QUICK REVIEW: Grey’s Anatomy “Song Beneath the Song” S7 E18

I’m going to do a full review on this tomorrow or over the weekend.  But I wanted to share some quick thoughts on the episode.

Being a fan of Broadway, I LOVED Sara Ramirez from her Tony Award winning performance in Spamalot.  When I first heard about the “musical” episode of Grey’s, I’ll be honest, I rolled my eyes.  But then I remembered that Sara would be singing so it made it more tolerable.  I also knew that Chandra Wilson has an amazing voice so I figured this may not be too bad.

While I thought the performances were pretty impressive (including some surprisingly impressive performances by Kevin McKidd and Chyler Leigh) I don’t know if it fit the gravity of the episode.  In all honesty, I though it took away from some of the power of the scenes when all of a sudden a song broke out.  It seemed strange to me that Lexie would be singing to Slone while he is crying in the stairwell.  It’s one thing to incorporate the songs from Callie’s subconscious and if she thinks she is hearing people singing like Hunt and Bailey due to a brain injury.  But I think it’s another to have the doctors consciously singing in the OR, in her room while taking care of her, or while they are having sex.

I thought the one song that was perfectly placed as the 11 o’clock number (as they call it in the theater) was Callie singing Brandi Carlisle’s “The Story.”  Wow.  Did she belt it out of the park or what?  It moved me to tears (especially when she woke up and said “yes” to Arizona’s marriage proposal.)  The words behind the song were perfect and it was Callie pushing herself to wake up and survive for all the people in her life who need her.  It was awesome.   The rest of it though, I’m not so sure.  There were times I was so moved by what was happening and then a song would pop in that I wasn’t sure how it tied in exactly and then the moment was lost for me.   Maybe it would have worked better if it was a patient we either didn’t know and didn’t have as much of a personal interest in or maybe had a slight connection with (like Scott Foley) or possibly still used Callie but maybe had less songs and put the songs in more appropriate spots in the show to not take away from the emotional moments.  I don’t know.

I want to reflect on this a little further but that is my initial gut reaction.   Great performances from the entire cast.  I love the songs themselves, obviously.  And I really hope I can get Sara’s rendition of “The Story” on iTunes.  But for the impact it provided to an already emotionally charged episode, it missed the mark.  In fact, it actually detracted from it.  But maybe I’ll feel differently after a few days.   So check back because I may have changed my thoughts after letting it sink in a bit more and watching the episode again.

Here were some of my favorite song renditions:

Chasing Cars

Breathe

Wait

How to Save a Life

The Story

 

REVIEW: Body of Proof “Pilot” S1 E1

ABC’s final drama of the season premiered Tuesday night.  Body of Proof follows Dr. Megan Hunt’s (Dana Delany) new career path as a medical examiner.  She was one of the finest neurosurgeons in her field but had a terrible accident that left her with numbness in her hands.  Therefore, she is unable to practice anymore.  As a result, she took her skills to the Philadelphia Medical Examiners office.  We learn that Megan was married but is now divorced from her husband and estranged from her daughter.  It’s unclear at this point how much of the strained relationship is due to Megan’s former career or her ex-husband making her appear worse to her daughter than she actually is.  I have a feeling it’s a little of both.  Either way, Megan is trying to rebuild her relationship with her daughter.

BoP has the makings of a really good show and I enjoyed the pilot.  I did think there were some cheesy moments and some pretty predictable scenarios.  I chalk it up to it being the pilot and the fact that they are laying the ground work for the characters and the series.  So I can overlook some of the cheesiness.  I just hope it is minimized moving forward so we can really jump into the characters.

