Richard Alpert debut

Maybe it's wrong to be excited about a debut that occurred almost three years ago, but the first episode of Richard Alpert still makes me giddy.
In keeping with his mysterious persona that he continues to refine to this day, Alpert's entrance on the scene does not tell nearly the whole truth.
He is still one of the major mysteries that hasn't been uncovered on the island. UGH!!! Definitely one of my three favorite character, even though he primarily exists as a foil for other characters. I hope that he gets a flashback or flash forward episode so we can really explore his character.
Oh yeah, this episode also features Mac from ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA as Aldo!

Sophomore Slump

I'm often prone to declarative statements that lack any ambiguity, so I'm going to tread carefully when assessing season two of Lost. I just finished the season in about three days and I found the process to be a struggle.
The story of season two is a meandering tail that has some compelling highs (Michael's status as a double agent and the introduction of the tailies") and some low lows (Everything about Hurley). I'm leaving off the introduction of Ben, who at this point is known only as Henry Gale.
You see shades of his potential as a character when he suggests he sent the castaways into a trap, but you aren't given the full picture yet. I'll have more about Ben as I get into later seasons, as he is the most fascinating and entertaining character on Lost.
Ok, so my main problem with season two is that it seems to have a bunch of false starts. You've got Mr. Echo going twenty different ways at once and Charlie scurrying around as his personal assistant. But the main problem is that the "tailies" and the hatch hijacked the story. The "tailies" never meshed with the original castaways, which could explain why all but Bernard died, but more importantly they seemed to serve merely as filler. Take Ana Lucia, who was only good for killing off Shannon. Even in her flashback, when she escorted Christian, she didn't actually do anything.
Libby is a more interesting case, as she seemed poised to be an integral part of the show. I'm not saying she might have survived her bullet wounds, but it is possible she could have gone into a coma or something and come out of it after Michael had led the select few into his trap. Regardless of all that, though, she could have been big in back stories. Libby was the driving force behind Desmond crashing and there was definitely more to the mental hospital storyline that has never been resolved. Unfortunately there were scheduling conflicts and it looks like she's lost to the ages with the answers she could have provided.
Anyway, it just feels like each episode in this season was about positioning for some bigger theme. I like this about the show, but not at the expense of interesting stories in the short run. This season is just too convenient, as illustrated by the fact that food falls from the sky. Ugh! IT just rubs me the wrong way.

I'm still conflicted about Michael's turn as a bad guy. Well not really a bad guy, but a good guy driven to do bad things. My big question, though, is whether it was all necessary. Couldn't he have talked to Locke and Jack, so they would just let Henry Gale go? Jack embraced being led into a trap later on, so why not do this? Libby and Ana Lucia didn't need to die, except they did, since that's what the story required. ANd that's what i mean by it all being too convenient. Actions don't match the characters.
Oh! One of my favorite parts, which only gets better, is the introduction of the love stories. Never expected it, but Lost has generated three amazing love stories. First, is Penny and Desmond. Only because they had to overcome a physical separation in addition to the emotional barriers. We get a taste of this in season two, as we see what divides them and the lengths each will go for the other (boat around the world and set up emp monitoring stations).
Second, is the romance between Sun and Jin. This strained relationship seemed superficial in season one. but with Sun's pregnancy it receives some extra oomph. It only gets better.
The third relationship is the whirlwind romance of Sawyer and Juliet. I'll have plenty to say about that later on.
This season cemented my hatred for Kate. She's basically a moron. No idea why anyone would have a crush on her. Maybe you could admire her spunkiness, but she basically sucks. Disagree?
As for Locke and Jack, this is a trying season for them. Locke especially has his world view challenged.
I probably should talk about the hatch. I really don't have anything to say except that it blows up.
We get our first mention of the incident, which will occur in the season five finale.
This season is what it is (whatever that means). At the time it was a satisfying second course, but in retrospect it was just a tease. It was too long and much of it was pointless. Maybe I'll have deeper appreciation after the show is over, but right now I would think this is the worst season.
EXCEPT, I'm about to start season three, which if memory serves was terrible. Oh joy.

