Supernatural: Winchester Bromance

Happy 100^th episode to Supernatural! After reading different speculations from commentators and my own predictions, I was happily thwarted yet again by the writers of the show. I can’t properly explain how pleased I am to be continually surprised by the events that happen while at the same time never feel like there is any lack of continuity from season one up to now.

We were left last week biting our fingernails, as Dean Winchester appeared to be ready to call it a day and say yes to Michael. He was on his goodbye tour and had left Sam behind to essentially commit suicide by agreeing to be an angelic meat suit. The opening scene shows Dean putting his most meaningful possessions – his leather jacket, his gun, and his car keys into a box with a letter that we presume was going to be sent to his brother. The intense moment is broken with the sudden arrival of Sam. He brings backup in the form of Castiel who teleports them back to Bobby’s.

Dean’s mindset is still pretty much the same as the last time we saw him, defeated, frustrated, and tired. To Sam, Bobby, and Castiel he’s a loose cannon that has to be watched and guarded. Things take a turn for the strange when their half brother Adam Milligan appears having been resurrected and tells his brothers that he has been chosen to be Michael’s vessel. The youngest Winchester brother accepts this and is eager to meet with Zachariah because he believed he was going to be reunited with his mother Kate.

Actor Jake Abel plays Adam and the whole time I kept thinking about the other character that he’s played recently – Luke Castellan in the film version of Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief. Adam and Luke both have severe abandonment issues and disdain for their fathers. I was struck by how similar these two teenagers were and Jake does a great job in portraying Adam as angry and mistrustful, kind of like another Winchester brother we know. In fact his quips reminded me a lot of Dean. Speaking of Dean, he gets locked up in Bobby’s underground chamber the way Sam had been when they were weaning him off demon blood. He is able to trick Castiel though and get away.

One of the best things about this episode was the amount of ass kicking that Castiel did! He killed a number of angels on this adventure and even beat Dean up when he finally caught up to him. Note to the brothers, don’t ever be on the receiving end of Castiel’s fury. As the older Winchester and the angel arrive back at Bobby’s we learn that Adam disappeared and is most likely with Zachariah. In a complete 180-degree turn, Sam tells his big brother that he’s going to take him to where Adam is because he’s going to trust that when push comes to shove, Dean will do the right thing. It’s a tense moment when Dean tells Sam that he’s being stupid because if the situation were reversed, he would keep his younger brother locked up. He reveals that he doesn’t think that Sam can resist Lucifer.

Castiel takes the brothers to where Adam is being held and proceeds to exterminate two more angels before ripping his top off to reveal the Enochian seal painted on his chest that sends himself and the others away. Sam and Dean enter the warehouse and the small shack to find that it’s more like a palace suite inside. Adam is slumped on the ground after being tortured by Zachariah. Finally the moment comes and Dean is forced to say yes after both his brothers begin to throw up blood courtesy of our favorite sinister angel. Zachariah summons Michael but before the archangel arrives Dean says that he has a couple of conditions like ensuring the safety of a few people no matter what happens and of course that Michael kills Zachariah. The next few seconds are wholeheartedly satisfying as we see the Dean we all know and love, the angel going nuts, and then finally meeting his own demise as delivered by the oldest Winchester.

As the room begins to get brighter and starts to shake, Dean helps Sam out with Adam behind them but then suddenly the door slams shut before the youngest Winchester can get out. Dean tries to open the door but it is so hot that he is unable to do anything more before the scene cuts to Adam turning around to be bathed in glowing light. Audiences are left wondering his fate – did he die again? Did Michael take him somewhere else? Could Michael use his body temporarily the way Lucifer is using a different body as well?

Amidst everything that happened in this episode we had a lot of great dialogue between the brothers – all three of them. The conversations between Sam and Dean at the beginning were still tense and strange for both with Dean being the flight risk. At the end though we finally learn that the older Winchester had been viewing Sam like a kid that needed to be kept out of trouble. This has his recent actions making sense and explains his belief in his brother succumbing to Lucifer. This viewer is glad though that Dean finally realizes that his little brother is no longer that kid and is able to trust and have faith in him again. It took Sam having faith in him first to get him to realize that. At the crucial moment when Zachariah is torturing the younger Winchesters, Dean and his legitimate brother have an intense bromance moment as they looked into each other’s eyes. It was great to hear that after everything that they’ve been through, Dean didn’t want to let Sam down. On the other hand, you can’t help but feel that they let Adam down after trying to convince him earlier that he was family and thus important to them. Poor guy has gotten the short end of the stick repeatedly. His father was never around, he had to take care of himself because his mom worked a lot only to be both murdered by ghouls, and now he’s tricked by angels and accidentally left behind by his brothers. I did appreciate Sam’s efforts to bond with Adam as he attempted to explain that they were the good guys, not the angels. It was funny to see him deal with a seemingly younger, more cynical version of Dean.

This was a satisfying episode with the death of Zachariah, Sam and Dean back on good terms and Castiel showing off his fighting skills. All is well in the world…well if you don’t count the apocalypse of course. Can’t wait for next week’s episode where we see the return of our favorite angel with the killer humor, Gabriel!

