SEASON FINALE REVIEWS of Scandal, Grey’s, Castle, How I Met Your Mother, and Elementary Coming Soon

Heading out for the weekend so I will recap these shows Sunday and Monday.   Lots to talk about!   Here’s a quick preview:

Castle: Rick proposed to Kate!!!!   Rick proposed to Kate!!!!  But what does this mean for them going forward and is this really a good thing?  I’ll discuss.

Grey’s: Callie and Arizona had quite the blow up.   Who’s side am I on?   Come back to find out.   Plus, Richard better not be dead!!

Scandal: Enough already.  Ok enough!   Either keep Olivia and Fitz together or break them up but ENOUGH with Olivia running around saying “we can’t do this.”  I’m so done with that.   Did you know David was wearing the white hat all along?   Did I?  And what about Quinn becoming baby Huck and Huck’s reaction to it.

How I Met Your Mother: FINALLY!!!   We got to meet her.   Now we just need Ted to meet her.   But when Carter Bays says this will be the longest wedding in the history of TV, does her really mean that next season will cover the span of only 56 hours?  I don’t know how I feel about that…or maybe I do!

Elementary: haven’t watched it yet but I will by Sunday, so don’t spoil me!

Have a good weekend peeps!

 

RECAP & REVIEW: Survivor….The Season So Far

Wow.  Survivor really decided to bring the crazy this season didn’t they?   Between Phillip, Shamar, and Brandon there is plenty of insanity to go around.   But is it really making for an enjoyable season?   When does the exploitation of someone’s mental state cross the line from good old fashion entertainment to down right cruelty and absurdity?  Can the producers, casting department, and psychologists really detect someone who is truly mentally unstable or just being aloof for TV purposes?   Is it fair of us to expect them to forecast expectations of behavior?   I know, I know, it’s a TV show.   Furthermore, it’s a REALITY TV show.   But since this is the hot topic this week after Wednesday night’s disaster that was Survivor Caramoan, I’m curious to hear what people think.

I wasn’t excited when Phillip and Brandon were cast this season.  I thought it was stunt casting to be quite honest with you.  Phillip I thought was just a bad player.  The only reason to bring him back is because he is nuts and to watch his insanity rankle the other players in the game.  The whole Stealth R Us thing, while mildly entertaining for the viewers, I can imagine it wearing really thin out there.  So I was dead set against Phillip this season.  However, I have to say, as annoying as he can be, I give him props for many things.  The first being that he’s been great in the challenges.  Of course everyone expected Malcolm and Brenda to do well because they’re great athletes.   But I don’t think people expected much from Phillip and he’s held his own and actually has been a pretty integral part of them willing several challenges…including this week’s coconut tossing competition.  The second would be him really trying to take charge of the game.  Many people, myself included, really gave Phillip grief for riding the Boston Rob train the last time he was on.   He was Boston Rob’s stooge willing to do whatever his master told him to do.  And Rob rode Phillip to $1 million.  This time, it seems, Phillip is taking charge of the game and not riding anyone’s coat tails.  Now he may be rubbing people the wrong way in the process and I’m not saying he’s doing a masterful job at running the show.   But he’s at least not waiting for his fate to befall him.  He is going out and taking charge and charting his own course to what he thinks will be the million dollar prize.  Will he succeed?   Who knows at this point.  His biggest problem is that he doesn’t know how to take charge of the game subtly.  He needs to let everyone know he’s in charge and that may be his downfall.   Is it because of how poorly he was painted in his last showing?  Perhaps.  But Phillip Shepard needs to let everyone know that he’s in control and that you’re either with him or against him.   The final reason I’m giving Phillip props is for how he handled the Brandon situation.  Unfortunately, because of what I just outlined in point #2, Phillip really rubbed, inadvertently, in Brandon’s face how he will dictate Brandon’s fate in the game.  Not the smartest move on Phil’s part.  But does that mean he deserved what Brandon did to him (and everyone else on the tribe for that matter?)   No.   I’ll get more into the Brandon thing in a minute but I really applaud Phillip for walking away from him at camp when he was really getting to a boiling point and I respect the way he held his composure when Brandon was coming after him before the immunity challenge that was never going to take place.   The only thing he did wrong, was talk about Brandon’s family.  In my opinion, leave everyone’s personal life out of it.  Just stick to what’s happening on the island because you don’t know these people, you don’t know their home life, so you can’t judge or throw that in their face.  Just leave it alone.  Other than that, Phillip kept his calm in handling Brandon.  Honestly the whole tribe did, which floored me, but again, more on that later.  Was I happy with the Phillip casting this season?   No.  Is working my nerves as much as before?   Not yet.  Do I respect his game play more this time than last?   Yes I do.

So let’s get into Brandon.  I seriously think that kid’s unstable.  I’m not saying that to be funny or rude.  I seriously think there is something wrong with him.  He was crazy the first time he played and he was just as crazy this time.   The first time around, he got rid of Mikalya because she filled him with impure thoughts of lust.   Well I can’t see a better reason to get rid of someone!  Plus his mood was all over the place…completely bi-polar.  One day he was up, the next he was down, then he was kind, then he was rude.   He didn’t know who or what he wanted to be.   He wanted to be filled with God but then he would curse and threaten people.  It was bizarre.  So why would we expect anything less this time around?   Because, according to Jeff Probst and other producers, they thought he had changed.   Let’s talk about this.  Probst and the producers/casting department have been getting a lot of heat for bringing back Brandon.   The thought out there is that even though they knew he was unstable, they put him out there anyway because they thought he would bring in ratings.   If this is true (and I’m not saying it is) it would be dumb on so many levels.  Number one because this kid doesn’t bring ratings, he actually stops them.  I know people who didn’t watch this season because he was on there.  They couldn’t deal with another Hantz love fest, especially with “the crazy kid” as one of my friend’s put it.  Number two, you can’t risk putting a mentally unstable young man in an environment that will test his sanity everyday.  Number three, you can’t do that to the other contestants (making them live with a crazy person) it’s unfair to them.   I could go on and on.   So I honestly believe that while they may have been nervous about Brandon, they saw enough in him to warrant giving him a second chance on the show.   Where I will give up on Survivor, is if they decide to bring him back a third time.   I can forgive a mistake now.   But after two disastrously mercurial seasons with Brandon, bringing him back again would be down right abhorrent. He has proven to be a truly hot mess.  The fact that he has kids and another one on the way is down right scary.   And I know I just yelled at Phillip for judging someone’s personal life without knowing them so I am being the ultimate hypocrite, but I can’t help it.  I’ve seen and heard interviews with this kid outside of Survivor and to say it was bizarre is an understatement.  He’s usually incoherent and flighty, to be kind.  It’s frightening to hear his complete lack of self-awareness.  He really has no clue.  I heard Probst say that they immediately had a psychologist on set to talk to Brandon after the whole debacle and that it is standard for the show to appoint a psychologist or psychiatrist to help Survivors after the show or help them find a doctor in their area for support.   That’s actually nice to hear.  And I hope Brandon takes them up on it, but I doubt he will.  In an interview with Dalton Ross (who is the best Survivor recapper ever) on his podcast, Brandon talked about how great life is and he’s great and he’s not crazy and that he’s so proud of the way he played the game.  What?????   You’re proud that you took food and dumped it all over the island so that no one in your tribe would have food.  That makes you proud?  Whatever bro (as he likes to call everyone.)   Speaking of the food dump, is that not the most insane thing you have seen on this show?   I’ve obviously never been on Survivor but even I know that food is like gold out there.  All you have is rice and now they give you beans.  But that’s it.  You’re weak and tired and the only sustenance you have is rice and beans.   And that asshole, to prove some sort of point (I’m still not sure what) dumps it all over the ground.  What I found interesting is that Malcolm or Erik didn’t pile drive him to the ground during the rice part.  I know when he grabbed the bean container Erik made a half ass attempt to retrieve it from Brandon but he backed down pretty fast.   I have to wonder if it’s because they were seriously afraid of what he might do.   At this point they’ve all been living together for what 11-13 days?   Maybe everyone was really terrified of him because he was so unstable.  I’m not trying to make this more dramatic than it was, but it does make sense.  I mean come on….when they got back from tribal council, he was talking about how he thought about burning the shelter down!!!  If I was Corrine, my first question would have been “with us in it?”   Yeah he was talking about peeing in the rice and beans, but HE TALKED ABOUT BURNING THE SHELTER TO THE GROUND!   What is the matter with him?  That is why I sincerely hope the rumors about Brandon failing his psych test for the show are wrong.  Because that would be beyond egregious.

