2011-12 Season Outlook- FOX

Here at the Quiet Pool Perspective we like to give you a head start on figuring out what to watch heading into a new television season. Although we aren't cool enough to get all of the pilots in advanced, we have seen each and every trailer, have done the research, and have listened to what the critics are saying about all of the new shows for the 2011-12 season. So below are some my opinions on what should be watch, as well as some early insight on what I will be watching this year.

Here’s what’s new on FOX...

A Quick Look

Excited For
  1. Terra Nova
  2. The X Factor
Interested In
  3. Alcatraz
  4. New Girl
Giving a Chance
  5. The Finder
  6. Allen Gregory
Passaroo
  7. I Hate My Teenage Daughter
  8. Napoleon Dynamite

And Some More Depth

Allen Gregory – Sunday – 8:30 p.m.
Need to Know: Animated comedy starring Jonah Hill as the titular character. He heads to elementary school, but for some reason he acts way older than he is, so it causes plenty of problems. I guess this is the role he lost all of that weight for. David Goodman, who was a writer on Family Guy, is the showrunner.
Quiet Pool Plan: I’m still undecided. I guess I’ll give it a try, because kids acting like adults is always funny to me. Those of you who have never enjoyed Manny on Modern Family should probably steer clear of this.

Napoleon Dynamite – Sunday – Spring
Need to Know: It’s an animated version of the movie. Most if not all of the original cast is voicing.
Quiet Pool Plan: God no! I hated the movie, and I hate this.

Terra Nova – Monday – 8:00 p.m.
Need to Know: The modern world has been all but destroyed so people are going back in time to give Earth a second chance. That’s all I need to know. They travel millions of years into the past in order to start over. They face many obstacles, including dinosaurs!
Quiet Pool Plan: I will be reviewing the show for TV Fanatic so I am in it for the long haul, and boy am I excited about that. As long as the extensive amount of time and effort it is taking them to make episodes doesn’t cut the season short, I will be good.

One of the survivor families on Terra Nova

Alcatraz – Monday – Spring
Need to Know: Hugo Reyes and some girl look into the reappearance of missing inmates from Alcatraz over 50 years ago. A bunch of Lost guys, including JJ Abrams and Bryan Burk are listed as Exec Producers.
Quiet Pool Plan: I will re-evaluate come midseason, but I had higher hopes for this when it was first announced. Something about it doesn’t have me all that interested. If it takes a turn for the supernatural, I may jump back on board.

New Girl – Tuesday – 9:00 p.m.
Need to Know: Zooey Deschanel is adorable. She stars in this sitcom about her being cute and the nerd dudes she’s friends with thinking the same thing. Damon Wayans Jr. was in the pilot but after Happy Endings got picked up, they replaced him with a different Black man. The creator apparently wrote No Strings Attached.
Quiet Pool Plan: I will watch for Zooey. If the rest of this turns out to be awful, then I will quit, but I have high hopes.

The X Factor – Wednesday – 8:00 p.m.
Need to Know: It’s old school American Idol with Simon and Paula. They’ve added a different Black guy with glasses and another insufferable chick in Nicole Sherzinger. The contestant age minimum is lower, the age maximum is higher, and there can be groups.
Quiet Pool Plan: I am on board with Simon coming back into my life. With all the singing talent spread out over numerous shows now, there will never be anything like the best seasons of Idol, but if X Factor helps cancel Idol, I’m for it.

The X Factor judges

I Hate My Teenage Daughter – Wednesday – Winter
Need to Know: Sitcom starring Jaime Pressley. She and her friend hate their daughters. It comes from the ladies that did The New Adventures of Old Christine.
Quiet Pool Plan: I like you Jaime, but this should not be on tv.

The Finder – Thursday – Winter
Need to Know: A Bones spinoff starring the groom from Wedding Crashers, the video gamer from The Break Up, or the dying stud from that one episode of Las Vegas who smashed with Sam on those rocks. Geoff Stults is kind of awesome, and in this he solves crimes as The Finder.
Quiet Pool Plan: I doubt I will find the time to check this out, but that’s a shame because it will probably be decent.

Don't Forget, there is plenty of great television returning to the screen this season.  Here are some of our favorites on FOX...

1. Family Guy – Sunday – 9:00 p.m.
2. American Idol – Tuesday – Spring
3. House – Monday – 9:00 p.m.
4. Glee – Tuesday – 8:00 p.m.
5. Raising Hope – Tuesday – 9:30 p.m.
6. Bob’s Burgers – Sunday – 9:30 p.m.

Emmy Submission Mission- Supporting Actress in Comedy

The 2011 Emmy Awards will be hosted by Jane Lynch September 18. In the weeks leading up to the event, TVF staff writer Dan Forcella will watch every episode submitted by various actors in various categories and present to you his analysis on each contender.

It's the TV Fanatic Emmy Submission Mission, readers, and it started with Lead Actor and Lead Actress in a Comedy, then moved on to Supporting Actor in a Comedy.

Next up? Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy, in which the MC herself is a strong contender, if not the odds-on favorite. Here's TVF's breakdown:

Betty White

It seems as if the year of Betty White has been going on for over two years at this point. She hosted SNL, which she won a guest acting Emmy for, she was in hit movies, and she recently won the SAG Award for Best Actress in a Comedy.

While her new show Hot In Cleveland is much too broad in its comedy stylings to register with the in crowd, White’s performance as Elka has never been the problem. In her submission episode, “Free Elka,” the comedy legend takes advantage of the fact that the elderly blatantly making fun of people and cursing like sailors never gets old.

