vibeology

And in their bed too which was heavily implied way back in season 1. Trust, Peter. You are a horrible person. Alicia's not inventing that. It's the reason I could never want to see Peter and Alicia work it out.

I'd watched this in bits and pieces yesterday and I'd skipped the group song. Just watched it. That was horrid. I don't know the contestants well enough, but who was that all out of tune and stinking things up? That high pitched whine? No one in that group can blend. Except every one of those following seasons was shaped by the first season. In season 2, people (and the show) pushed for Ruben because in part of the robovotes. If Justin or Tamyra had won season 1, that push wouldn't have been there. The producers stacked that cast in season 2 to sway things towards a black male winner. The fact all those divas showed up in season 3 was no coincidence either. The show cast a plethora of black women in an effort to get a "diva-off." Had Tamyra won season 1, that wouldn't have been necessary. You can't go back and try to slide Kelly into the other seasons (especially the early ones most influenced by the first season) because if someone else had won that first year, the producers' game plan for the next few seasons would have been very different and anyone who has spent even a little time watching this show knows how strongly they influence each season with things like edits, performance order and judges comments. I don't know that she'd win, but you can't know that she'd lose.

I think there have been better pure vocalists than Kelly (I agree that Melinda's vocals were spot on but she wasn't cool enough to catch on with voters) but she was always the right sort of personality and talent to succeed on this show. She's cute, funny, silly, able to sing a few different styles which helped her navigate theme weeks and has an amazing voice. Its hard to compare season to season because the casts each year are so different and the past seasons do influence current ones (both by the producers of the show who want to differentiate the seasons and by fans who want to see new and exciting things), but I can't see a year of Idol where Kelly couldn't make the top 5 or 6. The only reason I'm watching this week is for Kelly. I gave up on this show years ago. That being said, these current contestants are certainly a letdown from years past. Joey is good but not my thing, Clark is good but so weirdly old-fashioned. The awful falsetto guy probably would do a great job producing for other people but his voice doesn't have it. That kid who went home, yikes. I was bothered that Harry didn't know the acoustic version of Beautiful Disaster and Ke$ha Goulding credit for the arrangement. I don't expect his to know Kelly's whole catalog but surely if he'd asked someone would have pointed him to the Breakaway version.

Although, Penny likes Game of Thrones for her self and not because of Leonard. I thought that was a nice change of how the show normally presents geeky things. And its fairly in character for Penny since its a very popular show with sex and dragons.

This week's episode really made me love Mark Ballas. His comments were so insightful. He managed to give some really good critiques without really getting mean at any point. Suri does little for me and I think Darvina didn't have too many chances to talk, but Mark and Anna were so interesting. Mark is free to come back whenever he'd like in my eyes.

The gist of his comment was you're not that smart, but its okay because you're pretty. He's made some pretty horrible comments in the past so I don't think its just a mistranslation. He said to Ralph about Karina "You were rough with your pussy," he told Susan Lucci to slut up her Cha Cha, he once laid down on the judges table and invited Kendra Wilkinson to have sex with him. He's made enough sexist comments that I'm not willing to give him a pass. Either he knows exactly what he'd doing or he doesn't care to know. Both are mean options designed to degrade the women he works with.

I wish Tom hadn't said anything. He turned that disgusting moment into a joke and it wasn't a joke. Carrie Ann or Julianne had made the comment that Bruno was out of line and it should have been left at that. Tom's job is to keep the show running, so I get why he did it, but he didn't defend Charlotte when he said "neither will you." He agreed with Bruno's premise. Bruno has made some nasty comments before, but this one really bugs me. I hope there is some sort of response from the show. If they had turned a rumba into something fun, I'd get Carrie Ann's point, but all they've been assigned for three weeks is silly fun dances with very little depth. I can't blame Tony or Suzanne for staying true to the character of their assigned dances. If CAI had said "Next week you have a tango, lets see some depth" the comment would have made more sense and maybe that's what she meant, but she wasn't clear and in the moment I could see how Tony didn't understand. Then Erin kept pushing making the situation worse. I'm so over the CIA/Tony feud and I thought the show had moved on long ago.

Right, where is Carey Zepps? Have the writers forgotten a plot to big it took an entire season to play out? FA is not LG. The same people are not in charge and the emails from 2 years ago should not matter. I really hate that the show did this amazing thing by starting a new firm and then squandered it by basically hitting the reset button. Either the writers are stupid or they thing I'm stupid.

