Grey’s Anatomy Review: If/Then

Once again I have to tip my hat to Shonda Rhimes.  She manages to come up with innovative ways to freshen up Grey’s Anatomy every time.  I don’t think all of her attempts are successful, but the willingness to deviate from the norm is greatly appreciated.  This week the show takes a look at what would happen if just a few things in the past had gone down a little differently.  Concepts of chance, fate, and destiny have always intrigued me.  Using Meredith’s dream as a set up, we see Seattle Grace as if we’re in an alternate universe.  Let me explain.

What if Derek and Addison stayed together?  This scenario is presented, along with some much more implausible ones.  Let’s be honest, even if you made a different choice in life, that wouldn’t change the essence of who you are, would it?  Maybe it would.  Before she started dreaming, Meredith thought: what if my mother had never been sick?  Ellis Grey was a world-class surgeon, before she was stricken with Alzheimer’s.  Last Thursday’s episode showed what it would be like if Ellis Grey remained in her prime.  In Dreamland, Ellis and Richard are married and Meredith is Richard’s stepdaughter.  As a matter of fact, her name is Meredith Webber, not Grey.  How bizarre!  Owen and Callie are married, and Alex and Meredith are a couple.  Kepner is one of the cool kids, and Charles Percy is alive! I loved it.  The episode also showed hints of how some things were always meant to be.  Even though Owen and Callie are married, she and Arizona make a connection over shared surgical success.  There is a faint glimmer in their eyes as they look at each other, but of course their lives don’t allow that connection to develop.  Owen is still shell-shocked from the horrors of war, but we see what it would be like for him with a different support system in place.

It was most interesting to see well-established characters acting completely differently.   Miranda Bailey and Derek Sheperd are two of the most ambitious, brilliant doctors at Seattle Grace.  Could you imagine them being meek, passive, and underachieving?  This parallel universe shows a timid Bailey who is too afraid to confront Ellis with an oversight she made in a patient’s evaluation.  Ellis is arrogant and pushy, and her influence remains unchallenged.  She and Richard display favoritism towards Meredith, even offering to bump her rival Cristina from a surgery in order to give Meredith the opportunity.  That’s right, Cristina and Meredith are rivals and enemies, not “besties.” 

Unbeknownst to Meredith, her fiancé  Alex is cheating on her with Kepner.  When Cristina spitefully spills the beans about the affair, Alex’s golden ticket of marrying Ellis’ daughter is ruined.   The episode ends with Meredith and Cristina sharing a drink and becoming unlikely friends.  Despite the fact they are operating in an alternate reality, we see that maybe Cristina and Meredith’s friendship would have happened anyway, even if other circumstances were different.

In “real” life at Seattle Grace, Derek is an ambitious doctor and a loving, supportive husband who maintains clear professional boundaries between himself and his wife.  In Dreamland, he is the opposite.  He’s a skilled surgeon, but a petty individual who is mean to his wife Addison, even though she is pregnant with their baby.  Instead of nurturing and supporting her, they bicker constantly.  His face is covered in stubble and he looks like a burnout.  As a matter of fact, the residents don’t call him McDreamy.  With his sour disposition he is known as McDreary, a gloomy Gus who sucks the joy out of any room.

I think it’s a difficult task to keep a venerable series like Grey’s Anatomy fresh and new.  I’m satisfied with the strong writing and character development I continue to see each week, and I don’t think the show needs to resort to gimmicks to keep loyal viewers like me interested.  Having said that, I appreciate the writers’ willingness to play around with different ideas and have fun.  We all have wondered “what if, “ at some point in our lives.   What if we had taken the other job, or gone to the other school, or chosen the other guy.   Can we change destiny, or are some things going to happen no matter what?  It was nice to see the writers shake things up a bit.  Keep up the good work ABC!

Season 8, Episode 13: “If/Then” (original air date February 2, 2012).

Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.

Images courtesy of ABC and Vivian Zink.

 

Mary Mouser Interview: From Frenemies to Necromancy and Back

Would it be surprising for you to know that Mary Mouser likes hanging out with dead people? Okay, so they’re not so much dead, but actors pretending to be dead. What with her role on ABC’s hit crime drama Body of Proof, a series revolving around investigating death at the medical examiner’s office, I suppose the slight necromancy issue isn’t really all that surprising. But as Mary tells us in an interview with Poptimal.com, they’re just like us those dead guys and gals, only sleepier.

Fans of Body of Proof will recognize Mouser as Lacey Fleming, the formerly estranged teenage daughter of the brilliant but emotionally distant, Dr. Megan Hunt (played by Dana Delaney). Recently, Poptimal got the chance to catch up with the young actress in the midst of filming the back half of the show’s second season and in our interview the multi-talented star talks with us about her new Disney Channel movie Frenemies, an obsession with vampires, and what it’s like for her character to grow up among the dead.

She’s only 15 years old, but Mouser already has an impressive credit list behind her with roles in a number of TV series including Eloise, Life is Wild and NCIS as well as a number of movies. And this winter, Mouser added another network to her list working for the first time with the juggernaut of teen/tween television the Disney Channel in her new movie Frenemies.

Revolving around three groups of friends who dance along the fine line between friends and enemies, Mouser took on the dual role of lookalikes Emma and Savannah. When talking about her role, Mouser tells us how she didn’t actually think that she’d get the part. “When I did the first audition they only had me read one of the characters and not the other one. I was kind of disappointed because I thought I didn’t do well and started to question everything.”

But it would be at a later callback where she would get a last minute surprise that could potentially lock her into the role, “I was sitting in the call back room and they said by the way while you’re reading over it we’re just going to throw in, Emma has a British accent now.” A new twist to the game, but little did they know that Mouser was tailor made for this twist thanks to her love of Harry Potter as well as some help from her siblings. “My sister’s obsessed with British people who do vlogs, video blogs, so she talks in a British accent all the time as a joke and my brother’s friend Calvin talks in a British accent so I kind of had that down.” And the rest, as they say, is history.

Keshaunta Moton for Poptimal.com: What did you first think when you read the script for Frenemies?
Mouser: I thought it was really cute and I was really excited about it. A lot of things changed for me from the script that I got, to the script you guys saw on screen but I loved it all the way through since I first got the opportunity to read for it.

Poptimal: How was it for you acting in it and then watching yourself on screen?
Mouser: It was weird because when I was acting in it I could look at the other person and know that it wasn’t actually me standing there, it was my double. But watching it on screen there was like two of me, it was weird. I didn’t feel like I was actually watching me.

