The moon is almost full over New Jersey. Ah-oooo! I hope everyone had a great holiday and, for those who went Xtreme Shopping today on Black Friday, I hope you survived. I had to work, but made the mistake of walking into a Target store thinking I might want to buy a computer monitor which they have on sale. No computer monitor, even given away, would be worth fighting that crowd. I immediately left before I made it to the department.
I haven't seen Roofus the cat, but it's been raining, very cold, or dark as I've been by there. Unless he can get sun, he seems to vanish, perhaps to the inside of the condemned building. Also, his free rein can lead him all over the roofs of four buildings and I can only see the front edges from my vantage point. I think he's probably okay.
In TV Newsy Bits:
- Although it was a clip episode, I wrote a review of last night's Survivor 15: China over on TV Squad. I also think I forget to mention my Kid Nation review there this week.
- Later tonight I'll be reviewing The Next Great American Band over on TVS.
- NBC has announced that Leno will be airing some vintage episodes as the WGA strike continues ... I want Letterman to do the same!
- The Frank TV debut on TBS attracted 2.9 million viewers -- a great showing! If you missed the show, it will air on Tuesday nights at 11 PM ET/PT in most viewing areas.
- Reality TV World has an interview with voted off from Dancing With the Stars Jennie Garth.
Today's musical non-sequitur:
I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his handWalking through the streets of Soho in the rainHe was looking for a place called Lee Ho Fook'sGoing to get himself a big dish of beef chow mein-- "Werewolves of London" by Warren Zevon
Zoetawny made a special graphic for tonight's Survivor. It's not a regular episode -- it's clips and unaired stuff about the remaining castaways.
So far the most interesting comment was Courtney saying her strength in the game is that she's not a strong player. Um, okay.
A brief shout out to Sydney, home from her honeymoon adventures! Welcome back!
First, I'd like to thank graphic artist Zoetawny for the Thanksgiving-themed graphic! Another will be coming up later tonight!
I want to thank all the readers who visit, comment, and created a community around this blog. I know I've gone through some changes this year with the paid writing job, but I'm so thankful that the readers keep coming here. Y'all rock, y'know!
I hope everyone is spending the holiday with loved ones and fine food. I guess you can even watch football -- I know I won't be watching any games. I won't be going into the city for the parade, but it's a great day here to do so.
A bit later today, an "I'm thankful for" post will be put up over on TV Squad. I wrote it sometime back, but it should go up around 10 AM today if memory serves. Since it's TV Squad, it's about what I'm thankful for regarding television. You'll recognize the image -- I edited out the meat market and left just the inflatable turkey from the photo I posted here a while ago. The posts from all the bloggers there have been going on since Monday. Several used my turkey, so I guess it came out well. I am thankful that TVS gave me my first professional blogging job and the folks at AOL TV supported getting me aboard. Now I'm still working on making it a career! ;-)
Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!
The weather here has been cold, wet, gloomy, rainy and even a bit snowy. I haven't seen Roofus the cat since Saturday, but the roof isn't a good place during this kind of weather. I'm sure he's taken refuge, most likely in that condemned building. This photo is the side of an old warehouse or factory. I guess it's Lugo's parking spot, but I call it the Lugo building.
Here are today's TV Newsy Bits:
- Frank TV, the new late night show on TBS makes its debut tonight at 11 PM ET/PT in most viewing areas. Frank is impressionist Frank Caliendo and he's definitely got the "skillz." I watched my screener and was pleasantly surprised at how many impressions he can actually do. His George W. Bush is just about perfect. With the late night shows in repeats due to the writers strike, it's the perfect time to give this show a shot -- every Tuesday at 11, be there or be square.
- I want to thank commenter Joy for her excellent recap of The Bachelor for other blog readers (in the discussion post for the show). And, yes ... that's how I do it. I sit and take notes.
- Donald Trump's new Celebrity Apprentice will premiere on January 3rd. The last season was so unpopular, I guess he had to turn to a list of Z list celebs. I don't know many of these people -- Omarosa (made famous for being on The Apprentice, say what?), Marilu Henner (okay, I remember her from Taxi with Tony Danza a few decades ago), Carol Alt, softball player Jennie Finch, Piers Morgan (judge from America's Got Talent), Gene Simmons from Kiss, Vincent Pastore (Sopranos), Stephen Baldwin, Nely Galan (ex-president of Telemundo television network), Trace Adkins (country music star), Nadia Comaneci (Olympics star), Tiffany Fallon (Playboy's Playmate of the Year), boxer Lennox Louis, and ultimate fighting champion Tito Ortiz. Um. Okay.
- I wrote a TV Squad feature on my seven favorite cop shows. If you click on my name from there, it brings up all the entries I've made. I've been doing some real exciting ones such as CBS news staffers authorize a strike in addition to reviews and features.
Today's music non-sequitur:
Well, did he ever return? No, he never returned and his fate is still unlearned. He may ride forever 'neath the streets of Boston. He's the man who never returned.
