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Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

TV Review: Survivor 13: Cook Islands - Season Premiere

Jackie — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 02:08:15 EDT

Okay, this looks like a good cast! I don't care how they're split up. It's great to see real diversity on the show!Tonight's show began a bit differently as the tribes were already separated by ethnicity/race ... whatever. They had two minutes to gather supplies -- from bananas to firewood to two live chickens to Hawaii-sling fishing spears and more. Each tribe had a raft in their tribe colors and the game was on. Although there are longer names for the tribes, Jeff Probst referred to them by abbreviated names, so will I. After all, I really don't think this tribe split will last all that long. Hiki Tribe is the African-Americans, Aitu Tribe is the Latino-Americans, Puka Tribe is the Asian-Americans, and Raro Tribe is the Caucasians. The supplies were in boxes, not all that easily accessed on the boat, and not really enough for all. So, it was a scramble for survival right at the start of the game. Yul (Puka) had a chicken, which Jonathan (Raro) grabbed away. Not how to win friends and influence people, eh?Each tribe was then shown in turn as they arrived to settle their camps. To be honest, I don't know if this was their actual arrival order at their camps, so don't ask. The first tribe was the Aitu Tribe. Billy thinks the tribe will have an advantage because they're all from more tropical areas. He joked about his parents rowing to the U.S. from an island and he was rowing to an island. The rest of the tribe just isn't too impressed with Billy, though. They think he's out of shape and talks more than he knows how to really do anything. Ozzy, on the other hand, is not just another pretty face. He can shimmy up a coconut tree like he's been doing it all his life. Overall, they're off to a good start. Next was the Puka tribe. Cao-Boi isn't quite meshing with the rest of the group. They don't like his jokes and I think he's just so different from them that they're not sure how to take him. He's a refugee who was actually born in Vietnam and older than the others, and he thinks he probably belongs on a Hippie-American tribe. Cao-Boi thinks the Asians will be underestimated if the others go by stereotypes, while Yul is concerned that they will be stereotyped and caricatured. I think this tribe is going to be very tough. They're also working together well, even though one of the women commented that, while they're all grouped as Asians, they're from very different cultures for the most part.Then it was onto the Hiki Tribe's arrival. Lots of spirit and they want to represent and all that good stuff. But Sekou alienated most of the others when he took charge. A point to remember: if you're going to take charge, you should have an idea of what you're doing. He seemed to have no real idea. Sundra thinks it's not so much that they're black, but most are city slickers and don't really have experience in the woods. Nathan, the only other male of the tribe, bristled at being told what to do. He said, "Black people don't like to be told what to do." Uh-oh, Sekou!Over at the Raro tribe, they seem to be the ones worried more about being a bit politically correct. Adam thinks the show is more about individuals and personalities within tribes. Jessica (the one with the tattoo on her shoulder) calls herself Flicka or something like that. She thinks they have a good mix, but she's the only non-mainstream type. Jonathan admitted to the others that he stole Yul's chicken. They didn't seem too thrilled, even though it was food for their own survival. Or not! JessFlicka, for some odd reason, lifted the wooden crate containing the two chickens and they escaped into the woods. Adam's mad. Jonathan is madder. Good. I don't like him and he shouldn't have stolen the chicken from Yul. So there. Alas, it puts JessFlicka in a bad light.The focus for the next few days shifted from tribe to tribe. Tensions increased over Sekou in Hiki, and the split in that tribe became Rebecca and Sundra, Sekou and Nathan, with Stephannie as "odd man out." Sekou's laziness took a toll on the rest, even his best bud Nathan. All talk. And, I wanted so to like him because his musical background is incredible. Oh well! Over at Raro, Candice and Adam are snuggling. For warmth, they say. Huh. Then more snuggle with them and they make a "cuddle puddle" to stay warm for the night. Parvati picks up the Candice/Adam vibes. Only two days into the show and we have a couple going on. Then came the best part of the whole show. Well, the part that made me smile, at least. At the Puka Tribe, Brad had a headache he thought was caused by being seasick. Cao-Boi decided he had a bad wind headache and proceeded to perform some sort of native folk medicine ritual, which was a mix of a strong massage, pinching and pulling the skin betwixt Brad's eyes to let it (the bad wind) out. The result? As Brad said, "My headache is gone, but now I have a big red dot on my forehead." The others thought it was a hoot, but it apparently did solve the headache. The Immunity and Reward Challenge were one and the same this week. Jeff announced that the losing tribe would face Tribal Council and one would go home. The first-place tribe would win Immunity and a fire-making kit, which even included a kerosene lamp. Second and third place tribes win Immunity and a flint to make their own fire. Jeff also mentioned that he had an envelope he'd open for the losing tribe after the challenge. He also called out Jonathan on stealing the chicken and Jonathan laughed it off. The challenge itself was very Survivor, but not exactly as we've seen before. The tribes had to put together puzzle boats, row out, get fire, come back, put together puzzles, climb a structure, and raise flag. Only on Survivor, only on Survivor. Puka (Asian) won the challenge. Aitu (Latino) won 2nd place. Raro (Caucasian) won 3rd. Hiki (African-American) lost.The envelope, please.Ah, the losing tribe gets to pick one person from any of the three winning tribes to send to Exile Island for two days. Sekou and Nathan immediately stepped away from the women. Hey! The men decided Jonathan should go because of the stolen chicken. Jeff asked why the women weren't involved and one said the guys just seemed to have their minds made up. Jonathan fussed and moaned, then he fussed some more. He looked at the clue for the Hidden Immunity Idol, dug around a bit, then lay down... fussing. (Have I mentioned this guy is on my Get Rid Of Him Soon List? He is. Make him go away. Pompous, chicken-thieving so-and-so!)As Hiki prepared for the vote, Sekou and Nathan were confident that, even though the women were tight, no way would they or could they vote one of the two strong men in the tribe out. How could they? For insurance, Sekou approached Stephannie (odd wo-man out) and tried to secure her vote for Sundra to leave. After all, they'd be cutting their own throats if they voted out Nathan or him. Yes, really.Heh.At Tribal Council, Nathan and Sekou voted to oust Sundra, while the women voted as a block against Sekou. What can I say? He deserved it. Perhaps it will come back to haunt them if they have a brute strength rope pulling something heavy kind of comp, but he's not the all that he believed himself to be. The women had said the weakest should go, but I don't believe they meant physically weakest. "Sekou, the tribe has spoken."He took it well, still thinks he's all that, and left like a class act (BB7 reference). "My torch may be out, but my flame is still burning."So, that's the first episode. I have to get to know these folks better, but a few made strong first impressions. JessFlicka, the performance artist, reminds me a lot of last season's performance artist, Courtney. That's not necessarily a good thing, you understand. Jonathan, though not with a spouse on the show, reminds me of Jonathan Baker from The Amazing Race. That's a worse thing. I like Stephannie. I really enjoy Cao-Boi, but I doubt he'll win it all. I think Ozzy is definitely someone to watch for the possible win.