Poptimal: How was it working on set?
Mouser: It was a lot of fun. It was a totally new experience for me because I’ve always worked with adults so working with Disney, working with kids my age was totally new for me. It was a lot of fun, especially getting to play double characters and I got double the time getting to do what I love.

Poptimal: Do you think you’ll do more with Disney?
Mouser: I’d love to get another opportunity to do something like it.

Poptimal: If you had the chance, what Disney Channel show would you like to step into?
Mouser: Good Luck Charlie, I love that show. I think it’s the cutest Disney show. I love it so much, but of course to this day, I’m fifteen years old, but I’m a total Disney girl. I love everything about Disney.

Poptimal: How do you relate to the concept of Frenemies, is that something you’ve had to deal with in your personal life?
Mouser: I’m always careful to pick the people around me who really are there for me all the time, but I think every friendship has fights. I’ve definitely experienced little fights here and there because when you become really close with someone you can’t agree on everything. So it becomes easier to vent your feelings with the person when you’re closer to them. There does tend to be little fights here and there, but real friendships will power through it.

Poptimal: What would you do if you discovered you had a secret twin/doppelganger?
Mouser: I think I would probably have her switch places with me, a really simple thing, and just see how it went; if people believed it. I always wonder would my friends question it, would they think that that was me? You never really know. You know that your best friends know you but what if there was someone who looked just like you and they didn’t see it coming? What would they do? I think that would be really cool to find out.

Poptimal: You’re also on Body of Proof, can you tell us about that?
Mouser: I get to play Dana Delaney’s daughter on the show and it’s a huge thing for me. It’s my family. I was there on set yesterday and every time I walk on the set I find something that I love even more than I do the day before. I’m getting to do what I love every single day; it’s a huge deal for me. And the cast, they’re hilarious. They like to tease me with my vampire obsession. It’s fun and it’s a happy atmosphere that I’m so lucky to be a part of.

Poptimal: What do you mean by vampire obsession?
Mouser: I was kind of a huge Twilight fan, and still am. I also love The Vampire Diaries and pretty much anything of that genre. And so Nick [Bishop] loves to put on his best Edward impression and tease me about my love for sparkly vampires.

Poptimal: Is his impression good?
Mouser: It really is, actually. I told him he should do that voice as Peter sometimes, it would be hilarious.

Poptimal: How do you feel about Lacey’s progression as a character?
Mouser: I’m really excited about it. She’s become a lot like any teenager would be and more and more like me. It’s just really exciting because I love getting to be someone else, pretend to be someone else, be this character, this person that you created but I can still relate to Lacey in a lot of ways and that’s really exciting to me.

Poptimal: In what ways do you relate to Lacey?
Mouser: I think Lacey is growing up, she’s becoming more mature and handling more grown up things like I do on set, where I’m working with adults. Even when I’m working with other kids you have to be professional, you have to be ready to go on set and do your job and have fun with it at the same time. So Lacey’s growing up and becoming more mature and learning to handle all that stuff.

Poptimal: What do you think about the change in Megan and Lacey’s relationship?
Mouser: I think as this season has shown and as you see in the relationship, they’re always going to be who they are. They’re never fake to each other. They’re family, you know. They check each other. That’s who they are. I like that we’re becoming a little more open with each other and Lacey’s leaning really hard on her mom for support. She’s slowing but surely becoming more forgiving of her mother for everything that happened in the divorce from her father and she’s starting to lean on her and go to her for support which is great.

Poptimal: What’s been your favorite storyline/moment of the past two seasons?
Mouser: My two favorite episodes would have to be episode 2.06 and the second episode of season 1. Both episodes I got to be a part of the medical examiner’s office. And I just sort of step in and act with all the characters and see the dead bodies and things like that, it’s really fun for me.

Poptimal: The dead bodies?
Mouser: It’s a little crazy, right? It’s fun and it’s exciting and getting to see the behind the scenes kind of stuff is awesome. It’s really, really cool.

Poptimal: But there are no actual cadavers, right?
Mouser: No, they are not real dead bodies. A lot of them are actors and that’s really funny because they end up filming sometime and they’ll be doing an autopsy and the body is like snoring. And they have to wake him up during the scene. Imagine performing an autopsy on someone and going, “Oh yeah, they’re alive.”

Poptimal: Maybe I’m just a little squeamish.
Mouser: I was kind of freaked out seeing dead bodies walking around, but when you get to talk to them they’re completely normal people. You’re totally into the story and the tragic thing that happened to this person, and you’re like, “Wait a minute, no. This is completely a live person I’m talking to.”

Poptimal: What’s your inspiration as an actor?
Mouser: I’ve had a lot of inspirations growing up and acting, like the people that I look up to and it changes as I get older. I look up to now especially Dana [Delaney] because I get to learn from her so much, but also other actresses who are young actresses like Emma Stone and Ellen Page. I look up to them in a way that I want to have a career like that. Even people like Betty White. I want to be acting my whole life.

Poptimal: How did you first know you wanted to be an actor?
Mouser: I was 5 years old and we were on vacation in Pennsylvania and there was an open call. My mom’s friend lived there and she was like, “You should go in, they’re looking for a five-year-old girl,” and so we did. I ended up getting the photo double for Abigail Breslin in Signs. And from that moment forward, my parents were like, “Do you guys want to do this?” and we said yes so they got an apartment in New York and we just kind of started out there and got our agent and manager and they’ve been with us ever since. They told us to come out to California. And now we’re here.

Poptimal: What else do you have coming up?
Mouser: I’m finishing up season two of Body of Proof. We’re on our last episode right now for the season, so I guess I’m just giving my best shot at things I have coming and keeping my fingers crossed and praying for a third season for Body of Proof.

Poptimal: Can you give us a little tease?
Mouser: You see a little bit of who Lacey really is as she opens up to her mom, and who she’s becoming which I think is really fun and you start to kind of get into her head.

Poptimal: What do you like to do when you’re not working?
Mouser: I love to sing; I also read and write anything, literally anything. I would write a full page of nothingness just to write. And I’m learning guitar right now which I love.

Poptimal: What do you enjoy most about acting?
Mouser: There are a lot of aspects about acting that I find fascinating. I guess one of them would be becoming someone else because you get to create this entire personality. I mean, you grew up your whole life and you have memories, and you have favorite memories and favorite foods and favorite colors; things that you can completely create for this whole new person that you’re going to become and I find that really exciting. Even if you just have one scene in a TV show, one episode, you still get to be this person. And also I love the mechanics of it. I love getting to learn about the sound department and the camera and ask questions of everyone learn all about it.

