The Borgias 109 Review- Circle of Life

Sforza- "Where am I?"

Cesare- "Where all roads lead to...Rome."

As the saying goes, with death upon death upon death comes new life. Well, at least that seems to be the saying on The Borgias. "Nobody" ended the season with King Charles finding his new kingdom of Naples filled with a drove of dead plague victims, while the Borgias welcomed a new generation to the family.

Yes, King Charles of France made it to Naples, and it was great seeing the disappointment on Della Rovere's face when he found out Charles wasn't going to do anything about the situation in Rome. Who would have known that this murderous villain was such a softy when in the presence of His Holiness? It certainly was a nice twist, though, as it allowed for the Borgias to remain in power, and kept Della Rovere on the hunt.

I'm glad to see that my previous prediction that Della Rovere wouldn't make it out of this season was incorrect. In this case, one of the historically educated commenters informed me that the Cardinal would be around for a while after last week's episode, but I really do prefer to not know the background of the series.

For the first time, I knew what was not going to happen, and it made things a little less interesting. Wondering who is going to make it out of the story alive creates a lot of excitement.

To read the rest of my review of Sunday's The Borgias, head over to TV Fanatic.

The Borgias 109 - "Nobody"
Review
Recap
Quotes

The Office 724 Review- Search and Destroy

Ryan- "Little advice. Take a day off from the whole Jim schtick. Try caring about something. You might like how it feels, James."

Last week, I wrote that although "Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager" had many of the elements that create a good episode of The Office, it didn't quite come together. In hindsight, it really worked a whole lot more than the season finale, as the penultimate episode was actually the kind of quality we should hope in Michael's absence.

"Search Committee" didn't have those aforementioned elements. Jim was taking everything way too seriously and Dwight wasn't acting nearly crazy enough. The episode hinged on the work of the guest stars, which is not a luxury you are going to have every week.

And sometimes those guest stars don't work out, as was the case in a couple of the cameos in "Search Committee." I loved Ricky Gervais in his appearance a few weeks back, but his video conference here was less than exciting. And Jim Carrey? Did you really need to get him for that role? Talk about the epitome of stunt casting.

Will Arnett and Ray Romano were fine, but the two candidates that impressed the most were James Spader and Catherine Tate. Not only were they both very funny, but their characters showed enough power and confidence that could make them seem like actual managers.

To read the rest of my review of Thursday's season finale of The Office, head over to TV Fanatic.

The Office 724 - "Search Committee"
Review
Recap
Quotes

One Tree Hill 822 Review- Air Force Done

Julian- "Your mom is Brooke Davis, and she has enough strength for all of us."

There have been many times over the course of One Tree Hill's eight seasons when they have unnecessarily made every second on screen seem not only important, but epic in nature. "This Is My House, This Is My Home" certainly straddled that line, but was effective for two reasons.

First of all, unlike some episodes that came before it, much of what happened in this season finale was very important. And secondly, when this was being created it could have been their series finale. The constant dramatic music combined with powerful stories was a necessity for the last ever episode of One Tree Hill.

Fortunately for us fans, word has been received from The CW that we will be getting a ninth and final season next year. That should give them plenty of time to wrap up the stories that were either teased or wrapped up poorly in "This Is My House."

Between Brooke having twin boys, the re-opening of Karen's Cafe, and everything dealing with Chase Adams, most of what went on worked well. The time jumping plot device was a great move - especially if this ended up being the series finale - in order to have the happy ending of Brooke with her baby boys.

To read the rest of my review of last night's One Tree Hill season finale, head over to TV Fanatic.

One Tree Hill 822 - "This Is My House, This Is My Home"
Review
Recap
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Chuck 424 Review- I Know Kung Fu Too

Chuck- "I'll do anything I need to do to save Sarah."

Before finding out that Chuck was renewed for a fifth and final season, I was worried that "Chuck Versus the Cliffhanger" would live up to its title and leave us all upset when the show was canceled by NBC. Fortunately, we will get 13 more episodes to conclude the series in a way seen fit by creators Chris Fedak and Josh Schwartz.

So when "The Cliffhanger" ended the way it did, with Team Bartowski all fired by the CIA, the group as freelance spies, Chuck being told all that has happened to him was an elaborate plan, and Morgan downloading a new intersect, I thanked my lucky stars that it didn't all end like this.