LOVE SPEIDI

So now i really finished the Speidi interview. A couple things....
1. You have to be 35 to be president, and not 30 like Spenser thinks.
2. George Bush spoke spanish, so calm down Seth Green
3. Andy should have conducted the interview, because Conan seemed resigned to pulling all his punches.
4. Can't believe Seth Green stayed on the couch, but I'm happy he did. His comment that he actually has a job killed.
5. There needs to be web extras!!!

Danger Will Robinson

So I actually finished the interview with Spenser, ok that's not true, I'm halfway done. But he really is an evil genius!
Most people are aware of what it takes to be famous, but have enough shame not to go about it the way Spenser embraces. He flaunts the fact that he's a joke. I love it.
Spenser sidles up to Seth Green to illustrate the point that he hopes some fame will rub off on him. Conan's stares of disgust would be more moving if he didn't have them on his show!!!

Speidi sense is tingling

I have almost zero exposure to Heidi and Spenser. Never seen the show they're originally famous for, which was THE HILLS or LAGUNA BEACH. I don't know anything about them, except my own preconceived notions that I've gleaned from coverage of them in the press.
Basically they're publicity whores. They're not talented, unless you consider remaining relevant a talent. Unfortunately that's all it takes.
Anyway, they were on THE TONIGHT SHOW with Conan O'Brien, so I received my first real experience with them. From this I've decided they're an act. They might be geniuses. There is no way Spenser is as awful as he seems, or at least if he is, he is smart enough to realize that this persona will keep him interesting and keep him famous.
Case in point, he announces that he's changing his name to King Spenser. Maybe that's a gimmick to make people hate him or maybe he really wants to do it, but either way it keeps them in the news. These two posses enough self-awareness to understand why they're famous and how to hold on to that fame.
To their credit, though, they haven't done anything illegal (balloon baby family) and haven't had to release a sex tape (Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, my soon to be released dalliance). So I applaud their ability to create something from nothing. Consequently, I am shocked by our country's intrigue in this duo. It's disgusting. Americans are in large part pathetic. We've propped up Spedi to the point where they become the couple we love to hate.
The interview is pretty painful to watch. It is very awkward and you can tell Conan wants to eviscerate them with his wit, except it would be very hypocritical since he has them on his show. It's still funny though.
That's enough time spent on these two morons.

Lost loses it in Season 2

Season two of Lost is noticeably worse than season one. The best feature, 11 episodes in is the introduction of the "Tailies." They're story is fascinating and deserved more than one episode to do the back story. Unlike everything else about this season it is too compressed.
I'm currently at the point where Jack, Locke, Sawyer and Kate formally meet the others. You might know this as the point where Hurley decides to romantically pursue Libby. This tangent angered me beyond words. I'm sorry, but he was gross. Then again, I've never gotten the appeal of Hurley. Heck, that's not even his real name. He's not funny and brings nothing to the island. They should have eaten him on the first night.
But back to reality, before we lose gravity, this season has been too drawn out and meandered aimlessly so far.
It began with the three episode standoff in the hatch that seemed like it would never end. That was particularly bad, especially since the episode began so promisingly with Desmond's perspective inside the hatch. Honestly, I was super jazzed watching that. Too bad it all fell apart.
Mr. Echo is a nice addition, but Anna Lucia was too much. She's too big of a personality to join the cast aways and not immediately affect the dynamic. They put her off to the side after the shooting of Shannon (another annoyance), but I don't buy it. She would have gotten back into the swing of things almost immediately, but instead she becomes a regular Steve or Scott (that's a running joke from season one).
It was good that they got rid of Shannon. Unfortunately I thought the events leading up to her death were unnecessary. I still don't buy her and Sayid together, and the whole affair was superfluous to the story. She needed to die though, since she was basically a shell of herself in the aftermath of Boone, which is bad considering she never brought anything to the table when he was living either.
I can understand why viewers abandoned the show at this point. The airing of the episodes is awkward with weird breaks, but more importantly is the fact that the story jumps everywhere at once. The writers gave viewers too much rope, and some of us got hung. Even I'm scrambling with all of it and I'm an extreme LOST devotee.
The problem stems from the multiple storylines, which isn't a problem, except when they're pushing them all at once. There is just too much going on.
I think they should have kept the rafters out of the story all together in season two until Shannon gets shot. IT would have worked perfectly. Think about it...
Open the season and you don't know what's going on with them, but instead you get to focus on the hatch. Then you end an episode with Shannon getting killed and come back to the rafters, maybe intersperse it with Sun missing Jin, Kate missing Sawyer and some annoying Charlie and Claire throwaway story. Then have them get to the point where they almost shoot Shannon, and then give us some of the "Tailies" back story.
What do you think?
That's it for now. Going to shut up and watch.

