AMERICAN IDOL: Top 9 Performances

It’s Tuesday. Allison’s hair is still shocking pink. Simon’s hair is still hideous. And despite what they want you to believe, Paula and Kara still hate each other. THIS is American Idol.

Move over Coke and Ford, tonight’s gratuitous product placement is ingrained into every minute of the show.  This week the popsters get to sing anything they want as long as it’s on the Popular Downloads list from iTunes….and if they got the rights for the song.  I can’t seem to find this elusive ‘Popular Downloads’ list.  Where is it?

As I do every week I’ll be blogging away as I watch and sharing my opinion as I go.  Then the judges will weigh in.  And then it’s your turn to break down each performance in the comments.  Are you ready? Let’s do it.

Anoop Desai
“Caught Up” by Usher
1-866-IDOLS-01
My Take: Way to pimp start the show Anoop. Loved his entrance with the background singers. Can’t say that I loved the arrangement.  I kept feeling that Anoop wanted to have a little more fun with it but he was held back by the band. There was a certain energy lacking.  He sounded good, but the performance overall didn’t quite have the pop it needed. Anoop was channeling some bizarre Michael Jackson thing in his performance tonight…leave it behind next week Anoop Dawg.

Judges: Randy didn’t think it was the right song but the vocals were good. Kara thought he played it safe. Paula thought he needed to work on his performance and the arrangement more. Simon thought it was a complete and utter mess. He thought Anoop came over as a wannabe.

Anoop had a little too much ego and attitude tonight and that’s going to cost him some votes.  Why don’t these Idol wannabes just shut it?

Megan Joy
“Turn Your Lights Down Low” by Bob Marley
1-866-IDOLS-02
My Take: I’m so seriously over Megan. Yes, this song fit her vocal style a bit more than songs she’s chosen in the past but she still doesn’t have the vocal fortitude to pull it off.  She was all over the place with the notes.  Sharp then flat. And that’s when her voice wasn’t cracking. It was a mess and I hope the judges recognize that.

Judges: Kara thinks Megan is in trouble. She condemned her song choice but also her vocal approach to the songs.  She wants something more like Adele’s “Chasing Pavements” (more on this comment in a sec).  Paula suggested Megan digs a bit deeper and babbled something about sitting on a stool. Simon thought we have lost the Megan that we had at the beginning of the competition. Randy ripped on her performance too suggesting, like Kara that she should go after Duffy, Amy Winehouse, Adele, etc.

Ok, this is what I don’t truly understand about the judges. They bring Megan into this competition because of her uniqueness, and then they are telling her to sing songs by artists that have a similar vocal style to her own.  Do they want her to be a cookie cutter?  They praise the contestants for taking risks and singing against their comfort level yet they’re telling Megan to stick with songs in her style.  Now I’m not a fan of Megan but I’m also not a fan of the judges giving out this generic advice.  Sorry but they are worthless.

Done.

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24 Debrief: Day 7 | 11:00 pm-12:00 am

[Sorry for the late post 24 fans. Philboy sent this my way and it got temporarily lost in the shuffle.]

Debrief

• The CDC examined Jack. It turns out that the bioweapon that Starkwood (re)acquired contains an airborne version of Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease. The bioweapon causes paralysis and dementia in a matter of days as opposed to the disease’s normal matter of years. From the leak in the containers, Jack was infected.

• Tony is held captive at the Starkwood compound. He is rescued by Greg, Jonas Hodges’ second in command, who worries that the operation has gone too far and offers to help Tony and the FBI help find the bioweapon in exchange for immunity.

• Renee cries a lot after debriefing Jack (the puns abound, I know) and Larry tells her that she should have trusted him. The good news is that Larry is totally on Jack’s side now, it seems. He doesn’t allow him to raid the Starkwood compound because he doesn’t know when the symptoms of the bioweapon exposure will occur.

• President Taylor has appointed Olivia acting Chief of Staff. She authorized the attack on the Starkwood compound without issue. Olivia wants Aaron to be her Secret Service detail.

• Greg leads Tony and the FBI to a container at Starkwood, only to have them realized it was all a ruse to buy Starkwood and Hodges more time. The weapons were no where to be found. When they tried to leave, Starkwood troops boxed the FBI in, not allowing them to leave. The FBI has been taken hostage.

