'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - Ep. 9 -or- "Those dirty, dirty hookers..."

Although some interesting events happened during this leg of the race, I found my attention wandering a bit. Perhaps it's because there were no thrilling challenges. Perhaps it's because I so want Mirna gone.

Oh, yeah, Charla can stay, but Mirna has to go. I'll admit that it looked like Mirna either behaved better or was edited to seem like she wasn't as rude this week.

Five teams remain. Who will be eliminated next?

The teams were still in Krakow, Poland, where we last left them. That's probably a good thing. After all, we don't want them sneaking off to Tahiti when we're not looking, right? Because of the Fast Forward intermingled with the Intersection, Oswald/Danny and Joyce/Uchenna shared the first place early start time of 9:48 PM. The last team, Danielle and Eric, left at 3:22 AM. So we no longer have the sixteen-hour gap between first and last.

The lead time didn't make a huge difference as the teams had to arrange for a flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. There were no flights until morning, so the teams tried different approaches to obtaining tickets from online to at the airport. Mirna and Charla hogged the two computers at the hotel thus irking Danielle and Eric. Oh, well.

Uchenna and Joyce took a huge chance on the flight which would arrive the earliest if (and it's a big if) they could make a tight connection in Frankfurt, Germany. Charla and Mirna managed to get tickets on a flight before that one while the other three teams ended up on a flight which stopped in Paris.

Well, Uchenna and Joyce's flight was indeed delayed and they missed their connection in Frankfort. Then we didn't see them again until near the end of the show. So, it became a race of four teams for the most part of the show, two teams I especially don't care much for -- Charla/Mirna and Eric/Danielle. I don't like the former mainly due to Mirna and the fake accents both go into when talking to folks from other countries. As for Eric and Danielle, I think he's a jerk and treats her very poorly. He's a misogynist, too. Blech.

At least I have Oswald and Danny and the Beauty Queens (Dustin and Kandice) whom I'm finding more tolerable this season. Thankfully, they haven't crashed a car and saddled another team with it.

Once in Malaysia, the teams had to take a combination of buses and trains to get to the Batu Caves. The hitch was that they had to figure the best and quickest combination of the specified transport to get there. Yawn. However, once there, the Batu Caves were really an interesting place. I only wish they had gone up inside of them instead of just up the stairs to one.

The clue at the caves had teams taking a taxi to the Kampung Baru Jamek Mosque where they faced a Detour. They could choose between Artistic Expression or Cookie Confessional. In Artistic Expression, teams would have to use hand-iron sized stamps to stamp designs on a long banner of cloth, then dye it to match specifications. In Cookie Confessional, somewhere within 600 boxes of cookies, there was a cookie with a black licorice filled center. The key was finding it.

The clue for the Detour also contained a Yield, one of two this season. While Charla and Mirna chose not to use it, the second team through -- Dustin and Kandice -- did. They tossed around the idea of Yielding Danny and Oswald, but decided to Yield Eric and Danielle. Uh-oh... how to make friends and influence people, eh?

Charla and Mirna were leading the race when they decided to do the cookies. Not a good choice, I must say. It cost them time as Dustin and Kandice chose to do the Artistic Expression, not an easy task but those needle-in-a-haystack challenges have sunk many a team during the history of the show. (Who was it with the actual hay in rolls some seasons ago way past dark?)

Oswald and Danny chose to eat the cookies, then chose not to eat the cookies, then ate more cookies, then went off to be Artistic. And they had a spat, too. But their tempers were tame compared to when Eric and Danielle saw they had been Yielded!

"Those dirty, dirty hookers!," said Eric pre-commercial and repeated post-commercial for effect.

The Artistic Expression challenge was tricky. Charla couldn't reach high enough to do the stamping. Oswald and Danny didn't get the number of stamped prints right and they had to do it all over again.

Meanwhile, Eric and Danielle waited out their 30-minute Yield time like sand through the hourglass. They fussed, they vowed revenge on the Evil Beauty Queens. Actually, I think that it may have been a wiser choice to Yield Oswald and Danny although I'm glad they went for Eric and Danielle instead.

Once freed from the hourglass, Eric and Danielle chose the cookie task. Of course, with all the boxes that Charla/Mirna and the ChaChas had gone through, there weren't 600 boxes left. But it was still a formidable task. Danielle actually found the cookie! Now, that was sheer luck and it kept them in the game.

Oh, but it was pretty obvious that all four teams were still in the game because the fifth team had gone missing long ago and would remain missing through the next clue -- the Roadblock.

This Roadblock was as un-thrilling as a Roadblock could ever get. What happened to skydiving? Bungee-jumping? Wrasslin' alligators? One member of each team had to ride a bicycle with an attached platform to collect a stack of newspapers from the nearby neighborhood. The stack had to be eight hands high. (Stifle those yawns.) About the only interesting bits during this challenge were that Mirna actually had to do a challenge and Danielle pointed out that Eric's a woman. She did, too! She said it because she always ends up with the physical tasks.

The arrival order at the Pit Stop was:

1. Dustin and Kandice - Each won a retro-scooter (moped).
   
2. Charla and Mirna
3. Eric and Danielle, despite the Yield.
4. Oswald and Danny.

Hey, weren't there five teams at the start of the show? Why, yes, there were five teams. Uchenna and Joyce arrived late into the night. They followed the clue to the Batu Caves. But then, instead of the clue the others followed, their clue directed them right to the Pit Stop. Once there, they got the bad news from Phil.

Their elimination will make a lot of Rob/Amber fans happy. But there are folks like me out here, too. While I didn't care much for Rob or Amber on Survivor, I enjoyed them as a team on The Amazing Race. And, I liked Uchenna and Joyce, as well.

Mirna and Schmirna must go away!

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' East Coast Update 4/08 - Pit Stop and Philimination

The Pit Stop arrival order:

1. Dustin and Kandice - Each won a retro-scooter
2. Charla and Mirna
3. Eric and Danielle (although Yielded by Dustin and Kandice)
4. Oswald and Danny
5. Uchenna and Joyce - Philiminated

A full review/recap will be posted later. Stop on back!

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' About to Start

The show is about to start here in the NYC area. By 9 PM EDT, I'll have an East Coast Update with the Pit Stop arrival order and philimination. Later this evening, I'll post a full review/recap.

Pretty Kitty Pants - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - April 9-13, 2007

It's Dave's birthday this week. If memory serves, it's the 12th. Happy birthday, Mr. Letterman!

And, we have a week of new shows... yay!

The guests scheduled for this week include:

• Monday, April 9: Senator Barack Obama and actress Halle Barry. Um. Okay.
• Tuesday, April 10: Actor David Duchovny, baseball player Ryan Howard and a performance by Andrew Bird.
• Wednesday, April 11: Actor Alec Baldwin and the woman whose dog performed the Heimlich Maneuver on her, Debbie Parkhurst. Musical guest is LCD Soundsystem.
• Thursday, April 12: Actor Bruce Willis (always fun on the show) and magician Jason Randal.
• Friday, April 13: Odd... the show's website says that Bill Cosby and Angela Kinsey (The Office) will be the guests, nothing about a repeat. AOL TV Listings has a generic entry about the show with no guests listed and no "new" logo. I'm thinking it's a repeat, but I'm not sure.

TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, April 7, 2007

Is anyone out there watching Raines? I caught the show last night and even though I'm not really all that into the "ghost genre" in TV shows as of late, I found it quirky and fun. I'll be checking it out again.

On Thursday night I watched the second season opener of The Wire on BET (10 PM). I'm a bit disappointed that the network went from 90 minutes to 60 minutes with the show. I know they had added airing time to air more (annoying) commercials, but now I can't help but wonder what bits of the show may be cut. Sigh... one of these days when it's in my budget, I guess I'll have to spring for the DVD of the show.