Bye Bye Eli (Sung to Bye Bye Birdie)

Oh Robin, you’re gone. You weren’t a bad chef, just comically out of your league towards the end. Do I think you should come back as a Top Chef announcer, of course I do. You ramble like one of Sarah Palin’s best speeches and that should never be forgotten. Without further ado, let’s jump right in. I think Jen was about to self-destruct, Kevin was using secret ingredients he hides in his beard and Mike V was swearing at someone while Bryan V broke into his state of zen…
• Kevin is married??? I bet they’re one of those couples that look the same! That would be awesome. Either that or she’s a smoking hot babe. According to one of my friend’s he is “cute,” so I guess it’s not beyond the realm of possibilities that he snagged a babe. Plus who knows what he’s packing … in the kitchen, as far as sausage goes. I meant links or patties by the way.
• Not encouraged by Jen’s attitude. “Hopefully I can pull it out.” Does that sound like a winner? Jen was at her best when she had her swagger. She was like Larry Bird, just dumping on her opponents and then backing it up. I miss that Jen. I miss Larry Bird too.
• I thought the most serious cooking challenge was Iron Chef? I mean going up against Bobby Flay or Cat Cora, c’mon.

• They’re going to make a TurDucEn. John Madden just wet himself somewhere. Michael V just rejects the premise of this challenge. I love it. Padma is wet too … from the water… she spilled. Speaking of which, this guest is pretty hot, albeit Kevin or Eli’s height (they are hobits).
• Padma said “welcome back” to Jen! That just blew my mind on so many levels. The first, because it acknowledges that Jen really might be returning to her old form. More importantly, it shows that Padma really has some awareness of what’s going on. She’s not just a pretty face, but an important of the show, who is also smoking hot.
• I was a little put off by Bryan putting Kevin down, but he saved himself by acknowledging he does it well. Phew. Hated the idea that I couldn’t root for him for a second.
• Love love love that Michael V got called out for not doing the challenge. This guest judge is going to be great. All the judges are on their game. I bet Tom even polished his head for tonight’s episode.
• Wow, Padma towers over the iron chef judge.
• Mirror platter? I’ve been told that the only thing that’s good for is doing blow. I’d argue that you could also mount it in your bedroom.
• Al l the male contestants have product in their hair. I never really noticed that. Even Kevin has something propping up his hair.
• I’m becoming famished watching Top Chef. Hoping I can quell my hunger by chewing gum.
• Kevin asked for help? What does he think this is? He sounds like Robin. It’s a good thing Michael V is sleeping, because he would have verbally berated him for seeking advice. In all seriousness, though, it does shake my confidence that Kevin will be in the top three. I’m glad Bryan worked with Kevin, because it gives me more of a reason to root for him. He is self-aware, as he acknowledges that to not help, especially when the other person knows he could, would be the move of a “prick” or his brother. I may have added the last part, but Bryan definitely danced around that reality. It’s amazing how different their values are and how far off their moral compasses are. Michael is a prick.
•
This is a very tense kitchen. They need Nick Swisher to come in and liven things up. Maybe give Jen a pie in the face (Only Yankee fans will understand this).
• I’m glad that Michael V didn’t pass up a chance to take a shot at Kevin. Would have been disappointed if he didn’t stay true to form.
• Tom and Jen have real chemistry. I’m smelling a spin off. In all honesty, it’s nice to see Jen confident enough to take time to talk to him. A little reassuring. Not a home run, but solid contact. Yup, more baseball metaphors.
• The bald guest judge obviously doubles as an evil villain and Tom’s body double. Sidenote: Super glad to see Gail back. Nigella didn’t compare to her.
• Based solely on presentation I’m blown away by Michael’s dish. It looks too good to eat and based on the reaction of the judges I don’t think anyone should have eaten it. He will definitely be vulnerable at judge’s table. I’m not worried. More excited to see him on the defensive.
• Apparently Bryan is coachable, which makes him better than Allen Iverson (that’s a basketball reference). Even though he screwed up the execution of his dish, it seems to be well received. And there’s the additional bonus of Tom picking up Bryan for his pickup basketball team against the Food Network stars (I assume that’s why he asked about the coachability factor).
