Thog

Jim and Ariana's dance really moved me; I actually choked up when Jim literally kicked depression away in the end. But Nigel needs to shut up about things he apparently doesn't know much about. Telling Jim he must have been depressed at some point during all his surgeries was appalling, and stating that anyone who feels depressed should just get up and dance is ludicrous. Major depression is a debilitating physical illness, not some state of mind you can just dance away. Suggesting to depressed people that they are just not trying hard enough (or dancing enough) can send them into a tailspin of self-loathing. I know that exercise is a natural mood elevator, but that's not what this dance was about. Argh. Nigel calling the pretty women "Baby" makes me cringe as much as Jason calling Neptune "my brother" (I didn't hear it this week, but he's done it twice before). Best not to show any semblance of bias in any direction. I loved nearly every routine tonight, and it's getting to a point where I'd be sad to lose just about anybody.

From the way Travis and Twitch are discussing the "controversial elimination," I almost wonder whether Burim had an attitude problem we haven't been shown. They kept saying how personality, attitude, and a willingness to keep trying hard are so important, which I read as maybe being less about Asaf and more about Burim. I haven't seen one word about Burim's effort or attitude either way. I have to believe Asaf was kept for more than his abs and his drama... he may have been the lesser of two evils. (I have no evidence for this and don't want to slam Burim, but both captain's blogs had that tone to me of trying hard not to say something. Travis mentioned "how people are backstage," and Twitch said that "attitude is huge.") I see Marissa as a great contender for a role on DWTS, and I mean that in a good way. She seems to have the attitude and showmanship that Witney had, and Witney has done well there. I worry for Edson. In Travis's blog it was mentioned that he had a horrible full-body muscle cramp and landed in the hospital for three days out of the rehearsal week. Wasn't he also the one who had that happen in Vegas? It seems a matter of time before he has a permanent injury. If I were the judges I would have kept Moises over him if only out of concern for his health. (Also, I really liked Moises.) Interesting that they put Kate and Neptune together, as they are the two I hadn't noticed at first but am starting to really enjoy. I'm so glad they were saved.

They should make the women audition with their hair in a bun. If they can dance sexy without flipping their hair, I might take them seriously.

I sort of assumed they wrote in the Christopher beat-down because Morello was becoming too sympathetic, and they had to remind us of who she is and what she is capable of. For the rest of the season all her scenes had a sort of menacing undertone for me because of that. But if that is what they meant to do, perhaps they were too subtle about it.

Wow, people were touched by that wedding? I didn't see it as a fairy tale ending, but rather another manifestation of Lorna's delusions. Marrying someone you barely know, and met only because he's into incarcerated women, doesn't seem like something that will end well. I was a bit shocked that Red and the guards were in tears, given what they must know about Morello, but then I realized they're seeing it through their own lenses and not really thinking about the bride and groom in front of them. I also wanted some assurance that Christopher ended up okay. They did have Vince mention having "beaten up" some guy for her, not "killed," but I wish we knew the extent of the damage. Yet another reason I hardly think this marriage is going to work out. I'd like to think it will open up new storylines for Morello that don't involve bad 80s ballads, but rather an exploration of how dangerous her delusions really are (and not just for poor Christopher).

On reflection, I didn't hate the Red/Healey storyline. At the time all I could think was "No, no, don't go there!", but then they didn't. We don't need another guard/inmate romance, and Red is certainly better than that, but the little dance they did around each other brought out interesting elements to each character. She outlined nicely what their "special relationship" meant to her (besides extra corn), and he seemed to want to be a better person when she was around. Even when he blatantly asked her to stroke his ego ("Do you think I'm bad at my job?"), he seemed to at least sort of take in her nuanced answer. As long as they don't cross a line into actual romance, I look forward to seeing where this goes.