It’s a typical format.  Megan is the no-nonsense doctor that no one likes and is hard to get along with.  She is unconventional and is always pushing the envelope and doing things during the investigation that she really shouldn’t.   The biggest question I had is why she was with the detectives interrogating suspects.  Since when does the medical examiner go with the detectives (or on her own) to question suspects?  It may be completely common in the real world but I wouldn’t think so.  That may be the trickiest part about doing a show about a medical examiner.  It’s hard to do a “who done it” show without showing the investigation.  It’s very rare to spend the whole time in the autopsy room.   And if Megan is the main protagonist (maybe in her case the antagonist) they have to find a way to keep integrated with the show most of the time.  But I do think the supporting cast is strong enough to stand on its own.

Jeri Ryan is the chief medical examiner, Dr. Kate Murphy.  Shockingly, she and Megan don’t see eye to eye on how they should handle their job requirements.  I wouldn’t say they don’t get along…it’s too early for that and I get the impression Megan doesn’t get along with many people…but they have their issues in the work place.  Megan also works with a medical investigator, Peter Dunlop (Nicholas Bishop.)  I’m not really sure of his role other than following Megan around and commenting on her personal life but I’m willing to give it some time.   The two detectives that Megan will be working wtih primarily are detectives Morris and Baker (John Carroll Lynch and Sonja Sohn.)  I really like both of these actors and I already like them in this show.  Again, it will be interesting to see how they work with Megan considering you don’t usually see the med examiner assisting on a street level like Megan was in this episode but I like how they handled her.

All in all I like Body of Proof.  The cast is good and there are plenty of back stories to peak my interest…what was Megan like in her old life?  What was her family life really like before the accident?  Who did she kill on the table and what led up to that moment?  How did she decided to become a medical examiner and not pursue some other area of medicine?  I also would be interested to see more of the science behind the autopsy and how they go about doing that and what that information tells them.  But I am going to stick with it for the time being.

What did you think?  Did you like?  Not like?  Sound off below!

 

Mad Men Renewed for Two More Seasons!!!

Great news for us Mad Men fans.  Matthew Weiner has inked a new deal with AMC!!!  Yahoo!!!!  Why is this great for us?  Because not only is Mad Men renewed for Season 5 but also for Season 6.  Awesome.

Most of us were pretty confident that a Season 5 was coming.  However, because negotiations were going so slowly, instead of Season 5 premiering in the summer, like Mad Men usually does, Mad Men’s Season 5 premiere will now be in early 2012.   Yikes!  I can imagine for people who watched the finale last August/Sept of 2010, early 2012 is a looooooooooong time to wait for Mad Men to come back to our screens.  For me, Mad Men is a show I am just starting to watch.  I have watched S1 and I am on S2 right now.  My plan is to get through all 4 seasons during the summer so I will be ready to go for Season 5 when it returns in 2012.

Part of why this took so long was some concessions AMC wanted Weiner to adopt…cutting 2 series regular cast members, incorporating product placement into the show, and cutting 2 minutes off each episode to allow for more commercials.  The product placement is happening.  I assume that would be a pretty easy one considering they do work for an ad agency.  The premiere and finale will still be a full 47 minutes but all the other episodes will go from 47 to 45 minutes.  However, when they go to DVD, they will be a full 47 minutes.  The biggest news though, and most importantly, there will be NO cast cuts!!!

Mad Men fans are you happy?  I know I am and I’m thrilled this is finally complete.  Now I just need to get through these seasons on DVD!!!

 

REVIEW: Survivor “It Don’t Take A Smart One” S22 E7

Finally!!!  Zapatera makes a vote that will keep their tribe stronger vs. keeping all the people they like and trust.  Although I think they waited about 1 vote too late to make that decision.

I have been keeping up with Survivor but my work has been extremely busy lately so it’s been hard to keep up with the updates.  Sorry!  The last 2 episode were kind of boring too so I really wasn’t rushing to find time to discuss them either.