Between opening the episode playing a harmonica and singing “Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen,” a guest appearance by Mary Tyler Moore, and a bunch of perfectly timed zingers by White, there is reason to say she doesn’t have a chance to take down all of the returning nominees in the category.

If she wants to find someone to blame on Emmy night, it might as well be Kristen Wiig. With her third straight nomination in the category for her work on Saturday Night Live, Wiig decided to submit the episode of SNL, “Host: Jane Lynch.”

To read the rest of my Emmy Submission Mission for Supporting Actress in a Comedy, head over to TV Fanatic.

2011-12 Season Outlook- CBS

Here at the Quiet Pool Perspective we like to give you a head start on figuring out what to watch heading into a new television season. Although we aren't cool enough to get all of the pilots in advanced, we have seen each and every trailer, have done the research, and have listened to what the critics are saying about all of the new shows for the 2011-12 season. So below are some my opinions on what should be watch, as well as some early insight on what I will be watching this year.

Here’s what’s new on CBS...

A Quick Look

Interested In
  1. 2 Broke Girls
  2. How to be a Gentleman
Holding Out Hope For
  3. Person of Interest
Passaroo
  4. A Gifted Man
  5. Unforgettable

And Some More Depth

2 Broke Girls – Monday – 8:30 p.m.
Need to Know: Created by Whitney Cummings, who apparently decided to make a better show for Kat Dennings than the one she has for herself on NBC. Yeah, so Kat Dennings and some other chick are waitresses at a diner in this sitcom. I think the other girl was rich and Kat has always been poor, so of course hilarity will ensue.
Quiet Pool Plan: From previews, this actually looks decent, or has promise anyway. I will plan on giving it half a season to hold my interest.

2 Broke Girls

Unforgettable – Tuesday – 10:00 p.m.
Need to Know: From the guy who brought you Without a Trace and Shark! No thanks. Even though the joke is already old news by now, this show’s title does not fit the quality of the program. You should all forget it even exists.
Quiet Pool Plan: I will not be trying this one.

How to be a Gentleman – Thursday – 8:30 p.m.
Need to Know: Critics are trashing this sitcom created by and starring Rickety Cricket from It’s Always Sunny. He plays the gentleman to Johnny Drama’s douche bag. Surrounding cast includes Dave Foley, Chloe from 24, and Murray from Flight of the Conchords.
Quiet Pool Plan: Quite excited to see how this awesome casts turns into an awful show.  With Rhys Darby playing like Murray from Conchords, I'm in it just for that.

Person of Interest – Thursday – 9:00 p.m.
Need to Know: Benjamin Linus and some other guy who was Jesus star in a boring CBS police procedural. And as I’m writing this I’m seeing that it was created by Christopher Nolan’s brother, who co-wrote The Prestige and The Dark Knight with Chris. I’m a bit less likely to write this off now, but the previews look so bad, so it's still tough.
Quiet Pool Plan: Watch the pilot and then probably stop. If people start talking about it, maybe I’ll jump back in.

A Gifted Man – Friday – 8:00 p.m.
Need to Know: A gifted, arrogant doctor is met by the spirit of his ex-wife in what should be another boring medical drama. Rita from Dexter, Lights Leary’s brother, and Margo Martindale are in it.
Quiet Pool Plan: No thanks.

Don't Forget, there is plenty of great television returning to the screen this season.  Here are some of our favorites on CBS...

1. Survivor – Wednesday – 8:00 p.m.
2. Big Brother – Weekly - Summer
3. Hawaii Five-0 – Monday – 10:00 p.m.
4. The Amazing Race – Sunday – 8:00 p.m.
5. The Mentalist – Thursday – 10:00 p.m.
6. Rules of Engagement – Saturday – 8:00 p.m.

Curb Your Enthusiasm 808 Review- It Was The One-Armed Man!

Larry- "I am going to go do something nice, right now."

Susie- "It's about time."

All of the one-armed man references in "Car Periscope" must have been from The Fugitive because there never actually was a one-armed man in The Mask - even though Jim Carrey so memorably announced It wasn't me. It was the one-armed man! - and Wrongfully Accused featured a one-armed, one-legged, one-eyed man as the villain.

While playing off of The Fugitive for the one-armed man thing certainly ran its course through the 90s, enough time has passed to make it acceptable again, and Curb Your Enthusiasm did a great job of incorporating it into the rest of this week's funny episode. The idea made for plenty of great LD sound bites, but more importantly, it created some of the best Larry-and-Jeff-as-detectives moments there has ever been.

The invention from which this episode got its name proved to be a key factor in allowing those two goons to scour the city for the one-armed man while retro cop movie music played in the background. It wasn't the best Curb episode of the season, but it certainly was different, and that was a nice change.

"Car Periscope" also gave us Larry's way of interpreting a man's integrity, it told us to never try to invent the pool cue skis, and it allowed us all to munch and pee if it becomes necessary.

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

Curb Your Enthusiasm - "Car Periscope"
Review
Recap
Quotes

2011-12 Season Outlook- ABC

Here at the Quiet Pool Perspective we like to give you a head start on figuring out what to watch heading into a new television season. Although we aren't cool enough to get all of the pilots in advanced, we have seen each and every trailer, have done the research, and have listened to what the critics are saying about all of the new shows for the 2011-12 season. So below are some my opinions on what should be watch, as well as some early insight on what I will be watching this year.