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• Celebrity Spider has mild spoilers for the next episode of Survivor 14: Fiji. No boot news, but it sounds like it's going to be interesting!
• RNO (Reality News Online) has transcribed recent Survivor castaway Lisi's appearance on The Early Show. What's interesting is that she contradicts some of what she said in an interview with RNO. Dang, she's still fickle, eh? I'm so glad she got the boot.
• It will be a Latin-themed week this week on American Idol as Jennifer Lopez coaches the contestants. Maybe Sanjaya will do the macarena? Eek.
• Celebrity Spider (great site that it is) has a blurb about the next Lost episode. Who comes down with a life-threatening disease?
• Reality TV World has an interview with Blakeney Rowe about her brief experience on The Bachelor.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - Ep. 8 -or- "You're all losers! Why are you sending me home?"

Oh, there were some cool happenings in tonight's episode!

Let's see... last week we got rid of Rocky, someone who annoyed me to no end. The only other ones on the show who really irk me are Lisi and Dreamz. Will my own dreamz come true tonight?

Eleven are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

The show opened at the Ravu Camp on Day 20. As Dreamz and Lisi slept in the daytime sun, Edgardo, Alex, and Mookie were following the Exile Island hidden Immunity Idol clues that Lisi had given Edgardo and Alex. They were digging quietly, but Mookie could barely stifle his whoop when he found the matching turtle to the one Yau-Man found at the Moto Camp.

With lots of shushing, the three tribe-mates checked out the Idol nearby the camp. They decided they wouldn't tell Lisi they found it as Edgardo thought she was "unstable." Similar to the Earl/Yau-Man agreement, they decide that it will be used if any one of the three needs it.

But, in confessional, Mookie tells us he found it and it's in his pocket. He may not be as willing to share as his buddies think he is. He knows that coming from the original Ravu, he's outnumbered. Actually, I think he's wise to think he has first rights to its use.

Mookie returned to the area where he found the Idol and was trying to hide the evidence of digging. Lisi awakened and asked him if he was digging for the Idol and he admitted he was. "You have to wake up pretty early to fool an old cat like me," Lisi told us. Mookie offered to help her dig around for the Idol. Oh, I'd call that fooled, wouldn't you?

When tree mail (wicker basket mail) was checked at the Moto Camp, it told them they were to be coached on a traditional Fijian dance. One member would have to sit out. Yau-Man said he has no rhythm and I believe him, so he sat out.

At the Reward Challenge, both tribes were dressed in native garb, make-up and all. I guess maybe it's more war paint than make-up. The tribes had to dance the dance taught to them being judged by three Fijians on three separate criteria -- appearance, authenticity, and spirit.

Lisi seemed to take the whole thing as a joke when her tribe practiced, but it looked like Moto was really pulling together and getting in the spirit of things. And, that effort showed in the performance.

I'm no Fijian war dance judge and I could see a clear difference between the performances. Earl was magnificent and all of Moto danced in unison as if they had been doing the dance for years. Meanwhile, Ravu was out of step and just didn't have the It Factor. (Oh, wait... wrong show.) The judges thought both tribes did well in appearance and spirit, but Moto was a clear winner for authenticity.

Moto won a Fijian feast with chicken, pork, and fish as well as the company of locals. They sang, danced and had a good time all around. Poor Lisi (heh) was chosen by Moto to go to Exile Island once again. She moped, fussed, whined, and cried. Oh, no... she wants to quit again!

Day 21 brought about an early morning meeting with Earl and Michelle. They're close and Earl tends to think of her as his spy. Michelle has her own agenda, though. She wants to push for Stacy to leave as she thinks that she and Stacy are pretty much carbon copies of each other. She feels she would be stronger on her own. Earl was thinking Boo would be more of a problem than Stacy, but Michelle convinced him otherwise.

I liked the Immunity Challenge... perhaps because Yau-Man strutted his stuff. The challenge was in three rounds -- a blow dart, then spear, then bow and arrow. Each tribe member went in turn trying to make the closest mark to the bulls-eye on their target.

The first round was worth one point for the winner, the second two points, and the third three points. If there was a tie, there would be a sudden-death round.

Now, here's where Yau-Man proved his worth. While Edgardo had told us in confessional that he was proficient at archery, Yau-Man just studied the the scene. He found the straightest arrow. He thought of the trajectory of the arrow and placed himself accordingly. He was the only one who thought to get a running start for more power for the spear-throw. He's the Man!

Once again, Moto wins Immunity! Before the tribes split up, I hated when Moto won all the time. But now that my two favorite players are on the tribe (Yau-Man and Earl), winning is a good thing. Gee, too bad there's no Rocky to have a fit about the loss.

Wait! There's Lisi to have a fit. She told us in a confessional that her tribe-mates are all losers. She told them she wanted to quit. She told them they were losers. She's surrounded by losers, y'know. Well, guess what? I think she's the losiest loser on the tribe. Yeah, I know that losiest isn't a word, but I'm coining it just for Lisi.

Dreamz thinks all is perfect as Lisi asked to be voted off. But then Lisi changed her mind once again while talking to Alex. I can't believe how this woman flip-flops. She thought she could get Alex and Edgardo to vote out Dreamz, but she was too fickle too much. As Edgardo said, she's unstable.

At Tribal Council, they all voted for her to go. They had enough. Dreamz had one vote for him to leave, coming from Lisi. You just can't cry wolf, let them know you're weak, Lisi. And, Lisi... you're a loser. Your tribe-mates have the Idol you should have found because you blabbed the clues. It's your own darn fault you got the boot. And you have the nerve to be bitter about them?

There. Now I feel better. Sweet Dreamz, Lisi.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 04/05 - Voted Off

Lisi is the 8th person voted out and the second member of the jury.

A full review/recap will be posted later tonight. Stop on back -- I'd love to read your take on the show!

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 04/05 - Immunity

Yau-Man, Moto won Immunity again!

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 04/05 - Reward Challenge

Moto won Reward - a Fijian feast with singing. They sent Lisi to Exile Island. She will return in time for the Immunity Challenge.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 04/05 - 2nd Hidden Idol Found

Mookie, Alex and Edgardo, using Lisi's clues dug for the Ravu camp hidden Idol while Dreamz and Lisi slept. Mookie found it and all three are keeping it a secret.

Stay tuned for more East Coast Updates and a full review/recap will be posted late tonight!

'Lost' - "Left Behind"

We seem to be in a fluff/not fluff episode pattern as this winter/spring season goes on. Last week's episode, while a bit disturbing at the end, really didn't advance the actual story much at all. This week the story advanced, we learned a few more things, and a few new questions arose.

That's Lost for you.

Last night's episode was Kate-centric and we learned a bit more about her background.

In Flashbacks:
Kate's in Iowa where her car has broken down. She introduced herself to the tow truck driver as Lucy. Once they arrived at the service station, the owner was about to call the police on a woman selling jewelry as he suspected a scam. Lo and behold, that woman was none other than Cassidy. You remember her, right? She's the woman who fell for Sawyer, became pregnant, and he took off with all her money.

Kate saved Cassidy from the cops being called when she claimed to know jewelry, then quickly bought a necklace and declared the goods the real thing. As the two women were left along, Kate told Cassidy she wanted her money back. Cassidy knew from instinct that Kate didn't just do her a good deed for nothing; Kate did herself a good deed. Kate didn't want the police to see her.

Kate admitted to Cassidy that she had killed her stepfather and was in Iowa to talk to her mother. She wanted to know why her mother turned her in to the police and knew the feds were watching. Cassidy told Kate her story -- how she was pregnant by a man she loved who stole her life savings.

Sure enough, when Cassidy dressed as Kate, U.S. Marshals immediately surrounded her. Kate told Cassidy that her stepfather beat her mother and that she (Kate) blew up the house with him inside after taking an insurance policy on the dwelling. She just had to know why her mother betrayed her. After all, she's her daughter and did it all for her.

In the diner where Kate's mother worked, Cassidy accidentally spilled a dish on the mom so that she would go into the ladies room where Kate was waiting. Kate asked her why and her mother would only say, "I loved him. You burned him alive. You did it for you. You did it for yourself." She told Kate she wouldn't tell the two men who are in the diner watching for her, but she never wanted to see her again.