Let’s talk about Philip real quick.  Oh my goodness gracious!!!!  That man is all sorts of entertaining.  I hope he never gets voted off because I think he is so damn hilarious.  You never know what that man is going to say and he is completely coo coo for Cocoa Puffs.  As Rob said “he’s probably the most unaware person I’ve ever met in my life.”  No truer words have been spoken on Survivor.  Philip is completely unaware of his surroundings and reality.  But I love it.  I would probably hate him if I had to live with him on that island but since I get to watch from the comfort of my own home, it’s pure joy.  When he started talking about Matt being a true Samurai, my husband and I couldn’t stop laughing.  He is so serious in his delivery and really honestly believes what he is saying….how can you not chuckle with glee?   Also, when he starts talking about how he is getting crossed by the members of his tribe and therefore look out because he will take them all out…I started laughing even harder.  Really Philip?   You and who else is going to take Rob and his cronies out?   I’ll tell you what though.  Rob better be very careful with Philip because if he’s pissed off enough, he will flip to the other tribe.  And if Matt re-enters the game and goes with Zapatera because Matt is still resentful of Ometepe voting him out, Rob could be in big trouble.  This is where Rob and his cronies need to do a better job, however annoying he is, of making Philip feel included.  That whole crap with the toasted rice?  I was on Philip’s side on that one.  There was so much of that on the bottom, just let Philip have some.   There still would have been plenty for Rob.  Would it really have killed you to share some with him?   From a strategic standpoint, you should know how he is and know that by being inclusive and sharing with him, you neutralize his outbursts and keep him in check by making him feel part of the team.  With a merge looming, you should be doing everything you can to keep Philip in line.  Instead, they are stroking the gorilla/lion!!!  It’s just not necessary but common for young inexperienced players.  Since Rob wasn’t there he couldn’t really address it with them.  But this could spell trouble for them.

We are now getting into the part of the season that usually get veeeeeeeery interesting.  The merge is coming and based of previews for next week, it looks like not only is the merge coming next week, but the person who wins the final RI duel will enter back into the game.  My money is on Matt but you never know.  I can’t wait to see what he does when he’s back in the game and who he aligns with.  I think if Matt goes back in the game and doesn’t win individual immunity, he could be a goner quickly because people will see him as a threat.  But, if he aligns with Zapatera and makes it an even 6 split and they get Philip to flip, Rob and his cronies could be in for a lot of trouble.  This will be the part of the RI twist I am most curious to see play out.  So far I think it’s been fine.  It’s a little boring, from a sheer RI standpoint, because Matt has won every challenge.  From a being reintegrated back into the mix standpoint, it’s fantastic!!!   If Matt wins again of course.

I’ve read a few other posts about this Survivor season and I think I agree with the assessments out there.  While I like Survivor trying something new and the RI twist has been slightly entertaining from an informational standpoint and a strategic standpoint, I miss the idea of when you’re voted out of the game, you’re out for good.  I think it loses some of the drama and impact (especially from a blindside standpoint) when you get voted out but moved to RI.  Then when you lose there, you burn your buff and leave.  There is something so great about Probst saying “The tribe has spoken” while snuffing out the torch and the “aaaaaaaahhhhhhh” chant playing in the background.   You know?   Now we get “It’s time for you to go” and the buff is burned and the person walks off.  It sucks!!!!  It really sucks.  But having said that, we’ve still only seen the one part of this so far.  The next part, the interesting part, is bringing that person back in the game.  I really hope it’s Matt which would be so much more compelling.  If it’s Sarita….booooooring!!!

While I think this season is very entertaining, it is also incredibly frustrating.  Why you ask?  Because there has been very little game playing.  Other than Rob, Russell, and a little bit from Stephanie and Kristina, no one else is playing the game or really seems to care to play.  Let’s start with Ometepe.  Have Ashley, Natalie, and Andrea ever watched Survivor before?  Have Grant and Philip had complete brain farts?   Why is Rob the ONLY one who ever looks for clues to the hidden immunity idol during the reward challenges?  I know it doesn’t matter because Rob has the idol but no one is even trying!!!  Are they that clueless or that confident in their positions in the game?  Either way, I’ll ask it again, have you people never watched Survivor before?  It bugs me.  But Rob gets the clue and then proceeds to toss into the volcano since he already has the idol.  If Rob at some point gets voted out of the game, his cronies will be completely lost because they won’t have any idea what to do.  They will be screwed.