Season 5, Episode 18: Point of No Return (Originally aired April 15, 2010)

For more on Supernatural, click here.

Thursdays at 9/8C on The CW

Photograph courtesy of The CW, Jack Rowand and David Gray.

The Vampire Diaries: It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere

In keeping with last week’s “Manflesh” theme, tonight’s episode opens on Stefan churning out some furious pull-ups on an exposed roof beam to the beat of generic power rock in Casa Salvatore. Damon enters, fresh cup of blood-n-exposition in hand, ready to tempt Stefan back into the bloodsucking part of vampirism. Stefan just wants to do some more pull-ups. Title cards.

“Uncle John” Gilbert (David Anders)–brother-in-law to Jenna, better known as Aunt Whatsherface–has returned to Mystic Falls for less-than-clear reasons and finds a less-than-warm welcome. Something about escrow and not letting minors make decisions about the family home. Elena and Jeremy find him less-than-fascinating and rush off to school, where it’s all funeral talk and recreational drug use. Tyler and Jeremy muse over the mysterious circumstances of Vicki’s death.

At the weekly Vampires Among Us tent revival, the council agrees to hush up aforementioned vampiric circumstances for the sake of the town. Uncle John makes an appearance–as a “founding family member” he’s concerned about local disappearances and blood bank break-ins–and Damon looks worried. The mayor doesn’t want anything to spoil the Founders’ Day Kickoff Party, which seems like the pettiest reason to ignore a rash of mysterious deaths ever.

The Gilberts celebrate Uncle John’s return with a family dinner, complete with years-old sexual revelations (John and Jenna used to sleep together) and awkward pauses. John promises to tell Jeremy about the family heritage sometime, which sets Jenna on edge, since as a non-Gilbert, she was never privy to all the family stories. Listen, lady–you don’t want to get a white Southerner started on his heritage. It’s probably not going to end well.

Speaking of not ending well, Stefan hasn’t overcome his bloodlust as well as he’d like, and has to throw himself into a wall to keep from biting Elena during a makeout session. After he leaves, Elena calls Damon over to help psychoanalyze Stefan. He’s more interested in stealing her old Polaroids and messing up her stuffed animal collection, though. Also, Stefan’s probably not going to get better.

Elena, worried about Jeremy’s recent spate of writing papers about vampires, takes him out for a walk and some straight talk. He takes the adoption news in stride, and they bond. At the Founder’s Day ball–which is much more along the lines of a cotillion than the parade-and-BBQ I’d envisioned–Stefan and Damon engage in a wholly different kind of sibling bonding, while Stefan seems to be fighting his thirst for blood with bourbon. He’s not the only one–every surviving member of the Donovan family is sneaking off for a nip, too. Everyone should get drunk on this show every week. Twenty minutes in and Stefan is starting an impromptu dance party, referring to himself as Elena’s “alcoholic vampire boyfriend,” and threatening strangers.

Other happenings at the Best Party Ever: Jeremy worries Damon with all his questions about Vicki’s death, Julie Cooper and Tyler sneak off to hook up, and Damon snaps Uncle John’s neck. It’s not permanent, unfortunately, because nobody in this town knows how to stay dead, but it was a nice effort. He has a massive Jostens-style ring of immortality and plot advancement that matches Alaric’s, and I’m sort of amazed no one noticed it before.

Stefan’s character notes for the evening have gone from “fun” to “bone-crush-y.” Elena’s less than pleased, especially after he attacks Matt for hanging out with her. Buddy, he spent half an hour talking about all the times he used to sleep with your girlfriend, like, two weeks ago, and you’re just getting mad now? Whatever.

Matt gets the chance to display his own testosterosity a little later when he discovers his mom and Taylor wrapped around each other. There’s brow furrowing, there’s punch throwing, there’s recrimination. And then Matt does the unforgivable–he kicks her out. You know, most moms don’t even know who their kids’ friends are. Kelly Donovan is just an involved mom, and if that’s a crime, then lock her up. Melinda Clarke, come back to us soon.

For another opinion on this episode, check out Blood Bender by Matt DeGroot.

Season 1, Episode 18: Under Control (originally aired April 15, 2010)

For more on The Vampire Diaries, click here.

Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW

Photographs courtesy of The CW and Bob Mahoney.

The Vampire Diaries: Blood Bender

In last week’s episode of The Vampire Diaries Stefan got his first taste of human blood in years and the scrumptious treat is now taking its toll. The poor guy has tried to get back to his diet of squirrel blood but even a make-out session with Elena leads to a near rabid feeding frenzy. This was all before the first commercial break so I knew things were going to get ugly this week.

One of the ways in which Stefan tries to fend off his cravings is by turning to booze so you can about imagine that if he’s not jittering for a fix, he’s wrecked off of the sauce and frankly neither option is ideal for his friends, especially Elena who understandably begins to worry about his well-being pretty quickly. This is compounded further when he gets aggressive with a guy we’ll call Jerk #1 on the dance floor at the annual Founders Day Party and looks ready to kill. Hell, even I was nervous so I can’t blame Elena for fretting.

