TRUE BLOOD: Frenzy

This week, we had everything: a little sex, a little blood, a little blackmail and, most importantly, a little bit of information on how Maryann might be taken down. Before we get started, a quick reminder that the season finale won’t be for a couple of weeks. Take the week off, rest up, and make sure you feed before the big Yahtzee game…I mean the big season finale.

To the Queen’s credit, Yahtzee can be very exhausting.

First off, we started things by seeing the Queen (Evan Rachel Wood) in her always sunny, Gatsby-like estate. I couldn’t help but thinking of Fitzgerald’s classic and of the Queen as the title character. Gatsby built this grand illusion for himself and couldn’t survive without it, nor can the Queen, with her constantly tropical landscape keeping the drama and danger of the real world, especially Bon Temps, at bay. Wood did an excellent job as, what I thought at first was stilted acting, was actually living in ignorant bliss, truly not knowing or caring about the Maryann situation. It wasn’t until Bill was going to leave and Eric was there to entertain her that she gave him any information at all.

As I said, I was at first a little worried about Evan Rachel Wood as the Queen. She’s beautiful and has the classic looks to carry the role, but her delivery was off at the beginning, in my opinion. It wasn’t until later I learned that this was, at least seemingly, intentional. Now, I’m really looking forward to seeing more of her.

But, we couldn’t spend all episode lounging by the pool and feeding. There was stuff going on back in Bon Temps. One thing I’m finding is that this season’s theme is finally forming in my mind. Last season, aside from setting up the ever-changing parameters under which everyone must operate, “True Blood” told a tale of outsiders trying to make it in the world and coming up against all sorts of hurdles. This season, with Jason’s journey in and out of the Fellowship and Maryann’s manipulation of people, we are seeing a look at how belief in anything greater than ourselves can help or harm us. Maybe it’s the film major and philosophy geek in me, but that’s is what is redeeming to me about the whole Maryann storyline.

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Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Monday, August 31, 2009

One week from today is the official kickoff to the Fall season.  Can you stand it? I’m overwhelmed with what needs to happen between then and now.

But really the only thing I can focus on today is tonight’s premiere of GREEK at 9pm on ABC Family. I’m happy to report that I’ve heard from many GMMR readers over the past few weeks that they’ve given the show a shot and that they love it! Welcome to GREEK Row my friends…glad to have you. Make sure you come back tomorrow to talk about our fave kids from CRU.

Lots to choose from. What will YOU be watching?

The Secret Life of the American Teenager | 8pm on ABC Family
“Cramped”
Amy is jealous when Ashley gets her own room in the garage; Ricky pursues Adrian despite her disinterest.

Greek | 9pm on ABC Family | New!
“The Day After”
Rusty risks being dropped from the honors program if he cannot raise his grade in organic chemistry; Casey adjusts to single life; Dale faces a moral dilemma.

Jon & Kate Plus 8 | 9pm on TLC
“Dude Ranch and Dress Up”
Kate and the boys experience the cowboy lifestyle during a trip to a dude ranch, while Jon and the girls have a scavenger hunt at home.

The Soup Presents | 10pm on E!
“Duck! TV’s Most Dysfunctional Couples”
The always hilarious Joel McHale and his team from ‘The Soup’ present awkward moments from TV couples. Tonight the show focuses on celeb “couples” including Jon and Kate Gosselin & Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa.

Weeds | 10pm on Showtime
“All About My Mom”
In the fifth-season finale, Nancy scrambles to ensure her own safety after she gets word of Esteban’s fate; Andy decides it’s time to make some adjustments to his unfocused life; Dean, Doug and Celia come to an agreeable understanding

Also playing…
CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock | 8pm on CBS
Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Julianne Hough, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Sugarland and Taylor Swift are scheduled to perform.

On the late night couch…

• The Late Show with David Letterman: Dock Diving Dogs, Howie Mandel, Rumer Willis, Dirty Projectors
• The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien:Norm Macdonald, Thomas Haden Church, Pitbull
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Emily Deschanel, Terry Crews
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Rachel Maddow, Tommy Davidson, Jet
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Gordon Ramsay, Rob Zombie, Friendly Fires (R 8/25/09)
• Chelsea Lately: Rex Lee, Josh Wolf, Gina Yashere, Chris Franjola
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Bill Bellamy, Resi Stiegler, the Virgins (R 5/27/09)
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Pre-empted
• The Colbert Report: Pre-empted

Talk to me people…what will YOU be watching tonight? For the latest TV from GMMR, follow me on Twitter.

