Burn Notice Prize Pack Including Season 4 DVD

October 28, 2011 by Stephanie Jaar
Filed under feature overlay, Free Stuff, Television

Poptimal.com and USA Network are offering fans the chance to win this fantastic prize pack to celebrate the return of Burn Notice on November 3rd. You, too, can live the Miami lifestyle led by the Burn Notice crew with the following:

BURN NOTICE FAN PACK

– Cocktail Shaker

– Mojitos 101 Book

– Season 4 DVD

– T-Shirt

– Branded Bag

Here’s How to Win (No Purchase Necessary)

1. Post your comments to at least one (1) of our front page articles.

2. Email your name, email address and the name of the post you commented on to contests@poptimal.com. Put “Burn Notice Fall Contest ” in the subject line.

3. Wait. The winner* will be notified after November 8, 2011.

Burn Notice returns Nov. 3 at 10 p.m. on USA Network.

Tags: Burn Notice, contest, dvd, Fiona Shaw, giveaway, Michael Westen, Season 4, USA Network

The Vampire Diaries Review: The Shark Has Gone Unjumped…For Now

October 28, 2011 by Matt DeGroot
Filed under feature overlay, Television

3 Comments

After last week’s episode of The Vampire Diaries I expressed some concern that the series might be losing its edge a little. The ghost storyline that has pervaded most of this third season so far has done nothing for me and the prevalence of it last week in particular made me feel like some of the fantastic creative strength of the show was slipping. BUT I am happy to report that this week’s episode addressed those issues and seemed to have gotten the show back on solid ground…for now.

And while I haven’t enjoyed the ghost storyline so far because it seemed derivative and a distraction from the toils of our main characters, this week’s episode brought it front and center in a way that affected everyone and produced some really great character moments.

Last week, when Bonnie used a spell to break Vicky’s hold in the physical world it apparently left open a door for a whole smorgasbord of dead characters to come out from the “other side” and pay a visit to their old friends and enemies in Mystic Falls. My absolute favorite of those returning though was Jasmine Guy as Bonnie’s awesome grandmother witch who announces that they must destroy Elena’s magic necklace to close the portal and send the ghosts back to the afterlife.

Long story short – they succeed in closing the portal and sending the ghosts back but let’s go through each ghost and see what they accomplished with their time back on physical earth.

Mason – We all remember Tyler’s uncle Mason (Taylor Kinney) as the first werewolf on the show before Damon put an end to him last season, so you can imagine he might want a little revenge. And while he starts off by torturing Damon with metal pokers through his chest and burning sunlight, he was actually making himself known for other reasons. From his perch in the afterlife, he’s been able to watch Tyler become a halfbreed dedicated to Klaus and this doesn’t sit well with him so he decides to lead Damon deep into the Lockwood cellar/caves where there allegedly is a weapon that can kill an original vampire like Klaus.

Damon’s trust issues certainly don’t make this an easy adventure for him to go on but Mason proves to be a class act for the entire journey. Naturally though, Mason is sent back to the afterlife before he can explain what the weapon is exactly so Stefan recruits Alaric to go back with him and they find a room full of hieroglyphics. When asked what they are, Alaric can only respond with a giggle-inducing overly dramatic: “I have no idea.” More on this next week.

Lexi – The tough vampire, Lexi (Arielle Kebbel) hasn’t gotten a whole lot of screen time over the years but her reputation proceeds her as Stefan’s BFF who is able to bring him back from the dark side any time he goes all ripper on us. And clearly, if there was ever a time for her services it would be right now so she promptly beats Stefan up and calls on Elena to help her with the ripper detox.

Chained to a chair, Stefan is then submitted to Lexi making him think he is starving followed by repeatedly getting stabbed.

Side note: does it pain anyone else to see how many nice shirts are ruined on this show by getting stabbed and bloody? They must spend a fortune to keep their closets full of clothing without holes in it.

Anyway, Lexi makes a little progress with Stefan but not nearly enough before she is banished again. If anything though, Lexi inspires Elena to carry on with the fight for Stefan’s soul and the final little scene between Elena and Stefan is pretty top-notch. I wonder how long they’ll keep him tied to that chair…

Frederick – And then we have Frederick (Stephen Martines) who you’ll remember as one of the awful tomb vampires from season one. Turns out he and his pals still have a major beef with the town founders so they use their time on earth to kill some poor historian and then go after Caroline’s mom. Caroline resumes action hero status though and does battle with them until they are sent back to the afterlife. No muss, no fuss.

Anna – And finally there is Anna who has been around all season but only last week got the ability to actually touch Jeremy again. And whether its holding hands or joking around while others can’t see, the two have continued to get closer. But oh wait, there’s that minor problem of Jeremy having a girlfriend. Oops.

The “oops” gets even bigger though when he decides to go for the gusto and kiss Anna. Unfortunately for him, this happens right when the ghosts become visible to everyone and Elena catches the necrophiliac smootch. Elena tells Caroline about it who then tells Bonnie who wants to cry but is too busy ghostbusting.