As for Zapatera, they aren’t much better.  Their strategies (if you can call them that) from the beginning have been completely backwards.  First, they were so tunnel visioned on getting rid of Russell, they threw a challenge to get him out and now they have lost 3 out of 4 challenges ever since.  Second, they get rid of Krista and Stephanie, who are better in challenges, but aren’t “trustworthy” so they had to go.   Their first 3 votes were all due to trust.  While trust is important, it’s too early in the game to worry about that.  You need to win challenges.  But they didn’t care.  Now, after losing their 3rd challenge in a row, they have decided that it may be in their best interest to keep the team physically strong, so now let’s get rid of Sarita.  Ugh!!!!   You are getting to the point where you are about to merge.  You will be down in the numbers, by 1.  You have no idea what is going on (from a cohesiveness aspect…sorry Ralph) on the other tribe.  NOW is the time where you want people you can trust.  Once the challenges start for individual immunity, you DON’T want the strong players around.  You also don’t want to go into a merge with lower numbers than the other tribe and a disgruntled tribe member that could flip to the other group.   You know what I am about to ask don’t you?  HAVE YOU ALL NEVER WATCHED SURVIVOR BEFORE???  Egads!!!   I just want to throw things at my TV because these people are so frustrating.   I just feel like these people would rather hang out with people they like than play the game.  And now that they have realized that “Holy shit, I’m playing for a million dollars here, maybe I should try to win” they make a dumb decision.  I really don’t know what to think.

That’s why, I am still rooting for Boston Rob.  He’s the only one really playing the game.  Maybe second after him would be Grant because he has been a beast in challenges and doesn’t seem completely oblivious.  On Zapatera, I really don’t know any of them enough to say whether or not I would root for them to win.  If I had to pick someone it would probably be Mike the marine.  But I’m really reaching.

Whatever happens from here on out, especially if there is a merge and Matt comes back in the game, I really hope it jumps starts these people into putting their game faces on and start (like my man Herm Edwards says) playing to win the game.

 

2011 Network Upfront Meetings

You’re probably seeing this and wondering “what the hell is an upfront meeting and as a TV viewer, why should I care?”   Many of you may know what these are but for those that don’t, the upfront meetings are basically the network line up presentations for their advertisers.  The networks host these meetings/events for the major advertisers and press to showcase what their fall lineups will be and when shows will be premiering.  They usually show clips of the new shows and possibly have cast members of these new shows or current hit shows there to schmooze the advertisers.   Why do all this?   To give the advertisers a chance to buy advertising early (upfront) before the shows actually air.  For any of you who buy high-end wine, it’s like buying Bordeaux on futures.  You buy a certain price up front based on what you think it will be worth.  You jump for joy if it’s worth more than what you paid and you jump off a bridge if it’s worth less.  That’s what the upfront meetings are all about.

And you’re still thinking “why should I care?”   Because, this is when you find out if your favorite show has been renewed or canceled.  There are plenty of web sites where their experts prognosticate on what will be renewed and canceled.  TV by the Numbers is the best web site for that information in my opinion.  Most fans, if you go to these sites, should have some idea where their shows will fall.  But it’s not always 100% science.  Look at Fringe.  Based on history, NO ONE thought Fringe would get renewed.  But it did!  So you never know.  You never know until the upfronts. The upfronts are when it is official.   There is the rare exception I’m sure but 99.9% of the time, it’s official.

