The Puppet Master Wins it All

So another season of Survivor comes to an end, and even with a lackluster final tribal council, this was one of the best seasons in awhile.

The second to last immunity challenge is always a tough one, and the ropes course puzzle challenge was no different. It was TOUGH, and it was a close finish at the end. I do wonder, though, if there was a challenge or two that was cut out by the producers (before the survivors actually competed in it). There has always been a "second chance" obstacle course...elements from lots of previous challenges. There also wasn't a final reward challenge - no car reward. I do know that Chevy pulled out of their sponsorship of Survivor this season (though the way it was announced it seemed like it was in response to the racial divisions of tribes, which was after the season was filmed). I also wonder when the decision was made to have a final three - if it was mid-season, or a decision made before filming started. No surprise that Adam was the next voted off, though I loved his game play in the end to try to force Yul to use the immunity idol. Very very smart - probably his best strategy move in the game...too bad he didn't start really playing the game earlier.

So after the final rite of passage (which was nice that they got to all do together...and also why part of me thinks that the final three twist was added later in the game) we had one of the best final immunity challenges in awhile. I still can't believe how long Sundra lasted. I also think that by having a final three, they eliminated one of the greatest powers in the game - deciding who sits next to you in the final tribal council. It may have well been by design...so much of the game play in the past has been choosing someone for the final tribal that you know you can beat (and therefore the most deserving players often go out third). I don't think the game would have played out any differently, but still an interesting twist. I also loved that Ozzy & Yul decided that it was most fair to have the vote end in a tie. Kudos to Becky for realizing that if she wanted any hope at all of winning, she couldn't accept the immunity idol from Yul. In the end, it was the lamest tie breaker ever. How can you be out there for 38 days and not be able to make fire? And not being able to make fire with matches? Oh my goodness. Did you see the looks on the faces of the jury (nice yawns by the way) and on the face of Jeff Probst? It's going to be a tough call for best Probst look of the season...the look of disgust as they can't make fire, or the look of shock when Billy professed his love for Candice. In the end, Becky managed to actually get a flame (after over 90 minutes), and Sundra was the only member of the Aitu Four to not face the final jury.

Which brings us to the final tribal council. I do feel bad for Becky. She had to know going in that the chances of her even getting one vote were slim to none. So why she didn't just lay it all out there is beyond me. She had NOTHING to lose. Instead, she said very little, which was how she played the game. I don't think she could have won, but she could at least have gotten a few votes. With the exception of Jonathan & Adam, this final tribal council was one of the most boring ever. It seemed like everyone had just accepted the fact that Yul or Ozzy would win, and that most (if not all) had made up their minds before tribal ever started. Part of the problem, too, was that Brad, Rebecca, & Jenny had never been on a tribe with all three of them. And while CBS hasn't posted the final votes on their website (which, by the way, is strange, since they usually show us in the end who everyone voted for, yet they still haven't...hmmmm...), I would bet that Jenny & Brad voted for Yul, since they actually knew him from their original tribe at the beginning of the game. Regardless of final two or final three in the future, the members of the jury need to be voted on post-merge, simply so they will have had actual interaction with the final survivors.

In the end, Adam's decision to honor his promise to Yul (to vote for him if Yul voted out Jonathan before Adam & Parvati) was the deciding vote. And with the car being rewarded during the finale, Ozzy manages to keep the Survivor car curse alive. It was a tough call...it's the one of the only seasons where the final two (yes, I know that Becky was there too, but no one really thought she could win, did they?) really both deserved to win. Yul was one of the best strategic players ever, and Ozzy was certainly the best physical players ever. I only wish we could have found out what would have happened if there had been a tie. Maybe a million for both?

Speaking of unanswered questions, what happened to Nate? Did you see him hobbling in with a hurt ankle for two of the last tribal councils? And seriously, why didn't they explain what would have happened in the case of a tie?

With four nice people in the end, and lots of love all around, it was a really boring reunion show. Cao Boi continued to be weird (and I loved that when he tried to add something Probst looked at him and shook his head no), and no one mentioned that Sekou's music wasn't very good. And why didn't Probst ask if something happened between Adam & Candice while they were on the jury?

So a great season of Survivor comes to an end. And the previews of Survivor: Fiji look AMAZING. I just wish I didn't have to wait till the spring for it. I hope you all have a wonderful Chanukah/Christmas/New Years/Winter Holiday...see you in 2007.

The Great Cook Islands humpback whale...

That's right, I'm still laughing about it. Oh Ozzy. Who knew you had it in you? :)

With the finale tonight (can I just say again how much I hate that there will be a final 3?), I'm going to keep it brief, but a few thoughts on Thursday's episode...

Why did Ozzy win the reward challenge? It was a reward challenge...he would have been much better off losing (or pacing himself so he would come in 2nd or 3rd, and still gone on the reward) and getting the target off his back a little. If he loses an immunity, we may just see Adam in the final three tonight.

Two great challenges. I liked the variation on the mud volcano challenge from Borneo, and a tough tough immunity challenge (as it should be at this stage of the game).

We still haven't had the car reward challenge...Ozzy might be the person to break the Survivor "car curse." Of course, if I was that close to the million, and I might not try as hard on the car challenge knowing that no one who's won the car has ever won the game.

Finally, what was up with the hat at tribal council? I'm not sure why Probst pointed it out in the first place, since it easily could impact the game. But worse than that was Yul's reaction. Why wouldn't you just say that Jonathan asked for the hat back, and it just happened that Yul carried it in - tell the jury that the hat was from EVERYONE. Yul's honesty could very well be his downfall in the game.

So, finale tonight, and I think it will be Ozzy or Yul to win it. All I know is that my tivo is ready to capture the first moment between Candice & Billy. :)

The Biggest Loser Finale

Holy Cow. That's all I have to say. Holy Cow.

Ok, maybe I do have FEW more things to say about the season finale of The Biggest Loser. First, I may be wrong on this point, but I think that the contestants this season lost considerably more weight than in either of the previous two seasons. (Matt, who won last season, lost 157 lbs - about 46% of his weight) That being said, I also believe that this season had more time at home before the finale. I thought that they had 3-4 months at home before; this season they had at least 5 months (since Heather was 5 months pregnant!). And while the weight loss is unbelievably impressive, I worry about the message it's sending as well. There's no doubt that Americans are overweight, and most of us need to lose a few pounds. But losing 50% of your body weight is an unrealistic goal for most (even for those who really do need to lose that much weight), and certainly unhealthy to lose it in that amount of time. I would like to see a special a year from now to see how much weight they have actually kept off. I'm also sure that I'm not the only person who looked into their "Biggest Loser Club" since it clearly works...seems like the show may just be a giant advertisement for their website (you do have to pay to be a club member).

Anyways, I was impressed with their weight loss, especially Poppi, who lost all that weight by herself. I was also wholly unimpressed with the attitudes of several of the contestants. Yes, you lost a lot of weight. And yes, you look great. But you're still the same person - you're NOT better than us. And Marty - is that really the attitude you want to teach your students? As a teacher, I was embarrassed for you.

Side note: if you were surprised that Heather was pregnant, please raise your hand. Oh, I hope your hand isn't up right now. As soon as they showed her being tired and gaining weight, it was pretty clear (that, and they stopped showing her progress at home!). She did look really good though, even though I wasn't a fan throughout the show.

So a blue team member finally won (actually, both big prizes were won by blue teamers...Bob must be elated), with Erik losing a ridiculous 214 pounds - that's 52.08% of his body weight. Holy Cow. He looks like a completely different person. I hope he can keep the weight off...he does seem like he's a nice guy.

And with that, we're done for another season. It doesn't look like they'll be doing a "special edition" season this spring (remember how they did those 2-episode things last spring? They weren't that bad, really). So no more fat people on scales until the fall. Sigh...how will we ever last that long? :)

Season Finale of The Amazing Race

Even though I'm sad that we won't have The Amazing Race for a few months, I loved last night's season finale.

The last leg is always very quick - usually at least two flights, and lots of places to go to very quickly. This season's last leg was no different. Three countries, two flights, and two long train rides. Lots and lots of room for error.

The best face of the whole season was during last night's roadblock. No, it had nothing to do with Rob complaining that he didn't get to skydive (they explained today that the reason she did it was that they weren't sure if there would be one more roadblock on the race...she had 2 left, he had 1, and they wanted to have the option for either of them to do the final roadblock...really good strategy, actually). It was Lyn's face as the plane did a nosedive. Ha! I'm sure her kids will replay that for her over and over and over and...

I also LOVED that the final leg was in Paris. I've never been anywhere, but we were in Paris in October - my first trip out of the U.S.! So it was SO exciting to see the places where we were a few months ago! My husband wasn't as excited at first, but then we started recognizing things...the boys were in the metro stop by our hotel, we saw a restaurant where we ate at, and the detour was right by where we stayed (and we walked by there almost every day!). It rocked.

I also LOVED the drama at the airport. While there is part of me that wonders what would have happened if the boys didn't get on the flight, I was so glad they did (and that 'Bama didn't). My guess is that they would have changed a task to make it so it was an actual race at the end (it wouldn't have been too hard to add a task where they had to wait until something opened to allow a team or two to catch up). It was great tv at the end though, and who would have guessed that it would have all come down to a cabbie with EZPass? :)

So in the end, Tyler & James won, and I'm glad they did. They ran a great race throughout, and didn't rely on anyone else to get to the end. I'm also glad that Rob & Kimberly are much much nicer in real life than they were on the race! Kimberly said today that at some point she realized they were going to argue, and finally just embraced it. They also presented Tyler & James with neat collage frames during an interview today with pictures of the 4 of them and an EZPass!

