Big Brother Week 3- Laughing at Luxury

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, keep it clean down there, then read what I have to say.

Yeah there was a lot of strategy in play, between Daniele's early moves and the rest of the veterans' obliviousness, but the most important thing to take out of this week of Big Brother was a trio of laughs.

The first two were by Big Brother contestants, and the third was by me. Every year there is a luxury competition where the winner gets to choose a few people to watch a movie with them. The big prize is that the movie usually has yet to be released. The downfall is that it is usually one of those terrible comedies that are never all that funny. Each and every season the houseguests are forced to laugh at the awful jokes so that CBS does a good job of promoting the new film.

This year they brought things to a whole new level, forcing the contestants to laugh their way through the series premiere of Same Name on CBS. If Jeff Schroeder thought that Same Name was funny enough to laugh out loud, then I am more ashamed of him than when later on in the week, he admitted that he had no idea why someone would want to eliminate him from the game. Of course he didn't though, because that show looks awful and terribly unfunny. But as it goes every season, these hamsters are forced to cackle at whatever is put in front of them. It's a sad truth.

The second laugh was another embarrassment for all of mankind. After eliminating Dominic from the house, if the rest of the contestants saw what he did out on the couch, they would have wanted to eliminate him all over again. Did he really just crack up at Lawon's goodbye message? Does he actually think that the dude's shtick is funny? Wow! If he does, I am even more excited that he is no longer on the show. Lawon is the worst, and everyone knows it...even his twin brother C.J. can't stand this guy. Shame on you Dominic.

Finally, the third laugh of the trio, was a true blue laugh out loud moment by yours truly. I'm not sure if it was her idea, but Jordan's execution of Rachel's catch phrase, "No one gets between me and my man," was without a doubt the funniest thing I've heard on this show in a while. What makes it so great is that Rachel has said it so many times that it has kind of started to be a parody of itself. Jordan, being so oblivious in general, realizes that this is the perfect opportunity to use it, which is ironic. Who would have thought she would have been so quick witted? Her gentle laugh following the delivery was the icing on the cake.

Jeff- "Why the f**k would she pull that card now?"

And now to face the music. My girl Daniele really blew it this week. She was set up in a perfect situation. Just like the other veterans were talking about in the HoH room, no one was mentioning her as a target. She was sliding by with no one on her tail. I understand that getting someone to play with in this game is key, but come on, you can't stick your neck out like that so early in this game! You start to make those ties with Dominic, but if he walks out the door, you hitch your trailer to the back of Shelly. You know she will be ready to buddy up in a split second.

Dominic- "I think we all suck at this game."

Yes, you all do, and that was the only redeemable line in Dominic's farewell speech. Boy did he stumble though that thing. Brendon and Rachel are awful, and they think are the only ones that can play. Honestly, I haven't seen a good Big Brother player since Dan Gheesling. Jeff, what is wrong with you? You don't understand why someone like Daniele would want to get you out of the house? First of all, why not? Secondly, you cannot trust anyone in this game? Someone coming after you should be expected, not surprising. And then to diminish her because she doesn't care about others' feelings? Gross. Comments like that make me want to throw up. This is a GAME. If I'm in that house, I'm going for the money, not to make friends. I have enough friends in this world, why would I need new ones?

The suckiest of them all this week? Dom himself for throwing another veto competition. This one came back to bite him, thankfully. Why are people doing this? You can't trust anyone, so even if you think you have the votes, you are never safe. You are safe when you take yourself off the block! When you get the chance you did it. Having said that, unless they did a weird editing job, Dom had no idea if he had the votes or not. He did not talk to a single newbie about the situation, so why did he think they'd keep him over Adam? Two of his original Regulators were already gone. Absolutely silly. Save yourself when you can. No excuse.

Until next week, let's take a look at the scores. Brendon becomes the first contestant to reach positive figures, continuing my team to its first place standing.  Jaydon is still close behind, as Rachel reaches the big ZERO.  Even though Dominic left the game with a whopping -110 points, Larry remains in third, with Mags bringing up the back end.  Wow, what an auction value on Dom there?  -90 to give you a total of -20 on the season.  Nice work Lar.

Me

Brendon -9: W3 (+4), Veto (+15)= 10

Lawon -17: W3 (+4)= -13

Adam -3: W3 (+4), Nom (-5), Votes (-4)= -8

Last Week at -29: Team total= -11

Jaydon

Jeff -22: W3 (+4)= -18

Rachel -19: W3 (+4), HoH (+15)= 0

Kalia -12: W3 (+4)= -8

Last Week at -53: Team total= -26

Lar

Jordan -37: W3 (+4), Luxury (+10)= -23

Shelly -47: W3 (+4)= -43

Dominic -77: Nom (-5), Votes (-28)= -110

Last Week at -161: Team total= -176

Mags

Daniele -37: W3 (+4)= -33

Cassie -95

Porsche -58: W3 (+4)= -54

Last Week at -190: Team total= -182

Covert Affairs 208 Review- In and Out. Nobody Gets Hurt.

Annie- "Goodbyes are overrated, but I'm glad we got one this time."

"Welcome to the Occupation" was different from last week's "Half a World Away" on two obvious accounts.

1. The Covert Affairs crew was back in the Americas.
2. It was not nearly as entertaining.

What can you expect, though, when Auggie Anderson is back behind his desk for the entire hour?

That is not to say that this chapter didn't have its own charm. Although Auggie was sidelined, she finally had some major growth as a character. Her answering Ben's proposal of kite surfing and relaxation on the beach with an I think I'll pass was proof enough that this is a different girl than the one we met at the beginning of the series, or even at the end of season one.