All of this time Elena’s magic necklace is missing and everyone is searching for it desperately but guess who has it: Anna. Elena figures this out and gives poor, lonely, dead Anna a stern talking to about letting Jeremy go so he can live his life. Jeremy even admits that he loves her (and looks damn cute while does it) but Anna finally relents, turns over the necklace, and says her final goodbye to Jeremy in a scene that provided great moments for both Malese Jow and Steven R. McQueen. And to ease our sadness a little bit we get to see Anna reunited with her mother Pearl (Kelly Hu) for a brief moment before they go into the afterlife together. I hope you have a hanky ready to watch it.

All this resting in peace aside, Bonnie and Jeremy are officially donezo. I guess that’s the price you pay for kissing ghosts. At least they’re all gone now though.

What’s that? The necklace wasn’t completely destroyed?

Fuck.

The Vampire Diaries Season 3, Episode 7 “Ghost World” (originally aired October 27, 2011)

Images courtesy of The CW.

Tags: Arielle Kebbel, ghosts, Ian Somerhalder, Jasmine Guy, Kelly Hu, Malese Jow, Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Review, Season 3, Stephen Martines, Steven R. McQueen, Taylor Kinney, The CW, The Vampire Diaries

A Call To (Dismembered) Arms: A Discussion with Horror Legends

October 28, 2011 by Keith Kuramoto
Filed under Movies

America’s Next Top Model Review: Making Scents Of It All

October 27, 2011 by Desiree Neall
Filed under feature overlay, Television

USA Network and The Moth Present: Characters Unite, A More Perfect Union, Stories of Prejudice and Power (Washington, DC)

October 27, 2011 by Ash Z.
Filed under Feature, Television

2 Comments

Meghan McCain

“Obama showed his character as a man by not tolerating any bullying during his campaign,” said Forest Whitaker, just one of the celebrity attendees of last night’s A More Perfect Union, part of an ongoing public service campaign to combat bullying, prejudice and discrimination. The campaign, spearheaded by USA Network and famed storytelling outfit, The Moth, focuses on using personal stories as a platform for relaying intimate experiences of bigotry and discrimination in front of a live audience. And to make it even more organic – storytellers can’t use any notes during their stories. The event, held at the Newseum in Washington, DC, brought out some big name storytellers like Whitaker and Meghan McCain.

In addition to celebrities, a group of students from Ballou High School attended the event to not only hear the stories told but to learn the art of storytelling so they could perform a complimentary program in front classmates during school.

When interviewed about this project, Whitaker explained the event is important because while each storyteller may have a very different experience to share, the stories collectively reaffirm the same need to fight against intolerance and uplift victims of it by reinforcing that they are not alone.

Of course, we also had to know the latest on Whitaker’s upcoming projects – he will begin filming The Last Stand at the end of this year with Arnold Schwarzenegger (yes, it looks like Ah-nold’s back).

Forest Whitaker

Meghan McCain’s story focuses on her battles with body image. She said despite her nervousness about sharing intimate details about her personal experiences, she felt empowered by the cause. McCain also gave Poptimal.com an inside scoop on a new book she has coming out entitled, America, You Sexy Bitch: A Love Letter to Freedom. It’s a political comedy and is co-authored by comedian Michael Ian Black.

Chris Gorham, who portrays a blind CIA field operative named August “Auggie” Anderson on Covert Affairs, said he first became involved with The Moth through an event held at the New York Public Library and since then, has been hooked. On the TV side of things, Covert Affairs has been picked up for a third season. Look for six new episodes starting Tuesday, November 1 at 10pm Eastern/9pm Central on the USA Network.

Chris McCumber, president of the USA Network, also dropped by to discuss his network’s sponsorship of the event and said that they will be incorporating some of The Moth’s themes in their shows, White Collar and Royal Pains.

For more information on The Characters Unite campaign and its upcoming events visit: http://www.charactersunite.com/the-moth/storytelling.

Images courtesy of Ash Z., R. Greene, and Poptimal.com

Characters Unite USA Network Event

4 photos

Slideshow

Forest Whitaker, Meghan McCain, Chris McCumber, and Chris Gorham Forest Whitaker, Meghan McCain, Chris McCumber, and Chris Gorham	Our writer Ash Z. waiting on the Red Carpet to interview Meghan McCain Our writer Ash Z. waiting on the Red Carpet to interview Meghan McCain	Our writer Ash Z. waiting on the Red Carpet to interview Meghan McCain Our writer Ash Z. waiting on the Red Carpet to interview Meghan McCain
Our writer Ash Z. interviewing the talented Forest Whitaker at USA Network's Characters Unite Event at the Newseum Our writer Ash Z. interviewing the talented Forest Whitaker at USA Network's Characters Unite Event at the Newseum

Tags: Chris Gorham, Chris McCumber, Covert Affairs, Forest Whitaker, Meghan McCain, Newseum, Royal Pains, The Moth, TV, USA Network, White Collar