As Cassidy and Kate split up, Kate wanted to know the name of the man who did Cassidy wrong. Cassidy didn't tell her even though Kate offered to go after him. Of course, it would have been interesting if Kate had learned exactly who Cassidy's man was, eh?

On the Island:
Kate's still handcuffed in the billiards room of the Others. Locke came it to say goodbye to her. He told her he was leaving with the Others and Jack would stay behind. When Kate asked if he was going home, he told her he didn't want to go home. And, he added that she could never come with them. They told him all about her, who she is and what she had done. There was no forgiveness. He left and Juliet arrived to deliver a sandwich. Kate tried to attack her, but Juliet's one tough cookie... she knocked her to the floor.

After getting up Kate saw the Others, including John Locke, rapidly packing and then putting on gas masks. Gas masks? Wham! A cannister of gas is thrown into her room.

She awoke outside in a field handcuffed to Juliet. Yes, you heard me right. As she tried to get a knife from Juliet's pocket, Juliet awoke. Neither knew what had happened and Juliet was unaware that the Others went away (and left her behind) until Kate told her.

As they discussed heading back, Juliet told Kate that Ben plays mind games with people -- it's his thing. A violent thunderstorm approached, so they took cover. Juliet told Kate that Jack had told her not to come back for him and, by doing so, she had ruined his chance to get off the island.

The somewhat mechanical stomping noises started as the monster, perhaps not exactly the smoke monster, went after them. So they ran and hid some more.

Juliet told Kate she wasn't aware of that monster. She also dislocated her shoulder for the fourth time. Since Kate was still going on about Jack, Juliet told her that Jack saw her with Sawyer on the monitors. It broke his heart. Juliet went on to say that Kate doesn't even know Jack, but she knows everything about him.

Then it was time for the smoke monster to chase them. They headed to the Barracks, but Kate stopped at the barrier fence. Juliet told her the fence had been deactivated, but Kate was leery

All of a sudden, Juliet magically had handcuff keys, unlocked her cuff, and headed to a power box on the fencepost. She got Kate through, then activated the fence. She said the smoke monster couldn't go through it, and she was indeed right.

When Kate questioned her about having the key all along, Juliet told her that she handcuffed herself to her because she had been left behind. She thought if they were stuck together, they may possibly overcome the past and she wouldn't be left behind by them, too.

They went on to rescue Sayid and Jack, also left behind by the Others. Kate went for Jack and cried about him not needing her help and how she screwed up things for him. She told him the Others had left without him. "Even Juliet?" "No, they left her behind, too."

"Now what?" "Now we go back."

Island Fluff Stuff:
Hurley, the devious rotund fellow he is, came up with a scheme to encourage Sawyer to be a nicer person. He told him that the folks on the island were planning to hold a vote to banish him (Sawyer) as he created so many problems. Sawyer fell for it and ran around being nice to Claire and Aaron, apologized to Hurley for calling him rotund, tried to gut a fish he caught on his own, went hunting with Desmond, killed a wild boar, threw a picnic... and so forth.

He found out it was all a hoax thanks to Charlie. "You tricked me into being decent!," he shouted at Hurley. Hurley told him that he was the best choice for the next leader as Jack, Locke, and Sayid were all gone. Sawyer said he didn't want to be a leader. Hurley pointed out Jack never wanted to be a leader, either.

And that was what happened. Now, it seems that the two monsters are definitely different. The first sounded mechanical and sort of stomped. The second was the actual smoke monster. Juliet knew the barrier fence would repel the smoke monster. What else does she know?

Will the survivors of Flight 815 believe that Juliet was really abandoned by her comrades? Where did they all go? And, what's Locke's position with them? All in all, a good episode! What did you think?

'American Idol 6' East Coast Update - April 4, 2007

Three groups of three.

Sanjaya, Chris, Blake - Middle Three
Phil, Haley, Gina - Bottom Three
Melinda, LaKisha, Jordin - Top Three

Return to this post as I'll update as the show unfolds.

UPDATE: Tony Bennett has the flu, so Michael Buble is performing in his place.

UPDATE AGAIN: Phil is safe.

GOING HOME TONIGHT: Gina Glocksen

Yes, I'm Still Watching 'The Black Donnellys'

Blog reader TBC asked if I was still doing The Black Donnellys.

Although I haven't taken on the show as a full blogging endeavor, I am still watching it each week. I'm hooked, but it's more of a time element (another 10 PM show which is fine to watch, but would keep me up too late to write up as I have to get up early for work) thing than anything else which keeps me from writing about it on a regular basis.

I'm intrigued by the main storyline of the show, but a few things are bugging me about it. How can either the bar or Jenny's diner make any money when they never have customers? Now, remember, I know the real bar used for the show. It has a solid business and its upstairs rocks with live bands. The show bar may or may not get a jukebox. Skip that, just get some customers! And, the deposits that Jenny's ill father made in the mailbox instead of the night deposit couldn't add up to $13,000 in a year because... there never are any customers in the diner!

Also, I found an article on Jonathan Tucker, Tommy Donnelly on the show, in his hometown (Boston) news. His overacting on the show is beginning to bug me a bit and, according to the article, he seems to have this thing about acting in movies rather than television. So, he thinks he's all that, eh? Well, I'm kind of tired of his facial expressions. He's beginning to remind me of David Caruso -- posing for effect. I did find it interesting that he's a ballet dancer. (Tucker, not Caruso.) And, that scar on his chin? A motorcycle accident a couple of years ago and 62 stitches. Yikes.

But, yeah. I'm watching.

Welcome to the Sanjaya Universe... As If!

Tonight I'll post East Coast Updates on the results of the voting on American Idol as it airs here in the NYC area. We all seem resigned that the Reign of Sanjaya Malakar will continue on for at least a few more weeks.

Just what is it that he's got? Well, he certainly has attention. He has the Fanjayas, the support of shock jock Howard Stern and Vote for the Worst. He's got rhythm. Oh, wait... he has no rhythm. I've seen him dance. Last night when Simon tried a different tactic and just said, "Incredible!" -- Sanjaya's comment to him was "Welcome to the Sanjaya Universe." Whoa, a bit cocky for a kid who was so shy and polite at his audition, huh?

I believe we've created a monster.

According to the AOL American Idol Poll, which called the Chris Sligh boot last week (as did I when I feared we'd lose him), Sanjaya is Number Two in the polls this week. What? Only Number Two? Oh, don't tell us that means he'll try harder (to annoy us) next week! Their latest is a bottom three of Phil, Gina, and LaKisha this week. Hmmm... I think that Haley is going to be in there. At least, she should be. Oh, d'oh! If Sanjaya is Number Two, then Haley's legs and cleavage probably are getting big voting numbers, too. Silly me! At least the Number One is spot on with my own tastes -- Melinda Doolittle.

AOL also has a rather tongue-in-cheek tribute to Sanjaya with their photo page Top Reasons We Love Sanjaya. You can tell they don't have me editing the photos!

Fan sites have sprung up all over the place and girls have gone wild. Some men, too, I would think. I'd say we live in scary times, but then I think back to Leif Garrett and "Greg Brady" singing as "Johnny Bravo" on The Brady Bunch. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Remember, the results show airs here tonight starting at 9 PM EDT. As they make vital announcements, I'll be posting them here on the blog and updating the entry as the show goes on. It's only a half-hour show, so the boot will be posted by 9:30 PM EDT. Who are your bottom three?

'American Idol 6' - The Top Nine Sing the Classics

Tony Bennett likes all of the contestants. Tony Bennett even admires Sanjaya.

Uh-oh.

While some of the contestants I perceive as the weaker amongst powerhouses performed well tonight, I feel this is still a powerhouse race. It's also a girl-fueled powerhouse race, I think. The girls out in the lead would be Melinda, Jordin, and LaKisha. I think the only guy at this point with any chance of getting near the finals at all would be Blake. That is if the voters actually stop voting for Sanjaya!

Blake Lewis chose "Mack the Knife," a song which really hit for Bobby Darin. For me, no one will ever be able to out-do his version. But I thought it was a good choice for Blake. Tony gave him some advice I don't think he heeded too much -- it's a song about killing and such. I found Blake's version interesting, but he seemed to come across a bit too soft.

