That's How Funny+Meaningful is Done

After the aggravation that was Glee this week (the inconsiderate, bratty son parade and the over the top insecurity showcase mixed with super cheese and lack of funny- see Wednesday's @mytvblog tweets to read more), I can't tell you how happy it made me to watch the latest episode of Cougar Town.

Consistently funny (um denim-wearing Enya dancing, amazing!), Cougar Town is always fun but this week really drove home how smart and sweet it is too.

Let's start with the least important:
Smith is adorable and I'm so glad he's back. He means good things for Laurie as a character, whether they stay together or not.

Then there's sidekicks Ellie and Andy. They're my favourite thing about the series, mostly because I'm incredibly narcissistic and have long since realized that Ellie is just me with more of a taste for a good glass of wine. And OF COURSE I'm married to the gay guy from Felicity, why on earth not? In any case, as silly as their story this week was (thinned out to support a heavier than usual A plot) it brought to the forefront that unique quality that I love about them: the incredible underlying love that neither of them ever considers doubting no matter how mean she is or how much alone time he needs.

As for that heavier than usual A plot, it was something they'd have to do eventually, though I was not looking forward to it because I love Dan Byrd so much. It was time for Travis to choose where to go to college. Jules having never been anything other than creepily attached to her son, the show dealt with the issue the only way it could have: from her perspective of losing him. We get it, things are all fine and dandy and we get where Jules is coming from asking Travis to stay if he really doesn't have a preference between the two schools he got into. But then Travis does something that seems to have been in fashion this week (considering Glee), call his mom out. But when Travis did it it wasn't selfish. It wasn't cruel or inconsiderate or unfair. It was honest. And in doing so he pointed out what I was ashamed I hadn't noticed before: just how selfish it was for Jules to say what she did to him.

So Jules got out-parented by Bobby, always a funny and poignant thing. And while she wasn't punished by Travis moving across the country, she did suffer her comeuppance when even his moving just 20 minutes away hurt more than she anticipated.

Throw in some genuinely funny lines (Ellie calling Bobby the 6th most intelligent in the room- priceless!), a little more denim Enya dancing and an obvious and possibly troublesome (though not altogether unwelcome) cliffhanger and you've got yourself an episode that was not in the least bit aggravating, was meaningful without being cheesy and did right by all the wonderful Cougar Town characters.

Are you paying attention Glee? Because THAT is how it is done.

BRING BACK PUCK

Glee's unparalleled best character hasn't had a storyline in months, appeared in 2 shots of this entire episode and had only 1 line this week. He's the most engaging, the most charming, the smartest, the most complex and hands down the hottest. Give Him Something To Do!

PS: If I was supposed to come away from this week's episode and still like Kurt I don't know what's going on with the usually astute Ryan Murphy. I haven't disliked any Glee character as much as I disliked him this week in the entire run of the show. Hey Kurt, your dad is a superstar, how dare you expect him to accept you for you when you can't accept him for him!

Remembering the Rules

This week's episode of the always charming, usually amusing, often ignored CBS sitcom Rules of Engagement was laugh out loud funny.

First of all, Rules has added former My TV Actor Obsession Adhir Kalyan to their already excellent cast of series regulars, an extremely welcome character addition, even if it does screw up the show's original premise of 2 couples and their single friend (not that the premise will be missed at all).

The underrated show sports one of the most consistently likable casts on TV (yes, even David Spade, sort of). Central married couple Jeff and Audrey hold down the fort as perfectly complimentary, sweetly flawed curmudgeon counterpoints to their perky and quirky neighbours, engaged couple Adam and Jen. Patrick Warburton (Jeff) and Megyn Price (Audrey) have their "we've been married for more than a decade" dynamic down to a science and form, in a counter-intuitive way, one of the most lovingly functional couples on TV. Oliver Hudson and Bianca Kajlich's Adam and Jen are well-drawn and engaging characters who seem like they could be people I know. In fact all of the characters on Rules of Engagement feel pretty real. So when Audrey's entire storyline has to do with sweating too much at an important party, you laugh with her because it's a human problem to have, not a TV problem.