Here’s what’s new on ABC...

A Quick Look

Excited For
  1. Once Upon a Time
  2. The River
Interested In
  3. Revenge
  4. Last Man Standing
  5. Pan Am
Holding Out Hope For
  6. Suburgatory
  7. Charlie’s Angels
  8. Apartment 23
Passaroo
  9. Man Up
  10. Good Christian Belles

And Some More Depth

Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time – Sunday – 8:00 p.m.
Need to Know: One of two fairy tale shows premiering this season. The characters live two lives; one in reality and one in fairy tale land. This comes to us from a couple writers from Lost not named Damon and Carlton. It stars Dr. Cameron from House.
Quiet Pool Plan: I will be watching this one throughout its run. Between the material, the writers and the leading lady, I’m in it for the long haul…and you should be too.

Pan Am – Sunday – 10:00 p.m.
Need to Know: It is the flight attendants from Pan Am in the 1960s, but with some sort of conspiracy added on to the drama. This is again one of two shows doing the same thing, this time it is trying to cash in on Mad Men’s success by setting itself up in the 60s. Tommy Schlamme of West Wing, Sports Night and Studio 60 fame is one of the creators. Christina Ricci, whose claim to fame is having her name said by Annie Edison in an episode of Community, will star.
Quiet Pool Plan: I will be checking this out, which can be said for most new series, but I have decently high hopes for the drama. If I’m choosing between this and NBC’s The Plaboy Club, it will be the latter.

Last Man Standing – Tuesday – 8:00 p.m.
Need to Know: @HitFixDaniel put it best as Home Improvement, but with daughters. I will give Tim Allen the benefit of the doubt for what he has given me during three Santa Clauses and three Toy Stories. The creator of this sitcom comes from the 30 Rock writing room, which is a good sign. Also stars the lady from So I Married an Axe Murderer, Billy Rosewood’s partner from Beverly Hills Cop 3, and little Loretta from this past season of Justified.
Quiet Pool Plan: This may be my new Gary Unmarried. I don’t expect intelligence from it, but I’m sure I will laugh at Tim Allen a bit, and I have ties to most of the supporting cast, so I will stick with it for at least half a season.

Man Up – Tuesday – 8:30 p.m.
Need to Know: Sitcom by an unknown starring a bunch of unknowns, Teri Polo and the guy from Balls of Fury. Trailer looks really dumb.  I think the guys play a lot of online video games.
Quiet Pool Plan: I will try to watch the first episode, but will most likely stop there. No desire here.

Apartment 23 – Tuesday – Spring
Need to Know: I guess this is a sitcom, but the trailer could fool you. It doesn’t look all that funny, and I have never enjoyed Krysten Ritter, who is one of the leads. Also, James Van Der Beek plays himself, which is interesting.
Quiet Pool Plan: I will re-evaluate come mid-season, but I will probably try a couple episodes and then bail if it’s not working for me.

Suburgatory – Wednesday – 8:30 p.m.
Need to Know: A sitcom about a chick that moves from NYC to the suburbs, and it’s really hard for her.  Chris Parnell, Larry David’s wife, Steve the Pirate, Lloyd from Entourage, and that guy who left his Cranberries CD in the car from Clueless star in the trailer.
Quiet Pool Plan: This is just weird enough to be interesting.  Plus, I like the cast, which can make up for a shaky start…I will give this a shot for a few weeks. If it’s too weird and not funny, then I’ll stop.

Emily Van Camp in Revenge

Revenge – Wednesday – 10:00 p.m.
Need to Know: Emily Van Camp. Emily Van Camp. Emily Van Camp. That’s all I need to know, but if you never saw Brothers and Sisters or Everwood, you won’t know what I’m talking about. This seems like an adult Gossip Girl in the Hamptons starring Emily Van Camp trying to get revenge on someone.
Quiet Pool Plan: I will come for Emily, I will most likely get sucked in by the plot twists and rich lifestyle.

Charlie’s Angels – Thursday – 8:00 p.m.
Need to Know: A remake of the original. Or is it of the more recent movies? Not sure, but it stars Minka Kelly and two other attractive ladies.
Quiet Pool Plan: I’ll watch the first episode and probably stop…unless Minka Kelly looks too good to quit.

Good Christian Belles - Not Sure
Need to Know: Ricky Bobby's wife plays a woman that returns to her hometown of Dallas in this dramedy.  Kristin Chenowith also stars.
Quiet Pool Plan: Not even attempting this one.

The River - Not Sure
Need to Know: This is a late addition, because it wasn't on the 2011-12 schedule on Wikipedia.  It's labeled as a paranormal/horror/thriller series.  It's about a group of people that are searching for a famous tv reporter who went missing somewhere on the Amazon.  It stars Teri Bauer and Steven Saunders from 24.
Quiet Pool Plan: Absolutely.

Don't Forget, there is plenty of great television returning to the screen this season.  Here are some of our favorites on ABC...

1. Modern Family – Wednesday – 9:00 p.m.
2. Happy Endings – Wednesday – 9:30 p.m.
3. Cougar Town – Tuesday – 9:00 p.m.
4. Bachelor Pad – Monday – 8:00 p.m.
5. Grey’s Anatomy – Thursday – 9:00 p.m.

