SATURDAY, 31st

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: Even the networks realize you’re a sad human being for staying in on Halloween night. Your best bet this Saturday evening would be to watch SNL’s rerun of Ryan Reynolds (swoon!) and Lady Gaga’s appearances. (11:30pm/NBC)

White Collar: Fridays Just Got Hotter

Not since Michael Scofield in Prison Break has a convict made breaking out of jail look so darn sexy. But move over, Wentworth Miller, Matt Bomer is taking the spotlight in the USA Network’s new show White Collar, and let me just say that his good looks are criminal. The show centers around Neal Caffrey (played by Bomer of NBC’s Chuck, Tru Calling), a world class con man whose specialty happens to be white collar crime. Caffrey may be a criminal mastermind but he’s also a hopeless romantic, who breaks out of prison when the love of his life Kate breaks things off, and subsequently ends up forging an unlikely partnership with the FBI agent who has been pursuing him for years. Peter Burke (played by Tim DeKay, Tell Me You Love Me, Carnivàle) is the agent, and the two men strike up a mutually beneficial deal – Caffrey gets to stay out of the clink in exchange for using his expertise to help Burke nab Caffrey’s fellow elusive deviants.

Though Burke is initially not thrilled about his new partnership with a convicted felon, he soon realizes that Caffrey’s skills extend beyond forgery and fraud and can be useful to him in other areas – namely his romantically challenged relationship with his wife Elizabeth, played by Tiffani Thiessen (What About Brian, Fastlane). Rounding out the cast is Caffrey’s conspiracy-theory obsessed friend Mozzie (played by Willie Garson, Sex and the City, John From Cincinnati), whose ear is always to the street, which will no doubt prove helpful to Caffrey and Burke in future capers.

Fresh out of jail and released into the custody of Agent Burke, the ever-resourceful Caffrey finds a way to trade his dingy motel room for a swankier address, courtesy of a wealthy widow played by Diahann Carroll. All he has to do in exchange for his fancier room and board is take care of her place, walk her dogs and in his free time enjoy the use of her late husband’s Rat Pack-inspired wardrobe. Not a bad gig for a man who knows how to enjoy the finer things in life.

The pilot episode finds Caffrey testing his ability to use his criminal charm on the right side of the law to foil a bond counterfeiting operation. Burke, his fellow agent Diana (played by Marsha Thomason of Lost) and Caffrey manage to identify their culprit, who Burke has nicknamed “The Dutchman” and had been pursuing nearly as long as Caffrey himself, only to hit a roadblock in apprehending him. Enter Caffrey’s outside-the-legal-box thinking and the clever use of his tracking ankle bracelet and soon the Dutchman is destined for a life behind bars. All in a day’s work, I suppose. Burke then decides to take a much needed mini-vacation from law enforcement and take his wife to the beach for their tenth anniversary, an idea inspired by Caffrey’s romantic guidance. Before leaving he tells Caffrey that the FBI has agreed to keep him on as a consultant (thus keeping him out of a prison jumpsuit), and not to run off looking for Kate while he’s gone. Caffrey agrees, and though we want to believe Caffrey is a reformed man now, we’re still left wondering how far he’ll go in the name of locating his love.

Though many critical references have been made to It Takes A Thief and how the concept behind White Collar is not entirely fresh, the action is still entertaining to watch – hey, a solid show is a solid show, recycled or not. Among the many things that I am personally pretty jazzed up about are Willie Garson’s inclusion in the cast and the fact that the main character is total eye candy, to put it mildly. Additionally, the genuine bromance between DeKay and Bomer really comes to the surface during their scenes together – you can’t help but be aware of their characters’ chemistry – platonic, of course. Directed by Bronwen Hughes and written by Jeff Eastin and the team at Fox Television studios, it looks like they’re onto something and the network that brought us Burn Notice is suiting up for success once more.

For another take on this episode, check out The New Dynamic Duo by Allison Toner.

Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot (originally aired October 23, 2009)

For more on White Collar, click here.

Fridays at 10/9c on USA Network

Photographs courtesy of USA and Electric Artists

White Collar: The New Dynamic Duo

“The most unforgettable characters on television,” boasts USA Network. The network “is not only a place where characters live, it’s a place where characters come alive.” After viewing the highly anticipated premiere of White Collar, I congratulate them on creating another dynamic duo in the characters of Neal Caffrey and Peter Burke.

The episode begins with Neal Caffrey, conman extraordinaire, breaking out of a super max prison by walking out the front door dressed as a guard. Peter Burke, FBI agent in the white-collar division and the only person to ever catch Neal, is pulled away from his current case, tracking the elusive Dutchman, to once again find him.