So because of all this mayhem, the Favorites decide to do what I absolutely hate in Survivor…throw the challenge to go to tribal council so they can get rid of Brandon.  I hate when teams do this.  It’s the dumbest thing in the world.   You’re annoyed by someone, you’re up by big numbers, and you think it’s no big deal to throw one little challenge.   WRONG.  It’s absolutely the worst idea ever.  However, this situation was the exception to that.  In this situation, I have no problem with the Favorites doing what they did.  This was beyond someone annoying them.  I really think this was them wanting this ticking time bomb, who could possibly be a danger to himself or someone else (mainly Phillip) off the island because it was safer for all of them.  I really believe that.  Look at the way they all dealt with Brandon.  When he became accusatory towards any of them, they backed down.  Even Corrine, who’s as combative and strong and nasty as they come, wouldn’t touch him with a 50 foot pole.  And I have to say, HUGE props to Jeff Probst for his handling of the situation.  Even though the man rubbing was a little weird, I don’t think Jeff could have handled it any better.   It was obvious this could have escalated into something physical (especially when Phillip when after Brandon’s family.)   Probst did the smart thing by bringing Brandon over to him and away from his tribe.   He was able to calmly talk to Brandon and everyone else so he could get a clear idea of what was happening and how this was all going down.  As a result, he had a tribal council right there where everyone voted him out.  I have to wonder what would happen if something did get physical on the island.  Is there security there?   Do the producers expect the contestants to handle it?   Would someone get kicked off the island or put in time out?   What would happen?  I wonder if they have a protocol in place.  I’m sure that they do.   And if they didn’t, I’m sure that they do now!!

Ultimately, I’m glad Brandon is gone.  I think it was a monstrous mistake to bring him back and all of us fans at home thought the same thing.  I don’t think I read one pre-Caramoan review that said what a brilliant idea it was to bring back Brandon.   But, we’re also looking at it from just the scope of his first run on TV.   These producers are really vetting these contestants to make sure they can do this again.  At least I hope they are.   So they get to see more of Brandon in a different light than what we get to see.  Therefore, they made the decision to go for it and it blew up in their face.   I really hope this is the last time we see any Hantz on Survivor.  And I really hope they think long and hard about who they bring back and who they cast.  I know they want personalities because that brings better ratings.   And there’s nothing wrong with drama on Survivor…it’s part of what makes the show so great.   I get all that.   But I think they really need to draw the line at unstable.   Because if they don’t, the very thing they are trying to get, is the very thing they will push away and be gone to the point they won’t be able to get it back and the show will be dead.

 

QUICK REVIEW: Criminal Minds, Castle, Revenge, The Good Wife, Blue Bloods

Criminal Minds

This is not a show that needs recapping every week but every once in a while, an episode or string of episodes happen that warrant discussion.  Last week’s episode broke my heart.  In the early days of Criminal Minds, I rooted for JJ and Reid to get together.  A big part of me, still does.  But I’ve moved on from the idea of those two getting together.  As a result, I was 100% on board with this romance between Maeve and Spencer.  And before you start referencing Manti Te’o asking how can you have a relationship with someone you’ve never met, this show handled it very well to the point I totally believed it.  Matthew Gray Gubler and Beth Riesgraf did a fantastic job selling this relationship that up until this episode, only existed via cryptic phone conversations.  The reason for this, she had a stalker.  So she was in hiding until the stalker was caught. Unfortunately, the stalker found her and kidnapped her and as a result, Reid, who is a very private person, needed to out his relationship to the team and ask for their help in finding her.  Turns out it was someone applying for a PhD and Maeve denied her application and therefore Diane (Michelle Trachtenberg) flipped out and murdered her ex-fiance and ultimately murdered herself and Maeve with a bullet to the head.  It was such a sad scene for so many reasons.  First, Spencer had never seen her face.  Even when Garcia had her picture, Reid refused to see it because he wanted the first time to be face to face.  He also wanted to tell her that he loved her because the last time they spoke, she said she loved him and he didn’t respond.  When he finally saw her, it was with her strapped to a chair with Diane pointing a gun at Reid’s head and Reid pretending to love Diane and not her so he could get her free.  Instead of telling her that he loved her, he had to tell her that he didn’t love her so he could protect her.  Unfortunately, Diane saw through all this and while holding Maeve against her, put a gun to her own head and pulled the trigger, killing both of them.  I told my husband I was afraid she was going to die but then I thought, there’s no way CM would do that to Reid.  Yep, well, wrong again!   Maeve is dead and Reid is crushed.  It was brutal to watch and I’m really curious to see how this will impact him moving forward.  Reid is so private and doesn’t open his heart to many people.  And for him to be ready to make a committment to this girl, only to have her murdered in front of him, will completely damage his already fragile psyche.