Annie wasn't just choosing her new doctor boyfriend over Ben. She was choosing to be rational, which is a sure sign of maturation. I'm sure Danielle and especially Dr. Weiss are happy with the decision because it means she will be back in town sooner. Then again, the more time she spends with them, the sooner they will have to figure out that something strange is going on. How many times can the mention of her long work hours add up before somebody close finally realizes she doesn't work at a museum?

Before Annie made the aforementioned decision to kick Ben to the curb, she and Joan were joined by him on a special mission in Mexico. It all paled in excitement and scope to Auggie's adventures from a week ago, but there were still things to enjoy.

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

Covert Affairs 208 - "Welcome to the Occupation"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Teen Wolf 109 Review- Pain In The Neck

Lydia- "Are you breaking up with me?"

Jackson- "Dumping, actually, I'm dumping you."

For those of you who have not done so yet, trust me: join the fun on MTV Mondays, where Teen Wolf continues to be one of the best new shows of the summer.

Case in point: "Wolf's Bane" was filled with excitement, surprising reveals, and a shirtless Derek Hale! What more could you ask for?

A pair of exhilarating action sequences were used as bookends, as things began with Derek saving Mr. Harris from the Alpha and then getting chased by the cops. Everything ended with a new addition to the Teen Wolf repertoire: Derek Hale getting demolished in a fight. Both scenes were tons of fun to watch, serving as quality anchors for a much more dialogue friendly core of the episode.

Yes, Derek Hale was dismantled by the Alpha, who, in a strange turn of events, ended up being his uncle! It was definitely funny watching Stiles get caught in the middle of that battle royal in the hospital, but it was much less hilarious seeing poor Derek getting dragged down the hall by his Alpha Uncle.

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

Teen Wolf 109 - "Wolf's Bane"
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Recap
Quotes

Curb Your Enthusiasm 803 Review- The Social Assassin

Ron (to Larry): You say what everyone's thinking. You just come out with it. It's impressive.

"Palestinian Chicken" would have been an instant classic if all that happened was that the show faded in to the discussion where Jeff labeled Larry a social assassin, and then it faded out.

If memory serves me, nobody on Curb has ever given LD a name for what he does so well. Like the no-balled Ron told him after the fabulous dinner party scene, Larry "says what everyone's thinking. [He] just comes out with it. It's impressive." I love that people on the sitcom have finally come to grips with how talented Larry really is.

Would you ever tell Janice from Friends that it's annoying when she says LOL at something funny? I doubt it. How about explaining to Susie Greene that nobody can stand it when she goes "ahhhhh" after every sip she takes? I would rather hide in a corner than confront her like that, but that's what LD does, and it's about time he was recognized for it.

The other side of "Palestinian Chicken" was just that, the Palestinian chicken that apparently was the best thing in the entire world. A couple of Jewish people eating at a place like that made for a bunch of humorous moments, highlighted by LD and Jeff getting cheered by the patrons after shoving Funkhouser away for wanting to wear his yarmulke inside.

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

Curb Your Enthusiasm 803 - "Palestinian Chicken"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Big Brother Week 2- I'm Not a Villain

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, bedazzle whatever Rachel's wearing, then read what I have to say.

It seems as though as long as Rachel remains in the game, the title of each Big Brother blog post is going to have something to do with a ridiculous comment she made that week. This time around it was here complaining to Brendon that she's "not a villain." She also remarked that she doesn't hurt people's feelings, and doesn't understand why America hated her last season. This was just classic stuff, especially seeing as that earlier in the week she said "No wonder America hates me."

Even though I was all about enjoying Rachel during last week's episodes, as noted in my post, she has quickly worn out her welcome, just as she did a year ago.

Whether it was claiming that Cassie couldn't be trusted, or that the homeless man's Olivia Wilde has "bad game play," Rachel was really getting on everyone's last nerve. How Rachel and Brendon can think that THEY have good game play is ridiculous, and not only because they came in ninth and fifth last year, respectively. They may win a good number of challenges - Rachel's mostly being out of luck - but their social and strategical games are terrible.

You can't trust anyone in Big Brother, other than significant others you come into the game with, so why is Cassie any less trustworthy than Dominic? She's not, which is why Rachel is dumb. The smart move was to get Dom out. He was the leader of the newbies, and is good in challenges. If Rachel, as the new HoH doesn't make that move this week, she is definitely the one with the "bad game play."

There were a few other contestants that made some interesting moves/comments this week. First, it never ceases to amaze me how people can care so much about people they just met in this house. Cassie could never say a bad word about Shelly? And vice versa? Come on people, IT IS A GAME! Say as many awful words as you can to stay in this game. You're playing for 500,000 dollars. You can apologize after it's all over. If you're real, she'll forgive you for trying to win prize.

And Adam, for being such a student of the Big Brother game, why on Earth did you throw a PoV? I don't care if you know it will be a unanimous vote, you don't throw a PoV. He said throwing it was the only way he knew he would be safe. Ummm...what? Excuse me. Winning it (or Dom winning it) is actually the only way you are safe. In this case, he was probably correct in thinking Dom was going to head home, but you can never trust those people to keep you. They could easily be lying to your face. If you have a chance to take yourself off the block, you do it...Big Brother 101.

Finally, there is sweet Daniele. I am still rooting for her hard at this point. I originally thought she was dumb for getting in with Dom at the start of the week, but it really could pay off for her. If Rachel and Brendon and/or Jeff and Jordan stay in this game, she's going to need someone to play with to take them on. A little puppy dog like Dom could definitely come to her advantage, especially since he is good at challenges.

Until next week, let's take a look at the scores.