As a season-ending episode it was fantastic, but a series finale? It would have been disappointing. Never to see Morgan show off his kung fu skills, which he so perfectly uttered to the crew in Chuck season two finale fashion, would have been brutal. Now we will get to see our favorite spies go rogue, and they will do it with the help of an intersected Morgan Grimes.

On the other hand, if it all had ended around 8:50 p.m., I probably would have wished it had been axed. Immediately following Chuck and Sarah's wedding, everything was wrapped up quite nicely, and I was satisfied with it ending right then and there. Sarah was saved from the Norseman, the two love birds got their happy day, and the Volkoff story also came to a nice conclusion.

To read the rest of my review of last night's season finale of Chuck, head over to TV Fanatic.

Chuck 424 - "Chuck Versus The Cliffhanger"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Survivor Finale- A Decade In The Making

Spoiler Alert...Below are the results and plenty of thoughts from last night's Survivor: Redemption Island finale. So before reading any further, watch the ep, go into special agent mode, then read what I have to say.

Boston Rob- "10 years. Four times on Survivor. 116 days. One challenge for one million bucks. That's what it comes down to. Pretty big stakes."

A great showman that Boston Rob. The way that he played to the audience this entire season was one of a couple reasons why Survivor: Redemption Island was the best season of the show since I started watching six iterations ago.

Rob Mariano was on a mission to win a million dollars on Survivor a decade ago. Not only did he finally do it, but he did it in the most impression fashion. He won challenges, he manipulated his tribe members, he brought the right people to the end with him, and most importantly, he did it all without alienating the jury members.

David- "When we started this game, two people came in. One of them claimed to be the best to ever play the game. He walked out on Day 8. There's a guy sitting over there that just played the best strategic game that this game has ever seen. And it's pretty damn easy to tell you who deserves to get your vote tonight."

Although his proposal to Carolina was one of the most awkward things I've ever seen, and I'm pretty sure she gave the ring back five minutes after Probst said cut, David's speech to the other jury members was fantastic. It was about time somebody came to their senses on this show, and made a logical argument for why the person who deserved to win should win.

I am so tired of jury members getting up there and just airing their grievances against the three players that were able to make it to the end. Especially Julie with her utter embarrassment for Natalie, but with almost everyone other than David, Steve, and Ralph, they got up there and were too upset to be civil.

To all you haters. You cannot have it both ways. You can't be mad at Boston Rob for playing the game and making moves the way he did, but also be mad at Natalie for riding coat tails. How do you expect people to make it to the end?

But again, this was just a great season of Survivor. Heroes vs. Villains may have been just as entertaining, but because Redemption Island ended with a winner that played the best overall game, I give the edge to this version of the reality series.

Like the wise and sage-like Larrington Bevy once tweeted "Next Survivor should be Phillip v Dragon Slayer." I couldn't agree more. I didn't think that this show could come up with a more ridiculous yet unbelievably entertaining human being after Coach Wade the Dragon Slayer, but Agent Phil definitely was.

Phil- "I wanna say that I was never proud to wear plum colored underwear. I knew that my manhood was not reflected in the briefs that I wear, but rather the character that i bring to the game."

I mean come on! What a speech to go out on from the former Federal Agent. He sure was entertaining this entire season, but I never witnessed somebody butcher a final plee so badly. You cannot claim that you were a jerk as an act so that you could make it to the end, and then act like a complete jerk during the final tribal council. He proved that he is indeed a complete idiot. A loveable idiot by all accounts, but still a raving maniac.

So as we move forward, we now know that Redemption Island will be back again, as will a pair of former contestants. Will it be Phillip and Coach Wade as has been nominated by Larry? I highly doubt it, but one can only hope.

Everyone is going to hate on it, but I actually like the idea of bringing a couple of familiar faces back once a year or so. It keeps things interesting in case you have a dud filled cast like they had this fall. They don't want to go another season where Jud is your most interesting contestant.

For now, we can just get ready for another summer filled with similar blind sides, but within the friendly confines of the Big Brother house.

And just now I am adding up the fantasy scores...Jaydon! He comes form behind to beat me by less than 100 points.  If we knew Boston Rob was going to win, it all came down to the fact that he took Phillip to the end instead of Ashley.  That would have been a 274 point swing.  Oh well. All hail the champion.