After watching video of jail visitors and because he knows Neal so well, Peter realizes that Neal broke out to find his ex-girlfriend, Kate. Peter quickly locates Neal at Kate’s empty apartment.

Before re-arresting Neal, the two surprisingly chat until Neal notices a fiber on Peter’s suit. He explains to Peter what the fiber is, who in return mentions it must be from his current case involving the Dutchman. You can almost see the light bulb go on in Neal’s head. One week later at a meeting in prison, Neal petitions to be released to help Peter find the Dutchman. At first, Peter is opposed but he changes his mind and the unlikely crime fighting partnership is born.

Neal is outfitted with an ankle monitor and released into the custody of the FBI, under Peter’s supervision. If he runs, he goes back to jail forever but if he helps catch the Dutchman, he could be free. Neal must stay in a sleazy motel and is confined to two miles from the motel or he will activate the monitor. True to form, the suave Neal befriends an older, well-to-do lady, June, who invites him to move into her beautiful mansion (1.6 miles away) and wear her late husband Byron’s vintage, “rat-pack” like clothing.

A tip leads Neal and Peter to the airport where they interrogate a classic book dealer who is trying to bring a suspiciously large quantity of inexpensive Spanish Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs books into the country. The dealer winds up dead after a man claiming to be his attorney is last seen with him.

Neal deduces that the books were only needed for a blank page of parchment in the front of each book. They retrace the book dealer’s steps and confirm that he examined a Spanish Victory bond, issued during the war in 1944, at the National Archives. After Neal takes a closer look, he proclaims it is a forgery.

After some brainstorming, Neal and Peter realize that the Dutchman has the original bond and is planning to forge six hundred copies, with the paper from the books, that he will cash for a profit of approximately one hundred and fifty million dollars.

Neal’s friend Mozzie appears at June’s house and is enlisted to help find the Dutchman and Kate. With Mozzie’s help, clues are discovered that lead them to an artist, Curtis Hagen, whom Neal believes is the Dutchman, and the warehouse with the printing presses. He also locates Kate in San Diego.

Peter does not have enough information to gain a search warrant for the warehouse and the duo is under more pressure because the FBI believes that Hagen plans to flee the country in one week.

After reading a book on warrant law, Neal comes up with a plan. He goes to the warehouse and gains access, which sets off his ankle monitor to alert the FBI. This allows Peter to use exigent circumstances, which states that the FBI can pursue a fugitive (Neal) onto private property, seize evidence in plain view (the fake bonds) and arrest Hagen. Neal has saved the day.

Nicely woven through the episode is the subplot of Peter’s search for the perfect anniversary present for his wife, Elizabeth. In the end, he surprises her with tickets for a vacation in Belize.

The show culminates with Peter informing Neal that he will not be sent back to jail. Instead, he becomes an FBI consultant for four years under Peter’s supervision.

USA has another superb show! There was natural chemistry between the characters. The dialogue was light-hearted and funny. Multiple times, I found myself laughing out loud at the banter between Neal and Peter. Lastly, thank you USA for choosing Matt Bomer to play Neal because he is gorgeous! I welcome these characters into my Friday nights!

For another take on this episode, check out Fridays Just Got Hotter by Renata Sellitti.

Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot (originally aired October 23, 2009)

For more on White Collar, click here.

Fridays at 10/9c on USA Network

Photographs courtesy of USA and Electric Artists

Dollhouse Finally Starts To Get It Right

It’s ironic I suppose, and maybe a little sad, that Dollhouse finally starts to get its act together on the heels of the news that the show will go on hiatus in November and air its remaining episodes back-to-back in December; Fox’s way of powering through them as fast as possible and moving on to (hopefully) greener pastures.

I’ve said consistently throughout reviewing the show that its main problem is that it seems to prefer doing stand-alone episodes instead of building the serial mythology and that, while it almost always manages to be clever and cerebral, it fails to engage on an emotional level and prevents viewers from connecting with the characters. But although Echo once again has very little to do this episode (odd, her being the protagonist and all), Sierra, Victor, Topher, Boyd and even DeWitt manage to make emotional connections. Woo hoo!

The episode functions somewhat as an origin story for Sierra. We already learned that she ended up at the Dollhouse after a power-mad scumbag raped her because she refused to become his plaything, but now we get to see exactly how that transpired and who she was before she was made into a doll.