Big Brother Weeks 7 and 8- My Word Is My Bond

Spoiler Alert...Below are the results and my thoughts on this week's episodes of Big Brother 13. Also, we'll take a look at how Mags', Jaydon's, Larry's and my teams are stacking up on the fantasy side of things. So before reading any further, watch the eps, be mischieveous, then read what I have to say.

I know I'm going to have a lot to say here, but I wanted to start out with the mischievous/mischieveous thing.  I knew Big Jeff was correct with mischievous the entire time, but the more Jordan said mischieveous the more it sounded like it could be a real word.  Why do I feel like I've heard that word so many times if it's not an actual word?  Are that many people as dumb as Jordan?

Anyway, back to the game at hand.  I've stated many times before that this cast is horrendous, but it is still a sad state of affairs when a contestant can go from being my least favorite in the house to the one I want to win the money within a matter of days.  Even the houseguests that we are supposed to like have been extremely irritating, which caused me to root for Shelly until I was blue in the face.

Yes! The same Shelly I had as my least favorite person in the house for weeks upon weeks.  Yes the same Shelly that has been preaching nothing but friendship over gameplay for over a month now.  That Shelly is the only one in the Big Brother house that I would feel comfortable giving 500,000 dollars to in reward for their game play.

Sadly, Daniele was eliminated.  She was the only one that both played this game from the beginning, and on top of that she was an entertaining character to watch.  In her final ditch effort to stay in the game though, she convinced Shelly to finally make a move.  While that move to save Daniele and team up against Jeff and Jordan didn't work during Thursday's first elimination (of course Rachel spoiled it), it kept Shelly in the correct frame of mind to get rid of Jeff less than half an hour later.  Your efforts were not for nothing Dani!

Big Jeff, for how much I liked him two years ago on both this and Amazing Race, really took a big hit this summer.  Even though I enjoyed the evolution of him referring to himself as "Big Jeff," that humor didn't make up for what I am convinced is either his extreme stupidity or frightening psychosis.

Let me explain.  I have no problem with people who preach about their word meaning everything, and then stick to that.  They aren't able to separate real life from the game.  That's fine.  I also do not have a problem with those that preach about honesty only to back-stab others in order to further themselves in the game, if they admit to America and themselves that their "truth" bit is only a ploy to win this game.

Big Jeff continues to preach honesty, his word, and being truthful until he's out of breath.  He then turns around and stabs Daniele in the back, and really anyone else he doesn't trust in the house, but still thinks his word means everything.  Right up to the point that he pulled the knife out of Dani's back, he was preaching honesty.  To the cameras, to himself, he thinks he is playing this game straight.  I state again, he is either extremely dumb, or a terrifying psychopath.

As sad as it was to see Daniele walk out the door as the first elimination of the night, it was just as sweet to see Big Jeff following her to the Jury House.  And as much as I turned against Jeff in the end, he was still one of the three most entertaining characters in this season of Big Brother.  The other two?  With him on the Jury. Without Jeff, Dani, and Brendon, the rest of this season seems almost un-watchable.

Meanwhile, on the fantasy side of things, Jaydon is running away with this as he finally has had someone eliminated.  It's tough to tell if anyone will be able to catch him, but Larry has the best shot with Shelly and Jordan left on his roster.  If the two of them make it to the final three, he has a good shot.  With a single floater left for me and Mags, we seem to be out of the mix.

Jaydon

Jeff +21: HoH (+15), Veto (+15), W7 (+22), Nom (-10), Votes (-12)= +51

Rachel +14: W7 (+22), Nom (-10), W8 (+29), Votes (-8)= +47

Kalia +41: Nom (-10), Votes (-8), W7 (+22), HoH (+15), W8 (+29)= +89

Last Week at +76: Team total= +187

Me

Brendon -14

Lawon -35

Adam +36: W7 (+22), W8 (+29)= +87

Last Week at -13: Team total= +38

Lar

Jordan -7: W7 (+22), W8 (+29)= +44

Shelly -23: W7 (+22), W8 (+29)= +28

Dominic -110

Last Week at -140: Team total= -38

Mags

Daniele +36: Nom (-10), Votes (-12)= +14

Cassie -95

Porsche -15: Nom (-10), W7 (+22), Veto (+15), W8 (+29)= +41

Last Week at -74: Team total= -40

Wilfred 111 Review- Crass Confusion

Ryan- "I really think I'm gonna be alright."

Wilfred- "Of course you are...I ain't going anywhere."

Comedies don't always need to make sense. Would I prefer there be a mythology to the Wilfred madness? Sure, but if that dog continues to kill vacuum cleaners because he thinks they are evil robots, the hilarity will keep on trumping the confusion.

"Doubt" definitely muddied the waters that "Compassion" seemed to clear up last week. After seeing Ryan's mother talk to Mittens, it seemed that this was some sort of hereditary psychosis that he inherited from Catherine. Now, with all of this Bruce business, I am not so sure.

Was Bruce another figment of Ryan's imagination? Or was he just another troubled man that could also see man-Wilfred as he claimed? The one time Ryan pointed him out to Kristen, Bruce wasn't there. However, Wilfred acted like Bruce was a real person at times, yet at others made it seem like he had invented Bruce Bruce.

The entire scene in the woods was seriously confusing, but Wilfred's ability to lighten the mood more than made up for it. When Bruce complained that Wilfred had made him make out with own father, the dog's response was Everybody at the party loved it. They thought it was edgy. That had me in stitches.