Jackie is a TV addict and freelance writer living in the NYC Greater Metropolitan Area. She faces her addiction daily on her blog The (TV) Show Must Go On... where you'll find daily television discussion and in-depth reviews/recaps of selected shows.

TV Review: Hell's Kitchen - Episode 5

Jackie — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 07:18:46 EDT

As the show opened, we had seven wannabe chefs, although not suited for fry cooks, contestants remaining out of the original twelve. Thankfully, Tom went the last episode. He should have never been there in the first place. Now I want Sara out of there just because she's an obnoxious, sneaky, so-and-so.Chef Ramsay treated all of the contestants to what they thought was real fancy-shmancy food. Instead, the caviar came from catfish; the pâté was crushed hot dogs; the fondue was Cheez Wiz, and there was a TV dinner in there posing as something, as well. All of the contestants went on about how great the food was with Garrett only stumbling for a moment. After being told what they were eating, Keith said, "Hot dogs are slammin'!" No wonder he liked the pâté!The "meal" was a prelude to a taste-test contest between the teams. Blindfolded and wearing headphones, each team member was pitted against another in identifying a spoonful of something. (No one got a spoonful of sugar, although it may have helped the medicine go down.) The women, with one sitting out to even the teams, won. Woohoo, they did a photo shoot for TV Guide.And, that brings up the creepy Sara again! Argh! She was fondling Ramsay's leg and being blatant about gas during the shoot. What the hell is wrong with that woman? Get her gone!As the women drank champagne, got all dolled up, and posed pretty, the men had to clean the mess left in the kitchen from the night before. Well, the men and Heather, as Ramsay put her on that team to even numbers. (Back to my "suppose a reality show put on a gender war and nobody came?" theory.)The dinner service was the usual frantic mess as Ramsay yelled, "Where's the lamb sauce?" I don't know. I think if I were there, I could tell him where to put his lamb sauce. There were burnt ducks, well-done Beef Wellington, burnt quail, and even a hair on an entree. Horrors! Ramsay freaked that the teams weren't communicating, yet he certainly doesn't create an atmosphere of open communication. It tends to be like: "Chef, the lamb will be ten minutes!" "Off with your head and serve that on a #&^%#@ platter!"Ramsey showed odd familiarity with two of the contestants tonight. First, he took Rachel aside as she was screwing up right and left and gave her a pep talk. Then, it was even more weird with Keith, something about "nobody's ever told you that you could do well." I expected Keith to reply, "Mommy never loved me." Blech.They actually got the entrees served when Ramsay did his final blow-up "shut down the kitchen" bit. But, both teams had their woes. He decided the Red Team did the worst and that Virginia was the best of the worst. It was up to her to name two nominees to get booted. Rachel told Heather to win it and go after Sara if she got the boot. And, after a long rambling nomination, Virginia nominated both Rachel and Maribel. Ramsay booted Rachel.Go get Sara gone, Heather! You can do it.Now, the more I watch these characters, the less I'm liking Heather. She was my favorite from the start. She's crumbling, though. I hope the promise to Rachel boosts her back up. I don't like Keith. It looks like Ramsay is liking him more each week, but his whole demeanor oozes burger-flipper, not a top chef. Garrett? Eh, better than Sara or Maribel. Chef Ramsay ought to kick them all out of the kitchen and get in a new cast.