Now some networks are releasing renewals and cancellations before the upfronts.   If you want an updated list, check out my 2011/2012 Renew Cancel Tracker Tab on my home page.  If something isn’t renewed or canceled yet, it’s on the bubble and you probably won’t hear about it until the upfronts.   I can hear the panic in your voice now… “WHEN ARE THESE DAMN UPFRONTS SO I CAN SEE IF CHUCK IS RENEWED?????”   I’m so glad you asked!   See below for the list of dates:

• NBC     Monday May 16th 2011     Morning
• FOX     Monday May 16th 2011     Afternoon
• ABC      Tuesday May 17th 2011     Afternoon
• CBS      Wednesday May 18th 2011     Afternoon
• CW       Thursday May 19th 2011    Morning

Mark your calendars and check back here for the up to the minute information on what is renewed or canceled.  Maybe not up to the minute, but you will be able to find it here.  But in the meantime, check back on the Renew/Cancel Tracker because I update that as soon as I hear what has been made official!

 

REVIEW: Castle “Law & Murder” S3 E19

I feel like every week I say the same thing….Castle was awesome this week!!  I’m sorry, but it was.  I also thought the case was really interesting.  A juror in a murder trial drops dead and Beckett and the Boys are called in to investigate what has happened.  Alexis finally got a bit of a story as well.  I have some comments about that I think will be unpopular but what fun is it if we all agree?

Let’s start with Alexis and Castle.  Alexis comes in and Castle realizes that she is lying to him about where she is going for the day.  Which isn’t like her.  To see where she is really going, Castle tracks her with a GPS tracking app he downloaded on his phone.  As it turns out, she was lying and was somewhere else.  When she comes home and he presses her on where she was, it’s revealed that he knew she wasn’t in the Village due to the app.  Alexis goes off on him and storms upstairs furious that he did that to her.  At the station, he feels horrible and tells Beckett who sides with Alexis and tells him what he did was wrong.  But she also supports him knowing he did it because he was concerned.  Later in the show, Alexis comes to the station to see her dad and Castle immediately apologies to her for tracking her without her knowledge.  She tells him that she was with friends who stole some products from a store.  Castle is floored by this and says that stealing isn’t like her.  She agrees and says she didn’t steal anything.  She went back to the store because she felt bad and paid for all the stolen merchandise.  Castle then asks her about who these friends are and she won’t snitch on them.  He also asks her why she would hang around with people like that and she tells him it’s complicated.  In the end, Alexis and Castle hug and patch things up and go on their merry ways.

Here is my controversial comment.  I had no problem with what Castle did.  (Ducking as bricks are being thrown at me.)  I am going to preference my next comments with the fact that I am not a parent.  So take what I have to say with a grain of salt.  But if I was a parent I would have done what Castle did.  What exactly was wrong with what Castle did?  His daughter lied to him and he wanted to know where she was really at.  What is wrong with that?  Alexis was so furious about Castle “violating her civil rights.”  If I were him, I would have reminded her that maybe if she didn’t lie to him, he wouldn’t have had to do that.  She lied to her father (no matter what the reason) so she is wrong.  Secondly, if she is so annoyed that her “rights were violated” then she can get a job and get her own apartment and live in her own place where she can make the rules and no one will violate her rights.  While I think if Castle did something like that to a spouse or Martha or a friend it would be completely wrong, I think it’s different when it comes to your children.  I think parents have every right to violate certain privacy rights to make sure their kids aren’t doing anything that could potentially be dangerous or illegal.  Children don’t always make the best decisions and I think it’s up to parents to make sure that they do everything they can to protect their children.  And if some privacy has to be lost, so be it.  I also didn’t like Castle apologizing to Alexis yet she never apologized to him for lying.  Just because Alexis is a great kid, doesn’t mean she can do whatever she wants and not suffer any consequences.  In my opinion, the tracking was the consequence and if she doesn’t like, don’t lie to your father.  Enough said on that.

Now for the eye brow raising part.  She made a comment about not telling her dad who she was hanging out with.  She also said “it’s complicated” when her dad asked her why she would hang out with people like that.  Anyone else think this could be a setup for a juicy storyline coming down the road for Alexis?  I think so.  I’ve always wanted to see a little more for Alexis than just being the goody two shoes.  Now this could be a foreshadowing to something coming for her.  I hope nothing serious happens to her of course.  But I would like to see something more than just her being a good student and hugging her dad before she goes to school or he leaves for his job.

