Being Human Review: No Actual Werewolves Were Harmed

This week’s episode of Being Human, “Dog Eat Dog,” starts off with Aidan’s voiceover about immortality forcing you to live with your sins rather than outlive them. We see Marcus unloading some older looking coffins from a hearse and then are pulled into a flashback of Aidan and Bishop, before the latter was head of the family and while the former was kind of, well, evil. Bishop appears to be in love with a human, and Aidan disapproves. The voiceover continues, saying that traveling for eternity alone is worthless.

Back in present day, Rebecca (Sarah Allen) reacts fiercely to the news of Bernie’s death. She tells Aidan (Sam Witwer), “He was the closest thing I’ll ever have to a son,” and asks him if he was there when his own son died. Aidan reacts with violence and the two are broken up by Bishop (Mark Pellegrino) and asked to leave. The dwellers of the old coffins, the cocooned Dutch we first met a few weeks ago, will be awake soon. Aidan explains to Rebecca these are elder vampires who came from the Netherlands and choose to hide in Amish country because it’s the closest thing to an orthodox lifestyle they can find. He also tells Bishop he doesn’t plan to stick around for the reunion, as he’s no longer part of the family. Bishop thinks Hegeman, the leader of the Dutch, will consider Aidan’s current lifestyle choices an insult to the empire they built, and thinks it’s in his best interest to stay.

At home, Josh (Sam Huntington) uses a Bluetooth so he doesn’t look crazy while talking to Sally (Meaghan Rath) in public. He’s shucking some corn for a daytime barbecue he’s got planned with Nora (Kristen Hager), which should be safe since the full moon is tonight. Is it just me, or does it seem like full moons happen every other week or so? Sally tells Josh she thinks it’s nice he has someone who makes him feel alive, that she doesn’t feel like a part of anything after what happened with Nick. Josh tells her she’s a part of something, here with him and Aidan. She disagrees because she’s always in the dark and can’t ever help them. Josh walks around into the alley and we hear tires screech and a struggle. Sally rushes after him and finds the corn on the ground, but no sign of Josh.

Again in flashback, Bishop sits outside the familiar unnamed hospital of Boston with a human nurse, telling her how much he needs her. They share a kiss and he offers to turn her, but she thinks his life is unnatural, and she’d be cheating God. She goes into work and they agree to table the topic until later. Aidan shows up and tells Bishop to be done with it and turn her if he wants to keep the relationship. Bishop doesn’t want to do things that way and Aidan tells him carrying on like they are spits in the face of their people. Bishop says he respects her humanity too much.

In the present, Marcus (Vincent Leclerc) and Bishop wait for the Dutch to awaken. Hegeman opens his coffin first and downs a pitcher of blood and the others are quick to follow. Also in the parlor, Josh wakes up in a cage. A man named Douglas explains that vampires view werewolf fights as sport, placing bets on who wins. The winner keeps fighting, the loser dies. Douglas is the current champion.

The Dutch, now fully awake, judge the charade of the funeral home and the paint job Bishop’s done since they last visited, which is clearly not often. Aidan comes in for appearance’s sake, just as Bishop tells the Dutch about tonight’s entertainment – the wolf fight. They venture down to the basement, where they force Josh and Douglas to strip so the Dutch can examine them.

Bishop flashes back, rushing to the funeral home and apologizing to the Dutch for being late. They forgive his absence as they’ve enjoyed being entertained by Aidan. The current head of family (also apparently Bishop’s maker) comes in and is savagely attacked by two of the Dutch and killed, dusting out. The Dutch explain he had to die for allowing Bishop to carry out the heresy of dating a human. “You’ve fallen, Bishop, let us help you up,” Hegeman says. Bishop thinks he’s beyond their help. The Dutch offer him control of the Boston family if he gives up the girl.

In the present day basement, Josh is back in his cage while Douglas reviews some notes. He asks Josh about Aidan, and how it must complicate things to know one of the vampires. Josh thinks Aidan must have a reason for his inaction and tries to convince Douglas to help him break out. Douglas is too afraid of what he might do on his own on the outside. Josh thinks he’s brainwashed and Douglas admits he no longer thinks of trying to escape. Josh asks about his notes, which Douglas dismisses as nothing until Josh tells him about his own notebook, and how he thought he might be able to isolate the transformation.

At the apartment, Aidan searches his room for keys so he can free Josh. Sally is concerned, but he doesn’t want her to get involved. Back in the basement, Josh and Douglas are looking over his notes when Sally appears. Apparently not all vampires are respectful of ghosts and the Dutch tried to dissipate her. She tells them Aidan has a plan, which Josh doubts and explains the wolf fighting to Sally.

Aidan begs Rebecca to seduce the keys away from Marcus. She refuses because of Bernie and Aidan tells her this is not the way to take her revenge. Sally mists in and instantly recognizes Rebecca from the vampire sex DVD and is furious with both her and Aidan, wanting them both to end the wolf fight madness. Rebecca says, “Sweetie, no one’s gonna stop the crazy train in this place.” Rebecca tells Sally she knows how she feels, wanting out of her situation too, and wishes her luck with trying to free Josh, then leaves. Sally asks Aidan why he’s picking the vampires over the two of them. Aidan tells her there’s an order to things. She asks him if there’s ever been something he’s cared about enough to take a stand.

Back in the old world, Bishop feels like his new role as head of family forces him to live in the shadows. Aidan says this is what they’ve been working for and all Bishop needs to do is say yes and dump the girl. Aidan reminds him he once had a family too, until Bishop stole everything and made him a vampire, convincing him they could be more. Frustrated, Aidan renounces Bishop as his maker for choosing a life with his human lover over the Boston family. Aidan tells him it’s either leave now, or betray him later.

Back in the present, a crowd is ready for the wolf cage fight. Aidan tells Bishop if he lets Josh go, he’ll come back to the family.

Marcus taunts Josh in his cage while Sally watches. For some reason, vampires seem to really love a good accordion performance, and that’s exactly what the crowd gets as they wait for the death match to start. Josh is led in, chained and covered with a tarp, before being bolted to a chair. The crowd stares as he transforms and Bishop whispers something to Marcus that visibly angers him. Bishop tells the Dutch there’s been a problem with the older wolf and the fight has been cancelled out of respect to those who placed wagers on each. Hegeman tells Bishop he should offer some of the family to fight instead, but Bishop refuses. Josh completes the transformation, breaking free of the chains and his chair. Marcus apologizes to Bishop, saying there’s been a problem as Douglas in wolf form enters the cage.