Exactly. NYC is a big city and we saw so little of it in the big showdown. If other heros of the MCU weren't shown, it doesn't mean they weren't doing their own thing where they could. If Peter was far away when the attack started, he'd protect the people he was with. Same for Daredevil, Jessica Jones and everyone else about to be added to the MCU and who are NYC based.

I think "all the work" is overstating it but so is claiming he's doing a day's work. Its not like Henry's brain is the Matrix. He spends the week learning the dance too so he can step into the camera blocking on top of all his other troupe responsibilities. He's got a lot going on this season and hopefully the show will reward him with a partner of his own next year.

The show just doesn't have time early on for longer routines. They have to fit all the packages, the dances, 4 judges comments per performance, Skybox time, commercials and an elimination in this week. Because of the elimination, they actually had less time than last week for everything. The dances get longer when the heard gets thinned. Its one of the reasons I hate having 4 judges because it takes away from the dances and the packages, both of which are more entertaining to me.

In a rumba taught by Derek? He is probably the worst male pro when it comes to teaching the rumba. He never focuses on creating hip action and the few partners who did it over the years were the ones who already had the right sort of dance training that they brought that skill from before the competition. (Nicole and Jennifer) His rumbas have always lacked hip action but the judges stopped caring after the "horrific, demented lines" incident back with Shannon Elizabeth. One of the more telling things too is that Len said nice things, then busted out a 6. I think at the very least, Len knows that its not up to standard, but how do you say that without it being cruel? Noah is trying, I'll give him that and Sharna is coming up with the best choreography she can to work around the lack of knee joint so its hard to say "that wasn't a samba" or "you had no bounce action" but its true. It might have been a good dance, but it wasn't a samba. Its not really fair to be critical of something Noah can't do anything about, but its also not really fair to give great comments and then bust out a lower paddle. The judges are in a bit of a no-win situation. I get that Patti didn't do much dancing, but I agree with this. She has a natural groove, she can fill the space with her performance and she's one of the few contestants that can clearly count. She knows the beat, she knows her steps. She isn't doing many, but they're spot on. For me, literally no one. Even when he was dating Shannon Elizabeth it did not show in the dancing. I don't know what the deal is, but as well as he can get along with his partners off the dance floor, the moment the music starts, any chemistry is lost and its like two totally separate entities moving in the same space. I've been impressed with Derek routines before, but never moved by one.

I honestly didn't realize that was Riker until halfway through the show. Every time he was standing in the background in the SkyBox, I assumed he was some new guy in the troupe. Its nice to see he's willing to ditch his "personal style" to get the right character for each dance. Last week they were in the pit with heads blocking the view of their feet, this week half of their dance happened on a bridge where we couldn't see anything from the waist down. I don't think Allison is trying to hide his bad footwork, but clearly she's trying to hide something. Its been a very, very long time since I've rooted for a showmance, but this could be the one to do it. They're just cute together and Kym does not strike me as the type to play up drama for the show. I don't care really about the are they/aren't they stuff, but they do bounce off each other really well and make what is a solid okay performance really pop because they're dancing together. I'm so pleased Willow got some real scores this week. I think her scores were very low last week based on what she did and it was nice to see her skill and hard work rewarded this week. She is someone to watch this season. She's a good learner, she has natural rhythm and she's willing to go for it. That was one intimidating lift and she went right in, no fear. I agree that at 14 she doesn't have the muscle control of a mature adult but her other abilities make her an exciting dancer all the same. I'm a horrible person, but Noah was awful. I know that without a knee joint getting the samba bounce down was impossible, but without the bounce, its not a samba. No natural basics, no botafogos, no roks, no rolls. He barely moves, he doesn't lead and neither dance he's done so far has been true to the character of the style. I don't enjoy watching him and I don't think its inspiring to see someone not really do the job and get praised for it.

I love that the first thing Alicia did as the new SA was offer the deputy position to talk show host Frank Prady instead of Geneva or Mattan. Racism without racists, right Alicia?