Dancing With the Stars Review: Broadway Week Brings Tension to the Glitter Dome

October 26, 2011 by Kelley Lynn
Filed under Television

3 Comments

There is always at least one episode every season on Dancing With the Stars where the tension between contestants and judges is palpable. This was that episode. This week was all about “the Great White Way,” i.e. Broadway, as Brooke Burke Charvet (which is French for “Where am I?”) informed us at the top of the show while standing next to the dashing and handsome Tom Bergeron. Each couple would dance to a preselected song from a Broadway show. Then, with only 7 couples remaining in the competition, the cast would take part in their first ever “Group Dance” together, which would not be given scores by the judges. So basically, the show just wanted to find yet another way to make these people work even harder and rehearse even MORE than the 6-8 hour days they sometimes endure in order to get that Mirror Ball Trophy prize. (I swear that trophy MUST be filled with crack cocaine or stuffed with millions of dollars inside. Why else does every non-celebrity on earth come from out of the woodwork to be on this show?) After the opening dialogue, a performance by the Broadway cast of Sister Act opened the show. Because really, there’s nothing quite like a whole slew of nuns doing a Rockette-style kickline across a big-ass stage to start a program. All this, and TONS of tension and arguing between the judges and contestants. . .”LIIIIIIVEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Hit that theme music boys: “Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo … doo doo doo doo doo …”

Rob / Cheryl:

Dance: Cha-cha to “Walk Like A Man” from Jersey Boys. In rehearsal footage, pointless Rob Kardashian made a comment that the routine was “tough on my brain.” Please. Eating soup is tough on your brain, reality boy. Then, pointless Mom Kardashian came to rehearsals to visit with Pointless Son. She offered such wisdom to him as this gem: “You’ve gone from a boy to a man.” Ewww. Creepy. At that point, she claimed that she was starting to “get emotional.” I am very glad she told us, because I couldn’t tell from her botoxed frozen-face that any emotion was happening. As for the dance, it was cute. I would say that Rob has definitely improved. I mean honestly, what the hell else does he got to do with his time? By now, he should be Fred Astaire. The whole pointless family was in the audience this week, and the annoying Khloe made herself known by yelling loudly at the judges: “GIVE IT A 9!” to which Bruno and Len yelled back: “Keep dreaming!” Len started off the evening grumpy and most likely with a soiled Depends; as he told Rob he “had no rhythm,” then called him “stiff and starchy.” Like his old man socks. Horny Carrie Ann said something about Rob no longer being a kid, and being an adolescent. Translation? “I want to jump your pointless bones.” Backstage in the skybox, Brooke Burke asked Rob: “Did you feel like a man out there?” WTF? Enough with the “boy/man” references, you creeps! After getting the scores of 8/7/7, Burke then asked her usual: “How does that feel?” as she looked down at Rob’s crotch area.

Tits McGee / Man Ass:

Dance: Foxtrot to “Always Look On the Bright Side of Life” from Spamelot. In rehearsal footage, Nancy Grace wondered out loud what else the judges wanted from her to make things more exciting. “Do they want me to come out in a bikini with spangles on it and shake my booty?” GOOD GOD, NO!!! Why on earth would you automatically assume THAT? Anyway, their dance was very cute, fun, and silly, just the way dancing to Monty Python should be. Bruno mumbled something about “Nancy Dance-a-lot!” while Len told Grace that her personality came out in this dance. Then the judges argued about something or other that made no sense, while the couple received scores of 9/7/8. Burke wanted to know “How does that feel?”

David / Kym:

Dance: Quickstep to “We Go Together” from Grease. Overall, their dance was pretty good, but the weird, creepy look on Arquette’s plastic-y looking veiny-face was beyond bizarre. He was stuck on smile and resembled a cracked-out clown while dancing. As usual, his energy was all over the place and he was unable to keep it together. The only thing stranger than David Arquette’s dancing is his speaking. Backstage, when being interviewed by Burke, David went into this odd John Travolta impression that resulted in a weird, forced laugh by the contestants behind him. I think they were all confused and afraid for their lives. Seriously, this guy should just stop talking. Forever. Judges’ Scores: 8/7/8.

Ricki / Derek:

Dance: Quickstep to “Luck Be A Lady” from Guys and Dolls. This was one of the two best dances of the night. (can you guess who the other one was from? His initials are J.R. and his last name is Martinez. Still stumped? Well, then, you’re an idiot and I’m sorry.) Fantastic footwork, and Ricki gets into the characters of her dances better than anyone else on the show I think. The couple received a standing ovation from Carrie Ann; along with a lot of the audience. Judges’ Scores: 10/9/10; their highest of the season.

Chaz / Lacey:

Dance: Tango to “Music of the Night” from Phantom of The Opera. Why is this man still fat? I’m so confused. I know I ask this every week, but every week he doesn’t seem to lose any weight. I feel badly for him. If dancing around for hours a day, weeks at a time isn’t going to do it, then what will? Okay, to be fair, I think he has maybe lost .06 pounds. So, he should feel good about that. The dance was not that great, and was still a lot of Chaz sort of walking across the dance floor. Bruno called him “a cute little penguin trying to be menacing.” Now Bruno! That is very rude. I prefer the term “doughey plumber with severe ass-crack.” With the low scores of 7/6/6, Bono said simply to Burke: “not much to say, is there?” During the results show, we found out through extra footage that Chaz has been really upset at some of the comments made by Bruno Tonioli, who has called him a troll, a penguin, and an Ewok. Bono was angry and yelled at the camera: “I’m sick of it!” I guess I can understand where he is coming from. But come on . . . Ewok? That’s kind of funny.