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

Wilfred 111 - "Doubt"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Emmy Submission Mission- Supporting Actor in Comedy

The 2011 Emmy Awards will be hosted by Jane Lynch and air on September 18. Over the weeks leading up to the event, staff writer Dan Forcella will watch every episode submitted by various actors in various categories and present to you his analysis on each contender.

It's the TV Fanatic Emmy Submission Mission, readers, and it started with Lead Actor in a Comedy, continued with Lead Actress in a Comedy, and now, we're on to Supporting Actor in a Comedy, which feature FOUR men from one show...

Stonestreet and Ferguson on Modern Fam

Ty Burrell has been the favorite to take home the crown for the past couple of months, but that's mostly because of his performance over the entirety of season two, and pundits figure the voters won’t give Stonestreet back-to-back wins. Burrell’s submitted episode, “Good Cop, Bad Dog,” certainly is a strong showcase for him.

He's funny while having a difficult time trying to be the bad cop to his children, but then becomes hilarious as he turns into an evil monster of torture upon getting sick of Haley and Alex’s behavior. The problem for Burrell is that Jesse Tyler Ferguson is even better in the episode.

Ferguson, who surprised many by making it into the field for a second year in a row, kills in “Good Cop, Bad Dog,” with all of his efforts to make it to the one gay cliché he allows himself, a Lady Gaga concert. Of the four Modern Family men nominated, Ferguson’s Mitchell has been my least favorite over the first two seasons, but in these four episodes he may be the best. In his own submission, “Halloween,” he gets to don a Spider Man costume, hide on top of a toilet, and then climb down the side of his building to escape the horror of being seen in said outfit at work.

Also with a couple of highlights in “Halloween” are Burrell and Eric Stonestreet. Phil gets bad news about a neighbor getting a divorce, which forces him to be as awkwardly romantic as ever with Claire. Meanwhile, Stonestreet’s Cam spends the entire episode complaining about how Halloween was ruined for him as a child, which crescendos with Cam spewing out the story of how it was ruined in front of a bunch of children at the haunted house.

To read the rest of my Emmy Submission Mission for Supporting Actor in a Comedy, head over to TV Fanatic.

Curb Your Enthusiasm 807 Review- The Shit Bow

Larry- "Tie goes to the hetero."

While there have been a couple of major bright spots, this season of Curb Your Enthusiasm has been a bit of a disappointment. This was never more obvious than with "The Bi-Sexual," maybe one of my least favorite episodes of Curb ever.

Larry failed to get into a single argument that was in need of analysis, there were very few laughable moments, and the attempt to tie the ending into the rest of the story was foolish.

Worst of all, though, was the fact that the entire episode was basically a forum to compare Viagra and sex to PEDs and baseball. It was so obvious that it became less and less funny every time a new joke was used, which was non-stop over the course of the half hour.

The fact that the entire thing was happening at the same time that Larry, Jeff and Rosie were playing softball? That just made it seem even more contrived.

Other than the Japanese tourist calling out the Japanese restaurant owner for his "shit bow," the only thing that saved this episode was the man, the myth, the legend... Leon Black.

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

Curb Your Enthusiasm 807 - "The Bi-Sexual"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Big Brother Week 6- 45 Seconds of Small Talk

Spoiler Alert...Below are the results and my thoughts on this week's episodes of Big Brother 13. Also, we'll take a look at how Mags', Jaydon's, Larry's and my teams are stacking up on the fantasy side of things. So before reading any further, watch the eps, do some squintin' and grintin', then read what I have to say.

This was Kalia's soundbite after realizing that Rachel was back in the house with her fiance..."How that girl keeps getting exactly what she wants, I will never know." Hey moron! Rachel got what she wanted because you all are idiots and let her stay in the house!

Next we have the ridiculousness was Shelly and her 24 hours of solitary confinement. Really? You go absolutely nuts over getting this opportunity? Granted I've seen that before on Big Brother, but usually the contestant spends more than 45 seconds talking to their family. If you are going to ball like a child for the opportunity to talk to your family, why are you not doing anything more than small talk for less than a minute?!?! At least do your best Larry David and upgrade the conversation to medium talk.

Why couldn't Brendon have told the truth when Julie asked him why he thought America voted him back into the house. If he had said "well they probably wanted to see the fireworks that would have went off if it was me versus Rachel in a battle to get back into the house. Me sitting down on the ground in the backyard while Rachel won the competition would have been great television...because you know, people loving seeing me get emasculated." And no, it was not because we want to see a competitor.

It's hard to imagine things picking up as we are now into the jury section of the season. There is just nobody enjoyable to root for here. By default it's Daniele, but she has been an awful player, and teaming up with Kalia didn't do herself any favors. Jeff and Jordan went from lovable two years ago to infuriating this season. Oh well, here are the fantasy scores...

Jaydon

Jeff +5: W6 (+16)= +21

Rachel -2: W6 (+16)= +14

Kalia +25: W6 (+16)= +41

Last Week at +28: Team total= +76

Me

Brendon +16: Nom (-10), Votes (-20)= -14

Lawon -35

Adam +15: W6 (+16), Nom (-10), Veto (+15)= +36

Last Week at -4: Team total= -13

Mags

Daniele +5: W6 (+16), HoH (+15)= +36

Cassie -95

Porsche -31: W6 (+16)= -15

Last Week at -121: Team total= -74

Lar

Jordan -23: W6 (+16)= -7

Shelly -25: W6 (+16), Nom (-10), Votes (-4)= -23

Dominic -110

Last Week at -158: Team total= -140

Wilfred 110 Review- Grab Your Torch and Pitch Fork

Mr. Patel- "My friend, I feel great shame for accusing you unjustly. I will not sleep well tonight, but tomorrow during the day I'll take a long nap."