I was so annoyed that they let the tapper through. He was very entertaining and probably technically good, but he had zero musicality and couldn't even tell them the correct time signature of the music he'd chosen. Then he tried to make some excuse about not being able to hear well up on the stage, and asked to redo it without music at all. If that was such an unusual context for him that he couldn't perform, how does he expect to handle a stage and a loud audience week after week? They've cut better dancers for being unprofessional. Otherwise I found it enjoyable. I loved the first dancer and agree that he reminded me of Fik-Shun, the Haitian had such an infectious spirit, and I really enjoyed some of the stage performers (particularly Kenya and Connor). I'm still skeptical of the new format, but it looks like we've potentially got some very watchable contestants.

I laughed out loud at the soap joke. Not because it was funny, but because it was just so horrible and unexpected and really broke the dramatic tension. I'm glad they at least showed us that she got fired afterwards, because it was over the top even for this crew.

Yes. Adoption would have been Daya's best decision, just not necessarily to Pornstache's mom. At the end of this episode I was feeling bad that Mary Steenbergen didn't get the baby until I really thought it through.

I love Morello. Adore her. It's not that I sympathize with her or excuse any of her crimes - I get that she's a psycho stalker and probably the worst of the bunch because she's so unrepentant - but I do think the system has failed her terribly. She desperately needs mental help and nobody around her seems to see that. I find it refreshing that her storylines (unlike several others) don't try to excuse or explain anything she's doing or saying - she is racist and deluded, but also disarmingly funny at times when a scene desperately needs comic relief. I also found her very sympathetic after Nicky left, because she was so distraught and rudderless. I don't believe for a second that she was conning those guys for commissary money; she craved companionship and found a way to get it. Her toilet paper prison wedding cracked me up after she spent a year poring over bridal magazines, and I about died when I heard her "vows." Yael Stone sells her character so well that I just can't hate her like I probably should. (It helps that the actress was in one of my favorite rom-com movies, an Australian film called _Me Myself I_ starring Rachel Griffiths).

After seeing Mama Pornstache interact with her son I'm no longer so sure the baby would be better off with her. She has a huge blind spot when it comes to Pornstache, and he told her that the baby was making him a better person. You can't tell me he wouldn't somehow be hugely involved in that kid's life, both from prison and once he gets out, and that just can't be good. But Cesar is a terrible choice, even short-term. I honestly don't know what chance that baby ever had in any scenario.

The panty smuggling idea was kind of cute until it became a major storyline. But the name "Felonious Spunk" was absolutely brilliant, especially if you're a jazz fan.

There are several articles out there now about what is and is not realistic about the show's portrayal of prison life. Surprisingly, prisoners driving the van is one thing they got right. One of the articles said they don't even always have guards with them. I loved the look of unbridled joy in Suzanne's eyes as she ran toward the lake. It was a crazy delirious moment for all of them, but somehow she managed to capture it so well I nearly cried. (But then she went and threw a turtle, and I liked her a lot less.) I really felt for Soso throughout so much of this season. In a racially segregated system she wasn't accepted by either side of her heritage - too white for the Asians, too Asian for the whites. So I'm thrilled and a little amused that she's found acceptance from one group that she can't claim ties to at all. And I love her for bringing back that brilliant smile on Poussey's face. I hate that Sophia is still in the SHU and the rapist never got punished, but I guess they had to leave something for next year.

Stella is absolutely stunning, but not pretty in the traditional sense. Piper is blonde and blue-eyed and thin, which (as someone else in the Whispers room pointed out) is usually enough for a white girl. Being androgynous and tattooed wasn't as likely to open doors for Stella. But yeah, she doesn't really have a leg to stand on when calling someone else out for being pretty. I really hope they give her something else to do, besides being a third leg on a love triangle.

Wow, Pornstache just isn't Pornstache without the pornstache. And grown men who call their mothers "Mommy" always creep me out. I wonder how normal his brothers really are.