Jeff's concerns about estrogen entering his system, Timmy's unexpected outbursts of Bruins pride, Adam's random immaturity, for some reason it all just worked this week and I laughed harder than I have at many more lauded shows. I somehow always manage to forget, but Rules of Engagement is reassuringly consistent in its charm and pretty much always brings the funny. Click Here to read my review after the first time I saw the show. The story of these 5 friends has always been a pleasure to watch and now with Timmy on board it threatens to remain that way for a long time to come.

Liz Lemon Dreams Big

In one of the more genuine moments of the often broad comedy machine that is 30 Rock, Liz Lemon monologued last week to a poor unsuspecting dodgeball player about what she wants in a relationship. I don't think I've ever loved Liz Lemon more:

“I’ll tell you what I do want. I want someone who will be monogamous, and nice to his mother. And I want someone who likes musicals but knows to just shut his mouth when I’m watching Lost. And I want someone who thinks being really into cars is lame and strip clubs are gross. I want someone who will actually empty the dishwasher instead of just taking forks out as needed, like I do. I want someone with clean hands and feet and beefy forearms like a damn Disney prince. And I want him to genuinely like me, even when I’m old. And that’s what I want”. –Liz Lemon (30 Rock)

Think you have too much free time on your hands?

In other semi-embarassing TV-watching-related news, my once passing fascination with the TV show version of Ten Things I Hate About You has turned into full blown obsession. As the show moves into its second season, it's gotten even better, wittier, and more engaging. The characters have deepened, their relationships finally gone past the movie, and damn if Patrick Verona isn't seventy degrees of sexy, even without the Australian accent. Kat Stratford continues to be one of the biggest badasses around, whether she's ditching school on a motorcycle or "protesting for better lunch meat or whatever it is you white girls complain about." (oh yeah, nice little meta-joke for all us old timers who remember the movie imbedded in the most recent episode). Even Bianca is getting some much needed fun, thanks to storylines that don't ask her to just parade after popularity and instead bring her character human things to do, like trying to redefine her relationship with Cameron given that she shut him down.

The point of this little post, besides my inherently confessional nature, is that all of Season Two is on Hulu, and they're perfect little half hour trifles that are thuroughly enjoyable, reusable, and entertaining. So go Green, My TV Blog readers, and enjoy an episode of 10 Things.

Bones Update

I'm about two weeks late, and I don't have the time/energy to give this the attention it truly deserves, but as the resident Bones expert here at My Tv I feel the need to comment on the recent dramatics. For the record, BIGGEST SPOILER WARNING EVER.

About two weeks ago, Bones had its 100th episode, an episode that coincided with a major step forward/backwards/laterally for Booth and Brennan. To summarize, Booth finally laid it all on the line, Brennan reacted like a coward not ready to deal with how deeply she feels, and the episode ended with a deeply wounded Booth telling Brennan he needed to move on if she wasn't going to be ready for him. It was a great episode, but the ending left me nervous. Where did the show go from here?

The answer: to one of the best episodes of all time. Brennan and Booth head back to her hometown to solve the murder of a former classmate, which also happens to coincide with Brennan's high school reunion. What followed was incredibly telling (Brennan was known as "Morticia" to her classmates and hung out with a creepy janitor played by Freddy freaking Kruger), funny (the teen horror movie parody stayed just on the right side of goofy), and moved the plot forward (the little Booth and Brennan dance, all the people hitting on both of them, the significance of Brennan's episode ending friendship speech).

It managed to deal honestly with the ramifications of the big episode AND still be fun, something I wasn't sure was possible. If the show can continue this, dealing honestly with Booth and Brennan's emotions, continuing to move them towards impending couplehood while throwing up legitimate and engaging reasons for them not to be together, and writing really damn good one shot episodes, then I'm feeling more confident than I have been that the show can weather the storm of expectations than I have felt in a while.

I didn't even mention the motion on the Hodgins/Angela front (Yay!) or the fun Sweets stuff. That's how good this episode was!

