September, 2009
September 1st, 2009, 2:36 p.m. - Not at all like Arrested Development, whichever reviewer said that
30. This Is Where I Leave You (Jonathan Tropper)
Up next: Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)
September 3rd, 2009, 11:24 p.m. - I subbed for Project Runway
September 4th, 2009, 2:21 p.m. - I knew Ashley was annoying
Big Brother - Week 9: Poor Jeff. He was playing the game so well. Not to mention that he was practically the only person left playing the game. Put me in the anyone-but-Natalie camp now. If she wins, I'll cry. Rating: 3 aliens
Top Chef - "Thunderbirds": Possibly the best Judges' Table ever. I think at this point the judges have heard every excuse in the book and want to cut through the crap as quickly as possible. I liked Preeti, but she was definitely overdue for elimination. She just couldn't stay out of the bottom. By the way, when are the chefs going to learn that if you don't have to make a dessert and you don't know how to make a spectacular one, you shouldn't bother? It's never worked out well for anyone. Rating: 4 pieces of bacon, which are always, always a good bet with the judges
Project Runway - "Rumble on the Runway": I have to give some points to the editors, since I had no idea Nicolas and Gordana would end up in the bottom two. It just goes to show that if you work well together, you might lose, and if you don't work well together, you might win anyway. Well, if you do all the work yourself, like Ra'Mon did. Mitchell totally deserved to go home. Three weeks in a row in the bottom three? Yeah, buh-bye. Rating: 3 pairs of sandals that Tim Gunn will never wear again
September 6th, 2009, 7:39 p.m. - The Hunger Games: All-Star Edition
31. Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)
Up next: Sworn to Silence (Linda Castillo)
September 9th, 2009, 9:46 p.m. - If y'all are going to be mean and cut Ryan again, can you at least give us Phillip?
September 10th, 2009, 11:32 p.m. - Yay, good shows are back!
Big Brother - Week 10: If Natalie wins, I'm going to scream. Rating: 3 devil horns
So You Think You Can Dance - L.A. auditions: I love this show, but I wish we'd gotten a little more time between the seasons. I didn't have enough time to get excited again. I think the season will be good but the producers will realize that a fall season wasn't a good idea. Also, after all the talk about this being the season of tap, watch them not put any tappers in the top 20. Rating: 4 tap shoes, of course
America's Next Top Model - "How Short Can You Go?"/"The Early Bird Gets a Makeover": Thank God - or, to put it in terms Amber would understand, praise Jesus - that Amber had something else to do and didn't stick around, because she was on my last nerve after about two minutes on screen. And yet I still have the energy, somehow, to comment on each of the girls. (No Top Model math, though; it's too much work to figure out who each girl looks like.)
Ashley - Something about her makes me really like her, and I think she's final-two material.
Rating: 5 eight-inch heels
Glee - "Showmance": I LOVE THIS SHOW. SO MUCH. I can't stop smiling when I watch it. The title Glee is just so appropriate. I just hope they get rid of Will's wife, not just because she's annoying and I hate her plot, but also because you just know Will and Emma are going to be the next Jim and Pam. But whoever gives them a cutesy Brangelina-like nickname gets a punch in the stomach. Rating: 5 balloons
Top Chef - "Vivre Las Vegas": Does anyone think the final five won't contain Jen, Kevin, Bryan, and Michael V.? Because if someone does, I'd guess he or she hadn't been paying attention. Also, can they just get rid of Ashley already? Please? Or at least give her a hairbrush? Rating: 4 lobsters that were STILL ALIVE, AAAAAAAAAUGH
Project Runway - "What a Woman Wants": Dude, finally. Qristyl was really getting on my nerves. I mostly liked this episode, but didn't they basically do this challenge before? Eh, whatever. It was still pretty good. And Jennifer Rade was awesome. She should be called on to fill in whenever a judge can't be there. Rating: 4 giant flowers Ra'Mon really shouldn't have put on that dress
September 11th, 2009, 1:52 p.m. - Two for...Friday? Eh, just go with it
September 12th, 2009, 4:51 p.m. - I want the last week of my life back
32. Sworn to Silence (Linda Castillo)
Up next: The Guinea Pig Diaries (A.J. Jacobs)
September 16th, 2009, 12:13 p.m. - This might take you all day to read, what with 12 participants and all
11:49 p.m. - Thanks for the great title, Nigel
"'How Close Are We to Roswell?'"