TV Review: Hell's Kitchen - Episode 4

Jackie — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 00:53:04 EDT

I think it may be sinking through to foul-mouthed, sometimes fowl-cooking chef Gordon Ramsay that he has no real winners with the candidates this season. I personally don't think any of these folks could make it past greasy-spoon or, perhaps the best might make the line at a franchise restaurant. That's sad.As the show opened for the fourth episode of Suppose They Gave A Gender War And Nobody Came, Garrett was complaining that Tom was dragging down the mens' team. Well, yeah ... but so did Giacomo. And Keith's too busy "rocking" his pants and "rolling" down the street to ever make it through to the end. For some reason, I can't see anyone with the nickname of K-Grease running a fancy-schmancy Zagat-rated restaurant. Go back to Jersey and work a diner down the shore, Keith. Oh -- and take Tom with you! So, who's the most normal on the mens' team? Garret, the ex-prisoner prison chef. Can I get an eye roll from everyone, please?As far as the women, I still like Heather for the win. That is, unless Ramsay decides none of these frycooks are up to the challenge. Each week, Sara is irritating me more and more. Virginia and Rachel are ho-hum at the best, inept at the worst. And, Maribel is still so out of her league that it's shocking she doesn't spend entire episodes in a panic attack.Due to the fact the men were down to three, Ramsay declared that Rachel, Sara and Heather were leaders. The men needed a leader, so he gave them Heather. Then they all went off to eat at the busiest restaurant in Los Angeles, Pinks. It's a hot dog/fast food place.The first challenge for the teams this week was to serve lunch to a bunch of brats (ahem, children) who were obviously told to be on their worst behavior. Kids never act like that when their parents aren't with them to give dirty looks to strangers who dare say something about their behavior! Both teams actually completed the service -- pizza, hamburgers, french fries, and cake. The Blue Team (men plus Heather) narrowly got the win and went off to an amusement park.The Red Team (women) had to clean up the dining room which was destroyed by the children. Sara acted like a real jerk, laughing and not taking the loss seriously at all. I did have to smile when she inhaled helium from a balloon and imitated Ramsay. But, other than that, all she did was irk her fellow team members.When the actual dinner service went down later that night, once again it was a catastrophe. I didn't expect it to be anything but one, so I rocked my pants and settled in. That Sara must go away. She really must! She literally sabotaged Virginia in Ramsay's eyes by letting her take the fall for something done wrong. On the Blue Team, Heather was babysitting the men and, surprise of all surprises, Tom was royally screwing up the meat station so much so that Ramsay pulled him and stuck Keith in his place.Eventually Ramsay had his meltdown and closed the kitchen while patrons were still awaiting entrees. As one person said, "I guess this means we're not getting dessert." In his rage, he told both teams to nominate someone for elimination.The women should have nominated Sara. But did they? Nope. They nominated Virginia. Chef Ramsay obviously thought they should have nominated Rachel. Sara, I say! Sara! The Men Plus One got their nomination right -- they nominated Tom. Of course, he was full of bravado boasting he wouldn't be eliminated, but guess what? As Caroline would say to Trump, "This was a no-brainer." Buh-bye, Tom!He should never have been on the show to begin with. In tonight's show he mentioned that this is his fourth career in his 43 years. I wouldn't even want him cooking hamburgers the way he sweats into the food. Hmmm ... a good career for Tom? Um, how about cleaning subways? And I don't mean the restaurant!

TV Review: Hell's Kitchen - Episode 3

Jackie — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 22:49:55 EDT

Last night FOX TV aired the third episode of this season’s Hell’s Kitchen. Well, they aired the second episode first and then, of course, we had to sit through the recap of the episode that just aired. It’s enough to make you dizzy! I don’t know if they’ll be doing that all season, but speaking for myself, I find it a waste. I’d rather see something new!Ah, onto the show.Although it’s hard to believe, it seems Chef Gordon Ramsay is having an even tougher time with this season’s contestants than he did with the last season’s. Or, he’s just working himself up to a lather for the camera. The contestants themselves -- for the most part -- really don’t seem like world-class chefs ready to take on a luxurious Las Vegas restaurant. Some of them seem more inclined to work the greasy roadside stops than a “real” restaurant. But, what do I know? I’m just an eater.As we started the third episode, most of the contestants are at odds with each other as much as they are with Ramsay. Garrett doesn’t like Tom, Sara hates Heather, and no one seems to like anyone very much. I’m just embarrassed by the two from the state where I reside. Folks, New Jersey isn’t being properly represented by Tom and Keith. I don’t think I’d want to eat a greaseburger prepared by either of them. In a three entrée competition, the Red Team (women) won once again, even though they only prepared two of the entrées. Mirabel is absolutely out of her league. She missed the relay of one of the dishes resulting in only two entrées. But, the men did even worse. Yeah, they had three entrées, but none of them were palatable. As reward, the women went off on a yacht while the men had to do all of Hell’s Kitchen laundry — by hand, with a washboard.The men were full of sexist comments both during the laundry and again after the women returned. I wanted Garrett and Heather to get in a knockdown-drag-out brouhaha, but it was only verbal. Rats. When the service started the next day, the women started out well and Sara (ick) actually shined for her team. The men were buffoons in the kitchen for the most part. Tom burnt his hand, but not a bad burn like Heather’s the week before — you couldn’t even see it! I know when I burn myself and fuss a bit, the burn shows. Ramsay declared him a Drama Queen and I think that was a spot on observation. Then Giacomo really blew it for the team. Um, the oven should be on. It helps. It really does. It was one disaster after another for the men as the potatoes were burnt by Tom (whose oven must have been on), and they choked.The service was still in no way on a professional level, even with the women getting entrées out to the customers. It was still too long a wait — no one waits an hour (or two or three) to be served! In the end, the men did worse than the women and lost once again. This time Ramsay told them each to pick someone for elimination as they all made mistakes. Now, Garrett really wants Tom gone, as does Keith. Tom and Giacomo were the worst of the worst. Of course, Giacomo wants Tom gone and himself to stay and Tom vice versa. So, it ended up being three to oust Tom and one to oust Giacomo.So, what does Ramsay do? He eliminated Giacomo! Argh! I know Giacomo was basically lost in the kitchen, but he doesn’t creep me out like Tom does with the sweating in the food, nastiness, attitude, and just his all-out, um, Tom-ness. I think the only actual contender on the Blue Team (men) is Garrett, the ex-prison chef. I’m still liking Heather for the win, though.Sigh, there is no longer a Moppet (or Muppet!) in the kitchen. G’bye, Giacomo!"Shut the kitchen down!"

