SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE: Top 10 Performances

Tonight the Top 10 are switching up partners and performing two routines in addition to a solo for each dancer. From what I’ve heard there are a few special moments in tonight’s competition. I for one am looking forward to it.

As always, I blog along as I watch. Feel free to use the comments to join in on the conversation.

If you are on the East Coast and recording SYTYCD tonight, you might want to adjust the end time as the Presidential address is running long, but only by 6 minutes. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want the Fox analyst to sign off from the address by saying…and now, So You Think You Can Dance.

Ok so let’s get things started tonight.  This is the first episode where America decides who goes home. The judges share their critique but it’s all about the votes.

The first couple up tonight is…

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Who Went Home on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE?

UPDATE: Click here to find out who went home on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (August 5th)

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Welcome to our SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE live blog.  The comments are open so join in on the discussion during the show. (Just keep hitting refresh). Send out a tweet and let other #SYTYCD fans know where to join us.

I’d like to tell you how awesome the Top 14 performance was, but I ran into some technical difficulties (my TV wouldn’t turn on).  But I’m sure it was amazing.

As for Cat Deeley, she’s always looking amazing, despite her sometimes questionable outfits. Not sure what she has going on tonight, but she still looks fabulous.

• Before we get to the results from the first group, leave a comment and let us know who you think will be in the bottom three.

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So You Think You Can Dance: Top 16 Perform

So excited for SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE tonight. The anticipation has helped me get through a very long day.  Hopefully, if our schedules work out, Ducky and I will be able to podcast tomorrow about tonight’s performances.  But since our plans aren’t set in stone, I thought it would be best for me to also share my thoughts in writing.  And you know most of the fun from writing my weekly recap is hearing what YOU thought of all the dances.  Did you see what I saw or will you open my eyes a bit more?  Can’t wait.

Before we get to the dances, there has been something in my head all week that I wanted to share.  I don’t know how many of you are also PROJECT RUNWAY fans, but over on EW, they have an interview with the most recently auf’d contestants, Gordana. In her exit interview she mentions how she wished the judging on PR was more like that of SYTYCD.  She praised the SYTYCD judges for not just ripping apart the dancers, but providing critical judgment in a respectful way.  But more importantly, offering up constructive criticism that the dancers could take with them and use to improve their art.

I had Gordana’s statement in my head going in to tonight’s episode, and I really felt her sentiment tonight.  All three judges, and especially Adam Shankman, really gave each of the dancers something to work on.  Even if he loved the performance he gave them constructive criticism that will help them become even better in the future.  And for all the judges, even if they really didn’t like the dance, they voiced their opinion but also offered up a small bit of encouragement along the way. All of this really contributes to my love for the show so I just wanted to share.

The Dizzy Feet Foundation…
Speaking of the judges, tonight they let us know about the upcoming Dizzy Feet Foundation performance in L.A.  Sadly it’s not going to be televised, but those lucky enough to attend (and oh lord I am so jealous of those going), will see not only the S5 SYTYCD dancers perform, but they will also see stars from DANCING WITH THE STARS (eh), crews from AMERICA’S BEST DANCE CREW (hot damn), Alvin Ailey dancers, the best from the American Ballet company and dancers from all the of STEP UP movies including his hotness Channing Tatum and his wife/co-star Jenna Dewan. And as some of our past fave SYTYCD dancers like Twitch and Jailbait Ivan are in the upcoming 3rd installment of STEP UP, they might just make an appearance.  As will Mary Murphy.  Oh how I wish I could be there. It’s going to be an amazing night for dance.  Or as Adam Shankman called it “the trifecta of reality dance TV,” So amazing and for a great cause!

As for tonight’s performances. You know how this works.  Although it’s not live during the show, I always live blog my thoughts so as not to be influenced by the judges’ opinions.  They might give me something to consider or perhaps re-watch, but for the most part it’s about my initial, gut reaction.

Please keep checking back throughout the night and early tomorrow as I’ll be adding videos of each of the dances as they are available. But I want to get the post up now so you can all share in the discussion.

And finally…welcome to So You Think You Can Dance!

Karen & Kevin (1-888-TEMPO-02)
The Hustle by Maria Torres

Aw, in the pre-vid we learned that Karen and her husband have divorced since the time they both auditioned for the show.  Well, now that’s a bit of a bummer.  But Mary’s right, Karen is a hot tamale so I don’t think she’ll have any trouble finding a new man. As for doing her thing on stage, once again Karen was impossible to ignore. She owns the stage and demands your attention.  But I thought Kevin did very well in partnering her tonight.  I noticed more technical errors on his part, but on the whole he was better than I thought he would be.  They can call is The Hustle, but it’s Disco. On the whole I don’t like Disco, and I didn’t love this routine, but I thought they performed it well enough.  It was good, not great for me tonight.