September 17th, 2009, 11:02 p.m. - Stop trying to make "smize" happen. It's not going to happen
Big Brother - Clip show (filler) and finale: Okay, so Jordan didn't exactly earn that win, but at least it didn't go to Natalie. And Jordan was really in need of that money, so I can't be mad that she got it. Also, did I mention that she's not Natalie? Rating: 3 cheers because we're finally done with this show for another year
So You Think You Can Dance - Phoenix auditions: I don't miss recapping two-hour episodes, but I feel like we didn't get to see anything this week. And yet I have to say I'm glad they don't throw in as many horrible auditions as American Idol does. So maybe it evens up. Rating: 3 chairs
America's Next Top Model - "Fortress of Fierceness": Why is Bianca still here? And can someone shut Brittany up? I knew there was a reason I didn't like her. On the other side of the coin, the adorable Sundai is totally growing on me, and I'm going to be heartbroken when Laura is booted. She was the one I thought would have the most trouble posing nude - small-town country girl and all that - so I loved when she exclaimed that she loves nudity. Rock on, Laura. Rating: 5 made-up words
Glee - "Acafellas": After the past two episodes, which were both excellent, this was a letdown. It was still better than a lot of stuff on TV, but too uneven. They need to focus on the glee club kids more than the adults. And can we be a little more clever about the musical performances? I mean, Mercedes singing "Bust Your Windows" after...busting Kurt's window? Come on, now. Rating: 3 horrible take-offs of Sparky Pulastri
Top Chef - "Camping": Nice editing - I was sure they were setting us up for a surprise Voltaggio brother bottom-three appearance. And clearly Laurine was going to land in either the top or the bottom, but it wasn't clear which. So I have to hand it to the editors for making it less clear what will happen from the beginning of the episode. But is anyone surprised that Robin, Ron, and Mattin were in the bottom three, or that Mattin was eliminated? This is shaping up to be a very black-and-white season. Rating: 4 ceviches
Survivor - "The Puppet Master": Wow, Russell H. is the devil. He doesn't seem to realize that as soon as someone figures out what he's doing, he's out of there. He's not going to win. And if he does, I'll be madder than if Natalie had won Big Brother. I hope Betsy keeps distrusting him. I think I'm going to like her a lot. Rating: 4 more multi-step challenges
The Office - "Gossip": It's no secret that I thought last season was really disappointing, so I was very happy that the first episode of the new season was so funny. We're back to typical Michael hijinks, Jim and Pam are still awesome, and Dwight is still a scene-stealer. Question, though: if Andy continues to get dumber, will Kevin get smarter to even things out? Rating: 4 sonogram pictures
Project Runway - "Fashion Headliners": People from Desperate Housewives are taking over TV - first one of the Scavo twins was an intern on The Office, and then Eva Longoria Parker showed up on Project Runway. I love her, by the way. Also love: Christopher, Gordana, Christopher's dress, the fact that Johnny went home, the fact that even Tim thought Johnny was ridiculous, and, of course, Heidi. I especially love how she wore black and white all through the episode, in keeping with the newspaper theme. We're seeing different sides of her this season, and it's making me like her even more. Rating: 5 mythical sputtering irons
September 18th, 2009, 2:56 p.m. - Infinite is right
33. Infinite Jest (David Foster Wallace)
Up next (still): The Guinea Pig Diaries (A.J. Jacobs)
September 19th, 2009, 3:29 p.m. - Those 256 pages go fast
34. The Guinea Pig Diaries (A.J. Jacobs)
Up next: The Last Bridge (Teri Coyne)
September 23rd, 2009, 10:27 p.m. - If you can promise we never see Gene again, I will pay you one meeeeeeellion dollars
"You Ain't All That and a Bag of Potato Chips"
September 24th, 2009, 4:46 p.m. - Also deceptively short
35. The Last Bridge (Teri Coyne)
Up next: Her Fearful Symmetry (Audrey Niffenegger)
September 25th, 2009, 1:56 p.m. - Five bucks says Finn tries to put a ring on it (er, Quinn) before the end of the season