Castle

Still one of my favorite shows on TV and I’m loving this season.  The last two episodes were great.  Seeing Meredith (Darby Stanchfield) around making things tricky for Castle and Beckett was priceless.  But it was also a nice change of pace to see Meredith and Beckett go to dinner together and really get along.  Unfortunately before she left, when Kate asked why they didn’t work, Meredith told her the truth.   Castle knew everything about her but she really didn’t know much about Castle.  He’s fun and romantic and sweet, but he never let her in, especially when it came to his dad.  And she couldn’t handle being in the dark.  It really resonated with Kate because she’s in the same situation…to some degree.  Castle knows everything about her darkest time…her mother’s death.  But Beckett knows nothing about, what appears to be, Castle’s darkest period…his father.  And I know there were people who thought Meredith did that maliciously, I don’t agree.  I think she was honestly answering Kate’s question without trying to sabotage anything.  I also think that Kate’s relationship with Rick is VERY different from Meredith’s.  Yes, she is just in the dark about Castle’s history with his father as Meredith is, but she has seen so many different layers to Castle that I’m pretty sure no one else has.   They have been through so much together and she has been around some very vulnerable sides to Rick, that she can’t compare her relationship with Castle to his relationship with anyone else.   She has seen a deeper side to him.  But I think this issue regarding his father, could be a driving wedge between them.  I hope it isn’t but I think it’s inevitable.

I just quickly wanted to mention how much I enjoyed last week’s episode which focused on Esposito. I like when the show puts focus on another character (especially Ryan and Esposito) because I care about them just as much as Castle and Beckett.  Ok maybe not AS much, but it’s close.  Esposito is such a great guy.  I love seeing a hard-nosed, tough guy get hit in his heart (figuratively) because he has no chance to avoid showing his soft side.  I hope the show brings Joey back.  I know cop shows always have those episodes where the cop gives the troubled kid his card where the cop says to call anytime and the cop promises to keep tabs on the kid.  Well I would like to see that.  Not all the time, but I think twice a year wouldn’t be out of the question.

Revenge

I would have to agree with everyone else…this season of Revenge isn’t as good as last season.  I liked the simplicity of last season with a target of the week under the umbrella plan of taking down the Graysons.  Now we have Aiden involved and his story.  Then you have the Initiative involved.  And there’s the Ryan brothers going after the Porter brothers.   It’s too much.  I don’t know why things need to go to this massive levels of story telling.   Sometimes, less is more.  I’d rather go back to last season’s methods with twists and turns complicating matters along the way.   But having said that, I still love the show.  If we can cut down on the side stories (mainly Aiden and the Initiative) I would be ok.  I’m not a fan of Aiden would rather him go away and just have Emily do her thing.  I also don’t know why we needed some major secret group being behind some the Grayson’s decisions.  I would rather have had the Grayson’s be responsible for all their own decisions without having to drag this secret society in.  But if the show can wrap those two things up and go back to business as usual with Emily driving everything and Nolan being there to help her, things will be good again.

The Good Wife

Alicia and Peter sitting in a tree.  F-U-C….whoa!!!!  I’m not going to go there.  But how about that trailer scene? AWESOME!!!   If the show continues down this path with Alicia and Peter doing their thing and Will possibly working on a relationship with Laura (Amanda Peet) I would be very happy.

The second half of the season is already cranking.  They got rid of Kalinda’s God awful husband storyline, the firm is slowly starting to pick itself back up again, the case of the Justice Department going after Eli (headed up by Wendy Scott Carr) resulting in bringing in George O’Malley is fantastic, and Louis Canning is now one of the firm’s creditors which should be an interesting wrinkle.  My biggest complaint?  Cary Agos.   Can we PLEASE find this man a storyline worthy of him?  I’m so tired of him being on the back burner.  It’s time to bring him to the big front burner and let him dominate a storyline.

Blue Bloods

I know I’m really late to the party in commenting on this but I think it’s really shitty the way Jennifer Esposito and her character were handled on the show.  If what she is saying is true, then it’s horrible.  The short version, Esposito had been diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  It went misdiagnosed for years and her form of the disease is pretty severe.  I know people with Celiac and there are varying degrees with some leaving people down right ill for weeks, especially when you don’t know what’s wrong.  Esposito was violently ill but when she finally was diagnosed properly her doctors suggested she have a reduced work load on the show to accommodate her illness.  According to Esposito, CBS didn’t grant the reduced work load nor did they release her from her contract.  She was put on medical leave without pay but because she was still under contract, she wasn’t able to seek employment with another network TV show.   She could do theater, film, or cable TV (as long as it didn’t air at 10pm) but she was pretty much stuck.   That’s the part I don’t get.  You won’t grant her request because it isn’t fair to the cast and crew, that’s fine.  But then let her go so she can find other work.   And they wouldn’t do that.   So she went on medical leave and now she’s gone for good.   I hate it because I thought she was fantastic and her chemistry with Donnie Wahlberg was amazing.  I think it’s a big loss for the show.  Having said that, I don’t think the new replacement, Megan Ketch has been bad.  I actually like her.  Not as much as Esposito of course, but Ketch is doing a good job.  It’s tough shoes to fill and I think no matter who it was to fill them, fans weren’t going to like her.  Now apparently Ketch is moving on and Megan Boone is set to replace her for 4 episodes with an option to be picked up a series regular.  Guess we’ll see how she does.

In terms of the season, as always, I love this show.  I know people can get annoyed at how the Reagan family always does the right thing and makes the right decisions.   But I don’t care.  I like the fact that they are good people trying to do the right thing.  What’s wrong with that?  They still have flaws.  They still struggle with decisions.  But if they always try to go the right way, I’m ok with that.

 

RECAP & REVIEW: The Good Wife “Battle of the Proxies” S4 E10

I’m so mad at myself that I haven’t been as up to speed on The Good Wife as I would have liked.  But Sunday’s have been brutal.  I basically had a marathon this weekend and now I’m even more mad at myself.  I know there are some people who aren’t happy with the story lines this season but I’m not one of them.  Well, except for the Kalinda/Nick story line which has been horrible.   But it appears the writers agree and Nick is now gone so I’m not going to crush them for one bad idea over 4 seasons!

This whole thing with Nick probably wouldn’t have been so bad if it hadn’t been for the build up.  The last 3 seasons, we were led to believe that Kalinda was on the run from a really bad dude and that her life could be in jeopardy if he were to find her.  Instead, we got a kinky, sex crazed, wacko, who did nothing but make me want to FF every scene he’s in.  I mean really?   This is the guy Kalinda was so afraid of?  We all know how tough Kalinda is so I would think it would take a pretty significant person to make her squirm.  But Nick was a joke.  Hell, Scott Porter was more intimidating than Marc Warren was.  And I know Kalinda has this whole sex appeal thing going on, but does everyone in contact with her need to be about sex?  Because it’s hard for me to buy her being deathly afraid of this man is she’s constantly screwing him every chance she gets.  But he’s gone…thank God.  So the question remains, HOW is he gone.  The ending was left very vague.  And maybe if this were a more interesting storyline, we would care what happened to Nick.  Since it wasn’t, I don’t…I just want him to stay gone.