Fantasy Results

Fuchsia Federal Agents

Boston Rob- W16 (121), Im (20), Necessary Idol Use (0), W17 (137), Winner (154), Votes (-4)= 428
Andrea- Duel Win (10), Votes (-16)= -6
Phillip- W16 (121), W17 (137), Votes (-4)= 254
Kristina
Finale= 676 Total= 2292

Slay or be Slayed

Matt- Duel Loss (-10)= -10
Grant- Duel Loss (-10)= -10
Ashley- Im (20), W16 (121), Votes (-12)= 129
Natalie- W16 (121), W17 (137)= 258
Finale= 367 Total= 2219

My Orbitz Account

Mike- Duel Win (-10)= -10
Steve
Stephanie
David
Finale= -10 Total= 532

Montecito Lancers

Russell
Ralph
Krista
Sarita
Julie
Total= 396




Free Agents
Francesca

The Borgias 108 Review- Sweet Him Into Submission

Giulia- "Kings are of short supply."

King Charles- "I am of novelty value then."

Although not as exciting as last week's "Death, On a Pale Horse," "The Art of War" continued the resurgence of The Borgias and kept things very intriguing leading into next week's finale.

I originally thought that there was going to be 12 episodes of this first season, but upon further review it looks like next week's 10th hour will be the last, and it has kind of come up on us quickly.

Sneaking up on the Romans is quite the opposite of what King Charles of France did. This guy made some noise as he destroyed most of Italy on his way to Rome. Luckily for the Borgias and Pope Alexander himself, Giulia and Lucrezia happened to bump into him in the woods, which ended up being the best strategy for battle.

The "art of war." if you will, was most effectively demonstrated by the 14-year old Lucrezia in her woo-ing of King Charles. Thanks in part to the advice of Giulia, Lucrezia used her wit and her beauty to basically make the ugly monarch fall in love with her.

To read the rest of my review of last night's The Borgias, head over to TV Fanatic.

The Borgias 108 - "The Art of War"
Review
Recap
Quotes

American Idol Top 4- I've Done So Much

Did James Durbin really say that he's done so much on this show that no one had ever done before? What? Sing one heavy metal song? If that's what he was referring to then he should not be bragging about that, because that was a terrible, terrible performance. And if he is talking about him acting like an idiot in every interview and talking moment with Seacrest, then I'm sorry James, that's been done on the show before.

Let's all just rejoice in the fact that Haley has made it through another week. I have to be honest. I did not see this coming. Apparently America isn't filled with as many idiots as I thought, because Haley is the best singer in this competition by a country mile. We all know that Scotty is going to win this thing two weeks from now, so let's get ready to see his bug eyes all over the place on finale night.

Fantasy Scores

Peaches

(2) Casey Abrams
(11) James Durbin- Eliminated (-24)= -24
(14) Scotty McCreery- Safe (50)= 50
(23) TaTynisa Wilson
Top 4= 26 Total= 449

#hoponthelaurenalainatrain

(1) Lauren Alaina- Safe (50)= 50
(12) Lauren Turner
(13) Stephano Langone
(24) Naima Adedapo
Top 4= 50 Total= 238

Thia Megia #cangetit

(18*) Haley Reinhart- Safe (50)= 50
(19*) Ashton Jones
(15) Karen Rodriguez
(22) Brett Loewenstern
Top 4= 50 Total= 195

*acquired from Larry via trade

Missing Didi

(4) Clint Gamboa
(9) Thia Megia
(16) Jacob Lusk
(21) Rachel Zevita
Total= 85

Paula's Incoherence

(5) Paul McDonald
(8) Robbie Rosen
(17) Kendra Chantelle
(20) Jovany Barreto
Total= 25

Preacher With a Satan Tattoo

(6) Julie Zorilla
(7) Pia Toscano
(3*) Tim Halperin
(10*) Jordan Dorsey
Total= 10

* acquired from Tyson via trade

Survivor Week 15- Your Wish Granted

Some Survivor fantasy results for the kids.

Fantasy Results

Slay or be Slayed

Matt- Duel Win (10)= 10
Grant- Votes (-16)= -16
Ashley- Im (20), W15 (106)= 126
Natalie- W15 (106), Votes (-4)= 102
Weeks 15= 222 Total= 1852

Fuchsia Federal Agents

Boston Rob- W15 (106)= 106
Andrea- Duel Win (10)= 10
Phillip- W15 (106)= 106
Kristina
Weeks 15= 222 Total= 1616

My Orbitz Account

Mike- Duel Win (10)= 10
Steve
Stephanie
David
Weeks 15= 10 Total= 542

Montecito Lancers

Russell
Ralph- Duel Loss (-10)= -10
Krista
Sarita
Julie
Week 15= -10 Total= 396




Free Agents
Francesca

The Office 723 Review- Guns Don't Kill People, They Reveal Hardwood

Jim- "Wow you've really embraced the whole Bond villain aesthetic."