Me

Brendon -16: W2 (+2), Haves (+5)= -9

Lawon -19: W2 (+2)= -17

Adam 0: W2 (+2), Nom (-5)= -3

Last Week at -35: Team total= -29

Jaydon

Jeff -24: W2 (+2)= -22

Rachel -26: W2 (+2), Haves (+5)= -19

Kalia -14: W2 (+2)= -12

Last Week at -64: Team total= -53

Lar

Jordan -54: W2 (+2), HoH (+15)= -37

Shelly -44: W2 (+2), Nom (-5)= -47

Dominic -89: W2 (+2), Nom (-5), Veto (+15)= -77

Last Week at -187: Team total= -161

Mags

Daniele -39: W2 (+2)= -37

Cassie -54: Nom (-5), Votes (-36)= -95

Porsche -60: W2 (+2)= -58

Last Week at -153: Team total= -190

Emmy Noms Reaction- Comedy

The 2011 Emmy nominations were announced just about a week ago. Below are some of my reactions on who earned nods, who didn't, and how my predictions worked out. Today we take a look at the comedy awards...

Comedy Series

Spot On
30 Rock
Big Bang Theory
Glee
Modern Family
The Office

Prediction
Hot In Cleveland

Result
Parks and Recreation

The pleasant surprise here for most people is that Parks and Rec got in. Not only did I not think it would, but I didn’t think it deserved to. Someone needs to take this series down a peg, and I wish I was powerful enough to do it. As far as my predictions go, kudos to me for assuming the quantity of viewers for BBT would get it a nom, but shame on me for thinking Hot In Cleveland would get in over any comedy on television. Apparently the academy isn’t as dumb as some prognosticators thought. As always, it is ridiculous to think that Community had no chance at a nom, given that it is easily one the funniest shows on television.

Comedy Actor

Spot On
Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock
Steve Carell – The Office
Matt LeBlanc – Episodes
Jim Parsons – Big Bang Theory

Prediction
Joel McHale – Community
Matthew Morrison – Glee

Result
Louis C.K. – Louie
Johnny Galecki – Big Bang Theory

Let us all take a moment to lament in the fact that Johnny Galecki was nominated for an Emmy for playing a straight man, and from what many say, one of the least funny characters on his own show. Apparently nerds are taking over the universe, because that is ridiculous. Moreover, it took a spot away from Joel McHale, who apparently will never get a nom because this field was EXTREMELY weak. I’m glad that Matthew Morrison didn’t get in again, for a less than funny performance that is not even close to leading, but sad that it left room for Louis C.K. Blah, blah, blah, he is the best in the business. He does all of the writing, directing, and acting in his show Louie…but that doesn’t mean it’s good. Unlike Nurse Jackie or United States of Tara, Louie is definitely supposed to be funny, and other than his stand up parts, or an occasional funny bit by someone other than C.K., it is tremendously unfunny. I went with my gut on Matt LeBlanc, and it paid off, as his nom was the only “guess” I got right.

Comedy Actress

Spot On
Edie Falco – Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey – 30 Rock
Laura Linney – The Big C
Amy Poehler – Parks and Rec

Prediction
Toni Collette – US of Tara
Patricia Heaton – The Middle

Result
Melissa McCarthy – Mike and Molly
Martha Plimpton – Raising Hope

I watched an episode of Mike and Molly the other day. As expected, really obvious, and not funny. Melissa McCarthy was one of the only funny aspects of the summer movie Bridesmaids, but that doesn’t mean she deserves a nomination here. To be fair, this is probably the weakest category of them all, but geesh, we really are scraping the bottom of the barrel here. I haven’t seen Raising Hope since the series premiere, which I thought was awful, but I like Greg Garcia, so I can understand Plimpton working well with that material. I am also surprised at the lack of a nomination for Toni Collette. I understand that cancelled shows don’t usually get recognized, but as a former winner, I thought they’d give her one last nom in a depleted category.

Comedy Supporting Actor

Spot On
Ty Burrell – Modern Family
Chris Colfer – Modern Family
Jon Cryer – Two and a Half Men
Ed O’Neill – Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet – Modern Family

Prediction
Neil Patrick Harris – How I Met Your Mother

Result
Jesse Tyler Ferguson – Modern Family

Ummm…what? Four Modern Family actors have made it into the Supporting Category this year. That is interesting, especially considering that this second season was way worse than last year’s. I’m glad to see O’Neill finally getting his deserved nomination, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson was really the only cast member who improved from season one to two, but I really don’t think either of them belong here. Of course those spots belong to Donald Glover and Chevy Chase of Community, but as we know, it is impossible to give nominations to that NBC sitcom. I knew the fact that Cryer had to deal with all of the Charlie Sheen stuff was going to get him another nod, but NPH getting snubbed after winning a pair of Emmys last year was a bit of a surprise. Also a pleasant surprise was Nick Offerman not sneaking into the field. Thanks God! Ron Swanson is easily the most overrated character on television.

Comedy Supporting Actress

Spot On
Julie Bowen – Modern Family
Jane Krakowski – 30 Rock
Jane Lynch – Glee
Sofia Vergara – Modern Family
Betty White – Hot In Cleveland
Kristin Wiig – SNL

This was the easiest category to predict, and there were absolutely no surprises. Although Krakowski and Wiig had much less to do in their respective seasons, no one saw them coming out of the field. Betty White is the only new addition, but everyone saw her reign of terror continuing.

Comedy Guest Actor

Result
Will Arnett – 30 Rock
Matt Damon – 30 Rock
Idris Elba – The Big C
Zach Galifianakis – SNL
Nathan Lane – Modern Family
Justin Timberlake – SNL

Really rooting for Matt Damon in this category, but I see Timberlake taking it home because he has a bunch of noms in the original music category.

Comedy Guest Actress

Result
Elizabeth Banks – 30 Rock
Kristin Chenoweth – Glee
Tina Fey – SNL
Dot Marie Jones – Glee
Cloris Leachman – Raising Hope
Gwyneth Paltrow – Glee

This is a snoozer…of course they chose Tina Fey as the SNL host to make it into the field. How original.