The Judges: Adam said that not only did they make it work, but they made it work for him.  He saw Kevin for the first time in the competition. He said he could not be more proud of them. Mary was equally excited and impressed.  Nigel was absolutely delighted in the dance, and especially with Kevin’s growth. Good remarks all around.

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SUPERNATURAL: Sympathy for the Devil

Welcome back everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your summer and you’re ready to get back into serious television again, because Supernatural is back people! If you read my pre-premiere post, you saw that our fearless leader GMMR noted that she can’t read my posts until she’s caught up on season four (which she will be shortly). She’s tacked the whole series over the summer and I’m sure she’ll be eager to join the discussion soon. There were also a couple of admitted SPN converts in the comments on my last post (hi Kimber and Kelly!), and Patty’s racking up recruits like a military sergeant (no idea if sergeants do actual recruiting), so I’m looking forward to some new fans joining the discussions this year.

Before we even get to the episode, I have to give a shout out to the awesome “Then” sequence at the start – in particular, the inspired use of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” as the soundtrack. Did that not get you even more psyched than you already were for the premiere?? Two seconds in and I was in my happy place; god I love this show so much. I also loved the new title card, with the white background and swirly blood-like splash of colour – very cool.

With that said, obviously, if you haven’t watched yet, there are SPOILERS ahead, so read at your own peril. Sam and Dean are back at the church, where Lucifer is rising from Hell (and I swear by the sound effects, I half expected him to bust out of there on a giant Harley). One minute they’re locked in, about to be confronted by the devil himself and the next, they’re watching Yosemite Sam on a Jet Blue-style airplane television screen. Wuuuhhh? For a split second I was afraid we were in for one of those “it was all a dream” tv clichés, and then I remembered what show I was watching – they would never do that to us (actually, they might, but you know SPN would even do that cliché in an awesome way). The plane suddenly flies over the beam emanating from the church where Lucifer is making his entrance and it looks like they may crash, however somehow they manage to land and the brothers get off the plane, wondering what the hell just happened.

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PROJECT RUNWAY All Star Challenge – The Best of the Runway? Really?

It was de’ja vu this week when eight former PROJECT RUNWAY stars came back to the runway for the first ever PROJECT RUNWAY All Star Challenge.  The best of the best and fan favorites came together for a one night only episode that gave the designers the opportunity to show off how far they’ve come since their PR days. Each designer had to create a cohesive collection based on four looks (one look made entirely of materials they found by tearing apart (literally) the restaurant they were eating in). The last designer standing took home $100,000.

Meet the PROJECT RUNWAY All Stars….

Although this wasn’t my dream team of PR alums (Andre…where’s Andre?), I thought these designers represented the diversity of style present in every season of the show. Unfortunately, not all of them represented themselves well.  For me, the egos and attitudes of some of the designers really took away from my enjoyment of the show. Talk about getting caught up in your own false sense of fame…geesh.

Santino – I just don’t know how he’s going to look back at this episode and not cringe at his behavior.  He tried to be funny, but he tried too hard.  He was so lame.  Jeffrey wasn’t nearly as obnoxious as I expected, but he certainly wasn’t dolling out the humble pie – that was all Chris March. The costume designer slept his way through the competition but still managed to be more entertaining than most of these cats.  The Uli vs. Sweet P showdown wasn’t all that interesting, despite how hard the editors tried to force it down our throats. It didn’t take much editing to make Mychael Knight come off as clueless.  A talented guy but he was a complete snoozefest – not something you want in a two hour special. And when did he change his name from “Michael” to “Mychael”? Ha?!  Korto‘s behavior at the outcome of the competition was embarrassing. Let’s hope she doesn’t let her daughter see what a sore loser her mother is (whoops…spoiler alert). And finally, Daniel Vosovic. I thought he came off as one of the more professional (and sane) designers.  He’s been a good friend to the show since his season first aired.  I think everyone involved behind the scenes really likes him…I’m just sayin’.

Attitude and ego asides, this competition was all about the clothes, so let’s see what the designers came up with in just a few days with slightly over $1,000 in their pockets.

(The GMMR runway show will go in order of judges’ favorites. And to be clear, these are the judges favorites – definitely not mine.)

Kicking things off is the winner of the PROJECT RUNWAY All Star Challenge – Daniel Vosovic. (Cue sound effect mimicking a screeching halt).