Hope / Maks:

Dance: Rumba to “Seasons of Love” from Rent. In rehearsal footage, Hope suddenly seemed all smiles and light, with every other word being how she is “sooo grateful” for this and for that. Yeah, okay. Last week and every other week, you looked like you swallowed a bag of lemons with that sourpuss look on your face all the time. Now you’re “grateful.” Their dance was extremely bizarre, and the outfit they put her in was equally so. Boots, shorts, a bikini type top, and a shall-like thing that draped over her body in an unflattering way. Not her fault; just a stupid costume. The dance looked like a series of unrelated movements to me, and my actual notes are: “WTF was THAT?” The judges did not care for it either. This is an understatement, as this was when all the tension and fighting began, and when Maks had his moment of insanity. It sort of happened a bit like this:

Len: This was your worst dance of the season, I feel. Audience: BOOOOO!!!!!!!

Max: (egging audience on to Boo harder) Boooo!!! Len: Well don’t do that Maks, cuz half the fault is yours! I’ve been in this business for 50 years . . .

Maks: Maybe it’s time to go!

Carrie Ann: Hey! Don’t be disrespectful like that!

Maks: Its not disrespectful. Everybody’s working their asses off, only to hear your overly judgmental comments.

At this point, everybody started talking all at once, Len pooped his diaper, and I think Carrie Ann stripped naked. Oh, and Bruno lit himself on fire. In the end, the scores were 7/6/7, Hope was “so grateful” to be alive, and Maks was sentenced to 14 years in anger-dance-management. All this over a freakin’ Rumba.

J.R. / Karina:

Dance: Quickstep to “All That Jazz” from Chicago. I LOVE THIS SONG! I LOVED THIS DANCE! I LOVE J.R.! That is really all there is to say. You have to see it yourself. It was just really good, and, like Carrie Ann said: “Bob Fosse would have been proud!” Judges’ Scores were: 10/9/10.

BROADWAY GROUP DANCE:

This Group Dance was loads of fun, but didn’t have any real purpose other than entertaining the audience and forcing the cast to work even harder; the judges did not even score this dance. The cast did a medley of songs from both Sweet Charity and Cabaret. The dance was choreographed by Kevin Maher and the hilarious Carson Kressley was brought back as the “Creative Director.” Within seconds of the rehearsal footage, Carson was making me laugh already. Maks had a slight trip, and Kressley replied in his overdramatic fashion: “Oh my God, you almost died! Hold me!” as he hugged Maks tightly. Watching the entire cast dance together interspersed with the pro-dancers was quite interesting and fun and very entertaining. I must point out that once again, David Arquette had the goofiest look on his face throughout the entire routine, like a happy little 12 year old boy with a new toy. Watching the dance was really lighthearted and fun.

RESULTS SHOW:

Lots of dancing, dancing, dancing. Followed by singing from Kristin Chenowith from her new CD. People were dancing while she was singing, and then there was more dancing, followed by some clips of contestants discussing the tension in the air the night before. One clip showed Maks and Hope talking into the camera and Maks was NOT apologizing for his comments the night before. He also seemed to have it out for poor Chaz, pointing out that he was “sick and tired of Hope getting picked on for every technical thing, when other people just walk back and forth and get points for putting in good effort out there.” DAY-UMMM!!! Looks like somebody’s a bit jealous of the transgendered plumber! After this, more dancing. A performance from Martina McBride. Dancing from a lot of little kids and Lacey Schwimmer to some sort of Halloween song. At this point, I started to lose consciousness. So did Len. Finally . . . the bottom two were revealed.

Bottom two couples were Hope and Maks and Chaz and Lacey. The tension up on that platform was priceless! I was really hoping Hope would go home, but once again, she STAYED, even though it’s obvious she doesn’t really want to be there and whines about something week after week. So Chaz went home. I like Chaz. Sure, he wasn’t a great dancer at all, but he really wanted to be. He put in a lot of effort, and you could tell he truly wanted to get better. When he left, he told Tom Bergeron that he was proud of what he had done on the show, and that “if there was anyone like me on TV when I was growing up, my whole life would have been different.” That’s right. You would have never been a plumber on DWTS. I will miss you Chaz. May you go on to fix many a toilet and clogged sink. Amen.

Season 13, Episode 10 and 11 (originally aired October 24 and 25, 2011)

For more on Dancing With the Stars, click here.

Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8/7c; Results on Tuesdays at 9/8c on ABC.

Photographs courtesy of ABC and Adam Taylor

Tags: Bob Fosse, Broadway Week, Bruno Tonioli, Carson Kressley, Chaz Bono eliminated, DWTS, Ewok, group dance, Kristin Chenoweth, lacey schwimmer, len goodman, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Martina McBride, penguin, Ricki Lake, tension on DWTS, top 6, Top 7

Grimm: Q&A with David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf

October 26, 2011 by Kody Keplinger
Filed under Feature, Television

1 Comment

I admit, I had my misgivings when I first heard the concept of NBC’s new series Grimm, which is set to premiere this Friday. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Brothers Grimm, and supernatural TV is totally up my alley, but the modernization of fairytales is starting to seem like a trend. (See also: ABC’s Once Upon a Time.) But then I heard David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf were producing and writing for the series, and my whole perception changed.