Jon & Kate Plus 8 | 9pm on TLC

Kate and the boys experience the cowboy lifestyle during a trip to a dude ranch, while Jon and the girls have a scavenger hunt at home.

The TV Talk Podcast: MAD MEN, TRUE BLOOD, TOP CHEF, NURSE JACKIE and more…

Another carcast, another rainstorm and another podcast over an hour! This week Kath and Dan kick off the podcast talking about TOP CHEF LAS VEGAS. From foodies to fangbangers, its off to Bon Temps and a little TRUE BLOOD.

BIG BROTHER 11 kicked another psychotic houseguest out while we dodged planes landing on the highway.

We talked the NURSE JACKIE finale and MAD MEN’s latest episode before catching up on old shows. From GOSSIP GIRL to DOLLHOUSE to SUPERNATURAL we talk the good, bad and tragic about the shows we’re catching up on this summer.

It’s our last podcast before our Fall TV Previews so do not miss out on all the summer fun.

*Recorded 8/28/09

To listen to TV Talk Podcast (with Chapter Markers) head on over to our iTunes page and subscribe! It’s the fastest and easiest way to listen to The TV Talk Podcast from week to week.

Listen to The TV Talk Podcast: 8/28/09

BIG BROTHER Spoilers from Inside the House

I’ve got some updates for you from inside the BIG BROTHER house.  If you want to know who won HOH, who was nominated and who won POV, then keep reading.

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John Krasinski & Emily Blunt Engaged!!

Congratulations to THE OFFICE’s John Krasinski who recently became engaged to actress Emily Blunt.

And that’s that. Next story.

What?  Did you think I would have a reaction? Did you think I would be upset? Come on, what did you expect me to to do? Did you expect me to have a complete mental breakdown while driving down 95 South which resulted in me screaming at the top of my lungs and pounding on the steering wheel in protest?  Because really, if you were expecting that kind of reaction you really don’t know me to well.  Come on, people. Give me a little credit.  Something like that would never happen.  Ever. And if a certain fellow TV blogger and podcast partner who was with me all day in the car yesterday tries to tell you differently, well, he’s a liar.

I handled the news with dignity and grace. It’s not like I thought I was going to be marrying John Krasinski.  I mean that’s just crazy talk.  Nope, never once considered it.  Never daydreamed about it despite the way he looked deep into my eyes on the occasions we’ve been together.  Nope, never even thought about it.

In the words of a certain Regional Manager of a mid-size Pennsylvania paper company, “engaged ain’t married”.  And until the time the two of them walk down the aisle (excuse me I need just a minute…ok, I’m better now), John Krasinski still has his place at the top of my TV boyfriend list. After he’s married…well, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Congratulations to John and Emily.  I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting her but she seems just lovely. We all know what a fantastic guy John Krasinski is – just the nicest. Here’s to hoping they have a long and healthy life together.  Congrats!

(Oh and if by some off chance they end up getting married in John’s hometown of Newton, well they might want to ask the priest to leave out the “if anyone here objects part”. What? I can’t be responsible for my actions).

A first look at the ring…

Who Won HOH on BIG BROTHER?

When Julie Chen said her goodbyes tonight, all the houseguests were competing in the Head of Household competition. Want to know who won? Click here to find out Who Won HOH on BIG BROTHER (August 5, 2010)

PREVIOUS POST

ARGH! This is the second week in a row that CBS has left us hanging with the HOH competition. Lucky for us all, I have the live feeds.

Tonight’s competition had Michelle, Kevin, Natalie and Jordan making s’mores. Each houseguests must carry a small mug full of hot chocolate down an extremely slippery “graham cracker crust” path down to a giant bowl with a marshmallow in it. The HG’s must go back and forth between the mug and the bowl until they have enough hot chocolate to fill the bowl and list the marshmallow to the surface. Assuming no twists, the HG’s have to travel approximately 4 miles along the slippery path to fill the bowl. When we last saw them, Big Brother was kind enough to add some chocolate rain to their already difficult task.

Whomever has the stamina and speed will be the new HOH. I’ll be sharing updates as the information becomes available. Keep checking back to find out who won HOH this week.

I’ll be posting updates and the HOH winner after the jump.
(If you’re looking to find out who went home tonight, click here: Who Got Evicted from BIG BROTHER?)
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Who Got Evicted from BIG BROTHER?