I’m loving the addition of Amanda Peet this season.  She doing a fantastic job and I hope they keep her on moving forward.  And seeing Chris Bulter made me realize how much I miss seeing Matan Brody.  He was such a good character and then he just vanished.  Big mistake.  Bring back Matan!!!   But Peet has been solid and I’m liking the chemistry she is developing with Will.  I hope that starts to go somewhere because I really like them together.

By the way, Jackie and condoms…one word…ew.

And I know this happened in A Defense of Marriage but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the last scene in the bathroom between Peter and Alicia.  Holler!!!!!!!   You all know I want those two back together.   They are amazing.  I think the key to remember in all of this is that Peter and Alicia NEVER stopped loving each other or being attracted to one another.  They may have had their issues with their spouses choices (rightfully so) but they never fell out of love.  Which is why they will always find their way back to each other.   And Stockard Channing, I love you woman but STAY OUT OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP!!!  Don’t you be telling Peter to back off.  You back off!

So what do we think is going on with Eli and this investigation?  Is this a Maddie Hayes creation?  And what a crappy position to be put in…assist us in nailing your current candidate or we’ll nail another candidate who just so happens to be your ex-wife.  Low blow man.  Those justice agents go right for the gonads don’t they?   Luckily he has Diane on his side to assist him and I’m sure they will both find a way to get Eli out of this.

And for the love of all that’s holy and good, can we PLEASE give Cary Agos a storyline.  We wasted half the season on this stupid Nick guy, now it’s time for Cary to shine.  Please?   Pretty please?  I’m begging the writing staff…do something for my guy!

How are you all liking this season?   And are you as happy as the rest of the world seems to be that Nick is gone?   Let me know!

 

RECAP & REVIEW: Survivor Philippines…Season So Far.

I have been really bad with keeping up with Survivor this season.  Partly because of work but mostly because the last two seasons were so bad because they were so poorly cast, I haven’t been that excited to watch this new season.  I mean I still have 6-7 episodes of One World still on my DVR that I will watch at some point.  And don’t tell me who won because I don’t know!

But this season has been worth watching the dreck of the last two seasons combined.   This season is awesome!!!    My husband and I plowed through all 10 episodes yesterday and I can’t wait for Wednesday’s to come around.

The reason this season is so good…the cast.  You have lots of people to like and root for and you have good villains that root against but don’t vehemently despise to the point the show is unwatchable (cough, cough Colton, cough, cough.)  But the most important reason this season is so good, you have people who actually want to play the game.  Yes you have some idiots…like Angie.  But you can have 1 or 2 Angies and it’s ok.  It’s actually enjoyable because it’s funny to watch them try to compete when they are completely outmatched on all facets of the game.   But when 12 out of the 18 people are Angies…it sucks.   Luckily we have all people going with a “game on” mentality.    The other thing I am THRILLED about….no more redemption island.  I can appreciate the creators and producers trying to come up with different ways to breathe life into the game.   But the redemption island angle was a bad one.  Once someone is gone, they should be gone.  No second or third chances.  Once you’re out, you’re out.  And having that back this season is much more enjoyable.   Because in my opinion, the game of Survivor is perfection.  The only thing you need for a really good season, is a good cast  That’s the key. You don’t need gimmicks and stunts…just a good group of people willing to play the game with a range of interesting personalities.   And that’s what you have this season.

It’s crazy because there are SOOO many people I’m rooting for.  And all for different reasons.  I’m rooting for Malcolm, Denise, Lisa, and Skupin.  And if Carter or Penner were to win, I wouldn’t hate it.  The only person that would bug me at this point is annoying-but-I-have-no-idea-just-how-utterly-annoying-I-am Abi.  But I can’t see how that could possibly happen.  Gun to my head, if I had to pick one person…it would be hard to choose between Malcolm and Denise but I’d have to go with Denise.  She has played a phenomenal game.  She’s strong in challenges, she works around camp, she’s incredibly likable, she’s loyal, and she’s a very good strategist.  She is the complete package.

The thing I’m already happy about is seeing how several people have made comments about not taking what happens in the game personally.  It’s one of the things about Survivor, from the cast standpoint, that has always bothered me….when people hold grudges outside the game for decisions people make in the game.  Or when people question your character because of bold moves you make.  Now don’t get me wrong, there have been people who have played this game, like Russell Hantz, NaOnka, and Colton, who are low-class people with no integrity whatsoever and they bring their vile natures to the game of Survivor.  Because those people would be just as awful outside the game as they were inside the game.   But for the most part, people don’t act on Survivor the way they would act in the real world.  It’s a game.  For a $1,000,000!!!   So people do things they would NEVER do outside of Survivor because of the nature of the game.  Therefore, I’ve never understood why people get so personal when it comes to moves made.  I know it’s easy to say that watching from home.  I’m not out there making the types of promises and friendships these guys are making.  And I’m sure getting blindsided from someone you trusted, sucks and stabs you in the gut.  But it’s not personal!!!!  And therefore, there have been juries that have made emotional decisions (Natalie vs. Russell) versus the right decision on who really deserves to win because they can’t get past the hatred.   But there have been several moments this season where one competitor has said to another, hey don’t worry about it, you were making a move, it’s a game it’s no big deal, don’t worry nothing personal.  I love it!!!!

Random Thoughts on the Season:

1. Jeff Kent made a HUGE mistake not sticking with the 6-7 alliance.  He was so tunnel visioned on getting rid of the returning players, he couldn’t see the forest through the trees.  And as a result, instead of having Carter, Denise, Malcolm, Penner, RC, Skupin, and himself as a solid group (with still plenty of numbers to get Penner and Skupin out later) he flipped and voted with Pete, Abi, Artis, and Lisa and got someone out of the game who would have been loyal to him in RC.  It was the one bad mistake he made in a pretty flawless game up until that point.  And as a result, he was axed the very next week.
2. A person like Abi is exactly why you don’t make alliances too early in the game…because then you’re stuck with them.  RC got screwed because she aligned herself with a fruit loop.  Pete and Artis got screwed because they aligned themselves with a loud mouthed bitch who was stupid to boot.  But to be fair, when someone comes to you and says, let’s make an alliance, you can shoot yourself in the foot if you say no.  So you have to cross your fingers that you’re Malcolm and you end up with someone like Denise instead of RC who ended up with someone like Abi.
3. What was Penner thinking?   Lisa and Skupin came to him wanting to make a final four alliance (I wonder who the 4th would have been…Carter maybe) and Penner said “Nah, I think I’ll wait this out a bit before I commit.”   WHAT!!!  Now this becomes a different strategy from the early in the game alliance where you need to be more careful because you don’t know these people yet.  At this point in the game, you know these people a lot better.  So you can make a better, more informed decision for your end game.  I can appreciate that Penner wants to get jury votes because that’s important.  But don’t you think, at this point, you’re better aligning yourself with people you know you can trust and can most likely beat than saying you’ll wait it out?  I agree with Lisa, opportunity missed.  It’s a big risk on his part, so I wonder how that will play out.
4. Lisa Whelchel has a been a fantastic surprise.  The first two episodes I was worried she was on the early chopping block…which she was.  Luckily for her, she was on a team that kept winning and never had to go to tribal council or she would have been gone.   And it always surprises me when I see self-proclaimed Survivor ultra fans play the game like they’ve never watched the show before.  And in the first few episodes, Lisa would go off by herself and isolate herself from her tribe because she didn’t fit in.   Hello?  If you’re such a fan, you have to know that’s a HORRIBLE strategy.  Again, she was soooo lucky she was on a team where they won all the time.   But then Lisa came out of her shell, saw some signs of life, and starting playing like a person who has watched this show before.  She tried to make some bold moves to better her position and there were times it appears she was being manipulated that she was able to read very easily and not get snowed by someone’s kind gestures.  She was cautiously trusting which is very smart on her part.  And now, she maybe in a position to win this game!!!  You go Blair Warner!!!
5. I want Malcolm or Denise to win this thing.  They are my favorite hot guy, strong woman tandem since Colby and Tina in Season 2.  I love that with all they went through, they have been loyal to each other since day one and have been able to survive a horrible tribe, being split up, and making new alliances.  They are both in fantastic positions to win this thing.  If the final two were between Malcolm and Denise, I would have no idea who I would vote for.  Because while Denise has played the perfect game, Malcolm has been doing it with a target on his back the whole game and has still managed to survive.