The judges were wowed, though. Randy thinks he's funky jazzy cool. Paula called him a hepcat. Simon thought the song choice was good and that he sang well, but judged the band better than Blake. So did I. The band was hot!

Phil Stacey was up next with a Frank Sinatra hit, "Night and Day." It didn't move me. Phil doesn't move me even though Tony Bennett thinks his voice is so fantastic. It was a dull rendition and he ain't no young Sinatra. Randy thought there was no connection, no passion, and he came across as disconnected. Paula thought he was reminiscent of a young Frank Sinatra which got a look of shock from Simon. Simon called it "reminiscent of a funeral parlor, gloomy, dark, no life." Simon called it right.

Melinda Doolittle sang "I've Got Rhythm." Once again, I'm awed by her. An excellent performance and tremendous vocals. Randy said she could give the other contestants a lesson in singing. Paula said she was "master class" and flawless. Simon said the problem is they can't criticize her (because there's nothing to criticize). Of course, he's crestfallen at the missed opportunities.

Chris Richardson chose Duke Ellington's "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." I still think his voice is too nasal-sounding and he doesn't thrill me at all. But, that said, I think this may have been a personal best for his run on the show. I wasn't as impressed with his performance as the judges, but he did well for him.

Looking at this photo I took, he's reminding me of Lee Harvey Oswald. Oh, my. That's not a good thing. It was better when he reminded me of Justin Timberlake. Hopefully it's just the hat of the era and that particular facial expression. Randy thought it was his personal best of the season. Paula said he has artistic integrity. Simon thought it was very good and one of the strongest performances so far of the evening. Say what?

Then Jordin Sparks hit the stage. Like Melinda and LaKisha, she's one who wows me. At seventeen, she has the performance skills of someone who's been singing to audiences for years. She sang "On a Clear Day." She was once again, simply delightful. Randy thought she was hot. Paula called her a "magnet of joy" -- whatever that may mean.

Gina Glocksen chose Charlie Chaplin's song, "Smile." I'm not a big Gina fan, but I thought she really looked pretty tonight and performed very well. I think the song choice showed she can sing songs besides hard rock. I don't think she's up there with my top three women, but I was pleasantly surprised by her this evening.

Randy thought she nicely-controlled her voice. Paula said "flawless" once again. Simon told her that Melinda and Jordin out-sang her. Well, they always will. They're better at singing and performing. But Gina did well tonight.

And, then there's Sanjaya Malakar. I'm just sort of speechless. Tony Bennett thinks he's interesting, terrific, dares to be different, and can sing. Um, okay. He's different and he's certainly a lot more brave each performance. He chose to sing "Cheek to Cheek." He played all the girls in the audience and whirled around Paula (who I noticed was shoved to dance by Simon and Randy).

Oh, I just had to edit his photo a smidgen. I don't know what came over me. Randy said he was an entertainer. Paula thought he was charming. Simon said he was going to go for a different tactic this week... "incredible!"

Haley Scarnato, dressed in an extremely revealing low-cut skin-tight green dress (can't wow them with the singing talent, go for the sex appeal), sang "Ain't Misbehavin'." Okay, she can go away. It was like she vamped the whole song. The judges commented on her looks rather than her singing. And, as we all know, this is a singing contest.

LaKisha Jones was the last performer, singing "Stormy Weather." With her voice and that particular song, she couldn't go wrong. And, once again, she didn't. I haven't cared too much for her song choices the past few weeks, so I totally understood when Simon said she was back on form. Randy loved it and said it was "the bomb." Paula said she looked gorgeous and Simon also said she was sassy and delivered a great performance. She did.

I think Haley and Phil are in deep doo-doo this week and one of them will go home. We all know Sanjaya should go, but probably won't. Who do you think will be voted out tomorrow night?

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Well, you know me. Of course, at 8 PM ET I'll be watching American Idol. This week's pro/mentor is Tony Bennett. Whenever I think about that, I wonder if the kids on the show or following it even have a clue why Tony Bennett is "anyone." I could burst into song... "I left my heart in San Francisco..." After the show, I'll post an entry with the lowdown of the events.

I know many folks are into Dancing With the Stars. The results show airs at 9 PM ET tonight. You're all invited to head to the blog discussion post for DWTS, post the results and talk it up with fellow show fans. It's a real good bunch of fans there and the posting is friendly!

At 8 PM ET/PT: CBS has a new NCIS episode. There's a new Dateline NBC (guess what network). American Idol is the new live show for an hour on FOX. ABC has a repeat episode of George Lopez followed by a repeat According to Jim. CW has a repeat Gilmore Girls.

At 9 PM ET/PT: CBS has a new episode of The Unit. I'll be watching a new episode of Law and Order: Criminal Intent on NBC. FOX is airing a new episode of House. The Dancing With the Stars results show is on ABC. The CW has a new Pussycat Dolls episode.

At 10 PM ET/PT: There's a repeat C.S.I.: Miami on CBS, a new Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (my viewing choice) on NBC, and a new Boston Legal on ABC.

What will you be watching tonight?

TV Newsy Bits - Monday, April 2, 2007

Just a reminder - if you wish to talk about Dancing With the Stars with a cordial group of folks, there is a blog discussion entry for the show.


In other TV News Bits:

• Buddy TV has an exclusive interview with Joe and Bill, Team Guido, eliminated on last night's The Amazing Race 11: All Stars.
• Reality News Online has an interview with America's Next Top Model's Diana.
• TVGuide.com has an interesting interview with ousted American Idol finalist, Chris Sligh.

'The Apprentice: L.A.' - East Coast Update - 04/01

Arrow lost and Tim got fired.
That's all I have to say. ;-)

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - Legs 7 and 8 -or- "One Really Long Show"

Now, this should be Episode 7, but I think it's both Episode 7 and 8. Yes, it was two, two, two episodes in one. It wasn't a to-be-continued bit; it was actually two separate legs of the race. If memory serves, it was the first time I've seen them do this with the exception of season premieres or finales.

We last left the teams in Zanzibar with a sixteen-hour difference between the first place (Charla and Mirna) and last place team (Joe and Bill).

For their own probably nefarious reasons, Charla and Mirna waited for Danny and Oswald, then shared a cab with them. Poor Danny and Oswald, eh? The teams had to fly to Warsaw, Poland. This time, so unlike the last leg, the show had back-up flight tickets set for the teams although they could buy other tickets if they found earlier flights.

The teams had plenty of time to try to get tickets through a travel agent and we once again saw how rude and off-putting Charla and Mirna can be under stress. I have no clue why, but Danny and Oswald just let them speak for them. Yikes! The travel agent looked very offended and it certainly didn't help them win friends and influence people. Mirna went as far as saying she was having a heart attack. And, of course, this was with the silly fake accents all along! Argh!

Dustin and Kandice (Beauty Queens) got on the first flight out while Uchenna and Joyce lucked out on a second flight. Charla/Mirna and the ChaChas were on a flight together. Eric and Danielle and Team Guido were together and missed their connection, so the last got further behind. Danielle fussed she wanted to quit and go home and a Guido exploded in fury. Oh, not at Danielle -- at watching the flight they just missed leave the tarmac. Eric thinks that Joe and Bill are just Nervous Nellies. There's an expression I haven't heard in years!

Once in Warsaw, teams had to find the Czapski Palace where a musician would be playing Chopin on a grand piano. The clue received there led to a Detour -- Perfect Pitch or Perfect Angle. (No, not Perfect Angel as Joyce called it.) In Perfect Pitch, a nod to Frederic Chopin, teams had to tune an off-key string on a grand piano to the satisfaction of a pianist. In Perfect Angle, a nod to Marie Curie, teams had to select a mannequin, lug it to an x-ray lab place, then find a clue within it by placing it at the "perfect angle." Most of the teams went for Perfect Pitch and it seemed that Uchenna and Joyce may have been the best at the task.