Next up is The Amazing Race: All Stars...the previews say that it's coming in February, and the teams are still a secret. The real bummer is that there are teams featured in the preview that are definitely NOT a part. Strange. Regardless, though, I can't wait!

I LOVE This Season!

Ok, I admit it - this season of Survivor started slow. Too many people, too many tribes, gimmicks galore. But now? Well...I think this may be one of the best seasons ever.

In the previews for this week's episode, it sure did look like Parvati had to leave the game (thus explaining how we still have so many survivors). But in the first few minutes she sliced her thumb open, had it stitched up, and won the reward challenge. (and didn't you just love the juxtaposition of Parvati being the toughest player ever with Adam's wincing at the sight of blood?) She hasn't been my favorite player, but man is she tough.

I always love the family member reward challenge. And this one was great - a nice combination of a few previous challenges, and a nice balance between the survivors and their loved ones playing (I hate when the loved ones do the entire challenge). I don't understand, though, why it took so long for them to realize to squeeze their hair and clothes into the bucket (did they not watch previous seasons?). I also LOVED that Parvati's dad got to choose the other two to go on the reward. Side note - did anyone else notice the number of parents that were there vs. spouses/kids? This group of survivors may be the youngest yet. (but very smart - bringing back corn and chicken and meatloaf bought Adam & Parvati another few days, and may put them into the finals)

Oh Ozzy. First, you encourage your alliance to stop sharing food with the Raro folks. Then you engineer a plan to hide food from Adam & Parvati. And then you lap everybody at the challenge. Does anyone else remember how before the mutiny, Aitu discussed voting out Ozzy, since he would be such a threat at the challenges? Hmmm...

So one of the best players ever, Jonathan, was the next survivor voted off, and we're down to six. Of course, we're down to six, with only two episodes left. Word is that the final will be different this season - not a final two. Not sure what that means (rumor is final three), especially because there is the possibility for a tie in the final vote. And since Mark Burnett has publicly said that he will never do a final vote reveal on the island again, that adds a whole extra layer of intrigue (in season 1, where the votes were read at final tribal council...since then, the final votes are revealed during the live finale). I don't even know where to start predicting a winner, since an expanded final changes everything. But if Yul is up for votes from the jury, I don't know how he can lose.

Biggest Loser Final Four

I know, I said last week that I was done with The Biggest Loser. But I've logged so many hours with this ridiculous season, I just have to see it to the end. Even if it meant sitting through last night's "supersized" episode (seriously, someone at NBC is having a good laugh about calling an episode of a weight loss show "supersized"...hee hee!).

The first hour of the show featured the trainers going to two high schools to mentor kids for a whopping three weeks. Ooooh. I know it made a difference in the kids' lives to train with Bob for a few hours, then have him come in and look at what they eat for lunch. But seriously, how little effort did he put into this? At least Kim came back for the follow-up visit; Matt from last season did the follow-up with Bob's kids. And the indignation about the cafeteria food? Seriously Bob, it's like that at every cafeteria in America. And while it is nice to pack your lunch, a huge percentage of kids can't afford to do that. At some schools, more than 50% of the students are on free or reduced lunch programs. Which means that school lunch is the only option. It would have been even better if Bob & Kim had given the kids some strategies to eat what the cafeteria was serving.

The actual episode wasn't much better. The final challenge wasn't actually a challenge - somehow running a triathlon was a "reward." And yes, I did think it was touching that they all waited for Wylie to swim together. But don't you think they would have left him in the dust if there was a prize at the finish line? Seriously.

And then there was the triumphant return of Matt & Suzy to the ranch to give the contestants a pep talk. Suzy looks great - she's put back on a few pounds, but still is super skinny (I also hear that she's pregnant, so any extra weight may just be from that!). But no shocker, Matt's put back a LOT of the weight. Then he tells the contestants that he put a lot of the weight back on, but it's coming back off now that he's realized he needs to keep this up for the rest of his life. Let me get this straight - you're working out twice a day and eating a low-cal diet for the rest of your life? Seriously, I'd rather be a few pounds overweight than live like that for the rest of my life.

It also was no surprise that when Jaron fell below the yellow line, he was sent home. The other contestants were trying to get him off since he set foot on the ranch. I did like how he left though - he's a classy guy. And while I hated that he was voted out, I think it probably was the right choice - Jaron would have won the whole thing in the end.

So next week is the live finale. It's really anyone's game - did you notice how close the final four are in total percentages lost? Of course, they're previewing that a finalist has something shocking happen, so maybe one of them goes home and stops losing (my money's on Heather). There's no one left really to root for...I guess I'm hoping for Wylie, since we can't have them all lose.

Final 3 Set on TAR

The good news? There's finally an all girl team in the final three of The Amazing Race. The bad news? It's not Dustin & Kandice.

This was another great leg of the race. This was the second "gross food" roadblock this season (3rd challenge overall when you figure in the cow lips fast forward). Eating the camel meat, though, was really more a mental task then physical. It seemed like if they didn't know it was camel, it wouldn't have been bad at all...James & Kandice both did it quickly, commenting that it tasted like hamburger. It's just the whole idea of eating camel that slowed the other two teams up.

Speaking of the other teams...what is up with Rob & Kimberly? Every week they melt down, and every week they are all teary-eyed and in love at the pit-stop. Of course, this week's finish was even more of the tears & love. Did Rob actually start to cry and talk about how he wants to marry Kimberly? I guess that's touching...they certainly do deserve each other. They don't bother me nearly as much as Lyn & Karlyn. I do have to hand it to Lyn - she did a good job of keeping reasonably calm in the face of Karlyn's nastiness. I think that she set a good example for her kids, which is far more than I can say about Karlyn. She is acting far more like one of Lyn's kids than Lyn's friend. I would put her on the list of most obnoxious racers ever. I will say, though, that we were so excited when they chose the tomatoes detour...my husband got so excited as they were driving there, thinking of what Karlyn's reaction would be to being pelted by the locals.

I'm bummed that the beauty queens were eliminated. They were a far better team to be the first all-female winners than the 'Bama girls. That, and they could have actually won. Tyler & James were right - having 'Bama in the final three gives them a much better chance to win (it's like having a one in two shot, instead of one in three). I also liked how they broke more than a few stereotypes about beauty queens. I know, it's strange to even type that, but I have a few friends that did the Miss Virginia pageant (one who actually was Miss Virginia), and they are bright, wonderful people - nothing like you would expect.

So next week is the final...I'm pretty sure that Rob & Kimberly win. Or Tyler & James. In the preview at the end of this week's episode, it shows all three teams running for the finish line...two of them look happy.

Oh Snap!

Holy cow, last night's episode of Survivor: Cook Islands was one of the best ever. Let me just say that again...one of the best episodes ever. Even with the slow start, this season is shaping up to be one of the ages. Thank you Jonathan.

Why Jonathan? He's one of the best characters Survivor has ever had. And he was in rare form last night. First, he cleaned up on the Survivor auction. And he wasn't shy about it. Pepperoni burps when no one has eaten are classic. He played that auction exactly how you should - spend every last cent because you never know. They've already had the reward challenge with letters from home, so you know that you're probably only looking at food & comfort items being up for grabs - spend away! I don't feel at all bad for the knuckleheads who came away with nothing. What were you waiting for? And why Adam & Candice didn't pool ALL their money to get the chance to send someone to exile was ridiculous. You don't know what the note is, only that it is a power? You're at a 3-5 minority - take any chance you can to change the game.

There is a tradition of Survivor meltdowns, but nothing like the "fish incident" last night. Five eat while three make-out in the shelter (which, by the way, was so gross...don't be kissing Candice while you've got Parvati snuggled in on your other arm! Ewwww!). Every season there is someone who realizes that they are about to go home, and they stop putting in all the work at camp. But never has the rest of the tribe decided to just stop feeding them. And Jonathan & Candice's fight was classic.

Speaking of classic, Candice's exit certainly falls in that category. No rant, no gesture, just a long sloppy kiss with Adam. Once again, ewwww! I think that Nate's jury reactions would also go in the "classics" category. I think he may have gotten more screen time on the jury then Sundra did this episode. And Jeff Probst's parting line was also fantastic - "A kiss is nice… Maybe if it were love he would have given you the Immunity necklace."

A few other notes. Yul is maybe the smartest person to ever play the game. Showing everyone the immunity idol was brilliant. They all knew he had it; by showing it he pretty much bailed out Jonathan. He is clearly running every possible scenario in his head, and is smart enough to make moves to keep his alliance going. If he's in the final two, I don't think he can lose, even if the Raro folks hold to their promise to not vote for him as retaliation for keeping Jonathan in the game. We also have a LOT of people left for day 31...something has got to happen, especially with the jury. Rumor is that the finale will start with 5...there are three episodes left (including the finale on 12/17, so I guess that makes sense...sort of). I'm still convinced there will be at least one more big twist to come. Hmmm...

I'm So Over The Biggest Loser

That's right, I said it. I'm over it. I can't totally pinpoint when the season went wrong for me, but it has gone very very wrong. Some thoughts...

Enough with the product placements. Did we really need a five minute ad for Jennie-O Turkey? I really don't mind showing the packages as they're making dinner or having snacks (nice shot of them all eating sugar-free Jell-o last night, by the way). But the commercials? Come on. Who talks like that in real life?

The contestants this season are far more interested in "playing the game" then in the life changes that have been so prevalent in the previous seasons. Have you noticed that we don't have the emotional diary room footage about how the show has given them hope and change their lives? That's because they're there to win the money, not to change their lives. And Bob can't be but so upset with Erik for his game play, since both him and Kim have encouraged it earlier in the game. I don't know if it has to do with poor casting or more "game-savvy" players, but it makes for a very different show.