House - "Broken": I had a few problems with this episode, but overall I thought it was excellent, mostly because of the cast. Nice of them to schedule this episode to air the day after Hugh Laurie once again didn't get an Emmy. And Andre Braugher is someone I've liked in everything I've seen him in. Put the two of them together and you're bound to see something good. Most of the time I don't really like two-hour episodes - they're usually unnecessary, or really two episodes stuck together, or the action is stretched out because there isn't really an hour in there, or whatever - but here I thought it was appropriate. There was a lot of ground to cover and they needed all two hours to do it. It was almost like a House TV movie. Rating: 4 music boxes
How I Met Your Mother - "Definitions": A very nice start to the new season. Alyson Hannigan quickly reminded me how much I missed her the few episodes she was gone last season, and Neil Patrick Harris...well, what can I say? He's always great, so it was no surprise that he was great in this episode. I like what they're doing with Barney and Robin, so I'm glad that will be one of the main plots this season. And as always, I love how the show introduces something like the whip or tux night and then brings it back later. Rating: 4 whips
So You Think You Can Dance - Boston auditions: This episode seemed better balanced than last week's; I remember more good dancers than bad, so they were able to put in some trainwrecks but not so many that they took over the whole episode. There were a number of people there who I want to see more of, which I consider a really good sign. Rating: 4 times I groaned over Gene's arrogance
America's Next Top Model - "Make Me Tall": Who knew Ashley would surpass Bianca in the annoying department? She needs to shut up so badly. Everyone else is pretty much fine. Brittany doesn't bug me as much anymore, my irrational annoyance with Kara is pretty much gone, and Lulu left, so that took care of that. Now if only we could find a muzzle for Ashley. Rating: 3 matching dresses
Glee - "Preggers": The pregnancy stuff is getting a little too soap-operaish (and I watch a soap, so if I'm saying that, you know it's bad), but I liked everything else, especially the stuff with Kurt and his dad. And as much as I like Rachel, I appreciate that they're showing us more of the other singers, as well as different sides to the ones we've already gotten to know. Three-dimensional characters - who would've thunk it? Rating: 4 performances of "Single Ladies"
Top Chef - "Penn & Teller": Robin kind of bugs me, but I love that after everyone was trash-talking her, she won the Quickfire. Guys, this isn't America's Next Top Model. Focus on yourselves. Also, no, I don't think she deserved to go home last week over Mattin, as her food wasn't what Tom spit out. Mike I. should especially shut up about who's a better chef and who deserves to go because he almost went home a few weeks ago even though he was on the winning team, and at least Robin cooks something other than Greek food every week. Rating: 4 cheers for Michelle's smackdown of Toby Young
Survivor - "Taking Candy From a Baby": Congratulations, Ben - you have officially entered the running for most annoying contestant of the season. And considering the only other candidate right now is Russell H., that's pretty impressive. Now go sit in the corner and shut up. Rating: 4 times I wanted Yasmin to shut up, too
The Office - "The Meeting": I think sometimes this show forgets it's a comedy. There weren't a lot of laughs in the main plot, and when Jim isn't making you laugh, there's a problem. The Pam sub-subplot was also boring. The only really good plot was the Dwight/Toby match-up. Who would have thought they could complete a task together without going at each other's throats? I did like the ending a lot, too. I didn't even think about how Dwight would respond to Jim's promotion until he heard about it. That should make for some awesomeness. Rating: 3 bags of dog food
Grey's Anatomy - "Good Mourning"/"Goodbye": I was steeling myself for a two-hour grief-fest, so I was pleasantly surprised that there was much more to these two episodes than just the characters crying over George. Also surprising: that Callie and Izzie, two people who were (at least at one point) the closest to George, handled the five stages the best. Izzie had her little breakdown early on, but then she seemed to move on well, despite Alex. And Callie let it all out from the beginning, recovered, and was able to remember George fondly and without too many hysterics. Speaking of Callie, one of my favorite scenes in the episode was her conversation with Lexie, where Lexie expressed her worries over Callie and Mark's closeness and Callie nicely assured her that she has nothing to worry about. For once, someone addressed a problem directly and the other party cleared things up without being mean. Bravo.