The best part of this part of the Poland leg for me was the fact that, for some reason, no locals would talk to or help Mirna and Charla! Yes, they were obnoxious. I know that. But it was as if the folks on the street were psychic or something! Their fake accents and desperate actions must have turned them off, I guess. Seeing as the locals were willing to speak to other teams, it had to be their behavior. Heh. I loved it! At one point it looked like Mirna was giving up. Oh, I so wish she did. But, alas.

The clue after the Detour directed teams to the Pit Stop where the last team may be eliminated. Teams were still arriving to the country as the lead teams arrived at the Pit Stop and embarked on the next leg. Here's the order of arrival at the first Pit Stop on tonight's show:

1. Dustin and Kandice - Won a trip to Puerto Rico
2. Danny and Oswald
3. Uchenna and Joyce
4. Charla and Mirna
5. Eric and Danielle
6. Joe and Bill - Non-elimination leg, but they are "marked for elimination." If they don't arrive in first place on the next leg, they will have a 30-minute penalty.

The next leg jumped right into motion as teams took charter buses set by arrival times to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. As I watched the reactions of the teams passing through, my own eyes welled up with tears. It put things in perspective.

I saw each team relate to the horror of mans' inhumanity to man each in their own way. Both of the gay men teams were thankful they live in a time when they can be themselves. Oswald, born in communist Cuba, is grateful to be where he can be free. Uchenna and Joyce drew parallels to slavery. Mirna thought of the slaughter of Armenians by the Turks. Heck, even Eric and Danielle were somber. I thought this was one of the most touching moments I've ever seen on the show.

Ah, but there was still a race to be run. Teams had to take a taxi to the Slowacki Theater in Krakow. And, what was there? Why, it's an Intersection! I forgot they were introduced last season and wasn't expecting one. In an Intersection, two teams have to team up together to go for the next clue.

The first two teams at the Intersection were Uchenna and Joyce and the ChaChas. They really lucked out. Not only did they team up together first -- no one seemed to want to be with Charla and Mirna although I think the ChaChas would have endured them -- but they had the chance to go for the Fast Forward. If they completed the Fast Forward, they could skip the remaining clues and head directly to the Pit Stop. So, they did.

The FF had them climbing two separate towers, counting stairs as they went. They decided since they knew the Beauty Queens were stuck for hours at the Intersection awaiting the lagging teams, they'd do the whole thing together instead of splitting up and sharing results. They did just fine and the teams shared first place.

Back at the Intersection, Dustin and Kandice had wanted to team up with Joe and Bill, but it was Mirna and Charla who arrived first. They hid from them for a while, but decided they had to get on with the race and teamed up with them. That left Joe/Bill and Eric/Danielle teaming up.

Those teams had to be together for the Detour -- Eat It Up or Roll It Out. In Eat It Up, teams had to make a 3-inch sausage link, then each eat a 2-foot kielbasa sausage. An odd note about that is that I had kielbasa, cabbage, and onions tonight prior to the show. No, I didn't have two feet of kielbasa, though! In Roll It Up, teams had to make 20 bagels and deliver them.

The girls automatically headed to Eat It Up with Charla hesitating. She didn't think she could do it. The other group actually went for the Roll It Out, but got incredibly lost and finally went for the kielbasa after the girls were well into the task. Although I don't care for sickening food challenges, it was a hoot when Eric said, "May I introduce Miss California?" right as Dustin vomited.

Once the Detour was done, the teams were on their own once again. And, next up was a Roadblock. "Who wants to be a knight in shining armor?" One member of each team had to don a full suit of armor and lead a horse for a distance. Oh, poor Charla! She looked very unusual in her armor, kept going in circles with her horse, kept falling over...! It was funny, but it was sort of sad, too.

In the end at the second Pit Stop in Poland, here was the order of arrival:

1. Uchenna/Joyce and Oswald/Danny - Only one trip for two to St. Lucia was given and the ChaChas insisted Uchenna and Joyce get it.
2. No second place due to the first place FF Intersection tie.
3. Dustin and Kandice
4. Charla and Mirna
5. Joe and Bill, but their 30-minute penalty allowed Eric and Danielle to arrive and take 5th.
6. Joe and Bill -- Philiminated.

All in all, I really liked this episode. Although they were actually in Poland for two legs, a lot went on. I'm still cheering on my boys Oswald and Danny. Of the teams remaining, Uchenna/Joyce or Dustin/Kandice would be my second or third choices. My least favorite is still Mirna and Charla. I'm glad folks were rude to them. I know. I'm mean, aren't I? But, they could team up with Sanjaya on American Idol and Rocky on Survivor 14: Fiji in my book.

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - East Coast Update # 2 - 4/01

In the second leg of tonight's show, the Pit Stop arrival was:

1. Uchenna/Joyce AND Oswald/Danny due to an Intersection and Fast Forward. Only one trip for two was given to St. Lucia. Oswald and Danny said Uchenna and Joyce get it.
2. No one
3. Dustin and Kandice
4. Charla and Mirna
5. Joe and Bill, but replaced by Eric and Danielle due to their arrival within the 30-minute marked for elimination penalty.
6. Joe and Bill - Philiminated

A full report should be posted later, check on back!

'The Amazing Race 11: All Stars' - East Coast Update - 4/01

The teams have made it through one Pit Stop in Warsaw in this order:

1. Dustin and Kandice
2. Oswald and Danny
3. Uchenna and Joyce
4. Charla and Mirna
5. Eric and Danielle
6. Joe and Bill - Non-elimination leg, still in the race but marked for elimination.

Dustin and Kandice had already started leg 8 before the last two teams arrived. The show continues...

TV Newsy Bits - Sunday, April 1, 2007

In huge television news, I'm talking huge news here... tonight's Amazing Race 11: All Stars will be airing on time here in the NYC viewing area! For the first time in weeks, there aren't any sports and all is running as per the schedule. It's a two-hour episode slated to start at 8 PM EDT. I'll blog East Coast Updates as events air here and a full review/recap should be posted late tonight.

In other TV Newsy Bits:

• Former WCBS 2 news anchor then reporter Reid Lamberty can now be seen anchoring FOX 5 Weekend News. I guess that's the cornfield for many. There have still been no Roz Abrams sightings. The Gothamist found a source which hints that Maurice DuBois might be wished to the cornfield and replaced with Chris Wragge on the early news show. And, long time a-coming... Sue Simmons has finally left the WNBC 5 PM broadcast. Now if she would leave the 6 and 11! I like her as much as as I do Roz Abrams. That's not saying much. Hey, who needs local news when you have such great drama?
• Is American Idol's Sanjaya being supported only by the Fanjayas? Or, is there a more evil plot in the works? Check out the skinny on the Howard Stern angle and VoteForTheWorst.com in this AOL article. Thanks, DLA for the heads up!
• AOL's American Idol feature page also has some very cool things like exit interviews with those voted off and, if you check under the recaps tab... you'll even see this blog listed under Best of the Web (scroll all the way down on the left). You don't need to be an AOL Member to access any of the content there.
• The lone woman on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list, Shauntay Henderson, was caught last night just prior to America's Most Wanted's featured segment on her. The show still has a good record. I never know any of the people, though. That, of course, can be looked upon as a good thing indeed.

What? Prior Pants Again? - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - April 2-6, 2007

Yep, it's a week of repeats ahead of us on the Late Show with David Letterman. Now, I don't know why he didn't just take his vacation during the March Madness time when he was preempted more than a few nights of the week.

My normal gripe about the repeats still stands -- the shows chosen are much too recent. But, does Dave ever listen to me? Does he care that I'd love to see shows a few years old during repeats? Um, for some reason I doubt I'm high on his list of advisors.

Here's the skinny on the week ahead:

• Monday, April 2: Stupid Human Tricks, Jake Gyllenhaal (Zodiac), Brand New (CD is The Devil and God are Raging Inside of Me).
• Tuesday, April 3: Ventriloquist Jim Barber & Seville, Sienna Miller (Factory Girl), NAS (CD is Hip Hop is Dead).
• Wednesday, April 4: Paula Abdul (American Idol), Bernie Mac promoting Pride, Joss Stone (new CD is Introducing Joss Stone).
• Thursday, April 5: John Travolta (Wild Hogs), shark attack survivor Eric Nerhus, a performance by Broadway's Spring Awakening cast.
• Friday, April 6: Richard Gere promoting The Hoax, an odd and creepy food segment with Gene Rurka, the Explorers Club Chef. Music guest is Aqualung (CD is Memory Man).

