twice as many girls made it through to Hollywood than guys, the individual performance round was at least twice as brutal. Rachel Jenkins, who didn't thrill me by wearing her Reservists uniform during her original audition, was booted as were Jory (mentioned above), Ashlyn Carr (the face-making gal), Porcelana Patina (the boxer-training gal - no great loss as far as I'm concerned), Sarah Burgess (from Ohio, skipped school and lied to her parents), and Nicole Turner. The last one's mother stood up to Simon over her dismissal. Give me a break. Melinda Doolittle (the shy back-up singer I like), Gina Glocksen (repeat offender... er, contestant with the crush on Simon), Jamie Lynn Ward (daddy shot stepma and then hisself gal), and others made the cut through to the group sing.

The show's focus on the individual performances of the guys was more on those who went through than the ones who failed miserably. Jarrod Fowler, the Navy guy who won his ship's Idol contest, got the boot. Nick Pedro (the one who forgot the lyrics last season and quit), Sundance Head, Blake Lewis (Seattle human beatbox dude), Chris Sligh, Matt Sato, and others made the cut... some only to be cut in the groups.

Now, what's the most important thing besides staying on key? The lyrics. If you forget the words to the song, you may as well just shred that Hollywood ticket. Well, unless your name is Sundance Head, that is. Somehow, despite the admonitions of the judges about remembering the words to the songs, he didn't and he was one of the few shown who screwed the words up yet made it through the group cut. Robyn Troupe, who recently won the honor of singing with Justin Timberlake at the Grammy Awards, was in Sundance's group and the rumors of her success are but another Internet foiler. She's history, but may make history outside the realm of American Idol.

For me, there was only one stand-out performance in the groups. The team of Chris Sligh (dang, I like that guy), Blake Lewis (his beatbox adds rhythm, for sure), Tom Lowe, and Rudy Cardenas rocked! With the exception of mismatched wardrobes, those guys did a tremendous job in a boy band kind of way. Not only did they bring the house down, but they even remembered the lyrics!

One thing in their favor besides the performance itself is that they seemed to get along well together. That wasn't the case for many of the groups. And, but of course, that's some of the drama of the night. Baylie Brown, beloved by Simon Cowell, was teamed up with the Jersey Girls. They didn't mesh well at all and, when it came to the performance, Baylie choked. I'm talking big time choking, go home choking. In the end, the Jersey Girls themselves were split up with Amanda getting cut, Antonella (the one I like better anyway) moving forward.

The Jersey Girls weren't the only pair split up in Hollywood. In a bit of a heartbreaker, Sunjaya Malakar made the cut while his sister was left behind. Instead of celebrating his success, he consoled his sister. I don't think she's as talented as he is, but they both seem like very nice kids. Their parents must be busting with pride.

Now, the show moved very quickly and, unless they focused on a contestant, it was a bit difficult to see exactly who made it through to the next round. There were so many like Jenry we didn't really see at all. Wednesday night's show should be a bit slower-paced as they decide who will be in the top 24. I think there are a few sure bets like Chris Sligh, but who knows?

TV Newsy Bits - Tuesday, February 13, 2006

It's Tuesday night. Of course, that means American Idol night - it's the start of the Hollywood rounds. I'll do a write-up about it later tonight. I also found that the episode of The Wire that BET didn't show in either of its Saturday night time slots is airing at 2 AM. Yes, I have tomorrow off. But, no... I don't want to stay up until 3:30 AM. I'll tape it. Thankfully, this week they have it on at 9 PM on Saturday once again.

In other real TV Newsy Bits:

• The good folks at the Buddy TV site have posted an exclusive interview with recently fired Apprentice candidate Aaron Altscher. If you're a Gilmore Girls fan, they also have an interview with Matt Czuchry (Logan Huntzberger on the show).
• TBS has given the greenlight a new sitcom, The Bill Engvall Show, based on the success of My Boys and 10 Items or Less. According to Michael Wright, senior vice-president of original programming at TBS: "It’s a multi-camera family comedy shot in front of a studio audience, and we are absolutely thrilled with it. Bill is such a funny and engaging guy. He and Nancy [Travis] have great chemistry. And together with the rest of the wonderful cast, they just make you want to invite their family into your home and have a good laugh with them." The basic premise is a family in which the father is a family counselor - and the family could use one themselves. It's due to premiere this summer.
• The Celebrity Spider website has mild spoilers for this week's Survivor 14: Fiji.
• If you're a Chill Town fan, Mike "Boogie" from Big Brother took part in a Jokers Updates chat last night.