For Mary acting’s in the blood, having both a brother and sister in the business. So, are we going to see a family reunion on screen someday? That’s the plan. “It’s something we’ve always dreamed about and talked about,” Mouser tells us. “I think it would be really fun to be able to do something together.” How about a musical? “My sister and I love to sing,” Mouser admits although stating that while it would be fun to do Broadway that’s quite a departure from what she’s used to so she’s going to leave that to more capable hands, “my sister is the one. She loves anything that involves acting and singing at the same time. From big theatre productions to a Hannah Montana kind of role is her dream.”

Mary Mouser’s Favorite 5:
TV Show: Doctor Who
Vampire: Edward Cullen
Song: “The First Day of My Life” by Bright Eyes.
Memory: “For Thanksgiving one year my sister, mom, and I went to Disney Land overnight and we woke up super early and went to Disney Land in the morning. It was so much fun. Disney Land’s like my happy place so that was definitely a fun memory for me.”
Book: Twilight or Harry Potter, though special shout out to The Hunger Games

Thanks Mary for talking with us. Catch Disney Channel for the next airing of Frenemies. Body of Proof airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on ABC.

The Bachelor Review: Another One Bites The Dust

Gentle Ben attempted to bring some spicy flavor to The Bachelor this week with an adventurous getaway to the island of Vieques in Puerto Rico. Eleven remaining ladies were invited along for the amazing trip and the romantic surroundings just seemed to amp the girls’ competitiveness up even more. From here on out, things are going to become a real challenge for our bachelor as he tries his best to read each woman’s personality and intentions. Good luck with that one, Ben. Okay, so his future wife could potentially be in this crowd and with only a two month or so chunk of time to spend with them, he better get to know each and every one of them real quick!

The gaggle of girls were put up at the relaxing W Retreat and Spa, however, the residue from the Courtney-Emily feud of episodes past could still be felt throughout the entire island. In a private interview, Courtney reiterated the situation by telling us that Emily was still on her shit list, she’s “dead to her” and my personal favorite Courtney quote, “You better check yourself, bitch.” Why wouldn’t Ben want to marry this gem?

The first date card arrived with a special message for Nicki that read,“ Let’s find new love in Old San Juan.“ The perky brunette could heave a sigh of relief but the rest of the bachelorettes continued to hold their breath until the remaining date cards would arrive. Ben picked Nicki because of her easygoing demeanor and playfulness which he admired most about her. The date was going off without a hitch as they strolled the streets of San Juan until a massive rain storm exploded over their heads and drenched them. A little rain is sometimes romantic but it was to the point where it just wasn’t cute anymore, so as a plan b, the two stopped off at some local clothiers to buy some authentic island gear. Although Ben had an all-white ensemble picked out to show off his “Latin swagger” he wound up looking a lot more like an old Florida retiree. Geriatric tendencies aside, love was certainly in the air that day when the two witnessed a grandiose wedding at an old chapel and later shared a bottle of wine on the beach together. Nicki opened up to Ben and let him play the twenty questions game about her past marriage and how everything has worked out for the better in the end. Nicki had worried that a previously failed marriage might be a deal-breaker for the bachelor but her honesty won him over entirely and she was given the date rose that night.

Back at the den, the second date card arrived, this one being the group date announcement. The card read, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend!”, which by the way is a huge tease the room full of marriage-ready women. Nine names were written down meaning that the only girl’s name left out would obviously be going on the last one on one date of the trip and Elyse was the lucky winner there. The next day, the girls were bussed off to a secret location to meet up with Ben. Turns out they were dropped off at the door of the Roberto Clemente baseball stadium for another sweaty, dirty, outdoor date. I’m not entirely sure that baseball diamonds were what the ladies had in mind after that date card but they were all prepared to play a little hard ball to win Ben’s affection. After a series of drills, batting, and fielding (sounds like a nightmare), The Bachelor host Chris Harrison showed up with some interesting news for the women. There would be the expected evening cocktail date as always that night but only half of the bachelorettes would be able to attend. The winners of a proposed baseball game would be rewarded with an invite so the nine were split into two teams, with Lindzi being the odd man out and playing for both the red and blue teams. Lindzi was the only one guaranteed a spot for the promised beach party but it was up to the rest of them to duke it out on the field in a game to the bitter end and that they did. Courtney led the red team as captain and her unbridled determination must have rubbed off on her teammates because they kicked the blue team’s ass.

At the beach party that night, Courtney was up to her old tricks again. As she just can’t keep her stupid opinions to herself, she felt it was necessary to comment on how lame the other girls are and how none of them are right for Ben. She’s also been on to his secret feelings for Kacie B. and Court doesn’t like that at all. Kacie B. was given the date rose that night so Courtney was forced to step it up by stealing Ben for a private moment on the beach where she whispered sweet nothings and tempted him with the idea of skinny dipping.

Day three arrived and Elyse was overjoyed with the idea of spending a whole day alone with Ben. Elyse had put everything on the line to join the competition, including quitting her job and declining an invite to her own best friend’s wedding, and was not leaving the show without a ring on her finger. Things went well for a bit when they cruised around in their mega-yacht and talked about the future until Elyse’s statement of already accomplishing everything she’d like to do in her life threw a red flag up in Ben’s head. It only got worse at their private dinner when she echoed her statement and then finished it off with some “I’m tired of being single” talk that made Ben question if she was really in it for him specifically or if maybe any old guy would do. Then things got super awkward and Ben had to let Elyse know out of pure honesty that he couldn’t connect with her and couldn’t see a relationship forming at all. Ben refused her the date rose and a sobbing and very pained Elyse had to go home.

The news of Elyse was music to Courtney’s ears and she immediately seized the opportunity to break The Bachelor rules and meet Ben at his room to make good on her skinny dipping promises. His initial thoughts were that it probably wasn’t a good idea, BUT he should take the opportunity to get to know her better, right? Suuuure. In an instant the two were bare and getting frisky in the ocean while the rest of the ladies sat in their rooms completely unaware of the debauchery going on mere feet from their doorstep.