Dang, I swear a few of these just showed a couple of weeks ago! Older stuff; I want old repeats if I get repeats! Do you hear me, Mr. Letterman?

Probably not. At least I know I'll get more rest this week by going to bed a bit earlier.

TV Newsy Bits - Saturday, March 31, 2007

I'm finally feeling better after a bout with a stomach bug. Phew! It took a few days.

In TV Newsy Bits I found out and about the web:

• The Survivor Fever site has a transcription of Rocky's appearance on The Early Show. Rocky, of course, is the beloved (heh) most recent castaway on Survivor 14: Fiji.
• Can't get enough Rocky? Reality News Online also has an interview with him.
• According to Celebrity Spider, Dancing With the Stars Heather Mills is terrified of the jive. Will those bets pay off?
• TVGuide.com has an interesting interview with Michael Emerson, concentrating on the Lost character he plays... Ben. I think he does a tremendous job in the role.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - Ep. 7 -or- "Yow, Yau-Man!"

Nothing fluff about this episode, that's for sure!

Twelve are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

The show opened on Day 17 at the Ravu camp as Tribe Testosterone awaited the arrival of Lisi from Exile Island. Alex and Edgardo think she'll be loyal to them and all are worried about her state of mind because she seemed ready to quit went sent away.

Over at Moto, it's also a numbers game. Earl wants to change the power as it stands three Old Moto and three New Moto. What could tip the scale? The hidden Immunity Idol, of course. Both Yau-Man and Earl have clues to the location of the Idol in the camp and Yau-Man is all but positive he knows the exact location. They agree to work together. Earl led the others off to find the boat (yeah, right) as Yau-Man started digging.

And... he found it! It's a carved turtle on a string. He kissed it. He fondled it. He danced with it. he talked to it. Then he quickly covered the evidence of digging. In confessional, he said that Earl is an honorable and trusted man. He thought of not telling him, but feels Earl would be loyal. They would share the Idol. If one needs it, one has it. He told Earl on the sly and Earl seems to think Yau-Man's trustworthy, too.

The Reward Challenge consisted of three huge flammable targets for each tribe, thusly labeled even. Each tribe member would take a turn trying to sling a flameball-doohickey (technical term) from a scoop-thingie at the targets. (Aren't you glad to have a pro here to explain such things with the correct terminology?)

The reward itself would be a seaplane trip to a Fijian game arcade, complete with hot dogs and beer. The winning tribe would also send a member from the losing tribe to Exile Island. Tribe Testosterone Plus One, er... Ravu, won Reward and chose to send Earl to Exile Island. This would mark the first challenge of any type that Ravu has won. But, was it worth the win? We'll see!

So, there it was. Day 18 on Exile Island. Make that Earl's Island, tourists welcome and a beautiful ocean view. Yes, Earl was quite at home there as he imagined it to be his own place, even drawing "Earl's Island" quite artistically in the sand. He didn't bother to look for a clue, just relaxed and caught shellfish to eat.

Perhaps Ravu would have been better off if sent to Exile Island. Most were cramming two or more hot dogs in a roll and making pigs of themselves. Rocky annoyed them all by mocking their stomachaches later when they were sick. He wasn't sick because he didn't overdo the food. I guess he can think sometimes, eh?

Back at Moto, Boo thinks they need to step up the game and win the Immunity Challenge. After all, it's the first time he's lost any challenge. He automatically decides that if someone has to be voted off, it would have to be Yau-Man because he's the weakest on a physical level.

But Yau-Man certainly isn't weak on a thinking-ahead level. While the girls were sleeping and Boo otherwise occupied, Yau-Man made a fake Immunity Idol out of a coconut half. He painted a little face on it and tagged it I.I., for Immunity Idol. He wrapped it up and buried it where he had found the real one, but not as deep. I loved it! It could have ramifications if someone finds it and tries to use it at a Tribal Council. Now, that would be great!

The Immunity Challenge had tribe members blindfolded as one member was a caller directing them one at a time. The blindfolded tribe member had a Fijian war club which had to be used to break a hanging skull, sort of like a piñata. Not quite a piñata as it was a small and a skull, but the same concept.

Once the skull was broken, a bundle of tiles would fall out. The tribe member had to drop the bundle at a table, then return to his fellow members, all the while still blindfolded. This sort of challenge always makes for some good bruises as folks crash into things. It also makes for some lost souls. Boo doesn't know his left from his right? Eep! I hope it was only the stress of the moment.

They could switch callers and Lisi was switched out very quickly for Moto. Even though Michelle jumped right off the platform while bouncing about, she remained in there a long time. Then Boo decided to take over. He could have cost them the challenge as he first couldn't see, then froze. But, in the end, it was Moto hitting the puzzle-solving first and Moto laying out the two words for the puzzle -- Cannibal Isles. Moto has now won every Immunity Challenge so far this season, albeit with different tribe members in the mix.

Day 19 in Ravu reveals a fairly solid front against Rocky. Edgardo and Alex tend to call the shots for the tribe. They think that Lisi will be more loyal to them as she has no one else. And, no one really seems to trust Rocky at all. He's a loose cannon in the game.

Lisi decided to tell Alex and Edgardo the clues she knew for the hidden Immunity Idol and dug around. They didn't show her finding it, and I don't think she did. Remember how Dreamz was an enemy of Rocky? Well, now it seems that Dreamz may be the only one in camp that has a bit of understanding and empathy for the guy. Even Mookie, Rocky's buddy from the original Ravu, knows he's a problem child.

Alex, Edgardo, Lisi, and Dreamz decided that Rocky should go. Dreamz would actually prefer Lisi going, but seems to go along with the plan. But he told Mookie the plans when the rest didn't want him to know. They wanted Rocky and Mookie to think Lisi was the target.

Mookie understood the reasoning behind the Rocky vote, but told Dreamz that he promised Rocky he'd never vote for him. So he would vote a wild-card, meaningless vote. Mookie thought the physical bit (all strong guys) certainly wasn't winning, so it was time for another angle.

At the Tribal Council, it looked like Rocky was a bit worried, but still felt he was safe. He was certainly a lot more calm than he was at last week's Tribal Council. In the end, he was blindsided -- not as bad as some who never had an inkling they'd be voted off, but surprised.

The vote was unanimous with the exception of Rocky and Mookie's votes for Lisi. The closing scene during the credits showed him in some sort of Neanderthal scream, then he said how angry he was and they better not need his vote.

Yes, Rocky is the first member of the jury.

I'm glad he's gone and I even liked Lisi a bit better when she's surrounded by men. But the winner of the night for me was Yau-Man. What a hoot! I think he and Earl are a good alliance indeed.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 3/29 - Voted Off

Rocky was voted off and is the first member of the jury.

A full review/recap will be posted late tonight. Stop pn back and let's talk!

Yau-Man is a hoot.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 3/29 - Immunity

Moto won Immunity.

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - East Coast Update - 3/29 - Hidden Idol, Reward and Exile

Yau-Man found the hidden Immunity Idol at the Moto camp. He and Earl are "sharing" it dependent on who might need it.

Ravu won Reward - a trip to a Fijiian game arcade with hot dogs and beer. They sent Earl to Exile Island. He isn't immune from Tribal Council.

Tonight's 'Survivor 14: Fiji' Blogging

The show will be starting in about ten minutes here in the NYC area. As important events occur, I'll zap up East Coast Updates entries. By the end of the show (approximately 9 PM EDT), I'll post the boot.

Later tonight I'll write a full review/recap of the episode.

You can always find the latest blog entries by hitting the Survivor 14: Fiji link you see at the bottom of this post or the one in the sidebar under Categories.