Season Wrap Up: Accidentally On Purpose

The story of Accidentally on Purpose's first season seems to me to be that of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The critics didn't like it right out of the gate. It was too conventional, too simple and not Modern Family in a season when comedies were neglected for the crime of being anything other than Modern Family. But I always liked it. Accidentally on Purpose was never perfect but it was far from bad. I thought it was sweet and fun and at times very very funny. But as the season wore on, Accidentally on Purpose seemed to settle into the very mediocrity that it was accused of in its early days.

As the episodes passed, tolerable broad comedy characters Davis and Olivia grew more and more obnoxious, their antics ridiculous and their screen time overwhelming. The banter seemed to slow down and the jokes grew stale.

Quirky supporting couple Nick and Abby, however, balanced Davis and Olivia well, providing some of the most consistent comedy in the series, including the finale's best line: "It's this kind of attitude that keeps us off The Amazing Race".

Central couple Zack and Billie remained pretty consistently charming though grew tiresome after awhile. The series played up Zack's immaturity and took advantage of Billy's hormones more than I would have liked but generally Zack and Billie were watchable, not much more or less than that.

The finale brought the birth of the child conceived in the pilot, some annoyingly over-done shenanigans involving a prison cell, secret sex between enemies and a lot of Davis fainting. While the episode as a whole was mildly charming and generally uninspiring, the birth scene itself was pretty darn great as Zack serenaded Billie with "Push It" by Salt-N-Pepa.

The episode served as a good representation of the show as a whole: charming, fine and generally passable with the occasional highpoint.

But despite its general decline in quality throughout season 1, I would actually like to see CBS pick up the simple sitcom for a second season. Yes, because I do like Jon Foster on my TV screen each week but also because now that the baby's born there might be some really interesting stories to be told. I'm rooting for you, Accidentally on Purpose, fare thee well.

Finale Grade: C+
Season Grade: B-

VICTORY! a picture list

The Final Dancer

Today Nigel announced the last dancer in the So You Think You Can Dance season 7 All-Star pool. Though my all-time SYTYCD favourites Danny Tidwell and Katee Shean are predictably not among the lot, the most recent addition is the most exciting yet: season 3's goofball prodigy Neil Haskell, one of the show's most popular dancers ever. And Nigel did make a point of saying that there would be room for more All-Stars next season, so clearly there are plans for this new format to stick around long enough for my favourites to maybe return someday.

Romantically Challenged, Thoroughly Mediocre

Tonight was the premiere episode of ABC's new Alyssa Milano sitcom Romantically Challenged. An unoriginal concept (newly divorced super quirky single mom navigates the dating world- hi Old Christine!) weighs this comedy down and its traditional format (3 cameras + laughtrack), cliched writing and uninspired cast (Alyssa, you're really pretty but you were at your funniest opposite Tony Danza) do nothing to save it.

It's not Alyssa Milano's fault. She's perfectly charming, if a little plastic, in a flatly written character. Josh Lawson's Shawn and Kelly Stables' Lisa are the most irritating cast members by far, little more than stereotypes of unlikable people.

If salvation is to be found anywhere, it's in the character of Perry (Worst Week's Kyle Bornheimer), who proved not only tolerable but actively engaging. Perry has a distinct persona (though still sitcom-friendly in his simplicity) and a set of quirks that are neither irritating or boring. Though comparable to Old Christine's Matthew, Perry is a relatively unique character for TV and someone I could easily invest in. His storyline was the highlight of the episode, he had the only truly funny lines and his longstanding friendship actually made Alyssa Milano's Rebecca more interesting by proxy.

If there's one reason to watch what I'm sure will prove to be yet another short-lived mediocre standard sitcom, it's Kyle Bornheimer's promising character.

More All-Stars Announced

The So You Think You Can Dance All-Star announcements continue with season 3 popper Dominic and season 4 jazz dancer Courtney.

All Hail Spartacus! Bringer of Rain!

It started as a guilty pleasure. Innocently wandering over to a friend's house, I feasted my eyes upon a show whose entire mission statement seemed to be: get characters naked, have them kill people, other people have sex. In other words, it was exactly the kind of over-the-top ridiculousness that one could be excused for getting sucked into.