I don't know... In this particular case, I didn't think Flaca came across as misunderstood or having a heart of gold. She was a stupid kid who thought having "big dreams" meant it was okay to pretend to sell narcotics to other teenagers. She had no understanding of drug laws or psychological addiction, and didn't seem to care about the consequences of her actions because she was on a power trip. Even once in prison she was sure that her ambition to greatness made her better than everyone else, and even though she choked on the test she was willing to believe that she got chosen because somehow her brilliance shone through. This episode made me like her less, not more. The only one I can think of who seems mostly a victim of circumstance is Daya, who got stuck with a lousy family and little choice. Maybe Taystee, too - I don't actually remember her back story, and there are a few others whose crimes weren't clear. Sophia's situation sucked, but she surely had choices other than theft. Nicky was a straight-up addict. That doesn't mean we can't sympathize with them, though. I thought that was the point of the book - it's not that everyone is blameless, it's more that perhaps prison isn't really solving the problems that led to their mistakes.

Maybe so, but you know what? That's one thing I really love about this show. People come in all shapes and sizes, and we're not used to seeing any but the most beautiful or airbrushed portrayed on TV (especially without clothes on). I would say that I'm happy that vulnerable young viewers are getting to see that not everyone looks like a supermodel, but honestly I'm middle-aged and I love that *I'm* getting to see this for almost the first time. No, granny panties aren't flattering on anyone, but that's really not the point here. I don't watch this show to see pretty. I love the diversity of this cast, not just in terms of age or ethnicity, but in terms of pretty much everything. These are some brave actresses.

Nice subtle ironic touch that Chang's name is Mei. In Chinese (with the right tone) it means "beautiful."

Have we learned why Flaca/Marisol has that teardrop tattoo? She doesn't have it in the flashbacks, and I thought that particular tattoo signified having killed someone. Maybe she has it because of the kid who (nearly?) died because of what she sold him? Or is it just a fashionable eyeliner thing?

I still don't know where this season as a whole is going, but for me it's still the little moments that make the show great. I love knowing that O'Neill takes an extra 3 minutes to drive past the house with the red door and tire swing to remind himself that there is still good in the world.

I loved the entire scene between Pennsatucky and Boo, but especially this: "I'm a wacky clown. I don't need symmetry." Poussey made me cry.

Ha - I know that movie playing behind Colin! It's called Basket Case, and it's a masterpiece of terrible cinema (the thing wasn't an alien; it was the protagonist's deformed siamese twin brother that he carried around in a basket until it started to get jealous of his life and started killing people. Or something.) It's just as bad as I remember. What a great choice for that bit. Aisha Tyler seems to be relaxing and enjoying herself more this season, which is fun to see. I enjoyed this one.

The moving iPad was also used on the Good Wife a couple seasons ago. So no, it's not a novel concept in itself, but I thought Ty Burrell managed to really add something to it. I totally agree about Ariel Winter constantly having to endure the "less pretty sister" jokes. The actress seems like a tough person, after all she's been through, but it does seem unfair to her. Especially because she is actually quite pretty. I get that many families inadvertently put their kids into categories like "the smart one" and "the pretty one," so maybe that's what they are going for here rather than really trying to call her plain. I did like that she got so much love in this episode, because so often the joke is that she's ignored or taken for granted. (I'm a middle child too, so maybe I take this all a bit too personally).

Can't you also watch the full episodes for free on the CBS website after they air? I also like Fridays, because this show has become our traditional family night. Our 8-year-old's bedtime is 8:30 on school nights, but we'll let him stay up late for the Race if it's on a Friday. If it's on Sunday we have to record it, and then it's hard to keep from being spoiled (because I can't seem to stay off the internet).

Not to mention that she's furious they turned her into a hexenbiest, but she's loves being a hexenbiest and is furious they want to change her back. I think we're supposed to believe she turned truly evil and vengeful when she found out about the pregnancy and got jealous, but 1) it's not like she doesn't know how Adalind got pregnant, and thinks there's some sort of secret affair going on, and 2) she was in the process of ditching Nick anyway, so why does she care anymore? Heck, do we even know for sure that Adalind got pregnant when she took on Juliette's body? Couldn't it also be that it happened when Juliette (knowingly) took on Adalind's body and slept with Nick?