If this was the level of quality we can expect from episodes without Steve Carrell, then I am not all that excited for the future of The Office.

"Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager" had many elements of The Office that were a part of what made it such a great show in the early going of the series, but without that key leading man in Carrell, it just didn't come together as an excellent half hour of TV.

Dwight's whacked out behavior is what sucked many viewers into the show way back when. With a mandatory pledge of allegiance, a painting of himself on the wall, the honor system on the coffee maker, empty vending machines, piranhas, and guns in and out of holsters, Dwight was as eccentric as ever here.

Similarly, Jim was just as apathetic to life and antagonistic towards Dwight as he ever was in the glory years. There were a couple of seasons when Jim became too involved with the company and was too serious to screw with Dwight, but in "(Acting) Manager" he was up to his old tricks, as showcased by The Fist rebellion.

To read the rest of my review of last night's The Office, head over to TV Fanatic.

The Office 723 - "Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager"
Review
Recap
Quotes

One Tree Hill 821 Review- Bird of Mouth

Clay- "I don't understand camping. We have houses, bed, showers, flat irons."

I commend One Tree Hill for how it handled the River Court story in "Flightless Bird, American Mouth." On a show that is quite melodramatic to begin with, it easily could have taken a plot about the memorable historic landmark of the town and gone way over the top with it.

Instead the series used a camping session, Clay's out of left field quirkiness, and the continued evolution of the Chase and Chuck relationship, to lay the ground work for what ended up being a really sweet moment for the court, the show, and Marvin McFadden.

I was glad that the one person still on the program regularly who actually grew up on the River Court was able to shine in that moment. Sure, Nathan trained with Q for about a fraction of a second on that court, but he spent his entire life in the gym or in his driveway. This was Lucas's court, and it's just a shame that he wasn't there to help save it.

As we segued back to the camping and Clay's third new personality in as many episodes, I enjoyed this one. His hatred of camping worked perfectly... and only slightly because I share his sentiment. It's just always funny to have someone hating on what everyone else is doing, and it helped that he was wearing that Boitano shirt and sitting in a recliner.

To read the rest of my review of last night's One Tree Hill, head over to TV Fanatic.

One Tree Hill 821 - "Flightless Bird, American Mouth"
Review
Recap
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Chuck 423 Review- Chuck, I Am Your Mother

Vivian- "The woman who betrayed my father is the mother of the man who betrayed me? Oh that makes sense."

In usual Chuck fashion, things are coming to a close in rare form.

"Chuck Versus the Last Details" built on the success of "Agent X," creating another absolutely entertaining hour of television that made this viewer anxious for next week's episode.

You have to take Chuck with a grain of salt. Okay, maybe this season it is with a shaker, but that doesn't mean that the show isn't great at what it does.

You are not coming into an episode, or even a season, thinking that Chuck is going to be quality serious television. You know you are getting a goofy show that takes the serious subject of spies and flips into a farcical story about nerds hunting down bad guys.

It's not Mad Men or Breaking Bad, but it's fun, and "The Last Details" was a great example of that.

Major progress was made on both long running plots, as the rehearsal dinner paved the way for the ensuing wedding and Vivian Volkoff's role as Chuck's nemesis took a big step forward, but it was the bevy of comedic moments that made this such an enjoyable time. Before we take a look at how the Chuck Triple Threat played out this week, pump yourself up by singing the Imperial March...

To read the rest of my review of last night's Chuck, head over to TV Fanatic.

Chuck 423 - "Chuck Versus The Last Details"
Review
Recap
Quotes

The Borgias 107 Review- The French Destruction

Rodrigo- "We are facing a battle for our very survival."

"Death, On A Pale Horse" was definitely the best episode since the two-part series premiere of The Borgias. Bringing the war aspects to the forefront was an intelligent move in keeping things interesting at this point in the season.

As each episode went along, the workings of Della Rovere were moving slowly and were quite boring at times, but they certainly had a purpose. It took the traitorous Cardinal a while to figure out the best strategy for taking down Pope Alexander, but now that he has, everything seems to be coming into place for him.