Clearly I have no eye for fashion, because Daniel’s collection was one of my least favorites.  I didn’t get it.  I guess if you are a woman who likes to jog to a cocktail party then you might want to buy Daniel’s line, other than that? Yeah, no clue. Although I do suspect that his “restaurant” look might be very popular with female suicide bombers all over the world.  I didn’t like his red carpet look at first, but it absolutely grew on me and by the end I was really digging it.  It was the dress that won him the competition. But for me, it didn’t save the collection.

Korto‘s clothing was beautiful. Like the judges, I thought her black “restaurant” dress was fascinating.  It was one of my favorite looks and to think it came from raw materials found in a restaurant.  Damn.  I thought it showed true innovation.  Although her black and white patterned dress was my favorite, there wasn’t a look I didn’t love.  Unfortunately, all her clothes were tainted by Korto’s unfortunate, sore loser behavior.

The biggest surprise to me during this All Star Challenge was how much I j’adored everything that Sweet P did.  She definitely wasn’t my favorite during her season, and I scratched my head as to why she of all people was chosen for this special episode.  But I’m glad she was there.  He choices of fabrics and colors were not only interesting but they were accessible. Her leather cocktail dress was made special by her choice of color.  Her “restaurant” look was humorous, innovative and adorable (If only someone could have warn that on an episode of Pushing Daisies). Her other two pieces were flirty, whimsical and romantic.  I loved the entire collection and I’m glad she made it to the final four.

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Who Went Home on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE?

Looking to find out who went home on tonight’s SYTYCD? Check out the results from tonight’s show here: Who Went Home on SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE? (July 16, 2009)

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It’s about that time.  Tonight we’re going to say goodbye to two more dancers.  But who will it be? We’ve got a lot of dancing before we know that.

Before we get into tonight’s show, if you are a regular (or a new ) listener of our weekly SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE podcast, be sure to send us your thoughts on the podcast!  Thx!

9:01pm: The 12 remaining dancers kick off things with a Cold War vibe hip hop number by NappyTabs. It was good enough but it wasn’t all the jumping to me. A little too dark, but performed well. Did you like it?

9:04pm: Cat lets us know that today is Nigel’s 60th birthday. Happy Birthday, Dizzy Feet!

9:05pm: Nigel addresses the rumors that the show was planning a big Michael Jackson tribute featuring all the genres of dance.  It was in the works.  The choreographers were on board – Wade, Mia, NappyTabs.  But unfortunately Sony (or whomever it was) won’t give clearance for the music. How disappointing.  Such a well respected dance show, and they can’t honor Michael. Very disappointing.  You are robbing me from a Wade Robson routine to Michael Jackson? How dare you?

9:07pm: Memo to Tyce Diorio – it’s not about you. Shut it already!

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Rashida Jones & I Find Peace

Oh me an my witty titles. But this one is true…kinda.

Last night I was honored to volunteer at Peace Rocks, a charity benefit here in Boston to support Peace Games. Peace Games is an organization that empowers students to create their own safe classrooms and communities by forming partnerships with elementary schools, families and young adult volunteer. Last night’s charity event helped to raise money for the organization and spread the word of their important mission. The event was a lot of fun, and I certainly made a fool of myself dancing around to the music of the house band and the legendary hip hop artist Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of Run DMC.

While other volunteers were asked to man the live auction and register guests, I was lucky enough to be assigned to taking care of the needs of those in the VIP area. Not too bad. And lucky for me, the VIP guests were Rashida Jones of “The Office” and the upcoming “Rules of Starting Over” and the hysterical Donal Logue from the ill-fated “Knights of Prosperity”. Both Rashida and Donal have been serving on the Board of Directors for Peace Games for the past few years and were kind enough to attend last night’s event.

Ok, so I know you want the good stuff. Just what was Rashida Jones like? Well, she was absolutely fantastic. First of all the woman is gorgeous. But more importantly she was just really cool and very sweet. Once she got settled in, I grabbed her a drink and she introduced herself to me (oh I know who you are Rashida…LOL). We chatted for a few minutes and I let her know that we met for a nano-second while I was on the set of “The Office”. I mentioned GMMR and she knew all about it…bizarre!! It took all of my strength not to pull her aside and just talk “Office” all night, but that’s not what either she or I were there for. But throughout the night I got her drinks, escorted her to the bathroom…that type of thing. And at the end of the night it was my job to make sure she and Donal Logue made it to the after party, so we got to hang on a shuttle bus and chat a bit as we made our way to the Hard Rock Boston. Oh the glamorous life I lead. Ha ha!!