Covert Affairs 207 Review- A Tale of Two Auggies

Auggie- "Thanks again, for everything. Goodbye Annie."

If the Emmys ever decide to recognize the USA Network, and the Academy takes rightful notice of what a fantastic performance Christopher Gorham continues to display on Covert Affairs, "Half a World Away" should be his submission episode.

With Auggie taking center stage, viewers - and Annie - finally learned how this tech went blind. This has been on Annie's mind over the last year or so almost as much as mine.

It was the grand scale of the material that made "Half a World Away" such a great episode, along with such a platform for Gorham to steal the show once again.

In essence, he was playing two characters. These were two extremely different versions of the same guy. In every flashback sequence, he became the freewheeling Captain Anderson of the Special Forces; a shirtless, short-haired, football-playing, sighted Auggie that was hard not to love just as much as the 2011 version. In real-time, he was a man on a mission, in search of the individual that blinded him way back when.

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

Covert Affairs 207 - "Half a World Away"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Teen Wolf 108 Review- SuperHale Returns

Stiles- "Yeah it's called heartbreak. About two billion songs written about it."

Through eight episodes, Teen Wolf has developed into an exciting series that does a tremendous job writing story on top of story.

It all started with Scott McCall getting bit by a werewolf. Things then began to build in "Pack Mentality" when we learned about the Alpha Wolf. As the season carried on, it seemed like this might not be anything more than a simple story of "let's kill the big bad wolf."

Thankfully, that was not the case.

"Lunatic" gave us the reveal that there may be a werewolf cure, and in doing so, it provided our protagonist with something to really pine for as the season/series moves forward. Everyone has wanted to kill the Alpha Wolf since learning about him, but now that result would be rewarded twofold as it also would clear Scott of his werewolf problems.

Is that possible on a show that is titled Teen Wolf? Probably not, but the series has already earned enough respect in its ability to surprise that I wouldn't take it out of the realm of possibilities.

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

Teen Wolf 108 - "Lunatic"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Curb Your Enthusiasm 802 Review- The Burlesque Dermatologist

Funkhouser- "We ought to do this more often."

Larry- "Come to disgusting strip clubs?"

What Larry David perfected on Seinfeld, and continues to excel at on Curb Your Enthusiasm, is bringing multiple story arcs full circle. "The Safe House" was a perfect example. It went above and beyond, bringing each plot line conclusion to the forefront within the final five minutes.

The numerous stories included Larry reaching behind the women for the ice cream, Richard Lewis dating a burlesque dancer for her breasts, watching over the stranger's laptop, the battered women living down the street from Larry and racial profiling.

In one of the final scenes, we witnessed Richard pulling the exact same freezer move that LD did. Of course, with Dale there instead of the house mother, Richard was in for a much more harmful fate, which led to the lack of a Breast Blowout on Lewis' last night of pleasure with the Double D's.

The other three plots came together so nicely, beginning with Larry's fall leading him to accidentally admit that Leon was abusing him. That, in turn, ended up harming the African-American who returned the computer he was supposed to be watching for Larry because the cops showed up looking for the harmful Leon. The police, like everyone else on this show apparently, couldn't tell the difference between the African-American Leon and the African-American with the laptop. Full circle.

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

Curb Your Enthusiasm 802 - "The Safe House"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Big Brother Week 1- I Made The Bed

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, smile because Evel Dick might have had a death in the family, then read what I have to say.

When prodded with the all too serious question of "who am I supposed to like this season?" I respond with no hesitation...Brendon and Rachel.  Although I was quite critical of the duo last season (here and here), by the end of the run I started to enjoy the train wreck that was Rachel crying or Brendon being an ogre.  And every time Brendon so pathetically stated he "won this one for Rachel" I could not help but smile.

The start of the season has been no different.  Thursday's episode was highlighted by Brendon's getting infuriated that Rachel was telling everyone that she called him "bookee."  From his initial claim that they were now going to bed, to his explanation to her that is inappropriate because he is a medical professional, it was all comedic gold.  To top it all off, there was the genius moment of television when Rachel begged for his forgiveness by first mentioning that she made the bed, and then proclaiming that she loved the big goofball three times before he solemnly returned the favor.

If you can't get over their annoyance enough to enjoy Brendon and Rachel's ridiculousness, then I turn to Jeff and Jordan.  They are just two down to Earth, startlingly dumb individuals in the Big Brother house having a good time.  Jeff will go off now and again, but for the most part he's just a good dude that is easy to root for.  Are they as entertaining as Brendon and Rachel?  No, but I'm always glad when they do well.

The easier question is "who do we not like at this early point in the season?"  Keith, Shelly, Adam, Dominic, Lawon, Kalia, and Porsche just about rounds out the list.  Since Shelly, Kalia and Porsche are neither a part of the Regulators, nor did they claim Donna Martin was their favorite 90210 character, they get a pass this week.

Keith, Dominic, Lawon, and sadly Cassie are a part of the Regulators, although only the first two seemed to be psyched about the group and the name of the group itself.  Now that Keith is out of the house, I hope the idea of the Regulators flies out the window because it was simply the saddest cry to pretend you are the Brigade I have ever seen.  To be fair, I was not a fan of the Brigade when they so quickly gave themselves a name and then individual nicknames, but those guys grew on  you so quickly, that it was worth it.  The regulators?  Not so much.  Keith, Dom, and Lawon are all the worst and I hope the other two join Keith as soon as possible.