So what do you think of this season of Survivor?  I think this is the best season we’ve seen since Heroes vs Villains.  And I can only hope, the producers are reading all the reviews, and the blogs, and the chat rooms to see how much people are enjoying this season and leave the redemption island gone for good and start casting better in the future.  Because what a difference a good cast makes!!

 

QUICK REVIEW: Person of Interest

I can’t believe I was a centimeter short of pulling this show off my DVR list last year.  The first three episodes I watched were fine but not great.   I had 8 more on my DVR just sitting there.  Then over Christmas dinner, my family told me I had to watch it because it got better and better each week and at that point, was the best show on TV.  Best show on TV?  I think the Cabernet was flowing a bit heavily that night so it might have been the wine talking.  Then I started watching them.  They were right.  Person of Interest was awesome!!!  I couldn’t wait for each week’s episode.

The season, you always worry about the sophomore slump.   Not in this case.  The show is actually better this season.  With Carter and Fusco now on board with Reese and Finch, show has much more symmetry.  Although, it would be nice to have a Carter/Fusco centric show where maybe Reese and Finch have to help them out to validate they are NYPD detective vs. lackeys of Reese and Finch.  I find it hard to believe at times they can just drop everything that they do to help R&F out but I’m going with it because I love it.

The two things I really love this season…Reese and Zoe and the humor they’ve injected into the show.  This show is actually funny!   You would never think it but this show has a great amount of humor perfectly placed into the show and it’s enhanced with Jim Caviezel’s ultra dry delivery.  I love that Finch has a dog to keep him company with his fears rightful heighten with Root on the run, still hunting him.   I like that Elias is still in the picture, even though he’s in jail.   Anyone else think this weekly chess match was not just because there was no one smart enough to challenge Elias to a game, but to be able to study Finch’s strategic habits that will come into play at some point?   I do!   Ok, so maybe there are more than two things I am loving about this season.   But if you aren’t watch POI, get on it!

 

2012 CBS Fall Preview

RETURNING SHOWS:

• Survivor: Philippines (9/19)
• How I Met Your Mother (9/24)
• 2 Broke Girls (9/24)
• Mike & Molly (9/24)
• Hawaii 5-0 (9/24)
• NCIS (9/25)
• NCIS: LA (9/25)
• Criminal Minds (9/26)
• CSI (9/26)
• The Big Bang Theory (9/27)
• Two and a Half Men (9/27)
• Person of Interest (9/27)
• CSI NY (9/28)
• Blue Bloods (9/28)
• 48 Hours Mystery (9/29)
• 60 Minutes (9/30)
• The Amazing Race (9/30)
• The Good Wife (9/30)
• The Mentalist (9/30)

NEW SHOWS:

• Partners (9/24)
• Vegas (9/25)
• Elementary (9/27)
• Made In Jersey (9/28)

SHOWS I AM MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO:

• Person of Interest: Where is Finch?  Reese is pissed since he was duped by the lovely Amy Archer. And when Reese is pissed, look out!!
• How I Met Your Mother: Robin’s the bride.  How do we get there though?
• 2 Broke Girls
• Blue Bloods
• The Good Wife: Who is Kalinda’s husband?   Peter sacrificed his chance at winning the election in order save Alicia (by admitting they are separated.)  Will this bring them closer together?  One (ME) can hope!  Now that LG has lost their top client to Canning and Nyholm, how will the firm survive?
• Partners
• Elementary

SHOWS I AM LOSING INTEREST IN BUT WILL GIVE ONE MORE SEASON TO:

• None

SHOWS I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT:

• Vegas
• CSI
• Hawaii 5-0
• CSI NY
• Two and a Half Men

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

• The Mentalist Moving to Sundays:  Sundays are already so crowed and now another show I watch is moving to Sunday nights.   I’m begging you schedulers, can you PLEASE start to spread these things out more!
• Two and a Half Men Moving to Thursdays:  TAAHM was anchored in the Monday 9pm slot forever.  Now that prime spot goes to 2 Broke Girls (more on that below…although not much more.)  Is this a sign that TAAHM’s days are numbered?  Probably not.  The Big Bang Theory made the successful move to Thursdays and since the competition isn’t that stiff (Last Resort, Up All Night, THe X Factor, and The Vampire Diaries), it should be just fine.
• New Shows in Prime Spots: Elementary (Thurs 10pm and Partners Mon 8:30pm)  Elementary takes over the Mentalist in the Thursday at 10pm slot.  Against it are Scandal and Rock Center.  Well since no one watches Rock Center, it really has Scandal to worry about and I think that’s two different audiences (although I’ll watch both.)  It will also have the very strong Person of Interest lead in so Elementary has every reason to succeed.  Partners will also have a strong lead in with How I Met Your Mother and 2 Broke Girls following it.  So people will give it a chance.  But Monday night at 8pm has some strong competition (Dancing with the Stars…which was always there, Bones…now on Monday nights, and The Voice…moved from mid-season to the fall.)  This may be a DVR and watch it later show which could spell disaster, but I hope not!
• 2 Broke Girls Moving to Two and a Half Men’s Spot on Mondays:  2BG moves to TAAHM’s 9pm slot.  It’s been a very successful spot for CBS the last 9 years.  I think the show will be just fine.  It has a solid audience and I think will do the time slot justice.