Later at the apartment, Josh doesn’t know how to live with himself, having presumably killed Douglas to survive to this moment. Aidan tells him your first kill always stays with you. Josh asks Aidan why he wasn’t locked back up, and what Aidan did to make it happen. Aidan starts off cryptically, but then explains to Josh and Sally that he has to go with the vampires, at least for a few episodes little while. Sally is upset and Aidan explains that it’s part of the vampire code of honor. Sally doesn’t see any honor in this situation.

Josh is confused, because the house and this striving for normalcy was all Aidan’s idea. He asks, “What are we supposed to believe in if we can’t believe in you?” Aidan tells them they can, and asks for forgiveness for making the deal.

Flashing back, Bishop sneaks into the hospital to see his nurse, Jane. They kiss and he tells her how he loves her vibrancy and how alive she is. Then he compels her to agree with him that their relationship is not natural, as he strangles her, telling her it has to be this way, so he can be stronger. He leaves her lifeless body on a hospital bed.

In present day, Aidan sees Bishop talking with the Dutch on the street. Aidan wants them gone, and Bishop agrees but wants to show them around Boston so they’ll leave. He figures it’s worth another few decades of peace with the Dutch back in Amish farmland. Bishop thinks they’re in Boston to kill him.

It was great to see a role reversal in this week’s flashbacks, with Aidan and Bishop apparently having fought for decades about the best way to spend eternity. The Dutch, while from a mythology standpoint work well for me in this universe, were ultimately not the terrifying elders they could’ve been. Four men with facial hair and a penchant for vests don’t really strike fear in my heart.

I’m intrigued by where Douglas’ research about the wolf transformations may lead Josh in the future, as well as what it means now that Aidan’s back home with the vampire mafia. Scenes from next week promise more Amish vampire shenanigans, a hopefully botched exorcism and a potential new set of little paws in Josh’s future.

Season 1, Episode 10 “Dog Eat Dog” (original air date March 21, 2011)

Being Human airs Mondays at 9/8c on Syfy.

Images courtesy of Philippe Bosse and Syfy.

Californication Review: The Last Supper

Holy Macaroni, they totally went there. Hank Moody has been found guilty. Not through any kind of suspenseful build up or dramatic courtroom scene, but on Defamer of all places, almost matter-of-factly seen as Karen opens up a nearby laptop the morning after the court hearing to see the disappointing news. Passing through the kitchen, Becca needs only see the look on her face and she knows, “Guilty?” and with a great sadness on her face, storms out of the apartment. So begins the final bow of Season 4 of Californication, ending with bigger question marks than any previous season before it and we’re not even at the finale yet.

As the episode collects itself, we see all the main characters bear the burden of the news, each in their respective worlds; Karen and Becca at home, Charlie (Evan Handler) at work, Marcy (Pamela Aldon) at the doctor’s office. Charlie takes it worst of all, sobbing into the open arms of Stu, but strangely Hank seems cautiously Zen about the entire thing, “Well, that happened…”, until Abby (Carla Gugino) recommends that they get completely hammered. Recalling the series pilot, Hank dreams himself into a church where he meets a prickly nun again who espouses some knee-jerk advice that his family would be better off without him. He wakes in Abby’s bedroom and tries for a stealthy escape but instead has a heart-to-heart with Abby in which he steels himself to “prepare for the worstest”: Jail time.

Hank’s first stop this morning is to Charlie’s house, where Peggy tries to engage the two in a three-way round of “Home Invasion,” but Hank relents, “I’m too tired.” Filling in the silver lining to the cloud hovering over Hank, Charlie presents him with his check for the Slowly We Rot 2 re-write with the encouragement to not spend it all in one place, to which Hank responds by immediately buying a new Porsche (smashing out the left headlight, of course) and racing off to see Becca. The two try to have a quiet moment amidst the low din of the LAX runway, but Becca takes her anger out on Hank. Sinking, Hank goes back to Chateau Marmont for a bit of afternoon drinky and runs into Trixie (Judy Greer), a call girl he once dallied with in Season 2. He slips her some cash and the two slip away upstairs, not for sex, but for much needed conversation. The topic of pulling a Polanski comes up again and Hank quickly dozes off into one of the stranger dream sequences of the show; a 1950’s sitcom-style life of riley, replete with a refurbished apartment, and era-appropriate clothes. It is a surreal peek at the quintessential nuclear-Moody family and it is enough to freak Hank out.

On the road, Hank makes a snap decision and speeds onto the freeway and to his exodus, never to be seen again…until he receives a frantic phone call from Marcy. He zooms back to his apartment to find – Surprise! – Karen, Becca, Charlie, and Marcy throwing confetti and blowing party whistles. Charlie smiles, “We wanted to throw a ‘Hank is Innocent!’ party, but we had to work with what you gave us.” The five of them have a lively dinner, telling old stories and yukking it up. Just like old times. The good times.  “Take it from someone who was observing and taking notes,” Becca explains, “You guys were good together.” Becca heads off for bed and the four adults retire to the patio for some after-dinner drinks and a partrake of the weed.  The four actors are so natural, so “good together,” that the scene doesn’t feel like a scene at all. It feels like four adults drinking and talking as adults do. Duchovny, McElhone, Handler, and Adlon are the beating heart of the series and this scene shows exactly why.

As the night slowly burns away, Hank and Karen slow dance in their living room, trying to figure out where it all went wrong. But it’s all been so fucked up for so long, that they can’t even keep track or remember the who’s, the how’s, the why’s.  It’s such an impossible situation, that it can only be the end for the two of them. After all the hills and valleys of their relationship, the door is finally closing. And when Karen asks, “If you were going to have sex with somebody and you knew that it would be the absolute last time, what do you think it would be like?” and Hank responds, “I think it would be terribly sad,” Karen’s only response can be, “Make me sad.”

In a generally mixed-bag season, showrunner Tom Kapinos has thrown the ultimate curve-ball: Hank is guilty. Now, even if only for one episode, the dynamic of the show has been thrown into complete chaos. Because there is so much real-time passing in between seasons of the show, it is fully possible that Hank be sentenced to jail until the start of Season 5 next year. It’s also fully plausible that he’ll get away with merely a slap on the wrist. But the odds are so evenly split that there is no telling how the pendulum is going to swing.

Anyone want to help me make some “Free Hank” signs before the finale?

Season 4, Episode 11: “The Last Supper” (originally aired March 20, 2011)

Hit rock bottom with Hank Moody on Californication, Sundays at 9 ET/PT on Showtime

Images courtesy of Jordin Althaus for Showtime

 

The Amazing Race Review: Basketball and Cheerleaders Don’t Mix

On last week’s episode of The Amazing Race, both Zev/Justin and Kent/Vyxsin’s futures were left up in the air as seven teams checked into the pit stop to learn this double leg race to near exhaustion was not over yet.