The fact that Della Rovere has put so much work into making this happen, made his realization so much more powerful. When he watched King Charles and the rest of the unstoppable French Army destroy the first town they conquered, Della Rovere looked absolutely disgusted.

To read the rest of my review of last night's The Borgias, head over to TV Fanatic.

The Borgias 107 - "Death, On A Pale Horse"
Review
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Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Top Ten

If you haven't noticed already, I have been extremely busy in the months of April and May. With the end of the baseball season, the end of the spring semester, and a couple of week-long pop-ins at my place, I have been beyond slow on the blog at times. That is no excuse to not put out a Bi-Monthly Power Rankings, though, so without further ado, here are the Quiet Pool Perspective Television Power Rankings for the month of May.

Rank. Show- (last time)...red= moving down, green= moving up

10. Dexter- (11) Sundays on Showtime
Sooner or later they're going to have to make a big move on this show, but for the time being, I'm enjoying the ride.

The Walking Dead

9. The Walking Dead- (10) Sundays on AMC
It's such a long time to wait for season two of The Walking Dead, especially since the first run was only six episodes long.

8. Chuck- (5) Mondays on NBC
Not only are the ratings slipping and a cancellation seems probable, but Chuck also continues to slip in the Power Rankings. I still enjoy Chuck, Morgan, and company, but whatever they're doing doesn't seem as important anymore.

7. Sons of Anarchy- (8) Tuesdays on FX
I wonder if this next season of Sons is going to only appeal to women again? Wink, wink.

6. Community- (4) Thursdays on NBC
They should really end every season with a paint ball themed episode. This last one was once again fantastic, and I can't wait for next week's finale.

5. The Office- (6) Thursdays on NBC
Hating on The Office has become the cool thing to do, so be different and watch it subjectively. This season has been unbelievably good.

Mad Men

4. Mad Men- (3) Sundays on AMC
Why would you make me wait this long for more Mad Men? Sally Draper is going to be 20 by the time it comes back.

3. Justified- (7) Wednesdays on FX
A bold move you might think? No. Justified proved itself to be one of the best shows on tv this season.

2. Breaking Bad- (2) Sundays on AMC
No reason to move the top two from their respective pedestals. Breaking Bad returns soon, and who isn't excited?

1. Curb Your Enthusiasm- (1) Sundays on HBO
If I'm excited for Breaking Bad to return, I'm giddy for the NYC based return of Curb. Ricky Gervais joining for an arc, and Larry being Larry. Doesn't get much better.

American Idol Top 5- Drop Dead Diva

Spoiler Alert...Below are the results and some thoughts on this week's episodes of American Idol. So before reading any further, watch the eps, cry a Lauren Alaina type of cry, then read what I have to say.

Finally. Finally, everyone seems to have jumped aboard the Haley Reinhart bandwagon. As a front compartment passenger, I'm not sure if I want to allow all of these newbies on the train. She's been among the best for a long time now, but only recently have the fans and critics come to notice. She has scraped along the bottom three, while putting forth fantastic performances like "Benny and the Jets" and "Rolling in the Deep," but nobody could get over her first live performance that really wasn't all that good.

Hey, you didn't see me staying along for the Jacob Lusk ride after his first week performance blew me out of the water. No, I abandoned ship the second he opened his mouth for a second outing. But now it seems everyone has Haley "in it to win it" to quote a famous Idol judge. She was in the top three of the voting last night for cryin' out loud. If she can top Lauren next week, she might even gain more female momentum and have a shot to make the finals. I don't see anyone topping the smirky Scotty, but there is always hope.

Here is to hoping...

Fantasy Scores

Peaches

(2) Casey Abrams
(11) James Durbin- Safe (41)= 41
(14) Scotty McCreery- Safe (41)= 41
(23) TaTynisa Wilson
Top 5= 82 Total= 423

#hoponthelaurenalainatrain

(1) Lauren Alaina- Bottom 2 (-11), Safe (41)= 30
(12) Lauren Turner
(13) Stephano Langone
(24) Naima Adedapo
Top 5= 30 Total= 188

Thia Megia #cangetit

(18*) Haley Reinhart- Safe (41)= 41
(19*) Ashton Jones
(15) Karen Rodriguez
(22) Brett Loewenstern
Top 5= 41 Total= 145

*acquired from Larry via trade

Missing Didi

(4) Clint Gamboa
(9) Thia Megia
(16) Jacob Lusk- Bottom 2 (-11), Eliminated (-22)
(21) Rachel Zevita
Top 5= -33 Total= 85

