Tuesday, November 06, 2007

TV Newsy Bits - Tuesday, November 6, 2007


We all need a cozy place in the sun, but I'm not sure about the roof of a balcony window. But that's where I first spotted Roofus months ago. Shortly after I snapped this photo, he leaped atop the fire escape on the right and actually caught a bird. Yipes. I just saw feathers flying and a flurry of activity. Since I saw his feet go right through the fire escape "floor," I wish the fire escapes on his building were more like mine with more narrow openings. I don't think there ever are any cats on my own fire escape or roof. Squirrels, birds, perhaps a burglar ... but not a cat burglar! For a larger image, click on it.

In today's TV Newsy Bits:
  • Will the writers strike give us Big Brother 9 in January? Check out my latest on TV Squad!
  • I also wrote a TVS article about changes coming for the next American Idol season.
  • I'm sure you've heard the news, especially if you're a Dancing With the Stars fan -- Marie Osmond's father died. I don't know how that will affect the show, but my condolences go out the the family, friends, and fans of the Osmonds.
  • Realitywanted.net has an interview with Ari and Staella, the first team eliminated from The Amazing Race 12. In it they mention they were big fans of the show with favorite teams of Rob and Amber and Mirna and Charla. Hmmm. I actually liked Rob more on TAR than on Survivor and can take or leave Amber. With Charla and Mirna, I have mixed feelings. I'd like to see Charla with someone other than Mirna. Neither team was my favorite on the show.
Today's music non-sequitur:
Through the woodland, through the valley

Comes a horseman wild and free
Tilting at the windmills passing
Who can the brave young horseman be
--"Don Quixote" by Gordon Lightfoot

Monday, November 05, 2007

'Heroes' - "Out of Time"

Well, I'm not quite sure what to make of all of the happenings in tonight's episode. One thing I'm really having issues with is all the jumping around so darn much. I swear this is how they plan it --

"Let's do a minute and a half of Hiro
in 1671 Japan."
"Quick! Let's go back to the Company in Hartsdale!"
"Enough of that, go back to Hiro!"
"Too much Hiro, let's go jump in on Claire!"

While I enjoy action, I'd prefer instead of jumping around so much, a more expanded version of the individual character stories. Please!

Hiro
It turns out Takezo Kensei traded Hiro for money and half of Japan with the dreaded White Beard. Hiro, Yaeko, and her swordsmith father were taken captive. Yaeko convinced Hiro to teleport them to escape.

Hiro tried to convince Yaeko that Kensei was good inside, but she wasn't too convinced -- after all, he stole, plundered, got her and her father kidnapped and all so much more.

When Hiro went to the camp to stop White Beard's march, he had to destroy the guns as that would change history if they were to remain. Kensei came in, big swordfight, the building blew
up with Hiro teleporting out just in time. But Kensei was blown to bits (apparently) in the blast.

As set up before he went, Hiro returned to Yaeko under the cherry blossom tree. She tried to convince him to stay, they both professed their l
ove, but Hiro said he must return to his own time. Yaeko will tell everyone the tales of the brave Kensei (Hiro will always be the real Kensei to her) so that centuries later, a young Hiro will hear the legends.

Poof. Hiro returns to Ando in present-day Japan. Ando told him there had been no blast, they saved the world. "Yata!"

Alas, then Ando told Hiro that his father was dead and had been murdered. Un-tata.

Noah Bennet (Butler/HRG) in Odessa, Ukraine
Bennet, still in the Ukraine with the Isaac paintings of the future, called Mohinder at the Company in Hartsdale, NY. Mohinder tried to tell HRG that he wasn't trusted at the Company any longer and Bob had assigned him a partner. HRG wanted him to help him with the paintings, but Mohinder said it would put him in danger. HRG burned the paintings. Don't ask me why.

At the Company with Many
Bob demanded the building be evacuated accompanied by Nathan Petrelli and Matt Parkman. Supposedly Parkman's father, the Nightmare Man (Maury), was in the building or on the way to kill Bob. He wants to kill Maury with the serum. Mohinder balks again. (I think Mohinder lost his mind sometime over the summer -- he doesn't have a clue what he's doing and flip-flops looking confused a lot this season.)

Bob told Park
man that he's the only one who can stop his father because he's the only one with the same powers. Parkman claimed that all he can do is read minds; Bob says he can do more.

So, Parkman decided to have a soul-to-soul talk with the comatose Molly. He
told her all about Bob thinking his powers were more than they are and the sad, sad story about his father leaving when he was a child. He noticed that when he told her he loved her, the monitor readings jumped. Why, gosh! He has power! So, he tried to communicate with her and they ended up in a rather lower-class apartment.

Molly told him that's where the Nightmare Man keeps her when he gets her. Sure enough, Maury shows up.