EARLY THOUGHTS ON NEW SHOWS:

• CBS doesn’t have a ton of news shows because their schedule is already so strong.  Only four shows!  I wonder if that is the fewest new shows in recent network TV.  Absolutely I will be watching Partners and Elementary.  Both previews were very strong with solid casts and great premises.  I’ve always been a fan of Max Mutchnick and David Kohan.  Partners is basically the story of them…two best friends (one who is gay and one who is straight) who work together and how their friendship affects the people in their lives.  This premise has worked well for them in the past (Will & Grace…which is based on Mutchnick and his best friend, Janet) so let’s see if they can dip into that well twice with success.   Elementary bring one of my favorite actors back to TV…Johnny Lee Miller.  Miller stars as the famed Sherlock Holmes in this new CBS drama.  But this show takes a different twist on the story we all know.  For one thing, it takes place in NYC vs. England.  Second, it focuses on Holmes’ struggle with addiction and how he manages his career and his strive to stay clean.  Third, Dr. Watson is still his side kick, but this time instead of Watson being John Watson, it’s Jane Watson played by Lucy Liu.  I’m not a huge fan of Liu’s but I liked her in this very much.   She’s there to help keep Holmes on the straight and narrow.
• As for the other two, I have no interest in Vegas.  Made in Jersey, I’m not sure about.  I usually like shows with an underdog that’s easy to root for…a them vs. the world story…the outsider trying to fit in.   But some of the writing bothered me.  For example, when Martina tells Natalie she worked a case in Trenton, Natalie asked her “Trenton, is that where you learned about tight jeans?”  What?  Are you kidding me?  Who talks to people like that?  Believe me, being from Philly, I love taking pot shots at Jersey people.  But it’s a joke.  I married a Jersey guy and there is a fun banter that usually takes place about Jersey people and Philly people.  But it’s all in good fun.  It’s never malicious or serious.  And I would NEVER in a business setting make a comment like that to someone!!!  How rude.  There are also a lot of cheesy lines, like a client telling Martina that she has to worry about her mother, grandmother, and sister and she tells her “well them I’m going to fight for all of them.”  Oh Lord.  However, there is very much a Working Girl aspect to this show and I loved that movie.  There were things to like about this show so I’ll check it out (I have my 3 episode rule remember) but we’ll see where it goes.

 

SEASON FINALE RECAP & REVIEW: Grey’s Anatomy “Flight” S8 E24

Another finale, another catastrophic event.  I think Cristina’s line about wanting to get the hell out of Seattle because how many bad things can continue to happen to them was possible a wink and nod to the fans because we are all thinking the same thing.   There was the bomb inside the patient, the ferry crash, the hospital shooting, and now a plane crash.  I’m sure there were more but I can’t remember them all.

So how eerie was it how much the opening was like Lost?  Meredith laying on the ground and the first thing we see are her eyes open and what she hears (screaming, chaos) and she moves not really sure of what just happened.  For a minute I thought it was cool but then I thought, really Shonda Rhimes?   You had to steal from Lost to get an impactful opening?  Whatever.

Ellen Pompeo was simply phenomenal in this episode.  She really brought it.  She had to deal with so much going on around her and the emotional roller coaster she went on was incredible to watch.  The first thing she had to deal with was the fact that her husband was missing.  Everyone has been accounted for except for him. So she is on a massive, panicked hunt to find him.   Eventually she does (actually he finds her) and her excitement is tempered because she sees that his hand is in really bad shape.  Basically he’ll lose it if she doesn’t perform surgery on it in the jungle with no anesthetic.  Can you say painful?   The whole time she is begging for him to pass out so he won’t feel the pain.

But what was the most excruciating part to watch was when she went back to help Lexie.  Lexie was found with the tail of the plane on top of her.  Her legs and pelvis were crushed and according to her, she couldn’t feel her left arm and thought it wasn’t even there anymore.  Lexie was in bad shape.  Mark and Cristina are there and they try to move the tail off her but can’t.  Mark screams at Cristina to get help and water.  She bends down to Lexie and they both look at each other and they both know.  The water and aid won’t help.   Lexie is dying.  But Cristina leaves and that opens the door for a Lexie/Mark reunion the fans have been clamouring for since they broke up 2 seasons ago.  They both declare their love for each other a Lexie slowly slips away.  When Meredith returns, she sees that her sister has died and just completely loses it.  It was a bit surprising because even thought Meredith had come to accept Lexie as her sister and grow to have a bond with her, I still never got the impression they were that close.  Because Meredith isn’t that type of person.  She’s not touchie/feelie except with Cristina.  But I couldn’t stop crying.  I was also surprised that Lexie died so early in the show.  It made feel like someone else was going to drop.  And towards the end, I thought it was going to be Mark.   There are a lot of people who think Mark or Arizona are going to be dead or die when we return.  While I don’t think it’s likely, I wouldn’t put it past Rhimes to make us think all these characters are safe and then to kill someone off in the Season 9 premiere.

In the end, our gang (minus Lexie) is in the woods still waiting for rescue and Owen is just now learning that his team didn’t make it to Boise for the surgery.   Oh, and Owen fired Teddy so she can take this amazing job opportunity that she was refusing to take so she could stay around and help him.

Ok, let’s start with Lexie.  Why kill her?   She turned into one of the most popular characters on the show and she still had some great stories to tell.  I understand cutting Teddy.  She was done.  I have a problem with how she went out but I’ll get to that in a minute.  I just don’t understand Lexie.  Maybe because Rhimes wanted to really rip everyone’s guts out (in addition to Lexie’s guts) since she was a relatively main character and extremely likable.   But that’s why I have issues with Rhimes’ storytelling at times.  She tends to do things for shock value instead of story value and I hate that.  April should have been the one to go because I think her storyline really is finished and no one likes her anyway.  I don’t dislike her character the way some people do but she’s certainly one of my least favorite.  And where do you go with a resident who failed her boards and has no job?

As I mentioned above, Teddy is gone.  She’s another one I didn’t hate the way some people did but I have no problem with her leaving either.   What I had an issue with was the inconsistency with character leading up to her departure.  She basically wrote off Owen as a friend after the whole Henry situation.  And he reminded her of that when she came to him 2 episodes before yelling at him to make sure he does anything to make her stay.  He very pointedly reminds her that they are no longer friends (per her insistence) and that he is her Chief of Surgery.  If she wants Cristina to stay, she needs to figure it out.  It was the first time I think I ever liked Owen.  But now all of a sudden 2 episodes later after seeing him struggle with Cristina and the Chief job, she wants to throw away an amazing career opportunity to stay and help her friend?  What?  When did you become friends again?   I always had a problem with her severing her friendship with Owen but I chalked it up to grief and that when it subsided, she and he would come around.  But that takes time.  They were still on opposite sides not too long ago.  But it’s the season finale so wham, friends again.  I hate that.