'Lost' - "Exposé"

Remember the episode a few weeks back which I called fun fluff? The one in which Hurley found the DHARMA Bus? It was a fun episode, but it was fluff as it really didn't have much to do with the ongoing storylines and didn't move things forward.

I feel last night's episode was also fluff. Oh, not fun fluff -- more of a disturbing fluff, but fluff nonetheless. Now, I'm not saying either episode wasn't entertaining. Both were entertaining and interesting. But they're both fluff for not moving the story forward. And, after the past few weeks of answered mysteries, fluff glares.

This episode reminded me of the Seinfeld episode where they did the whole thing backwards, starting from the ending and then leading to the actual beginning. Also, the episode addressed the two new characters, Nikki and Paulo, which were supposed to be introduced in the fall season premiere when they were supposedly caught having sex in Jack's tent. That scene got cut, and the show never explained the two new faces on the island at all.

The writers gave their mysterious appearance more than one nod in this episode, speaking for the audience via none other than Sawyer himself. Good. I'm glad he's as confused as the audience is! The episode was Paulo and Nikki-centric. Someone had to ask it... "Who the hell are Paulo and Nikki?"

In Flashbacks:
Nikki was working on the set of an Australian hit TV show which had stripper pole-dancer types working in some sort of undercover dealings led by their boss, played by Billy Dee Williams. Nikki played the character of Corvette in Exposé; a character who was killed off in the episode we saw "filmed."

Ah, but Nikki had a thing going on with the show's director, Howell (or is it Howard?) Zuckerman. No, she wasn't interested in him, per se. He was an old rich man. He was a target for Nikki and her boyfriend, Paulo. She poisoned him with something which would make it look like a heart attack. Then she and Paulo stole a nesting-doll which we'd later find out had a pouch or bag of diamonds worth eight million dollars.

They caught up on the news of his death as they waited to board Flight 815 out of Sydney. They saw Shannon and Boone pass through arguing and declared they would never become a bickering couple like that. They're too much in love, after all. Paulo put the nesting doll with its bag of diamonds and his nicotine gum together in a bag for the flight. He decided he would quit smoking so he could live longer with his true love, Nikki.

That's basically the content of the real flashbacks although the beginning of the story on the island was just about the end. Not quite the end, but it set forth the puzzle which would unravel. It's hard to explain, but I'll do my best.

On the Island:
Hurley and Sawyer were playing ping-pong when Nikki staggered out of the woods, collapsing in front of them. "Dude, Nikki's dead," said Hurley. "Who the hell is Nikki?," asked Sawyer. But she wasn't dead. She uttered something which sounded like "Paulo lies." Then, her eyes remained open as she died in front of Hurley, Jin, and Sawyer.

They checked -- there were no marks on her, no sign of trauma. Jin thought it was the island monster. Sawyer didn't think so. Was it poison? Heart failure? The Others?

They notice dirt under her nails and went the direction from which she had arrived.

There was Paulo, very dead with his eyes open, too. They dragged him back to the beach and put his body next to Nikki.

Sawyer produced a gun and decided he was going to do a "perimeter sweep." The phrase confused poor Hurley who must not watch serious crime shows, although he's thrilled by Exposé. When Hurley questioned Sawyer about where he got the gun, Sawyer told him "off of one of them," referring to Nikki and Paulo.

Leaving Sawyer, Hurley went to Desmond to ask if he knew anything. After all, Desmond has his "power." Nope, he didn't. But he told Hurley that he saw Sawyer and Nikki fighting over something earlier in the day.

Armed with that information, Hurley went to Charlie and Sun. Sun really thought that it was the Others who killed them because her own experience when kidnapped was so horrible. Charlie then confessed to her that he was the one who kidnapped her and that Sawyer wanted it to look like the Others did it. When confronted by Hurley and Sun, Sawyer said that the fight was because Nikki wanted the gun. Hurley demanded it back and we find out there were no bullets in it all along. Sawyer also found a walkie-talkie in Paulo's stuff which indicated he was working with the Others.

Sawyer found what Nikki was digging about -- a pouch of diamonds. He tried to give them to Sun who slapped him. The diamonds are worthless on the island. She told him she wouldn't tell Jin, as that would make another grave on the island.

They dug a large double-grave in the beach for Nikki and Paulo, both of their eyes were still open. Sawyer tossed the diamonds in as Hurley gave a eulogy. "They killed each other for diamonds." Sawyer once again asked, "Who the hell are they?" They covered the grave with a huge mound of dirt.

Oh, but that's not the whole story. In island quasi-flashbacks, the story of Nikki and Paulo's time on the island after the crash of Flight 815 was told. Hey, they were at the crash scene in the season opener and we just didn't notice them!

75 Days Ago: Nikki and Paulo are frantic to find their bag which contained the nesting doll diamond stash and Paulo's nicotine gum. Ethan told them the plane split into two parts and we saw Boone once again.

57 Days Ago: Nikki went to the now dead (exploded) school science teacher, Leslie Artz, to see if he could give her an idea on the trajectory of the other part of the plane. While there, she looks at his bugs. He told her about a Medusa spider as she looks at one jar. He reminds her of the mythological Medusa, after which the spider is named.

48 Days Ago: Paulo and Nikki were still searching for the bag. Paulo found it while in a pond, amongst seats of dead bodies from the crash. He found it and lied to her.

32 Days Ago: Paulo, chewing the nicotine gum, was burying the nesting doll of diamonds on the beach when approached by Locke. Locke told him "things don't stay buried here." Yes, it sounded a bit Stephen King-ish. He went on to explain that high tide was due and and beach erosion would un-bury the item. If he wanted to bury it, he should go inland.

Paulo went to the Pearl Hatch, something he and Nikki found during their search. They also found Yemi's plane. He hid the nesting doll in the tank of the toilet. But then Juliet and Ben arrived, apparently using the tunnel to get in. Paulo eavesdropped at they talked about making Jack do the surgery to save Ben. When Juliet asked Ben how he would get him to perform the surgery, Ben said, "Like I do with anyone. I'll find out what he's emotionally invested in and exploit it." They left and then Paulo left after pocketing a walkie-talkie he found in the monitor room.

9 Days Ago: Locke, Jack, and others are in the Pearl Station. Paulo, fearing his hiding place would be found, retrieves the pouch from the nesting doll, then smashes the doll itself to destroy the evidence.

12 Hours Ago: Paulo and Nikki were talking -- she's upset that they missed Thanksgiving two weeks ago. They talked about not finding the bag of diamonds was probably the best thing. They're all lovey-dovey. After all, the diamonds would have torn them apart. Paulo got up to get some wood (or something), Nikki picks up the nicotine gum package which fell from his pocket.

Knowing that Paulo lied to her, she then went to Sawyer to get a gun (hence the fight with Sawyer). As she leaves, Sawyer calls out to her, "Who the hell are you?"

8 Hours Ago: Nikki confronted Paulo with the gum package and told him she knows he has the diamonds. She figures they're hidden on him, and whips out a jar with a Medusa spider in it. As she lets it bite him on the neck and its venom does its stuff, she told him that the bite would paralyze him for about eight hours and it should strike quickly due to where he was bit. She retrieved the bag of diamonds from down in his pants and... wham... Medusa spiders! One bites her on the ankle. She buries the bag of diamonds quickly, then stumbles to the beach where she collapsed in front of Sawyer, Hurley, and Jin.

So, she didn't mumble "Paulo lies." She mumbled "Paralyzed." Now they're buried alive. Vincent, the dog, grabbed the blanket from them before they started the burial, so the dog may be aware they're alive. And, I have a feeling that Locke's statement about things not remaining buried on the beach may indicate they'll unbury themselves. Seeing as the last timeline given was eight hours and the effect of the venom is eight hours, they're just about unparalyzed.

It creeped me out as they buried them alive.

As I said, this was a very interesting episode. But, for the most part, all it did was explain Paulo and Nikki's appearance on the island. Is there any significance to the numbers in their island storyline? Yes, eight is a major Lost number and it's significant as the venom lasts eight hours. But the others?

Who the hell are Paulo and Nikki, anyway?