I'm also not a fan of the trainers this season. Bob's tone has become totally different, and Kim is certainly no Jillian. I wonder if she left because of the direction the show was going in. I'm also not a fan of the fact that the "teams" are still in place - what happened to combining teams and training together? It's all so absurd.

So they voted off whiny Adrian, simply because she's the "new girl." Turns out to not be such a good idea, since she actually gained weight once she went home. I hope that this whole players-at-home-rejoining-the-game thing doesn't happen again next season (or if it does, add a few in and make two new teams - old vs. new). I'm glad we only have two weeks till a winner.

The Final Rose on The Bachelor

Another season of The Bachelor, another season where I am rooting for the wrong girl. Someone out there could make money betting against me, I’m sure.

Last night’s finale of The Bachelor was better than most, even though it hasn’t been one of the best seasons ever. Turns out that being a princess doesn’t mean you’re not crazy. Yes, I know that a lot of the show has to do with editing, and I’m sure that Lorenzo’s mom was coached to bring out the crazier side of her personality. But palm reading? Really? And having both sets of parents and both girls to brunch at the same time? Even if this was really the producers’ idea, his mom was certainly on board. And the look on Lorenzo’s face as the brunch progressed was fabulous. No one likes brunch with the in-laws (both sets of parents in a room is always a recipe for disaster), and two sets of potential in-laws is really rough.

Speaking of editing, how much footage do you think they had of Jen’s parents that didn’t make them seem crazy? They were clearly trying to make it seem like there was no way he could pick her because of her parents. (either that, or they really are that crazy, and he likes it) And ABC did a really poor job of editing the rose ceremony scenes before the actual rose ceremony. They showed Lorenzo slipping the ring on a girl’s finger about a million times; then in the show we can see that Jen’s manicure matches that shot. Come on I know I’m a freak about these things, but I can’t be the only one who noticed. How hard would it have been to shoot him putting the ring on a staffer’s finger (with a drastically different manicure) just to throw us all off? As soon as I saw the shot of Jen’s fingers, I knew she was the one he picked.

And while I liked Jen, I was surprised that he didn’t choose Sadie. It seemed like they had more of a connection, though I know that the producers only show us what they want us to see. Watching how he kissed each of the girls, I was convinced that he would choose Sadie. Then again, if he honestly hadn’t made up his mind until the day before, maybe he really did have a connection with Sadie as well.

And Sadie. What a trooper. I really liked how she handled herself after Lorenzo told her that he would rather be with Jen (and what was up with that? There are much nicer ways he could have let her down. It was almost as if he looked at her and all of a sudden wasn’t so sure of his decision) She would be a great candidate to do a season of The Bachelorette. And I hope that she doesn’t have much personal backlash from being portrayed on television as “the virgin.”

So another season over, and another couple together (though with a promise ring, not engaged). I may have guessed wrong as to who Lorenzo would pick, but smart money would have them broken up by the premiere of the next season in the spring. (by the way, how do the previous bachelors feel when they announce that the next season features "the hottest bachelor yet"? Somewhere, Andrew Firestone just swore at the tv) I hope not – another “Trista & Ryan”-type wedding would be fun. Can’t wait to find out.

Blondes Hang in on the Amazing Race

I know this isn't a popular view, but I love the blondes. And I'm not even sure why. But I do, and I loved them even more on tonight's episode.

The leg started with the great airport equalizer - even with different flights to Morocco, all the teams ended up on the same last flight. And somehow, 'Bama ended up first to the clue. Maybe they weren't relying on the Chos as much as I thought they were. Even so, they talked the entire way to the next stop about who they were going to yield. Over and over they talked about yielding the blondes...at one point they commented that it wasn't a matter of "if" they were going to yield someone, but "who" they were going to yield. So when the teams all bunched up waiting for Atlas Studios open, it wasn't too much of a surprise that the blondes turned the table and yielded 'Bama. And sadly, it wasn't too much of a surprise how they reacted. Once again, I don't know how they are explaining their behavior to their kids. How do you explain to children why it was ok for you to yield someone, but when they yielded you, you needed to give them the finger? And what about calling it a move made by a team with no character? I guess if you had done it it would have been classy.

Anyways, it turned out in the end that the yield didn't have much of an impact at all; the roadblock was actually considerably faster to do alone. And with Rob & Kimberly's flat tire and Dustin & Kandice getting lost on their way to the detour, they pulled back into second place rather easily. Thank goodness for a non-elimination leg. However, what is up with the non-elimination legs after a yield? That seems to be the way it is on the past few seasons. Even though I'm glad that the blondes are still in it, I'm not a fan of that set-up.

So the blondes are "marked for elimination," and it seems to be a good leg for that - the teams are not very far apart from each other, and if there are any airports involved they can pull right back into the lead.

More on Amazing Race All Stars

Yes, it's true - there will be an All Stars season of The Amazing Race. They are filming it right now, and it looks like it will be the next season to air (probably in the spring...they usually do two seasons a year anyways). I am positive that Chip and Reichen aren't a team...on the official cbs.com website for the show, Chip has been blogging about the speculations, and answering questions that people email him. Bottom line? He ran into teams leaving on the first leg of the race while flying home for Thanksgiving. Not sure if they will actually show him in the opening episode (they condense so much footage down to 41 minutes anyways), but we know that it is being filmed right now. There's some speculation (and Chip seems to confirm without really confirming) that there are no previous winners on the all-star season (although I think that Rob & Brennan, the first ever winners, may be on the race after all), and most people think that Colin & Christie, Mirna & Charla, Rob & Amber, and Dave & Mary (from this season) are racing. I've often felt that I am the only one not related to Rob & Amber who loves Rob & Amber, but I do. I'll be rooting for them to win again. (it's got to be the Red Sox thing) For lots really cool info about The Amazing Race and speculation on the all stars season, be sure to read the official blog for the show:
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race10/shows/ep10/fans/rotr/
Check out Chip's post from 11/25 (5:29 pm) - he actually mentions my name!! Woo Hoo! :)

A Very Survivor Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. What's not to like? It has the best food of any holiday (mmmm...turkey & pie...), no religious implications, not overly commercialized, and is just a wonderful time to just reconnect with family and friends. In my family, it also means overly competitive charades. It's my first year in awhile being on a losing team (and I do mean teams...there were 20 of us this year), so I'm sure you understand why my Survivor blog is a bit late. I'm ok now. I think. But what better to take my mind off of the crushing Thanksgiving charades defeat then the best episode of Survivor: Cook Islands of the season?

It really was the best episode of the season. Some thoughts...After last week's surprise double vote, there wasn't any surprise that the tribes merged tonight. But this might be the first merge where the survivors ate and drank so much that they actually got sick. Well, at least some did. How stupid do you have to be? You actually have a chance to put some real food in you and instead you focus on getting drunk? And did you notice the actual good move by many from the former Aitu tribe? It seemed like all four of them were drinking orange juice instead of alcohol. WAY smarter move (and probably one of the best drinks they could have on the island).

All of a sudden, I love Jonathan. Early on in the episode he had the best quote of the night - "I'm not going to lose because you kids can't get your asses out of bed." Hee hee! He was pretty stupid to mutiny, but has figured out that you need to align with the person who has the hidden idol in order to win. I'm sure that he played out each scenario in his head, and the only good game play move was to go back to the 4 members of Aitu. The look on Raro's faces when Nate was voted out was AMAZING. I actually shrieked. And it looks like next week he's finally fed up with feeding people who do nothing. So much for all the whites to the end.

Adam & Candice kissing? Ugh. They are both SO dirty...they haven't washed in weeks, and there they are kissing and sucking each others dirty fingers. Gross gross gross. Stick to the game.

I still am in love with Ozzy and Yul. They're both so cute, and such amazing game players. I loved the bit during the immunity challenge where the guys are complaining about having bigger feet (and making the challenge harder) and Yul explains why it really is harder. Then, adds "I'm never going to get another date again." Oh Yul, Parvati is right - smart IS sexy.

In the end, I loved that Nate finally got what was coming to him. And I think it's pretty safe to say that we'll see two Aitu members in the final two (didn't I choose Becky to win before the season even started? Go back and check the archives...it's a post in August...).

Amazing Race All Stars?

Ok, so rumor has it that there is going to be an All Star season of Amazing Race. There is even some speculation that it may be being filmed as we speak. How would people know? Well, on the official Amazing Race website they have a blog from former racers. It is usually full of comments...all of a sudden, it's down to just a couple of bloggers. Chip (of Chip and Reichen, winners of AR4) has put out there that many of the bloggers aren't blogging because they are racing...and it seems like those who are left agree. Who do I think is a part of the all star season? Well, I know who I would cast...
AR1 - Rob & Brennan, Kevin & Drew, Nancy & Emily, Joe & Bill
AR2 - Blake & Paige, Tara & Wil, Chris & Alex
AR3 - Flo & Zach, Ken & Gerard
AR4 - Jon & Al, Chip & Reichen, Kelly & Jon
AR5 - Chip & Kim, Colin & Christie, Linda & Karen, Charla & Mirna
AR6 - Gus & Hera, Jonathan & Victoria, Kris & Jon
AR7 - Uchenna & Joyce, Rob & Amber, Lynn & Alex
AR8 - 2 of the Linz siblings
AR9 - Eric & Jeremy, BJ & Tyler, Joseph & Monica
AR10 - not sure if anyone would be on...Dustin & Kandice, Cho brothers, Tyler & James, Dave & Mary
That's way more teams than you would put on one race, but at least these are the teams that should be chosen from. It's a shame that Chip & Reichen clearly aren't a part of the all-stars, and word is that Chip & Kim (winners of AR5) were very upset to not be included. Hmmm...