As I was getting ready to head home I said my goodbye to Rashida. She gave me a warm hug and we talked about doing a little one-on-one interview when we get closer to the premiere of “Rules of Starting Over”. And yes, I finally asked her about “The Office”. She didn’t say anything that I can share here, but I got some interesting gossip that I will share in due time. We did talk about the final two episodes, and the fact that she assumed everyone hated Karen since she called Pam a bitch. HA! I let her know that people were more concerned whether or not Karen and Jim broke up or did he just ditch her in NYC before running back to Scranton to Pam. I will say this…we will get an answer.

So Rashida Jones was pretty damn fabulous. And I did feel guilty for all my Karen-bashing earlier in the season. Sorry Fillipelli. And I know you are going to ask so NO, I didn’t ask her about her rumored romance with my TV boyfriend John Krasinski (give me a little credit). Who knows if they are together or not, but I will say this…if they are, then that guy is pretty damn lucky.

To learn more about Peace Games and how you can get involved, click here.

LIVE Blogging American Idol – Top 12

Yes I can finally LIVE blog Idol…woo hoo. It’s all about the original Diva, Diana Ross tonight. She’s mentoring the contestants. Her hair is something fierce. Let’s get to it.

First up…

Brandon Rogers – I think Brandon has one of the best voices in this competition – probably the best of all the guys. I thought that song didn’t work for him, he has more talent than the song allowed for. Does that makes any sense? Did he just forget the words? I think he did. (1-866-IDOLS-01)

Judges: Randy wasn’t impressed and thinks it wasn’t good enough. Paula thinks it was his nerves. Simon was harsh and thought he was a backup singer of a backup singer. Not good.

More homoerotic banter between Ryan and Simon – just make out already!!

Melinda Doolittle – I kind of hate that Melinda is going second. I like when she performs towards the end because it’s like a treat for me, and it helps me get through listening to Sanjaya. Mel is singing “Home” from The Wiz. What can I say, she’s fantastic! One piece of constructive criticism here…I would really love to see her in some new outfits. She wears these dresses that I think age her a bit too much. But really, she is the one to beat in this competition. She’s just fabulous. (1-866-IDOLS-02)

Judges: This wasn’t Randy’s favorite performance but he still loved it. Paula is CRYING, oh here we go. Take the meds Paula, take the meds. Simon loves her – she reminds me of a young Gladys Knight. Praise all around as expected.

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House Recap: “Merry Little Christmas”

Title: Merry Little Christmas
Original Airdate: 12/12/06

If network censors would allow it, I think a more apt title for this episode would have been, “Merry !@#%$ Christmas”. At least that’s the kind of treatment poor House was getting for most of this episode. Say what you will about his Vicodin addiction (yes, of course he’s taking more than he needs and should cut down), but you really can’t deny that the man is literally in pain 24/7. Like, such intense pain that, when deprived of pain meds, he is willing to go so far as to cut himself in order to release any kind of endorphins in his system to null the pain. OUCH. And is it just me, or when House was explaining this endorphin thing to Cameron, I was totally hoping she’d be smart and sensitive enough to just give him a bloody hug or a kiss or SOME kind of affection – because we all know affection increases endorphins, and really, isn’t House’s abuse of his pain meds just a way to substitute for the love and affection that he guards himself against, yet still desperately needs? Anyone agree with me? Anyone? Bueller?

Well, regardless, completely denying House his pain meds (*cough* Cuddy and Wilson) obviously helps absolutely no one. In fact, it only ends up hurting everyone (except, of course, for heartless, revenge-driven Tritter), and getting House into even worse trouble with the law. But more on that later. First, one person who is suffering from House’s denial of pain meds is the patient of the week, a 15-year old dwarf girl who’s mysterious “lung” illness soon spreads into her liver, then her pancreas, then all over – just like House predicted, naturally. Unfortunately, Cuddy took House off the case because he refuses to accept Tritter and Wilson’s deal, which involves House making a guilty plea and then doing 2 months of rehab in order to stay out of jail.

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It’s Here!!! Veronica Mars Season Finale TONIGHT

It’s what we Veronica Mars fans have been waiting for (and dreading) all year. We’ve been waiting for the answers to our year long question…who blew up the bus full of Neptune High students. We’ve been dreading a summer with no new episodes. But, if tonight’s season finale is anywhere as good as last year’s, then at least we can expect some mighty fine television tonight.