Oh, oh ... but before that ... in the Company, Niki is having visions of the dead DL -- with the Nightmare Man Maury skinking around corners and doorways in the building. DL tried to convince her she was still a murderer and hasn't changed. "You'll never see Micah again!"

Now, she's having the argument with DL in front of Mohinder. Of course, Mohinder couldn't see DL because DL was a nightmare created for Niki by Maury, so he thought she was a bit off ... then he looked confused some more. She ended up turning all Jessica, taking the serum, and breaking t
hrough the door to attack Bob with it.

In a struggle with Mohinder over the serum, she stabbed it into her own arm. Oh, she broke Mohinder's nose first.

Mohinder tried to thwart the poison with his own anti-virus which worked for Molly to no avail. It's a new strain.


Bob told Nathan that Maury wasn't the real problem. The real problem is Adam who escaped two weeks
previous. Linderman was Adam's disciple. Adam is the visionary. Bob also told Nathan that Peter was alive. He said that he had been in Cork, Ireland, and they recently lost him.

Bob gave Mohinder a gun, telling him the only way to save Niki was to get Claire because of her healing powers. Mohinder hesitated, then told Bob that he was working with Bennet to bring down the company. (What is with him?) Bob told him about bennet killing his mentor, Evon Spector in the Ukraine. "A storm is coming and Claire is the key." (Save the cheerleader, save the world!)

Mohinder, gun in hand, looked even more confused. He doesn't know which side is right. Now, unless he shoots Bob the next time ... I don't know what's up with him.

Nightmare Man, Parkman, and Molly in the Apartment
As I mentioned, Molly and Parkman roughly teleported to the apartment where Maury would take her. It turns out it's Matt Parkman's childhood apartment set for the night his father deserted the family. It's his father's nightmare.

Matt's powers kic
k in and his father arrived. They had a yelling battle in which you could almost picture Maury as the Wicked Witch of the West being melted by Dorothy. I swear I could hear Maury cry, "I'm melting! I'm melting!"

Oh, that was just me. In reality, Matt's powers grew while his father was surrounded with his own nightmare -- the desertion of his family. Matt and Molly left, leaving Maury behind.

Wham ... they appeared in the Company infirmary with Maury dead on the floor nearby. "He'll never scare you again, Molly."

Peter Petrelli in NYC - Mother Child Reunion
Peter and Caitlin were in evacuated NYC in 2008 when they were surrounded by men in protective suits who snagged them to be decontaminated.

While held captive, Peter was asked why he, a dead man, isn't even sick. His interrogator insisted there was a death certificate for him. Peter claimed he doesn't even remember who he is. When Peter asked about Caitlin, he was told she would be deported.

He was told that the Ashanti virus killed 93% of the population in 2007. His mother is brought to him, but he doesn't remember her at first. As she kept talking to him, it all came back. She told him that Nathan died in the first outbreak of the virus.

When Peter spots them taking Caitin away, he ran to her and freaked out a lot. And, accidentally used his powers to teleport himself back to the room in Montreal.

Where ... Adam arrived. Remember, Adam is the one who left the note to him about fighting the company. And, Adam is also the one Bob fears and says is running the show. And, Adam is Takezo Kensei, unaged after centuries.

Oh, suspense!

Claire and West in California
Claire is snuggling a lot with West despite her promise to her father that she wouldn't have a boyfriend. West showed up to bring breakfast and, with just Mom Bennet at hime, he stayed. Claire at least knew to hide the pictures of HRG because West had said he had been abducted by a man with Horn Rimmed Glasses.

He also showed her an article about the drunken cheerleader ousted from the squad after claiming to see a flying mugger.

They snuggle.

That lasts until HRG comes home and HRG is indeed West's HRG! He bolts, flies away.

Bennet confronted Claire with the article knowing that she had some kind of involvement. The mother mentions the new boyfriend. HRG freaks.

He says they have to move. Claire balks, saying if they go, they can go without her.

And, there you go. Next week is an "answers" kind of episode which is supposed to fill us in on some things. I think we need it.

Sunday, November 04, 2007

My 'Amazing Race 12' Season Premiere Review on TV Squad

My TAR 12 season premiere review is live on TV Squad at this link. I hope you enjoy it!

'The Amazing Race 12' - Season Premiere - East Coast Updates

Jackie's TV Blog, Amazing Race, TAR

The start of the season premiere - "Donkeys Have Souls, Too" - is delayed here in the NYC area due to football. Once it starts up, I'll update this post with the important happenings and quick thoughts as it airs. Graphic artist Zoetawny with her new 'puter made a graphic for the blog and I'm ready to watch the show even though I've already watched it not once, but twice! (Does that tell you what you're in for?) My full review is set to be posted on TV Squad at 10:05 PM ET.

Update 8:10 PM ET -- 60 Minutes is still on. I expect TAR to start in about 15 minutes, but will let you know.