In her pre-Dollhouse era, Sierra was actually Priya, working in what looked to be Santa Monica, taking pictures and selling her artwork. Her frequent caller was a guy named Nolan Kennard (the aforementioned power-mad scumbag), who kept coming up to her and buying her work and flirting. This time, he commissions her to do a larger, more expensive piece for him, and offers to set up a showing for her. We know what his intentions really are and so does Priya, but she’s a nice girl so she accepts his invitation.

The showing is a true white-collar affair, and Priya/Sierra is clearly out of her element and comfort zone. Amusingly enough, she runs into Echo, who is on assignment as someone’s arm candy (is that the right expression?). Echo tells her to stay close to Nolan and use her power over him to get whatever she wants, but Priya isn’t like that. It’s an interesting irony that Priya potentially had all kinds of power and chose not to use any of it, then became a doll and gave even basic powers up.

Also at the showing is Harding, who has ties in both the Dollhouse and its parent company, the Rossum Corporation. He doesn’t understand Nolan’s obsession with Priya and all the money he is spending to woo her when Harding could build Nolan the perfect woman (yeah, right) at the Dollhouse. Harding also introduces Priya to an art dealer named Luca, who is actually Victor, also on assignment. Victor points out that maybe Priya’s motif of using birds in her artwork is emblematic of a spiritual connection she has with the creatures, the need to be free and untamed. They make an immediate connection and begin to leave the party together when Nolan flips out and…we know the rest from there.

Back in the present day, now we see Priya/Sierra still with Nolan. Nolan takes a picture of her as she leaves and places it in a drawer filled with pictures of Sierra, all of her with different personalities on different engagements. Only Nolan, the client, remains constant. Thus, it seems Nolan found a way to tame Sierra and maker her his plaything after all. This whole thing really crystallizes the immorality and abuse of human rights the show tries (but rarely succeeds) to explore.

Keep in mind though that while we the audience know that Nolan is this monster that raped Priya/Sierra, the Dollhouse people don’t. We learn in this episode that when Priya/Sierra (damn that’s getting repetitive) came to be at the Dollhouse, she was being unsuccessfully treated in a mental hospital, a damaged paranoid schizophrenic. Nolan had been pumping her full of neuroleptic drugs which helped drive her to that fractured state. But Topher went there to help her and brought her to the Dollhouse.

Echo sees Sierra painting a disturbed picture of birds in the Dollhouse and brings it to Topher. In her own way she tells him that something is wrong and so Topher and company start investigating, trying to uncover the link between her and Nolan and why he’s such a good repeat customer. (After this, as I said, Echo disappears from the episode). This also brings Boyd into the mix, who I always thought was one of the most interesting characters on the show and he has all but disappeared this season. Ballard is curiously absent this week, but oh well.

I don’t want to give the rest away, but suffice it to say that the episode weaves back and forth between multiple timelines and gives Topher a compelling chance to prove that he does have morals and feelings. Boyd also becomes aware that Echo has learned to lie and remember her engagements, and his response is surprising and casts a potential new light on why he came to be at the Dollhouse in the first place.

It’s quite an intricate piece of writing, and the fact that the showrunners manage to finally make us care or at least feel something for Sierra and Victor and Topher and DeWitt makes the explorations of morality play that much better. Themes are always much more effective when you can take them out of the realm of the abstract and view them through the life prism of a character. I hope the rest of the season…whenever it airs…can build on this episode’s positive improvement and end the series strongly, since clearly it’s not coming back for a third season.

Season 2, Episode 4: Belonging (originally aired October 23, 2009)

For more on Dollhouse, click here.

Fridays at 9/8C on Fox

Photographs courtesy of Fox and IMDbPro

Real Housewives of Atlanta: Season Finale Throw Down

I think it’s safe to say that the cat fight between NeNe and Kim was epic – insults were hurled, fingers were wagged (and shoved away) and NeNe even (allegedly) grabbed Kim’s throat and tried to choke her. It was the Battle Royale of the Real Housewives series.

…Only they didn’t get it on film.

I think I speak for everyone when I say – how the hell did the producers manage to miss the brawl to end all brawls? Someone at Bravo is kicking themselves over this – and probably packing up their desk too. Their brilliant solution to missing NeNe and Kim’s Ultimate Fighting Championship imitation was two-fold – hey, you can’t blame them for trying.