Agent Philboy’s Assessment

This episode was…fine. It had an awesome last act, with the raid on Starkwood. Tonight, I took stock in the plotlines that were annoying me to see where they were a couple of episodes and, I have to say, Larry may not be a tool anymore! I did love the moment where Jack and Larry “finally agreed on something.” Larry had a good point, I suppose, and Jack really had no point but agree and stay behind. Of course, it makes his entrance even more dramatic next week (I predict).

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MY BOYS (and P.J. & Steph) are Back Tonight

MY BOYS is back tonight with all new episodes and I’m so excited for the new season.  It’s felt like forever since Bobby knocked on P.J.’s door. But dont’ worry, you won’t have to wait long to find out the aftermath of that tap tap tap because tonight’s episode picks up exactly where we left off last season.

You know me, I’m not for saying too much and there’s not much I can say without spoiling this week’s episode and next, but there will be a few of you surprised as to the events that take place the weekend of Bobby’s wedding. We know Bobby has cold feet, why else would he show up at P.J.’s door. But will the presence of his brother Jack have Bobby running toward P.J. or make him realize how much he loves Elsa?

Meanwhile, the guys have a mustache-growing contest which leaves them all looking a little creepy (and yes, the guys actually grew out the ‘staches for the show – check out these pictures Jamie Kaler sent to GiveMeMyRemote.com).  Andy is a little too busy with the new baby to take part in the shenanigans…he just wants his sleep.

Just a little tease to remind you about tonight.  So tune in at 10:30pm on TBS. Then come back here so we can dish!

REMINDER: If you haven’t yet entered to win an autographed poster from the cast of MY BOYS enter now…time is running out: MY BOYS Giveaway

SPOILERS IN THE COMMENTS!

CHUCK vs. The Broken Heart

SHUT UP! This was such a good episode!

I think I like Chuck best when it’s really funny and punctuated by moments of angst. Lately, it feels like it’s been total angst punctuated by moments of humor, so this ep was a nice return to form for me. There was so much funny stuff, I hardly even know where to start.

The opening scene was incredible—I really thought Chuck was being kidnapped and that hood was scary! And then out of nowhere, badass Casey shows up with a gun and stops them. I loved how he noticed Morgan’s green shoes and made them take their masks off, and THEN realized he still had his gun on him. Obviously, Casey doesn’t need a gun to scare those guys, but his irritation was so funny and I was amused when he turned the hose on them. It was a gun of sorts, at least!

The Buy More guys trying to get into a bachelor party was so perfect that it had to have almost written itself. And Jeff thinking a bachelor party was Xanadu … could anyone else only picture glitter and roller skates? And then of course they wouldn’t know how to act at a bachelor party, with Lester taking pictures (for his SCRAPBOOK! Hee!) and Jeff hiring ugly strippers, including his sister. GOOD LORD. I’d have to say, though, my favorite Jeffster moment was when Lester told Chuck that the world did not revolve around him, it revolved around the sun, and Jeff said, “Astrology snap!” It was so dumb but so funny and I laughed REALLY hard.

I’m glad that Ellie and Awesome’s engagement is progressing at a normal rate and that they’re not just in engagement limbo the way some TV couples are. I love Awesome and I thought he was so sweet when he was trying to not get violated by the CIA stripper. I always like when Awesome gets brought into stories. I find myself not so much liking Ellie, though, and that was probably my one real beef with this episode. Of course, she’s like mothering almost to the point of nagging, and all she does is dispense motherly advice and motherly concern, which gets old and boring, but I think the real reason she doesn’t do anything for me is because she does absolutely nothing for this show on her own. Everything they show of her is her worrying about Chuck or her being annoyed at Awesome. It’s like she has no life and no personality outside of those characters, and they could get rid of her and I probably wouldn’t even notice. And I don’t think that’s the actress’ fault—she’s good and does what she can, but I truly think it’s a writing issue. I’m hoping Ellie gets some better material with the appearance of the dad, and I don’t think she’s too far gone to make interesting. I mean, look at the miracle they performed with Morgan! I just want more from her.

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HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER: Murtaugh

Hey everyone, it’s Jen again, recounting last night’s HIMYM. Hopefully you all stayed up past Old Ted’s bedtime and were able to catch this hilarious episode.