And at first, I thought it was a crappy show that made up for how crappy it was with absurdist and incredibly gratuitous nudity and violence. But something really funny happened as I began to sink my teeth into Spartacus's first season on Starz: I sort of fell in love.

Because Spartacus: Blood and Sand isn't exactly a normal TV Show (it airs on Starz, it has a shortened season, it's practically pornography), and therefore doesn't follow exactly normal TV reviews, it was actually surprising on a level that most shows can't be. On top of that, beneath the over-the-top orgies of both the carnal and bloody varieties, this show had some of the best characters ever created. It almost defies writing about them. Suffice it to say that Battiatus and Lucretia (the power couple that owns all the Gladiators, played by Lucy Lawless and John Hannah) were near perfect evil creations. And in Spartacus, viewers had the type of manly sentimental badasssery that is the only way to redeem a character who spent the majority of every episode drenched in other people's blood.

The dialogue, always flavored with a Shakesperean lilt, only improved as the series went on, as did its fast-paced plotting and excellent use of supporting and recurring characters. By the time that bat shit finale finally came around, it seemed an impossible task to truly tie up all the loose ends flapping about. Of course, the finale told you exactly how it was going to do that right in its episode title: Kill Them All.

The finale was a bloody, sex-filled apocalypse, literally awash with dead bodies and carnage, and it totally hit the reset button for next season. On a different show, I'd be worried that nearly half the principle cast left the finale irredeamably, well, dead, but on Spartacus, it only opens up further ridiculous and amazing possibilities.

Season Finale: A

Season: A-

SIDE NOTE: All episodes of Spartacus: blood and sand are available for free on Netflix Watch Instantly.

Sometimes I Really Hate Glee

Glee returned to FOX last night in the perfect programming timeslot directly following jauggernaut American Idol. I'll admit I was excited. I have a tumultuous relationship with America's new favourite show but it had won me over by the time it went off the air this fall. So I was looking foward to its return. I was promised all sorts of goodness: Broadway superstars Idina Menzel and Jonathan Groff were guest starring!

But last night's episode was blah at best and angering at worst. There wasn't a single musical number that wasn't entirely standard for the show, nothing new or interesting in any way. I don't think Puck, the most engaging character, had a single line the entire episode. In general, they ignored the increasingly interesting supporting cast in favour of the unengaging leads (aka Rachel, Finn and Mr. Shue.

The writers of last night's episode seemed to be working really hard to counterbalance Matthew Morrison's incredible charm. Yes Hollywood writers, absolutely the thing to do with a beloved character who has just embarked on a relationship with another beloved character is to have them make out with Taye Diggs' wife. That makes a lot of sense.

I swear this show is determined to have me hate their characters.

Finn proved to have so few brain cells it's amazing he can walk straight (though, in all fairness, that's not new information). and Rachel (the girl whom the show is bound bent determined to highlight for reasons passing understanding) was yet again a naive and obnoxious diva (again, not new information, but annoying).

What's worse, the highly anticipated guest stars were a mixed bag of unexciting. Idina Menzel's character as the coach of Vocal Adrenaline was actually pretty good. Though Mr. Shuester came off as a dingbat around her, she still proved an engaging character. Broadway's golden boy, however, suffered a tougher fate.