"Isolation" was much less monumental in Wilfred mythology than "Compassion," but it definitely focused on what this show is all about: the bond between a man and his dog.

People can complain that Wilfred is as mean as they come, but this installment gave us reason to believe that he is only looking out for his best friend's best interests when acting in such a manner.

He framed Ryan for a number of break-ins around the neighborhood, and hilariously came after him with a torch like he was in an angry mob going after a monster from a 1930s movie... but it was all to get Ryan out of his funk. Wilfred just wanted Ryan to be a part of the neighborhood pack and start to live again.

Of course, his plan didn't work, so he had to rethink some things. Now, getting Andy thrown in Juvy might have been an extreme, but it was simply what had to be done in order to save Ryan from the neighborhood's hatred and/or going to prison.

To read the rest of my review of last night's second episode of double the Wilfred, head over to TV Fanatic.

Wilfred 110 - "Isolation"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Wilfred 109 Review- This Is Your Mother!

Ryan- "I'm not crazy."

Wilfred- "Said the man to the dog."

The jury is still out on whether "Compassion" was the funniest episode of Wilfred thus far, but there's no doubt it was the most meaningful.

It definitely had its funny moments, most of which came from Wilfred's infatuation with Ryan's mum and sudden hatred of Jenna, but it was returning to Ryan's apparent psychosis that made the episode so interesting.

The series began with Ryan going crazy, wanting to kill himself, and seeing a dog as a man in a dog suit. Sure, he has been a bit nuts throughout the season, and has continued to see Wilfred as a man, but the actual problem hadn't truly been addressed until "Compassion."

And they built it up so well with Mary Steenburgen so fabulously playing Ryan's crazy mother, which caused everybody - including Ryan - to start thinking about the idea of him ending up a nut like her.

To read the rest of my review of last night's first of two episodes of Wilfred, head over to TV Fanatic.

Wilfred 109 - "Compassion"
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Teen Wolf 112 Review- Do You Want the Bite?

Alpha- "His username is Allison? His password is also Allison?"

Stiles- "Still want him in your pack?"

The strange and exciting first season of Teen Wolf ended with a finale equally as strange and even more exciting.

"Code Breaker" was filled with suspense, action, some romance and a few unlikely heroes. It answered a bunch of questions, but left us asking twice as many by the time everything was said and done. As we await next summer, here are a few of my burning questions:

1. Did Derek put any real thought into letting Scott kill the Alpha? If not, is this still the same guy that we all grew to love throughout the season? Even if he becomes less sincere as the new Alpha, Derek will always be the coolest dude on the block. I mean, did you see him channel his inner Rufio as he staked his claim as the new Alpha?

2. Does Derek killing the Alpha truly mean that Scott has no chance of being cured? Is the point of the show simply going to be that Scott can make in this world as a werewolf? Or will we soon find out that there is another way to un-wolf yourself? If Allison is willing to love him and all of his hairy face, what's the difference really?

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

Teen Wolf 112 - "Code Breaker"
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Covert Affairs Mid-Season Report Card- B+

TV Fanatic's end-of-season Report Card series includes our favorite summer hits, as well. Today, we break down the second season of USA's Covert Affairs.

Are there enough superlatives to describe Auggie's greatness? What were the best plot lines, and which fell a little bit short? What's keeping the show from reaching the next level of truly must-watch TV instead of just a fun summer escape?

Here's our critic's postmortem of a summer of Covert Affairs ...

Best character: Is it too obvious to say Auggie? Is he not everyone's favorite? Maybe it's his dashing good looks, his relentless charm, or even his ability to his job with a ridiculous disadvantage, but it is extremely difficult not to love Auggie Anderson.

Best episode: If you find Auggie as interesting as I do, it is hard to go with any episode besides "Half A World Away." Finally learning how Auggie became blind was great, but watching Christopher Gorham play out those scenes with such conviction was even better. The fact that it was a subject we were anticipating since the beginning, and it still managed to knock it out of the park, is a credit to how good "Half A World Away" was.

Worst character: None. You might think that not hating any of the main characters on a series would be a positive thing, but I beg to differ. Having a jerk or two to hate on is one of the crucial aspects to any show. The way that I hate Kurt Hummel on Glee, Gabe Lewis on The Office, or Tara Thornton on True Blood, makes those shows more interesting. Bringing someone in to root against could make Covert Affairs better moving forward.

To read the rest of my Mid-Season Report Card for Covert Affairs, head over to TV Fanatic.

Curb Your Enthusiasm 806 Review- The Long Laces

Hank- "I don't even know how to write cursive anymore."

"The Hero" was another classic episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm with a fantastic ending that I definitely did not see coming. It was so rewarding to see LD have such a heroic moment on that subway that the thought of him getting his long laces stuck in the door never cross my mind for a second.

I didn't see the long laces coming back into play at the very end, because they had already made a return earlier in the episode. Stupid Hank, who was so tremendously played by SNL veteran Chris Parnell, tripped on his own laces, which caused the wine spill on Ricky Gervais and Donna to break up with Larry, creating a domino effect for the rest of the events of the episode, as Curb does so well.