'American Idol 6' - 3/28 Results Show East Coast Update

Bottom three:
Phil Stacey
Haley Scarnato

To commercial...

This post will be updated as new information airs here on the East Coast. Either Chris Sligh or Gina Glocksen will round out the bottom three. All the others have been declared safe.

UPDATE: Chris Sligh joins Phil and Haley in the bottom three.
Phil is safe.
Haley is safe.

Chris Sligh is gone.

UPDATE: Did anyone catch what Chris said to Phil? It sounded like "you owe me big bucks." But it was so fast and I didn't tape.

Whatever Will I Watch Tonight? - Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Of course, I'll be watching the American Idol 6 results show at 9 PM EDT tonight, then posting a quick East Coast Update entry with that oh-so-vital information about who gets voted off. So, if you're in another time zone and just have got to know -- check back here about 9:30 PM EDT. Hitting the American Idol label at the bottom of this entry will bring you to the latest entry.

Ah, but there's a lot of good stuff on the tube tonight besides American Idol!

At 8 PM ET/PT, there are all new episodes of Jericho (CBS), Friday Night Lights (NBC), Bones (FOX), The Great American Dream Vote (ABC), and America's Next Top Model (CW).

At 9 PM ET/PT: A Criminal Minds repeat on CBS, a new Crossing Jordan episode on NBC, the American Idol results show followed by a new 'Til Death on FOX, new episodes of According to Jim and Rules of Engagement on ABC, and a repeat Pussycat Dolls on CW.

Come 10 PM ET/PT, my choice for watching and blogging is the new Lost episode on ABC. CBS has a repeat C.S.I.:NY while NBC has a new episode of Medium.

What will you be watching tonight?

As Per the Letterman Mention

If you were watching David Letterman last night, you heard him mention that the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey elephants walk through the city. Alas, last night was the night and I still felt sick, so I didn't go. I usually try to go as, unlike Letterman's reference, it's a big event.

After all, how often do elephants walk from the Queens-Midtown Tunnel up 34th Street in the middle of Manhattan? (Um, okay... twice a year -- coming and going.) The arrival of the elephants is a fantastic evening and last night's weather was perfect! I really wish I had felt better and had gone.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of folks line the route of the elephants as they parade through the city. Y'see, the circus train can't make it into town, so they march the elephants and horses (and tons of circus stuff) through the streets at an hour which doesn't interfere so much with traffic in the city. It usually goes down around midnight or so.

It's always a hoot to see confused motorists roll their windows down and ask, "What's going on?" When the crowd yells back, "The elephants are coming!" or just "ELEPHANTS!" -- well, those cars just tend to get the heck out of there thinking how crazy New York City is!

I know this isn't quite a television entry, but blame it on Letterman. He was wrong. It's perhaps a much cooler event than the circus itself -- watching the elephants take over the streets of Manhattan amidst the skyscrapers. Their exit at the end of the circus run follows the same path, but that one is met with little enthusiasm. It's the arrival that's the party!

I took the photo above the year before last and now haven't been for the past few years. Last year the knee and weather were bad, this year my tummy. Next year, I swear I'll be there again!

'American Idol 6' - The Top Ten Perform Mentored by Gwen Stefani

I didn't find tonight's show as entertaining as last week's, but it could be just me. The stomach virus I've been avoiding caught me this morning and I'm way under the weather.

I thought Gwen Stefani had sage advice for all of the contestants. I loved how blown away she was by Melinda Doolittle.

She was impressed by LaKisha Jones, the first up to the stage this week. LaKisha belted out the Donna Summers song "Let's Dance." It wasn't my favorite performance of hers, but I'm measuring it against her own performances, not those of others. She did fine vocally, but it didn't move me the way I know she is able to move me. All of the judges enjoyed it.

Chris Sligh sang "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by the Police. That's one of my least favorite Police songs. I wish he had done "Driven to Tears" or "Murder by Numbers." Gwen warned him to watch the tempo and that was indeed the problem with his performance. Randy and Paula talked about the tempo while Simon declared it was a mess, all over the place. I like Chris Sligh, but it wasn't good.

Next up was Gina Glocksen going for yet another Pretenders song, this one "I'll Stand by You." I'm not a huge GG fan, but I thought that her performance may have been her best yet on the show. Simon agreed with me about it being the best while Randy and Paula were also very positive. Simon also said something confusing about chalk and cheese, so I had to look up the saying. Ah, interesting... from that site: "As different as chalk and cheese is an old proverbial phrase to suggest that two things, superficially alike, are totally different in their qualities." Huh. I never heard the phrase before and it dates to the 1500s.

Then there was Sanjaya Fauxhawk Malakar. Like Randy, I'm a bit speechless. It's like Sanjaya knows that he'll get the vote -- he's gone bizarre, plays up like he's all that (and remember how shy he was in auditions), and does weird stuff with his hair. He sang "Bath Water" by No Doubt and I was so agog at his hair that I couldn't tell you how bad he was. He told Simon that he was just jealous (the typical juvenile response) because he couldn't pull it off. I'm assuming he meant the hairstyle. He didn't seem to forget the words, but Gwen Stefani was indeed right to worry about him.

Haley Scarnato was next, singing Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors." Eh. I wasn't impressed. I think she might have bought her ticket home with that one. Simon was right -- it was forgettable.

Phil Stacey, who kind of creeps me out to begin with, sang the perfect controlling man, stalker song -- "Every Breath You Take" by the Police.

I'm scared now.

He actually sang it pretty well, perhaps one of his best vocal performances on the show. The judges were favorable.

My personal favorite, Melinda Doolittle, sang "Heaven Knows" by Donna Summer. Gwen Stefani is amazed by her and so am I. It wasn't my favorite performance of hers, but she is so darn good. Simon hated her outfit, I thought she looked good.

Blake Lewis was warned by Gwen to watch the beatbox and not to lose the melody. She didn't have much to worry about. He sang The Cure's "Love Song." It was tender, it was touching. Paula thinks he'll make the finale and Simon called him the front-runner of the guys. Although I actually like Chris Sligh's voice more, I do enjoy Blake's Take.

Then there was Jordin Sparks. Gwen seemed as impressed as I am that she's just seventeen years old and has such control. She didn't let me down as she sang No Doubt's "Hey, Baby." The judges were happy except for Simon who loved the vocals, called her most improved, then said it was copy-cat-ish.

I think she did very well, once again!

Ending the show was Chris Richardson. Not sounding as nasal as some past weeks, he sang No Doubt's "Don't Speak." Eh, okay. This guy will never be my favorite. I just don't enjoy his voice all that much. Randy said it wasn't his best vocal. Paula loved it. (Um, okay.) Simon told him it was a better song choice, but he needs to pay more attention to his vocals.

So, who's going home this week? I always put Sanjaya on my I Want Him To Go Away List, but I bet he's safe again. I think Haley might be gone or... heaven forbid... Chris Sligh. Who do you think will be leaving?

TV Newsy Bits - Monday, March 26, 2007

Remember, folks -- there is now a Dancing With the Stars blog discussion post for those who wish to discuss the show, just head here. I'll be reading the comments and you never know... you just might get me watching the show!

In actual TV Newsy Bits I found out there:

• BuddyTV has an exclusive interview with last night's losing team from The Amazing Race 11: All Stars, Teri and Ian.
• Celebrity Spider has an in-depth promo peek at next week's two-hour episode of The Amazing Race. Location and a bit of brouhaha mild spoilers, but not finish order or anything huge.
• Apolo Anton Ohno, now on Dancing With the Stars, announced his 2010 Winter Olympic plans to ET Online.
• The Los Angeles Times has an intriguing article about the John Locke character on Lost. Remember, I said long ago that Locke was the key to the island!
• Looking for unusual television and entertainment related bits, as well as viral videos? The relatively new This Just In website (a Time Warner joint venture between HBO and AOL) always has the odd. And, I enjoy odd, don't you?

'The Apprentice: L.A.' - East Coast Update - 3/25

Kinetic lost again and Angela, the Project Manager and Olympic athlete... was fired. I only caught the tail end of the show.