As for the case, it was great.  The trial of a murdered woman gets very interesting when a juror is murdered.  At first it looks like the brother of the defendant is the guilty party, but he isn’t.  As the investigation moves forward, more and more suspects pop up and we also find out that the defendant on trial for murder, didn’t commit the crime.  So now Beckett and the Boys have to figure out not only who killed the juror but who really killed the young girl.  There were lots of back and forth as to why the juror was killed and if there was some connection to him and the female victim.  Turns out there was a connection after all.  The juror’s brother killed the girl by accident and fled the scene.  Unfortunately the original defendant on trial saw the abandoned car and was just there to steal the car.  Little did he know that there was a body in the trunk.  Oops.  That’s why he was getting pinned for the murder.  Since the juror knew his brother actually committed the crime and not the man on trial, he paid the court clerk to get him on the jury.  He was going to be the juror that got the man off.  Unfortunately for him, the girl who was murdered came from an incredibly wealthy family who also happened to be large contributors to the DA’s campaign.  The brother of the original victim caught wind of what was going on and poisoned the juror so he wouldn’t be able to help the defendant go free.  But the ultimate bad guys was the DA.  The juror tried to contact him with proof of the defendant’s innocence but the DA wouldn’t listen.  The family wanted the defendant convicted and the DA would continue with the case because of their financial connection to him.  The scary thing is that this probably happens in real life more than we know.  In the end, the brother of the juror get arrested for killing the young woman and the her brother gets arrested for killing the juror.

On the Castle/Beckett front, not a whole lot of development but I LOVED the interaction with them at the end.  In the beginning of the show, Castle asked Alexis to go with him for a showing of Forbidden Planet.  It happened to be one of his favorite Leslie Nielson movies before Nielson became the popular comedic movie star.  She said she couldn’t because she had plans (remember her lie causing Castle to have to track her?)  Hee hee.  Sorry I couldn’t resist bringing that up again!  But at the end of the show, when the case is over and they are wrapping up their day, Castle asks Beckett what she is up to and she tells him that Josh is working so she is going to see this movie called Forbidden Planet by herself.  He raises his eye brow but she doesn’t notice.  She asks if he’s ever seen it and he says no.  She goes off about how much he would love it and she insists that he come with her…her treat.  He agrees and as she walks away, he has this HUGE smile on his face.  It. Was. Awesome!!!!   She promise they can have candy and popcorn and he suggests possibly getting cheeseburgers afterward.  They get into the elevator and she starts to tell him about the movie and Leslie Nielson and again, he flashes that huge grin.  Loved it.   LOVED IT!!!

I already can’t wait for next week!!!!

 

CBS Renews Two Reality Shows

Great news for the fans of CBS reality TV.  CBS has renewed The Amazing Race and Undercover Boss for the 2011-2012 season.

I don’t watch either one of these shows but for fans of these shows….yeah!!!!  I think the Amazing Race is in its 18th season.  I always forget how long that’s been on.  I know Survivor has been renewed for seasons 23 and 24 (wow!!) but I can’t believe TAR has been on almost as long as well.   Good for them!

 

Chaos Premieres Friday April 1st on CBS at 8pm

There are a lot of shows premiering this week.  And by the way, Sunday night is going to be a brutal night because 3 shows are premiering at the same time (The Borgias, The Killing, and The Kennedys….all cable shows.)

This was one of those shows that I heard about last summer but completely forgot about until I saw a commercial for it the other day.  Chaos is about a group of rogue CIA agents that go on all these wacky missions.  It looks hilarious and interesting at the same time.  It stars Eric Close, Freddy Rodriguez, Tim Blake Nelson, and James Murray.  It premieres this Friday April 1st on CBS at 8pm.  Other than Supernatural there really isn’t anything else I watch on Fridays so I am going to check this out.

Preview clip is below so check it out and tune in Friday to see if Chaos is going to be added to your viewing lineup!