Oh my goodness Adam, what are you doing?  Stop giving such a bad name to those of us that are true fans of Beverly Hills, 90210.  Not even taking into account how much of a loser he is for making the rocker hand signal and screaming in that weird voice every five seconds, Adam is my least favorite by far.  The dude wants to thank Evel Dick because without him Big Brother would cast a metal fan on the show?  Really?  Big Brother discriminates against individual music preferences?  It's not like you are all tatted up and pierced every which way?  You're a normal dude from Hoboken who screams like an idiot, no doubt pretending to like metal music.  And you are obviously not a true fan of 90210, because no one in their right mind has Donna Martin as their favorite character...

There are three acceptable answers to the question of "who is your favorite 90210 character?"  Those are Dylan, Brandon, or Valerie.  The first two are the obvious choices, because they are the biggest studs of the series.  I myself am a Brandon man, but know of plenty of Dylan lovers.  Some, though, prefer to have a female favorite character, and Valerie Malone was simply one of the most entertaining female characters in tv history.  Donna Martin?  She was the worst, and so are you Adam.

The obvious answer to the original question would have been Evel Dick, if he had not left for personal reasons.  I still want a better answer from him for why he left the show, but for now that's all we have.  With him now gone, some of your rooting interest has to fall with his daughter Daniele.  I got into the show the year after these two went to the end, but she seems pretty fun so far.  That bit about her feeling totally awkward when put on the spot from Julie was pretty good.  I can get on board the Daniele Donato train if need be.

And it will be easy now that her Dad gave her possibly the best gift he ever could have.  Going out first, and giving her a free pass to the Top 10, is basically giving her such a better chance at making it to the end.  A contestant with her apparent skill having the ability to fly way under the radar for four straight weeks, hopefully staying friendly with everyone in the house, will give her a major advantage as things start to heat up down the stretch.  If she doesn't make it to the final three, I would be very surprised.

Having said all of that, I'm really looking forward to next week's festivities.  Now let's take a look at the scores...

Me
Brendon -25: W1 (+1), Veto (+8)= -16
Lawon -15: W1 (+1), Have Not (-5)= -19
Adam -1: W1 (+1)= 0

Started at -41: Team total= -35

Jaydon
Jeff -25: W1 (+1)= -24
Rachel -50: W1 (+1), HoH (+15), Veto (+8)= -26
Kalia -10: W1 (+1), Have Not (-5)= -14

Started at -75: Team total= -64

Mags
Daniele -40: W1 (+1)= -39
Cassie -50: W1 (+1), Have Not (-5)= -54
Porsche -40: W1 (+1), Nom (-5), Votes (-16)= -60

Started at -130: Team total= -153

Lar
Jordan -55: W1 (+1)= -54
Shelly -40: W1 (+1), Have Not (-5)= -44
Dominic -90: W1 (+1)= -89

Started at -185: Team total= -187

Emmy Noms Reaction- Drama

The 2011 Emmy nominations were announced Thursday morning. Below are some of my reactions on who earned nods, who didn't, and how my predictions from last week worked out. First up are the drama awards...

Drama Series

Spot On
Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
Mad Men

Prediction
The Killing

Result
Friday Night Lights

Four out of the five here were obvious; Boardwalk, Dexter, Good Wife, and Mad Men. One of my two guesses worked out, as Game of Thrones picked up a well deserved spot, and The Killing did not (also deservedly). I failed to realize the “power of the last chance” in not expecting Friday Night Lights to get in, but I’m glad it did. While I’m not a fan of the acting noms that we will get to later, the show has been fantastic, and deserved a nom as it heads off to greener pastures. Even though this final season wasn’t nearly as good as say seasons one or three (minus the finale of course), I’m glad it made the cut.

Drama Actor

Spot On
Steve Buscemi – Boardwalk
Michael C. Hall – Dexter
Jon Hamm – Mad Men
Hugh Laurie – House

Prediction
Jeremy Irons – The Borgias
William H. Macy – Shameless

Result
Kyle Chandler – Friday Night Lights
Timothy Olyphant – Justified

In a second straight category, four of the nominees were obvious. This time, they were the only four I picked correctly: Buscemi, Hall, Hamm, and Laurie. Here my mistake was in thinking the academy was going to go for name only. In no way did I enjoy either Irons or Macy in their respective Showtime roles, nor did I think either of them did any kind of quality acting, but I am still surprised that neither one of them slid into a spot. I should have known better to go against Chandler, who made it into the field last year, but again I forgot about the final season stigma. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy him as Coach Taylor, but he is so God awful at playing a football coach, that I thought that might deter some people. Then again, most voters have no idea what a coach acts like either, so my bad. Olyphant is the biggest surprise here, but I’m glad my reverse jinx worked to perfection in this case.

Drama Actress

Spot On
Kathy Bates – Harry’s Law
Connie Britton – Friday Night Lights
Julianna Margulies – The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss – Mad Men

Prediction
Katey Sagal – Sons of Anarchy
Kyra Sedwick – The Closer

Result
Mireille Enos – The Killing
Mariska Hargitay – Law & Order: SVU

In what most people thought was another obvious four nominee category, we were all surprised by the biggest shocker of the entire list with the absence of last year’s winner, Sedgwick. How do you go from winning the category in 2010 to being left off the ballot in 2011? When you’re losing a spot to the likes of the boring performance of Enos, the staleness of Hargitay, and the flat out sillyness of Bates, it is especially devastating. I’m not saying that I’ve seen a single episode of The Closer, but I’m assuming she has to be better than the three I just named. Britton, Margulies, and Moss were the other three obvious choices, although, unlike most critics, I can’t stand a single second that Britton spends on screen. It may just be her character, but still. And finally, there is once again no Katey Sagal, which has to be more of an Emmy discomfort with the material on Sons, than the actual performance of Sagal, who is always fantastic.