First, they had both Kim and NeNe give a blow-by-blow recap of the melee, Kim sharing her account with Kandi and NeNe’s version being retold to a stunned Dwight in his living room. Then, they staged a mafia-style sit down with the women, posing it as Kim “wanting to speak with NeNe about what happened” prior to them having to run into one another at Sheree’s fashion show. Kim claims it was done to make sure that they were able to be in the same room together without another blow up, but we all know that the producers were hoping that the women would come out swinging again (this time with the cameras rolling). Nobody threw any punches or pulled any wigs this time around, but they did capture the ladies yelling at each other once they realized that their recollections weren’t exactly in agreement. NeNe swears that Kim “put her hands on her” (Kim says she just swatted NeNe’s finger from her face), while Kim says NeNe is lucky she didn’t press charges after NeNe grabbed her neck and choked her. Either way, no olive branches were exchanged and they both went into Sheree’s fashion show vowing to ignore each other – and the palpable tension – just to get through the night.

Speaking of Sheree’s show, she really outdid herself with the preparations for her big She by Sheree unveiling – and by “she outdid herself,” I mean Dwight did. Yes, the unofficial sixth housewife Dwight logged many hours prepping and finalizing all the details to make sure that Sheree’s show went off without a hitch, unlike last season’s fiasco. Sheree, for her part, took nearly all of the credit and repeated how proud she was of herself for pulling it off about a thousand times. Humility isn’t exactly her strong point. The rest of the housewives seemed impressed too (except Lisa), and now we can finally stop hearing about her damn clothing line, enough already.

Kandi and AJ received a pleasant mother’s day surprise when Kandi’s mom unexpectedly pulled AJ aside and told him that she will support their relationship so long as AJ makes her daughter happy. This was a very sweet moment, even if Kandi’s mom seemed like she was straining to get the words out. It just makes the realization that Kandi and AJ will never get their shot at happiness all the more heartbreaking, and as the disclaimer on each episode keeps repeating now, our thoughts are with AJ’s loved ones as well.

Earlier in the episode, Kandi had a not-so-pleasant encounter with NeNe, who demanded an apology from her for their previous fight. Kandi wasn’t having any of it, and NeNe learned that she may be able to bully the other ladies, but she’s going to have a harder time throwing her weight around (which is apparently moose-like, according to Kim) with Kandi.  NeNe also locked horns in a rare argument with her husband Gregg this week, a result of her meeting with her alleged birth father Alan while visiting her hometown. Gregg warned NeNe not to bother with Alan, who he sees as being opportunistic, and NeNe followed up despite his reservations. Since Gregg is almost the only person on the show who NeNe doesn’t seem to fight with, it was strange to see them argue, and it drove the usually stoic NeNe to tears. So, the final tally of people NeNe pissed off this episode was 3 – Kim, Kandi and Gregg; not bad for 45 minutes of programming. Let’s see if next season she can beat her record, lord knows she’ll try.

Lisa and Ed may be planning to expand their family, but the poor economy and Ed’s now non-existent NFL paycheck have caused them to decrease the size of their living quarters. Yes, the Wu Hartwells have decided to downsize from their mansion to a smaller home that Ed owned before he married Lisa. She seems to be trying to hide her disappointment, but honestly the house is still pretty swanky and she’ll have plenty of projects to work on, like the pool, guest house and renovations they’re already planning. Yeah, I know, I don’t really feel badly for them either. Apparently they still haven’t been able to get pregnant again, but here’s hoping for a new cast member next season!

That’s about it for season 2, but in the grand tradition of Real Housewives there is going to be one heck of a reunion planned for next week. I will, of course, be weighing in on all the action, which you can preview some clips of right now on the show’s site if you just can’t wait until next Thursday. Can Kim and NeNe be in the same room without killing each other? How is Kandi holding up after AJ’s death? Is Sheree a lesbian? (What?! I know, she responds to the rumors on the reunion show apparently). And does anybody even care about the song “Tardy for the Party” anymore? Find out next week and check back right here on Poptimal.com.

Season 2, Episode 13: Catwalks and Cat Fights (originally aired October 22, 2009).

For more on the Real Housewives of Atlanta, click here.

Thursdays at 10pm on Bravo

Photographs courtesy of NBC Universal, John Amis and Quantrell Colbert

Be The First To See Cameron Diaz In The Box

Be the first to see the new Cameron Diaz (My Sister’s Keeper) & James Marsden (X-Men) Movie: The Box.  Poptimal.com has partnered with Warner Bros. to give you the chance to attend an advanced screening.

Here is the information and how to win.  (No Purchase Necessary)

1. Post your comments about at least one (1) of our articles located on the our front page. (Each new post increases your chances of winning.)
2. Email your name, email address,  movie you would like to see and name of the post you commented on to contests@poptimal.com.  Put “The Box Advanced Screening” in the subject line.