Paula's Incoherence

(5) Paul McDonald
(8) Robbie Rosen
(17) Kendra Chantelle
(20) Jovany Barreto
Total= 25

Preacher With a Satan Tattoo

(6) Julie Zorilla
(7) Pia Toscano
(3*) Tim Halperin
(10*) Jordan Dorsey
Total= 10

* acquired from Tyson via trade

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- 20 Through 11

If you haven't noticed already, I have been extremely busy in the months of April and May. With the end of the baseball season, the end of the spring semester, and a couple of week-long pop-ins at my place, I have been beyond slow on the blog at times. That is no excuse to not put out a Bi-Monthly Power Rankings, though, so without further ado, here are the Quiet Pool Perspective Television Power Rankings for the month of May.

Rank. Show- (last time)...red= moving down, green= moving up

20. Survivor- (HM) Wednesdays on CBS
The excellence of Agent Phil and Boston Rob shoot Survivor back into the Top 20, taking the place of reality cousin, Top Chef.

19. Parks and Recreation- (17) Thursdays on NBC
Despite what critics, and their loyal puppy dog followers, will tell you, Parks and Rec is not the best show on television. In fact I think it has taken a bit of a step backwards since the end of last season.

18. 30 Rock- (20) Thursdays on NBC
And 30 Rock has improved greatly since last year. While last night's finale was disappointing, "Everything Sunny All the Time Always" was among the funniest episode of any show this year.

17. Parenthood- (HM) Tuesdays on NBC
This family drama makes its first appearance in the Top 20 after spitting out gem after gem of heartbreaking yet funny episodes.

16. Treme- (15) Sundays on HBO
Only a couple episodes into its season, Treme remains a bit of a mystery to me. I'm not sure what the point of the show is, but I know I enjoy it.

15. Modern Family- (16) Wednesdays on ABC
It sure has worked itself into a sophomore slump, but it still brings in hard on occasion, like this week with a surprisingly great performance from Mitchell.

14. It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia- (13) Thursdays on FX
Even hockey fans enjoy Alway Sunny, as shown by the fans wearing the Green Man suits at some recent playoff games.

13. The League- (14) Thursdays on FX
I might like The League better the fantasy football itself at this point. Thoughts?

12. Boardwalk Empire- (12) Sundays on HBO
Nothing has changed.

11. Big Brother- (9) Summers on CBS
Big auditions today in downtown Nashville...who's in?

30 Rock 523 Review- Summer Dreams

Tracy- "Hey guys. It's me Tracy, the black guy from work."

It was going to be difficult to compete with last week's Kim Jong Il-related episode no matter what 30 Rock put out for its fifth season finale.

Even so, "Respawn" still felt extremely flat as a way to end the year.

Jack's story line was the main culprit. The guy uses another guy to replace his absentee wife thing has been done well before, and to perfection with Doug and Arthur on King of Queens, so Jack treating Kenneth like Avery was both tiresome and a little weird. The pouring of wine, staring into Ken's eyes, and giving him earrings was just weird, and not funny.

To read the rest of my review of last night's 30 Rock, head over to TV Fanatic.

30 Rock 523 - "Respawn"
Review
Recap
Quotes

The Office 722 Review- The Juggling Act

Jim- "Hey you got a second?"

Deangelo- "Yeah, I got tons of time. This job's a joke."

In no way does this change the fact that I am concerned The Office will not be able to make up for the loss of Steve Carrell in the future, but Will Ferrell's performance in "The Inner Circle" more than helped hold us over in the meantime.

In what I believe was Ferrell's last appearance of this arc on the show, he was at his best since the first scene in which his Deangelo hilariously riffed with Michael Scott.

Between acting mean while being nice in the cold open, wanting to be friends with Dwight to the point of screaming him into submission, performing the heck out of that fake juggling act, and almost killing himself on a Kevin assisted dunk, Deangelo was on fire throughout.

Yelling at Dwight was hilarious on so many levels.

First of all, the character was just so fed up with Dwight's attitude, but more so that he wouldn't be his friend. Dwight! He wants Dwight to be his friend!?! Also, in that moment, it was the closest Ferrell had gone to Mr. Tarkanian since joining the show.

Thirdly, it led to Dwight eagerly following orders and admitting that he responds to strong leadership. Great stuff.