At the pre-rose ceremony cocktail party, Ben made sure to spend a little time with each of the bachelorettes. He made a point to reconnect with Jennifer, whom he’d had a spectacular one on one date with back in Park City. Blakely especially needed a few moments with Ben as her insecurity really came out in this episode. She was on the losing team during the baseball game and it really got to her. She unloaded emotionally on Ben and her willingness to be completely open, a trait Ben harps on constantly, really reinforced his feelings for her. Meanwhile, Courtney was so proud of her skinny dipping secret that she was practically beaming with self-pride. Somehow she was able to keep her big mouth zipped even though it was completely obvious that she desperately wanted to slam the news into everyone’s faces. Emily is still feeling the sting from Courtney’s bad attitude and from the last rose ceremony that she just barely skated by in. When Ben pulled her aside, she apologized for bringing up the Courtney drama and they agreed to wipe the slate clean. Courtney must have really pulled some voodoo on Emily, though, because within seconds she was back to debating with Ben over what a fake weirdo Courtney really is. This confused Ben and worried Emily; she knew she had screwed up once again and she was on thin ice.

At the rose ceremony, Ben had made a comment that this had been one of the most pivotal weeks for him in Bachelor history thus far. One girl would be going home tonight and everyone had decided that they’d just absolutely die (literally) if it was them. Courtney was called to receive a rose early in the ceremony, as well as Casey S., for reasons unknown really. I think I’ve all about forgotten who she was, other than being Courtney’s best friend in the house and that’s nothing to boast about. Blakely was seconds away from having a full blown anxiety attack before she was called for a rose so her therapy session with Ben really paid off. And then there were two: Emily and Jennifer. This was it; Courtney was about to get her wish of watching Emily get kicked to the curb but, in a shocking twist, Ben called Emily to receive a rose. I don’t think any of the women saw this coming, nor did any of the viewers. After having such a killer date with Jennifer back in Utah, I guess there still wasn’t as strong a bond as he made it out to seem. Maybe he’s wising up and realizing that Emily is on his side and she should be given a chance, even if it’s just one more.

 

Season 16, Episode 5: Puerto Rico (original air date January 30, 2012)

Images courtesy of ABC.

Grimm: Q&A with Executive Producers David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf

Fairytales have become all the rage lately, just look around and you’ll see several TV shows and movies inspired by the happily ever after characters we’ve known of old. And with the notable success of two of this season’s standout shows of this genre, I think it’s fair to say that, for good or bad, this trend is not going to come to an end anytime soon.

If the new offerings could offer just as much imagination and chemistry as NBC’s Grimm or ABC’s Once Upon a Time, we TV viewers could be in for a season of spoiling. I’m personally not holding out too much hope for that (what are the odds we could be so lucky?), but if there’s anything to be grateful for it’s that Grimm and Once Upon a Time lead the pack.

Poptimal.com had the chance to participate in a Q&A with Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt co-creators (with Stephen Carpenter) and executive producers of the wonderfully moody and suspenseful series Grimm. During the call, the two talked about their series, fracturing the fairytales, and what fans can look forward to from Grimm.

Starring David Giuntoli and Russell Hornsby, Grimm follows the life of Nick Burkhardt, a homicide detective who learns that he is the descendant of hunters of the supernatural, known as Grimms. Along with his partner Hank (played by Hornsby) and his supernatural informant Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell), Nick must work to protect mankind from the dangerous supernatural creatures of the world. But as we learn from Greenwalt and Kouf, humans aren’t the only ones who need protection. In the upcoming episodes, good Grimm creatures, also known as Wesen, get caught up with some really bad humans. The Grimm creatures are in trouble. But don’t worry, they will have their champion as in a reversal of fortunes the producers reveal that several “downtrodden” creatures will finally get their day in court.

About Giuntoli and Hornsby, Greenwalt and Kouf had only nice things to say. Saying that Hornsby had something “very special, really cool but warm” to the casting call, the two said they fell in love with him and that he brings authority to the role. Speaking of Guintoli, they tell us that it was hard to find someone in the right age range, yet fresh faced and with enough talent and work history to shoulder a whole show. Overall, they said that they got really lucky with the cast.

When asked about what they think of the sudden influx of fairytale related shows, Greenwalt tell us it’s all a simple case of public domain; they’re stories that everyone already knows.

“People love these stories,” he said, “There’s a reason they’ve been handed down both in written and oral form for all these hundreds and hundreds of years. They still have an appeal.”

Though Grimm is based mainly on the Grimm Brothers Fairytales the two tell us that not every story can translate into an episode, and some are harder than others to adapt. Greenwalt and Kouf also tell us that they’re having fun fracturing the fairytales, taking the old stories and adding a twist, as well as creating new fairytales based on what’s going on today by putting it in fairytale context, such as the case of the child molester transformed into the big bad wolf.

One of the greatest things about Grimm, they tell us, is the creative freedom to depart from reality which makes the series more fun to write. Kouf adds that one of the purposes is to “explain human behavior in a bizarre way.” When asked about the challenges of creating the series, Kouf tells us that for him producing every show is a challenge, describing it as “writing movies, and producing on a TV schedule.” But in the end, the payoff is watching a dark and psychological episode.

So what’s coming up on Grimm? Azura Sky will guest star in an episode as “a bird like creature with many given talents and gifts.” Hank will prepare to get his world rocked by an unnamed woman. Amy Acker will guest star as a “black widow like you’ve never seen before.” And an epic fight is coming up in an episode titled “Last Grimm Standing” which they call a “monster” to shoot. The guys still haven’t heard whether Grimm has been picked up for a second season, but say it’s “not unpromising.” Keep your fingers and toes crossed that NBC does keep this fantastic series going, because as we’ve seen they’re not making the best decisions lately (cough, Community) and need I mention Whitney?

Grimm airs on Fridays at 9/8c on NBC.

Images courtesy of Eric Ogden and Scott Green/NBC.

Once Upon A Time Review: Death By Two-Headed Viper

The writer’s of Once Upon A Time revealed the storybook identity of another town resident this week, and although he doesn’t belong in the core canon of classic tales per se, he is part of one of the most beloved Disney animated films from the past twenty years.

The town’s journalist, Sidney Glass (Giancarlo Esposito), has been disgraced and fired by the mayor after he failed to win the sheriff election against Emma Swan (Jennifer Morrison). Intent on exacting revenge, he goes to Emma with some information – Mayor Regina (Lana Parrilla) took over $50K from the town treasury for an undisclosed reason. Emma is reluctant at first, but after Regina bulldozes her special place with Henry (Jared Gilmore) and steals his book of fairytales, she changes her mind. Emma does insist on keeping the investigation on the high road…at least at first.

Once she discovers someone tampered with the brakes on her car, Emma decides – with a little nudge from Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin), who is spending illicit time with David (Josh Dallas) and looking to assuage her own guilty conscience – to take Regina down no matter how low she has to stoop to make that happen.

