June, 2009
June 6th, 2009, 8:36 p.m. - Time for my vacation book roundup (get excited)!
I only read three this time. I know, I'm disappointed in me, too.
18. Lisey's Story (Stephen King)
19. Dark Places (Gillian Flynn)
20. I'm Down (Mishna Wolff)
Up next: Roadside Crosses (Jeffery Deaver)
10:23 p.m. - Once again, Natalie falls short and Jenn is sad
So You Think You Can Dance - More auditions: Dude, I can't remember half of these people two minutes after seeing them dance. Let's get to the good stuff already! Rating: 3 blond girls who look exactly alike
Harper's Island - "Thrack, Splack, Sizzle": Just when I was wondering how they would spice up the middle episodes of the show - flashbacks! Nice. I still think there's something going on that the sheriff isn't being completely honest about. Maybe Wakefield is really Abby's father? I don't know. At least know the guests know that something's going on and maybe they should get the heck out of Dodge. Rating: 4 scenes that made me realize Jimmy is cuter with shorter hair
So You Think You Can Dance - Vegas week and top 20 announced: They cut Natalie! They didn't even let her dance for her life! What's up with that? So unfair. Still, I don't have any big problems with the dancers in the top 20. Even the dancers we hadn't seen before this week were really good and made me want to see more of them. I wish Ryan, Alex, and Megan Kinney had made it through, but other than the two of them and Natalie, I think all of the deserving dancers were rewarded. I'm looking forward to seeing who's paired with who and whose personalities really shine. Rating: 4 briefcases Tony couldn't open
Harper's Island - "Gurgle": With a title like "Gurgle," I figured we were up for a drowning, so nice fake-out there. The other great fake-out was killing off J.D., who wasn't even spotted at the marina before his death scene, instead of one of the other characters already there (I figured Sully or Beth was due for a killin'). I guess we can rule out the sheriff as the murderer? Unless he's working with someone else, of course. In which case no one can be ruled out. Not even Madison. Or Lucy's dog, who I'm happy to see survived. Rating: 4 jumper cables
June 10th, 2009, 11:25 p.m. - Can Adam just replace Mary as a permanent judge?
June 11th, 2009, 11:03 p.m. - This is why they shouldn't cast 11 contemporary dancers in one season
"I Hope You Didn't Waste Time Unpacking"
June 13th, 2009, 10:25 p.m. - Part of me wants Shane to die next, but part of me also wants more Shane/Maggie scenes
So You Think You Can Dance - Top 20 perform and two go home: That may have been the most entertaining first performance episode we've ever seen. Almost every couple was terrific, and the ones who weren't were at least pretty good. Basically, no one sucked. I'm not disappointed that Paris and Tony were out first, and I have to say I like that the dancers we never got to see before they made the top 20 got enough votes to stick around. I always feel bad for the ones who weren't featured before - not only are they at a disadvantage as to who's memorable and who isn't, but they probably wonder why they weren't interesting enough to be featured. I know this is going to be a great season, and it's going to be tough to see a lot of these dancers go before the winner is crowned. Rating: 4 crash-test dogs
Harper's Island - "Seep": My only complaint this week is that it seems like the show has been going on forever. When Shane mentioned that Kelly had died, I thought, "Who's Kelly?" Also, where's Nikki, the bartender? Maybe it'll turn out she was behind everything. It would be a great twist - no one would suspect her, including the audience. Anyway, I thought this was the best episode so far. There was a lot going on, to the extent that there were multiple possibilities for the victim of the week (er, victims - Beth was almost as unmemorable as Kelly). I figured Mills or Cal would bite it, especially after the gratuitous shot of the oxygen tank, which I'm surprised didn't go splodey. I totally called the Abby-might-be-Wakefield's-daughter thing, but even that could turn out to be a red herring. Who says her mom didn't have another child Abby never knew about? And since there are still a handful of episodes left, I'm guessing Mills isn't really the killer. After all, why would he impale himself in the leg? Rating: 5 shotguns these people really shouldn't be pointing at everyone
June 17th, 2009, 10:45 p.m. - The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was...dancing pop jazz?