Jonathan Groff is amazing. He's gorgeous and charming and in possession of one of the single greatest musical theatre voices of his generation. He also happens to have years of established stage chemistry with his former Spring Awakening co-star Lea Michele and has proven himself capable of playing a lovable but edgy golden boy close to flawlessly (trust me, I saw it live, his Melchior Gabor won over even the doubters- see photo). But on Glee he was icky. I know he's supposed to be charming but untrustworthy, a combo that almost always comes off as slimy, but this was too much. Everything from his too-long hair to his creepy entrance to his pretentious smart-talk to that disastrously showy "Highway to Hell" number to his on-stage wooing of Ms. Michele (Rachel) was unappealing. He was strangely flamboyant when the character shouldn't have been (again, Glee writers, you need to brush up on basic writing strategies: don't give a gay actor lines like "you're even more of a drama queen than me" and expect the audience to believe he's straight) and it became next to impossible to believe Rachel would fall for it. Oh, and the dubbing that has always driven me crazy crossed the line last night when it masked Groff's powerful and beautiful voice with fancy orchestration and ridiculous studio-based smoothing and tuning crap. You've got a cast of one-of-a-kind singers, let them sing! It's a shame really, Jonathan Groff is so much better than what Glee made him into.  If it weren't for the palpable chemistry between the two (evident only in their kiss at the end), this first part of his guest arc as Rachel's 'boyfriend' would have been a complete bust.

Shape up Glee! Otherwise I fear what depths you might make my beloved Neil Patrick Harris and Joss Whedon sink to.

Good Reality Happenings

Added 
(to the SYTYCD season 7 All-Star pool)

Eliminated
(from The Amazing Race, by Caite nonetheless, about time)

Dancing All-Stars...again

Season 4's adorable quirkball Mark Kanemura (of "Bleeding Love"/ "The Garden" fame) joins the upcoming So You Think You Can Dance season 7 All-Star pool.
Easily one of the most exciting additions yet. Still no Katee or Danny though so my dream is not complete.

Another Dancer

The So You Think You Can Dance season 7 All-Star pool welcomes obvious choice but welcome participant Lauren Gottlieb from the superb (and severely under-represented so far) season 3 cast.

The Reality Reality: Dancing, Dumbassery and some other stuff

1) Nigel announced who the female hip hop master is going to be for the SYTYCD All-Star pool and it's the least surprising news since he announced the male hip hopper (Twitch). It's season 4's Comfort Fedoke, the best female popper the show's ever seen from easily its best hip hop season.

2) I'm pretty sure I hate Survivor. After last week's travesty of a vote I was semi-sure I hate Survivor but now with my other favourite gone, Jerri completely coasting and the heroes (the 5 who stepped up to cushion the blow last week a little) threatening to be fooled by misinterpreting the villain tribe dynamics, I'm sure that I hate Survivor, or at least this season. Even if the promo for next week is a red herring (which, let's face it CBS, it probably is), the heroes still aren't proving their smarts along with their skills the way they should. And the villains, oh boy. The only one who seems to see through Russell is Sandra, whom I also can't stand so where does that leave me? Hey Jerri, step up! Your perfect man just got the boot because you made a mistake last week and couldn't recover and make a big move to save him. This week's episode was actually painful to watch. Not only was useless/snarky skeletor saved elimination (again, DON'T TALK BACK TO JEFF!) with my beloved crazyman Coach going in her place but ho bag queen Bee still thinks she's ruling the roost even though it's actually her hillbilly man-toy calling the shots, it took quite a lot of restraint to not hurl things at the TV every time her gloating little snicker showed up. I really just want this to be over so we can get to the reunion episode and see Rob again- is that weird?

3) In happier reality news, The Amazing Race is still progressing as the best season since Nick and Starr took the top prize; Project Runway sent exactly the right 2 people to Bryant Park (go Seth Aaron!) and is forcing a showdown between 2 others (go Mila, I don't like you but I REALLY don't like Jay) which is superfun; I don't watch American Idol regularly but know that the best competitors (Crystal Bowesox!) are holding their own, the worst are being eliminated steadily and the judges heroically stepped in when America tried to vote off the wrong guy this week.

Now back to ACTUAL reality.

Cute Line of the Day and some Betty thoughts

It may have been a thoroughly mediocre episode but Accidentally on Purpose returned last night and had at least one smile-worthy moment:

Zack: My instincts about people are way better than yours.
Billie: Why do you say that?
Zack:Well, you picked me but I picked you.

