July, 2010
July 1st, 2010, 5:48 p.m. - Seriously, shut up about the two guys dancing together
10:32 p.m. - Alex rocking hip-hop, a performance of "The Garden," and Melinda going home? Best week ever!
July 4th, 2010, 2:58 p.m. - Two annoying people gone! Awesome!
So You Think You Can Dance - Top nine perform and one goes home: Like I said when I posed my second recap, this was a great week. There were a ton of great performances, we got to see "The Garden" again, and Melinda was eliminated. What more could you ask for? Rating: 5 psychiatrist's couches
Top Chef - "Capitol Grill": And Melinda wasn't the only irritating reality show contestants to go home: Tracey was also out. Now if they could just get rid of Amanda.... Rating: 4 disappointing sliders
July 5th, 2010, 3:46 p.m. - Oh, LENA
19. Broken (Karin Slaughter)
This was a good one from Slaughter - though I'm not sure I've ever really disliked any of her books. I'm really glad she decided to bring in some new characters; Will is one of my favorites of hers, and a great replacement for Jeffrey. As for the mystery itself in this book, it wasn't one of the better ones. The setup was better than the payoff. Still, I always enjoy Slaughter's books and how they're paced. The characters make me want to keep reading.
Up next: The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance (Elna Baker)
July 7th, 2010, 11:02 p.m. - I don't ask for much, just for Alex to be miraculously healed. And for the door routine tomorrow
July 8th, 2010, 10:39 p.m. - BOOOOOOO!
July 11th, 2010, 2:41 p.m. - How could you not want to read a book with this title?
20. The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance (Elna Baker)
Up next: A Whole Nother Story (Dr. Cuthbert Soup)
3:55 p.m. - Tamesha, please don't encourage Angelo
So You Think You Can Dance - Top eight perform and one goes home: Noooo! Alex was supposed to win this season! Now it'll probably be Jose, who, while a great guy, isn't nearly as good a dancer. Actually, no one is nearly as good as Alex. What a disappointing week, even with some great routines. Rating: 4 cheers for Katee Shean!
Top Chef - "Room Service": That baby food challenge was ridiculous. Do master chefs serve baby food in their restaurants? No. It was pointless. I did like the structure of the elimination challenge, but I think some of the chefs forgot who they were cooking for. And I don't mean neckless Mike Isabella or Spike and his hat. Also, because it can't be said enough, shut up, Amanda. Rating: 3 jars of baby food
Big Brother - Week one: Until a) I figure out who's who and b) we know who the saboteur is, I'm probably not going to be paying much attention. Rating: 3 giant hot dogs, of course
July 14th, 2010, 11:13 p.m. - Actually, not a bad night, overall
"This Show is Hazardous to Your Health"
July 15th, 2010, 10:34 p.m. - Good thing they're not making such a big deal out of two-guy routines, since we're far from done with those
July 17th, 2010, 5:35 p.m. - Wait...there's a Kristin on Big Brother? Are you sure?
So You Think You Can Dance - Top seven perform and one goes home: Why do we even need performance shows anymore, if people are going to keep getting injured and eliminated without even dancing? Sigh. Two of my favorites are gone. I guess I'm Team Lauren and Team Robert now. Rating: 4 swords that should NEVER be given to Dom
Big Brother - Week two: Honestly, my favorite part of the show right now is David's nickname for Rachel and Brandon: Radon (because they're sciency, and because the presence of either in your home is hazardous to your health). I don't get why they're going to tell the houseguests that Annie was the Saboteur; wouldn't it be more interesting to make them think the Saboteur is still in the house? Oh, I'm sorry, I used the word "interesting" in reference to the show. My mistake. Rating: 3 annoying beeping devices
Top Chef - "Farm Policy": Clearly Kelly and Andrea should always work together, since they're a powerhouse duo. And Angelo should keep his mouth shut. (Though his delivery of his crabs joke was actually funny, for once.) This challenge could have been a complete disaster, and actually probably should have been, since there was no way to know if the dishes were going to work well together. I guess that wasn't important to anyone, since no one mentioned it. Rating: 3 more reasons you should never make a salad on this show
July 21st, 2010, 10:29 p.m. - Let's start taking bets on who will be on the injured list next week
July 22nd, 2010, 10:56 p.m. - Gasp!
July 24th, 2010, 5:38 p.m. - "Don't be afraid, be amazing"
21. A Whole Nother Story (Dr. Cuthbert Soup)
Up next: Amen, Amen, Amen (Abby Sher)
July 25th, 2010, 10:44 p.m. - Are you sure there's a Kristen on Big Brother? Maybe you're thinking of a different show
So You Think You Can Dance - Top six perform and Big Brother - Week three: Yay, one of the Mean Girls is gone! Can we get rid of the other one, too? Oh, and Rachel? And Brendon? Everyone else is at least a little entertaining. Or at least I don't want to shove them out the window whenever they come on my screen. Rating: 3 surfboards
Top Chef - "Cold War": Of course Tamesha went home - like they would cut Kenny after he's done so well. So much for a potential showmance, though. Not that Angelo needed any more screen time than he was already getting. Rating: 3 duck "kidneys"
July 28th, 2010, 11:10 p.m. - If I'm going to have that song stuck in my head, SO ARE YOU
"I Find it Kind of Funny, I Find it Kind of Sad"
July 29th, 2010, 11:27 p.m. - How did that guy get a record deal??
"Girls Really Do Just Wanna Have Fun"
July 31st, 2010, 5:50 p.m. - A moratorium on "Mad World," please
So You Think You Can Dance - Top six perform and two go home: I definitely didn't expect to see Lauren in the bottom three. I wasn't worried about her going anywhere, since it was her first time and the judges absolutely love her, but the uneasily feeling I got about it made me realize how much I've grown to like her. I was relieved to see Robert safe, too, and I'd love for him and Lauren to be in the final three (with Kent, since he'll obviously be there). Nothing against Adéchiké, I just think the other three are better. Rating: 4 briefcases
Big Brother - Week four: Why did one of the only houseguests with substance have to be voted out? And why does freaking Rachel have to be HOH again? This season is just as frustrating as every other season I've watched. Rating: 3 awesome plea speeches from Andrew
Top Chef - "Power Lunch": Two people wanted to serve pea puree that badly? Really? That's sad. I really liked the Quickfire idea (and I'd never heard that rule about toothpicks; that intrigued me), and I was impressed with how everyone did. Yet another reason I could never be a chef. I hated seeing Andrea go; I really liked her. I think I'm backing Tiffany in this race. Rating: 4 toothpicks
Just when I was starting to like Lena, she managed to screw it up. Sigh.
I could relate a lot to Baker in her memoir of trying to find love in New York while sticking to her religious convictions. She's brutally honest about her self-perception, her not-always-becoming-of-a-Mormon behavior, and her doubts about pretty much everything. It works as both a dating memoir and a reflection on faith.
There are tons of similarities here to A Series of Unfortunate Events - so many that I wouldn't be surprised if they were by the same author. There's the same idea of three kids using their skills to save the day, and of being pursued by bad guys. But there's also a time machine, a psychic dog, and a special agent that happens to be a chimp. Very funny, but also touching. I'm glad this is apparently going to be a series.
one no one goes home: Fake-out! Whatever, Billy's probably going home in the next episode anyway, so this only bought him another week. But I think it's fine, since at least someone who was injured doesn't have to leave to recover. Rating: 3 giant cakes