If you don’t know who David Greenwalt or Jim Kouf are, then you need to dust off your DVD collection and pull out shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Yep. Both Greenwalt and Kouf are Whedonverse alums, which means Grimm is likely going to be pretty amazing – at least, I hope so.

Grimm follows the story of Nick, a young cop who learns that he’s one of the last Grimms, people who can see supernatural things others can’t. Turns out the fairytales we grew up with kids were true – all of them – and the Brothers Grimm weren’t just storytellers; they were profilers. So Nick has to learn to deal with his Grimm abilities and use them to help with his work. Think of the show as a mash-up between Law & Order and Supernatural but with a nice dose of humor.

Recently I was given the opportunity to talk with Greenwalt and Kouf about Grimm, fairytales, and what sets this new show apart from the rest.

A while back, Greenwalt and Kouf were approached about doing a television show in the modern world with elements of the Brothers Grimm. Both were excited about the concept. “It’s always a good time for fairytales,” said Greenwalt. He pointed out that fairytales have been around for centuries, and yet they’ve never gone away. “Fairytales appeal to people of all ages.”

But what sets Grimm apart from other supernatural and fairytale themed shows? According to Greenwalt and Kouf, it’s the blend of police procedural, fantasy, some horror, and a healthy dose of comedy. Anyone who has watched shows that these guys have worked on (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Ghost Whisperer, etc.) knows that they both have a sense of humor that fills their writing, even in the scary bits.

And Grimm certainly promises some scares! When asked whether the show will still be family friendly, Kouf said, “It’s family friendly if you like to be scared a little bit in your family.”

Another interesting thing about Grimm is the look. After watching an advanced showing of the pilot, I was fascinated by the vibrant colors on the screen. Greenwalt and Kouf said that world of the Grimm creatures is meant to be brighter with less subdued hues to give it more of a fairytale quality, while the “regular” creatures and bits of day-to-day life will be in a more natural tone. However, they also gave credit to the location they are shooting in. “The look of Portland and the surrounding area is that lush beautiful landscape,” said Kouf.

But with a show directly inspired by the Brothers Grimm, I wanted to know which fairytales were the producers’ favorites and which they were planning to draw from. Of course, they cited classics like “Hansel and Gretel” and “Little Red Riding Hood” as favorites – and also “Goldie Locks and the Three Bears” which will be played upon in an upcoming episode – but they were clear that it won’t just be Grimm fairytales making an appearance on the show. In the world of Grimm, all fairytale authors had the power to see the supernatural, and therefore all fairytales are true, not just the ones by the Brothers Grimm.

And while some of the fairytale sources will be obvious, Kouf and Greenwalt said that others will be a little less clear, drawing from multiple sources or adapting a fairytale to fit a more grounded, real crime story. “We’ll take a story from the headlines and give a fairytale-like twist to it,” Kouf said.

If you’re not a fan of episodic shows like CSI or Law & Order, don’t worry. Grimm still might be a show for you. The show straddles the line between procedural drama and supernatural serial. “There will be week-to-week episodic tales,” Greenwalt said, but added, “There will also be season arcs involved in the show as well.”

Grimm has been picked up for thirteen episodes and will premiere this Friday, October 28 at 9/8c on NBC.

Image courtesy of Scott Green/NBC Universal.

Tags: Angel, Brothers Grimm, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffyverse, CSI, David Greenwalt, Drama, fairytales, Ghost Whisperer, Grimm, Jim Kouf, Law & Order, NBC, police procedural, supernatural, Whedonverse

Gossip Girl Review: Royal Pains

October 26, 2011 by Kody Keplinger
Filed under Television

The Amazing Race Review: A Pachyderm Paradise

October 25, 2011 by Gabe Callahan
Filed under Television

1 Comment

This was the worst episode so far. Seriously, the 5^th leg of The Amazing Race was not one of their best. You know it’s not a good episode when one of the amazing things the teams got to do is take a thirteen hour bus ride. I hate it when bus schedules or taxi rides determine the outcome of the race and most of this episode was taxi and bus rides. I don’t think people should be kicked off because their cabbie was an idiot or their bus had to make more stops.

On the bright side, we did get to know the eight remaining teams better. The Snowboarders are way into Jesus. The Siblings are nicer than the editing shows. Jeremy and Sandy should probably not be dating. Laurence is kind of a jerk. The Twins LOVE elephants. Ernie has some relationship issues relating to his insufficient B grade point average (I’m not joking).

We last left the teams at a Pit Stop in a Thai city built on stilts. They venture out in the late morning to take an elephant ride up a river to get their next clue. Snowboarders Andy and Tommy have been killing it lately, coming in first the last three legs, but we find out that they have had an advantage this entire time with a third team member: Jesus.

“It’s God’s will,” says Andy. Tommy adds, “God’s always there with us, and he’s going to help us.” They have bible verses on their backpacks and they are totally down with the Lord. Which is counter to how I usually think of stereotypical snowboarders. I thought they were “wake and bake,” not “rise and praise.”