When we last left off, Kent and Vyxsin discovered that they had left their fanny pack with their passports behind at the last task. Knowing the consequences of checking into the pit stop without the required documentation (i.e. elimination), the team frantically turns back around to retrieve them and are grateful to find that they have been turned in to the lost and found. By the time they get to the pit stop, Zev and Justin, as well as the other teams, have already checked in. As the last team to arrive, Kent/Vyxsin are relieved when Phil tells them that this is a non-elimination leg but because they did not take the required flight out of Japan, the team has incurred a 30 minute penalty. So the team begins this leg with a whole lot of screwed counting a 30 minute penalty, last place finish, oh, and a double U-turn ahead; Kent and Vyxsin will need a miracle to pull this off.

Now, Kent and Vyxsin have been out of the competition for a while in the eyes of the other teams who have not seen hide nor hair of them in a matter of days. So when Kent/Vyxsie show up as the other teams are waiting for their transportation to the next city, of course all the other teams are immediately concerned. Before they arrived, it was a pretty relaxed mood for the eight other teams as the Globetrotters, Cowboys, and sisters Kisha/Jen, decided to engage in a little b-ball showdown. All the teams are relaxing and having fun until the Goths arrive, and you can feel the change immediately in the atmosphere as their appearance takes a hit on the other teams. What does this mean? How can this be? With all the teams back in the competition the heat is definitely back and as one team exclaims, “This changes everything.” What the other teams don’t know is that Kent/Vyx have that little penalty, because for some reason they decided it would be best to hide (lie) when outright asked if they had received a penalty. I don’t know if this is a smart move or not, but it’s definitely a desperate one for a team who’s got to put it all on the line if they want to stay in this game.

Ron and Chris have had the “home court advantage” in China, because, of course, they’re Chinese and speak the language fluently. This week Zev and Justin decide to take advantage of this and tag along after Ron/Chris for most of the leg. Ron and Chris don’t have a problem with this because it assures them that at least one other team remains behind them at all times. Flight Time and Big Easy could have probably used some of that direction this time around; every single second these guys seemed to get lost. I mean, it was really bad. Other teams had stepped up and finished the task before the Globetrotters even found the right neighborhood for the challenge. Add to that the fact that Cowboys Jet/Cord took their cab at the last clue, leaving them stranded and searching the streets for a while, things have been better for them.

For the challenge this week, the teams had to choose between two tasks. The first task required the teams to watch a stage performance and then put dolls together in the order as seen on stage; this task required memorization skills and attention to detail. Surprisingly all of the teams who chose this task get through with no problem; choosing the divide and conquer method each teammate remembers 7 of the 14 cast members. The second task asked the teams to unload a solar water heating system on top of a building. This task is physically intensive as the teams must haul three boxes of solar panels up the flights of stairs before installing the panels. Kent/Vyxsin seem to have the most trouble with this task, and most of the time Vyxsin is screaming at a whining Kent to man up and carry on.

In spite of their hiccup at the challenge, Kent/Vyxsin make it to the U-turn in time to be the first team to crush someone’s dreams. Margie/Luke and the Cowboys had actually been there first and decided from the goodness of their hearts (or from the fear of that equalizer called Karma) not to use the U-turn. But Kent/Vyx don’t have that luxury. They arrive at the U-turn mere seconds before Jamie/Cara and even though Jamie/Cara BEG them to U-turn the Trotters, Kent and Vxy want the security of knowing that they’re in front of someone. So, they screw over Jamie/Cara , but at least they look sorry about it. To complete the triangle of ill-will the Cheerleaders proceed to follow their own suggestion and U-turn the Globetrotters.

At the next task, Jen asks Vyxsin why they used the U-turn, an understood no-no to handicap other teams of the Race, and Vyx finally admits to her team’s 30 minute penalty which left them no choice. Hearing this, Ron is upset and says to camera that he no longer trusts the other team because they’re liars and people of low character. Back at the U-turn the Cheerleaders quickly finish the task, but run into a delay when their cab driver needs to make a stop for fuel which leaves just enough time for the Globetrotters to move ahead.

All teams are on even ground, so to speak, at the second task which requires them to put together a life-size dinosaur. All of the teams struggle with this one and Gary/Mallory, who turned up last at the site, decide to use their express pass to skip through. They go back to pick up their taxi which they discover has left them, and in the time that it takes them to find another, Jet/Cord slip through to nab the number one spot. Gary/Mallory take second place. Zev/Justin and Jamie/Cara are the last teams at the site, but unfortunately for the Cheerleaders the physical exertions of wrestling with a dinosaur were just too much. They were the last to arrive at the pit stop and are eliminated.

Here are the rankings:
1. Jet/Cord- winning $5,000 each
2. Gary/ Mallory
3. Margie/Luke
4. Kisha/Jen
5. Kent/Vyxsin
6. Flight Time/Big Easy
7. Ron/Chris
8. Zev/Justin

Next week on The Amazing Race, the teams travel to Calcutta where Luke reaches his breaking point.

Season 18, Episode 5: Don’t Ruin the Basketball Game (original airdate March 21, 2011)

The Amazing Race airs Sundays at 8/7c on CBS.

Images courtesy of Robert Voets/CBS.

The Lincoln Lawyer Review: A Not So Guilty Pleasure

Few film genres are as predictably convoluted as the courtroom drama, but the most successful entries circumvent tired plot twists by peppering the narrative with bold characters who wear their quirks like a badge. The latest example of one such unlikely hero is Mick Haller, the slick defense attorney at the heart of The Lincoln Lawyer, who sinks into the underbelly of Los Angeles as comfortably as the backseat of his titular mobile office. Matthew McConaughey embodies the lovable sleaze, first introduced in the best-selling Michael Connelly novel upon which the film is adapted, with such ease one is suddenly hard-pressed to wonder why the actor slummed his talents in the depths of rom-com hell for the last few years.

Haller’s reputation among L.A.’s seediest pockets is one that’s awarded him repeat business from biker gangs, drug dealers, street thugs and other petty criminals whose guilt is never under question. Rather, Haller’s technique is to keep his clients’ inevitable sentences as lenient as possible, via his remarkable skill of uncovering  thrifty legal technicalities to garner the best plea deal an unmarked envelope of cold, hard cash will buy. His unconventional ambulance-chasing tactics and swaggering persona, all singularly embodied by the use of his old school Lincoln Continental that chauffeurs him from one SoCal courthouse to the next, suggest a typical wheeler-dealer devoid of any ethical compass that could mar the success of his business strategy. However, once Haller is handed a seemingly slam-dunk case defending a pretty-boy real estate heir (Ryan Phillippe) for aggravated assault and attempted murder, Haller is taken on the ultimate joyride that gives him a disturbing new perspective into the murky moral dilemma his practice has created.