The other interesting part of the "are the filming AR All Stars right now?" discussion is that Chip has started answering questions on the blog. It's really interesting, behind the scenes stuff about the race. Like, did you know that everyone they ask directions for, they have to get a waiver signed from? Wow. If you're interested in reading, the blog is here:
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race10/shows/ep10/fans/rotr/
Most of the Q&A are in the blog from episode 9. Thanks Chip - it's really nice of you to answer so many questions and give so much insight!

Cho Boys Go out the Right Way

I am bummed. The Cho brothers are out, and 'Bama is in. Ugh.

After last week's surprise "keep racing" clue, the teams all equaled out at the airport again. Well, at least they would have if the flights all arrived on time. I was really glad to see the flight that the blondes and the models were on get in first - it's really rough to be leading for the whole leg, then get equalized after all that sucks. And is it wrong that I was hoping that at least one team would fly to Moscow instead of Kiev? Oh, that would have been good...

So this part of the leg was good - that may have been the first time that the location on the clue was given in a different language. Almost all of the teams figured out that their best bet was to hire a cab and follow them. Well, not the 'Bama girls...they just figured they would follow the Chos. No, not just follow the Chos. Follow the Chos and complain the entire way about how they were stopping and asking for directions. Then, with no recognition whatsoever of the irony, spouted off about how the Chos need to think for themselves and make decisions on their own. The bottom line is that the Chos are why the 'Bama girls got as far as they did.

This brings me to my question of the night. How did the 'Bama girls explain these episodes to their children? In the past few episodes, we keep seeing the Cho brothers and Dave & Mary (before they were eliminated) waiting for the teams in their alliance, helping them out, and pulling them through. At the same time, we keep seeing Lyn & Karilyn leave the others behind when they have the chance, and talk each episode about only being in the alliance as long as it benefits them. I just don't know how you explain that kind of poor sportsmanship to your children.

That being said, I think that we'll see the end of the 'Bama girls at the next elimination. Even with the yield coming up, they're way behind the other three teams. And without the Cho brothers to help them out, they're going to have to run the race on their own for the first time, and I don't think it will go well for them.

Big Twists on Survivor

Even though we had to wait till almost the end of the episode, it was well worth it. What a twist in the game!

First, though, we got to see the continued dominance of Aitu. They are working as a team, and working well. You could really see it at the reward challenge - the contrast between their teamwork and the arguing at Raro was stark. I also have to wonder about the strategy play of Raro. Aside from not working well together, they don't seem to know how the game works. We all know you can't sit the same people in back to back challenges. We also know that while it's nice to win rewards, it's immunity that counts. So why did they sit Rebecca during a non-swimming reward challenge? It made no sense, and really set her up for failure. Oh well. I was glad to see Aitu win, and glad to see Yul cut loose at the reward. Too funny.

What I didn't like seeing was Candice & Adam getting all snuggly. Did he really put her fingers in his mouth? Did you see how dirty her fingers were? And the previews for next week show them kissing. Ugh. I loved Rob and Amber, but this is just gross.

The immunity challenge was great again. And again, Raro had some pretty poor strategy. They could have one person who competed in the reward challenge compete in the immunity challenge. Why would you choose Jonathan? It seems like Adam would have been a better choice. And poor Nate - swimming against Ozzy just can't go well for you.

Finally, at the end of tribal council, we find out about the twist. After Rebecca has already been voted out, they learn that they have to vote out a second member. Aside from the impact that would have had on Aitu if they had lost (they would have been down to 2, and the hidden immunity idol most certainly would have come into play), getting blindsided like that was huge. Jenny had no time to scramble, and sadly she went home. I know that everyone has been talking about why they've kept Jonathan, but that one seems easy to me. He's feeding them. And once they merge, it will be pretty easy to convince Aitu to vote him out. He's also not much of a threat at an individual immunity challenge. And the fact that Candice is still around just shows that Adam is really in charge at Raro, for better or worse.

With Jenny & Rebecca both joining the jury, there has to be some sort of twist involving the jury down the road. Otherwise there will be a 10 member jury. Some are speculating that the final three will go before the jury, but that won't work either - you could still potentially have a 3-3-3 tie. So we either have to get an extra jury member or lose one. Somehow the earlier voted out people could be involved, or the current castaways could end up voting off a member of the jury. (while that's one of the most unfair twists possible, could you imagine the repercussions if a jurt member gets a vote or two but stays on the jury?) I'm sure Mark Burnett has something interesting planned - I just wish I knew what it was!

More Drama on The Biggest Loser

Another week with lots of drama on The Biggest Loser. Last week's drama was all about the new contestants; this week it seems that at least one of those contestants was determined to cause some drama.

Now, I need to say upfront that I am rooting for Adrian and Jaron to win. Yes, I know that Adrian is whiny beyond belief. But I also know that what they've done is far more impressive than the weight loss of those on the ranch. We all could lose 30% of our weight if all we had to do all day was exercise. But I can barely manage to maintain my weight, let alone drop 5 pounds a week, while I'm at home with all the responsibilities that entails. Good for them. Jaron especially. Not only did he drop a huge amount of weight at home, he's had a fantastic attitude since arriving on the ranch (where he continues to pull huge numbers...just what is this boy doing?!?).

Adrian? Well, she's a different story. She's still dropping huge amounts of weight. But she is whining the whole time. And I understand where she's coming from. I really do. But she has to remember that she's on national television, and very few people can get behind the whining. I wish that she had approached the challenge in a different way. I agree with her 100% - the last two challenges have been unfair to Adrian and Jaron. They are clearly designed that way. But to whine about it was the wrong way to handle it. If she had asked for a moment, stepped aside, and spoke her mind to a producer, she would have gotten a lot further. I don't think the challenge would have changed. But how she was perceived would be. What's that great Reagan saying? "Disagree without being disagreeable." There's no doubt the challenge was unfair. But her temper tantrum only made matters worse.

I'm still wondering why the trainers are continuing to train their "teams." Is it because Bob and Kim don't want to? (or don't get along?) I'm kind of disappointed that we haven't seen any big group workouts with both trainers. Strange.

So at the weigh-in it wasn't too shocking that Marty and Wylie were below the yellow line (still the lamest catch-phrase ever). The editing of the show sucks. What was a surprise was that Marty was voted off. It makes no sense. Look at Wylie - he looks like a different man. And the girls were right - with no loss this week, he is going to pull a huge number next time. Strategy-wise, voting off Wylie would have been a better choice. And it was really surprising that Erik cast the deciding vote against Marty (although, not THAT surprising considering the comment during the challenge about the whole blue team thing). Marty looked great today (albeit a little creepy with his students) - he's got to be a contender to win the consolation prize at the finale for sure.

We're down to 2 on The Bachelor!

Well, it's that time again - fantasy dates! And true to Bachelor form, there was enough drama to go around.

Now, last week when he kept Lisa, I was wondering if he did it so he could get rid of her the next time somewhat easily. I think that sometimes that's the strategy for the bachelors when they find that they really have a connection with one or two girls - they keep a girl who he doesn't feel much for so it's easier to not get caught up with her and makes the rose ceremony elimination easier. I think that's what Lorenzo did with Lisa. It seemed pretty clear that he was freaked out by her "plan" and all the wedding magazines and the dress. He did a good job of grilling her last night about her love of the show. The other girls had mentioned that before - that she has seen every episode of the show, and knows what to say to get further along. It finally caught up to her last night. I'm not sure if she was on the show to be on tv or for a quick way to find a husband, but it wasn't to fall in love with Lorenzo. Good riddance.

I really like both Jen and Sadie. They seem like down-to-earth girls who are really there for Lorenzo. And both of their dates seemed more like "real" dates than some of the typical fantasy dates from other seasons. Spending a day at an amusement park, or teaching Sadie how to scuba dive are things Lorenzo might do outside of the show. Usually when a girl goes on a more "real" fantasy date, it's a good sign for her future on the show. Remember Jenn and Andrew's fantasy date? Didn't they go bowling? Anyways, you just got the impression that Lorenzo just wanted to spend time with the two of them. I was also really impressed with his reaction to Sadie's moral dilemma. (of course, we did joke last night that he didn't need to pressure Sadie to have sex since he had already gotten some that week from Jen and Lisa!)

The rose ceremony was good - I was so glad to see Lisa finally go. This might be the first season where my two favorite girls are left in the end. I don't know who to root for! I think I'm hoping he chooses Sadie, but Jen would be a good choice too. And it looks like after next week's "women tell all" episode, the final episode involves both sets of parents instead of just Lorenzo's. I feel for Lorenzo - it looks like from the previews that he truly is concerned about hurting both one girl and her parents. Should be good!

Keep Racing!

It was the best leg of the season, and it's still going on. Fantastic.

After the great airport equalizer, the teams headed to Finland. And while I hated the product placement with the AOL email, it was great that they got to see a quick video of their families. There have been a few seasons where racers have gotten a taste of home, and I think it's a great element borrowed from Survivor. This is also where I felt for the moms - it must be really hard to leave your kids at home. Of course, this was the ONLY time that I felt for them. I've been annoyed all season with the fact that they're only into their alliance when it benefits them. And last night you saw it in full force - they pushed their way right in front of the Cho boys and an entire line of waiting people to get a taxi. And they were complaining that they were at a disadvantage because the blondes always get more help because of their looks. Boo hoo. You don't get less help because you're not pretty; you get less help because you're rude.