Bad decision. First of all, you can’t stoop to Regina’s level, because no one else can sink that low. Second, I thought Emma learned her lesson a few weeks ago after her run in with Mr. Gold (Robert Carlyle), but her need to protect Henry and beat Regina wins out. I’m a little surprised how disappointed I felt about her failure, given that Emma is probably my least favorite (and typically the least interesting, at least so far) character on the show.

Meanwhile, in the land of fairytales and happy endings, we meet Snow White’s father (Richard Schiff) for the first time when he plucks a lamp from a riverbed. A quick rub produces a genie (played by Giancarlo Esposito a.k.a. Sidney Glass), who offers to grant the man three wishes. Of course King Leopold is a man who raised a gentle, sensitive daughter like Snow White, and he’s too wise to desire anything other than the happiness of his subjects. Instead he uses one wish to set the genie free, and a second to give his third to the genie. The genie, having seen wishes destroy lives without exception, claims his only wish is to find true love.

King Leopold invites the genie back to the castle, where he meets Snow and Queen Regina for the first time. The King dotes on his daughter (of course, she’s Snow White!), and has never gotten over the death of his first wife, his one true love, leaving poor Regina feeling unloved and lonely. The genie falls madly in love with the sad Queen, gifting her a mirror to remind her what a beautiful woman she is, but the King soon becomes aware that his wife’s affections have strayed.

The genie has grand dreams of finding a way to free the poor queen from the clutches of her horrible life, and the answer arrives in the form of her father (and we know exactly what kind of jerkface that guy is), who gives him a box to present to Regina. Inside is a two-headed viper from the genie’s homeland, and after some master manipulation (no, I never doubted for a moment that Regina had her own designs from the start), the genie murders the king.

And get this. After the Queen reveals she never cared for him but only wanted someone to do her dirty work and then take the blame, the genie uses his final wish to ensure he’ll always be by her side.

And into the mirror he goes.

The origin of the Magic Mirror! Seriously superb imagination, writers. Seriously. SUPERB.

Back in Storybrooke (and I saw this coming too), we learn Sidney Glass has been working with Regina all the time (he just can’t quit her), and they’re going to be dogging Emma’s every move. Regina has forbidden her to see Henry, who is forlorn over the loss of his book…which it turns out his mother didn’t steal.

Because, you see, we’ve almost forgotten about our mysterious stranger (Eion Bailey). It turns out he has Henry’s book, and the only question burning hotter than his identity is still (for me) what exactly Snow White did to the Queen to earn eternal hatred.

Rumplestilskin is still trying to talk Emma into an alliance, which while I know is a poor idea, also intrigues me because I want badly to figure out his angle. I loved the backstory this week; the origin of the Magic Mirror is one of the more imaginative concepts we’ve seen so far.

Much to my dismay, I have a bad feeling about how this thing with David and Mary Margaret is going to end, and after the stranger stole Henry’s book of tales, I’ve got a bad feeling about him too. Next week we’ll be treated to a Beauty (Emilie de Ravin) and the Beast story…with Rumplestilskin as the Beast.

Here’s hoping the magic continues!

Season 1, Episode 11 “Fruit of the Poisonous Tree” (originally aired January 29, 2012)

Once Upon A Time airs Sunday nights at 8/7c on ABC.

Images courtesy of Jack Rowand and ABC.

 

The Bachelor Review: Roses Are Red, And So Are Everyone’s Faces

This week’s episode of The Bachelor took us to Park City, Utah where Ben flexed his outdoor muscles for the ladies. Thirteen women remain overtly determined to win the love of the bachelor and successfully beat out their competition at the same time. It’s a freakin’ battlefield with these chicks! And what’s worse is that Ben couldn’t be more clueless to the tactics the women are using on him. Kacie B., who is extremely likeable, is also intensely needy, and when the first date card of the episode showed up announcing a private date with Rachel, Kacie all but fell apart, noting that she needs constant reassurance. Ben clearly has a soft spot for her, but I thought independence was one of his prerequisites?

Ben and Rachel start their date off with a helicopter ride over the majestic mountains of Park City followed by a lakeside picnic. I suppose the call of the wild wasn’t enough to evoke any feelings out of Rachel, hence the awkward pauses and bumpy conversation. Ben had a hell of a time trying to connect with her for most of the date and things were starting to look iffy, however, she was able to redeem herself at their evening dinner date when she finally enlightened Ben on her long, sad history as a horrible communicator. Gentle Ben melts instantly and gives her another shot by giving her the date rose.

Meanwhile, the second date card arrives at the homestead. A group date of eight ladies is announced and immediately everyone begins to overanalyze the situation: “When will I get a private date? What is Ben looking for specifically? I need constant reassurance!” It never ends. Nothing could stop the ladies from swooning over their bachelor, though, when he rode up the next day on a horse for their date. It was an adventurous day of getting their hands dirty with a little horseback riding and fly fishing, which seemed like a lot of fun for a bunch of high maintenance women. Most of these girls are doing what has to be done to make it in this competition so slapping on a smile and giggling over how awesome fly fishing can be is what most of them did. The most hated woman in the house, Courtney, has made it known from the start that she’d be calling the shots when it came to Ben and that she did. She and her unibrow made sure to steal him away for private time and even impressed him by catching the only fish of the day. Would this be a metaphor for how the rest of the day would play out? The answer is yes. Yes it would.

At the group cocktail party that evening, each girl was dead set on receiving the date rose, but before deciding who to keep, Ben had to decide to let one go, and quite abruptly. Samantha, who I honestly hadn’t even noticed was there, pulled Ben aside to challenge him, or maybe just complain, about why she had not yet been invited on a private date. She made it clear she was over the group date situation so Ben made it just as clear that he didn’t see a future with her at all. And just like that, she was tossed out on the street! Maybe he’s not as gullible as he leads me to believe after all…

The rest of the single girls are more than obviously irritated with Courtney’s two-faced demeanor and that beotch was going to step on anyone that night to get the date rose. Unibrow’s game playing tactic was to make Ben feel guilty for not spending enough time with her. With every word it sounded as if she was giving him an ultimatum, like she just might walk if he’s not careful, and he totally fell for it! Back to being clueless, I guess. Even after pulling Kacie B. aside to give her the much needed support she demanded, as well as telling her he was falling for her a bit, he still gave the date rose to Courtney.