If you’ve been following along with my BIG BROTHER updates either here on the site or via Twitter then tonight’s eviction might not be that big of a surprise. But to get the final word and find out how the votes went down, continue reading.

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TOP CHEF: Bachelor/Ette Party

Can I just say that two episodes in and I’m already loving this season? I felt like last season was a little bit of a dud (minus Carla and Fabio), but this one feels fresh and fun and like there’s a LOT of talent. Of course, that said, I’ve picked an early top three—Kevin, Jill, and Michael V. I think that last spot will be a bit of a toss-up. How about you guys? Any early faves or people that you really think came to play?

This whole Vegas thing has really added a lot to the competitions, I think. I loved the craps quickfire challenge, and how everyone actually looked excited during the standing around and rolling part. And it was just a really clever idea. And besides that, the $15K really does “raise the stakes” or “up the ante” or whatever other gambling pun you want to insert here.

I think this quickfire was also when I realized that there are a lot of people in this competition who are really, REALLY good at plate presentation, which I think was kind of lacking last year. Mattin’s soup thing was SO cool looking, and Kevin’s egg looked cool, and even though Bryan V. was in the bottom, his LOOKED neat too. I’m just pretty impressed all around, and since I mostly watch this show for the artistry of it, and not so much for the love of food, that’s a big deal for me.

I was probably a little less excited about the elimination challenge, but I suppose the bachelor/bachelorette party thing had to happen sometime, so it might as well be early, and the pairing with shots was something kind of different. But you know, I just really wasn’t crazy about that bride.

Plus, I kind of feel like I’m getting beaten over the head with editing and talking heads, especially about Michael and Bryan. It’s like, oh really, Top Chef? They’re brothers? And they’re competitive? Are they brothers who are competing with each other? BECAUSE I’M NOT SURE I GET IT YET! Why don’t you tell me some more?

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MTV VMA’s West Side Story Promo – SYTYCD Style

I’ll be honest. I’m not sure I really care at all about the upcoming MTV VMA’s, but I am digging their new ‘West Side Story’ inspired promo. Stars such as Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Cobra Starship featuring GOSSIP GIRL’s Leighton Meester and more all come together for this snazzy musical commercial of sorts.

But for me, the star of the promo isn’t anyone whose video you might see playing on MTV.  Nope, my excitement for this promo is that is features my favorite SYTYCDancer of all time – Ivan Koumaev!  Yup, check out at Jailbait Ivan himself shines as one of the principal dancers throughout the video.

Here’s to hoping we see Ivan dancing his way across the stage at the VMA’s.  If he’s there I’ll be watching!!

P.S. Katy Perry has a record contract? How is that? The girl has no voice to speak of.

Nominate @GMMR as a Top Tweeple

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2009 edition of The Top 50 Tweeples to Follow on Twitter, and I’m hoping you can help a sista out and nominate GMMR!

The nomination process takes less than one minute and requires only the Twitter username (@gmmr) of the person(s) nominated (that would be me!) and the appropriate expertise (in my case, ‘Entertainment’).

Nominations begin: Immediately
Time frame: Now through August 18 at 12 noon CST

HOW TO NOMINATE GMMR!

• TWEET the following: I nominate @gmmr as a #Top50Tweep in Entertainment http://bit.ly/41Ezxs (You must submit in this format in order for your nomination to count.)

If you feel I’m worthy of being nominated then I appreciate your support.  Please be sure to leave a comment with your Twitter name once your done so I can give you a special Twitter shoutout.

WAREHOUSE 13: Duped

It seems 13 IS a lucky number these days. Congratulations to the cast and crew of Warehouse 13 for being picked up for a season two. The second season will air next summer, and yep, you guessed it, 13 more episodes have been ordered.

And this week’s episode, DUPED, is a perfect example of why I hope this show is on for many more seasons. Holy Bananas, the show is running on all cylinders. I feel like from the acting, to the writing, to the set, lighting, music, props, everything, that every single person associated with this show is having a great time. The timing of this episode was spot on, fantastic. Please tell me I’m not the only one who thinks so!

At first, I was a little unsure about this ep, because they kind of threw us for a loop with Pete and Myka having a knockdown drag out fight in formal wear, but as we soon were taken back in time, it was all revealed. I loved Pete vs Pete playing ping pong in an earlier ep, and I loved it a second time (and props to Eddie McC for the North Canton, OHIO t-shirt! Woot!). His interpretation of Myka’s stages of neck anger were very very funny.