Haller reveals a glimpse of insight into the motivation behind his work when he talks about his father’s belief there is nothing scarier for a lawyer than defending an innocent client. By continuously representing actual criminals, Haller explains, he’s able to avoid the possibility of a wrongful conviction. When Phillippe’s accused rapist Louis Roulet is presented to Haller as a privileged trust-fund kid framed by a gold-digging prostitute, however, counsel is quick to assume Roulet’s petulant pout (or perhaps that’s all Phillippe) and firm insistence to go to trial illustrate the truth behind his testimony. Of course, Haller’s trusty investigator Frank Levin (William H. Macy, sporting a most-righteous ‘stache) is quick to smell a rat. Subsequent inquiry uncovers information that not only puts Roulet’s self-proclaimed innocence in question, but also brings up a past case of Haller’s that gives him reason to believe he’d unknowingly put an innocent man behind bars years earlier. As Haller gradually pieces together the connection between the two cases, his quest to achieve justice on both counts puts his job, family and life in increasing danger, and further complicates his already-foggy ethical standards.

Along for the ride are a criminally underused Marisa Tomei as Haller’s prosecutor ex-wife with whom he has a daughter, Josh Lucas as the opposing counsel in Roulet’s case, John Leguizamo as a bribable bail bondsman, and Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) in a glorified cameo as a hard-nosed detective who enjoys undermining Haller. All actors are appropriately cast and offer refreshingly crisp performances that pair well with the briskly paced script. Only Phillippe is in danger of sliding into ham-fisted territory, but his smug Richie Rich character practically requires a toothy sneer – all that’s missing is a sweater tied around his shoulders.

The Lincoln Lawyer begins with a winking aesthetic and tone, its color palette saturated with a sweaty grit of greens and yellows that let viewers know this L.A. is a far cry from the sunny gloss associated with the 90210 side of town. As the opening credits span a tour of L.A.’s cultural web to the beat of 70s R&B tune “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City,” director Brad Furman (The Take) establishes a modern noir undertone that carries the film with a structure as sturdy as the Lincoln’s. When the story begins its descent into darker territory and uncovers one requisite revelation after another, screenwriter John Romano (Hill Street Blues) deftly steers the narrative from the clutches of formulaic mediocrity and keeps the mystery engaging in light of its conventional progression.

McConaughey should enjoy a noticeable increase in the quality of roles he’s offered in the wake of his thoroughly engaging turn as the likably shady Mick Haller. He manages to create a well-rounded and complex character that could easily be otherwise pigeonholed into the stuffy confines of caricature. With the help of Furman’s coarse, color-drenched vision of Los Angeles and sweeping camera work, along with Romano’s nimble dialogue, McConaughey and his capable co-stars make The Lincoln Lawyer an immersive and thoroughly entertaining film that makes an indelible mark on an often-overwrought genre. In an era of Hollywood when the most undeserved schlock is awarded a sequel, I’m surprised to find myself endorsing further adaptations of Connelly’s Mick Haller novels. Here’s hoping the Lincoln has a full tank of gas.

 

 

Dancing With the Stars Review: Cheers to Kirstie Alley and the Gang of ‘Who?’

It seems like I have waited forever to see the return of my favorite host Tommy B. (that’s Tom Bergeron for you regular folk – I call him Tommy B. We’re tight like that), Brooke Burke, and the rest of the gang come back to the Ballroom of glitter, glitz, and dreams. In reality, it has only been a few short months since Dancing With the Stars last aired. This show is on the air more than Charlie Sheen’s Adonis DNA, so for me to say that I missed it, is really saying a lot. But I did miss it. Tom Bergeron is the perfect host. He is like a warm cup of coffee: relaxing, comforting, and feels like home. Plus, he smells good. I have never smelled the man, but I guarantee he smells good. You can tell. He also knows when and how to tell a joke, and when to sit back and let the show speak for itself. Bergeron is the host of dreams. This season’s cast, on the other hand, is the cast of “I’m sorry, WHO are you again?” I literally do not who know half of these people are. They should have called this year’s show Dancing With People You’ve Never Heard of – and Kirstie Alley. But I digress. Tom and the gang got the dancing action on right away in this premiere episode; so let’s get started on getting to know these folks, shall we? I will list the “star” name first, and then the name of their partner/pro-dancer. Here we go …. “LIIIIIIVEEEEEE!!!!!!”

1. Chelsea Kane / Mark Balis:

So, Chelsea started out by telling us that “a lot of people know me from the Disney Channel …” Right. And a lot of people don’t. I fall into the don’t category, since I’m older than 7. Absolutely no clue who this girl is, but she is oddly charming and cute in the same way that a smiley face icon is cute. After awhile though, I may find myself wanting to pummel her in her cute face. Only time will tell. Her and Mark danced a foxtrot to some supercute music with a supercute yellow background, and she did quite well for her first ever dance on the show. It’s a sunshine day for Chelsea, as the judges score her: 7/7/7.

2. Wendy Williams / Tony Dovolani:

As many people know, Wendy Williams is the host of a very annoying talk show. The first thing that sticks out about Wendy are her ginormous boobs. I can’t help but wonder to myself if her penis is as large as those breasts. What? You know she’s a man, right? I am not even trying to be mean here. I just strongly feel that she is a man. I think it is great that the transgendered community has decided to “represent” on the show this year. I also found it hilarious that they chose to dance to the song: “I’m Every Woman.” Or man. Either way, he/she and her partner danced the Cha Cha Cha, and her outfit made her look like a reject dancer from the 1980′s show Solid Gold. Either that, or a giant walking caramel. As for the dancing, it was about as stiff as her man-penis. Judge Bruno Tonioli told her to please “unleash the beast!”; and I am afraid to ask what that means. Len Goodman pointed out that her “dumplings” were “boiling over” in that dress. They certainly were. Please, for the love of penis, make it stop! Judges’ Scores: 5/4/5

3. Hines Ward / Kym Johnson:

Steelers wide-receiver and MVP player Ward steps in as this season’s token football player, and his Cha Cha Cha isn’t half bad. Fast-paced, good rhythm, and a nice, light footing are a good start for Hines and Kym. The costume people, for whatever reason, chose to dress him in brown “slacks” and suspenders that made him look like a UPS delivery man, but the couple’s moves were alright indeed. Judges’ Scores: 7/7/7

Brooke Burke gave her first “How does that feel?” of the season with this couple; her very favorite question to ask. “You got a 3! How does that feel?” or “You scored a perfect 10! How does that feel?” or “You just found out your mom died 4 seconds before dancing tonight! How does that feel?” You get the idea. Hey, she looks pretty in a dress though. Just not the sharpest pencil in the box. How does that feel?