This Week's Reality TV Round-Up: Treasure Hunters, Hell's Kitchen, Fear Factor, Last Comic Standing, more

Jackie — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 13:24:55 EDT

Summer is really heating up for the Reality TV genre fans! This week sees in the start of the highly anticipated (for me, anyway!) new series Treasure Hunters, the premiere of America’s Got Talent, and the pre-start of this season’s upcoming Big Brother 7: All Stars. Meanwhile, recent new seasons of returning series are building their audiences and providing us dedicated television fans fresh entertainment during the sultry summer nights.Here’s the skinny on what’s going on this week in Reality Television:Treasure Hunters - This new show debuts tonight (Sunday, June 18) at 8 PM ET/PT in most viewing areas. This one is well-hyped by the network, perhaps trying to tie in with The Da Vinci Code madness. It looks like we’re in for a wild Amazing Race/The Da Vinci Code worldwide romp as viewers are even offered the opportunity to win cash playing along on the show’s website. From that site:From the producers of The Da Vinci Code, Project Runway and Top Chef! In this fast-paced adventure reality series, multi-player teams face mental and physical challenges in their quest for hidden treasure. The teams must avoid elimination as they travel to remote locations where they decipher cryptic codes that lead them closer to the ultimate prize.The two-hour season premiere is tonight, but the regular day and time for the series is Monday nights at 9 PM ET/PT. On Monday, June 19, NBC has NHL hockey in the time slot, so look for the second show on June 26.Hell’s Kitchen - Perhaps it’s my deep-within sadistic inner child looking for redemption, but I get a kick out of Chef Gordon Ramsay going berserk in the kitchen with chef-wannabes who aspire to run ritzy restaurant kitchens. I couldn’t do it; I wouldn’t do it. In “real life” I despise Ramsay-like mean people. But it’s “good TV.” This second season pits men against women for the position of their dreams. It looks like FOX TV is continuing to run two episodes in a row from 8 to 10 PM ET/PT on Mondays, with the first episode a repeat from the previous week. After this week, this will conflict with Treasure Hunters for me. Thank you whomever invented the VCR, I love you!Fear Factor - Now, I’m not a huge fan of this show. Since its inception, I believe I’ve watched perhaps five episodes. However, for the Reality TV fan, this is the season you may want to watch. This season’s contestants are previous reality show “stars” from shows like Survivor and The Amazing Race, to name a few. It airs on NBC Tuesday nights at 8 PM ET/PT. Me? I ate a caterpillar when I was a child and had to go to the emergency room to have bristles removed from my lips and mouth. Watching people eat worms tends to put me in post-traumatic horror. Or something.Last Comic Standing - This week it’s past the auditions and into the house for the comedian-contestants. I personally haven’t been too faithful to this show since the season of hometown guy Rich Vos. So far I have watched this season and perhaps will keep checking in. I want to see how Joshua Blue handles comedy sets not dealing with his disability, but I enjoy his disability-related stuff, too. It’s sort of like John Callahan with his cartooning — sometimes you just have to laugh at the blows life deals to you. If you don’t, well…you’ll be a miserable bitter so-and-so. The show airs on NBC at 9 PM ET/PT. Check your local listings and remember…I’m funnier than Dat Phan. So You Think You Can Dance - The competition’s heating up with the dancers as we saw last week when the first couple was eliminated. Can a break-dancer or a popper do ballroom? Can a ballroom dancer dance hip-hop? For the answers to those questions and more, check out this FOX TV show which airs 8 to 10 PM ET/PT on Wednesdays followed by the elimination show at 9 PM ET/PT on Thursdays. I personally enjoyed the couple who “Broadway-danced” to “Steam Heat” last week and may or may not watch this series through to season end. I’d like to see a series based purely on the break-dancers and poppers as I find what they do amazing. Me? I can do that crazy hand-jive and know I can’t dance. I do, however, think that FOX should capitalize on this format. I can see it now — So You Think You Can Skydive or So You Think You Can Walk Bad Neighborhoods In Camden (NJ) At 2 AM. The possibilities are endless!Big Brother 7: All Stars - America’s Vote - Oh, if you know me, you know I’ll be watching! I’m not too keen on “All Stars” versions of reality television shows, but I’m a true BB fan at heart, so the season is a given for me. This Wednesday (June 21) at 8 PM ET/PT, it’s a pre-season show giving America the opportunity to vote previous houseguests back into the house. From what I’ve read, it’s a bit limited as far as who might be available for the return to Hell in a House, but I think it could be quite intriguing. I’m a people observer with live feeds. Just, please, America -- do not vote either Holly or Alison back in, I beg you! I beseech you! The regular season premieres Thursday, July 6, at 8 PM ET/PT. America’s Got Talent - Another ballyhooed NBC series premiere is on the slate! Like Treasure Hunters (even more so), I’m eagerly anticipating this series! Created and produced by Simon Cowell of American Idol fame and hosted by the much-beloved Regis Philbin, it’s a talent contest which goes the realm of…of…um…whatever! The two-hour season premiere is this Wednesday, June 21, at 9 PM ET/PT. Be there or be square.Of course, my listing here tends to focus on shows in which I’m interested, but I’m the one writing the article. If you have a reality show you enjoy or are looking forward to watching, let me know, or better yet — write about it! This is going to be a big TV week for this TV fan, I tell you!