Finally the inevitable happened: Barney was kicked out of Laser Tag. He is a grown man rough-housing with kids, and not in a cute way, but with venom in his eyes. He was a liability and he had to go. I’m sorry, I know I thought it was cute in the first two seasons, but Barney has gotten out of hand when he’s throwing kids around. He should be instead playing paintball, in a fatigue suit.

Upon hearing about Barney’s expulsion from laser tag and his desire to TP the arena, Ted pulled out his “Murtaugh list”. Based on a repeated line used in the “Lethal Weapon” quadrilogy, Ted composed a list of things that after a certain age you are just too old to do. The sheer brilliance of this list was captivating to me. After my last birthday, I have found myself saying that I’m too old to do a lot of things, and I’m only twenty-schmeelsugasuga…OK, fine, I’m almost 29. Like Ted, I have come to terms with my feeling old-at-heart.

After listening to Ted’s list, Barney decided that he would take on the challenge to conquer all the items on the list within a 24-hour time limit, with fear of a 3-hour architecture lecture from Ted. HUZZAH!

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HOUSE: Locked In

During my last trip to New York City, I spent several hours at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Like so many in attendance, I was initially dazzled by the size and scope of sophisticated paintings, sculptures, and other amazing pieces on display. As the afternoon wore on, I began to feel a deep pit in my stomach. Though my best attempt at a poker face would deny it to those around me, I was completely overwhelmed with boredom. After pretending to be an intellectual snob for almost thirty-one years, I did not get it. Faced with the prospect of spending time with Cornelis de Vos’ Portrait of a Young Woman or George Inness’ Autumn Oaks, I chose to purchase a Diet Coke and putz around the Gift Shop looking for Ansel Adams postcards. Though my intentions were to have a transcendent experience, I fell short as a consequence of taste.

Though it pains me to confess this in print, tonight’s House felt like a guided tour of the Met with no bathroom breaks or exit doors. Director Dan Attias took a huge artistic gamble with the look and feel of the story, but it simply was not enough to hold my attention. After following the staff at Princeton Plainsboro for eighteen episodes, I was looking for the pieces that would help assemble the imminent season finale. Instead, we ventured into unchartered territory through the eyes of patient Lee, the results of which I predict will divide the fan base into equally passionate factions.

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It’s a Girl for Alyson Hannigan & Alexis Denisof

Congratulations to HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER star Alyson Hannigan and her husband, actor Alexis Denisof, on the birth of their daughter Satyana Denisof. The baby joined the world on March 24th which just so happens to be Mommy Alyson’s birthday. So special.

Best wishes Alyson, Alexis and Satyana.

(How happy will Alyson be next season when she isn’t constantly trying to hide her belly on the show?)

CASTLE: Hell Hath No Fury

As the release date of Castle’s first Nikki Heat novel arrived, instead of breaking out the champagne bottle to celebrate the arrival of Castle’s latest series, the suave writer-turned-amateur investigator watched Beckett’s every move as she completed paperwork at her desk. Was he hiding from the fact that the possibility that his latest published work was something he wasn’t completely sure of its success? Sure, but Beckett made sure to rib him of his professional insecurities. The confidence Castle exudes in every aspect of his life, except the words that he writes, plays into Beckett’s bemusement. She offered us a sampling of her keen sense of observation: “You want people to think you don’t care.” But clearly, Castle does. We get this when his diva mother calls and lets him know that no one has been buying his latest book. Was his latest novel a bust? It was obvious Castle’s inflated ego was bruised … at least temporarily.

The murder of the week comes to us through the intricate web of New York City politics, prostitutes and blackmail. High-powered New York politician Jeff Horn, whom Castle immediately recognizes in his tarnished glory, is found rolled up in a rug with a bullet hole to the head. When Castle and Beckett arrive at the crime scene, Castle steps on Beckett’s toes, stating with certainty that “it wasn’t a botched robbery” at the same time as Beckett. His ability to apply his observational skills to real unsolved murders still has yet to be explained but for some reason, it is easy to let that part go. As relevant as that point may seem, the fact that Castle can successfully read a crime scene the same way a seasoned detective can is the only thing that matters, for now at least. Jeff, who was campaigning for city office, was having an elicit affair with a professional prostitute named Tiffany, who Castle proudly had a semi-date with while working the case, and the only way for those photos, who were taken by private investigator Bruce Kirby, was to pay off the blackmailer (who ended up being Kirby).