4. Petra Nemcova / Dmitry Chaplin:

Every season has an emotional story, and Petra is this year’s tug-at-your-heart-strings tale. She is the gorgeous model who survived the 2004 tsunami, but lost her fiance in the process. They were over there together. She got out alive – he did not. And now, during their first week of rehearsals, the Japan earthquake/tsunami hit, and the feelings of sadness and emotion rushed through Petra all over again. That has GOT to be tough, and I admire her for being on the show. Their foxtrot dance to a beautiful Norah Jones song was quite lovely, with a few moments of greatness. Her body moves well and with nice flow, but she smiled as if she was in a beauty pageant throughout the entire dance. So, she needs to work on getting more into the character and feel of the dance. Brooke asked her second “how does that feel?” to this couple, and the judges scored them as: 6/6/6.

5. Romeo / Chelsea Hightower:

Romeo is a rapper and actor. I know this because Tom Bergeron’s voiceover told me. Also, his father, Master P., was on the show years ago, and received some of the lowest scores in the show’s history. He got a bunch of 2′s. TWO’s! So, I guess now we are calling the show Dancing With the Relatives of the Failed Stars of Past Seasons – because I literally have no idea who this Romeo character is. Anyway, his dance was okay I guess. Honestly, I barely noticed him doing anything. Horny Carrie Ann did though, as she told him that he has “sexual energy for days!” Rarrrr! Down girl. Take your hormone pills. Judges’ Scores: 7/6/6.

6. Sugar Ray Leonard / Anna Trebunskaya:

Sugar Ray was brought to tears during rehearsal out of sheer frustration with himself for his lack of instant dancing abilities. This man is a boxing legend. But get him on a dance floor, and suddenly he is an emotional trainwreck. I don’t get it. What are they doing to these people on this show that makes them all turn into weepy little girls because they can’t produce a foxtrot on the spot? There is more crying on this show than on a Lifetime Movie of the Week starring Meredith Baxter Birney. In any case, Sugar Ray danced with a lot of caution, as if he was walking through hot coals. My favorite line of the night was Bruno asking Ray: “Can I call you Sugar?” He said yes. Judges’ Scores: 6/5/6.

7. Kendra Wilkinson / Louis Van Amstel:

Kendra is a “reality star.” Again, I know this because she told me. Her claim to fame? A show that revolves around Hugh Hefner’s “girls”. Also, she used to be a stripper. Awesome. I love people who are famous for literally no reason. They are my favorite kind of famous people. Can you hear the sarcasm in my type? Hugh Hefner sat in the audience to cheer on his girl. No wonder it felt like Bergeron was rushing through tonight’s episode with very little schtick. Hefner’s curfew back at the mansion is 11pm. His balls have to be put away by 10pm. As for Kendra, she pretty much annoyed me right out of the gate. And Amstel is like a cartoon character, with his white, too-tight shirt buttoned down practically to his belly-button, showing off his man-nipples and chest. Together, these two looked like something out of a bad porn. Judges’ Scores: 6/6/6.

8. Ralph Macchio / Karina Smirnoff:

Who had “episode one” in the pool of “how long will it take for the first ‘wax on/wax off’ joke to happen? I did, I did! I predicted there would be a reference from “The Karate Kid” in episode one, and boy was I ever right. It was Macchio’s very first line on the show. At first glance, Macchio appears to have morphed into a game-show host or a slightly weirder version of  Alan Thicke. Turns out, the look of being stuck in a time-warp went well with their song choice of Dean Martin’s “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head.” Although not technically perfect, this pair’s foxtrot was by far the classiest, sassiest, and most fun to watch dance of the night. The judges agreed and gave Ralph the first eight’s of the season: 8/8/8.

9. Chris Jericho / Cheryl Burke:

WWE Superstar Jericho and attention-stealer Burke danced to The Clash. It was obvious from the massive applause that Chris will be a fan favorite, and that he has a huge fanbase. The dance was a bit above-average, and fell somewhere in the middle of the pack for the night. To me, it sort of looked like Chris was moving in slow-motion to the very fast-paced song. My husband’s review? “Goddamn she’s hot!” He claims to not have noticed Jericho’s existence at all. I found him oddly charming and cute, while Len Goodman observed that his hips must be “allergic to music.” Brooke Burke asked her third “How does that feel?” of the night, and the judges scored them: 7/6/6.

10. Mike Catherwood / Lacey Schwimmer:

Sometimes referred to as “Psycho Mike” (although I refer to him as “Who the hell are you?”), Catherwood is the co-host of the radio program “Loveline” with Dr. Drew. Yeah. You know – the one you HAVE heard of. Anyway, Mike seems like an okay dude; good sense of humor, etc. The dancing? Eh, not so great. For some reason, the producers of this show always seem to dress Lacey in what I like to call “dumpy butt” pants or dresses – they make her ass look dumpy. Her hair is always messy looking, and they both kind of looked very unkept and not put-together out there. In reaction to their very low scores of 5/4/4, Brooke Burke actually went off-book and improvised this observation:  “Ewww!” Mike, on the other hand, made a pretty funny joke by saying: “Well it’s still better than my father, Master P.” I like you Mike. Too bad you won’t be around long enough for some more guffaws.

11. Kirstie Alley / Maksim Chmerkovskiy:

I have to be honest. I love Kirstie Alley. For one thing, Cheersis my favorite sitcom of all-time, and I have always admired Kirstie’s sarcastic, screw you sense of humor.  She just seems like a cool person to hang out with and have drinks. I also relate to her quite a bit; for some reason, people tend to focus only on her weight, even though there are sooo many people out there in famous-land that are a HELL of a lot bigger than her, and who aren’t even good people.  Why not pick on them? She is like the token “fat-joke” celebrity, and that has got to suck. Kirstie is good people. I don’t know her, but I know she is good people. Just like I know Bergeron smells nice. So, it was pretty awesome to see Kirstie and her partner Maksim come out and kick some serious ass for the final dance of the night. Their song choice was perfect: “F**k You” by Ce-Lo. (Of course, they played the more watered-down version of the song, titled “Forget You.” Doesn’t pack the same punch, but still quite effective.) Kirstie’s dance was a blast. Full of energy, sexy, and super enthusiasm in each step. You can tell she is just one of those people that is truly happy to be there, and I love that about her. The judges did too, and Bruno made the lame movie-title joke: ”Look Who’s Dancing!” I wonder how long he was waiting around to say THAT. Booo! In any case, GO KIRSTIE! Judges Scores: 8/7/8. Second highest of the night.