TV Review: Hell's Kitchen Season Premiere

Jackie — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 02:35:03 EDT

I enjoy cooking. I enjoy baking. Folks seem to enjoy eating food I prepare. But, do I want to be a chef? Or, more specifically, do I want to go through hell at the hands of Chef Gordon Ramsay of Hell's Kitchen?No way! This guy is brutal. He makes my own micro-managing boss look like an angel. And, of course, when you're talking kitchens, there are weapons there — knives, forks, and hot stoves, oh my!I watched this show last season mainly because there wasn't anything else which interested me in the time slot. I ended up getting hooked on the show. So, here I am.Tonight's season premiere was less of the touted two-hour special than it was two episodes shown one after the other. The events occurring were obviously two separate shows, not one grand ol' cookin' fest. But it did the trick for me on a quiet Monday night (as well as making me feel a bit better about my own boss).This season, the 12 contestants have been broken down by gender to two teams of six each. I'm not huge on the gender war mentality in the reality television genre, but it seems like every show goes that route if it lasts more than a season. So be it. The men are the Blue Team; the women are the Red Team. Pink is obviously too fluffy and soft for Ramsay, I'd say.Even though I watched the two hours, I still don't have too many of the contestants down. I'm impressed with Heather — she knows what she's doing. She severely burnt her hand in the second hour yet kept giving her team direction and said things like, "We do not speak in the kitchen." I'll remember that. I will only dance and hum while in my kitchen.Others I noticed on the Red Team included Polly, way out of her league and gone in the first hour. Being a mom of six puts you through a lot but doesn't mean you can make it in Hell's Kitchen. There's Sara, who just struck me as rather odd. No one really stood out as being a possible winner other than Heather. We'll see. If we're going to play gender war, I want a woman winner!The Blue Team has its share of oddballs, too. There's a prison cook who was a prisoner. Eep. There's a young guy named Giacomo who started off very impressively, then screwed up the side dishes in the second hour and was nominated for elimination. I wanted to like him after the first hour, but now I'm not so sure.One of the men I know I don't care for is this fellow Tom. He sweats in the food and looks more suited to be a character actor who'd be hanging out at an off-track betting parlor than someone I'd want fixing my dinner. He was nominated for elimination in the second hour, but Ramsay saved him and wanted a different person in his place. That person, Gabe, a lost sheep, was eliminated when put up with Giacomo. They managed to have not just one, but two medical emergencies in tonight's premiere. One of the men (Larry) went to the hospital as his "body shut down due to stress." Hey, they said it, not me. He, like Gabe, was a lost sheep. He was way out of his element and he should be happy the stress nailed him in the beginning or his head would have exploded or something. That would have been a fine mess indeed.The service? Well, I hope they don't charge the customers at Hell's Kitchen, not this early in the show, anyway. I can't imagine waiting two hours for my appetizers or more than three for my entrée. Yikes! On both nights they served (two shows, I tell you!), the customers ended up walking out and very few tables were served. I don't believe any tables received their entrées the first night in the first few hours.The best lines of the night:Gordon Ramsay: "I've got Muppets in my kitchen!""We've got a runner!" -- one of the contestants, upon discovering Larry had gone missing.The most disgusting part of the night? It's a toss-up between Gordon Ramsay making the contestants pull all the discarded (wasted) food from the first night out of the dumpster and the "who can sweat the most" contest between Tom and Keith. I'm sorry, but I don't want people who sweat like fountains near my food. I don't sweat in my own food and I'd leave a restaurant if I saw someone like that. As I mentioned, in the first hour Polly was eliminated. I agree with that one. As for the men, I personally thought Keith, who couldn't even take orders and sweated all over the place, should have gone. Yes, Gabe wouldn't have lasted much longer, but at least he didn't disgust me. He was clean and neat.So, what did I learn from the show? Hmmm...don't sweat in the food. Don't overcook the pasta. Keep my side dishes and meat timed to be ready at the same time. I learned I need a donkey, too. That's a new one on me this season. A donkey is a runner who keeps everything clean and fetches stuff. Oh, and the most important thing: don't become a chef for anyone, especially Gordon RamsayBurn baby, burn...

TV Review: The Amazing Race 9 - Season Finale, Part 2

Jackie — Fri, 19 May 2006 10:04:03 EDT

Now, where did we leave off? Japan? Ah, yes, that's it! Domo arigato! We were at the Pit Stop where Phil announced there would be no more eliminations in the race. However, since Ray and Yolanda came in last on the leg, they lost all of their money and possessions...in Tokyo (a very expensive city) with only the clothes they had on their backs and their passports. BJ and Tyler only had a two-minute head start against Jeremy and Eric, but made sure to stop at Ray and Yolanda's car to leave them some money and "stuff." I don't believe Jeremy and Eric left anything at all. While the flight tickets are paid for by the production staff, nothing else is. So, they had to beg.And, beg they did. They went to restaurants, Ray wore a white sign dangling from his neck, which read "yen." While he made more of an effort than I ever thought he would, even a humble and gracious one, it was Yolanda who brought in the bucks. The Japanese businessmen in one restaurant thought she looked like Janet Jackson and she had them handing over the money with ease.All three teams caught up to each other at the airport and were on the same flight heading to Anchorage, Alaska. None of the teams seemed to be too happy about that situation, but the Frat Boys (Eric and Jeremy) seemed outright disgusted.Once in Alaska, the teams had to drive thirty miles to Mirror Lake where they faced a Detour (a choice of two tasks relating to the local area). This one was Drill It or Deliver It. In Drill It, teams had to drill ten holes in the lake's ice with an auger, then drag an ice-fishing shack over to their area, setting it up to be approved by a local. In Deliver It, teams would have had to fly supplies 150 miles while doing the navigation for the pilot. Scratch that. All teams had to do Drill It because bad weather grounded all the planes.Eric and Jeremy finished the task first and received a clue directing them to a chalet in Kincaid Park where they had to don snowshoes and follow an intricate map to find the next clue. BJ and Tyler weren't all that far behind, but walked right by all the snowshoes! Argh! Not once, not twice, but at least three times! A side note: When I googled "Kincaid Park," the information I found starts with "Don't throw snowballs at the moose." Heh.So...were my favorites, BJ and Tyler, far behind? And, what of Ray and Yolanda? Did they throw snowballs at the moose? Did a polar bear think they were salmon heading upstream? Well, the latter team was way behind, but in the end it didn't matter. All three teams made it on the same flight to Denver.They first had to head to Golden, Colorado to find hidden clues in what looked like a dilapidated chicken farm. First Eric/Jeremy, then BJ/Tyler. Alas, Ray and Yolanda lost any chance of winning right then and there. Between getting lost and having trouble finding, they were too far behind too close to the end of the race to catch up.The race would end where it began, in the Red Rocks Amphitheater (Denver). But there was a Roadblock before the Pit Stop. At Red Rocks, one member of each team was confronted with a field containing 285 flags. That team member had to select the nine flags, which represent the countries through which they had traveled. The racer had to take them one by one to a stand where they had to be placed in the correct chronological order. The other team member couldn't help physically, but could shout out advice. Eric and Jeremy got there first with what seemed like a huge lead, but they really had no clue. BJ and Tyler arrived and, while they had some difficulty, they nailed it in the nick of time and ran their way to the Pit Stop to win the million dollars! Woohoo! As Eric and Jeremy said, "We didn't know the last one would be about brains." I love it!This team has been my favorite since about the second show. Watching them deal with the people in the various countries was refreshing compared the "Ugly American" persona we've seen in some teams other seasons. In a lot of countries, they knew at least bits and pieces of the language. They obviously were out to have fun and an adventure, as well as trying for the million dollars. They entertained me without going for that idea of nastiness is "good TV" -- can you say Jonathan Baker?All in all, this was one of the best seasons in a long time. Even the villains this time around weren't once that had folks up in arms thinking they should be arrested. Amazing Race -- thank you for a fun, entertaining, exciting and truly amazing race.And, for BJ and Tyler, TTOW! Well done!If anyone out there reading this is interested, the CBS website has the information for applying to be on The Amazing Race 11. Where was this show before I wrecked my knees? Also, if you missed it, Ray proposed to Yolanda on The Early Show: Ray shocked Yolanda by proposing, live, on his knees, in the plaza Thursday."I think the race was, I mean, it was a once in a lifetime experience," Ray said, "and I mean, you got to hang out with hippies and frat boys but, most of all, sharing the race with Yolanda. It was something that was special. I would have not been here if it wasn't for you and you're like everything I've dreamed of my whole life. Will you marry me?"With onlookers cheering wildly, she said yes, tears streaming down her face. Aww...