The mud detour was great, but not as great as the mine roadblock. Somewhere Dave and Mary were kicking themselves. It was a tough roadblock, and you could see how physical strength really helped Rob & Kimberly catch up. There were also lots of opportunities for teams to get lost. Navigating foreign countries is such an important part of the race, and I like when there are opportunities for those who are good at it to excel. I would be so good at this part of the race, especially if I could race with my brother-in-law Jonathan. He and I both have an amazing sense of direction. Alas, my fear of flying, trains, boats, and all other forms of transportation makes me probably the world's worst candidate for the show. Sigh...

Finally, the teams get to where they think is the pit stop. Aside from the element of having to repel down the tower face first, I love that look when they find that they have to keep going. Can't wait till next week.

I LOVE Survivor!

Even though Survivor is battling it out in my mind for the spot as my favorite show on tv (with The Office, which is unquestionably the funniest, smartest, best written show on tv), it showed last night why it continues to be so good 6 years in (can you believe it's been 6 years!).

With the previews from last week, and all the talk of solidifying their alliance at the beginning of the episode, you knew that the twist was going to involve the opportunity to switch tribes. I was convinced that Brad would switch...I actually thought a few of the Raro members would flip. So I was shocked when Candice stepped off the mat, followed quickly by Jonathan. It was a bold move. A risky move, but bold nonetheless. She must feel really strongly that her original alliance will hold, because she now is on the bottom of the heap at Raro, and completely on the outs at Aitu. Very very interesting. And for the first time this season, I actually found myself yelling at the screen, cheering on Aitu during the challenge. Karma is tough kids. Nearly as tough as being rolled through a challenge in a barrel (yikes!). I also found myself tearing up a bit as Aitu read their letters from home. What a great moment.

I was a little surprised at Aitu's decision to send Candice to Exile Island. It would have made far more sense to send Jonathan. They needed to send one of the two of the traitors; they just should have sent the one that they knew would have to participate in the next challenge (since everyone knows you can't sit out the same members in back to back challenges). In the end it didn't matter...Yul again showed just how smart he is, figured out the cannon ball drop, and won the challenge. Fantastic. I also loved how Jeff made some sort of comment to Probst about his running commentary. Have you never seen Survivor? That's Probst's job - make annoying running commentary. Get in the lead and you won't have to worry about it.

Tribal council wasn't too much of a shocker...after Brad said he didn't trust his tribe, you knew he was going home. But it was a shocker how he left...as the first member of the jury. Maybe he wouldn't have been blindsided like that if they knew they would need his vote. And unless the final two is Jonathan and Candice (ugh), I can't see how either of them could win at this point with the expanded jury. I also wonder if Probst will tell Aitu that the jury has started, or if they will have to wait till they go to tribal council to find out. Hmmm...

The Biggest Loser takes a nasty turn...

It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that I take my reality shows really seriously. So I was so disappointed in last night's episode of The Biggest Loser. So disappointed that I needed to take a day to calm down. Really.

The first order of business on last night's episode was that 6 of the "at-home" contestants came back to the ranch. And they looked good. For whatever reason, the "ranch" contestants were mad. And not mad at the twist in the game, but mad at the newbies themselves. I just don't get it. I understand being upset with the game. But you sure didn't see any of them upset when they were chosen to stay at the ranch over the 36 others. So many of them have said that they couldn't do it without being on the ranch - be happy that you're there. And the move by Kai & Heather to try to move the bed so they wouldn't have to share a room with them was just pathetic.

Next was the weigh-in, where it turns out that the at-home contestants have lost more weight than the contestants at the ranch. I am positive that I'm not the only one who at this point wondered whether or not I should sign up for the Biggest Loser diet club! Isn't that what they're all on? Remember how many people complained that all these poor at-home folks were given was access to the online club and a gym? Could you imagine losing that kind of weight with just an online club and gym access? Holy cow. And then the questions start...why did they lose so much more then the contestants who have been at the ranch? What are they doing that was so different? And how did they do it while working full time?

So Adrian and Jaron earned their way back, much to the chagrin of both the contestants AND the trainers. This was the moment I lost faith in the show. Bob and Kim each chose a newbie (and why is it that they are still working out their red/blue teams rather than pairs? are the pairs working out together at all?), and proceeded to be really horrible to them. Yes, I know that Bob and Kim were probably miffed that Adrian and Jaron lost so much weight without their help. But come on. Kim grilled Adrian about how she lost the weight, then explained away her giant weight loss (she quit drinking, she's young, blah, blah, blah). And when Adrian mentioned that the workout didn't seem tough enough, Kim took it personally instead of upping Adrian's workout. Bob was almost worse. He just kept berating Jaron's fitness level, to the point that he ended up switching trainers. And did Bob actually shout out about his three guys being the only ones who DESERVED to be there? I've always loved Bob in the past, but not so much anymore.

So then there was the challenge, which was purposefully designed to be unfair. Sure, there was a chance that Adrian and Jaron would have won the calorie part of the challenge. But everyone knew that unless they did they would be moving a ton of bricks. And there's just no comparison between moving a ton of bricks and a ton of water jugs. And I think I would have been ok with the challenge if it weren't for how it ended. Bob's attitude about them not finishing was despicable. Are we really to believe that if any of the other teams had received the brick pile that they would have finished it? And where was the support from the other teams? Maybe they would have been motivated to finish it if the other teams were cheering them on.

I guess I thought that the trainers were supposed to be setting an example for the contestants. Instead, we saw scene after scene of Adrian's workouts being picked apart, Jaron's diet being criticized, and Adrian hitting a breaking point. It was disgusting. (side note - speaking of disgusting, what is the deal with the product placement "ads" this season? who would actually eat that Jello concoction? I hope they're getting paid to say "well, Bob, there's always room for Jello...) I was so pleased to see Adrian and Jaron do well at the weigh-in. I am really rooting for the two of them to win.

One more bit of frustration with last night's episode. This isn't the first season where we have seen contestants "playing the game" when it comes to the weigh-in. Last season Matt indulged in bacon the week he had won immunity to insure a big loss the next week when he wasn't safe. But this season it seems like so many more of them are there to "play the game" rather than change their lives. First Eric gained weight to force Kai to use the free pass. Then this week Heather purposefully gained to knock-out Bobby. I guess I'm more annoyed with the fact that the trainers seem to support this, rather than the game-play itself. This is also why I think that the weight-loss percentages each week need to be cumulative rather than week-to-week. (wasn't that how it was during the individual part of the competition in season 1?)

Anyways, I was sad to see Bobby go since he seems like a really nice guy. And hopefully next week Adrian and Jaron can continue to kick some butt.

where the heck did the blog go?

Ok, so I know that there have been almost no new posts in the past month. I am such a slacker. I have written a bunch, but was having internet problems, so I didn't get them uploaded. Then, in what can only be described as a most brilliant move, I deleted them. Ugh. So I am just going to start fresh. Sorry for all the lost time. And I really do appreciate the emails I've gotten asking where the blog went and what I thought about various episodes. I do have a lot of thoughts about my favorite shows...Survivor, Amazing Race, The Bachelor, and The Biggest Loser. But I am also fully aware that there is no way I can recreate all the posts I lost. Sigh... So a few thoughts to get us caught up (sort of)...

Survivor:Cook Islands: This has been and will always be my favorite show (reality or otherwise). And I've heard people talk about how they don't like this season as much. I was worried at first that the whole race thing was the sign that the show had jumped the shark. But I really like this season. The nay-sayers talk about the lack of villains, and that many of the characters are sort of just there. I agree that there aren't many people on this season to hate, especially now that Cao Boi is gone (thank goodness!). But there are enough people making stupid mistakes that there's always someone to root against at Tribal Council. And the lack of villains makes Tribal more interesting...they seem genuinely upset to vote off their friends. And other than that one early challenge that was a repeat from Palau, the challenges have been amazing. They are doing a great job of making each one a mix of physical and mental, and they are tough. Knowing the challenges are going to be that tough can totally change your strategy and outlook back at camp. I love Yul. He is such a nice guy, and with the hidden idol, he has to be a favorite to win. (who could beat him in the final two?) I also love Ozzy. I hated his early move to throw a challenge, but he may be the first castaway who can actually survive out there. He is amazing. I think his tribe may actually be gaining weight (ok, not really, but look at the difference between the weight loss of the two tribes). My ideal final four? Ozzy, Becky, Yul, & Candice. (yes, that Candice).

The Amazing Race: Watching this season, there is little question of why The Amazing Race continues to win the Emmy year after year. The locations have been amazing. I always feel like I'm smarter for watching the show (I don't travel, so I'm actually getting to see the world through the show), and they're going to some really unique places. This may also be the first time where an alliance has held up like this. The "six pack" is playing a different game - one where alliances can help you through. But this isn't a game where people get voted off. So sticking with a 3 team alliance makes you only as fast as your slowest team. It has really showed the character of the Cho brothers - they are one of the finest examples of people with good character I've ever seen on tv. At first I thought that they were sticking with the alliance because they know they can beat the other two teams in the end. But now I think that they are just truly nice guys. And that's way better than a million dollars, right? The only team I've been sad to see go were Dave & Mary - I was just rooting for them to win. Now I'm rooting for the Cho brothers and the beauty queens. I'd be happy with either couple winning. One other note - do Rob & Kimberly remind anyone else of the "two assholes" skit from SNL? (we have to find the clue babe...)