Sometime during the night, the last date card surfaced with a private date invitation for the shy red-head, Jennifer. In guy fashion once again, Ben planned a rough and rugged manly date of hiking followed by repelling into a crater full of water. And like so many of the other women, Jennifer is deathly afraid of heights. But Ben doesn’t care; he sees the extreme sport dates where everyone’s nerves get rattled as a trust exercise and I, personally, am a little tired of his testing of the ladies. Miraculously, Jennifer gets through the date and is rewarded with not only a private dinner and the date rose but also a concert with country singer Clay Walker. Jennifer’s date actually turned out to be one of the most romantic so far this season.

Back at the bachelorette den, silent tension between Courtney and the rest of the house had been building all day but, of course, Courtney thrives off of this. At the final cocktail party before the rose ceremony, Emily lets the situation get the best of her and is completely ready to call Unibrow out on her shit. When she tries to bring up to Ben that one of the housemates may not be quite who she seems, he shuts her down quickly, refusing to fan any of the flames. And then things got super awkward. Emily was already starting to question if she’d be receiving a rose that night and then Courtney stirred up a little confrontation to really get into Emily’s head. “I don’t start fights, I finish them,” boasted Courtney. That’s nice. She also keeps using the term “winning” quite frequently. If that doesn’t say something about her, then I don’t know what does.

The final rose ceremony commenced and of the twelve remaining, one would be going home. Unfortunately, Monica was given the boot this week, although I can’t say I’m too surprised. She never seemed fully invested in the game despite the waterworks upon leaving that night. I think Monica was just starting to grow on us, too. To keep Emily in suspense, she was the last one to be handed a rose by Ben but, hey, a rose is still a rose! Emily seems like a good egg and tattling on Courtney did seem like the noble thing to do at the time, but I think from here on out, she’ll choose her battles more wisely. As for Courtney, I’m sure she’ll continue to stay classy.

 

Season 16, Episode 4: Park City, Utah (originally aired 1/23/2012)

For more dating drama tune in to ABC Mondays 8/7 central. 

Images courtesy of ABC.

Once Upon A Time Review: Back On Track

After the first real swing and miss of the series last Sunday, with the boring, irrelevant, and saccharine story of Hansel and Gretel, Once Upon a Time hit it out of the park on Sunday night.

I could be biased, but I’m guessing I’m not the only person falling in love with the destiny filled past of Snow White and Prince Charming.

This week, the writers treated us to a whole hour filled with longing and heartbreak and sweet admissions of love. Good heavens, does that ever sound cheesy when I type it out.

In other news, the stranger (Eion Bailey) who arrived in town at the end of last week’s episode talks to Henry (Jared Gilmore), which makes Regina (Lana Parrilla) nervous. She asks Emma to check him out, but he seems to reveal only what he wants to be known, and at the moment that isn’t a whole lot.

He’s a writer. He finds Storybrooke inspiring, but won’t say whether or not he’s visited previously. Oh, and he wants to buy Emma (Jennifer Morrison) a drink. I’m trying to figure out which fairy tale he might belong to, along with how exactly he’s able to come and go from Storybrooke since no one else seems to accomplish that. We’re going to have to wait longer to learn the answers to those questions.

Mary Margaret (Ginnifer Goodwin) is sneaking out to be at the coffee shop at 7:15 every morning, which is exactly when David (Josh Dallas) shows up for his morning cup. She knows it’s pathetic, but she can’t seem to get him out of her mind. When she finds an injured dove and makes a trip into the woods to reunite it with its flock, David follows. It’s a good thing too, because she almost plunges over a cliff to her death – but he’s there to save her, like he always is. They end up in a cabin, alone in the woods, where she breaks down and admits she still has feelings for him. David confesses he goes to the diner every morning at 7:15 to see her, but when they almost kiss Mary Margaret tells him they can’t…because his wife Kathryn (Anastasia Griffith) might be pregnant. They decide, for at least the tenth time now, that they need to forget each other.

Meanwhile, in fairy tale land, Snow White goes to find Rumplestilskin (who is quite famous for making problems disappear) and asks how to get rid of the love she feels for Prince Charming, since he’s getting married in a couple of days. In return, the crackpot wish-granter gives her a potion that will cure her love – by making her forget she ever knew him. As Snow’s about to take the draught, a dove arrives with a message from the Prince. He can’t forget her either, and if she feels the same she should come to the palace and they would run away together.

Of course she goes (have you seen the man?) but is captured upon her arrival. The king, who is pretty much a dirt bag, gives her an ultimatum. Tell Prince Charming she doesn’t love him and never will, or he’ll have the Prince murdered. She goes in there and breaks his heart, and her own, then meets the seven dwarfs on the road home.

Aside: She saved Grumpy’s life earlier that night after he helped break her out of a prison cell. It was a lovely meet-cute for a lady and her future dwarf roommates.

At first Grumpy (Lee Arenberg) convinces her that her pain, her memories, make her who she is and the potion isn’t the way to deal with it. The next day the Prince rides in search of her, having called off his wedding, but when he arrives the dwarves find Snow has taken the potion – she has no memory of her Prince Charming.

In Storybrooke, David and Mary Margaret both change their schedules so they won’t run into one another at the diner, but end up there at the same time anyway. The little glimpse of fate is all it takes, and they share a wonderful, heartbreaking kiss that can make even cynical me believe that some loves are real.

Unfortunately, Regina witnesses the kiss (rule #1 of kissing a married man should be not kissing him on the street in a small town), and we can only assume she’s going to do something about it.  After all, the point of the curse is to eliminate happy endings, and Snow and Charming were first on her *hit list.

I loved this episode. Last week’s was weak, with no discernable link to any overarching themes. It gave us no reason why the Queen would care about Hansel, Gretel, or their father at all. We didn’t learn how the apple came about or why the blind witch would want to keep it from the Queen. The Storybrooke side of the story was so sweet it made me simultaneously roll my eyes and gag, which is not an easy feat, let me tell you.

They are back on point this week, and while I’ve quite enjoyed all of the episodes and glimpses into the genesis of various characters, the story of Snow and Charming has settled deep in my heart.

Which means, of course, we’ll be waiting a good long time to see their happy ending.

Season 1, Episode 10 “7:15 A.M.” (originally aired January 22, 2012)

For more on Once Upon A Time, check out other reviews here.

Once Upon A Time airs Sunday nights at 8/7c on ABC.

Images courtesy of Jack Rowand and ABC.

The Bachelor Review: Stirring Things Up In San Fran

Feathers were more than a little ruffled this week on The Bachelor. It was your usual bevy of strange dating adventures and petty jealousy but by the end of the episode, the territory marking really began.