Drama Supporting Actor

Spot On
Andre Braugher – Men of Age
Josh Charles – The Good Wife
Alan Cumming – The Good Wife
John Slattery – Mad Men

Prediction
Michael Pitt – Boardwalk
Michael Shannon – Boardwalk

Result
Peter Dinklage – Game of Thrones
Walton Goggins – Justified

So much for Boardwalk taking the Emmys by the throat. While it nabbed numerous technical noms, and a few for acting to go along with its best drama nod, the HBO hit did not get a single supporting nomination. Everyone and their brother was predicting at least one here. Most were saying two, with Pitt and Shannon, and some were even throwing a three spot out there. Am I glad that both Pitt and Shannon fell out? Absolutely! It left room for two of my favorites, in Dinklage and Goggins. The latter is another huge surprise from Justified, which goes to show how well my reverse jinxes worked. With two more acting noms for the show, it is surprising that it did not make the cut for Best Drama series. While Slattery and Cumming seemed to be the only absolutes heading in, Braugher returning, and Charles stepping in didn’t surprise anyone.

Drama Supporting Actress

Spot On
Christine Baranski – The Good Wife
Michelle Forbes – The Killing
Christina Hendricks – Mad Men
Kelly MacDonald – Boardwalk
Margo Martindale – Justified
Archie Penjabi – The Good Wife

Boom! Finally nailed a category. Tweet from Lar: “The crying mom from the killing was nominated this year? wow #actingmustbeeasy” I couldn’t agree more. As much as I disliked the writing on The Killing, the acting on this show was just as much overrated. Enos, Forbes, the rest of the cast, they all played such empty characters that I don’t understand how they earned a pair of nominations. While Martindale getting her deserved nom wasn’t extremely shocking, I was still pleasantly surprised this morning.

Drama Guest Actor

Result
Beau Bridges – Brothers and Sisters
Jeremy Davies – Justified
Bruce Dern – Big Love
Paul McCrane – Harry’s Law
Michael J. Fox – The Good Wife
Robert Morse – Mad Men

The only performances that I witnessed were Davies and Morse, the former of which did a fantastic job on Justified. That makes four acting noms for Justified, but not a nod for best drama. Not shocking, but still hard to figure out. This second season was monumental. Start taking notice people.

Drama Guest Actress

Result
Cara Buono – Mad Men
Joan Cusack – Shameless
Loretta Devine – Grey’s Anatomy
Randee Heller – Mad Men
Mary McDonnell – The Closer
Julia Stiles – Dexter
Alfre Woodard – True Blood

I’m so glad they added an extra nom for drama guest actress so that Alfre Woodard could get in for her fantastic performance on True Blood. #sarcasm.

Covert Affairs 206 Review- On The Border

Annie- "It's rude to not eat what you're served."

Reva- "Well I wouldn't want to be rude to our kidnappers."

For the first time this season, an episode of Covert Affairs left me wanting a lot more. "The Outsiders" had its entertaining moments, but there were definitely more aspects that didn't work than those that did.

The problems have to begin with the utter lack of Peter Gallagher. I'm aware that every character isn't going to be able to be fit in every week, but I will complain week in and week out when Sandy Cohen fails to make it on screen.

The complications continued with the strange realignment of personnel. Auggie was back in his comfort zone, but Reva - still being in the department and out in the field no less - continued to throw me. At the end of last episode, it seemed like she was going to head back to where she came from, but "The Outsiders" began with her out with Annie. Why was there hardly an explanation for why she was still working with them?

I understand that Jaimie Alexander was probably paid to do a couple episodes, but that's no excuse from a storytelling perspective. Why they would send such a newbie into the field didn't make much sense. Granted, it wasn't supposed to be as challenging a mission as it turned out to be, but let's take a few more precautions here. This is the CIA.

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

Covert Affairs 206 - "The Outsiders"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Teen Wolf 107 Review- Kids In The Hall

Stiles- "I'm not dying here. I'm not dying at school."

In what was only the first episode of the back half of the season, "Night School" had all of the suspense and excitement of a season finale.

Thanks in part to the bottle episode-like atmosphere, there was action aplenty, as almost the entire hour took place inside the school that Scott, Stiles and company call home on a daily basis. Viewers were treated to crazy scare that a gigantic alpha wolf can give you as it attempts to hunt down a group of kids in the aforementioned school.

The suspense was surely potent, but very much in the style of any modern horror movie. Every step around the corner for Scott and the gang was another opportunity to lock themselves in a mini death trap just so that the alpha could find them and scare them into escaping to another locked pit of doom.

It was extremely predictable that way, but I still enjoyed it. Every time the alpha came closer and closer, I tried to hide my eyes... but ended up reluctantly watching him pass on hurting any of the Beacon Hills students.

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

Teen Wolf 107 - "Night School"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Emmy Outlook- Drama and Comedy Series

Although the Poolies are much more important around here - and should be everywhere - as a television blog, we at the Quiet Pool Perspective have decided to talk a bit about the 2011 Emmys. With nominations set to be announced on July 14th, I will be going through the major categories over the next couple of days to give my ballot and my prediction. My Ballot is what I would have as my six nominees if I were eligible to vote on such things. My prediction is what I expect to be announced come July 14th. As a caveat, I will not be predicting guest actor and actresses, because that would be ridiculously difficult.

Best Comedy Series

The League

My Ballot
30 Rock
Chuck
Community
The League
Modern Family
The Office

As we get to the series awards, I find my ballot for comedy to be pretty obvious.  Not obvious as to what others would nominate in this spot, but what I would.  Five out of the six are the comedies I voted for in this year's Poolies, and the other I voted for in action and is one of my all-time faves.  The Office and Community speak for themselves among my readers, and while Chuck had a down year it still manages to grab a spot maybe due to the soft spot in my heart.  The League made the biggest jump in quality from season one to two and thus earned itself a spot on my ballot.  Modern Family and 30 Rock barely make the cut over others like It's Always Sunny and Parks, but it could have gone any which way with the four.