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GOSSIP GIRL is Back from Probation

Nice save, GOSSIP GIRL. Another episode like the ones of the past two weeks and you might have lost your coveted DVR slot. But you pulled through with a naughty and biting episode…even if you were sifting through your own laundry a bit. It seems a little early to be recycling the same storylines over and over again, don’t you think? I say do what you’ve go to to get you back in your comfort zone.  I can deal. I actually enjoyed tonight’s episode. Hell, you even made Dan Humphrey funny.  I didn’t know that was possible.

There’s still a few kinks to be worked out, but we seem to be getting back on track.  I found it somewhat ironic that Serena was boo’hooing about the cyclical nature of her life. Break up with Dan, get back together with Dan, only to break up again.  Friends with Blair, mortal enemies and then…well you see where this is going.  But it’s Serena’s own flip flopping that’s driving me crazy.  Who is it going to be next week? Serena the Saint or Serena the Sinner? At least S and I are on the same page that some of this is starting to feel familiar.

But Serena isn’t the only one having issues with those nasty old habits dying hard.  Jenny, Blair and Nate are also dipping their toes into past woes.

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Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Noting you can say can tear me away from MY BOYS…MY BOYS. Yup, it’s back tonight with all new episodes. What makes this show so damn lovable?  I’ve always found fault with aspects of MY BOYS yet I’ve got this connection to the characters that I just can’t explain.  I’ve already seen the first two episodes but I’m excited to watch them again tonight. I’ve got some teasers and clips to share with in preparation for tonight’s return so check back later.

But P.J. and the guys aren’t the only ones hanging out tonight.  Over on ABC is the series (kind of) premiere of CUPID starring Bobby Canavale and Sarah Paulson. Let’s see if the show takes any better this time around. I’m not convinced it will.

But wait, there’s more.  Much more.  Check out a few highlights from tonight’s TV schedule.

American Idol | 8pm on Fox
The nine remaining finalists compete for eight spots.  [GMMR: I’m really worried about Matt Giraud. He had a stellar performance last week, and if that couldn’t keep him out of the bottom two I have to wonder if he’s lost some of his nerve. I really do think that people didn’t vote for him because they assumed he was in.  I can’t decide who I want off more – Megan Joy or Scott MacIntyre.  I’m thinking Scott.]

Reaper | 8pm on The CW
“I Want My Baby Back”
Morgan tells Andi about Sam’s secret; Ben and Sock turn to Tony (Ken Marino) for help when an escaped soul leaves her child behind.

The Biggest Loser | 8pm on NBC
Past winners Ali Vincent and Michelle Aguilar return to the ranch to take over hosting duties from Ali Sweeney. Elsewhere, new arrivals change the competition; a player suffers a medical setback; a balance challenge suspends the contestants over a pool; and Bob holds last-chance workouts at the beach.

The Mentalist | 9pm on CBS
“Russet Potatoes”
Patrick and the team hunt for a criminal mastermind who hypnotizes people and tells them who to kill.

Cupid | 10pm on ABC | Season Premiere
In the opener, Trevor (Bobby Cannavale)—who believes he’s Cupid, the Roman god of love—is released from a three-month stint in a mental institution on condition that he attends a therapy group led by psychiatrist Claire McCrae (Sarah Paulson). He picks up with the same case that put him in the lockup: connecting a street musician (Sean Maguire) with his true love, whom he briefly met in a Dublin pub. [GMMR: I was a big fan of ‘Cupid’ during its first go around, back when Jeremy Piven was the lead. I can’t say that I was too fond of the pilot of this remake.  It underperformed all around – writing, acting, plot. But I’ll give it a few more episodes. Interested to hear what you all have to say about it.]

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | 10pm on NBC
“Helll”
A young rape victim whose throat was cut draws a picture of the devil in an attempt to identify her attacker. While investigating the crime, detectives question a local priest (Robert Wisdom) whom neighbors claim is a devil worshipper.

My Boys | 10:30pm on TBS | Season Premiere
“Welcome Back Kalla Fotter”
Bobby experiences cold feet on his wedding day; P.J. gets caught in a difficult situation between Bobby and his brother (Billy Burke); Andy’s new baby.

Also playing…

• Dancing with the Stars | 9pm on ABC: Results show. Another celebrity and dance partner are voted off.