Sixteen ladies were off to Ben’s hometown of San Francisco for a chance to prove they could assimilate to city life as each struggled to prove they were potential wifey material for our bachelor. Ben’s sister, Julia, was the first woman to actually welcome him back to town with a lunch meeting to show support for her brother. Ben had a great time filling Julia in on the “strong, independent” and “drama-free” girls that were chosen for him. Oh, what a naïve world he’s living in.

The single ladies were put up at the glamorous Fairmont Hotel, complete with a lovely view of the big city. The first of three date cards arrived quickly and Emily was the lucky lottery winner for a one on one date with Ben, but the card, which alluded to heights, made her a little hesitant. Her worrying was validated when she discovered Ben would be taking her on a hike to the top of the famous Golden Gate Bridge. It’s not your most romantic date, nor would I have accepted if I were Emily as I share her horrific fear of heights, but the girl is in it to win it and if threatening her life on the top a humongous bridge is what she has to do, then apparently there’s nothing stopping her. I give her credit for being a good sport, though, because I think a lot of girls would have turned him down on this one. But overcoming her biggest fear was worth it in the end when Ben awarded her with the date rose.

Back at base camp, date card number two showed up announcing a big group date for the next day which promised a refreshing opportunity. Never failing to deliver, Ben took eleven ladies on a snow skiing adventure right on the streets of San Fran. Although it was a toasty eighty-five degrees that day, a snow machine turned one hilly street into a winter wonderland where everyone stripped down to their teeny bikinis and strapped on a pair of skis. Ben’s objective here was to really see who could just let loose and have fun and each girl seemed happy to throw on a smile to appease him. The date concluded with dinner and drinks, a la every date thus far, where each bachelorette took turns vying for attention. This dinner date did not go as well as previous, however. Earlier in the night, the third date card showed up which read, “Brittany- Let’s unlock our love with the key to the city”, accompanied by a necklace with a key-shaped pendant. Unbeknownst to the other women, and most of the viewers, Brittany hadn’t caught the same fever for Ben that the rest of the group had and after some tough debating, she decided to call it quits. After briefly interrupting Ben’s group date to bring him the bad news, Brittany was in a cab and on her way to the airport. But the date must go on! Ben gives the group date rose to Rachel and although one is now gone, another’s spot in the game is secured.

With Brittany gone, Lindzi is chosen to take her place on the intimate date the next day, which is pretty appropriate considering she and Ben seemed to have some genuine chemistry from the beginning. After a trolley ride where Ben introduced her to the famous spots the city had to offer, it was off to city hall, with, yes, the key to the city, for a private concert by platinum recording artist Matt Nathanson. Very thoughtful, very intimate, a little cheesy but, nonetheless, they both enjoyed their private dance session. The night was complete once Ben took Lindzi to a speakeasy themed lounge where he gave her the final date rose of the week. Absolutely nothing could ruin this wonderful week for Lindzi, right? Her words, not mine.

When all is well, The Bachelor feels the need to stir things up to keep the audience on edge and it came in the form of Shawntel Newton. Shawntel was a previous contestant on Brad Womack’s season of The Bachelor, was eventually dumped by him, and came to the bizarre revelation that she would make a wonderful match for Ben. So, what does the show do? Brings her aboard! Why the hell not? Saying the competing women were pissed about a stranger showing up is putting it mildly. After all, they’ve been here from the start, putting in the foot work with Ben, and Shawntel could be the factor that ultimately gets someone eliminated in the end. If she gets past the rose ceremony, that is. A few of the girls threaten to walk if Shawntel is handed a rose while others cry out tears of frustration and, in Erika’s case, almost pass out completely under pressure. With one rose left, Erika, Jaclyn, and Shawntel eagerly waited to hear who would get their paws on that last symbol of ultimate security but in a strange turn of events, Ben couldn’t even muster up the balls to hand it out. With no rose, you’re automatically ousted from the competition so all three were sent packing. Ben’s too nice of a guy and way to worried about hurting anyone’s feelings, which is admirable, but I feel like that is going to be his downfall if he doesn’t put his foot down once in a while. As quickly as the storm rolled in, it rolled right out and in the case of Shawntel, at least Ben did something right that evening.

 

Season 16, Episode 3: Week 3 (originally aired January 16, 2011)

Images courtesy of ABC.

 

Grey’s Anatomy Review: This Magic Moment

One good thing about Grey’s Anatomy is that the writers always manage to include a degree of realism.  There are all sorts of interesting medical anomalies that can befall the average person, at any time. It might seem far-fetched, but it makes for good television and it’s technically possible.  Thursday’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy featured conjoined twins and an opportunity for the doctors of Seattle Grace to distinguish themselves from their counterparts.

It was all hands on deck as the doctors worked to separate the twins in a career-defining procedure.  It’s a “peeds” case, so Arizona (Jessica Capshaw)is front and center, but all of the alpha personalities are present, including Webber and Sheperd.  They practice the surgery numerous times on dolls before the actual procedure.  Arizona finds it difficult to defer to her colleagues, and eventually Callie has to firmly put her in her place.  The surgery is ultimately a success, but there were some interpersonal bumps along the way.

Karev (Justin Chambers) has loads of pediatric experience and has worked with Arizona extensively.  He should’ve had the inside track on the surgery, but he allowed Webber to psych him out.  His mistake during the practice sessions cost him a role in the surgery.  After the twin girls were successfully separated, one of the babies went into kidney failure.  Karev came up with the idea of taking a kidney from the baby’s sibling, and Arizona was going to let him scrub in.  While scrubbing in, Webber (James Pickens Jr.) manages to get in Alex’s head AGAIN, and guilts him into giving up the surgery.  Webber feigned disappointment and regret at feeling like his career was on the downswing, so Karev gave up his spot out of sympathy.

Meanwhile, Webber knew exactly what he was doing by playing upon his sympathy.  He basically yelled “gotcha!”  I felt bad that Alex was duped.  He rarely shows kindness to his counterparts, and I think the fact that Webber is former Chief Resident played a large role in his decision.  Later, Webber acts as if his betrayal was intended to be a teachable moment – but I thought it was a dirty trick and that Webber was above that sort of behavior.