TV Review: The Amazing Race 9 - Season Finale Part 1

Jackie — Thu, 18 May 2006 08:10:33 EDT

Well, well, well... a perfect conclusion to a fantastic season of The Amazing Race. Of course, that's in my own humble opinion. Yes, the lackluster, boring, tedious, and family-safe family version faux pas of last autumn is but a distant memory. This season was one heck of a whirlwind ride with excellent casting (overall), excitement, and lots of close finishes. Ah, but close doesn't win the million, does it? On with the show: The three remaining teams (BJ/Tyler, Eric/Jeremy and Ray/Yolanda) left their last Pit Stop at the Marble Temple in Thailand taking a taxi 75 miles to the Royal Kraal Pavilion - an historical place where wild elephants used to be taken in round-ups. Today, it seems like a trained elephant hangout. Now, what would the show be without a product placement?The clue there, passed by elephants to the team (via trunk mail) was a T-Mobile cell phone with a message. Although the teams left the Marble Temple in their arrival order with a few hours between first and last, this was another bunching point as they waited for the Pavilion to open. Rats, there went BJ and Tyler's lead! One thing I noticed -- Ray and Yolanda had a bright pink taxi. I thought some of the taxis in New Jersey had odd colors!Teams took off to the airport to fly to Tokyo, Japan. BJ and Tyler were ecstatic as Tyler speaks fluent Japanese, has a Japanese girlfriend and hiked the length of the country. Of course, it would have behooved them to get the first flight to Tokyo. Nope. Eric/Jeremy and Ray/Yolanda filled that one. My heart sank. Instead of the two-hour lead they had, all of a sudden they were running two hours behind the other teams! Ack!Once in Tokyo, teams had to drive to Shibuya which is so much like Times Square in Manhattan that I had to do a double-take. They had to search the huge video ads on the buildings for a clue which turned out to be "Find Hachiko." What's a Hachiko, you ask?It's a statue of a beloved dog, an Akita named Hachiko. Ray and Yolanda fell behind in Tokyo and set the pattern for the rest of the leg. Their obstacles were the language barrier compounded by a big traffic jam. The fun note on this leg was when Ray told Yolanda he was "driving Miss Crazy."The clue at Hachiko was a Detour, a choice between two tasks usually having something to do with the locality. The choices were Maiden (carrying a maiden to a tea house) or Delivery (delivering two packages to separate businesses on folding bikes). Eric and Jeremy chose Maiden, probably because there was a woman involved, those HornDogz! BJ and Tyler thought they could make up time with delivery as Tyler could easily ask for and understand directions in Japanese. Ray and Yolanda? Still roaming in the search for Hachiko! Once they got there, they took the Maiden Detour and whined less than Jeremy and Eric about it.Oh, no! The clue after the detour led to yet another bunching point. All teams spent the night in the Capsule Land Hotel - a very odd hotel whose accommodations reminded me of morgue shelves with better lighting. Definitely not a place for folks with claustrophobia! Teams departed the hotel in the morning in 15-minute intervals, Eric/Jeremy first and Ray/Yolanda last.Teams were then off for Fujikyu Highlands, a huge amusement park located near an even larger mountain - Mt. Fuji. Either Eric or Jeremy called it Mt. Tokyo. (Yes, I rolled my eyes!) In a Roadblock (a task which must be completed by only one team member), racers had to ride three very fast, high, and wild rides searching for a man holding a sign which had their next destination written upon it.At the amusement park and throughout Tokyo, the locals really took a liking to Tyler, blond and bearded, and fluent in their language. "Want to touch my beard?" he asked when a young girl told him she liked it. Both guy-teams finished at the same time and headed to the Pit Stop which was a gigantic swan boat in Yamanaka. BJ and Tyler won the paddle-boat race with Eric and Jeremy to the Big Bird and took first place. As per usual, they didn't win a cruise or trip. They won a T-Mobile phone and service contract, hence the earlier product placement. Jeremy and Eric came in second and got razzed by Phil Keogh for letting BJ/Tyler beat them in a physical endeavor. Heh. What? Ray and Yolanda? Dead last. The clue had read the last team may be eliminated. It was a non-Philimination leg. I sort of figured that as they usually have three teams racing for the million dollars at the finish line. They lost all their money and possessions except for their passports and the clothes on their backs.Stay tuned for Part 2 and the final leg of the race!