Other good moments: Owen and Cristina in therapy (though of all the people on this show who need therapy, they're toward the bottom of the list), Izzie reverting to the way she was earlier in the series by threatening to kick Amanda's butt if she didn't move on, Lexie proving herself to have a great deal of good bedside manner, everything Arizona did (love her), and Derek telling Alex that his Post-It marriage is better than Alex and Izzie's actual legal marriage. Rock on, McDreamy. I also kind of like that the show went the same route as The Office with Callie - she got a job at another hospital, but now the two hospitals are merging, which will land her back at Seattle Grace. Easy peasy.
I mostly liked this episode, but I had some problems with it. 1) Did we really need two episodes back to back? We Americans just don't have the attention span for that, ABC. 2) I absolutely hated the early fake-out that John Doe might not really be George. That was unnecessary and took away from the tone of the first few minutes of the episode. Sara Ramirez was amazing with her visceral reaction to realizing George was dead; the fake-out ruined that. 3) Why did Alex have to be such a jerk? I get that he's afraid of everything, as he said, but when Izzie tried to get him to just hold her, he interpreted it as an attempt at seduction and was his typical jerky self about it. The writers really need to work on moving him away from that. This is the sixth season, after all, and the other characters have grown and changed, even in small ways. I mean, Cristina actually cried! Alex needs to evolve as well. He's unrealistic if he doesn't. 4) Speaking of things that are unrealistic, I find it hard to believe that George's friends and mom wouldn't know whether or not he was an organ donor. Um, we're talking about George O'Malley, right? OF COURSE he would want to donate his organs. Even I know that, and he's a fictional character I've never actually met. Rating: 4 expensive tests Webber won't let people run
Project Runway - "Lights, Camera, Sew!": Seriously, Ra'Mon? Over Gordana? I mean, I like Gordana, but I also like Ra'Mon, and he's done some actual memorable stuff. Poor guy. He didn't deserve to go this week. However, as much as I find Nicolas annoying, I thought he did deserve his win this week. Talk about a memorable design. And even with the disappointing cut, I liked this episode a lot. This has been a great season so far. Rating: 5 decades Louise's design incorporated (seriously, what the heck was that?)
September 27th, 2009, 11:27 p.m. - Wheel! Of! Fish!
"I Survived a Japanese Game Show"
September 29th, 2009, 10:56 p.m. - After this and last night's episode of How I Met Your Mother, now I really want to watch my favorite Buffy episode
September 30th, 2009, 10:32 p.m. - Maybe I should've used that picture of Jessie
Entertainment Weekly called this one of the best books of the year, and while I don't think I'd go that far, it's definitely good. Tropper does a great job dealing with a bunch of different themes - the idea of decisions resulting in big changes, how relationships change over the years, the ways our perceptions of people change, and the way secrets have a way of coming out. He also writes dialogue that's fresh and funny but also realistic. Some writers write one-liners that are funny but don't sound like something anyone would actually say. Tropper doesn't. My only real problem with the book is that it relies on cliches at times, and I think Tropper's too good to go there.