Before even hearing the news that Curb was making its way to New York for season eight, it broke that Gervais would be appearing, and I got all excited. If this is the only episode he appears in, it will be disappointing, but at the same time I'm not sure I could take much more of him in this context. As interesting a dynamic that Larry and Ricky created, I don't think they meshed together all that well.

Speaking of the Extras star, why do celebs agree to come on to Curb as themselves and be absolute fools? I know they're only versions of themselves, but how does Ricky not come off as a complete jerk here. At least Larry is a lovable jerk, whereas Ricky was a snob who buys expensive wine as a gift, brings his own DVD to a party, makes Larry pay for the gifted tickets, can't admit he's seeing Donna, and cries at the burglar. Sure I'll do this, but rename my character Dicky Pervais.

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

Curb Your Enthusiasm 806 - "The Hero"
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The Vampire Diaries Season One- Take A Bite

With all of the episodic reviewing I am doing for TV Fanatic, I have found little time to catch up on shows that I have not watched, let alone write about them here on the blog. The Vampire Diaries has changed that. I have plowed through the first season of 22 episodes over the past couple of weeks, and this post's purpose is to influence you to do the same. I'm sure very few of my readers watch the show, and I'm fairly certain that no Poolie voters have seen any of it, so I am here to convince you all to start - It's that good.

There will be no spoilers below, simply reasons as to why I think The Vampire Diaries is a show that gets unfairly categorized because of its material and the network it is on. This is not your ordinary Vampire show, nor is it like the rest of what is on The CW. Sure it has supernatural elements, but just like Lost, The Vampire Diaries is about the characters and the story. And like other CW mainstays, most of TVD's main characters are teenagers, unlike 90210, GG and the like, this show has good writing and good acting.

In a current society where critics and fans rave over shows like Breaking Bad and Mad Men, it is only appropriate to begin my argument with the fact that the first season of The Vampire Diaries has never a dull moment. At some point they may run out of story lines, but throughout the first 22 episodes there were a myriad of twists and turns, cliffhangers upon cliffhangers, and a multitude of surprising reveals. Breaking Bad will have something completely ridiculous and awesome occur for five minutes every third episode or so. The Vampire Diaries has moments of that nature three or four times per ep. It's an exciting show, and in my mind, that makes for great television.

Unlike some other fantasy shows or movies, The Vampire Diaries benefits from being somewhat based in reality. Like The Walking Dead with their zombies, I feel like the world of TVD could actually be happening. It's not dissimilar to what Pixar had going with Toy Story, A Bug's Life, and Monsters Inc., before they ruined their "this could be happening around you and you just don't know it theme" with the ridiculousness of Ratatouille and Cars. True Blood, on the other hand, has never felt like anything remotely close to the real world. Even in its better days of story telling, the HBO vamper was extremely difficult to get lost in, because it was much easier to "look at" rather than "watch." I "watch" The Vampire Diaries, which makes it much easier to escape into.

I hate to continue to compare TVD to True Blood, because the former is in a pennant race and the latter is attempting to make the playoffs in Triple A, but they are both shows focusing on vampires so it's going to happen. Diaries has a ton of likable characters, which True Blood has never had. I can name the people I like on that show on one finger, and his name is Eric. Okay, that isn't true. I liked Lafayette at one point, and I enjoy Jessica from time to time. If the red-headed vampire were on TVD? She'd probably be my fourth or fifth favorite female. I have even enjoyed the characters I came in expecting to dislike, mainly the lead male and female (my MO).

While each and every minor character brings something to the table, the main draw here is Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore. He's mean, he's evil, he's conniving, but he's charming. He will drain the ladies dry of all their blood, but he will also weaken them at the knees. He's a jerk, which is always good, but like any great villain, there is a glimmer of hope that he does the right thing in the end. A truly fantastic character through one season of the series.

While Damon, Stefan and Elena are the focus of the series, this truly is an ensemble drama, which at times can be difficult. I will compare TVD to Lost in the way it works its large cast so well. There will be times when some minor characters take one or two episodes off so that the story can build on other plots. This gives the show the ability to go into depth in certain areas in a given episode, in the same way Lost did when it focused mainly on one character during their flashback episodes. In a contrasting style, True Blood attempts to show you what is going on with every single character in every single episode, making it hard to get involved in any one of the plots going on in an episode. At the end of the day, a focused structure is key to a good show.

And my final point to what made the first season of Vampire Diaries so good, as well as what could make it great in the future, is that there is a deep history to this world. Dexter's first season was its best for many reasons, one being that it had all of Dexter's back story as a child to get out to the audience. Similarly, The Vampire Diaries did a great job showing the audience a back story for its main characters, and then relating that to current times by having ancestors of the human characters in the vampire flashbacks. The difference between TVD and Dexter, is that unlike the Showtime drama, Diaries has not run out of back story. These vamps have been alive for over a hundred years, and have gone through so much, that I can picture many more relevant flashbacks in the future. But just like in Dexter's first season, season one of TVD also was great at bring all of the history to the forefront of the ending to the season.

In closing, I'd like to say that no matter who you are, you should give this show a whirl, because I'm pretty sure you will enjoy it. As a caveat, I must admit that watching a series marathon style does help to exaggerate your feelings towards it, so my current love for the show may be a bit higher than it should be, but not enough to prevent me from wanting everyone to watch it.