Advanced Screenings

From time-to-time, we have extra passes that our Featured Writers are unable to use. As such, we offer them to our faithful readers and podcast audience. Here is what you do to qualify:

1. Look below to see if the movie is playing in your area.
2. Post your comments about at least one (1) of our articles located on the our front page. (Each new post increases your chances of winning.)
3. Email your name, email address,  movie you would like to see and name of the post you commented on to contests@poptimal.com.  Put “Advanced Screening” in the subject line.

***Make sure that you supply a valid email address. This is the email where the passes will be sent, if you are chosen.

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Gentlemen Broncos

The Office: Michael and Yo Mama

A friend recently informed me that we have entered a new dimension: one in which The Office is suddenly very unfunny and is nearing its demise. Okay, so he was slightly less cynical than that. His comment went something like this:

This show was built off the excitement of what would happen between Jim and Pam. Now that they’re hitched, what’s left to keep us going?

Even if my nit-picky critiques imply otherwise, I am always the eternal optimist in the room. And so, I crossed my fingers and turned on the TV, hoping the newlyweds’ return from Puerto Rico would speed up the flow of some creative juice.

The episode itself is one big Yo Mama joke, as Pam returns home to find that boss Michael Scott is now sleeping with her mother.

A bunch of menial plots skim the surface of the 30 minute show: Pam gives Erin a weird look for needing Michael’s approval to put out Puerto Rican candy; Dwight buys Jim a wooden mallard listening device to spy on him; Jim retaliates after finding the hidden mic; and Ryan parades around in a fedora.

Slightly amusing, but not up to the standards of when Jim would refrigerate Dwight’s stapler into a mold of jello. Those were the days…

On their honeymoon, Pam and Jim seem to have met a nice new couple, Frank and Benny. They spend the entirety of the episode cracking an inside joke: “Frank and Beans!” As a viewer, I feel I’ve missed the punch line.

Michael tells Jim he’s taken a lover, Helene, who is also Pam’s mom, with whom he really hit it off at the pair’s wedding (Still can’t stop watching this scene). Jim freaks out and tells Michael not to tell Pam, which is obviously a hopeless request.

Pam insists that she and Jim give Michael his gift from their travels-a bottle of Puerto Rican rum. Jim is hesitant, knowing his co-boss has a tendency to spill the beans.

In Michael’s office, Pam asks about his reservation at Botticelli’s that night, having overheard Erin changing his reservation to two. Michael tells Pam that he’s dating someone in the office’s mom, and somehow gets her to say that he should do what makes him happy. When he confesses that the cougar is Mrs. Beesly herself, Pam runs out of the room screaming an exaggerated, “Nooooooooo!”

As Pam flips out in the parking lot, Dwight gives Michael “the chills”-that third grade game where you pretend to crack an egg on someone’s head. Dwight speculates that he would have set Michael up with his own Mother if he had known he was into that sort of thing.

Michael and Jim convene a meeting on communication with local communities. Andy asks if this is in response to the 60 Minutes about working conditions in their Peruvian paper mills. All hell soon breaks loose, as Pam and Michael continue to fight about Helene and the rest of the office takes sides.

In Toby’s cubicle, Michael thinks he is “the victim of a hostile work environment,” and seeks the HR rep’s support. The moment they share-including a hug-feels completely out of character.

To summarize, more drama goes down:

Pam yells, “I could give a shit about your happiness,” at Michael.
Michael yells, “I’m gonna start dating her even harder,” back at Pam.
Pam tells Jim to “shove it,” having found out that he knew about the Michael-Helene situation before she did.

Meanwhile, Jim ropes Dwight into buffing their car in order to make up for the mallard spy incident.

“You’re not equipped for espionage,” he explains.

Jim calms down his wife by pointing out that Dwight’s kind washing of their vehicle and recalling various happy moments from their honeymoon: Segway tours, night swimming, and that damn “Frank and Beans!” joke again.

I’m still hoping for a miracle here, but after this episode, my morale sure is low.

Season 6, Episode 6: The Lover (Originally aired October 22, 2009)

For more on The Office, click here.

Thursdays, 9/8C on NBC

Photographs courtesy of NBC, Chris Haston, and Mitchell Haaseth

So You Think You Can Dance: Top 20 Unveiled

The dust has finally settled, and there are 38 dancers ready to fill only 20 spots on So You Think You Can Dance’s sixth season. It’s been a long journey to get here, but the fact that I was not excited for this week’s episode is evidence that these kids need to get their dance on. And pronto!