So how are we going to get all our Seattle Gracers to stay in Seattle?   If Derek has hand problems and needs rehab and recovery and loses his offer in Boston, I can see the McDreamy’s staying.  I can sort of see Cristina staying after having another life and death experience and not wanting to leave Owen and trying to make it work with him.   Plus with Teddy gone, she can run the cardio show.  I still think it would be slightly out of character for her, but I could deal with it.   But what’s Alex’s excuse.  What POSSIBLE fraud of a reason would he have for giving up Johns Hopkins for Seattle Grace?  I know Rhimes had to do it this way because of the contract situation and not knowing people’s status before writing and shooting the finale, but come on.  Honestly, I would have let Justin Chambers go.  Not because he isn’t a good actor.  He’s awesome actually and I love him!   But his character sucks.  Alex is the same pain in the ass curmudgeon he was when he started.  He hasn’t grown much as a character over the years and quite honestly, I’m tired of him.   He should go to Hopkins and have a great career off-screen.

As for all the talk out there about either Mark or Arizona dying in the season premiere, I don’t know.  My guess would be neither is going anywhere.  If I had to pick one, it would be Mark only because I think his story has run its course, he hasn’t had a real storyline or much to do recently, and it would be fitting to have him join Lexie.  The only reason I think Arizona has a chance is because in the finale, all Callie kept talking about was how great life is right now and all the happiness and joy she has in her life….I’m waiting for the bomb to drop.  But Calzona is pretty popular and if another popular character gets axed, I don’t know how the show lasts after next season.

Speaking of which, I think Grey’s is done.  It’s going into its ninth year, it’s tired, there isn’t a whole lot more I need to see from any of these characters.  I think the 9th season should be the last for GA.  It’s a shell of its former glory.  It was great, then it wasn’t so great, then it was horrible, now it’s tolerable.  Unfortunately, the big four signed for another two years so I think we have to suffer through Grey’s for at least two more years.  And since I’ve watched it this long, I’ll hang in there

 

 

SEASON FINALE RECAP AND REVIEW: How I Met Your Mother “The Magician’s Code” S7 E23 & 24

We got one big question answered.   But did we just get THE big question answered?

The answer to the second question is no.  Victoria is not the mother.  At least, that’s how it appears today.  We have learned that Ted will meet the mother at Barney’s wedding.  We also know that the mother was in one of his architecture classes.  Victoria doesn’t fit any of those descriptions.  It’s a shame because I think of all the people Ted has dated over the seasons, Victoria is most people’s favorite.  I know she was always mine.  I was always hoping she would end up being the mother because they were good together.  But I can’t see how that can happen.   Since Barney’s wedding appears to be happening at the end of next season, it looks like Victoria will just be filling the gap until that happens.  And maybe that’s what Ted needs to finally be ready to meet the mother.  He had his closure with Robin and since Victoria was “the one that got away” maybe he needs to really close the door on that relationship as well.

I’ve said this before and I’ll repeat it now.  It’s time to meet the mother.  We are going on Season 8 and we haven’t met her yet.  I think it’s gone on too long.  It’s very rare for comedies to last this long in this day of TV. They just start to run their course.  And while I still love HIMYM and still think it’s one of the best comedies on TV right now, it’s getting a little droopy.   It’s starting to sag.  I think there is so much storytelling to be had once we meet the mother but my fear is that waiting so long, you are going to start to lose people and then the ratings will be so bad, CBS will pull the plug instead of you going out on your own terms.  And now Victoria has been reintroduced when we know she isn’t the mother and since we know Ted meets her at the wedding and the wedding won’t be until the season finale of next year, we know it’s another entire season without meeting her.  It’s ridiculous.

People will argue (and I’ve said this too) that this show has gone way beyond the mother at this point.  This show has become about these 5 friends and their lives together.  I’m thrilled that’s what the show has become. And the storyline vehicle for telling their stories being Ted’s retelling his children about how he met their mother.  At first it was, who is she, when will we meet her, how will she fit it?  Now it’s become, oh just tell us already.  And that sucks.  But it is what it is.  I just wish it would have happened a season or two ago because I worry this show will get canceled before we have a chance to she how the mother interacts with everyone and those stories that need to be told.

As for the other big question that was answered with no doubts what so ever, who was Barney’s bride.  And to no one’s surprise, the bride turned out to be Robin.    YEAH!!!!   I’ve always thought, since the moment they shared their first bro date together smoking cigars and playing laser tag, that Robin and Barney were meant to be.  The two people who insisted that they didn’t want to get married and have the regular family life, were going to find a way to be together.  I just knew it.  Although I had my doubts earlier in the season.

I think had Barney stuck with Nora all season, it would have been a bigger surprise with the Robin reveal.  We would have invested all season in Nora and I think it would have been more believable.  While I liked Quinn, I thought their relationship happened very fast and came out of nowhere.  For someone who is anti-relationship Barney went from Nora to try to get back with Robin to Quinn.  It seems out of character for him.  I never really bought into him and Quinn because it always felt like a smoke screen to me.  Even when he proposed to her last night, I never thought she was the bride.  In fact, as soon as he proposed to her, I knew it wouldn’t be her. But I can forgive all of that because in the end, Barney and Robin will be together.  And this isn’t a ruse.   In an interview with Craig Thomas on EW.com, Thomas confirms that Barney and Robin will be together and they will get married.  It was always meant to be them.  And I have to say, Robin looked stunning!!!

This was a tough year for Robin.  She ended up choosing Kevin over Barney only to realize that she and Kevin wanted very different things and broke up with him.  Ted confessed his love (again) and she gently tried to let him down and as a result needed to part from the group for a while so Ted could heal.   That really bugged me but I’ve already vented about that on my podcast.   Robin also found out that she couldn’t have children and while Robin said that was always her choice, it’s very different when the choice is taken away from you.  Then she had to watch the man she truly loves get engaged to another woman while she tearfully gave him her support.  Other than her job going well, this was a VERY tough year for her personally.  Robin really hasn’t been happy in quite a while.  So to see her beaming from ear to ear on her wedding way, made this HIMYM fan very happy.   Robin will get her happy ending.   And so will Barney.

Finally, the moment arrived….baby Erikson is here.  Marvin Waitforit Erikson was born to a very happy Marshmellow and Lily Pad.  Marshall almost didn’t make it and even though Lily has always had a tough relationship with her father, it was so sweet that he showed up for her and gave a pep talk to be able to have the baby.  Then he went into true form by telling her how vaginal tearing could happen and Lily kicked him out.  But Marshall did make it and the gang was there for Marvin’s birth.  As soon as they said his name and that he was named after Marshall’s dad, woosh came the tears.  I could stop them.  It was so sweet and touching.  As for the middle name…..LOVE IT!!!  And I love the fact that Marshall and Lily both thought it was the coolest middle name ever!!!!  I agree.  I can’t wait to see how they are able to juggle new parenthood while still hanging with gang at McClaren’s.