In other Wednesday night comedy news, Ugly Betty is one week away from the end. In the past two weeks (both badly written but oddly endearing episodes) we've gotten great closure on lots of fronts (including the reappearance of my beloved Christopher Gorham). Hilda's wedding was beautiful (LOVE Bobby); I'm loving Marc's arc and Michael Urie remains a God of television; I'm so happy for Justin and his incredibly adorable new boyfriend; I'm glad that Laguerta is back in Ignacio's arms (her name's actually Elena, played by Lauren Velez but she'll always be Dexter's Laguerta to me); I like that Betty's leaving fashion; I love that Amanda's found a purpose (and a daddy!); I hate the Tyler storyline (kill me, I'm so bored); and though I despise the idea of getting Betty and Daniel together I love the time that's being spent paying tribute to their 4 year growth as a pair. It's been a very up and down journey for Ugly Betty but it seems to be ending on the promise of an high note.

More All-Star Dancers Announced

Season 2's Allison Holker (of Allison & Ivan umbrella dance fame) and Season 5's Ade Obayomi (of Melissa & Ade breast cancer dance fame) will be joining in the season 7 fun as partners for Contemporary, Classical, Broadway, Cultural and more. Excellent choices both.

The Official Lost Podcast Drops Some Knowledge

In the always-entertaining Official Lost Podcast (available on iTunes) last week, the super awesome Lost showrunners Damon Lindeloff and Carlton Cuse were up to their usual antics, sarcastically avoiding fan questions. For such powerful and cult adored men, Damon and Carlton are always fantastically down to earth and fun, making their podcast entirely more enjoyable than their frustrating show itself. Last week's big reveals were the title of the series finale ("The End") and their response to a fan question asking who is the villain in their relationship:

"I'm not going to say that you're the most evil, but I think it's apparent that I'm the most good"
-Damon Lindeloff (The Official Lost Podcast)

I think that counts as the quote of the week.

Holy Comeback Batman!

My favourite Amazing Race team pulled off an awesome feat this week: they went from last place (in a non-elimination round) to first place (by a long shot) while completing a speed bump along the way (a task that only they have to complete because they were spared elimination).

The Cowboys, Jet and Cord (who were named one of my Obsessions of the Week back on March 23), are the best team running and have a clear shot at the win if they avoid some of the stupid mistakes that have held them up at times earlier in the race.

I'm also really rooting for Brent and Caite, the resilient underdogs who everyone counts out every week but who have managed to hang on longer than anyone could have imagined. They were superstars at this week's impossibly physical Detour challenge and would have easily finished in second if it weren't for some bad luck along the way (mostly an unfortunate cab driver who got them lost).

Quirky detectives Mike and Louis also win me over every week with their upbeat attitudes, fun turn of phrase and awesome support of each other (and the other deserving teams).

Also prevalent among this engaging lot of racers is an excellent judge of character. They're working together more than I've ever seen teams do before and are pairing off in smart ways. The unlikely pairing of Detectives Mike and Louis with Models Brent and Caite is particularly great as they unite against bullying narcissists Carol and Brandy. Every time Carol and Brandy squabble among themselves or belittle another team I take great pleasure in the knowledge that every other team is rooting against them, including the muddled brothers Dan and Jordan and the lone ranger Cowboys. Here's hoping that next week's promo of Carol going off about Caite and Brent is the result of the bullies being U-Turned and put out of the race entirely.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from the Cowboys, father/daughter team Steve and Allie went from first place to last in this leg, easily the most demanding of the season so far. I liked them well enough but won't much notice their absence. At this point in the race we're left with only the truly dynamic teams: the heroic cowboys, the villainous women, two contrasting teams of underdogs and the comic relief brothers. It's making for an enthralling season.

The Newest Dance All-Stars

Nigel's been unveiling the first ever So You Think You Can Dance all-star pool over twitter. We revealed his announcement of Twitch as the first all-star when we reviewed the show's proposed new format HERE. The two most recent additions are...

Representing Standard and Latin Ballroom: PASHA (season 3)













and

Representing Jazz, Contemporary and Broadway: KATHRYN (season 6)

Vampire Diaries

Perhaps you've wondered why my once verbose self has taken a self-imposed hiatus from blogging. Or perhaps you wonder why we drive on the parkway and park in the driveway. Either way, pipe down.