I'm glad I reread The Hunger Games just before I read this, because there were a lot of little things I'd forgotten that were referred to in Catching Fire, and being reminded of them was really helpful. It also makes me think that Collins has all three books in her planned trilogy already mapped out, which gives me confidence. (Remember when the Alias writers admitted that they had no idea at the beginning of season 3 how things were going to end up? Remember how badly that turned out for them? The lesson is, plan ahead.) I was a little disappointed that Catching Fire features another round of the Hunger Games, even though it makes sense that it would. The third probably won't. But no spoilers. Most people have probably never even heard of this series, and I'd like to change that. Spoiling major plot points isn't the way to go about doing that.
Bianca - I thought she was okay early on, but then the attitude came out and I'm done with her. Has she never seen this show? If she doesn't tone it down, they'll get rid of her right away.
Brittany - This girl has little to no personality, and the little we've seen of it rubs me the wrong way. She's too generic; she doesn't stand out to me at all.
Courtney - Like Ashley, something about Courtney makes me like her. She seems like a fun, upbeat person who you'd want to hang out with.
Erin - Another girl with so little personality that I keep forgetting who she is. Maybe she's this season's Lauren Brie and will be gone before we can even learn something about her.
Jennifer - I like her, I guess, but something about her seems kind of off. Is she secretly dumb and we just haven't seen it yet? Sometimes it seems like the lights are on but no one's home.
Kara - She annoys me. I don't even know why, but she does.
Laura - Maybe this is residual from my feelings toward Jordan from Big Brother, but I can't help but love this girl. She needs to get her emotions under control, though. Is she going to cry at every panel?
Lisa - Yeah, I'm not surprised she was cut first. Why did Tyra cast someone so dull anyway?
Lulu - She's just so cute! I love her. She can hang out with me and Courtney.
Nicole - I'm torn on Nicole. Part of me likes her simply because she's different and can obviously work it, but part of me finds her kind of annoying. The comment about her seeming like she's on downers was exactly right. If she doesn't get some energy, she's in a lot of trouble.
Rachel - Ug, another girl who bugs me for a reason I haven't quite determined yet. I liked her when we first met her, but it went downhill from there.
Rae - I'm calling it now: I think Rae will win. I think she has everything the judges want in a top model. Now watch, she'll get eliminated next week.
Sundai - Okay, she's cute, but she has no idea what she's doing. I'm not sure she's ready for this competition.
I don't remember the last time I wanted to get through a book so badly because I couldn't stand reading it anymore. Castillo's idea - a murder mystery starring a female police chief who used to be Amish - is brilliant, but the execution is dreadful. The book is like a gorgeous woman with no personality. There's nothing unique about the writing, Castillo distractingly switches between first- and third-person narratives, I didn't care about any of the characters (partly because there were way too many of them to keep track of), and there were no suspects, so there's no way for the reader to figure out whodunit. I'm not sure I've ever connected less with a book I managed to read all of. I'm not even sure why I read all of it. I won't make that mistake again.
I can't believe I stuck with it and finished! There were some times in there where I didn't think I would. I'm very glad I did, though. I'm not sure yet what I'm going to take away from this, but I'm sure it'll be something. And I'm thinking about participating in one of the Infinite Summer organizers' next projects, reading 2666, which I've been wanting to read. (If only I hadn't given away my copy....)
At first I thought this book would be too short to include enough details about the nine experiments Jacobs conducted on himself (in the same vein as the ones he did in The Know-It-All and The Year of Living Biblically, just shorter), but I was wrong. He's such a good writer that he fits a ton of information into a small amount of pages without making the reader feel like he's left anything out. I know Jacobs is currently working on his next project, living a healthy life for a year, and I'm excited to see how that turns out.
Like A.J. Jacobs, Coyne did a terrific job of putting a lot of story into a few pages. I felt like there were no missing or skipped pieces, and since she kept it short, there wasn't any filler or scenes that were just there for her to show off. Coyne is a new novelist, so I wasn't sure how her first book would be, but I was really impressed. It's not perfect, but a little bit of messiness makes it even more charming. It's a non-thriller that at times reads like a thriller, which tells me that she knows her pacing. Some long-established authors could learn a lot from her.