 

Body of Proof Premieres This Tuesday March 29th on ABC at 10pm

I have been anxiously awaiting this premiere because I think it looks awesome and I love the cast!!  Body of Proof stars Dana Delany as Dr. Megan Hunt, a former top-level neurosurgeon turned medical examiner who is estranged from her husband and daughter.  It premieres tomorrow night on ABC at 10pm.

I hope by premiering this late in the year, it hasn’t set this show up for failure.  I already have lots of 10pm Tuesday night shows I already watch, like The Good Wife and Parenthood.  And by this time of year, many people are already set with their viewing habits and aren’t looking to add new shows to the mix at this point.  So that already has me concerned for Body of Proof.  It also doesn’t seem like ABC has promoted this show very well.  I’ve seen a commercial here or there but nothing to the level that you would think.  Especially considering ABC has really bombed on the drama front this year with shows like No Ordinary Family, Detroit 1-8-7, The Whole Truth, My Generation, and Off the Map, you would think ABC would like to see at least ONE new drama make it to next fall.  Those other 5 shows are either already canceled or about to be.  Not good for ABC.  So Body of Proof is their last chance to have a new show for this TV season to succeed.

Check out the clip below and if it peaks your interest, tune in tomorrow night!

 

REVIEW: Bones “The Blackout in the Blizzard” S6 E16

I’ll be honest, the case this week wasn’t that interesting to me so I am not going to touch on it.  Sorry!  But I want to talk about the 2 core relationships on the show: Angela and Hodgins and of course, Booth and Brennan.  So this was the much buzzed about episode with Booth and Brennan trapped in an elevator and a major conversation about their relationship takes place there.  I would say some interesting conversation happens there but I think a pivotal conversation happens later at Booth’s apartment.  But let’s get to Ang and Hodgins first.

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I cried watching these two.  TJ Thyne and Michaela Conlin are so incredible.  People always talk about the chemistry between Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz and make no mistake, those people aren’t wrong about that.  I am also one those people.  But no one every really talks about the chemistry between Conlin and Thyne.  It is wonderful.  They were so good, I felt guilty watching their scenes.  The reason why, is because I felt like I was intruding on a real couple’s private concern and pain.   Angela was very concerned about being a carrier for this genetic marker that could mean the baby could be blind.  Hodgins was just tested to find out if he was also a carrier (which is the only way the baby could be in danger of being blind.)  He spent most of the episode trying to reassure Angela that everything would be fine.  It was such a long shot (like 1 in a million) that he was going to be a carrier.  However, his buddy Wendell could see that he was also nervous.  Hodgins tried to blow it off and remind him he needs to be strong for Angela but Wendell could see right through it.  Finally Hodgins gets the call.  You don’t need to hear the conversation and you never need to hear him actually say it.  It is all over his face and in the tone of his voice that he is also a carrier.  He breaks down in tears in front of Wendell and is so worried to tell Angela for fear she is going to hate him.  I know I’ve been there when you hear news of something that is completely out of your control and you are so afraid to tell the person this also affects because you fear they will be disappointed in you.  I was crying right with him.  Wendell was being a really good friend by understanding Hodgins’ fear and sadness but also by respectfully telling him that Angela won’t be mad at him and that they will get through this.  As this is going on, Angela walks in with a smile on her face which quickly disappears when she sees Hodgins face.  Wendell excuses himself and we see Hodgins telling Angela through the glass window and she lovingly grabs his face and hugs him as he tearfully tells her that he’s a carrier.  It was such a touching moment and was crying like a baby!!   Towards the end of the episode, after the case was solved and they were heading home, Ang and Hodgins had another beautiful scene.  Hodgins started talking about how Ang would need to learn sculpting because if the baby can’t paint, he/she could sculpt and still have Angela’s artistic influence.  And he wants to take up piano so he can teach the baby piano together.  I loved how he was taking this situation and looking for all the positives.  Angela did remind him that there is still a chance the baby will be just fine and no matter what happens, they can handle anything because they have each other.  Another water works moment for yours truly!  Since the writers are farting around with Booth and Brennan, it’s nice to see such a strong, solid couple we can always rely on.   And speaking of Booth and Brennan….