• NCIS | 8pm on CBS: Gibbs reluctantly works with Trent Kort (David Dayan Fisher) to put away one of the department’s most wanted criminals.

• Without a Trace | 10pm on CBS: The team searches for a missing psychologist whose brother was imprisoned for rape; Martin and Kim’s relationship heats up.

• The Real Housewives on New York City | 10pm on CBS: Ramona invites Kelly to attend the Badgley Mischka fashion show; Bethenny and Kelly meet at a bar downtown; the housewives attend the Page Six Magazine party; Mario approaches Jill about their upcoming tennis match.

What will YOU be watching tonight?!

Cupid | 10pm on ABC

Trevor, who believes he’s Cupid, the Roman god of love-is released from a three-month stint in a mental institution on condition that he attends a therapy group led by psychiatrist Claire McCrae. He picks up with the same case that put him in the lockup: connecting a street musician with his true love, whom he briefly met in a Dublin pub.

R.I.P. ANGEL Star Andy Hallett

Sad news for ANGEL fans.  Andy Hallett, who played the green skinned Lorne (aka The Host) in over 70 episodes of ANGEL died on Sunday of heart failure after a long battle with heart disease. He was 33 years young. So very tragic.

For more on Andy’s life there is a nice write up over on WWK.

Breaking News: FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Gets Two Season Pick-Up

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts. Can’t Lose FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS…and we won’t!

The best drama on TV lives to see another day.  Well, lives to see two more seasons to be accurate.  It has been confirmed that FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS has been picked up for two more seasons by DirecTV/NBC!!  Each 13 episode season will work like it did this past year with DirecTV exclusively showing the season to its subscribers in the Fall and then NBC reairing the episodes in the winter.

This is the single best TV news I’m going to hear for quite some time. If you’re not yet watching FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS I’m not sure what I could possibly do to get you to watch.  I’ve shouted from the rooftops how incredibly special and important this show is.  It’s TV at its absolute finest.

Let’s hear it FNL fans!!!

KINGS: First Night

Everyone do a happy dance that KINGS hasn’t been canceled yet! I’ll try not to sound too gloom-and-doomy about it every week, although I do hope the ratings get an uptick sometime.

Now that that’s out of the way, lets get down to it. This week’s episode of KINGS steps back on the epicness that the past two weeks have had, and instead focuses more on the nature of royalty. The show opens with the first night of the Shiloh ballet, which has all been organized by Queen Rose. David gets uninvited from the show because he is drawing more attention than the King, and Prince Jack takes him out on the town instead. Meanwhile, the King’s illegitimate heir is very, very sick.

One of my favorite scenes in “First Night” was when Queen Rose explains to Princess Puppy that their role as royalty is not to necessarily be happy, but to be figures that the kingdom looks up to. Again the Queen is shown to be incredibly savvy to matters of image and perception. She has crafted the monarchy so that they may maintain power, and she will continue to take any steps necessary to insure that that doesn’t change. She’s just so regal, it’s awesome. I would bet good money that it was the Queen that leaked the pictures of David kissing random-princess-clone, since it’s clear she does not approve of the princess and the hero shacking up. One thing I could not decide is how much the Queen knows about the king’s mistress. Her facial expressions were hard to read, but I feel like she can’t be blind to this given how aware of everything else she is.

I’ve also decided that I really like Prince Jack. Above and beyond the fact that he’s handsome, I am fascinated by his tortured nature. The scenes with his boyfriend were kind of heartbreaking, especially the last look the two of them shared when the boyfriend gets thrown out of the club. You can tell the boyfriend was willing to jump through all of those hoops just to be with Jack, and not because Jack was the Prince but because Jack was Jack. And the last scene of Jack watching David walk away because “he’s in love and doesn’t know how to let go,” where you could see a mix of resentment, anger, envy, and most importantly hurt play across the prince’s face was also very heartbreaking. Sebastian Stan does a good job of showing many emotions in his face, which gives his character a lot of depth. I like to think that Jack didn’t release the photos because on some level he respects David for being a good (if boring) person. I’m sure we’ll find out who really released them next week.

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Greek | 8pm on ABC Family

Season Premiere: Casey returns with secret plans to move out of the ZBZ house; a new freshman is highly desired as a pledge; Rusty tries to balance studying with life in the Kappa Tau house.

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