Derek and Meredith are settling into their roles as parents, and couldn’t be happier.  Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Cristina, Teddy, or Lexie.  Teddy is understandably grappling with Henry’s death.  She hasn’t taken any time off and is still performing surgeries.  She is subjecting Cristina (Sandra Oh) to the torture of reliving Henry’s death over and over by repeatedly asking her to describe what happened in the O.R. in painstaking detail.  Whenever she is summoned, Cristina finds Teddy and dutifully recites what happened, always ending with the time of death.  It’s almost as if Teddy is looking for someone to blame, but eventually she obtains a modicum of closure and accepts Cristina’s medical explanation.  It will be difficult, but now maybe she can begin to heal.  The same can’t be said for Lexie, who can’t seem to get over Mark even though he has a new girlfriend.  I think she was crazy for dumping Avery, but I guess it was for the best if her feelings weren’t true.

Best of the episode: A successful surgery for the conjoined twins.

Worst of the episode: Webber’s double-crossing.

What to look for next: Trouble on the home front as Owen and Cristina bump heads.

Season 8, Episode 11: “This Magic Moment” (original air date January 12, 2012.)

Grey’s Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.

Images courtesy of ABC and Kelsey McNeal.

The Bachelor Review: Prince Pinot Of Bachelorville

It was a loooong two hour episode of The Bachelor last night as eighteen remaining single ladies put on a smile and attempted any task asked of them in hopes of  being given the ultimate symbol of acceptance at the end of the day: the almighty rose.

California wine maker Ben Flajnik brought the bachelorettes to his home town of Sonoma this week to really drill in how important his family roots are to him. Also, it was a great way to take a few girls out on dates and judge just how well each of them blended in with the peaceful, small town atmosphere, given the fact that Ben’s number one pick in the end could potentially be living there with him (fingers crossed this time around). One lucky girl that Ben wanted to get to spend a little one on one time with was Kacie B., who received the very first rose of the evening and was safe from elimination at the upcoming rose ceremony. The pair hit the sleepy wine town and talked about local history, did a little piano playing, and had a basic introduction to baton twirling (Kacie’s hidden talent) before heading off for a thoughtfully romantic dinner. Although it seemed like a full date night, Ben still had one last thing in store for Kacie. It was off to the Sebastiani Theater, where Kacie was treated to a private viewing of childhood home videos of herself, and later of Ben. At first, it seemed a bit strange to me because if I were Kacie B., the first thing I’d think to myself would be, “Where did you get these from, Creep-o?” but Ben was just again trying to reiterate how important family, especially the influence of his father, was to him and that seemed to resonate well with Kacie. Overall, the date was A-plus and Kacie left with a rose in hand.

Meanwhile, at the bachelorettes’ lair, the girls bitched about being left out and about how much valuable time they were losing getting to know Ben. However, they’re absolutely right to think that since, after all, this is a competition and the time to make yourself memorable in such a fierce arena is extremely limited. During Ben and Kacie’s outing, a “date card” showed up at the house, announcing which ladies would be joining the bachelor for a group date the following day. Eleven women were selected, leaving the small group of excluded girls feeling scorned.

The next day, the specially selected girls were asked to put on their acting hats and act childish in a new kind of way. Some kids from a local community-based theater group created their own special play just for the bachelor and his suitorettes that involved such epic characters as weasels, gingerbread men, and dragons. After an awkward audition full of pig oinking, “sexy dancing,” and Blakley’s nearly R-rated Baywatch inspired slow motion jogging sequence, the girls put on a theater production for the tiny California town. The girls seemed to have no qualms with making fools of themselves on stage as long as each of their promised kissing scenes with Prince Pinot were fulfilled.

That evening, Ben and his co-stars had a cocktail soiree back at the house to spend some more serious time with the girls, but what happened was just the start of a shit storm of drama. The busty Blakely was more than determined to get the teasing rose on a silver platter that was staring everyone in the face all night and that she did. Her aggressive techniques are freaking all the girls out and some of them just can’t seem to deal with it, so, they cry about it. What’s funny is that at this point Ben is under the impression that everyone is a fan of Blakely and that, naively, everything is serene in Bachelor Town. Silly Ben, let’s wake up. Most of these girls would sooner sell their own mothers into slavery before letting another fellow competitor push them out of this contest. What’s sad is that only a small handful of the bachelorettes are actually being their genuine selves.

One of the more seemingly disingenuous in particular is Courtney, the model from Los Angeles. She received her own personal date card from Ben that read, “Courtney, let’s spin the bottle…”, which visibly rocked a few of the housemates. The next day, the two had a private picnic with Ben’s little Jack Russell terrier and further discussed the importance of family. Courtney put on her game face during the date for sure and flowed naturally with Ben, despite her critical private interviews about the other women that would have led you to believe she’s more on the high-maintenance side. Not to mention, this chick is slowly becoming everyone’s number two enemy, right after Blakely. Ben fell for Courtney, however, and yet another girl was safe from elimination.

The big cocktail party before the final rose ceremony of the episode brought on the drama full force as all eyes fell on Blakely who just could not separate herself from Ben. Every time he pulled one of the ladies aside to have a chat, Blakely showed up. Every corner Ben turned, Blakely showed up. The whole debacle, which needless to say managed to piss off an entire party of women, quickly went from cute to scary stalker. Yikes! Elegance and poise is key here, Blakely, my dear, so reel it in a little! What happened soon after was embarrassing for women everywhere when Blakely caught wind of the other girls’ complaints of her and was sent running for the hills. Not really the hills, but the corner of the luggage room where she crouched in the fetal position and had a good cry. The fun didn’t stop there when Jenna, our favorite overanalyzing head case, had a sputtering and practically incoherent conversation with Ben. The spazz attack had her racing to her bedroom where she put herself to bed, right in the middle of the party, and cried. Ben, who had been just an easy going and completely oblivious guy the whole time, finally wised up to how stressed out the girls were getting and had to retrieve the missing drama queens from their holes. Talk about a cocktail party from hell!

Thank God the rose ceremony was next because it was beginning to get a little crowded in Sonoma. Two roses had already been handed out earlier and now thirteen roses were up for grabs, meaning two ladies would be kicking rocks back to their home towns. Many of the bachelorettes were relieved, including Jennifer, Emily, and Brittany, to name a few. Jenna and Shawn were not so lucky. Shawn didn’t make much of an impact on Ben evidently, but Jenna sure did and after her bizarre ways of trying to express herself, everything was just lost in translation. This boy has his hands full and I just hope the mild mannered bachelor can find his way through this mess of crazy ladies.

Season 16, Episode 2: “Week 2″ (originally aired January 9, 2012)

The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.

Images courtesy of Ron Koeberer/ABC

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