The party becomes even more of a disaster when Matt’s trainwreck mom, Kelly, (just days after her daughter’s funeral) gets sloppy and starts to make out with Tyler (Michael Trevino). Matt spots them in their inappropriate embrace and freaks out by starting to beat Tyler up. It eventually breaks up without too much fuss but Kelly has a slight cut on her forehead and boozy Stefan smells it from the other end of the party. He somehow stops himself from gnawing on her face but after touching the wound and briefly licking his fingers, he nearly makes dinner out of Jerk #1 in the parking lot. Luckily self-control prevails and he only beats the guy up a little bit.

Of almost more concern is the sudden appearance of Elena’s Uncle John (David Anders) who is in town to raise the alarm about the expected vampire resurgence in Mystic Falls. At one point in the party he boldly confronts Damon telling him he knows that Damon and his brother are in fact vampires. Damon promptly responds by snapping his neck and tossing him off a balcony for dead. But sure enough, John strolls back into the party moments later and we know that Uncle John is more than meets the eye. He wears the same magic ring that Alaric possesses, which protects him from vamp attacks so he’s clearly going to be a big problem in weeks to come.

As the episode comes to a close Elena and Stefan pledge their love to one another and promise that they’ll get through this but shortly after, Damon leaves his struggling brother with a nice whiskey tumbler full of blood and you better believe Stefan chugs it down. It makes me wonder if different blood types taste better than others but that’s probably best left for another day because Stefan will clearly take any flavor. He has an addiction and the only cure is…well, there actually doesn’t seem to be one. This is going to get real ugly.

Other points of interest:

Matt kicks his mom out of the house after her whorish escapade at the party. I know she’s a hot mess but I can’t help but feel sorry for her.

Jeremy continues to be suspicious about the recent recovery of Vicki’s body and thinks Elena knows more than she is letting on. Obviously he is correct and proves it by reading Elena’s diary. This boy is about to go postal for sure. Shall we take bets on how many episodes he makes it through? I say not many.

Only three episodes remain before the sure-to-be-epic season finale! Lets hope they’re all good ones!

For another opinion on this episode, check out It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere by Mallory Elis.

Season 1, Episode 18: Under Control (originally aired April 15, 2010)

For more on The Vampire Diaries, click here.

Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW

Photographs courtesy of The CW and Bob Mahoney.

For Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Captivating Viewers is Really Pretty Simple…

Jake Gyllenhaal has never played an action adventure character before- that is until now.  Luckily for all women aged 12-65, Jake has finally taken on the genre in his role as Prince Dastan, in Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.  Not only did Jake spend a considerable amount of time working with a linguist to get his British accent down perfectly, but he clearly (per the images from the shoot circulating online) spent a ridiculous amount of time training to get in shape for the role.

Jake as well as producer, Jerry Bruckheimer (Pirates of the Caribbean), director Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), and executive producer/ writer of the original video game, Jordan Mechner sat down with a small group of press at WonderCon this past Saturday, April 3rd in San Francisco.

The movie, which is based on the extremely popular video game, follows an adventurous prince who joins forces with a princess (Gemma Arterton) to stop a power hungry ruler from unleashing a sandstorm that could destroy the world.  Producer Mike Newell and his team knew it would not be an easy task to shape the video game plot, into a movie that could truly connect with viewers, especially since the video game begins with everyone except 3 main characters  transformed into murderous sand monsters,    According to Newell, the key was ensuring Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time felt very real emotionally with the  humor, romance, wonderment and memorable characters – thus taking the story into a new space where a video game simply couldn’t go.

When asked, Bruckheimer stated he has no current plans to evolve Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time into a larger franchise. Although, as he tells it he also had no plans to make Pirates of the Caribbean into a franchise either, and claimed he himself was surprised America took such a liking to a drunk acting Johnny Depp dressed up as a pirate.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was filmed in 2D and will be presented in 2D.  There are currently no plans to digitally adapt it into 3D, a decision that many video game fans do not support. However, for  many non-video game playing fans heading to the theaters to see this film (see above mentioned women aged 12-65) with an extremely fit Jake Gyllenhaal fighting his way through each scene, the specifics of the film (2D vs. 3D, northern vs. southern Brit accent, etc.) will most likely not be what is capturing their attention.