"The Only Thing That Scares Me is Keyser Soze"
June 18th, 2009, 11:06 p.m. - Par for the course for the Russians on this show
June 20th, 2009, 10:12 p.m. - "Right. American. Other side."
So You Think You Can Dance - Top 18 perform and two go home: Awww, Max. He didn't deserve to go. I think he and Kayla only ended up in the bottom three because the judges were so effusive with their praise and the audience just didn't see it (or maybe they were just trying harder to save the other couples). It really is a tough fight this year. Each week it's going to get harder and harder to predict who will be in the bottom three, especially since the dancers who were unseen before the top 20 are doing so well. I mean, Ade and Melissa were unknowns a couple weeks ago, and look how well they're doing. There's almost no dead weight to get rid of this season. Rating: 4 really long words used by Lil' C and not understood by the 12-year-olds in the audience
Harper's Island - "Snap": So Wakefield is alive? That's the big twist? Lame. I'm much more interested in finding out who his accomplice is. (It's so not Jimmy. Come on.) I'm also interested in finding out how Abby manages to get away from Wakefield, since she was reuniting with the others in the previews for the next episode. Even though almost everything in this episode was completely predictable (there was no way Jimmy was dead, Maggie was a goner the second she left, obviously Nikki was at the door, no way the sheriff was the one who killed the cops, etc.), it was still good. It was like a mini horror movie. But is there no one else left on the island? Or do these guys just not care about protecting them? Either way, it seems weird. Also, Chloe and Cal know that they've jinxed themselves, right? No way can both of them survive, if either of them. Too bad - they're cute together. Rating: 4 hotel keys
June 21st, 2009, 2:03 p.m. - Random thoughts on the Degrassi 101 marathon on The N (AKA holy crap, they really ARE showing every episode ever)
It took the writers about four seasons to realize that the adults on the show were really boring. I mean, Snake is awesome and I always liked Joey, but of the adults, Snake was really the only one who needed to be there. Let's face it, Spike was only useful in "Accidents Will Happen."
When you watch a bunch of episodes back-to-back (which, really, how can you not?) you see how epic the Craig/Ashley/Manny triangle was. Craig and Manny never really made sense because they didn't have anything in common, but Craig and Ashley, while more understandable, were boring. I never understood her taking him back either. Yeah, he wrote you a nice apology song, but so what? He cheated on you and got Manny pregnant. And then Ashley winds up dumping him for some British guy! And then she gets back together with Jimmy and then stabs him in the back over a stupid song! Shut up, Ashley.
Somehow, the Sean/Emma pairing never made sense either, but I liked it anyway.
Somewhere along the way, Jay became one of the more entertaining characters. Actually, a lot of the characters who started out "bad" were redeemed or at least got some good qualities. Spinner was originally a bully, and now he's considered sweet. Paige was originally a mean girl but soon became one of the more well-rounded characters (and Lauren Collins has always done an excellent job giving her layers). In fact, Paige used to be my favorite character. (After she vanished, Jane took her place. And I've always enjoyed Manny, strange as that is to admit.)
The whole Rick arc is terrific, and Ephraim Ellis was amazing in the role. I wish we'd gotten to see more of him. Also, it's interesting that until Rick hurt Terri, Jimmy was possibly the nicest character on the show (except for the episodes just before "Take On Me," where he was needlessly mean to Toby). Rick really brought out Jimmy's mean side.
I didn't remember Chris and Kendra being in so many episodes. I think Chris was poised to become a regular character but the writers decided to go in a different direction. Kendra could have been a great addition to the cast, especially in the later seasons when they needed more characters in high school. The Kendra/Toby romance was dumb, though. Toby was such a dork around her.
It's interesting to watch the earlier seasons knowing that Alex, who's barely a blip on the radar and really only serves to be the token girl in Jay's group, will become such a major character later. I like that they started developing her character more in season 4 (and I'd forgotten how far back her connection with Paige reached), but her running for president in "King of Pain" was just ridiculous. Even season 6 Alex wouldn't have run for president.
I'd also forgotten that Craig was originally portrayed as liking photography before he became a musician. They never even mentioned his photography hobby after he picked up a guitar.
Ms. H was nice in the earlier seasons, especially with regards to the whole JT crush. She only got annoying later, when Peter came on the scene. Just further proof that Peter ruins everything.