What are you thoughts on the season finale?  Did you like seeing the reveal of Robin as Barney’s bride?   What do you think of the whole Victoria and Ted riding off into the sunset together?   And would you be happy if next season was the last season of HIMYM or do you want more now that we know we will meet the mother in next year’s season finale?

 

SEASON FINALE REVIEW: The Good Wife “The Dream Team” S4 E22

Unbelievable!!!!  I really didn’t think this would be much of a season finale….when will I learn?  Last night’s season finale of TGW was fabulous.  I’ve mentioned several times how there is no show on TV that has done a better job with guest stars the way TGW has.  All their guest stars should win Emmys.  They are that good and that magnificent.  Martha Plimpton is absolutely brilliant as Patti Nyholm.  And really, what more can I say about MJF.  Them teaming up to take down LG is genius.  But will it be successful?

The Dream Team vs. LG

LG has just won another class action suit.  One they believed they had no chance of winning.  Since they realize this will be tied up in appeals for years, LG tries to go for an immediate settlement to get the money to the client faster.  Seems reasonable.   But Canning isn’t budging.   In fact, he’s delaying the discussion because he is waiting for his attorney…one supermom, Patti Nyholm.  Then the bomb drops…they are suing LG for $50 million for fraud.  Basically the case should have been a $1 million settlement or jury trial.  Instead LG insisted it be a bench trial and they were awarded $25 million.  Canning and Nyholm are accusing LG of judicial tampering since the judge was someone Will played basketball with and mostly likely bribed for the favorable judgement.  We know it isn’t true but with Will’s history and his issues with the bar association now public knowledge, that’s what they are playing off of.   Not to get too off topic, but how can this not be an issue for the firm moving forward?  In real life, they would have to cut Will loose for this exact reason…they can’t have every judgement that goes their way result in a countersuit for fraud.  So regardless of whether or not Will is guilty (and he is) a struggling firm can’t have that liability around.  Especially a firm that is in the financial straits (which learn later on) that LG is in.  Diane will always have Will’s back and therefore will do anything for him.  If Will were a bigger person, he would step down from the firm so they wouldn’t be vulnerable to these types of actions.  But, since Josh Charles is a major character, he isn’t going anywhere.

As this is all playing out, Canning and Nyholm have made one thing very clear to LG….they are there to destroy them.  Now here’s my question.   Is this a personal attack or a professional one?  It’s one thing to go after a firm for your clients.  It’s another to take someone down because of your personal feelings.  What would be the motive for Patti and Louis here?  Patti has lost to them but Louis has beaten them more than he’s lost.  So what’s with all the venom?  Why go after them so fervently?  In the end, everything really spins on its heels.  Just when LG has gotten the upper hand on the Dream Team and destroyed their countersuit and therefore declared victory, the Dream Team had one more shoe to drop…..this wasn’t their end game.  This was all a distraction for a bigger picture move.   Patrick Edelstein, LG’s largest client, isn’t happy with them and the Dream Team was able to snatch him from their client list while this “case” was going on.  This whole thing was a rouse to steal their top client.  So while the intent to destroy them is still going strong, the action by which they are doing it was slightly different from what was originally perceived.  Ouch.  Diane and Will realize that they have been cut at the knees and are in trouble.

Kalinda

I am about to say something very unpopular so whatever you choose to throw at me, please have it be soft.  Kalinda is starting to annoy me.  (DUCK! for throwing objects!!)   I know Kalinda is a very private person.  I respect that.  But she lost the only girlfriend she ever had because of secrets.  Alicia has extended an olive branch to her but it comes with a price…Kalinda has to be more forthcoming and honest with her.  Alicia has been helping Kalinda with a tax case.  She finds an old check and reaches out to the company who issued it to see if they would be willing to reissue the check.  The man on the other line is very serious and cryptic and Alicia senses that something is off with him.  She hangs up and tells him she’ll get back in touch.  She doesn’t, but he gets in touch with her…twice.  Once on her cell and once at her home.  Both times, Alicia tells Kalinda about it and it wasn’t until Kalinda heard that he called her at home and called her by name that she brings her in the loop on who this is….her husband.  Kalinda also keeps all of this from Will when she asks him for money so she can run.

Ok.  I don’t know if Will knows her background.  My assumption is no because I think he would have asked if her running and asking for money had anything to do with her husband.  He didn’t.  In fact, he tells her that he thought she was happy here and couldn’t understand why she’d want to leave.  So I don’t think he knows.  Alicia doesn’t know.  No one knows.   Safe to say, this is a dangerous man.  Why else would Kalinda be so evasive (and have all that ammunition in her dry wall?)  We already know she had another name and life but we weren’t sure why or the story behind it.  I guess this was an abusive relationship that she escaped.  But here is where I start to get annoyed with her.  I get that you don’t want your private past aired out for all to know and discuss.  I get that whatever happened probably screwed you up so badly you don’t know if you like men or women.  I get that whatever happened has you so guarded, you don’t want to let that guard down for anyone.  But you know what, you did let your guard down for two people you thought you could trust….Will and Alicia.  Therefore, they deserve the truth.  Tell them what is going on.  They have proven themselves to the point that you know they won’t tell anyone and keep your confidence.  If this guy is that dangerous to the point where he now knows Alicia’s name and where she lives, you need to do something.  Running away isn’t the answer (which thankfully she changed her mind and is sticking around.)  So ask them for help.  Let them in on what is going on.  Don’t pull this “don’t worry about it I can handle it” crap again.  She is putting other people at risk by withholding information.   I don’t want Kalinda’s inherent character to change because it’s what I love about her. But there has to be some growth.  And this is an area she could grow by keeping Alicia in the loop and having her help her (as well as do what she need to do to protect her family.)  At this point, Alicia deserves to know what she is dealing with so she can protect her family.  Hopefully, Kalinda will give her that chance.  Or blow the guys brains out so no one has to deal with him ever again!   That would work too!

Alicia and Peter

Talk about a dream team.  This is why they belong together….her heart keeps pulling her back to him.  Her heart isn’t pulling her towards Will.  Her vajay-jay might be but not her heart.  It was clear in this year’s elevator scene (which I liked much better than last year’s) that while they don’t regret what they did, it’s over.  It was a moment (or ten) but it wasn’t love.  Will knows it.  Alicia knows it.  You can see it on Alicia’s face and Will’s face as he walks out of the elevator.  You can see it on Alicia’s face as she stands outside her old home.  She wants so desperately to be inside with her family.  But her heart has been shattered so many times, can she really put herself through it again.  I think she can.  I said it when it came out last year that while she was brutally hurt, and rightfully so, that hurt will eventually pass because she will realize that he did it when he was being an ass.  Not after they reconciled and were falling in love again.  Big difference.  It will certainly take time but I really believe that it’s not a matter of if, but when, they are back together as a family!

Another phenomenal season of TGW has come to a close.  What did you think of the finale?  It sets up for terrific 2012/2013 season and I am already looking forward to September!!!!