2010 WonderCon: Happy Town, A Dark Mystery

Happy Town is a new dark mystery, created in the same vein as Twin Peaks that will premiere on April 28, 2010 on ABC. The show especially piqued my interest because of its setting in a small town: mythical “Haplin” Minnesota (which was, at one point, referred to as a city and at another point, a county). And, it’s nature as a black comedy in the Midwest, it initially reminded me a bit of the movie “Fargo”, without the strong Minnesota accents.
At Wondercon 2010, I had a chance to meet with three stars of the show: Geoff Stults, Amy Acker, and M.C. Gainey. I also had a chance to watch the pilot for the show. The actors describe the show as “quirkier” than Twin Peaks. There’s a large cast of 30+ characters. And there are surprises to be had. Geoff Stults praised the show for “pushing the envelope” in terms of its high level of gore and campiness. I enjoyed meeting all of the actors, who all seemed to be playing different roles than what they are used to. In particular, the ever-popular Amy Acker is accustomed to playing more “insane”/idiosyncratic characters, i.e. The Doll House, but so far in this show, she plays a more “straight” role of the mom and wife. She was worried she seemed boring. But, her real-life husband said this role reflects who she really is. We spoke to MC Gainey about his character. He is generally more accustomed to playing the villain and seems happy to play a sheriff and family man. He described his experience acting as if he is seeing visions as “trying not to imagine a white polar bear.” While watching the screening of the pilot with a large audience, the audience was quite critical of the show, saying that it was confusing and had too many subplots. I thought the show was suspenseful and entertaining.
The primary issue I had with the show is a lack of research and foresight. This is exemplified through a question I asked of cute-as-a-button actress, Amy Acker. I asked Amy “why is the show taped in Minnesota? Has the cast visited there?” She looked at me quizzically and said “no” — but that she had been to Wisconsin. Apparently, the producers had debated between setting the show in Austin, Texas and somewhere cold. The chose the latter and randomly selected Minnesota. I think its a big mistake to choose a state like Minnesota (with a very distinct culture and a strong loyal patriotism) without researching a bit why and at least visiting it once. Unfortunately, I think this demonstrates a lack of foresight and a lack of planning, and that this is a one-season wonder. A good one.

America’s Next Top Model: Attitude Stays Home

There are about 2.5 girls on this show that I can stand. When they get into the middle of arguments, that number goes down to 1. Seriously, like I’ve said before, anytime a bunch of competitive girls live in one house arguments will happen. If I lived in that house, I would shove in some earplugs, read books, and sharpen my hairpins into shanks. I wouldn’t talk to anyone. Which would probably still make some of these girls hate me.

Small rant – This week, Angelea won best picture. Her picture was great, I agree. My problem with her is this: She doesn’t act like a top model. Like someone who will be mixing with well-to-do financial backers, high society, modeling expensive makeup and clothes, when underneath she’s trash. Or at least, she presents herself that way. She rubs the other girls the wrong way on purpose, talks like she’s uneducated, and is proud of all these facets of her personality. In seasons past, Tyra and the other judges have had issues with girls who are too rough around the edges or have Southern accents they can’t lose, but Angelea seems to have them fooled. She’ll bite it hard in the weeks to come. People like her usually end up tripping themselves up without any help.

Okay, so, on to the episode! The teaching moment was to show the girls how to dress for their body-type. Everyone did well, proving they understand their shape and appeal. For the challenge they mixed at a party hosted by designer Tinsley Mortimer, who they also sat down with and held a conversation. The girls, with the exception of Alasia, did well. Alasia whined a lot and sat by herself, crying about how she doesn’t know how to talk to people. Jessica won the challenge for the second week in a row, and got to choose two friends to accompany her on a Seventeen Magazine shoot. She chose Raina and Brenda. Raina is the 1 girl I like all the time, because she never raises her voice or looks for trouble, and 99% of the time she minds her own business. Her eyebrows I’d fight with, but that’s another story.

The photo shoot was their first for Cover Girl and took place on a moving subway. I-always-seem-to-win-best-photo Jessica had trouble for the first time in a few weeks. Alasia had this blank, idiotic stare on her face the entire time. Her photos came out looking (in the eyes) like my parents’ not-quite-all-there dog. The best photos belonged to Anslee (which must have been a relief for her), Angelea, and Krista. The girls on the chopping block were Brenda and Alasia. The fact that Brenda got booted came as no surprise, since Alasia may have had a bad week but has taken gorgeous photos until now.

My favorites are Raina, Krista, and Alexandra because they avoid the screaming matches that have me reaching for my mute button. My favorite in looks, photos? Jessica. Six more girls to go. Who do you think deserves this cycle’s crown?

See more information on the judges and designers here.

Season 14, Episode 6: New York Women (originally aired April 14, 2010)

For more on America’s Next Top Model, click here.

Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.

Photographs courtesy of The CW and Barbara Nitke.

Glee: Hello, Hello!

Glee is back, and not a moment too soon!

Quite a few things have changed at McKinley High since we last stopped by. Football season is over, which means Finn is now focusing on basketball (he’s not very good at that either) and plenty of hook-ups have taken place. Rachel got her wish, and she and Finn are now a couple, while Puck and Quinn try to make things work between them. Mr. Schu and Emma are also moving forward after their little make-out session in the hallway.

Oh, yeah, and did I mention Sue Sylvester is no longer on suspension and back in her rightful position as Cheerios coach?

As per Mr. Shue’s instructions, all the songs this week have to feature the word “Hello” in the title. The Gleeks belt out a little bit of Lionel Richie, The Beatles, and some All-American Rejects in the form of “If It Gives You Hell.” It’s only missing one letter in the title – that counts, right?

Very early on in the episode, it becomes clear that Finn isn’t so sure why he’s going out with Rachel. He can’t seem to get over Quinn and has all these other issues, thus he tells Rachel it’s over. Well, she certainly turns on the waterworks for that one!