The Snowboarders love the “4-wheel” action as they ride an elephant along a rocky river. Pretty much everybody loved riding the elephants except for Sandy, who tells Jeremy she’s scared. Jeremy couldn’t care less. They ride the pachyderms to a basket with the next clue, which tells them to go to a pond with a waterfall and look for a clue while being serenaded by a traditional Thai floutists. They will find ceramic koi’s hidden underwater with the clues inside. All the teams find them pretty easily.

Before getting on an elephant, the Wonder Twins Liz & Marie, (who were the last to check in during a non-elimination leg of the race), have to perform a roadblock: They must wash and “clean up” after the elephants. “Clean up” means shovel elephant poop. But don’t feel bad for the Twins because they love elephants. I cannot explain to you how much they love elephants. They are like excited schoolgirls as they shovel a huge pile of crap and give the animals a good scrubbing. “Hi, I love you!” they say while washing them. It was actually very sweet to watch them be so excited and enjoy the roadblock so much, and it made seeing them eliminated from the race that much harder at the end.

The clue inside the koi told the teams to disassemble a “spirit house” shrine and deliver it to a Buddhist temple. The clue didn’t say anything about reassembling the intricate shrine when they get it to the temple. But what did they think they were going to do, just dump a disassembled shrine on a monk and have him put it together himself like Ikea or something? The smart teams took detailed notes on how the thing was set up so they could replicate it when they got to the temple. The not so smart ones, when they couldn’t set the spirit house up correctly, had to go back and take notes wasting valuable time.

Ernie had to go back and take notes, which confirmed what he said earlier in the show about how he feels inadequate as Cindy’s fiancé because he was a B average student while she got A’s. While Ernie does the temple challenge he says Cindy will kill him if he doesn’t get it right. Cindy is a classic overachiever who, when things start to be not quite perfect, stresses out so badly I begin to have a panic attack just watching her. But what Cindy lacks in coping skills, she makes up in reassuring Ernie that he is doing just fine after initially screwing up but then finishing strong at the temple.

Laurence, of Laurence and Zac the boy who sailed around the world, is proving to be weirdly competitive with his own son. Laurence says that even though Zac sailed around the world, he’s still just a kid, and that he has wisdom to divulge and has to make Zac “heed” him. So when Zac suggests that they sketch down notes for the Spirit Houses, Laurence, in his great wisdom, doesn’t let him do it. So when Zac eventually has to go back and make a sketch of the shrine (like everybody else did) because he can’t assemble it correctly, Dad casually mentions he “could knock it out pretty well himself without wasting all this time.” Which is probably the jerkiest thing said this season, and makes Laurence seem like an oblivious ass.

When the teams finish the shrine task, they then need to take a 13-hour bus ride to Bangkok. At the bus station Ernie and Cindy have what is being called the season’s first “Ugly American” moment. They underpaid their cabbie with US dollars and proceed to get in a shouting match with him. Another woman gets involved and they start screaming at her as well. It’s a cringe worthy moment and they later tell the camera they feel awful about it.

Laurence and Zac get on a first class bus, but after three miles Laurence thinks they’ve violated the show’s rule of no first-class travel. He has the bus stop and drop them off and they run back to the station on foot to get on a later bus. Phil then explains after they check into the Pit Stop that the “no-first-class rule” only applies to air travel, and tells them that they put their place in the show in jeopardy by getting off the bus.

Before twins Liz & Marie can even get on the bus they have to haggle with the ticket seller and their taxi driver because they don’t have enough money for everything. They eventually pay the taxi driver and get on the bus but they are now broke-which is too bad because there is still more to do, like feed fish. And it just so happens that the twins hate fish.

Once the buses arrive in Bangkok, teams have to go to the river and feed real koi fish and then continue on to the Pit Stop. Surprisingly Bill & Cathi and Amani & Marcus are in a dead heat to be first. Marcus, being a soundbite machine, says this about the older couple: “They might look like ‘ma and pa’ but they can run .” Amani & Marcus reluctantly beat them in a foot race to check in for first and win a trip to Bali. Team Ma and Pa are second and seem really happy about it. Ernie & Cindy are third. Justin & Jennifer are fourth. Andy & Tommy are fifth. Then came Laurence & Zac, and Jeremy & Sandy.

The very attractive and very blonde Wonder Twins didn’t have a hard time finding free taxi rides in Bangkok. They might be the only ones surprised about that. But they could never make up the initial time gap and they were eliminated from the race. They were an extremely thoughtful and enthusiastic team and of course right when I begin to like them they get kicked off.

The Amazing Race traveling tip #304

What not to say at a Buddhist Temple: Tommy- “God is greater than the temple.”

What you should say at a Buddhist Temple: Jennifer- “While it may not be the same religion as mine, it still deserves the same amount of respect.”

The Siblings have quickly become my favorite team. They rocked this leg of the race and have turned their fierce in-fighting into competitiveness. I love it when my opinion changes about people during the course of a show and it has definitely changed about Justin and Jennifer.