The Bachelor: Ok, I am fully aware that The Bachelor is rather demeaning to women. And it's really not a very good show. But I can't miss it. I love watching the dates. I love the rose ceremonies. And I love the teary rides home in the limo. This season's bachelor, while technically an Italian prince, seems like a down to earth guy. And there have been some real characters among the women. Yes, I'm talking about Erica, the first contestant who lists her occupation as "socialite," and was practically in tears over sharing a bedroom and not having a maid. I really like Sadie. She seems to be most compatible with Lorenzo, and is there for the right reasons. (did you see his face when Lisa came out in a wedding dress, and her friend explained her plan?)

The Biggest Loser: I admit that I was first drawn to the show because there is nothing quite as captivating as fat people getting on a scale. But over the past few seasons I've gotten hooked on the show itself. There is something really inspiring about watching people take charge of their lives and change for the better. But this season isn't as good as the past few. I'm not totally sure why. I think that part of it is the new trainer. She's just not as good as Jillian. The show needs a "tough" trainer to balance out Bob. And I can't connect with a skinny girl like her tearing up about how she has body image issues. I'm also not really connected to the contestants this season as I was before. They all seem like really nice people, and there's almost no conflict between them. Great for them, not so great for tv. I do like the twist this season of "at home" contestants who have been working to get "back to the ranch." What I don't understand is why it seems like the "at home" folks have been working for longer than those at the ranch. Even if it's not the case, it really seems that way since the at home contestants have lost similar amounts to those at the ranch. I don't know how that's possible with the same amount of time, simply because those at the ranch are only dieting and exercising; the ones at home have to go to work, take care of family, etc. And while I understand that the contestants at the ranch are miffed that there are new contestants, I would be impressed that they have lost all that weight on their own (if they can lose that much on their own, imagine what they can lose with a trainer...I sure would want them on my team!).

One final show...did anyone catch the "Reality TV Awards" on the Fox Reality network. If you like to see drunk reality stars, be sure to catch this show (it's repeated every couple of days). The whole thing is cheesy and low rent (it took place at Mike Boogie's bar), but it gets sloppier and sloppier as the night goes on and the "stars" get drunker and drunker.

Ok, so I think we're caught up. I'll be watching election returns tonight (I'm a political junkie too!), then it's back to reality tv. Thank goodness!

Thank Goodness for a Non-Elimination Leg!

A lot has happened on The Amazing Race since I left for my trip. I continue to love this show, even as some of my favorite teams have been eliminated. I was bummed to see Terry & Tom eliminated last week (although why were they swimming with the boat?), and Lauren and Duke before that stank as well. Mary & David are emerging as my favorites. They also might be one of the first teams who are actually in need of the money. I'm also finding that every week I like Peter and Sarah less and less. Actually, Sarah is fine - it's Peter I don't like. What a jerk. Last week was the worst - why would you make your girlfriend (who, by the way, only has one leg) climb a cliff? Geez louise.

So on to last night's episode. It sure seemed like the theme of the show was Peter's snarkiness. Snarky on the train, snarky at the airport, snarky with the crocodiles, snarky snarky snarky. I am so over him, and I think that Sarah is as well. I get the distinct impression that even though she wants to win, she almost hopes that they get eliminated so she can be done with the relationship sooner rather than later.

I love when they do legs in India. How they react to being there kind of separates the teams for me. I hadn't really liked the moms until last night and their reaction to being in India. Very different from the teams who talked about how horrible it smelled. You're in a foreign country; be respectful.

I was so glad to see that tonight was a non-elimination round. I really like David and Mary, and I hope that they can overcome the new non-elimination penalty. Hopefully there will be a point where the teams all bunch so they can pull back ahead.

I'm Back!

Well, it seems like forever since I've blogged. I guess that's mostly because it really has been awhile. Not being a slacker...just got back from vacation. We were in Paris...my first time ever out of the country. Unbelievable trip, but no internet access and no US tv. So we returned last night to nearly two weeks of tivo to catch up on. No chance of me writing about all that happened while I was gone, but I'll share some thoughts as we go along in the next week or so.

The one show that I'm all caught up on is Survivor: Cook Islands. I don't know why, but I love this season. There's just something about the players this time around - they seem far more "game-savvy," and it's added a very different dynamic to the game.

Speaking of different, what is the deal with Cao Boi? Really? I just watched three episodes where he was pretty much Mr. Insane. Granted, it's great tv (and really great considering that I'm not the one who has to live with him). But it seems like he's a few fries short of a happy meal.

So the tribes have been re-shuffled (I hate that there are people who are calling it a merge - it's not), and it seems like the decision in week 2 to throw a challenge really wasn't great. Why? Because the next two people voted out were originally on Aitu. So of the five people who have been voted out so far (can you believe we're over a month in, and there are still 15 castaways?), 3 have been from the original Aitu tribe (the other two from the Hiki tribe...hmmm...). Let me repeat myself - it is NEVER a good idea to throw a challenge!

Challenges the past three weeks have been great. Although the first 2 tribe challenge was just a repeat of a challenge from Palau, where it was done better. Survivor definitely has some favorite challenges that it has done on more than one season, but this was an exact copy (there were several challenges that they did copies of during All Stars, but I think that was by design). The other challenges have been TOUGH. And I love how they are combining physical with mental...it doesn't matter how strong you are if you can't solve the puzzle in the end.

So we're down to 15, and it looks like next week there will be a double elimination. Hopefully there will be some apsect of individual immunity as well. Sweet.

Interesting Strategy on Survivor

If you are going to go on Survivor (heck, any reality show, really), please be sure to watch some previous episodes. Because if you do that, you will learn a few things. Like the fact that in 13 seasons of Survivor, no contestants have ever made fire without flint. Or that you might want to be able to make a fire with flint once you earn it. And never, EVER throw an immunity challenge.

With four tribes, I was curious how the editing would play out. They essentially have twice as much footage as they usually do at this point in the show. So they can pick and choose the best scenes to craft their storyline. Which is why I’m going to make a bold prediction – I don’t think anyone on the “white” tribe will make it to the final four. They barely showed them. I know they exist, and there was the few moments about the floor of their shelter. But that was it. Hmmm…

With all that footage from four tribes, it seems like we lost a challenge. For the second week in a row, the challenge was a combination of immunity & reward. I hate this. First, I just like seeing challenges. But the strategy in a reward challenge and an immunity challenge is very different. And for a tribe that is going to make a ridiculous strategy decision to throw a challenge, you’re not just losing immunity, but reward as well. The challenge was a tough one – another nice combination of physical and mental. And it was nice that Jeff was able to correctly award the reward to the first two tribes, who seemed to finish at the same time. It is just absolutely ridiculous that the “Hispanic” tribe decided to throw the challenge. They probably would have lost anyways with Billy weighing them down, but in a game of numbers, it’s a bad move to make yourself down one. It never works out.

Not a shock that once Yul got sent to Exile Island, he found the idol pretty quickly. He’s a smart smart guy. What would be great is if the producers hid a second idol…Yul would think he is safe because he has it, yet someone else would have it too. Hee hee!

The best part of the night was easily tribal council. In the midst of talk of throwing the challenge and not pulling your own weight, Billy announced that he had met his true love – Candace from the other tribe. And this moment, boys and girls, is where tivo makes Survivor so much better. Because I got to watch Jeff’s reaction over and over and over and over. If you still have it on tape (and I’m sure it’s already on YouTube), it’s good every time. Somehow Billy thought that it was love at first sight, and that “I love yous” had been exchanged. Wow. I did go back and watch the challenge again – after Yul got send to Exile Island, Billy says something to the girls on the “white” team that he is going home. One of them (Candace, I suppose) says “well, we love you,” and he says back quietly “I love you.” Can you just imagine the reaction from Candace tonight. There she is, sitting watching Survivor with her friends, when Billy announces to the world that they are in love. Oh, please, let that video be on YouTube as well.

So Billy went home as planned. And I think that in the next two weeks we’ll see a tribal mixup – thank goodness.

The Biggest Loser Returns

Last night’s premiere of The Biggest Loser was excellent. Because I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. In the words of my friend Jim, there is nothing so captivating as watching fat people on a scale. Only in America.

This season started with a twist – 50 contestants, one from each state, who would be narrowed down to 14 after the first workout. It was kind of sad, watching all these morbidly obese people crying. They thought that they were coming to the ranch for actual help losing weight – instead they were sent home with a book, a dvd, and access to the same website that anyone in America can get to (for a small fee, of course). While it may have been good tv, it was just mean. Yes, I know that they are technically still in the competition, and someone will be headed back to the ranch, but it’s still mean. If they could lose weight on their own, wouldn’t they already be skinny?

Anyways, Bob is back, and hotter than ever. Whoo – I could watch him all day. And a new trainer. I wonder what happened to Jillian. Did she decide to not come back? Was she not asked back? Either way, the new trainer seems tough.

So far, I’m rooting for the blue team. And not just because of Bob – they seem to be far more together than the red team. I especially like Bobby & Amy – they seem like the two who could go to the end. On the red team, I like Kai and Pam. This could definitely be the year when a woman wins The Biggest Loser. And regardless of what happens, this continues to be one of the most inspiring shows on television.

Dancing With the Stars

I’ll tell you, I just don’t know what to say about Dancing With the Stars. The thing is, that I really enjoy watching it. I’m a big fan of dance, and ballroom dancing is actually a lot of fun to watch. But for whatever reason, I find that I have nothing to say. (I know, it’s shocking). I think that it has a lot to do with the fact that the dancers are B-list celebs and professional ballroom dancers that I’ve never heard from. I mean, as much as I loved Blossom and Saved by the Bell, I just can’t get behind rooting for Joey Lawrence or Mario Lopez. I think that that’s the biggest difference between this and So You Think You Can Dance? – the connection factor.