UPDATE 8:25 PM ET -- 60 Minutes has ended, the show will be starting momentarily. Racers ready?

Yes! It's on! Cool classic convertibles to the Playboy Mansion. I'm not so keen about the Playboy Mansion part.

Hey ... against other news sources, the non-elim legs are still in! 8 of the 11 are elimination legs! That sounds like non-eliminations to me, doesn't it to you?

They're trying to get to LAX to board flights to Shannon, Ireland. Several are lost and there are two flights, one leaving earlier than the other. Five teams are on the first flight, six on the later one. Ronald and Christina an Azaria and Hendekea have bonded a bit. Hendekea borrowed a cell phone and set up two taxis for their teams.

The earlier flight is delayed and the second shall be first! I love that.

Ari and Staella stole one of the taxis. Good thing the driver let another non-stolen cab pass them.

An old person always falls, don't they?

I'm officially tired of Jennifer and Nathan. She whines very annoyingly. Lorena and Jason aren't too great in that department either. Love it that Kynt and Vyxsin didn't let the broken bike chain stop them.

I absolutely LOVE the high-wire bike Roadblock! That is so cool!

Love the donkeys, and how they cooperate with SOME teams ... teams who are nice to them do much better. Nathan and Jennifer are already screaming at each other. And Ari called one "stupid donk."

Ari threatened to eat his donkey!

Azaria and Hendekea came in to the Pit Stop first and won a trip to Alberta, Canada. Kynt and Vyxsin came in second and TK/Rachel third. Ari is still yelling at his donkey while Ron is singing Danny Boy as he pedals the high-wire bike.,

"Donkeys have souls, too" said Christina commenting about how Ari and Staella were treating their donkey. Jennifer and Nathan are still stranded with theirs.

Lorena and Jason made it to the Pit Stop -- 4th place. Nicolas and Donald are team number five. Shana and Jennifer are team 6. The other Jennifer (with Nathan) is still whining, but they finally got their donkey to move.

Ron and Christina are team seven. Who's your daddy? Kate and Pat are team 8. Now it gets all emotional...! Marianna and Julia are team nine and Jennifer and Nathan are on their heels at team 10.

Guess who karma bit on the butt? Yep, Ari and Staella are eliminated. They stole a cab and were mean to their donkey. Heh.

TV Newsy Bits - Sunday, November 4, 2007


This is a photo I took during a previous holiday season, but with the nip in the air mornings now, it seems right for today. Again, I used layers to make the background black and white while leaving the inflated turkey (run, turkey, run!) in color. The location is John's Meat Market in Scotch Plains, New Jersey -- a place I love to go to for old-fashioned butcher attention and really fine meats. If you click on the photo, you'll see a larger version.

In today's TV Newsy Bits:
  • Don't forget -- The Amazing Race 12 premiere is tonight after 60 Minutes, with a possible football delay on the east coast. Thanks to the screener I received for the TV Squad gig, I've already seen it. Although I won't spoil anything for you -- I like most of the teams at first glance with two teams who annoy me. One of those two went! (Yay!) So you have no clue what team was eliminated, but it's already off to a good start with me because an annoying team is gone. Now if the other would go away next week!
  • The New York Marathon is today. I won't be there. Even when I could run, I didn't run. I think the most I've ever run at one time was two miles, not 26. I will raise a cup of hot chocolate to them from the comfort of my living room.
  • It's still uncertain but probable that the WGA's television and film writers will go on strike tomorrow. Although scripted television shows wouldn't be immediately impacted, my late night Letterman fix will probably head into reruns. I guess it would be good for me to go bed earlier, eh?
  • Although my own writing isn't covered by the WGA, I can sympathize with its members. Outside of this blog, I write on a freelance contract which necessitates me keeping a day job. I found this Huffington Post article very informative about the writing industry for film and television. In an industry which pays its actors ridiculously high salaries, it offers the writers virtual peanuts in comparison. With my freelance work, I earn more than many of the WGA members and I'm not writing fiction which I know from personal experience is a lot tougher than blogging. And, when you think of it ... if not for writers, there would be no films and scripted television shows in the first place. Stephen King money isn't expected, but a living wage is and they should get their royalties on DVD and Internet sales increased. Is four cents too much to ask? I think not!
  • Thinking of Stephen King -- I see The Mist is going to be released in theaters soon. That's one of my all-time Stephen King short story favorites. Although I probably won't go see it in a theater, I will definitely get it once it comes out on DVD. (The writer will get paid, I'm sure!) It stars Andre Braugher, one of my favorite actors from Homicide: Life on the Street.
Today's music non-sequitur:
She put de lime in de coconut, she drank 'em both up

She put de lime in de coconut, she called the doctor, woke him up,
And said, "Doctor, ain't there nothin' I can take,
I say, Doctor, to relieve this belly ache?
-- "Coconut" by Nilsson