For a different take on this episode, check out “The Elephant Car Wash” by Keshaunta Moten.

Season 19, Episode 4 “I Feel Like I’m in the Circus” (original airdate October 23, 2011)

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

Images courtesy of Robert Voets and CBS Broadcasting.

Tags: CBS, Emmys, Indonesia, NFL, Phil Keoghan, Phuket, reality show, Thailand, The Amazing Race

The Walking Dead Review: Less Zombies, More Filling

October 25, 2011 by Erin Biglow
Filed under Television

5 Comments

After The Walking Dead’s curiously stale and underwhelming season premiere last week left certain viewers (ahem) skeptical about the post-apocalyptic thriller’s status among AMC’s finest dramas, Sunday’s sophomore effort kicked the pacing and development up a notch or two and delivered a far superior installment that, interestingly enough, didn’t showcase any zombies until the last few minutes. Save for one straggling walker whom the gang offed in the woods midway through the episode, “Bloodletting” mostly served as a vehicle to introduce a crop of welcome new characters who all seem to have honed their survivalist instincts a bit more successfully than Sheriff Grimes and friends. While the scene-to-scene tension didn’t quite measure up to the heavy-handed levels Walking Dead has mastered in its short tenure, the bursts of action within the episode’s overall focus on interpersonal communication and emotional exchange helped build a strong foundation upon which the expanded band of survivors can establish a new, and hopefully more compelling, game plan.

Plenty of devoted zombie-philes will no doubt complain about the episode’s lack of undead festivities, but I for one was pleased to see the show take its time to actually try and follow a distinct dramatic narrative and give the audience a chance to really care about these people. More often than not, the show’s frenetic pace distracts from the attempt to balance scare tactics and pathos, with the latter usually suffering as a result. Instead, “Bloodletting” kicks off with a flashback that reveals Lori’s doubts about her marriage just before finding out Rick had been critically injured. Shortly thereafter, we’re meant to conclude, the undead scourge began. As the opening scene shows Lori telling Carl his father’s been shot, the present-day problems are put in perspective when the rest of the episode focuses on Carl’s life-threatening gunshot wound and Rick’s struggle to tell Lori what happened amidst the outlying obstacles. Somehow, Lori’s pre-plague complaint that her husband doesn’t yell at her seems rather trivial in context with new developments.

The gunman who shot Carl is an affable hunter named Otis (Pruitt Taylor Vince), a volunteer EMT who had meant to only shoot the deer in front of Carl and didn’t see the boy standing directly behind it. He breathlessly escorts them to the nearby farmhouse of Hershel Greene (Scott Wilson), where the succinct, avuncular good doctor and his family immediately tend to the ailing Carl with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine. One hopes Rick and Shane are taking notes. Rick’s anguish over his son’s condition mixed with his regret for taking him along on their search for Sophia (hate to say I told you so) makes for an effective inner conflict the unexpectedly sturdy Shane is present to help assuage. He reminds Rick that he was able to pull through similarly dire circumstances, and there’s no reason Carl shouldn’t do the same. The reinforcement of Rick and Shane’s friendship is chronicled beautifully, if not a bit ham-fisted, and is an appropriate way to help build much-needed growth amongst the expanding cast of characters. Hershel informs the group that Carl is “out of danger for now,” mostly due to the fact that the deer helped slow the bullet and prevented Carl’s instant death. However, bits of shrapnel are still lodged in his belly and one has apparently nicked a blood vessel, resulting in slow internal bleeding that must be stopped.

Luckily, Rick and Carl possess the same blood type, allowing Herschel to conduct transfusions between father and son, but Rick’s weakened state as a result prevent him from leaving to retrieve Lori from the woods. Also, a thankfully rational Shane threatens to break his legs if he leaves Carl’s side. Duly noted. Meanwhile, Herschel struggles to extract the bullet fragments from a writhing, unmedicated Carl in perhaps the most literally gut-wrenching scene in the entire episode. “One down, five to go,” Hershel declares, holding up a tiny, bloody scrap of metal after Carl passes out from the excruciating pain. Hershel points out that this was the shallowest incision, making the need for such medical luxuries as a breathing respirator and anesthesia all the more crucial if he hopes to continue surgery.

Back at the RV, Dale notices T-Dog’s severely infected gash and suggests they continue ransacking the abandoned vehicles in search for antibiotics. I’m happy T-Dog’s injury is resulting in serious health complications for him, only because he appeared to have completely opened his artery when he sliced his arm last week and the miracle bandage covering the cut was an inarguably deficient way to treat such a wound. It appears that logical consequences haven’t completely escaped the Walking Dead zeitgeist after all, save for Dale’s apparent shock that people don’t carry amoxicillin in their glove compartments. They do find ibuprofen, which Dale administers when T-Dog’s feverish delirium has him blathering about discrimination against his race and Dale’s age on behalf of the others. As T-Dog proposes the two of them ditch the group, Dale thankfully puts the kibosh on this argument and points out that Daryl has saved T-Dog’s life, and the other “cowboys” have “done all right by us.” Perhaps T-Dog was also spooked into hysteria by the sight of the brain-spattered, eerily empty baby seat in the back of one of the cars. Yikes.