There is no results show this week. Next week; the stars will dance again on Monday and the votes from both weeks will be combined for the first elimination on Tuesday. A good start to the show, but next week, I would like to see more of Tommy B. and his funny antics, and less of Loius Van Amstel’s feminine chest.

Who is your favorite? Share your dancing thoughts here.

Season 12, Episode 1 (originally aired March 21, 2011)

For more on Dancing With the Stars, click here.

Mondays at 8/6c, Tuesdays at 9/8c, on ABC.

Photographs courtesy of ABC, Adam Larkey, and Rick Rowell.

Outsourced: Conference Call with Parvesh Cheena and Rizwan Manji

The Thursday-night NBC sitcom Outsourced has been the subject of controversy since its debut last year. Based in a Mumbai call center, the program features a mostly Indian cast and showcases the workplace antics of a white, fish-out-of-water American manager. I happen to be a major fan of the show and its thoroughly original characters, so I was pleased to participate in a conference call with two of the central actors: Parvesh Cheena (Gupta) and Rizwan Manji (Rajiv).

As two of a select number of Indian performers working in Hollywood today, Parvesh and Rizwan have long been close friends and good-humored audition partners. While they both initially pursued the role of office jester Gupta, Rizwan was better suited to portray the conniving but sympathetic co-manager Rajiv. They seemed beyond thrilled for the unique opportunity to work alongside one another and emphasized the abundance of love and support among the cast through the filming process, which often consists of grueling 14-hour days. When Rizwan complained about being subjected to pranks on a regular basis, Parvesh responded, “You have to tease your family. You tease the ones you’re closest to.”

Rizwan displayed a sincere admiration for the material he works with as a seasoned actor. “It’s been over a year since I first read the pilot… It was by far the funniest pilot that I had read for a very long time,” he reported. “There’s never been a show like this on TV before. We didn’t know whether NBC was going to pick it up.” He continued: “Every week we celebrate Indian culture. On no other show are we celebrating Indian culture as much as we do on this show.” Parvesh noted that “a third of [the show’s] writers are of South Asian descent” and praised the staff for making the program accessible for Americans in particular and, ultimately, for a global audience.

Parvesh stressed his own character’s ability to use “victim humor” and “comedy without the snark” as a tool for providing joy to its audience. Many young fans approach him because of the “man-child, kind of socially-awkward” character that he portrays, he said. In essence, this is the heart of the show. Outsourced aims to educate and entertain viewers without giving them much room to dismiss the characters according to personal presuppositions and stereotypes. The writing is reliably sharp and often silly; even when we know what to expect, we don’t. The characters are so well developed and believable that we know their motivations and desires; still, every one of Rajiv’s hostile one-liners is a surprise, and each of Gupta’s gags is a delight. Parvesh lauded the show for being a great learning experience not only for the audience, but for the cast and crew as well, and Rizwan agreed, adding that he’s waiting anxiously to learn the fate of the program, which may or may not be granted a second season. My fingers are crossed.

Outsourced airs Thursdays at 10.30/9.30c on NBC.

Images courtesy of IMDbPro.

Raising Hope: Interview with Garret Dillahunt

Saturday afternoon I had the extreme pleasure of speaking with Garret Dillahunt, film and television star most recently seen on Fox’s Raising Hope. And while nothing would have ever, EVER prepared me for talking with the man himself, I have to say there would have been no greater way to spend the day than waiting for his call. Hilarious, mildly inappropriate (in the very best way, I must assure you) and totally unsuitable for work; here are all the details from my interview with Dillahunt that left me giggling and blushing like a schoolgirl.

Raising Hope is the freshman comedy series revolving around the Chance family and their attempts to raise an unexpected addition to their family, baby Hope (also known as Princess Beyonce, which personally I like so much better if you want to screw up a kid). On the series, Dillahunt plays Burt Chance, the happy go lucky grandfather of baby Hope and during our talk Dillahunt shares his favorite Burt moment, talks about the second season, and why Hope’s something to be proud of.

Keshaunta Moton for Poptimal.com: What did you first think when you saw the script for Raising Hope?
Garret Dillahunt: I had wanted to do a comedy, and I thought this was a really good one, and so I thought, ‘I want this one because it’s really good.’ I wanted something that I could be proud of… even if it’s just to make people laugh.

Poptimal.com: What do you think of Burt?
Dillahunt: I like him. I like Burt a lot actually. I’ve said it before but I think I could stand to be a little more like Burt. He loves life; he just takes whatever comes his way and makes lemonade out of it. He seems to find joy in even the most trivial things. I kind of like that about him.

Poptimal.com: Would you sit and have a beer with Burt?
Dillahunt: Absolutely. I don’t even drink beer and I’d have one.

Poptimal.com: What would you guys talk about?
Dillahunt: Probably a lot of silences and we’re just nodding at each other. We’d probably talk about how much we look alike.

Poptimal.com: That’s almost uncanny, it really is.
Dillahunt: It is; we really have a resemblance to each other.

Poptimal.com: You said that you wish you could be like Burt. In which ways do you feel you could already be like him?
Dillahunt: I’m kind of a goofball. My dad’s a goofball, I’m a goofball. It’s kind of odd that I haven’t played more people like Burt because I like to be silly. I embarrass my family and friends with my inappropriate sense of humor and sort of gross out ways.

Poptimal.com: Yeah, that’s like Burt. Now, you’re working with arguably the cutest baby on TV, what’s it like working with Bayley and Rylie [Crecut]?
Dillahunt: They are good babies, aren’t they? I think we really got lucky with them. They’re so adorable and they’re obviously smart babies and happy babies and alert babies. They’re very expressive and responsive. It’s pretty fun; they’re kind of the best actors on set. I miss them when they’re not around. I’m kind of sad that they’re going to be growing so much these 4 or 5 months off. I wish we could bind them and keep them small.

Poptimal.com: Raising Hope was renewed for a second season; where do you think we’ll find the Chance family?
Dillahunt: I’m not sure. I know we’re going to explore more of the past. I think we’re going to meet Burt’s parents, if I had to guess. The babies are coming back, so I’m sure we’ll have to deal with them being older, more mobile. But I’m just guessing; they haven’t clued me in.

Poptimal.com: What would you love to see Burt’s parents be, if you could choose?
Dillahunt: They’d be like Professors of Literature at the local college. And maybe they’re just incredibly disappointed in Burt. And he can teach them his values.

Poptimal.com: Do you have a favorite Burt moment? Mine is in “Family Secrets” when he just kept repeating oh, ‘it’s a living hell. It’s a living hell.’
Dillahunt: I think it’s coming up in the finale. I think it’s really funny. I don’t know how to describe it without blowing it. Burt meets an alpaca, that’s all I’ll say.