I’ve spent time this morning reading some quality reviews of tonight’s finale. Kristin Veitch from E! online was gushing about it yesterday in her weekly chat, and said that she has watched in three times already. Actually, I’ve read at least 10 reviews, and the general consensus is that tonight’s finale is going to be incredibly exciting and heartfelt. I can’t wait!!! I took the day off from work in anticipation of the finale. Ok, maybe I didn’t take the day off for Veronica Mars per say, but I did take a vacation day, so I’ve had plenty of time to read all the “critics” takes regarding tonight’s show.

The always fabulous Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune had this to say…

“The episode came with a list as long as your arm of things that reviewers should not mention. So, here’s one thing that can be said: Kristin Bell and Jason Dohring, the star-crossed friends and sometime lovers at the heart of the show, are the two finest young actors working in television.

Dohring in particular has masterfully navigated a tricky part all year; his character, Logan Echolls, could easily be a bitter, one-note quipmeister. But in this episode, and especially in the recent episode “Look Who’s Stalking,” he showed an enormous range of emotions, from romantic yearning to confused regret, often without saying much of anything at all.”

And the Boston Globe’s Amy Amantgelo seemed to enjoy the finale as well….

When the culprit is revealed, he/she is absolutely astounding yet perfectly possible. The strong performances from Bell and this season’s baddie prevent their final showdown from turning into horror movie camp.

The hour is an emotional roller coaster, and Bell helps navigate viewers through the tricky landscape. A series such as “Veronica Mars” doesn’t work unless we believe in the scrappy title character battling the forces of evil. And you can’t help but believe in Bell, who easily moves between the flippant and the grave moments.

As much as it pains me to write it, I do have to remind everyone that despite all the glowing reviews, and critical acclaim Veronica Mars has recevied from Day One, The CW has yet to announce that the show has been picked up for a third season. Will Veronica Mars make the cut and be on the new CW schedule in the fall? We are supposed to find out this week. My gut is telling me all systems are a go. But my gut has to say that…I’m not emotionally prepared to handle it if tonight’s episode turns out to be the last Veronica Mars episode ever. Ugh, I need a drink.

Check back later in the day for more Veronica Mars goodies….I’ve got some good stuff to share.

Alias Recap: 30 Seconds (May 3, 2006)

Ok, another Alias episode with NO Michael Vartan?! Are you kidding me?! Let me just say that he best be in every single scene until this damn show ends.

If you missed Alias, the you’re in luck because the FABULOUS Julie wrote another kick ass recap. Make sure you check out her site, TV & Sympathy, and give her some love.
Alias: 30 Seconds
Original Airdate: May 3, 2006

Sydney arrives in Jaipur in a candy-pink suit, acting as a Southern Mary Kay type who wants to check out the customer service at a call center. Flashback to Marshall explaining to Syd how Anna’s calls are being routed through the call center — all she needs to do is get a perfume spritzer (“L’Eau de Passion” – quelle horreur!) near the wifi so they can intercept the signal. Syd spritzes the perfume around and leaves it near a desk, but it isn’t close enough. Thinking quickly, Renee spontaneously breaks in to the call center to stage a holdup as a distraction that allows Syd to access the wifi. Afterwards, telling Renee her stunt was brilliant, Sydney gives her the hard sell to join APO. Renee isn’t buying.

Sloane meets with Joseph to get details about Nadia’s resurrection. Joseph alludes to the cure being designed by Rambaldi, which is logical given that her illness was due to Rambaldi. Sloane professes he’s just there for Nadia. He is concerned, however, that the cure requires him to stop her heart, if only briefly. Oh, Sloane. What’s there to wonder? You’ve done so much worse.

Over the wifi, the APOers hear Peyton discussing a transaction with one of Anna’s contacts. They track down the contact by satellite, locating him in Zurich and get video of him opening a briefcase containing Page 47. Peyton, in Barcelona, tells the contact she wants him to decipher a message hidden in the page. Once she hangs up, Peyton talks to Anna (now Syd’s evil twin), who assures her their contact will come through.

But why, the APOer’s wonder, is Peyton meeting with one of Anna’s contacts? I can’t imagine why, but I’m guessing it’s got something to do with the fact that she’s pure evil. Jack speculates that Sloane may know something about Page 47, since he had it in his personal collection for a long while.

Meanwhile, Sloane is at Nadia’s bedside, contemplating how to restore her. He begins to suffocate her, saying “it’s the only way” as he starts to cry. She flatlines into commercial…but Sloane works feverishly to fill a syringe with the formula for her cure. Jack arrives and tries to stop him, thinking Sloane intends to put Nadia out of her misery, but Sloane pushes him away and administers the shot. Is it too late? No – to Sloane’s relief, Nadia begins breathing and regains consciousness.

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