TV Review: Survivor: Panama - Exile Island - Season Finale

Jackie — Mon, 15 May 2006 15:07:44 EDT

Well, last night was the big night, the season finale. As I thought, the commercials deliberately misled viewers into thinking that Cirie would win the fire-making tiebreaker challenge against Danielle. As an observer of the show and its promos since its inception, I know the editors tend to do that sort of thing. So I wasn't surprised when the Final Three turned out to be Danielle, Aras, and Terry. I was a bit surprised at who won the final Immunity Challenge, but that's getting a wee bit ahead of things right now.I want to focus just a little on Cirie at this time. Here's a city born and bred woman, coming up from Jersey City, New Jersey. She didn't know woods, critters, fishing, camping, or anything else of the outdoor life going into the show. She knew her couch, TV, and stuff of the city. I'm sure if someone asked her how to catch the PATH train into lower Manhattan, she'd answer with ease. But ask her to make a fire with flint, catch a fish, or make a camp? No way! It was amazing to watch her grow through the season. Apparently, her couch-sitting ways made for decent people-skills and strategical planning. She vastly improved her outdoors skills while she was the true manipulator of people on the show. Her buddy Aras wasn't the leader -- Cirie had him wrapped around her finger. Hats off to Cirie and I'm glad she won the Yukon SUV voted on by show fans. She added a lot to this season.Back to the finale show... I was leery of Danielle turning on Terry once again -- with good reason. Once the three returned to camp, Terry brought out the shrunken-head Immunity Idol from Exile Island so that Danielle and Aras could check it out. Right then and there, it was evident that her alliance was still with Aras, not Terry. She made a few comments about the macho thing between Aras and Terry, but seemed to think Terry was gloating.Instead of the expected Immunity Challenge, the three had an opportunity to play for Reward -- a power meal, cot, and pillow that might help the winner be in better shape for the final Immunity Challenge. It entailed finding pegs in bags on spinning wheels and then using the pegs to climb a three-story wall. It was only seconds between Terry and Aras at the end, with a Terry win and Danielle way out of the running. But will it work? Will Terry come back refreshed and ready? Will Aras' determination push him into high gear for the win? Oh... and what about Danielle? She hasn't won anything all season.As inevitable as the season recap, which took up the first ten or more minutes of the show, we had the Memory Walk to endure. I watched as previous castaways had his or her blurb and the three remaining said basically kind words about them. Eh. The only rather neat thing about this segment was they used the torches to set the huge bamboo skull on Exile Island afire. Alas, it was a very smoky fire; the material must have been damp from all the rain. It was all very symbolic and all that stuff nonetheless. Well, Immunity was back up for grabs for the last time. In this one, it's a mix between endurance and balance as the castaways had to stand on floating "lily pads" and move to smaller ones in 15-minute intervals. Uh-oh. This one is a challenge geared for a woman to win. After all, women have a lower center of gravity. In a shocker, Terry couldn't get up and stay up on the third pad and was out of the running. Then a wobbly Aras took Danielle's nod for a jump-off and Danielle won her first challenge ever in the show -- the most important Individual Immunity of the season. She's guaranteed to be in the Final Two and it's her choice to pick the other half of the Two.Aras immediately got a bit threatening when talking to her about her choice. "If you don't choose me, you'll lose both my vote and Cirie's vote!" Terry was a bit more laidback about things, but almost killed her with fairness. It's a tough decision for her, indeed. But, my own thoughts? I don't think she stands a chance to win against either of them. Now, if she were up against Shane in the Final Two, she might have a chance. Terry or Aras? Nope, both of them have played so well and so hard that she'd be doomed to second place. Her choice? Aras. It doesn't matter; her fate is sealed anyway. All it really does is enforce the Survivor Winner of the Car Curse -- no player has ever won a car and gone onto the million dollars. Terry, of course, won a car a few episodes back.Tribal Council was rather uneventful and almost "nice" compared to some of the past finales. Who can forget Sue's speech about rats and snakes and not giving a drink of water to Richard (or was it Kelly for that -- one was a snake while the other was a rat) dying of thirst in the desert? Shane got a bit odd, but he's Shane. He's angry that they did better than he did and both betrayed him in the game. In the end, like mimicking Greg (Season 1) with the Blackberry bit (Greg had the coconut phone), he told them to choose a number and the closest would get his vote. Courtney was still a bit of a space cadet in her comments and I just wanted her to stop talking. What the heck was her point? Does anyone know?As I predicted, Aras won. I had a message board bet elsewhere that he would win, but that was just on the pre-season bio information. Too bad it was just a cyber-bet, eh? The vote was 5-2 with just Bruce and Shane voting for Danielle. They didn't show the last vote, but 4 were enough for Aras to win. In the reunion show, through a show of hands, Terry would have won against Danielle with roughly the same count -- only Bruce and Cirie would have voted for her. So, she would have lost either way. To me, this season was the best in a long time. My favorite Survivor season remains the first one when all was fresh and new. I picked Richard Hatch for the win on that one and he was instrumental in starting the alliances, which have continued throughout the show's run. I wasn't happy with Vanuatu and Africa didn't rank too highly on my list either, although I liked Ethan (the winner). I felt last season in Guatemala was tainted with the gimmicky return of Bobby Jon and Stephenie from the previous season. They had their chance; I don't want previous castaways returning. I want fresh meat, um... players! If there ever is to be another rehash of castaways (I don't like All-Star versions, either), let it be those we never got to know -- perhaps those castaways voted off in the first show each season. The person voted off first is usually an unknown entity in game play and all but forgotten as the season goes on. Bring them back if someone must come back! Call it the Survivor No-Stars season!In this season, we had Super Terry who did a fantastic job. We had wacky Shane who's still wacky though cleaned up for the Reunion Show. We had Cirie who possibly backstabbed others more than anyone else yet came away with them all liking her. I give this season an A for its entertainment value. Good casting, nice location, and a different twist with Exile Island and the hidden Immunity Idol. Although the idol itself was never used, it certainly played a huge role in the show just by folks figuring Terry had it.Next season it will be Survivor: Cook Islands and it's to have an Exile Island with a new twist. I'll be there! Well, not on the show itself, but watching it!