I really wish we had more time with Alexandria because too much of this story is being rushed and its such a shame because the bones of this story are great. The idea that CDB finds a "safe place" and struggles to fit in is a really interesting one but its so rushed that I have no idea how most of the group feels about it. We saw Daryl get a job and now we saw Daryl do his job, but I have no idea where his head is at. Same with Maggie and I'd love to see how she's coping. In the last little while she's lost her dad and her sister. There needed to be more time to tell this story. Also, if there had been more time, we could have seen Jessie in a scene that Rick wasn't in. She hasn't been in a scene without Rick. She's not a person, just an extension of him and I don't care about her. Maybe with more time we could have seen her bringing food to Eugene while he watched over Tara. Maybe we could have seen her and Carol have a conversation where Carol tried to suss out what was going on in that house. Jessie is the pivotal figure of the back half of the season and she only ever talks to Rick, Pete or Sam. She needed more time to be built up. Deanna needed more time too, honestly. I get a pretty good sense from her (the actress who plays her is fantastic) but she's leading a community that I want to know more about. They had so many guns in that locker. Where'd those come from? How many times have people not come back from a run? Besides exile, how does she maintain order? Why would someone like Pete listen to her? I think she's right about some things, wrong about others and that's what makes her so interesting. After cannibals and Governors, its exciting to have an antagonist who is complicated. So I'm disappointed with a lot of the stuff tonight because I like the ideas but hate the execution. I like action and speed but there is something to be said for the suspense of something building up. After travelling in a circle around Atlanta for 4.5 seasons, a change of scenery deserves a little more time.

People can resign from elected office. Nixon did. It can be a political career killer depending on why you resign. If you leave office because your spouse is dying and you want to spend every moment left with him or her, voters will be way more forgiving than if you resign to take a job making millions of dollars each year or because a scandal was breaking anyhow or because you're bored. If Alicia is elected and resigns, she will have a hard time running for anything again unless her reason is compelling enough.

Deanna is clinging to "the way things were before" in large part because if what you did before matters, then she gets to be the boss. And that doesn't mean I'm convinced she's evil. Its a crazy situation and when faced with that sort of crisis, people like to feel like they are the ones in control. If Deanna can just get everybody to fall in line, she can be the boss of the community and have that sense of control that allows her to rest easy. But I agree with everyone who has mentioned that people in the community need to diversify their skills. What if the abusive jackass gets sick? Who is going to doctor to him? I don't go so far as to say that people need to be constantly at work because I think the downtime is key to people getting mentally well and in a big community there is room for everyone to have some time off if everyone is also pulling their weight. But, these people aren't doing enough. Its like they're stuck in the early frame of mind where something will come along and undo what's been done and make things normal again. That's not going to happen, so there needs to be real long term planning within the community. Teach skills, encourage baby making, create sustainable water and food sources and have a plan for when someone dies within the walls. I don't think CDB needs to get violent to take over; present the community with a plan to survive based on their experiences with the prison and their time on the road. People have gone along with Deanna because its familiar, easy and "normal" but, like we saw with Francine and even Aiden a little, if you give the ASZ a reason to change, they will.

14 year olds learn to Cha Cha all over dance studios every single day. Mark teaches teens to dance during the show's off-season. Nothing happening here is new or inappropriate and I think it says way more about us as a society that we sexualize her dancing than it does about what's actually happening on screen. There was nothing wrong or inappropriate in that dance at all. There are so many people I never need to see dance again, Willow was not on that list. She can move and with training could be quite good. I loved every one of the teen dances the show highlighted a few years back. Brittany and Brandon's Phantom of the Opera dance is one of my favourite dances I've ever seen. I don't get this point of view at all. As long as Willow is comfortable with her dances, then so am I.

I don't know about that. One of the very first things he did was let Cornell talk to his teenage daughter without a lawyer present. Its one thing to gamble with his own future, but his daughter's? What if she had said something worse than what she did say? I get he can't afford the fancy lawyer yet, but he needs to get someone there and he needs to refuse having anyone in the family talk to her until his counsel is present every single time she shows up to their house.