Rachel’s not down in the dumps for long. At a local music store, she meets Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff), the lead singer for Glee club rival Vocal Adrenaline. He automatically steals her heart, although admittedly that’s not too hard to do. The Gleeks are in an uproar over this new relationship accusing Rachel of “fraternizing with the enemy.” She’s convinced it’s the real deal, however we know better.

Sue Sylvester is back to her antics and ropes in Santana and Brittany again to be her minions. Although the two Cheerios rather like Glee club, they can’t help but give in to Sue’s plan when she offers them the position of Head Cheerleader if they can annihilate Glee club.

In other news, Mr. Schu is a bit of a man whore. One minute, he’s making out with Emma; the next, he’s getting it on with Vocal Adrenaline’s feisty coach Shelby (Idina Menzel). Idina Menzel, by the way, is fantastic! Her lines were funny and delivered spot on. After finding out that Schu is not yet divorced, kinda-sorta has a girlfriend, and STILL made out with her, Shelby tells him he needs to take some much needed time for himself.

What began as an episode filled with couples ended with most everyone’s heart getting broken – except for Rachel/Jesse, but that’s just a train wreck waiting to happen.

Glee finished its first half of the season on a strong note, but this second half was only so-so. Part one wrapped up all the loose ends nicely, but now new stories and drama need to be introduced. It’s almost like they’re starting all over again. I’m optimistic, though, that the next couple of episodes will get better! The dialogue is still witty and fun and most of the characters continue to be unique and enticing to watch. Can we especially give Brittany a web show or something? I would love to hear more of her random facts about dolphins and gay sharks!

Next week the Gleeks succumb to the Power of Madonna – be sure to watch Sue Sylvester’s interpretation of Vogue in preparation for it! It will blow.your.mind!

For another take on this week’s episode, check out Hello again! by Allison Toner

Season 1, Episode 14: Hell-O (originally aired April 13, 2010)

For more on Glee, click here.

Tuesdays at 9pm on Fox

Photographs courtesy of Fox and IMDbPro

Glee: Hello again!

Bonjour. Hola. Ciao. Aloha. Well, however you say hello, I am sure you are just as thrilled as I am to be saying hello again to the much anticipated return of Glee!

The members of New Directions think that since they’ve won sectionals, things will be different at school—WRONG- as they are greeted with slushee facials! Mr. Schu also gets a rude awakening during a meeting with Principal Figgins—New Directions must place at Regionals or the club is done. Plus, to Will’s surprise, cue the ominous music, Sue is back with a vengeance (i.e.—cutting off a student’s hair so he “no longer confuse her with his she-male looks”) and of course plenty of hair insults for Mr. Schu. She has been reinstated due to her drugging, fake sleeping with and blackmailing of Principal Figgins. Sue’s goals—to get Mr. Schu fired and “annihilate Glee club.”

On the Emma and Will front, they are adorable at school and plan a date at his place with Will cooking (he sings, dances, cooks…is there anything he doesn’t do?) to continue to get to know each other better.

Sue sets her plan into action using Brittany, who continues to amaze and crack me up with her extremely dumb blonde comments, and Santana with their possible reward—the head cheerleader position. The pair are to ask Finn out on a date in hopes that Rachel will get upset and leave the group.

Meanwhile, Will observes that winning sectionals hasn’t made a difference in the club member’s day to day popularity at school and therefore they need a new fresh number, a.k.a a new “hello.” Their assignment: to find songs to perform that have “hello” in the title.

Finn admits to being a little bit “off his game” (literally during a basketball game), not quite over Quinn and overwhelmed by Rachel’s intense dating, i.e. relationship calendars so they know exactly what the other is doing. Mr. Schu encourages Finn to find himself and move forward. To start the process, Finn sings “Hello, I Love You” by The Doors and throughout the song seems to gain some confidence back. Santana/Brittany ask Finn out on a date, which he agrees to. But Finn also confesses to Rachel that he must “connect to his inner rockstar before I commit to one woman.” Poor Rachel is crushed and tells Finn he is a “scared little boy” who is too overly concerned with his reputation and that she is the only person who accepts him for who he is.

Back at glee club practice, Rachel volunteers to sing her “hello” song and it is one that “sums up her feelings perfectly”—“Gives You Hell” by The All-American Rejects. I have to admit that I enjoyed her version more, sorry All-American Rejects. But Rachel’s focus on the first syllable of “hello” is not what Mr. Schu had in mind and he reminds them that their competition, Vocal Adrenaline, hasn’t lost in three years.

At a music store, Rachel searches for a real “hello” song when she bumps into Jesse St. James, the star of Vocal Adrenaline. The pair end up singing a duet of Lionel Ritchie’s “Hello” (amazing!) and when it is over Jesse asks her out.

Finn’s date with Brittany/Santana does not go well—they make fun of Rachel, ignore him and even say that he isn’t hot which prompts Finn, after he defends Rachel, to leave early.