For many of the ones who were cut, it was also the first time we even saw them. Seeing as they’d got no prior screen time, it wasn’t a surprise when they left, and I can’t say they’ll be missed. Getting down to it, I can’t wait until I can drop these contestants’ last names and finally get to know them as dancers and people.

This season, as you’ll see below, is a season on of many firsts, that Adam Shankman’s addition (yay!) will make a four-judge panel. I can’t jump for joy that there’ll be more talking this season, but this first can semi-make up for that fact that there was absolutely no dancing this week unless you count contestants jumping around in victory or those tiny clips they show on the huge screen behind the dancers as they take their walk of shame/fame. So here’s what our top 20 looks like in no particular order.

TOP TEN MALES

Nathan Trasoras, 18, contemporary, 1^st 18-year old (i.e., youngest ever) to make the top 20

He’s the 18-year old who auditioned last year but didn’t get through because he was only 17 at the time. He’s still a baby, but they want to be a part of his growth, and I would too if someone so talent was dropped at my doorstep.

Billy Bell, 19, contemporary

Billy is a Juilliard student who fortunately was allowed to take a school sabbatical for the show. He’s got all the grace of a gazelle, but he has yet to show his personality which could be his downfall. He could quickly fall into the Will Wingfield category of talent with no pizzazz (except at least Will had a downright sexy bod!).

Russell Ferguson, 20, krump, 1^st krumper ever to make the top 20

Russell was clearly a favorite from the start with his never-ending screen time. He’s strides ahead of the competition when it comes to making a connection with the viewers. He’s also proven that he can spread his wings and succeed at other styles so all he has to do is keep it up.

Kevin “K’Bez” Hunte, 23, hip-hop

With Russell stealing all his thunder and so many great male dancers this season, Kevin might have a hard time of it. It is true that hip-hoppers, recently, have been known to fare well on SYTYCD, but unless he makes a connection with the audience and fast, he might get cut before the top 10.

Phillip Attmore, 25, tap, 1^st tapper ever to make the top 20…and there’s more

I like Phillip, Ryan Kasprzak’s, ex-roommate, when he first auditioned, but apparently, he gave major ‘tude to the judges in Vegas which of course we didn’t get to see clips of until tonight. New like that is really off-putting to the voting public, so he better start reining it in pretty darn fast.

Peter Sabasino, 23, tap, 1^st other tapper to ever make it to the top 20

Peter faltered in Vegas as he just couldn’t pick up routines and perform them as well as the other contestants. But I need some certified eye candy. Plus, he just seems like an all-around upbeat and fun guy so he may win over some hearts.

Victor Smalley, 20, contemporary

There’s always one guy the judges have to pick on to because there hair is just to “edgy” and draws away from the performance. Last season it was Kupono, and this season it’s Victor. Both ended up shaving their heads, but did anyone ever stop to think that maybe some of their power was IN their hair?

Jakob Karr, 19, contemporary

Jakob started off great in New Orleans and has continued to impress the judges, though he hasn’t garnered too much screen time. I still remember liking him off the bat, but he has some stiff competition in Billy.

Jonathan “Legacy” Perez, 28, hip-hop

I know that Legacy isn’t the best all-around dancer, but he’s sick at what he does, and there’s just something sweet and genuine but confident about him. He’s my pick for the contestant who will struggle the most, but he’s also the one who could possibly knock grow the most.

Ryan DiLello, 28, ballroom, 1/2 of 1^st married couple ever to make the top 20

Ryan is a judges’ favorite, though he’s not as hot as he and everyone else thinks he is in my opinion. He is the sole male ballroom dancer, and following past contestants like Dmitry Chaplin and Pasha Kovalev, he’s not going to be able to just rely on his looks.

TOP TEN FEMALES

Katherine McCormick, 18, contemporary and lyrical

Some of you may find Katherine’s high-voiced crying endearing, but I found it incredibly annoying. Really, is there nothing more to this girl than how high her voice can ascend? Luckily overall, I think she’s a sweetie, a sweetie I couldn’t tell you a single thing about but a sweetie nonetheless.  

Channing Cooke, 18, contemporary

Channing is a strong, spunky blond with definite staying power if she can get her partnering skills in line. While she kills her solos, she stumbles when given a partner, and in this kind of competition, that weakness to her is like kryptonite to Superman.  Being paired with Ryan, who is the master of partnering, could really help this girl out.