The Big Bang Theory

Prediction
30 Rock
Big Bang Theory
Glee
Hot In Cleveland
Modern Family
The Office

Four are definitely in.  Last year's winner, Modern Family, long time staples The Office and 30 Rock, and the new unstoppable rebel force that is Glee.  Glee is funny because some think it has a chance to win this thing, while others might even leave it off their prediction ballots.  The final two spots in the category though, are really up for grabs.  There has been a huge uproar for Hot In Cleveland as of late - not by critics or viewers mind you - but by prognosticators.  Not only is Betty White hot, but everything she touches seems to be, as this old school sitcom might just sneak in with older voters.  My final spot goes to Big Bang Theory, which is led by last year's winner for lead actor, and way too popular to get left out.

Best Drama Series

Terriers

My Ballot
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Game of Thrones
Justified
Mad Men
Terriers

Dexter had a way better fifth season than people are going on about.  It just so happens that they all loved season four so much that they aren't able to see clearly.  Game of Thrones and Terriers had equally fantastic first seasons...in totally different ways.  Although both adored critically, one is headed for iconic status, while the other was cancelled.  Mad Men is possibly the best made show on tv, and Justified is possibly the most entertaining.  Friday Night Lights rounds out the group after a decent season for FNL standards, but great compared to others.

Game of Thrones

Prediction
Boardwalk Empire

Dexter

Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
The Killing
Mad Men

I believe there are three definitely in here.  Mad Men has been here since it began, The Good Wife is the broadcast networks only shot at doing something in the category, and has been gaining steam in its second season, and Boardwalk Empire was created for the Emmys.  Then it gets a little tricky, but I see Dexter staying right in the thick of it again this year.  With the last two I could go many ways, but I decided to continue my reverse jinx of Justified by predicting it to get left off the ballot.  Instead I went with Game of Thrones because HBO needs another nomination, and if it's True Blood again I would be very surprised.  Finally, I have The Killing in my final spot, thinking that the voters might be old and white enough to think this was a good show.

Curb Your Enthusiasm 801 Review- Dodger Blues

Larry- "I can call you bald. It's like black people calling each other n*gga. Hey baldy. Ya know."

Curb Your Enthusiasm returned to the air after quite a long hiatus - and the season eight premiere proved why it is one of the best comedies on television. "The Divorce" picked up right where “Seinfeld” left off, and neither the show nor Larry David skipped a beat.

It was awkward. It was funny. It made you question LD’s life. It was Curb, and it was fantastic! I love that they tore Larry and Cheryl apart so quickly at the start of the episode, and through the magic of time jumping, got them all the way through a divorce by the end of the 30 minutes.

Between Larry’s statement that he can call other bald guys “baldy” because it’s like black people calling each other the N word, Susie ripping Jeff a new one for even thinking she wouldn’t take him for all he’s worth if they ever got divorced, and Leon recommending Funkhouser put “Just Divorced” on the back of his car, the laughs didn’t stop.

To read the rest of my review of the season eight premiere of Curb Your Enthusiasm, head over to TV Fanatic.

Curb Your Enthusiasm 801 - "The Divorce"
Review
Recap
Quotes

Emmy Outlook- Guest in Drama

Although the Poolies are much more important around here - and should be everywhere - as a television blog, we at the Quiet Pool Perspective have decided to talk a bit about the 2011 Emmys. With nominations set to be announced on July 14th, I will be going through the major categories over the next couple of days to give my ballot and my prediction. My Ballot is what I would have as my six nominees if I were eligible to vote on such things. My prediction is what I expect to be announced come July 14th. As a caveat, I will not be predicting guest actor and actresses, because that would be ridiculously difficult.

Guest Actor in a Drama

Jeremy Davies

My Ballot
Eamonn Walker – Lights Out
Titus Welliver – Sons of Anarchy
Jeremy Davies – Justified
Zach Gilford – Friday Night Lights
Jon Manfrellotti – Men of a Certain Age
Noah Emmerich – The Walking Dead

A lot of good guest actors in drama, which is proven by the fact I had to leave out Arlo Givens from Justified. Another Justified man, Jeremy Davies, made my list and would have if he had gone in supporting.  Fantastic stuff as Dickie Bennett.  Gilford went from a lead actor in FNL, to only appearing in a couple of episodes, but I still love me some Matt Saracen.  Walker was easily the best thing about Lights Out, it's just a shame he only stayed for two episodes.  Re-watching some of SoA season three, I realized just how good Welliver was as Jimmy O.  Emmerich was the only character I really enjoyed from the six eps of Walking Dead, while Manfrellotti continues to crack me up in the sometimes depressing Men of a Certain Age.

Guest Actress in a Drama

Ally Walker

My Ballot
Cara Buono – Mad Men
Kaitlyn Dever – Justified
Julia Stiles – Dexter
Ally Walker – Sons of Anarchy
Jessica Pare – Mad Men
Karina Logue – Terriers

Unlike its comedy counterpart, guest actress in a drama has some names to choose from.  Ally Walker and Julia Stiles lead my list of guest actresses, in part because their roles were so huge in their respective shows.  I have always enjoyed Stiles, but she was even better than ever in her role on Dexter.  Walker was easy to hate for some, but her performance can not be denied.  I am seeing a trend with child actors, as Dever slides into this ballot for her fantastic portrayal of little Loretta.  The two women of Mad Men and Donal Logue's tv and real life sister round out my ballot.