So, no, I have no predictions on who I think will go home tomorrow night. But I did enjoy the dancing a lot. So while I probably will give the results show a miss (especially since The Biggest Loser premier is on tomorrow night too), but I’ll tune in next week to watch the dancing again.

Expect the Unexpected on The Amazing Race

The Amazing Race is back, and oh is it good.

There are almost too many teams to root for. My early impressions…

I love Peter and Sarah. After so many teams (and maybe a few on this season) with boyfriends/husbands being really horrible to their girlfriends/wives, their relationship is so refreshing. He was so supportive of her going up the Wall; I kid you not that I was almost moved to tears. I also wasn’t offended by the fact that Sarah used her fake leg to get her on the plane early & help with finding a taxi. Things like that just even things out a big. Good for her for being confident enough to do that.

Another team I really like are Duke & Lauren. At the beginning I was thinking I would like them because of the inevitable arguments (did he really say that he was disappointed in her because she’s gay?). But I was impressed with how supportive they were of each other – I think they are a favorite for the final three. I think that Tyler & James will also go far – they are a strong team, and a force to be reckoned with. They just have to be sure to not get overly-confident.

Not a favorite? The moms from Alabama (Lyn & Karlyn). I admire their spunk, but they need to worry about themselves, not so much with talking smack about other teams. Erwin & Godwin annoy me as well. Did they really have water guns in the airport? I am SHOCKED that they weren’t detained or arrested. (but I loved the reaction of Tyler & James!)

The first leg was great. And while I didn’t like the use of the phrase “expect the unexpected” (a staple on Big Brother), it was a HUGE shock to see Bilal & Sa'eed eliminated in the middle of the first leg. I knew that there was going to be some show with a double elimination (they started with 12 teams instead of the usual 11), but would never have thought it would be so soon. That, and I was bummed that it was Bilal & Sa'eed who got the early boot. They seemed like really nice guys, and I so wanted to see them going through security. You just knew that they would be hassled…what with buying one way tickets a few hours before the flights take off. It’s sad, but true. I also liked that the first leg started in China. The vast majority of first legs have been in South America…there were a few in Europe and one in Virginia (the family edition). Going to China is not only a whole new continent to start on, but is a HUGE difference in time change & the accompanying jet lag.

In the end, I was glad to see David & Mary make it up the wall and stay in the race. And I was sad to see Vipul & Arti be the second team eliminated from the race. They were another team that seemed nice, yet we’re stuck with another week of beauty queens, cheerleaders, and Rob & Kimberly. So sad.

Some predictions for this season…Tyler & James, Duke & Lauren, and Peter & Sarah are the strongest teams. I also like Tom & Terry, since they seem to be flying under the radar a bit. Teams that I think will struggle a bit and lag behind are Erwin & Godwin and Rob & Kimberly. Mary & David may also struggle, but I’m hoping that they pull something out to stick around for awhile. Can’t wait for next week!

Survivor: Cook Islands Premiers

First, sorry for the delay in blogging about the first episode of Survivor: Cook Islands. We went to the Red Sox-Orioles game Thursday night; while it might seem strange to go sit in the rain and watch a meaningless game instead of staying in the warm, dry house to watch Survivor, it was the right choice. Turns out that meaningless baseball can still be excellent.

So on to the premiere of Survivor: “Race Wars”. I’ve been pretty vocal about how I dislike the whole concept of dividing the tribes by race. There is something very wrong about it, like we are moving backwards. And it really seems like a publicity stunt more than anything else. But I have to say, it was riveting television.

First, I loved how the season started. They’ve started the show so many different ways, and I was excited to see that Mark Burnett still has a few tricks up his sleeve. To give the tribes 2 minutes to grab whatever they could off the boat, and not have enough of each item to go around was brilliant. It set the tone for the season, and the scrambling has already had effects on the game. I also liked listening in to the conversations on the rafts and as each team landed. Right away, it seemed like Manihiki (the “black” tribe) was most likeable. And they were all about “representing,” whatever that means. I also liked Aitutaki (the “Hispanic” tribe) as well. Most interesting discussion? Definitely over at Puka Puka (the “Asian” tribe), as Jenny pointed out that they’re actually from very different cultures even though they are all “Asian.” You also have Cao Boi (“Cowboy”) at Puka Puka, who I can’t decide whether or not I like. Finally there is Rarotonga (the “white” tribe), which seems to be the most stereotypical of them all. I know that the producers are hoping that we all root for our own race, but I just don’t think I can root for that tribe.

We didn’t see a lot of footage of the tribes building shelter or trying to make fire. I’m guessing that at least a few of them know that in 13 seasons, no tribe has ever made fire without flint, so maybe wasting all that energy isn’t the best choice. There were so many other great moments that the basic shelter/fire/water stuff got left on the editing room floor. Like Cao Boi curing Brad’s headache. Sure, his headache is gone, but he’s now got a giant red mark on his forehead. I wonder which is worse? And then there was Flicka and the chickens…nothing like stealing chickens from another tribe to have a roller girl let them go before you can eat them.

The first challenge of the season is always a big one, and this season was no different. And while I loved the challenge (especially after spending the summer watching one lame trivia challenge after another on Big Brother), my favorite part was listening to Jeff Probst. How many times do you think he practiced saying the names of the tribes (which, by the way, he shortened all of) so that he wouldn’t accidentally yell “Black tribe! What are you doing?!?”? Or maybe he did slip up and they quickly edited that out. I’m just waiting for a moment like on the family version of The Amazing Race when Phil had to look at the Black family (not just their name, also their race) and say “Black family, you’ve been eliminated from the Race.”

So the Asian tribe came in first (after pulling ahead in the puzzle section…), with the Hispanic tribe a close second. And somehow the white tribe held it together long enough to come in third. In a strange twist, the losing tribe got to send someone to Exile Island (which, by the way, I’m totally stoked is back). They sent chicken-stealing Jonathan, noting that karma is a bitch, which, of course, made me laugh. One tv columnist thought it was “street justice”; I thought it was a good move strategically – they’ve endeared themselves to the Hispanic tribe, and they’ve weakened their closest competitor.

Another amazing part of this season is the tribal council set. It looks like it is on a boat, and it spectacular. Not a real surprise that the women stuck together and voted out Sekou. (who, by the way, I predicted would be one of the first out when the castaways were first announced…hmmm….). What was a surprise was that they were given flint to take home with them. I’m not sure why…in the past tribes have always had to earn fire or make it themselves (several times Probst has had them leave their torches behind until they make fire on their own). It seems unfair to the other tribes who won their flint earlier in the day. It just makes me think that a re-shuffling will come sooner rather than later.

Mike Boogie Crowned Winner of Big Brother: All Stars

Hooray for Chilltown!!! I’m so excited that Boogie was crowned the winner of Big Brother: All Stars tonight. The jury recognized that it was Chilltown’s game this summer, and that it was only right that Boogie won in the end.

A quick side note – I have no idea what happened to my blog from last week about the final three. I had a lot to say…it’s somewhere in cyberspace, I’m sure. The short version – thank goodness Boogie won HoH. I think Janelle would have taken him if she won, but Erika would have stuck with the whole misplaced girl power thing. That, and I felt so sad for Boogie being in the house without Will. (although as Boogie was tearfully admitting “we can dish it out but we can’t take it,” I did yell “Hey! There’s no crying in Big Brother!”)

So I loved the staged conversation between the jury members. Janelle was rightfully fired up about Erika, and I was shocked that there were people who thought she played a good game. I also think that Boogie’s answer to Danielle’s question was fantastic; just one more reason why he deserves the money.

Best moment of the night? Jase & Dianne’s mock Chilltown phone call, and the reaction of the jury members watching some of the calls from the diary room. The phone calls were my favorite part of the show – I would love to see just a tape of them!

In the end, the jury did the right thing and voted Mike Boogie the winner. And even though I was hoping it would be Will, I’m so pleased that Chilltown won another title.

Overall, I thought this was a good season. I know that there’s been lots of internet talk that it wasn’t nearly as good as expected, which, to an extent, is true. The challenges were repetitive, and there was definitely a sense that the producers were playing a much bigger role in the show than they should be. You could tell, too, that the houseguests were expecting something bigger and better than what they got, which led to some interesting game play. (could you believe how many times a houseguest “threw” a competition?) But in the end it was good tv, and I’m sad it’s over. Thank goodness all my favorites are coming back, or it would be a long long time till next summer.

The beginning of the end for Chilltown

Well, I was wrong about Big Brother. Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong. You didn’t think I could actually predict this one all the way out did you?

We’re entering the final week of Big Brother. I’m still not entirely sure why they decided to cut the season a few weeks short (hence, the two double eviction weeks) – at least here in DC it’s getting pretty good ratings. But we have another eviction tonight.

My favorite part of the show tonight was definitely the scenes from the jury house. That would almost be a better show – just shots of Howie arguing with everyone. At least James has Danielle to talk to now. But I can’t wait for Will to join them tomorrow. He’s going to have to sleep with one eye open…

Back to the BB7 house, the final PoV competition of the summer. I wonder what it will be? Oh, wait – it’s more trivia. At least tonight it was trivia with a vat of goo. The thing is, that if they hadn’t done trivia all summer, this might have been a neat challenge. But I’m so sick of trivia. And I’m sick of Janelle winning trivia. You have to hand it to her – she is the queen of trivia. And I wonder why the rest of them don’t “study” a bit – they have to realize what sort of odds there are that the competition will be trivia based.