Ellenore Scott, 19, jazz

Ellenore really won the judges over with some great dancing and a big personality, but we barely got to see what she could do. She’s a ham, and since we do watch TV to be entertained, I think she’ll go far if her lack of screen time doesn’t hold her back.

Ariana Debose, 18, contemporary

I feel bad saying any of this because everyone deserves a chance. She worked her butt off, I’m sure, and clearly, the judges must have seen something in her but not so much the producers because she got the least amount of screen time out of everyone. Who are you Ariana?! You’re a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.

Bianca Revels, 20, tap, 1^st female tapper ever to make the top 20

She’s extremely likeable, and she’s broadened her range. Bianca said she wasn’t going to come back after being cut during last season’s final Vegas round, I’m bet she’s glad she did now. And even if she doesn’t win, she’s become the poster child for never giving up in the SYTYCD audition world.

Mollee Gray, 18, jazz

I could have seen every top 20 contestant in a 30-minute dance clip in the time that they devoted to Mollee and her new BFF Noelle (see below). Clearly the girl, who proclaims someone a best friend for life after competing against them a mere week, is the one the judges are harping on about the maturity in her dancing. I’ve gone back in forth with my feelings on her, but she’s officially the female candidate this season for growth.

Noelle Marsh, 18, contemporary

The only reason we know anything about Noelle is because of her association with producer darling Mollee. Hopefully once they’re split up and she’s matched with her guy, we’ll all get to see know this contestant a little better.

Paulina Mata, 18, contemporary

Paulina killed her leg in Vegas but managed to pull it out in the end. She’s got great follow-through, and her passion is evident. How her dancing measures up to the other females remains to be seen, but I like her enough just because of her work ethic and high pain threshold.

Karen Hauer, 27, American-rhythm

Karen is my pick for one of the first females to go. I wasn’t too impressed with her during the auditions though she and her husband were a sexy looking pair. Though we saw little of her, it seems like when we did she was always squeaking by so I’m not getting too attached to this one.

Paula Von Oppen, contemporary, 1^st finalist to decline top 20 invitation

Paula is the opposite of Karen. She’s a girl I was VERY attached to, who impressed me every time I got a glimpse of her. I marked her as my favorite the minute I knew she was in, but I had to wait until the end of the episode to find out that she turned down the opportunity because she got a part in a movie. What’s your passion Paula!?, I scream. Unless you are the lead in the movie Step Up on the Center Stage for Fame 2, you should be sharing your gift with the world week after week!

Ashleigh DiLello, 26, ballroom, 2/2 of 1^st married couple ever to make the top 20

Ashleigh shouldn’t feel bad that she only got her spot because the more talented and effervescent Paula dropped out. At least she gets another week with her husband before she goes. Plus, she really has grown so if she doesn’t mess up her first week, she might be able to make it to week two.

 WRAP IT UP

So how do you feel about this top 20? I’m pretty impressed, but really just plain excited to see some dancing and bask in the glow of Mia Michael’s choreography for her last season. You know there’s Emmy written all over her routines. It’s going to be crazy stupid!

Season 6, Episodes 9:  Vegas Callbacks, Part 3 (originally aired October October 21, 2009)

For more on So You Think You Can Dance, click here.

Wednesdays at 8/7c on Fox

Photographs courtesy of Fox and IMDbPro

Top Chef: Restaurant Wars or … Why I Never Liked Family Feud

This season of Top Chef is turning into Flash Forward: the best parts are the beginning and the end. By the beginning, I mean the Quickfire, and by the end, I mean the part where they say who’s won and who’s lost. Everything in between disappoints right now. The elimination of the less talented chefs is dragging this season out – we know who the top five chefs are, and now we’re just going through the motions until we whittle this competition down.

So let’s go through the motions together! Pre-Quickfire chatter: People still dislike Robin, and everyone misses Ash. Aw. Kevin reveals that the Voltaggio brothers argue all the time.

Quickfire. Guest judge: Rick Moonen. The chefs break into teams of four for a high stakes Quickfire worth $10,000 to split amongst the winners – which seems kind of cheap, doesn’t it? Wait for it. After drawing knives, Jennifer and Mike V. end up team captains. The teams will create one cohesive dish, with each chef working for only 10 minutes when their turn comes up. There’s blindfolds and no one knows what the person before them is doing and so on – it started off kind of exciting and then drags on too long.