Emmy Outlook- Guest in Comedy

Although the Poolies are much more important around here - and should be everywhere - as a television blog, we at the Quiet Pool Perspective have decided to talk a bit about the 2011 Emmys. With nominations set to be announced on July 14th, I will be going through the major categories over the next couple of days to give my ballot and my prediction. My Ballot is what I would have as my six nominees if I were eligible to vote on such things. My prediction is what I expect to be announced come July 14th. As a caveat, I will not be predicting guest actor and actresses, because that would be ridiculously difficult.

Guest Actor in a Comedy

Ken Howard

My Ballot
Timothy Dalton – Chuck
Matt Damon – 30 Rock
Will Ferrell – The Office
Ken Howard – 30 Rock
Jim Rash – Community
Dana Carvey – SNL

Like I mentioned before, I don't have the slightest idea how to predict this category, but some of these dudes that have no shot at being nominated need some credit.  The guest stars of 30 Rock were the only things getting me through the lack of Tracy Morgan in the middle of the season.  Damon and Howard were two of the very best.  While some people ridiculously hated the extremely funny Will Ferrell on The Office, I loved him, especially his ability to eat cake.  Dalton was hilarious as the big bad of this season of Chuck, and Jim Rash is hilarious in his role as the Dean on Community.  Dana Carvey gets my pick as best host of the SNL season, and takes my sixth slot here.

Guest Actress in a Comedy

Miley Cyrus

My Ballot
Elizabeth Banks – 30 Rock
Carla Gugino – Californication
Gwyneth Paltrow – Glee
Autumn Reeser – Entourage
Miley Cyrus – SNL
Sherri Shepherd – 30 Rock

Not a lot to work with here.  30 Rock again notching two guest spots on my ballot, with a pair of ladies that each had one fantastic episode.  Shephard in "Queen of Jordan" and Banks when she was kidnapped by Kim Jong Il.  Paltrow was great in Glee, mostly because she hated on people in a different way from Sue Sylvester.  Reeser and Gugino were nice in their respective premium cable dramedy roles.  And if I didn't put Miley on my ballot for her performance on SNL I should probably just stop calling myself a fan.

Emmy Outlook- Lead in Drama

Although the Poolies are much more important around here - and should be everywhere - as a television blog, we at the Quiet Pool Perspective have decided to talk a bit about the 2011 Emmys. With nominations set to be announced on July 14th, I will be going through the major categories over the next couple of days to give my ballot and my prediction. My Ballot is what I would have as my six nominees if I were eligible to vote on such things. My prediction is what I expect to be announced come July 14th. As a caveat, I will not be predicting guest actor and actresses, because that would be ridiculously difficult.

Lead Actor in a Drama

Donal Logue

My Ballot
Sean Bean - Game of Thrones
Jon Hamm - Mad Men
Charlie Hunnam - Sons of Anarchy
Peter Krause - Parenthood
Donal Logue - Terriers
Timothy Olyphant - Justified

Just an absolute stud show on my list of lead actors in a drama, and only one of these actors lost his job at the end of the year, Logue of the oft forgotten but highly entertaining Terriers.  Olyphant and his Poolie speak for themselves, while Hamm makes the list for reasons unknown to many Poolie voters apparently.  While this season of Sons wasn't my favorite, it wasn't due to lack of effort by Hunnam, who continues to have my love. Krause had to play a lot of different emotions on this season of Parenthood, and he did each of them spectacularly.  Bean was Bean, and I'm not going to spoil anything about this season of Game of Thrones.

Hugh Laurie

Prediction
Steve Buscemi - Boardwalk Empire
Michael C. Hall - Dexter
Jon Hamm - Mad Men
Jeremy Irons - The Borgias
Hugh Laurie - House, MD
William H. Macy - Shameless

Okay there are three guarantees here.  Hamm and Hall are in as usual, while Buscemi will be joining them as a yearly nominee after his first season on Boardwalk.  Laurie, who is a mainstay on the ballot, is a little riskier because of how long House has been on the air.  The fact that he has never won one doesn't help his chances, but I think he's got one more nomination in him.  The final two spots are up for grabs, and I'm leaning towards the two biggest names in the field.  William H. Macy and Jeremy Irons, while I disliked both of their performances in Shameless and Borgias, I'm assuming the academy will be giving them nods because they are who they are.

Lead Actress in a Drama

Katey Sagal

My Ballot
Jennifer Beals - The Chicago Code
Sophia Bush - One Tree Hill
Lauren Graham - Parenthood
Elizabeth Moss - Mad Men
Emmy Rossum - Shameless
Katey Sagal - Sons of Anarchy

While I can't stand Gemma Teller, I recognize Sagal's performance as one that deserves to be recognized.  I used to dislike her character as well, but Elizabeth Moss turned me into a member of Team Peggy after her fantastic season of Mad Men.    The rest of these ladies are a big crapshoot.  Rossum was enjoyable at times and annoying at others.  Graham was similar in that every time she got into a crying or shouting match with her daughter I wanted to slap her.  Bush does some of the only real acting on One Tree Hill, and I respect that, while Beals was a pleasant surprise in Code.

Kathy Bates

Prediction
Kathy Bates - Harry's Law
Connie Britton - Friday Night Lights
Julianna Margulies - The Good Wife
Elizabeth Moss - Mad Men
Katey Sagal - Sons of Anarchy
Kyra Sedgwick - The Closer

Okay I have three that are in here...Marguilies, Moss, and Sedgwick.  Sedwick surprised everyone last year with her win over newcomer Marguiles, but nobody will be surprised of any of these three nominations in 2011.  With all of the campaigning, and success at other awards shows, it is time for Sagal to get in.  Britton, who made it in for the first time last year, sadly makes it in again, while Kathy Bates makes it because she is Kathy freakin' Bates.  I've never seen Harry's Law but I'm sure it and Bates' performances are not very good.