Part of me feels bad for Andrea Lewis, since Hazel was the only character who disappeared after graduation and I don't think was ever even mentioned again, but the rest of me is glad because Hazel was annoying and Andrea couldn't act.
Christina Schmidt couldn't act either, but she sure was purdy.
I love the scene in "West End Girls" where Kevin Smith asks Craig, "Can you give me emo?" Heeeeeeeee hee hee hee hee hee.
Confession: I never liked Darcy. Probably because I found her an annoying example of a Christian teenager. The best part of "Eyes Without a Face" is when Spinner dumps her skinny butt.
I never liked Ellie either. Or Emma. I have no idea why.
I've always been confused about Holly J. Why does she go by Holly J? Why did she go to Lakehurst when Heather didn't? Why is such an annoying person so likable?
June 23rd, 2009, 11:17 p.m. - Does Jeffery Deaver get paid by the paragraph or something?
21. Roadside Crosses (Jeffery Deaver)
Up next: The Last Child (John Hart)
June 24th, 2009, 10:51 p.m. - Poor Randi. But also, hee
June 25th, 2009, 11:36 p.m. - Here ends the whirlwind non-romance of Asuka and Vitolio
June 27th, 2009, 10:03 p.m. - By the end of the season, I'm not going to remember who Jonathan was
So You Think You Can Dance - Top 16 perform and two go home: I have a feeling we're going to be seeing the same dancers in the bottom three until the top ten, when it's ever person for him-/herself. Which is fine with me, because my favorites are staying out of danger. And of course, that's really all I care about. Rating: 4 seconds they showed of the "Thriller" video. Seriously, they couldn't have shown more?
Harper's Island - "Splash": Best episode of the season. I wish more people had watched at the beginning of the season because I think this could have been a really popular summer treat. I think those who have stuck with it all season are getting a great reward. The Cal/Chloe death scene was amazing, and though it was sad, it was a great end to their arc. Though there goes my theory that Chloe was working with Wakefield (she was really interested in his case, remember?). Since there's no way it's Jimmy (why would the sheriff have been buddy-buddy with him if he were dangerous?), that leaves us with very few other possibilities, now that there are only eight characters left (Abby, Trish, Henry, Jimmy, Shea, Madison, Sully, and Danny, assuming I'm not forgetting anyone). And if the sheriff was right and Abby isn't Wakefield's daughter, then he and her mother have another child out there, who could easily be one of the remaining characters. Maybe Henry? That would make him and Abby siblings, which would be nice, since neither of them has any living family members left. Or Shea? It would make Wakefield Madison's grandfather and would explain why he didn't hurt her. No matter what, the finale is going to be awesome. I just wish we didn't have to wait two weeks to see it. Rating: 5 mugshots
Sometimes I try a book, give up when I don't get into it quickly, then try it again a while later and wind up really liking it. Lisey's Story is one of those books. As I read, I kept thinking, "Wait, why didn't I like this the first time around?" I love the way King writes married couples (see also Bag of Bones and some of the stories in Just After Sunset). I have a feeling his relationship with his wife is very much like the relationships his married characters have with each other. Lisey's Story is more of a psychological thriller than most of King's books - there's definitely that fantasy part of the story, but there's even more suspense found in the "real world" inhabited by the characters.
I didn't like Flynn's debut thriller, Sharp Places, too incredibly much, but Dark Places was a much stronger book. She's come a long way with her character development and dialogue. I hope she keeps writing; she's very talented in this genre.
Very disappointing. The book is advertised to be about Wolff's struggles growing up white in a black world, then trying to adjust when she's sent to a mostly white school. Instead, it's more about how much of a loser she was and how horrible her father and stepmother were. Also, her editor should be fired and never allowed to edit again. The errors in the book were incredibly distracting.
Because the one-sentence paragraphs are really annoying. Also annoying: using every character's full name over and over. Seriously, Jeffery Deaver, it's really annoying. I would think that a seasoned writer like Jeffery Deaver would realize how irritating and unnecessary it is. Jeffery Deaver writes interesting stories but not really all that well. Try to work on that, Jeffery Deaver.