Big Brother Week 5- Special Powers

Spoiler Alert...Below are the results and my thoughts on this week's episodes of Big Brother 13. Also, we'll take a look at how Mags', Jaydon's, Larry's and my teams are stacking up on the fantasy side of things. So before reading any further, watch the eps, bath in blood, then read what I have to say.

I used to say that this show was better than Survivor because there was so much more strategy involved.  The contestants have so much more time on their hands to think about the game, and what move they should make next.  Either I was blinded before, or this is just the worst cast of contestants the show has ever seen, because these people are the absolute worst.

Words can not describe what my dear friend Cecil did this week...wait that's not my friend CJ wearing flamboyant clothing in the Big Brother house? My mistake.  With all of the free time that these houseguests have, you would assume they would listen to Julie's announcements carefully.  So when she says that the next eliminated contestant would have "A CHANCE TO COME BACK IN THIS GAME" they would take that for what it is...a chance.

But no, apparently none of them have ever seen an episode of their own show before, and assumed that this meant that whoever went out this week would automatically come back into the house immediately following eviction.  Lawon, however, not only thought this same thing, but also thought that if he left he would come back with "SPECIAL POWERS."  99% chance, I believe were the odds he gave himself for coming back with new powers in the game.

Of course!  Of course that's what will happen Lawon.  Because that wouldn't tarnish that game at all...benefiting the eliminated contestant for no reason what-so-ever.  Lawon volunteering to go up on the block because he wanted to get eliminated was the dumbest thing I've ever seen in my life.  Not on Big Brother.  Not on television.  The dumbest thing I've seen in my life.  That's not a hyperbole people.

How dumb Lawon was this week managed to overshadow just how dumb the rest of the house was for not evicting Rachel.  This is the person you all hate.  The person Daniele and Kalia have especially been trying to get rid of.  But, you vote to keep her in, unanimously?!?!  Wow. What is this the effing Twilight Zone?  It once again comes back to the fact that they all thought that if she was evicted she would be coming right back into the house, but that is no excuse.  Even if it is a one percent chance to take her out, you do it when she is Public Enemy Number One.

So instead of eliminating Rachel like they should have, which would have made for a great showing by Brendon purposefully losing the challenge to his fiance, Daniele allowed the dynamic duo to join forces once again, almost guaranteeing the Season 8 runner-up a spot next to Julie Chen in the upcoming couple of weeks.  So silly.

Jaydon

Jeff -11: W5 (+11), Nom (-10), Veto (+15)= +5

Rachel -3: W5 (+11), Nom (-10)= -2

Kalia -1: W5 (+11), HoH (+15)= +25

Last Week at -15: Team total= +28

Me

Brendon -5: W5 (+11), Duel (+10)= +16

Lawon -6: Haves (+5), Noms (-10), Votes (-24)= -35

Adam -1: W5 (+11), Have (+5)= +15

Last Week at -12: Team total= -4

Mags

Daniele -11: W5 (+11), Haves (+5)= +5

Cassie -95

Porsche -47: W5 (+11), Haves (+5)= -31

Last Week at -163: Team total= -121

Lar

Jordan -34: W5 (+11)= -23

Shelly -36: W5 (+11)= -25

Dominic -110

Last Week at -180: Team total= -158

Wilfred 108 Review- A Collar Made In Taiwan

Wilfred- "Ryan, remember when I told you a few weeks ago that you are a total pussy? Well I just wanted to apologize for not emphasizing that enough."

Like each and every episode that has come before it in the first season, Wilfred relied heavily on its titular man-in-dog-suit throughout the majority of "Anger."

Unlike our beloved Editor-in-Chief here at TV Fanatic, I have actually been enjoying Wilfred, so I will be taking over reviewing responsibilities for the FX comedy from here on out.

Comedy is extremely subjective, which is why I completely understand why Matt Richenthal might not have enjoyed the show. His main complaint in past reviews is that the show has been one-note. It's hard to argue with that, but the difference between the two of us is that I absolutely LOVE that one-note.

Wilfred the character is head and shoulders above Wilfred the show at this point. Sure, it's tough to peg down what he actually is, and when he switches from dog to man, but it is THAT grey area that makes this man-like dog so hilarious.

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

Wilfred 108 - "Anger"
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Emmy Submission Mission- Lead Actress in Comedy

The 2011 Emmy Awards will be hosted by Jane Lynch and air on September 18. Over the weeks leading up to the event, staff writer Dan Forcella will watch every episode submitted by various actors in various categories and present to you his analysis on each contender.

It's the TV Fanatic Emmy Submission Mission, readers, and it started with Lead Actor in a Comedy. Now, we're on to Lead Actress in a Comedy...

The past two years at the Emmys, a leading lady from a Showtime dramedy has taken home this trophy. Will that trend change in 2011? It's unlikely, as Laura Linney of The Big C has been the favorite since her pilot aired last August.

Laura Linney on The Big C

The show is one that I tired of after four episodes, but re-watching the pilot, it's easy to conclude that it's the best highlight reel of any of the submitted episodes by any of the nominated actresses. Linney’s character is newly separated from her husband, recently found out she has cancer, has a crazy brother and she is raising a teenage, prank-loving kid.

The amount of emotion that Linney has to bring to the table to pull this all off in the premiere is astounding. On top of all that, she still manages to be funny. In a comedic category, that helps.

While I would be surprised if Linney didn’t walk away with the trophy, there certainly are a bunch of great performances that deserve acclaim out of this group.

To read the rest of my Emmy Submission Mission for Lead Actress in a Comedy, head over to TV Fanatic.