• Eli is getting slammed. Good bye little man. The interesting part of this is that Padma became his defender. Really impressed by her balls to jump in there with the big fish. New respect for her based on this episode.
• Jen is safe. She’s going to coast by based on the poor performances of Eli and Michael V.
• They have to clean the kitchen???? Oh my god. This is blowing my mind. Learning this reinforces my belief that there is a ton of footage on Top Chef that needs to be aired. They need at least one episode a week of additional footage. Maybe split up the episode or just air an episode based on non cooking footage. I would watch and if you’re reading this, you would too.
• If I won the competition Bravo has to bring someone and a friend to the food and wine expo I would choose my friend Bill. Bill is not one of my closest friends, but he makes the cut for three reasons. First of all, he watches the show and would get a kick out of it. Second, I feel like he would be a good wild card on a trip like this and since we’re pretty different he would show me something new (totally not in a gay way). Third, I think he deserves a shot at Jen if she was there. He picked her as his choice to win after the premiere, which is nice, but I honestly think he would take a legitimate run at her. Obviously I would have to settle for Padma.
• Thinking about last season I’m struck by two big things. Primarily the fact that this top five is better than last year’s top five. Following that point is how much better Jen is than Leah was. Leah made it way too far last season and was most likely kept around for her storyline with Hosea or because she was the only girl. But regarding the first point, Hosea, Bald Spanish Guy, Fabio, Leah and Jeff are pound for pound weaker than this year’s cast. Hosea was boring, and just did Spanish fish. Bald Spanish Guy, the German, (what was his name!), was technically sound and creative, but he wasn’t better than either of the V brothers. Jeff probably had the most potential of that bunch, but he couldn’t juggle all the balls at once. He was a poor man’s version of Michael V, with Jen’s attitude and looks. I miss Jeff. Heck, I miss all of last year’s cast. That really shows why this is such a good show. The contestants are competent and compelling.
INSERT: I fORGOT ABOUT CARLA! How could i forget the chef that couldn't cook. She was the zen version of Robin. Long story short she sucked. Funny story, my roommate Casey picked her to go the distance she was always being highlighted in the advertisements. Good reasoning, even if i mocked him then.
• This guest judge for the challenge definitely ate a small child as dessert before judge’s table.
Regardless of what he is saying, his tone and demeanor remind me of the villain from the Temple of Doom. The opposite could be said of Tom, who was almost the impetus for a tear jerker moment when he said he was proud of this crew.
• I thought Bryan was going to win, but based on judge’s table I don’t know what will happen. Obviously it’s rigged that way to add tension, yet I’m really at a loss as to who wins. I do think that Eli is going home. His dish was neither cooked properly nor really creative. That being said, I don’t think Michael will win because his dish just wasn’t that good. Bryan failed to execute. Kevin wasn’t creative enough. That leaves Jen. Wow, never thought I would predict Jen to win again, but that’s my prediction. She’ll sneak into victory, which doesn’t really make sense since these are tough judges.
• Still thinking about the judges. I think they’ll reward a good idea that wasn’t executed properly. Going back to Bryan. Bryan is my choice. I’m doing this because the winner gets to compete in iron chef, so they’ll want someone who showed some promise. Bryan is my choice and who I’m rooting for. Still planning on saying goodbye to Eli.
• Wow, it was Kevin. Not a bad choice, although he did demonstrate that there is a ceiling when it comes to his ability. I guess in this instance they were with good execution. Should have seen this coming, since early in the episode Bryan commented on the fact that while Kevin’s food may be simple, he does it well.
• Kevin is definitely fan favorite. He’s got it locked up.
• Stefan! That was the German.
• It’s a good thing Eli lasted longer than Robin, or he would have killed her.
• So now they should get drunk, which would make perfect material for my idea of an additional episode!
• Not too excited about Jen’s upcoming hairdo, or Padma’s for that matter. Thank god style gurus Kevin and Tom will be around.
•