Poptimal.com: Who would win in an arm-wrestle: Burt, Virginia, Jimmy, or Maw-Maw?
Dillahunt: Burt.

Poptimal.com: Would he fight fair?
Dillahunt: Yeah, he’d fight fair. He wouldn’t really need to cheat. They’re all wussies. But I think Virginia would be my biggest threat.

Raising Hope is now on hiatus between its first and second season. And while I would totally love it if they kept cranking episodes out like candy, I suppose the writers and crew have all deserved a break. Let’s all just hope it’s a short and productive one. So far the break’s been treating Dillahunt well, as he’s preparing for his new role in the action movie Looper, a sci-fi thriller in which assassins use time travel to carry out deeds. Looper also stars Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Dillahunt: I’m growing a beard right now. You might not like it, I don’t know if you like beards.

Poptimal.com: You’re growing a beard?
Dillahunt: I am. I’m on my way to New Orleans to do this film called Looper with Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Emily Blunt. I’m very excited and nervous about that.

Poptimal.com: Why nervous?
Dillahunt: Because I’m fans of those guys. It’s a really cool story; it’s a sci-fi thing so it’s kind of back in my normal wheel house.

Poptimal.com: Can you tell us more about it?
Dillahunt: It’s set in the future. It involves a lot of time travel and I get to have a cool gun fight with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt. I’m looking forward to it.

Dillahunt describes himself as a “workaholic,” but when you love what you do that doesn’t seem quite the chore. And as Dillahunt professes, he totally loves his job.

Poptimal.com: Initially you started off in Journalism, why did you decide to go into acting?
Dillahunt: I really loved being on the school paper in high school, entered writing competitions and stuff like that. And [in college] you feel like you have to pick a major so I thought, well I’ll pick Journalism. And there you are: you’re a journalist. I’m 17 years old deciding what I’m going to be for the rest of my life. And I thought ‘It’s hard to make a living as a journalist’ so I should diversify, I should go into writing plays too. One of the requirements of the playwriting course was taking an acting class so that you’d know what you were talking about. I did that my last year of college and really, really liked it.

Poptimal.com: You’ve done Broadway as well, between that, movies, and TV, which do you enjoy the most?
Dillahunt: I don’t know that there is one I enjoy the most, I think what I enjoy the most about this career choice is the opportunity to change it up. I love that the requirements for doing film is different than TV and both of those are different than the stage. I just like the variety of it. It kind of depends on my mood which one I like the most.

Poptimal.com: How would you describe yourself, you said earlier you’re sort of shy?
Dillahunt: Incredibly attractive, huge penis, it’s not really long just kind of fat… I don’t know, I don’t know how I’d describe myself it’s really hard to do. I have inappropriate humor as just evidenced.

Poptimal.com: But it was funny. And it went a long way in describing you without having to actually describe yourself.
Dillahunt: I’d like to think I’m a nice fellow, I’m sure some people would beg to differ.

Poptimal.com: What do you think acting brings you that nothing else can?
Dillahunt: Groupies, lots of groupies. There it is; I don’t know what to say so I make off-color humor. I don’t know. I just think life is really short, so I was determined to do something I enjoyed and that I found enriching. For me, it’s the perfect job. It’s a perfect blend between hard physical labor and sitting behind the desk.

Poptimal.com: Anything you’d like to say to your fans?
Dillahunt: I love you and my trailer door is always open for you.

And isn’t that just the greatest thing? A man whose heart is even bigger than his… never mind. You can catch Dillahunt on Fox’s Raising Hope which airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on Fox. And if you do happen to catch Dillahunt on the streets of New Orleans, tell him I said hi and I’ll see him soon.

For more television reviews and interviews, click here.

Limitless Review: From Everyman to Superman

My favorite movies are the ones that I can relate to.  So, when I saw the trailer for Limitless, I was immediately intrigued by its premise of reaching your untapped potential.  We all fall short of our ideal selves, it’s only natural;  we’re only human, after all.  But in the new film Limitless, Bradley Cooper (The Hangover) begins as an Everyman but transforms into Superman.

Cooper is Eddie Morra, a fledgling writer mired in mediocrity.  Despite being signed to a book deal he has yet to write one word of his first novel.  He resides in a cramped, meager apartment in New York City, a nondescript speck amidst the hustle and bustle of the metropolis.  He has an ex wife and an ex-girlfriend, with whom he remains friends.  The ex-girlfriend’s name is Lindy, and it’s not clear why they broke up or why such a girl (played by Abbie Cornish) would be attracted to him in the first place.  In the first act of the movie we are introduced to Eddie’s life and the reason why he’d be desperate to change his circumstances.  Things change when a chance encounter on the street reunites him with his former brother-in-law, a sketchy Euro-looking guy named Vernon (Johnny Whitworth, 3:10 to Yuma).

Vernon convinces him to grab a drink and tell him about his book.  Eddie looks like crap, and his progress on the book is pathetic.  Vernon offers him a translucent little pill, telling him it’s an early sample of an FDA approved drug called NZT. It’s not on the market yet, but Vernon tells Eddie that the pill would allow him to use 100% of his brain rather than the very small portion that we use on a daily basis.  Eddie is skeptical but pops the pill eventually and immediately notices that his powers of perception are heightened.  He almost feels like a stranger in his own body.  He is “high,” but completely focused and lucid.  He is able to disarm his landlord’s bitchy girlfriend by recalling obscure memories in an instant.  He is suddenly an expert at analyzing human behavior and making the optimal choice in a split second.  He can recall anything he’s ever learned, heard, or read.  That’s the magic of NZT.  It doesn’t make you know things that you never learned, but it allows you to access anything you’ve ever known, even if only a fleeting memory.  Seduced by the possibility of greatness, he visits Vernon and asks for more.  He’s completely hooked, so when Vernon asks him to pick up his dry cleaning and grab some food, he happily obliges.  He returns to find that Vernon has met an untimely demise.  Eddie is petrified, but smart enough to find the NZT before the police arrive and make off with a huge stash.

Over the next couple of weeks Eddie’s appearance and life change dramatically.  He steps his game up by borrowing 100K from a loan shark, making some savvy financial investments and increasing his money five times over.  He’s on the front page of the gossip rags as the new kid on the block shaking up Wall Street.  In this capacity he draws the attention of wealthy magnate Carl Van Loon, played here by the legendary Robert DeNiro.  Van Loon is intrigued by Eddie but also mistrustful of him.  He commissions him to broker a deal, but in the midst of all this Eddie is beginning to suffer from negative side effects from the NZT.  He blacks out after periods of intense activity and his health seems to be in jeopardy, in more ways than one.  He’s being followed by a mysterious man who obviously knows about the drug or feels threatened by Eddie in some way.  After becoming the toast of the town, Eddie must face the possibility of losing everything when he runs out of NZT.