Meanwhile, the rest of the gang continues to scrounge the forest for Sophia, a search Carol has finally decided to join. They all know Rick, Shane and Carl have been absent a bit too long for comfort, and Lori can’t overlook the gunshot that pierced the air a few hours earlier. Andrea tries to comfort Carol with sincere sympathy, but the ever-genial Carol sticks her foot in her mouth even further than usual by tearfully responding that she only hopes Sophia “doesn’t wind up like Amy.” Smooth. Daryl overhears the two discussing all the hopin’ and prayin’ going on in the midst of their despair, and mercifully cuts their bellyaching short with a succinct declaration of faith that supersedes any hand-wringing Carol could offer. “Am I the only one Zen around here? Good Lord,” Daryl scoffs. He later out-zings himself when he takes out an arbitrary walker with his trusty crossbow. “Shaddup,” he mutters, this task having become clearly old hat and tiresome. Daryl Dixon for President, everyone.

The first zombie of the episode appears so suddenly after an onslaught of exposition that the seriously startling effect is produced far more effectively than other undead cameos. The brain-hungry shuffler goes straight for Andrea, of course, and the slow-motion capture of her gaping scream seems a bit over the top until a galloping horse suddenly enters the frame, a baseball bat-wielding Maggie Greene (Lauren Cohan) atop, ready to strike. Hershel’s daughter had been sent to find Lori and promptly take her to the farmhouse where Rick, Shane and the ailing Carl await, but not before barking directions to the rest of the group. Again, our gang, save for the increasingly awesome Daryl, has much to learn from the take-charge Greene family.

Dale and T-Dog are soon briefed on the recent events, but the still-missing Sophia throws a monkey wrench in the plans to move toward Hershel’s farmhouse. This kid is seriously putting a damper on some plot progression; the resolution of her storyline had better be nothing short of revolutionary. While the group decides who will continue the search and who will go forth to the Greene’s, Dale happens to mention T-Dog’s serious infection. Daryl raises his eyebrows and snatches a Ziploc baggie of treats from the back of his motorcycle, including the coveted antibiotics and, I swear this had better be on purpose, a cavalcade of blue crystal meth. Nice touch, AMC.

As Carl still awaits further treatment, Otis unveils a plan to head to the local high school, where FEMA had set up a makeshift medical sanctuary after the nearest hospital’s destruction. Shane, the brawns of the operation, decides to tag along and help Otis look for the supplies Hershel needs to continue surgery. Otis’ stint as an EMT comes quite in handy, as I suspect Shane may not know what an endotracheal intubator is otherwise. Otis had theorized that the herd of zombies lurking at the school a few weeks ago might have moved on, but as they arrive it’s made clear they haven’t budged. One zombie scored himself a FEMA jacket, in perhaps the episode’s funniest shot. While Otis and Shane maneuver their way to the medical supplies at the undead-infested school, back at the farmhouse Lori expresses outlandish incredulity when it’s revealed that Hershel isn’t a doctor, per se, but a veterinarian. “So you’ve done this procedure on cows? Pigs?” she snorts. Honey, beggars can’t be choosers; Carl is in far safer hands than you could have ever hoped considering the circumstances. “You’re in way over your head, aren’t you?” she seethes to Herschel. “Ma’am, aren’t we all?” Hershel calmly responds. Indeed.

The episode concludes on a cliffhanger, natch, as Otis and Shane find what they need but are trapped behind a rickety metal gate, throngs of zombies lurching forward and rattling the lock. The longer it takes for them to return, the more dangerous Carl’s situation becomes as his life hangs in the balance, dependent on the retrieval of Hershel’s surgical needs.

“Bloodletting” ultimately succeeds as a stand-alone episode due to its deliberate narrative trajectory and relative lack of extraneous fluff, but its real triumph lies in the basis it established for future plot and character development for The Walking Dead as a whole. Core characters are being given depth and (gasp!) personality, while the new crop of survivors serve as appropriately rational bookends to the original crew. Hershel and Rick’s conversation about their opposing theories regarding the future of the human race possibly serves as a jumping-off point to eventual conflict, and also helped establish Hershel as a sturdy character. Interestingly, whether or not Sophia or Carl survive their respective troubles is the lowest concern resulting from The Walking Dead’s second season despite being the two most focal plot points. As is surely the show’s mission, the real compelling drama lies within the characters’ journey as opposed to their destination. That being said, here’s hoping they do eventually get to wherever they’re going.

What did you think of this week’s episode? Did it need more zombies? Was the flashback a little too LOST for your taste? Were you happy with the lack of ostentatious monologues? Is Rick ever going to lose that sheriff’s hat? Post your thoughts in the comment section below!

Season 2, Episode 2: Bloodletting (original air date October 23, 2011)

The Walking Dead airs Sunday nights at 9/8c on AMC.

Images courtesy of Bob Mahoney/AMC.

Tags: AMC, Andrew Lincoln, Bloodletting, episode 2, Jon Bernthal, Norman Reedus, post-apocalyptic, Pruitt Taylor Vince, recap, Review, Sarah Wayne Callies, Season 2, The Walking Dead, zombies

« Previous Page — Next Page »