This is going to be a long season. I would be happy to cut 6 or 7 pairs right now. Charlotte will never be good, neither will the Bachelor, Redfoo, Suzanne, Robert, Michael or Patti (though she is class all the way.) Charlotte should go first, but I wouldn't be sad to lose any of those stars. Also, for next week, she needs to get the costume department in line. That outfit was not good. By putting sparkles on just the boobs, they turned into two blue disco balls screaming "look at me!" She needs to have more coverage of her stomach and more volume at her hips to balance them out. Just a design idea from one busty girl to another. I know they were praised but I didn't really enjoy Nastia or Ryker. I thought Nastia and Derek's number lacked the smoothness I look for in a foxtrot and it was too much stuff and not enough dancing. She can dance! Derek has gotten lazy because he's got someone who can do it without any extras and he still filled the stage with props, the troupe and fireworks. Pull back and let the woman impress us with her movement. Ryker and Allison suffered for a similar reason. It was too hyper. That's just how Allison rolls so I'm not surprised. She's constantly dialed to 11 and pushes her partners to the same level. Without any shade or variation, the dances are just dull. She doesn't have the skill to create a more dynamic dance or to pull her partner to a quieter place. And nothing about Riker suggests he has that on his own so they're going to be my least favourite even if the movement is better than some of the other couples. I think Willow and Mark got a shit deal. She was lovely and interesting and has a nice quality to her movement. The dance was cheeky without being raunchy and she did a great job with a fairly straightforward Cha Cha and the scores were bullshit. 6s when people who were far worse did far better on the scoreboard. I'm not a fan of Mark, but that was some bullshit. The judges see the dress rehearsals; they don't need to "leave room" for a better score. That deserved at least a couple of 7s. Rumer is wonderful and really one of the few people I actually am excited to see dance again next week. I thought she was intense and graceful. I do really want to see her tackle an upbeat Latin number; I think this style of dance suited her and I'd want to see her push herself with a Jive or Cha Cha in terms of showing personality.

Last time Carol decided to kill someone she considered dangerous and Rick found out, she was banished, so I get why she wanted to run this one by him. No one wants another Karvid situation, least of all Carol. I think Abe saw the birds, knew trouble was coming and was having a little PTSD panic attack thing. He's not been in a good place since he found out about Eugene and probably wouldn't have put up much of a fight for himself. Francine needing help forced him to lead again and once he started, he's a natural leader.

I'm pretty sure it was actually the "Six Scallion Dollar Man Burger".

Except this wasn't a bottle episode. They used multiple sets including the new hospital set and the interview room, shot exteriors, had multiple guest stars and included every member of the cast for at least a scene. This wasn't about saving money. The Kings did this because they thought getting a look into Alicia's mind would be fascinating. And maybe there would be a way to do that, but I don't think they succeeded in this case. I was so grossed out by that. First she walked up to him randomly and kissed him in the parking garage and now she's decided they're having sex. Yes, he did seem at least a little interested after the kiss, but its still awful for her to make up her mind that they're going to have sex and the issue is resolved. Maybe he doesn't think sleeping with his boss is a good idea. I would just like for Alicia to set her sights on a guy and him to be totally uninterested for a change. JM is a pretty woman and Alicia is smart and I can see her appeal, but not every guy she likes should like her back.

Nothing against AB who has done the most with the very little she's been given but Jessie isn't a character as much as she is a prop for Rick. We know a few facts about her and have speculated a few other things about her (because I've seen people talk about her bad marriage but we don't know if that's true.) I need more time to get to know her before I care. The flaw of the half season thing is there just isn't time for a storyline to develop. I think it's very bad planning on the show's part and it sucks that at the end of it, it's another female character who loses out from the bad choices by the producers and writers.

I thought when Alicia saw Grace's text about giving up, she'd drop out of the race and this would be the best episode ever, but instead it was just an hour of Alicia being up her own ass. Nothing happened except Canning is a step closer to death. I honestly forgot I was supposed to care about him until they brought him up again. The fake Will thing was awful. Josh Charles has a very distinct nose. You can't just put some other guy in shadow and expect the audience to believe its him. Either get him for an episode or don't use "new Will" stuff, just rely on flashbacks. Finally, how pathetic is Alicia that she's still more obsessed with Kalinda and Peter than she has ever been with Ramona and Peter or Peter and the prostitute he slept with in their marital bed? The Ramona betrayal is more recent, she knew Ramona for a much longer time and the affair could have seriously damaged her professional life but somehow when she thinks about Peter cheating, its Kalinda. I've been trying to hang on, but I hate Alicia. I just hate her. She's an awful person, a selfish person, a cold person and a person so unwilling to forgive others for their mistakes and lapses while doing whatever to secure her own wants. She worries about being a hypocrite when it comes to praying for someone's health, but she needs to look at her life in general. She's a hypocrite and I have no idea what the writers expect the audience to see in her.