Limitless is my first time seeing Bradley Cooper in a starring role and he is sympathetic and believable as a guy who gets in over his head.  Director Neil Burger displays a high octane, frenetically stylized cinematography to almost nauseating effect.  It was a rush, for sure.  Towards the end of the movie things got a little far-fetched for my liking, but the majority of the movie relied on its very provocative premise.  DeNiro is always fun to watch, but I can’t say this role was anything noteworthy.  Having said that, I still enjoyed seeing him onscreen.  Despite a few missteps, Limitless is a wild ride definitely worth checking out.

See it.

Images courtesy of IMDbPro.

The Biggest Loser Couples: Q&A With Eliminated Contestant Marci

Last Tuesday’s The Biggest Loser: Couples showed Marci, the motivational heart of the house, voted off the show. During a conference call with Marci, one question that didn’t need to be asked was if she has hit her goal weight – she already did that on the show.

So what was the secret to her weight loss?

“What I learned there is that motivation is the strongest part of the equation. You need to be balanced and motivated. You need to be level in mind, body and spirit.”

Marci says the strength and leadership she exhibited on the show came from her faith in God. The 49-year-old general manager of a health club and restaurant owner did say they didn’t do as many strength building exercises at the ranch as she would have liked. Still, she’d be the first to tell you it was not easy at the ranch.

“The expectation for losing weight is high and the workouts are tough. It took everything I could to keep from throwing up on camera.”

According to Marci, the trainers, Bob and Jillian, care so much about the contestants on the show. She says nothing hurts those two more than when someone who obviously needs to be on the ranch is sent away. She also says of the new trainers that came on this season, Brett has “all of the knowledge in the world” when it comes to health and training and that Cara is “very passionate,” although Marci wasn’t into Cara’s boxing style of workouts. She didn’t really enjoy “hitting the bag.”

So how does Marci stay in shape off the show?

“I run a 5K for 30 minutes, then 30 minutes of interval training and then finish it with 30 minutes of strength training.”

Her daughter Courtney, who remains on the ranch, has made her own physical transformation. Being there for Courtney’s weight loss was a special moment for Marci.

“For me, it was a physical transformation in her eyes. The heavier she was, the more squinty her eyes were and I couldn’t really see the size of them. She came up to me one day and her eyes were wide open –I could see the beauty in her eyes at that point more than ever.”

She can’t wait to comeback for the finale to show America that she is looking better than ever.

See how much more weight the remaining contestants lose on The Biggest Loser: Couples, which airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on NBC.

Images courtesy of Trae Patton and NBC

Law And Order SVU: Q&A with “Bombshell” Rose McGowan

On this week’s episode of Law and Order: SVU, guest star Rose McGowan gets the rare and exciting opportunity to play a role completely unfamiliar to her: sex siren. Oh, come on, I kid, I kid. It’s not that strange. So, in a conference call with Executive Producer Dan Truly and the actress well known for her sex appeal, even though McGowan claims her latest role is so different from who she is, it is, at least a role we all know she has experience in.

On Wednesday, March 23rd, McGowan will the join the cast of “Law and Order: SVU” on a “bombshell” episode of the series. In the episode, Detectives Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) and Elliot Stabler (Chris Meloni) are in search of a murderer. Before long, their trail leads them undercover at a swingers club where they meet the popular Cassandra Davina (McGowan) and her jealous boyfriend Doug Loveless (Ryan Hurst). Could these two be murderers? And just how far will jealousy take you before you snap?

In “Bombshell” McGowan plays our vixen Cassandra, and EP Dan Truly explains why McGowan was the perfect choice for this role.

“This character needed to be a bombshell,” Truly says, “which Rose obviously delivers in spades. But she needed to be smart and clever and that’s why we thought she was perfect for the part. There’s a cerebral level to it that delivers in addition to the sensuality… she gets there effortlessly.”

McGowan, for her part, doesn’t think that she is a bombshell.

“When I’m at home in sweatpants I don’t feel like it,” McGowan says. “Sometimes I’m dressed up, but I don’t put that nametag on myself. That’s something for someone else to do.”

And when asked if she has any similarities to her femme fatale character Cassandra, McGowan states that it’s actually their differences that drew her in.

“There are actually no similarities in my personality or attitude to my character Cassandra. And that’s what’s delightful.” McGowan answers, “I get to be me 24 hours a day…[but] jump at the chance to play something very, very different.”

And guest starring on one of your favorite shows is no hardship either, is it?

“The first thing that drew me to SVU was the fact that I actually watch it. My sister and I watched a ten hour marathon and I thought, ‘Oh what an amazing show.’ They have had such an amazing line up of people that come in and out of it. If that wasn’t the case, I don’t know if I would have been as attracted to it. You get such powerful actors and Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni are so good. To be able to be in that world that I blocked many hours of my life to watching was definitely a treat.”

How was it stepping into someone else’s show?

“It’s like coming into a family dinner, but only some of the people know you’ve been invited,” McGowan says. “It’s always interesting going into another world that’s been set up. They’ve been doing this for a long time. It’s a pretty well oiled machine. The feeling like you’re a guest in somebody else’s house, it’s both awkward and fun. But it wasn’t awkward at all, everybody’s so warm and amazing. Mariska and Chris are great, and the crew’s fantastic. It could have certainly been a lot more intimidating than it turned out to be.

Where did the inspiration come for “Bombshell?”

“There’s a lot of dark material on SVU and we wanted an episode that was slightly different than that. Then it was just a matter of how do we make that character interesting. We always joke on SVU, you get three choices: you can be the perp, you can be the victim, or you can be a dead body,” said Truly. “We knew that the bombshell character would be the perp, but we also knew that she was working things in a way that was different. Our normal perps are usually sexual deviants and people that are aggressive and violent and that’s not who the character of Cassandra was. We wanted to do something that was more fun and dark and more kind of sly than overly graphic.”

So how does McGowan fare up to the detectives on SVU? Well, if you ask Truly, McGowan can stand toe-to-toe with the greats.

“We, the producers and the writers of the show, were actually very, very excited to get Rose because we have a bombshell already on the show named Mariska Hargitay and it’s difficult for us to find actresses, and also actors, who can hold their own against Mariska. Rose effortlessly presented on screen and from the production side of it, she is one hundred percent bombshell,” he said.

The “Bombshell” episode of Law and Order airs Wednesday, March 23rd on NBC.

Image courtesy of Virginia Sherwood/NBC and IMDb Pro.

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