To read the rest of my review of last night's The Office, head over to TV Fanatic.

The Office 722 - "The Inner Circle"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Bi-Monthly Power Rankings- Honorable Mentions

If you haven't noticed already, I have been extremely busy in the months of April and May. With the end of the baseball season, the end of the spring semester, and a couple of week-long pop-ins at my place, I have been beyond slow on the blog at times. That is no excuse to not put out a Bi-Monthly Power Rankings, though, so without further ado, here are the Quiet Pool Perspective Television Power Rankings for the month of May.

Show- (last time)...red= moving down, green= moving up

90210- (-) Mondays on The CW
Adrianna Tate-Duncan is absolutely killing it in the role of evil vixen on the season of the zip code drama.

The Borgias- (-) Sundays on Showtime
Jeremy Irons and the show in general may be a bit disappointing, but it is still worth a look.

Camelot- (-) Fridays on Starz
The re-imagination of the story of Arthur has been decent so far, if only for the work of Joseph Fiennes (or the dude from Flash Forward as I know him).

CMT's Next Superstar- (-) Fridays on CMT
Living in Music City this was a necessary watch for me, and if you like country music, it is for you too.

Game of Thrones- (-) Sundays on HBO
The only reason this isn't already in the top twenty is because there have only been three episodes. You will be sure to find it amongst the best come July.

Happy Endings- (-) Wednesdays on ABC
Pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoy Happy Endings. Of all the new sitcoms as of late, I have it only behind Perfect Couples.

The Killing- (-) Sundays on AMC
Zzzzzzzz...oh sorry I was sleeping. Seriously though, this is well directed and acted, but the writing has left something to be desired, and it couldn't be less exciting.

Men of a Certain Age- (-) Wednesdays on TNT
I just received word that I will be reviewing the Ray Romano series for TV Fanatic this summer, so there is my shameless plug of the week.

Top Chef- (19) Wednesdays on Bravo
Maybe I am getting Top Cheffed out. As one season leads right into the next, it is getting a little tiresome.

The Voice- (-) Tuesdays on NBC
The first episode was fantastic! The new twist on the singing competition show was greatly welcomed. Then the second episode produced much worse talent, and a new format that already seemed a bit played out.

Survivor Week 14- Family Cries

Spoiler Alert...Below are the results and a few thoughts from last night's Survivor: Redemption Island. So before reading any further, watch the ep, get dominated by a few stairs, then read what I have to say.

The episode when all of the castaways get to see their family members is always my favorite year after year. While this season's didn't even come close to rivaling this fall's performance by Dan and his son, it still provided plenty of unnecessary crying from the contestants, which is always good for a few laughs. These people have been away from their families for a month! Get over it! I am waiting for the day when a contestant uses this moment for huge laughs, and socks his/her family member in the stomach and starts screaming at them for some unknown reason.

Boston Rob was the only one who acted normally during this moment. He was sitting there with his sister talking shop the entire afternoon she was there. While all of the other contestants are crying in their mother's, father's, and for some reason brother-in-law's laps, Rob was explaining to his sister all of the ins and outs of this season of Survivor. He was working through all of the situations, and figuring out what his next move should be.

Was getting rid of Andrea the correct move? Possibly, but I think he would be better off getting rid of Grant sooner rather than later, in case Grant smartens up and makes a move to oust Boston Rob. On the other hand, the Ex-NFL player hasn't shown the slightest intrigue in playing this game all that strategically, so maybe the correct move is to keep him around so that you can help him bring you to the end, and then cut him like a pig before the final tribal.

Fantasy Results

Slay or be Slayed

Matt- Duel Win (10)= 10
Grant- W14 (92)= 92
Ashley- W14 (92)= 92
Natalie- W14 (92)= 92
Weeks 14= 286 Total= 1630

Fuchsia Federal Agents

Boston Rob- W14 (92), Im (20)= 112
Andrea- Votes (-20)= -20
Phillip- W14 (92), Votes (-4)= 88
Kristina
Weeks 14= 180 Total= 1394

My Orbitz Account

Mike- Duel Win (10)= 10
Steve- Duel Loss (-10)= -10
Stephanie
David
Weeks 14= 0 Total= 532

Montecito Lancers

Russell
Ralph- Duel Win (10)= 10
Krista
Sarita
Julie
Week 14= 10 Total= 406




Free Agents
Francesca

Justified 213 Review- Getting To Know The Mystery

Mags- "Bad things are fixin' to happen."