Lost Season One

In just under two days I've gone through season one of LOST. I think this is my third or fourth go around with this season, but my appreciation for it has never been brighter.
My admiration for this season, and the show in general, revolves around the cohesiveness and creativity of LOST. This admiration is embodied in season one by something John Locke's description of backgammon in the third episode. He says it is the oldest game and that it pits light against dark. Now if you've seen the finale from the most recent season you'll appreciate what that means, and while I won't spoil anything, I will say that everything on this show happens for a reason. Aside from Paulo and his girlfriend, none of the characters are superfluous. None of the lines are extraneous (I'll completely reject this idea later). Everything is scripted with the vision of the show's creators in mind, and that's spectacular.
The only other shows that reflect this kind of vision, this planning, would be THE WIRE, THE SOPRANOS and MAD MEN. That's the list.
Ok, so back to season one of LOST, which happened long before the show got too complicated for people to follow. At this point it's just a serious version of Gilligan's island with a more compelling cast, plots bubbling over with thematic ingredients and mystery.
People say that the show lost followers after this season because it became too complicated. It was opening new doors without closing old ones. The vast tapestry became too much to follow. I'd argue that while you do need to follow along regularly, it's worth the effort since it's an art form of a higher nature than CSI or some cookie cutter episodic drama. LOST is a book and each episode is a chapter. Each season is a different act. It takes work too appreciate the talented work that went into this masterpiece.
That's why you get out of season one what you put into it. If you watch it without an eye for the big picture you can still find it enjoyable, as it has interesting week to week dilemmas, but you'll fail to achieve the whole experience. And that's what season one is, an experience.
LOST fans take for granted these characters that were introduced, since now we're so familiar with them. But Locke, Sawyer, Kate, Sayid and Sun were and continue to be some of the best characters on television. They're complicated. They're creative. They're a pleasure to watch.
Even a characters like Boone and Shannon, who are relatively weak on LOST, are miles above their two dimensional peers on other shows.
What people forget is that before LOST ensemble pieces like this didn't exist. In essence it is a play on television, and nothing of that scope had been done well before. While this should be appreciated for the groundbreaking work that it is, it should also be noted that since then people have had chances to build upon and improve the formula but they haven't.
Season one manages all these characters like a skilled juggler. Stories are crisp and for the most part with purpose. There is a place for everyone and everyone is in their place.
In terms of story the season is probably three episodes too long. The caves and some other plots are dragged out to a point where they could have been condensed. That's probably why the show is now 16 episodes (I think).
But oh what a story it is. Other shows have opened with a bang and with such broad brush strokes (like Heroes), only to paint themselves into a corner and without any creative room to maneuver. Again this is a credit to the creators' big vision, but even without the subsequent layers this story stands on its own.
You've got the love story between Sun and Jin. Locke's mysterious adventures. Jack's version of ER on the island (Kate is the Juliane Marguiles character). So much is going on, but it all works. Everything is a complement to something else.
The bad, though, is bad. Particularly everything Michael says and does. If you had to drink every time he said, "my boy" you'd be dead before the second commercial. This father-son angle would be palatable if it wasn't for Michael's over acting and the terrible pains his voice cause.
If you also drank every time Charlie said, "the baby" or "claire" you're probably be in a coma before the title credits were done. My hatred for Charlie didn't begin to subside until the actor appeared on FLASH FORWARD, in a much more interesting and watchable role.
Both of these flaws just get worse and worse until they're wrapped up (won't say how). Luckily, since this is an ensemble piece the negative effects of these two characters are drowned out by the large chorus of other voices.
Well I've had your attention long enough. If you love LOST you need to watch every episode again before the final season premieres in January. It is so rewarding, especially if all you have to look forward to every day is cover letters and resumes.
Watch it again. Pick up bits and pieces you missed before. Relish the familiar scenes you forgot you loved. And just enjoy the experience.
I'm starting season two tonight. I wonder what's in that hatch... Oh yeah, one of my favorite characters.