TV Review: Survivor: Panama - Exile Island - Episode 13

Jackie — Fri, 12 May 2006 07:39:12 EDT

Time is dwindling and the season is near an end. On Sunday evening at 8pm ET/PT in most viewing areas, the two-hour finale will air followed by the reunion show. The Final Four are Cirie, Danielle, Aras and Terry. Who will win the million dollars? And, more importantly, will Shane clean up enough for the reunion so that he stops looking like Reverend Jim from Taxi?But that's Sunday -- let's get into tonight's episode (5/11). Four are left. Who will be voted out tonight?The show opened on Night 33 at the Gitanos camp as the four remaining tribe members returned from the Tribal Council where Shane was blindsided by Cirie's scheming. Cirie plopped her torch to the ground and Terry almost tripped over it in the dark. So, then it started. He spoke harshly to her; she defended herself. Then Aras got into the verbal brouhaha by telling Terry he was ruining the time they should be celebrating as the Final Four. All grouchy-pusses at the camp. Terry went off to bed and told them they could celebrate.The Rewards Challenge was a bit different from ones we've seen before. It entailed the tribe members tied to ropes following a path like some of the ones in the past. But they each had to go to six locations, one at a time, count what was there, return with the number and then set out to do it all over again. Once they had all the numbers, they had to use them to open combination locks. At the locations they had to count iguanas, poles, rocks, fish, sea shells and hermit crabs. Cirie did her squeaky voice when it came to the iguanas.Terry and Aras had several sort of rough encounters on the course, deliberately blocking each other, bumping each other and words. All of them had to go back through the locations due to miscounts. Terry mistakenly thought they could only return to one location at a time and noticed Aras was gone a long time -- checking all the locations in one outing for a double-check. When Terry mentioned it to Jeff, Aras started yelling, "Call a waahmbulance! Terry's whining!" (Yes, I'm rolling my eyes here. Aren't you?) Aras won Reward -- a cruise in a 100 foot luxury yacht through the Panama Canal, a five-course meal and an overnight stay. Since he could choose one guest, he naturally chose Cirie. Both Danielle and Terry were sent to Exile Island where Danielle belatedly decided to flip and work with Terry. Now, that's something she should have done long before the Final Four, don't you think? Of course, Terry's out of cards to play (with the exception of the hidden Immunity Idol from Exile Island), so he seems to have forgotten that Danielle backed out of the last alliance attempt. He once again told her he would give her the Immunity Idol from Exile Island if he won Immunity. The yacht trip was a bit less eventful for us as we all know that Cirie and Aras are loyal to each other.Both groups of two met up next to compete in the Immunity Challenge. This one was a bit funky. Puzzle pieces in three bags were hidden in sand pits. Surrounding the sandpits were markers. The castaways had to use coordinates to cross ropes to know where to dig. Each puzzle led to the coordinates to the next puzzle. And, Aras was on a streak. Not only did he win Reward, he also won Immunity -- both firsts for him. Terry's winning streak of all individual immunities thus far finally ended. When they got back to camp, Terry confronted Aras about a nasty statement he made regarding him disrespecting women. To my surprise, Aras apologized and it seemed to jolt him back into a nicer person overall. Both shook hands and it appears the boys won't be catfighting through to the bitter end. Although Terry hasn't admitted to either Cirie or Aras that he has the Exile Island Immunity Idol, they've assumed he does. Therefore, the whole tribe knows that both Terry and Aras will both be safe and it's Cirie and Danielle whose heads are on the chopping block (figuratively, of course!). It's also quite likely to be a tie vote. Unless that silly purple rock deal (Survivor: Marquesas) rears its ugly head and it's totally random who leaves, the tiebreaker is usually fire. Cirie had made a fire while alone with Aras and had success. Danielle has made fire on and off through the season. Still, Aras teamed with Cirie and Terry with Danielle for fire-making classes.Sure enough, at Tribal Council, it was a tie -- two votes for each woman. And, sure enough, the tiebreaker was a fire-making challenge. Since it was a tie and Terry himself received no votes, the hidden Immunity Idol never came into play and this show was the last one in which it could be used. I suppose that Terry could take it home and call it Shane. After all, there is a bit of a resemblance. The show left off on a "to be continued..." note with both Cirie and Danielle ready to start the challenge. Apparently, they will finish that at the start of the finale show on Sunday and it's not until then that we'll know the Final Three.In a sidenote: What the heck was that giant ring taking over Courtney's hand in the jury box? Sheesh! It looked like the Mood Ring That Ate Cincinnati or something!At this time, I think I could support any of the four for a win. Terry has played a fantastic game and I think he's the most competitive man ever on the show. Aras, though he has some weak spots, came around with his apology to Terry tonight. I have the feeling that he's more that sort of man than what we've seen. Cirie? For someone scared of leaves in the first episode, she's proven herself to be a strong competitor and an excellent strategist. At the bottom of my choices would be Danielle. I wouldn't be upset, but I don't think I've seen her exert herself either strategically or physically as much as the others.