Will and Emma’s date is going better than Finn’s as they dance to “Hello Again” and Will tells Emma that it is the perfect song for them. Things start to heat up between them, but Emma stops it and confesses that she is a virgin. I guessed they wouldn’t make it easy for Will and Emma to be together.

Following his awful date, Finn realizes his mistake and apologizes to Rachel saying he, “doesn’t want to date other girls, just her.” Rachel, however, replies that she is with Jesse now, which Finn finds suspicious and suggests that perhaps Jesse is spying.

Finn tells Mr. Schu about Jesse and Rachel, so Will goes to talk to Shelby Corcoran (the lovely and talented Idina Menzel), the coach of Vocal Adrenaline to see if they are spying. She explains that sometimes there is just a spark between two people referring to Jesse and Rachel but Shelby and Will also have that spark because they end up back at his place making out. They stop and Will confesses to being a mess because he is not yet divorced and is in a relationship with Emma. Shelby suggests he “take a breather and call her when he gets things sorted out.” I couldn’t help but wonder if Shelby is spying too.

Mercedes, Kurt and Artie confront Rachel, “cut the butter Benedict Arnold,” and tell her to choose between Jesse and the glee club.

Sue decides to try to use Rachel’s new relationship with Jesse to her advantage. She invites Rachel to a meeting of the McKinley High Old Maids club in hopes of persuading her to stay with Jesse and leave the club. Wow, I’d be freaked out too, especially by the one member who “spends her Friday nights making out with her cat and watching Ghost Whisperer.”

Meanwhile, Emma is setting up dinner at Will’s place as a surprise when Terri shows up. Terri drops a bomb on Emma saying that “Hello Again” was also her and Will’s song back in high school. Later, Emma confronts Will about the song but he replies that he didn’t even remember the song. But Emma surmises that Will may not be completely over Terri and needs to spend some time alone to get to know himself again.

Rachel confronts Jesse to find out if his feelings are real. He convinces her they are by saying “I want to introduce you to Jesse, the guy who is nuts about you and would never hurt you.” They decide to stay together and keep it a secret but as they kiss, Jesse looks over to see Shelby watching them. Hmm, I don’t trust this St. James character yet.

Rachel lies to Finn and tells him she broke up with Jesse. He replies that he thinks it is for the best and wants them to be “together, a real couple.” Rachel refuses citing she doesn’t want to cause any drama on the team. Finn’s response “ I don’t give up that easy.” Good for you Finn!!

The episode comes to a close with a final performance with the group all decked out in dresses and suits singing the Beatles, “Hello Goodbye.” An upset Emma watches Will during the song and once it ends an emotional Rachel rushes off the stage.

Wow, this Glee return episode covered a lot of ground but was very solid and entertaining. So happy to have this delightfully quirky crew back. Plus, their voices are amazing. Set those TIVO’s because next week is the Madonna episode! If you missed it, check out Sue Slyvester’s vogue video. Did you have a favorite song or quote? Let me know. I’m between Rachel’s “Gives You Hell” and her duet with Jesse. Until next week fellow Gleeks…hello!

For another take on this week’s episode, check out Hello, Hello by Stephanie Jaar

Season 1, Episode 14: Hell-O (originally aired April 13, 2010)

For more on Glee, click here.

Tuesdays at 9pm on Fox

Photographs courtesy of Fox and IMDbPro

WonderCon 2010: Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3 is coming and we had a chance to learn more about it at Wondercon 2010. First and foremost, Toy Story 3 was not always planned, and this will definitely be the last of the Toy Story franchise. With that said, Pixar, which has experienced tremendous success since the first Toy Story, seems quite confident that this one will be a smash hit, especially because it will appeal to such a broad audience of Toy Story nostalgics.

Though we didn’t actually see the movie, we saw some clips and learned about the production process. The product looks absolutely delightful. I had a chance to meet with the Director (Lee Unkrich) and a number of the movie’s actors, including John Ratzenberger (“Cliff” from Cheers), Kristen Schaal and Jeff Garlin. They spoke very about the many challenges involved in making a movie like Toy Story. Apparently, the voice-over actors do not really meet or build rapport, nor do they know or understand the plot they’re dealing with. The actors don’t even know where they are in the movie or who they’re talking to. They are simply “coached” with regard to how to deliver their lines by Lee. Apparently, Jeff is an absolute genius in channeling the appropriate articulations, emotions, and energies from the actors.

What we saw of the movie looked very whimsical and attractive. According to Jeff, technology has improved since the last Toy Story to the extent that they can portray humans much better than they could before, ala Ratatouille. Their only fear was that the humans had to be differentiated from the toys (so that they don’t look like toys), and they also had to be likable. Jeff and John also opined on the hot “Avatar”-inspired 3D movement. According to them, 3D is and should not be the main focus of these movies. It should simply draw you into the plot – which is first and foremost. In Toy Story 3, the plot has been in works for four-plus years. To add interest, we will see all of the old standards, along with some new characters.

In terms of the draw. Apparently, it is very atypical for a sequel to be released so long after its predecessor. With regard to this particular movie, many of the original Toy Story’s biggest fans were kids when the movie came out. Now they are approaching college age. Jeff expects lots of nostalgia and tears around the memories that will be conjured up and the ending on this one.