What did you think of Booth and Brennan during this episode?  I love them.  I have always loved them and I will always love them.  I was cracking up with the elevator scene.  First and foremost, being from Philadelphia (where David Boreanaz grew up) and being an Eagles fan, I can COMPLETELY appreciate Booth wanting those Vet Stadium seats (I actually have 2 seats myself!)  There was some great interacting between B&B and Sweets with Sweets trying to get them to talk about their feelings towards each other.  It got a little ugly when he brought up Hannah but he and Booth were fine by the end of the episode.

What I was waiting for was this BIG conversation B&B were going to have about their relationship in the elevator that was teased to us but it never happened.  Unless you count Brennan bringing up the idea of them sleeping together..you know considering their stamina it would be quite satisfying!   Ha!!  That was fantastic.  But other than that, nothing of significance was discussed and it was the same old, “we’re not a couple” and “we don’t need to talk about this right now” and blah blah blah.  I was pissed.  I thought I was going to tweet Hart Hanson about how I have had enough of all of this teasing of B&B getting together and it never happening.  Because he would listen to me.  I’m sure of it.  But then the scene in Booth’s apartment happened.  And I’m torn on how I feel about it.

In Booth’s apartment, Booth admitted that what happened between him and Hannah really threw him for a loop.  Therefore, he is not ready to go down a serious path just yet.  His heart and head need some time to recoup.  On the flip side, Brennan admits that when he first asked her to get together, she was impervious to those types of advances.  But she also admitted that she could see a time where she isn’t so impervious and would consider opening up to the idea of a relationship with Booth.  So what they decided to do was write down a date and burn it for good luck.  Supposedly that will be the date they are ready to get together.   The good news is that I think this is great progress.  Both parties for the first time, basically admitted that they would like to start a relationship together, just not right now.  That’s a HUGE step from them never admitting to wanting to be together and being just friends and colleagues and also him being ready but she isn’t and then she’s ready but he isn’t.  They are on the same page to want to try just not yet.  The bad news is that with this blind date that was written down and not shared means Hart Hanson and crew can drag this on for seasons to come.  Ugh!!!!!!  Also, I understand what Booth was trying to do, but I thought it was incredibly silly.  I would rather him have grabbed her hand, looked her in the eye and said “look, we aren’t in a position to do this right now.  But I am willing to wait.  Wait until you’re ready and wait until I’m ready to give this a chance.  What do you say?   Do you agree” as he extends his hand for a “seal the deal” handshake.  Brennan would then slap his hand away and say “this is how you seal a deal” and rip off her clothes, rip off his clothes, and have sex with him during the 3 week hiatus.  Really, would that have been too hard to direct?   Ha!!!  In all seriousness, can you imagine how all the B&B fans would be for 3 weeks if THAT happened?  I know I would be dancing in the streets.

While I think it’s great that B&B are moving closer and closer to a relationship together, I still feel like this isn’t happening any time soon.  This is also seems to be the type of story you get after a major fight in the writers rooms.  I have no inside knowledge of this and I am only guessing but I can just imagine writers are very split on what to do with B&B.  I can see some writers vehemently opposing their getting together until the end of the series.  And I can see some writers vehemently saying that they need to stop jerking the viewers around or they are going to stop watching the show.  This placates both parties.  B&B didn’t get together but they did give the fans hope that yes something will happen just not right now.  I have to admit that for a while, I really wasn’t sure that the writers were going to ever put them together.  Now I have confirmation that they will I just may have to wait until I turn 80.

How did you feel about this episode?  Were pleased with the “advancements” in B&B’s relationship?  Or are you just as frustrated as before?   And aren’t 100% convinced the Angela and Hodgins are going to be the best parents ever?   I want to hear from you!!!