What could have pulled me out of semi-retirement? A grandiose examination of the themes of Mad Men Season 3? Barely made my typing finger twitch. An exploration of the ramifications of Dollhouse's series finale? Not falling off the wagon. A startlingly profound rumination on the second to last season of ABC Family's surprisingly wonderful Greek? Not exactly.

No, the answer is, as always, hot guys with their shirts off. In other words, it's time to reflect on the return of The Vampire Diaries.

Now if the mere phrase "Vampire" is enough to make you start humming the Buffy theme song in protest, I can hardly blame you. Our culture has become painfully saturated with the pale, blood thirsty types. In fact, when I first started watching the CW's freshman show about good looking people with the strong urge for blood, I wondered if perhaps, like a vampire's victim, I was just being held under some sort of vampire glamor.

But the thing is, Vampire Diaries has really, really grown on me. What started off as Buffy or Twilight -lite has actually turned into a show that is worth delving into, week after week. It's a show that consistently surprises and engages me, even as it plays with its teen soap and horror foundations.

So here are, in no particular order, the five most compelling reasons to visit or revisit The Vampire Diaries:

• While I complained early on about a lack of good female characters, the character of Katherine (badass vampire and lover of both of the brothers Salvatore) has really started to grown on me. At least until the 21st century version of her shows up and turns out to be a lovesick wuss.
• The plot is legitimately surprising, complex, and fascinating. What I originally saw as a pretty straight-forward "girl meets pasty boy" story has evolved into a complex mythology that is at once relateable and action packed
• The banter. Written by Dawson Creek impresario Kevin Williamson, the dialogue may not have the Buffy-flare, but it is consistently witty and fantastic.
• The relationships, especially the semi-friendship between Damon and Elena and the brotherly "love" between Damon and Stefan.

• And lastly...

• The brothers salvatore's near constant half nudity

ALSO, fun fact: : if you google image search Vampire Diaries shirtless, there are at least five pictures of a shirtless Taylor Lautner. Sometimes, blogging is really its own reward.

Kelly Talks Survivor

Anyone who watched last night's episode of Survivor and has read any comment I've made on this season so far has to know that I am not pleased. My second favourite, Jerri, chose the wrong side of a good fight and sent my favourite, Rob, home before his time. Props have to go, I suppose, to Russell who has found a way to convince me that he's not actually outmatched against the all-stars but I just can't be happy for last season's favourite. My allegiance was with Rob, he was the only one I really cared about as an old-school Survivor fan, and with him gone I'm not even sure I want to continue with the season.

If I end up coming back, I think I'll be rooting for Colby and the Heroes. Other than eliminating Tom, I don't think they've necessarily been voting wrong this whole time and that group of 5 does seem like they could be strong together, not unlike last season's Foa Foa Four. Colby finally seems to be stepping up physically though his intensity does need to tone down. I'm fond of JT from just the little I've seen of him and his big move on Cirie was the best Hero move of the season, so maybe he can be my new favourite.

As for the Villains, I'm not sure I'll be able to get over the hurt of their stupid decision and be on their side again. I can't watch another troupe of idiots follow around Russell like puppy dogs. And though getting out the strong players now is a good strategy, Rob could have gotten them so much further as a group than sneaky Russell, he's also just so much more pleasant to watch. I love Jerri but this is on her so I may have to find someone else to root for (even though the only other woman left on the island I can tolerate is Candace). (Well, actually, the blame should be on moronic Tyson from last week, who's elimination swayed the numbers and made way for the possibility of Russell's takeover). If there is a Villain I can still root for it's Coach. While fierce and loudly proclaimed loyalty is never a good game strategy (though secret loyalty to very specific people actually is), I though Coach's refusal to vote against Rob but inability to break his word to Russell was really quite valiant. He will surely fall soon enough to Russell's schemes but for now at least there's a hero to cheer for at the Villains' camp.

Farewell Rob, to me you will always be the brightest of all Survivor's All-Stars.

And apparently super host Jeff Probst agrees with me. Click Here to read his hilarious blog about the most recent episode.