Saturday is V-Day

The new show V airs on Tuesday nights, but since I don't usually watch television on a television I catch it on Hulu when it debuts, which is Thursday.
Anyway, I'm halfway through the episode and I don't have an opinion on the show yet. There are parts I like, Elizabeth Mitchell as the take no prisoners FBI agent, and things I hate, Mitchell's son.
But like LOST, I think the mythology of the show might hook me enough to overcome character shortcomings.
Oh, and a familiar face from BSG popped up.

Date Night a remake?

Just watched a trailer for the upcoming DATE NIGHT, starring Liz Lemon and Micahel Scott. Excuse me, starring Tiny Fey and Steve Carrell. Actually the movie would be good either way, although Michael's character would inevitably be named Michael Scarn...
Anyway, the movie appears to be a riff on Alfred Hitchcock's THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, in so much this story has a couple that is accidentally thrust into a predicament because of mistaken identity. Although, as I type this, it reminds me more of NORTH BY NORTHWEST, because of the mistaken identity. Yeah, I think I like that better.
Here's the trailer. What does it remind you of?

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3427861785/

The Office gets professional

Coming into the most recent episode of THE OFFICE I wasn't expecting much. This season I've been an ardent defender of the show, retaining faith that past glory was indicative of future results. But lately it has been harder and harder to find the funny in the show and it had become a chore to watch. I actually looked forward to PARKS and RECREATIONS more.
Well, my faith has been restored. I once was blind, but now I see. Ok, maybe the show still has some ground to make up in the wake of some poor performances. I'm definitely encouraged by last night's show, which embodied the inane ridiculousness that THE OFFICE does so well.
This episode didn't really further the story of the paper company that wouldn't quit and it didn't have to do that. Instead the episode was a series of running gags, as well as further reminder of Andy's ineptitude with women (how did he bag Angela so easy? Is she a slut?).
Michael, showing his crazy as a fox side (as opposed to his just plain crazy side), decides to distract the office from threat of bankruptcy with a game. Anytime these lunatics are allowed to run rampant with their insanity is fine by me.
You've got ridiculous accents, costumes that appear out of nowhere, a crime for Dwight and a threesome with Meredith, Erin and Kevin (You're welcome Erin).
This episode felt like 30 ROCK at its best. Everything was just a setup for another gag, with a loose story drifting through the episode. Definitely one of the best this year.
Is THE OFFICE insolvent? no. I'll call this the bailout it needed. Let's hope the stimulus works.