The plot takes a major twist as a combination of the disco ball from Studio 54 and Lewis Carroll’s Mirror cause Myka to be trapped in the mirror. But we don’t know she’s trapped yet. Ah!

The Pete and Claudia banter was kind of weird for me. I get that it was supposed to serve as a foil to Myka’s (Alice) new personality, but it made Pete act like a 17 year old. When he normally acts like at least a 21 year old, haha.

But enough messing around, because Artie has their next task. Two Vegas high rollers are connected to a suspicious win streak. It was interesting enough, and that, combined with the fact that Pete now also had to deal with Alice, instead of his partner, made for one heck of a ride.

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Ghost Hunters | 9pm on SyFy

Maryland’s Samuel Mudd House; Virginia’s Edgewood Plantation is the former home of presidents William Henry and Benjamin Harrison.

Tonight’s TV Spotlight…Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Just waking up to the news that Senator Ted Kennedy has passed away. An American figure, he certainly holds a place of prominence here in Boston. If you’re interested, Boston.com has amazing coverage of the life and death of Senator Kennedy. RIP.

Nothing like starting the day on a sad note. Let’s look ahead to tonight’s TV lineup, shall we? Make sure you set those DVRs because Jim Parsons of THE BIG BANG THEORY is on Letterman tonight.  He’s always painfully awkward but funny in the best possible way on talk shows!! And he might be a big movie star, but Bradley Cooper will forever me Will Tippen of ALIAS to me! Glad he’s hitting the big time now!  Bradley will be on with Conan tonight.

Wipeout | 8pm on ABC
Contestants, including a professional boxer and a stay-at-home dad, face the Ballsy-Go-Round, Mesh Mosh Run and Swinging Cereal Killer. [GMMR: Very excited for a new episode on “Wipeout” tonight. Nothing like some big balls to turn your frown upside down.]

Ghost Hunters | 9pm on SyFy
“I am Not Guilty”
Maryland’s Samuel Mudd House; Virginia’s Edgewood Plantation is the former home of presidents William Henry and Benjamin Harrison.

Top Chef: Las Vegas | 10pm on Bravo
“Bachelor/Ette Party”
A battle of the sexes rages when the male cooks battle the lady chefs in a contest to cater a poolside bachelor-and-bachelorette party. Chef Todd English is the guest judge.

Leverage | 9pm on TNT
“The Two Live Crew Job”
The con job is on when Nate and his crew try to recover priceless artwork by squaring off against a band of thieves. Griffin Dunne and Wil Wheaton guest star. Dean Devlin directed the episode.

Dark Blue | 10pm on TNT
“O.I.S.”
Carter uses some friends in low places to target a highly decorated corrupt cop; working to bring down another officer weighs heavily on Ty.

Also Playing…

• Crash Course | 9pm on ABC | Season Premiere: Five teams, including a pair of single mothers, two best friends, a married couple, siblings and a pair of roommates, tackle an extreme driving course to try to win the top prize of $50,000.

On the late night couch…

• The Late Show with David Letterman: Anne Heche, Jim Parsons, Care Bears on Fire
• The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien: Bradley Cooper, Franz Ferdinand
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson: Holly Hunter, Camera Obscura (R 6/15/09)
• Jimmy Kimmel Live: Robin Williams, Bobcat Goldthwait, Matt & Kim
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon: Fred Armisen, the Mighty Boosh, Flo Rida (R 7/22/09)
• Chelsea Lately: Eli Roth, Jason Sklar, Randy Sklar, Gary Valentine
• Last Call with Carson Daly: Sasha Grey, Ryan Hunter-Reay, the Kills (R 5/21/09)
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Bill Russell (R 6/22/09)
• The Colbert Report: Tom Hanks, Lt. General Charles H. Jacoby Jr., Barham Saleh (R 6/10/09)

This is where I turn it over to YOU!  Share with us what YOU are watching tonight!

BIG BROTHER Spoilers from Inside the House

Those of you who enjoy your BIG BROTHER fix solely from the CBS show that airs three days a week get just a small glimpse as to what goes on inside the house. Those of us who are fans of Showtime’s BIG BROTHER After Dark get a look as to what happens between 9 and midnight (BBT) every night. But those with the live feeds have 24/7 access to the houseguests. And it’s those lucky (relatively speaking) peeps that got a first hand look at the mayhem that ensued yesterday afternoon.

For some spoilers as to what’s been happening in the BIG BROTHER house this week, keep reading.

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