Mike V.’s team consists of himself, brother Bryan, Robin and Eli, leaving Jennifer with Mike I., Kevin and Laurine. Though Moonen likes both final dishes, he chooses Jennifer’s team as the ultimate winners. They have the option to take the $10,000 to split immediately, or to let it ride. If they win the elimination challenge, they will win $10,000 each (that explains the cheap high stakes Quickfire). They let it ride.

Because tonight, it’s … Restaurant Wars! The teams remain the same as they take over Moonen’s two story restaurant with its dual kitchen. Mike V.’s team (Team Revolt) deals with Mike’s propensity for being a bossy dick, while Jennifer’s team (Team Mission – yeah, I know) suffers from the decision to nix dessert and to cook too many complicated dishes.

Eli and Robin put aside their differences while everyone on Mission seems to think that Laurine is an asset. I don’t get it. She offers to run front of the house since she’s comfortable there and has experience. This season, the person who runs front of house is also responsible for one dish, and in Laurine’s instance, Kevin cooks her lamb dish. Which seems like a slam dunk because it’s Kevin, but turns out: not so much.

During service, Mission struggles with timing and front of the house issues: Laurine isn’t firing the dishes in a timely manner, so many people are left waiting too long between courses. She’s late producing the judges’ meals and fails to give a proper explanation of the food, appearing tableside only when summoned. The judges don’t love the lack of dessert, and find fault with every dish on the menu. Laurine’s lamb dish seems to take the most abuse for being severely undercooked, which falls to Kevin. However, Laurine also didn’t insist that he cook them properly, so she takes part of the blame.

Downstairs at Revolt, the judges mock the name of the restaurant and mock Eli, but otherwise enjoy nearly everything they eat. Even the bland, ordinary dish (Eli) fares far better than anything produced at Mission.

Though Mission encounters difficulty communicating with Laurine, the real backstage drama goes on at Revolt. Mike V. orders his team around, curses at his brother, and generally turns into a dick. Absolute power, my friend. Understandably, he doesn’t trust Robin with her own dish, feeling that she’s out of her league now, but he crosses the line in trying to make it for her. She takes offense and snaps and curses at him, he in turn yells at her for cursing, and Bryan finally steps in to split them up. Now, Bryan can be an ass, but I’m beginning to think he had no choice with a brother like Mike.

As proof, the editors provide us with a brief montage of Mike V. talking about how humble and kind he is, and that arrogance doesn’t belong in the kitchen. Meanwhile, snapshots of Mike V. being that exact kind of jerk he claims to despise show up on screen. In a boring episode, that was definitely a highlight.

Judges’ Table.  Revolt wins, surprising no one, least of all Mission. The judges note that Eli’s dish was the least win-worthy, though still delicious, then hand out a series of compliments to everyone, including Robin. Mike V. seems to try to take credit for Robin’s dish – she politely calls him dominating. Eventually, Moonen declares Mike V. the winner. He wins the $10,000 from the Quickfire that Mission gambled away. He offers to split it amongst his team.

As Mission heads in to face the judges, further controversy in the Stew Room develops as Bryan claims he doesn’t want Mike V.’s money. Mike won, therefore he deserves it. Mike V. takes the opportunity to needle his brother some more. Bryan comments that he’s tired of watching his brother be rewarded for being unprofessional.

I think this is part of why I’m bored. If I wanted to see siblings fight, I’d call home and lie to my brother about something my other brother never said, then “let it ride,” if you will, to see what develops. I don’t need this here, especially because watching these two argue is boring and predictable. Mike’s a jerk and Bryan’s uptight. End of story, already!

To the losers! Everyone on Mission knows they did wrong and do a better job of explaining why than the judges. Specifically, it seems to come down to Jennifer’s awful food and decision-making, and Laurine’s poor front of house and poor direction of Kevin. The team ultimately failed because no one stepped up as leader. The judges deliberate and rehash all the same comments, which leads us, finally, to Padma saying: “Laurine. Please pack your knives and go.”

In her exit interview, Laurine remains optimistic despite the difficult loss. She will genuinely miss everyone, but I’m not sure we’ll remember her next week. After Robin leaves (hopefully next week), it will really come down to the best chefs in the entire competition. And then this should finally get good.

Next week: Mike I. has the creepy hots for Natalie Portman, and someone’s making disgusting food!

For another take on this episode, check out Ready, Set, Restaurant Wars! by Nicole Cukingnan.

Listen to The J Factor with J.B. and Jaimie here or on iTunes.

Season 6, Episode 9: Restaurant Wars (originally aired October 21, 2009)

For more on Top Chef, click here.

Wednesdays at 10/9C, Bravo

Photographs courtesy of  NBC Universal and Trae Patton

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