This second season of Justified was pretty close to flawless, and in some ways extremely poetic. "Bloody Harlan" was in itself a great episode, but it wrapped up the entire arc of the year so well that at times it might be difficult to grasp how good the hour actually was.

The final sequences brought the season, as well as the stories of Mags and Loretta, full circle. Because she was such an important aspect in the very beginning, it felt so gratifying that Loretta played a crucial role in the finale. The ending scene between her and Mags was beautifully played by everyone involved, including Timothy Olyphant, who once again portrayed the fatherly figure with ease.

Similarly, Mags went from one end of the spectrum to the other over the course of the season. She began the year killing Walt McCreedy with her poisoned apple pie jar, and now she took her own life in the same fashion. It was certainly powerful material, and if Margo Martindale doesn't earn an Emmy nod for this season, it will be a shame.

But before Mrs. Bennett went, she found out that Doyle had died and Dickie was still alive, but in custody. It seemed a bit funny that she was ready to die. It was almost as if she wanted to go be with Coover and Doyle in the afterlife, and if Dickie had been killed instead of Doyle, she would have rather stayed alive.

To read the rest of my glowing review of last night's superb season finale of Justified, head over to TV Fanatic.

Justified 213 - "Bloody Harlan"
Review
Recap
Quotes

One Tree Hill 820 Review- Jamie At The Bat

Chuck- "Wow Jamie, you bat like my mom."

Much of the material near the end of "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul" left a really pleasant taste in my mouth, and it wasn't only because I was drinking Phidian's during most of the episode.

Any story that deals with Chase is going to work like gang busters, but add the switching of a urine test and a pregnancy switcheroo, and you pretty much nail it.

The relationship between Chase and Chuck has been one of my favorites as of late, so seeing Chuckles disappointed after Chase failed to show up for the baseball game was originally tough to swallow.

When the big brother showed up though, it made the reunion that much more rewarding.

I am not entirely sold on how quickly Chase was ready to settle down with Alex, especially with everything that went down not too long ago between the two of them and Mia, but Stephen Colletti and Jana Kramer have such great chemistry that they can sell anything.

To read the rest of my review of last night's One Tree Hill, head over to TV Fanatic.

One Tree Hill 820 - "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Chuck 422 Review- Next Stop, Vecas Please

Lester- "You said we were gonna chase tail."

Awesome- "There's a huge belly marmot population. They love being chased."

With only a couple episodes remaining in the season, and its future in jeopardy with continuously falling ratings, Chuck did a number of things in "Chuck Versus Agent X" that reminded me of why I bought so many Subway sandwiches a couple years ago. This is still a fun show that has the ability to do a substantial story line well when it tries to.

Ellie taking forever to figure out that Chuck was still a spy, and Chuck continuing to keep it from her, was a plot that was running rather old this season. The heartfelt chat between Chuck and Ellie about the fact that she was using the Orion computer and he was still a spy was sweet.

But we all knew that was coming. What was great was that they wrapped that up quickly, figured out who Agent X was, surprised me in that moment, and then created an entirely new heartfelt conversation between brother and sister about how their dad wanted them to not only find Agent X but help him.

And because we are running out of time on the season, I'm not sure if it would be a good idea or not to have Chuck and Ellie team up and seek out Volkoff so that they can turn him into a good guy.

To read the rest of my review of this week's Chuck, head over to TV Fanatic.

Chuck 422 - "Chuck Versus Agent X"
Review
Recap
Quotes

The Borgias 106 Review- Still The Juan

Cesare- "Is it murder to defend your mother's honor?"

I went into this sixth episode of the season wanting to write a more glowing review of The Borgias, but "The French King" still left plenty to be desired. Not by its characters mind you, who all must have desired nothing after all of the sex in this episode.

One of the main criticisms of The Borgias in many of the pre-air reviews was that it was simply a historical soap opera with too much nudity and gratuitous sex.

Before this week's chapter I was ready to disregard that critique entirely, but it seemed to be all that "The French King" was about.

Not only was it Rodrigo and Giulia, Cesare and Ursula, and Lucrezia, but then there was the disturbing Juan, Joffre, and Sancia situation in which the older brother had his way with his younger brother's new wife just before the bride had her way with the young child.

To read the rest of my review of this week's The Borgias, head over to TV Fanatic.

The Borgias 106 - "The French King"
Review
Recap
Quotes