Dancing With the Stars: Double the score, double the pain

This week the judges are switching it up a bit. The couples will receive two scores: one for technique and one for performance.  They will be added together for a total score out of 60.  Last week justice prevailed and Buzz went home, sadly.  Kate is the worst dancer of the remaining celebrities, but will she find a way to survive another week?  The judges will decide whether our couples will be dancing the Tango or the Rumba this week.  Each dance requires at least three specific moves that must be executed properly.

Erin & Maks
Last week Len brought each dancer on stage for individual criticism.  This week Erin will have to be mindful of his advice as she performs the Tango.  He wants her to improve her footwork and this weighs heavily on her during rehearsal.  She has a back injury but tries to downplay it, saying that the athletes she most admires are the ones who don’t talk about their injuries or miss any playing time.  She begins the performance by dancing behind Len at the judges’ table.  I hate when contestants blatantly saddle up to the judges.  I know it’s supposed to be tongue in cheek but I find it annoying.  They perform to the Eurythmics classic “Sweet Dreams,” and I think Erin’s Tango is good but not overly impressive.  Len (of course) liked the beginning and also thought the technique was good.  Bruno says she started well but went wrong and never recovered.  Carrie Ann said that the performance suffered due to her attention to technique.  She still held Maks in the “death grip” that Carrie Ann cautioned against.  Technique: 6s across the board.  Performance: 7s across the board.

Evan & Anna
Evan is an amazing dancer.  Each week I fully expect him to deliver another excellent performance.  Len encouraged him to work on his footwork last week, and Evan is confident in his performance but worried about the technique.  Remember he has broken toes, so Anna is trying to be careful with him.  They focus on details during rehearsal, in the hopes that they can hold on to the top spot.  Their Tango is awesome. Period.  His energy and chemistry with Anna were great and he is easily the best male dancer this season.  It’s not even close.  Bruno said it was strong and powerful.  Carrie Ann said he was a great example of amazing technique.  Len said the Viennese cross is a difficult move and he nailed it.  Technique: Carrie Ann 9 Len 8 Bruno 9.  Performance: Carrie Ann 9 Len 8 Bruno 9

Niecy & Louis
Niecy underwhelmed the judges last week and could use a strong performance.  She and Louis have a good chemistry in rehearsal and they seem to get along well.  She’s been criticized in the past for her footwork, but remains a fan favorite due to her effervescent personality.  Louis explains that the Rumba is a romantic and spiritual dance and says he wants to dedicate the dance to Niecy’s brother Michael, who died 17 years ago.  Apparently it is a great therapeutic dance.  I thought their performance was emotional and tender.  Maybe I only focus on Niecy’s upper body and her arm movements, so I don’t notice the footwork.  I think her brother would have been proud.  Unfortunately the judges didn’t seem to enjoy it that much.  Len enjoyed the musicality but wanted more hip action.  He said there were no highlights; it was boring and remained at one level.  Bruno said it needed more color and she looked as if she were in a trance, it didn’t gel.  Carrie Ann said as a tribute to her brother, she could appreciate it; however, it didn’t ’read’ well.  She did say she liked it though, so that’s something.  Technique: Carrie Ann 6 Len 6  Bruno 6. What an evil score!  Performance: Carrie Ann 6 Len 6  Bruno 6.

Aiden & Edyta
Aiden is a bashful guy, but that won’t cut it with the sexy, romantic Rumba.  To get him to loosen up, Edyta accompanies him to a fan event where the public can meet their favorite soap stars.  He performs shirtless on the ship, and that seems to boost his confidence.  His Rumba is ok, but it looks like he’s trying and over-thinking it.  It doesn’t seem to flow naturally.  Carrie Ann said he was more comfortable but the technique was off.  Len said there was no flow and no musicality.  Just when he thought it couldn’t get worse.  Ouch.  Bruno said the “Blue Steel” was good, but when he started dancing it was like stop-motion animation.  All the movement has to come from the center, and that did not happen.  Technique: Carrie Ann 5 Len 5  Bruno 5  Performance: Carrie Ann 6 Len 6 Bruno 6

Nicole & Derek
Nicole is a beautiful girl and a great dancer, but I’m sensing somewhat of a pouty arrogance with her.  This week she and Derek must tackle the Rumba.  She’s a perfectionist and tries to get the technique correct during rehearsal.  I thought she was very elegant and graceful in her performance.  Once again, I’m seeing something the judges don’t see.  They all had varying degrees of criticism for her.  Bruno said she is beautiful to watch but there were a few stumbles and her hip action needed to be raunchier.  Carrie Ann said she was nervous and had quivering ankles.  Len said she struck the right balance between technique and performance.  One of the steps she needed to execute was the “Sliding Doors” move, and Len was not pleased with the job she did.  Technique: Carrie Ann 9  Len 8  Bruno 8.  Performance: 8  Len 8  Bruno 9.  Despite their tough criticism she got very high scores, so she really should be pleased.  Instead she appears on the verge of tears.