-- M.T.A. - as sung by The Kingston Trio
Well. Now, this was an episode, wasn't it? Oh, not that I understood exactly everything which went down tonight, but ... wow. Without further ado, here's the skinny as I know it:
The Bennets in CA
HRG decided they have to move, run, hide ... whatever. Claire has decided that he's a liar because he abducted West. She told him she hates him. She 
refused to leave with the family until Mom Bennet (Butler) stepped in.
Claire tried to apologize to West by writing SORRY with rocks on the ground below his regular flight route. He met her there, but isn't sure whether she lied to him and was in on some sinister plot to get him or what. "Spy girl, the jig is up." (Maybe the writers shouldn't return with lines like that!)
Meanwhile, at home HRG told his wife that he did indeed abduct West at the age of 12 -- to save the world, of course. He realized that West is probably the only one who can find Claire. So he puts in a call to Mohinder Suresh to use Molly to find him, then goes out the door ... only to be swooped up by a flying West.
Upon landing, they wrestle. HRG admits to West that Claire knew nothing and since she lied to him about West, she obviously cared for him (West). HRG decided he'd force West to tell Claire to leave with them for her own safety.
Then his cell phone rang ...
Mohinder, Elle, and Bob to CA
Bob convinced Mohinder (where is his mind) Suresh that they needed Claire's blood to save Nikki ... and that they had to take HRG out. Uh-oh. Mohinder was reluctant, but Bob gave him a new hitwoman partner -- Elle, his daughter. Like with Peter, Elle was all over Mohinder. "He's adorable, can I keep him?" Blech. Mohinder demanded they try it his way first with no violence.
Oh, back to the phone ringing ... it was Mohinder calling supposedly from NYC saying Molly located West. Now, HRG was with West, so he knew something was up.
As this was happening, Bob was at the school posing as a school board official. He interviewed Claire about the drunken cheerleader, then kidnapped her.
Oh, but the tables were turned once again! HRG teamed up with West. It turns out HRG and Elle know each other well. While HRG was talking to Mohinder accusing him of "going native" and being indoctrinated by the Company, Elle started towards him. Wham! West flew smack into her, then HRG shot her in the arm and took her captive.
Daughter for daughter trade was on. First, Bob took some of Claire's blood. I'll finish the rest of that story at the end. Let's go to ...
Matt Parkman, Molly, Mrs. Petrelli in NYC
Matt has discovered how to use his powers to read minds to actually instill thoughts in them. First he experimented with Molly -- making her eat her cereal. Then he did it with his sergeant -- giving him another talk with Angela Petrelli.
Then he used it on Mrs. Angela Petrelli herself despite her knowing about the power and trying to resist. Matt wanted to know who killed Kaito Nakamura -- she told him it was Adam. She said he did it for revenge for being held for thirty years. She also said that as the power to regenerate and heal is used, the aging process stops. Adam is 400 years old.
Matt also wanted to know who the woman in the group photo was, but she refused to tell him. Her nose started to bleed and she said she had to keep that one secret because she had promised her. "If you force me, you're not like your father. You ARE your father." The post it note he had on the photo read Victoria Pratt for her name.
Hiro, Ando, and Kaito Nakamura
Hiro cannot accept his father's death. Ando told him he can't change it. So Hiro teleports himself to the roof of the DeVeaux Building just before it happened. He teleported himself and his father 17 years back to his mother's funeral, meeting up once again with his younger self.
His father, Lt. Sulu, er ... Kaito, is proud of him. But when Hiro told him that he was going to die, his father said it couldn't be changed. Hiro, after sentimental funeral for Mom stuff, teleports them both back to NYC.
Once back on the roof, he witnessed the discussion between Kaito and Mrs. Petrelli, then as the hoodie-wearing killer attacked, Hiro stopped time. He told a frozen in place Ando that he couldn't change the future, but he can see who killed his father. He lifted the hoodie ... Takezo Kensei, AKA Adam. "I never thought it would be you."
Then there was a rather extended bit about him refusing to say eulogy at his father's funeral as when he followed his lessons he still lived, yada-yada-yada. (Yes, I stole those yadas.)
Back to CA and the HRG vs. Bob showdown
Bob released Claire and HRG released Elle. West had been told to immediately fly Claire out of danger. He did, but Elle nailed them with an electric bolt, knocking them out of the sky. West landed atop Claire, thus saving his life.
HRG turned to Bob, aiming his gun. "If you die, the Company dies." But before he could shoot (he hesitated a really long time for an ex-Company dude), Mohinder shot him in the eye just like in the Isaac Mendez prophetic painting. Oh, no! I was liking HRG!
But, he's not dead even though Claire thinks he is -- West flew her away and stayed as she broke the news to her mother.
Bob took HRG. He gave him a transfusion with Claire's blood and the eye bullet hole healed before his very eyes. He was on a bed in a cell-room at the Company, it appeared.
He woke up startled. Then he declared, "I'm home!"
Wow.
Mohinder has got to go. He's whacked as of late. Maybe Elle will accidentally electrocute him.
There were no Wonder Twins this chapter. Good.