Anyways, after Janelle won, Erika started scrambling. And like Will said early in the game, whoever talks to Janelle last might just sway her vote. But in the midst of her scrambling, somehow Erika figured out that she had been played by Chilltown. I just loved how the two girls sat and figured out that Chilltown had been telling them both the same thing. It was great – I just wish that they had talked about the whole “ninja” line. So when it came time for the vote, I wasn’t surprised that Janelle voted to evict Will. Sad, sure. But not surprised. What did surprise me was Boogie’s answer to the question of whether he and Erika will still be close after the game. I think he was convinced that she was leaving; now he’s stuck in the house with her and Janelle. Hmmmm.

One last note on tonight’s episode – I liked that during the first round of the HoH competition Boogie stepped off. I know he claims it’s a “Hatch-like” move (and, by the way, if you win Boogie, be sure to pay your taxes) – that both girls will take him to the final two since they can beat him. But the better part of the strategy is that it’s a 3 round competition. If the two girls last awhile in round 1, they will be much easier to beat in the other rounds vs. a fresh Boogie. Of course, that assumes that Janelle won’t accidentally take her hand off while talking to Boogie. Oh well.

Two more episodes to go…what will I do with my time once it’s over?

Final Four on Big Brother

We’re down to the final four on Big Brother: All Stars. The nominations don’t matter this week – it’s really all about the PoV. But we have to get the HoH first.

No surprise that tonight’s HoH competition was another trivia game. At least this one was not 50-50 (although did anyone else notice that the harder trivia and clearly defined number of questions was on the game that Janelle couldn’t play? All you conspiracy theorists out there, enjoy…), but the football theme was just silly. The best part of the game is through the first two questions, I was winning. That’s right – I got the first two questions right. Of course, just as I was thinking I was some sort of Big Brother genius, I got the rest of the questions horrible wrong. In the actual game, Boogie won his second HoH, and probably one of the most important. With Boogie HoH, Chilltown pretty much ensures that a girl will go home this week.

The other big storyline this week was “Project Double Date.” No question that the flirting between Will & Janelle is purely strategy. They both have significant others outside of the house, and supposedly on the live feeds Will talks a lot about how he hopes his girlfriend will forgive him. Will also sent a message to his girlfriend through Boogie’s HoH Diary that he hopes she understands that it’s just a game. Janelle might be taking it a little more seriously than Will is, but she’s also so much smarter than she lets on…it could all be strategy on her part as well.

The more interesting part of Project Double Date is Erika & Boogie. Aside from the fact that there is no doubt that there is a physical relationship between the two of them (nice montage, by the way CBS), there’s the rumor that they’re actually dating out of the house. Up until this week, I really thought there was something there. Now I’m not sure. In Erika’s mind, this is a real relationship. But Boogie keeps referring to it as just a showmance. And his revelation that “Erika is going to be very upset after the show,” and that “I’m going to hell,” he might just be playing her.

Quick side note about appearances…60-something days locked in the Big Brother house seems to be taking it’s toll on the houseguests. Boogie pointed out how Erika has started smoking again, and it looks like she has aged 5 years. Boogie looks like he has aged a bit too. And Janelle has switched to a 1-piece bathing suit that was much less flattering than her bikini…not sure if she’s gained weight or not, but it looked like it from that scene in the hot tub. Will, though, seems to look almost the same (except for desperately needing a hair cut) – guess there’s something to all that Botox, huh?

At the very end of the show, we finally find out what we already knew would happen – Boogie nominated the two girls for eviction. And even though Chilltown is making nice with Janelle, I’m sure they have thought it through that she is far more dangerous to go up against in the end than Erika. I was surprised that we didn’t have the PoV competition tonight though. I though that Julie had said that the live eviction show would be Tuesday this week. But maybe they (the producers) changed their minds. Just over a week to go till the finale…hopefully next week we’ll be celebrating a Chilltown victory.

Big Brother on Overdrive

Do you ever wonder how much of reality tv is actually real? Well, if you watched last night’s episode of BB7, you probably have a better idea.

Last night’s show (which, thank you channel 9 in DC, I had to watch this morning because I love sleeping more than watching Big Brother at 2:37 am) was billed as “Big Brother in overdrive” – a week’s worth of show in one live hour. Why did they do this? Well, the producers have decided to end the show earlier than planned. So they need to eliminate more than one houseguest per week to get them to the finale in less than 2 weeks. Of course, it doesn’t appear that they’ve actually told the houseguests this (which is why they told Neil Patrick Harris that they had more days left than they actually do, and why they were so confused after the second eviction). Because the show was live, the “coaching” that usually happens on the show was absent, and it was clear where it happens.

First, we had the first eviction of the night. Not a shocker that Danielle was voted out. She’s a much tougher competitor than George, and she would have been impossible to beat in the final two. She took it way better than I expected, and left in a way that would make her kids proud. I guess that her outburst on the last show was really fueled by the crappy wine they are always drinking.

Next we had another freakin’ trivia competition for HoH. And it was the same sort of trivia competition we’ve had all summer…low-tech, 50-50 questions. It’s such a disappointment, considering the caliber of challenges on Survivor. There has also been talk this season that the producers are giving Janelle an unfair advantage. For example, during the PoV competition this week, when each houseguest was sequestered in a room, Janelle was in the room with the memory wall. Having that time to study the wall is why she won PoV. And the HoH competition was strange too – Julie never said how many questions there were. So really, they could have ended it at any time (like when the person they wanted to win was ahead). Anyways, Janelle won HoH, and had four minutes to decide who to nominate. (this was strange too, since when George had to do a live nomination, he didn’t have any time to think it over)

After a quick talk with Will, we came back from commercials for Janelle to nominate Erika & Chicken George. And this is the point where you could start to tell that one of the things the producers do is talk over the “script” with the houseguests before each ceremony (you’ll notice that they are always alone before the ceremonies…). No time to do this, and there were long awkward pauses, and the houseguests clearly did not know what they were supposed to do next. This was also the point in the show where you could tell that Julie was starting to get annoyed with everyone.

Anyways, it was a good choice to nominate George & Erika. Even if Erika won PoV, George can go home. The only other choice, I think, would be for the girls to have teamed up to get rid of Chilltown. But since they both think they are part of Chilltown (and how funny was the whole ninja thing at the beginning of the show?), I guess they won’t be doing that any time soon. And, not a shocker, Erika won PoV. It was actually a good challenge – it was nice to have something other than trivia.

After another commercial break, we had another awkward live tv moment. Julie asked Erika a ridiculous question, she didn’t know what to say, and finally just said hi to her mom. She also hadn’t been coached to say “this veto meeting is adjourned”, and for whatever reason, Julie couldn’t move on until that was said. (and you think I’m OCD?...) So Janelle nominated Boogie, who looked sick to his stomach.

After yet another commercial break, Julie asked each nominee for a statement. Julie was clearly reading off the script, and George couldn’t believe she asked him for a statement 30 minutes after the last one. Mike got some free advertising (ha!), then promptly got the votes to stay. And, as promised, the producers had fried chicken waiting for George, along with a bad Col. Sanders imitation.

So the final four is Erika, Janelle, Boogie, & Dr. Will. (another live show glitch – somehow Erika’s picture on the memory wall was replaced with a black & white pic of Jase) I don’t see how someone from Chilltown won’t win the game. Both girls believe they are members of Chilltown, and they each have a showmance in full-swing. Every way I figure it, one of the girls will be going home next, regardless of who wins HoH/PoV this week. There are only three more episodes left (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Tuesday…no episode on 9/10, season finale on 9/12), and then I think we’ll see a second Big Brother crown for Dr. Will.

Celb Duets

You know how sometimes shows are really good? Then there are the shows that are bad? Then there are the shows that are so bad they’re good? I’m not sure where Celebrity Duets falls. I take that back. I am sure that it wasn’t really good. So it’s somewhere between bad and so bad it’s good. Really hard to say so far.

Some of it was ok. Jai Rodriguez (from Queer Eye) is actually a pretty good singer. And…well…ok, so we’ve got Jai Rodriguez. Hal Sparks was on (you may know Hal Sparks from “I Love the 80s”). And there was the spectacle of the judges, since Little Richard was the “Paula Abdul judge” for the show.

More than anything else, I just wish that Simon Cowell would stop making shows. Stick to Idol and be done with it. Please.

Janelle is the Veto Queen

It’s Christmas in August in the Big Brother house. Which, apparently, means that we get to see Will’s man crush on Neil Patrick Harris play out in person. Wow.

I am still in love with Chilltown (even with the Neil Patrick Harris revelation). They are outsmarting nearly everyone in the game. I don’t know how you couldn’t vote for one of them in the end to win the game. They have played a phenomenal game. That, and they’re just so goofy. Did you see Will when Neil Patrick Harris woke him up? Or when they got the trampoline? Or during the veto competition? Or….

James has lost his Veto King title for good. Janelle is amazing. One minute? Holy cow. No question that she is the ultimate competitor, and that she is far smarter than she lets on.

But in the end, it was Chilltown with all the smarts. Somehow, they convinced Erika to put up Danielle after Janelle won PoV. It was completely the right move – there’s no way that any of them can beat Danielle in the finals. And after Danielle flipped out, well, it was clearly the right choice. And even better is that Erika did the dirty work instead of them.

Danielle will probably go home on Thursday. Of course, I will have to wait until Friday to see it. That’s right, anyone in the Washington DC area will be treated to a meaningless football game played by a team that lost to my team (the almighty New England Patriots) last week 41-0 instead of BB7. Thank you DC CBS affiliate for at least running my show afterwards, even if it is at 2:35 in the morning.