Jake & Chelsie
Last week Jake was in the bottom two and I think it freaked him out.  He shows up wearing a t-shirt inscribed with Len’s advice to shut up and “trust your pro.”  He’s very committed to the Tango and is determined not to face elimination this time.  Their Tango started pretty well, and at the midpoint he executed some very difficult and fancy footwork down the steps on the stage.  It was downhill after that though.  He stumbled pretty badly towards the end and is lucky he didn’t fall and take Chelsie down with him.  Len said he attacked the dance which was great, but that aggression caused his misstep.  Bruno said the energy was good but he was very messy and went wrong many times with questionable footwork.  Carrie Ann said his biggest problem is the way he holds Chelsie.  He’s not emotionally and physically connected, but she still liked the performance.  Technique: Carrie Ann 6 Len 7 Bruno 6.  Performance: Carrie Ann 7 Len 6 Bruno 6

Kate & Tony
Kate knows she’s a weak dancer, and she’s easily frustrated during rehearsal.  She complains about her public divorce, and Tony tells her if she fails this week then ‘he’ wins.  She’s so whiny and says how some of the other contestants have an advantage over her in the Tango.  After watching her performance, I’ll admit that this week marked a real breakthrough for Kate.  Oh don’t get me wrong, she still sucked – let’s be clear.  She was only slightly terrible this week, but hey that’s improvement!  Bruno said she was actually dancing and there was improvement, although the technique is still bad.  Carrie Ann said that she lacks artistry but that she respects her determination.  Len commended Tony for bringing Kate to produce her best dance so far.  Technique:  Carrie Ann 4 Len 5 Bruno 5.  Performance: Carrie Ann 6 Len 6 Bruno 6

Chad & Cheryl
Flirty Chad should enjoy being romantic with Cheryl during their Rumba.  In the package he reveals that he bought Cheryl a diamond ring.  And she’s actually sporting it on her left hand WTF?!  He relishes the chance to flaunt his hip action.  He tries to improve his posture during rehearsal, but sometimes he’s too rough with his partner.  Their Rumba is sexy and Chad has great movement.  One funny moment occurred when he cast a sexy glance over to Carrie Ann while romancing Cheryl during the performance.  Carrie Ann said it was his best dance yet and she loved the improvement in his posture.  Len agreed.  Bruno said his hips were alive and he was fluid.  Technique: Carrie Ann 7 Len 6 Bruno 8.  Performance: Carrie Ann 8 Len 7 Bruno 8

Pam & Damian
The judges decided that the Rumba would make best use of Pam’s *ahem* talents.  Last week Bruno said that there was a real dancer beneath the sexy exterior, and he was right.  Len warned her that the Rumba was a dance for the ballroom not the bedroom.  During rehearsal she struggled with the timing.  Eventually she improves and delivers a wonderful performance.  Her movements were refined and she ably conveyed the sex appeal and vulnerability it required.  Honestly I thought the dance was right up her alley, and the judges agreed.  Len thought it was great.  Bruno said that she can do refinement and elegance and still be drop-dead sexy.  Technically the best dance she’s ever done.  Carrie Ann said there was a beautiful, magical sophistication.  Technique:  Carrie Ann 7 Len 8 Bruno 8.  Performance:  Carrie Ann 8 Len 7 Bruno 9

The stars were stressed out and nervous this week, perhaps because of the double score format.  It will be interesting to see who goes home.

RESULTS
Immediately we find out that Chad and Jake are safe.  I’m sure he was very relieved after being in the bottom two last week.  Next, Len recaps the performances from the previous night.  Erin, Niecy and Aiden were marginal to poor.  Evan and Nicole were decent to good.  But it is Pam that the judges wish to see in an encore performance.  Hopefully the voters enjoyed her performance as much as the judges did.  As I’ve mentioned before, I hate results shows because I have to endure inane filler while they prolong the outcome.  This results show wasn’t too bad though.  They did funny movie trailer parodies for each contestant this time, and I was actually amused by the corniness.  After commercial break we are treated to the wonderful Sade.  What a coup for the show!  That was the highlight of the show in my opinion.  We also get a candid look into the world of professional ballroom dancing as the pros relay their experiences as young dancers on the professional circuit.  Apparently professional ballroom dancing is a very cutthroat business.  Cheryl and Tony recount instances of actually getting physical with other competitors.  Fortunately they don’t have to worry about such antics now, and this provides a good segue into a performance by the current crop of up-and-coming young dancers.  Eventually the numbers get whittled down and we’re left with Kate, Aiden and Niecy.  I silently hope that Kate has danced her last dance.  Somehow she scrapes by AGAIN and we’re left with Aiden and Niecy.  This is a shame, but Aiden did have poor scores and heavy criticism from the judges and it is he who is sent packing.  How long can Kate survive?  This is becoming a compelling subplot, stay tuned!

Season 10, Week 4: Round 3 Performances and Results Show (originally aired April 12 and 13, 2010)

For more on Dancing with the Stars, click here.

Mondays and Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC.

Photographs courtesy of ABC, Adam Larkey

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