Top Chef: Stripping off the fat

So Mike Isabella is gone and Robin is still around to lay one more stinker of a performance. I’m not bothered by this development, as Mike I never could have won and at least Robin guarantees some comedic gold. My only hope for this episode is that Jen doesn’t continue her supernova routine and Bryan makes it to the next round.
• I love that Bryan misses his family, but the lead is worrying me. Will he not want to win? Is the fire dying out? I doubt it. Sort of blowing my mind that Mike V has a nephew, let alone his own kid. Think he swears at him?
• I’ve always been an advocate of airing additional footage as its own show and I’ve never been a fiercer advocate of this idea than when I think about Nigella and Padma in bed.
Literally, we wouldn’t need sound or any sort of story, just a security cam as they walk around in the room. That seems watchable right? In more practical terms, though, this show might help us understand some of the tension that seems unwarranted on the show, specifically surrounding Mike V and Robin. Obviously he’s been a dick to her, but she seems unusually perturbed with him and I want to know why! GIVE US MORE FOOTAGE!! Maybe the ladies can get an episode where the V brothers are in bathrobes.
• Will no one make waffles? Or how about a sausage with a pancake wrapped around it on a stick? That is what makes the best chef. I think I would have done breakfast buffet.
• And a meaningless quickfire win for Eli. It’s hilarious watching him try to get excited about his quickfire prize, which is making it into a cookbook. Nay, the quickfire cookbook. I think he would have rather won a cookbook, since that has actual value.
• Where is the legalized prostitution challenge? I’m making crab legs. Get it?
• Better yet we could do a gambling theme? Undercook meat as a way to bet your life. Eh?
• Would love to hang out with Jen. Not just because she’s hot, but because she’s funny. She has a viscous wit, which I’m actually afraid of her. She might turn on me. Her and Eli would probably make me cry.
• Speaking of Eli, he is worrying way too much about the theme of his dish. It doesn’t matter! Robin will say she had cancer and Bryan V will spew something that doesn’t make sense, regardless of the supposed themes. Just cook something creative and good. Don’t let it get in your head Eli.
• GE MONOGRAM. (Just throwing that at you the way the show does)
• Chicken wing is a New York staple? Maybe a buffalo wing is New York. The apple is the only distinctive food from New York.
• Robin sabotaging her food is simply a nickname for her cooking. Because she can’t help but produce crap.
• Is no one going to do the Hotel buffet? Isn’t that a big deal in Vegas? On the plus side it would make it easy to feed 175 people. A big vat of pasta. Big thing of potatoes. A meat. Some Blue (always a weird one). You’re done.
• Mike V is betting that he doesn’t have to serve everyone at once. Why does he think that? He could get overrun.
• So Robin has no confidence in her dish, but likes the theme of it. Huh? Still a cooking show, right?
• Is it too soon for me to gloat about Bryan V winning this challenge? All signs point to my boy not just coasting through, but making it to the next round with authority.
• So Eli has left the middle with a big swing for the fences. Tom definitely respected the gamble and I think Tobey will defend him too. Any other episode this could ruin him, but I think Jen and Robin will give him cover.
• Tonight’s top three are definitely the cream of the crop. At this point I would be very surprised if they were not in the finals. Jen was in this class early on, but for some reason, whether it is her lack of confidence or unified vision, she has taken a step back.
• MIKE V. NO!!!!! I can’t believe he upset his brother. Padma is a winner here too, because I’m sure she’ll go with Mike on his trip to the vineyard. Could be some tension in the room as Bryan laments another loss at judge’s table to his brother. His younger brother. His obnoxious younger brother.
• Jen is vulnerable because of her attitude in previous attitudes. Tom, who has typically been an ardent defender has cooled on her lately, so he could be the swing judge. He seemed to excuse her dish and attack Robin, which makes me think Jen is safe. Bye Robin.
• There is no way Eli goes home. The judges stuck it to him, but this slipup shouldn’t exceed the continually poor work of Jen and Robin.
• Nigella looks like she could be Gail’s older sister.
• Robin “doesn’t know how to play it safe.” Ha! She can’t play at all. She’s not only in the minors, but she’s playing quidditch while everyone else is playing baseball.
• Oh god. They hated Eli’s dish. So nervous. The producers do a great job making it look like anyone could go. Sticking with Robin as my castoff, regardless of Tom’s recap.
• Ding Dong the witch is dead! Actually that’s not really appropriate. More like, Sanjaya is finally gone or the kid who has skated by in a spelling bee with words like “apple” and “banana.” I will definitely miss Robin’s comedic timing and delivery.
• The upcoming excitement for me will revolve around the battle between Jen and Eli. As far as Eli is concerned, he could win or poison someone. Jen’s performance will be evident from early on in the episode, as her attitude is a telltale sign of how she’ll do.