Hemal Jhaveri
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Why I may have to boycott this week's episode of Top Chef
There's always an actor or an actress that, for whatever reason, raises your ire so much you can't stand to see the person in anything, be it a TV show, movie or glossy magazine spread. However irrational it is, his or her presence is enough to set your teeth on edge. This week, I have to decide if my love for the Voltaggio brothers out weighs my dislike of Natalie Portman.
Until recently, I didn't particularly feel one way or the other about Natalie Portman, who's set to be the guest judge on Top Chef this week, but after reading her recent editorial preaching the upside of vegetarianism on Huffington Post, I'm ready to add her to my small but intense list.
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Why are you watching Glee?
So, tell me why you're watching Glee. Entertainment Weekly put the Fox musical/drama/comedy on it's cover this week, calling it "TV's Happiest Hour." With around 8 million people tuning in each week and iTunes sales of songs featured on the show going through the roof, there's no denying that Glee has turned into a barely contained phenomenon.EW says it's "snarky, theatrical and totally addictive." All very true, but I watch for one reason: this show makes me happy. Nothing I've seen on TV in the past few years, much less this season, puts a grin on my face like these high school kids earnestly singing and dancing. I mean, come on. Did you see Puck's rendition of "Sweet Caroline"?
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Does loving Glee make me a bad feminist?
There are plenty of ill-conceived female characters all over prime-time TV (just pick any show on the CW for starters) but is it fair to dump Glee into that category? While Glee undoubtedly has some of the most egregious, misshapen teen girls around, I don't think it's this fall's worst offender. Sadie over at Jezebel makes some very salient points in her gender-critique of Glee, but she misses the mark when she calls the show "cheap and disingenuous." Yes, stock portrayals of female characters can reinforce harmful stereotypes, but I don't think that's what's happening on Glee.
As an avid fan, I think you can appreciate the show without dismissing it because it doesn't portray women in a positive light. This is a Ryan Murphy show. And no one comes out looking good in a Ryan Murphy show.
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John Cho talks FlashForward
I wanted to add a spoiler warning with this post, but sadly, John Cho, who plays FBI agent Demetri Noh on ABC's FlashForward, is pretty tight lipped about all the big reveals that are coming up this season. I had the chance to speak with him recently, and despite my continued harassment, he's good at keeping secrets. But, that doesn't mean fans will have to wait long for answers to start rolling in about the mysterious massive blackout that allowed everyone in the world to see into the future.
"I have been excited by and impressed by how much they're revealing this early on," he said. "There's been serious bombshells on a weekly basis ... I feel like they [the writers] are very conscious about giving the audience a lot of information."
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Vampire Diaries: Friday Night Bite
(S01E03) Why does every high school show have to do the obligatory football episode? Is this something that's still big for kids? Seriously, does this hierarchy of popularity still exist? Or are the writers just too old to know any better?
Anyway, this week Stefan tries out for the football team in a desperate attempt to not be so weird and creepy, and Elena, in an effort to get back to her "normal" life, goes back to cheerleading. That works for a few days, until Damon shows up and kills the history teacher/football coach Mr. Tanner. Yay for Damon!
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The Vampire Diaries: The Night Of The Comet
(S01E02) Two episodes in and I'm totally on board with the bad-ass Damon love. People, he is so evil! And he looks like Rob Lowe. What is not to love? The second episode of Vampire Diaries was way more watchable than the pilot, mainly because we don't have to suffer through so much boring character exposition. This really freed up the writers to get creative with Damon and Stefan, which was a great boost. And aside from some scenery chewing at the end, a very well paced and exciting episode.
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Bones: Harbingers in the Fountain (season premiere)
(S05E01) I'm sure I wasn't the only person dumbfounded by the way last season left off, but not to worry, faithful fans! We're not in for an entire season of Booth With Amnesia as feared. In fact, we pick up season five of Bones six weeks after Booth's brain surgery, and things are pretty much getting back to normal. Not only is Booth recovering fine, he seems to have (thankfully) gotten over his temporary amnesia and remembers Brennan as his partner and not his wife.
Continue reading Bones: Harbingers in the Fountain (season premiere)
What songs are on your Glee wish list?
After missing the premiere episode of Glee when it aired in May, I watched the DVR'd season premiere with friends last night. As soon as it was over, I promptly ditched them to head upstairs and watch the pilot on Hulu. I am hooked, people!And now, after seeing their version of "Don't Stop Believin'," I want to see Glee versions of all my favorite pop songs, plus all the show tunes I loved from back when I was a high school drama dork.
So, Glee fans, what's on your song wish list? My top five are after the jump.
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Supernatural: Sympathy for the Devil (season premiere)
(S05E01) It's you chuckle head! You're the Michael Sword! -Zachariah
When we last saw Sam & Dean Winchester, they were staring down a face-to-face meeting with the Big Bad himself, Lucifer. And that's where we pick right back up for the epic and awesome season five opener. So, you'll forgive my fan girl gushing for a bit, but there are very few series that start their fifth season stronger than they did their first, and this episode surpassed a lot of the high expectations I had.
Not only do we get a kick ass fight scene, a possessed Bobby, and a tearful and heartfelt apology for starting Armageddon from Sam, but we finally meet Satan, and surprise, he's a pretty sympathetic fellow.
Basically, it boils down to this: the angles are back, the demons are creating havoc on Earth, everyone's raging for a Apocalyptic war and Dean is The Vessel. Oh and lastly, Sam & Dean are so broken up.
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The Vampire Diaries: Pilot (series premiere)
(S01E1) The Vampire Diaries has everything that a show on the CW should have: nubile young actors and actresses staring longingly at one another while delivering flippant dialogue, decent special effects and enough teen angst to choke a small town.
The Vampire Diaries stars Smallville alums Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, both strong jawed and steely eyed, as Stefan and Damon, mysterious strangers who arrive in the town of Mystic Falls and fall into the company of a sweet straight-A student named Elena, played by the pretty Nina Dobrev, who's still mourning the loss of her parents. Both brothers, one good and one bad, seem to have eyes for Elena, we're just not yet sure why.
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The TV Squad Podcast: Linda Purl talks about The Office, we talk spoilers, and more
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The TV Squad Podcast: Bill Scheft of The Late Show, Cake Boss, Mad Men and more
