Darian

A friend made a Basque cheesecake, which inspired another few to try. All said they were delicious, but I was excited, because I was 100% sure that's what it was. I love this show and agree Joel McHale is doing a great job as host. Judges, too!

Eric can even make me suffer through Malarkey (who wasn't as nerve-shattering as usual, but, yeah, I expect I'll be saying, "Shup up, Malarkey" a few times). I like the chefs and of course, as a lifelong East Coaster and Eric fan, I'm rooting for that team, but I liked everyone so far and saw some good-looking food.

Just binged the season to date and am surprised I'm not liking it back. Just having Jesse and the old format back (except they tried to shoehorn "love" in as a theme) should have made me love it. But Nancy is still Nancy and Duff still has the stench of getting nasty to fans in his defense of Molly Yeh and last season's mess. Plus, now constants know sabotage is ok as long as you pretend it's not. The first challenge after Josh changed the temperature and made some vague statement about doing it that the contestant didn't hear and which adversely affected her back (which actually shouldn't matter), the next challenge should have begun with "Because we have zero tolerance for interfering with another contestant's back, even if no malice is meant, Josh will start this challenge x minutes after the other bakers." Some kind of consequences. I'll go to the end, but I barely care who wins anymore.

Yeah, I wanted a crownie when I saw it. I thought the right team won because it most evoked parade, but I loved the balloon and that team's elements. I've never gone into a competition actively hoping someone loses, and didn't like it. I usually hope everyone does well, though if it's a long competition, I might hope a competitor bombs out. But all three were good, just two I liked better than the too-colorful (a phrase I never thought I'd say) one.

I usually hope no one has any major disasters, and while I may have a favorite team, I usually just think the judges get it right. This week is going to be different and interesting. Someone I know personally and despise with every fiber of my being (won't spill who) is competing and I may have to spoil myself before watching to see if they win. They can bake, so they have a shot.

This was a fun episode, even with that insufferable Zac. The displays were all well done, so it was fun to see. I also loved the theme, because when we pulled down the back porch of our house (to replace), built in 1920 on a little cove just far enough from Boston to be stealthy, we found under it a stash of jugs and other detritus that convinced us the owners at the time were smugglers and/or ran the neighborhood speakeasy. I'd have appreciated the theme anyway, but that added a little something for me. I'm happy with the result.

Heh, I did a fellowship with NASA on Cape Canaveral, my boss was an astronaut who'd been up on the shuttle twice, talked to me about so much of it and I got really hooked on space while I worked there (and learned a lot, have a whole bookshelf just about space exploration and geeked out though I hadn't had much interest in space previously) and I had to just go with it. I did get a little stuck on whether they'd say "back to Kennedy," when I don't think that's what they would say. But people know Kennedy Space Center better, rather than Cape Canaveral (I worked there, going past soldiers with very big guns), so I let it go. But yep, there was a lot that probably had people who know this stuff pulling out their hair or laughing. I admit, I listened to Space Oddity like five times after watching, though.

I watched every episode of the original series and even mentally rewrote my own finale in which Sam leaped into a physics (?) professor (and his "oh,boy" was happy) and ended up teaching the bright student who would years later end up figuring out how to bring Sam (who them it was just someone leaping, not someone they'd had contact with). My memory is bad enough that this is pretty new to me, and I like it. I actually think the actor playing Addison is doing a good job of having to pretend she's just working with the team. I can feel her pain. I get wanting more of the leaps but I like this "why did he leap?" wrinkle and seeing more of the team. I like the rest of the characters and the actors playing them and if this show give us a good Janis (because TV and movie Janices and Janises tend to be awful), I will like it even more.

I'd say if you know you can't pass an eye test, you stop driving. I gave up my license voluntarily in my 40s (not a vision issue and my doctor left it to my judgment), and isn't Kat's mom supposed to be rich enough to take cabs or hire a nice car service? I know this isn't real life, but someone could have brought up the idea that it was dangerous for other people to keep driving when you know you're not safe it. Blech. I don't even remember anything else except the cute animals.

All I've wanted for the show to end with Allison and Patty together, with better lives. Friends, lovers, whatever, but together. Now I kind of want Kevin to see his end by doing just that and getting the bullet himself, with no one else hurt. Or something to get him dead or someplace like prison where he can't keep blowing up anything good that anyone else has. Because I had a Kevin in my life, but not as a spouse, just a close family member, so this person who was in my whole life ruining or trying to ruin anything good I had. Ruined my credit when I was 18, only I didn't know until later and it's family, so you can't take legal action, at least not in my family. It wasn't constant. She could be great. Just enough so that when she Kevined, she got passes. Even later, it didn't matter that I left and everyone was sworn to secrecy about where I was and what I was doing. Even pre-internet, she'd find me and try to cost me my job and relationships. Some people you just can't get away from. And they manage to do it in such a way that either people think it's funny or a mistake or just that you've had it easier than them so give them a break. Allison is right that even if she could have left Kevin, it would not be over. If she'd gotten a job, even in another state, worked toward a certificate or degree at a community college, he'd find her and cost her whatever life she was trying to cobble together. I didn't kill my family member, but I was sure as hell relieved when they died. So, yeah, I am all for Allison being rid of Kevin for good, and I hope he is the cause of his own demise, figuratively if not literally, but with no power to sabotage anymore.

Well, since Schitt's Creek is moving to Hulu Oct 3rd, I'm finally signing up for Hulu. I really didn't want to, but I can't lose Schitt's Creek, then I saw The Americans went there from Prime so it's fine.

I don't know if it's a teaser or trailer, but it's about season 2 and it's fantastic.

Stressful episode and Ness and Teddy better make it (Luke, too, but he seems like he will). Not quite ripped from the headlines, but put me in mind of events still in the news. Ness was no danger to the scumbucket who stabbed her, so I can only guess his motivation, but I'm sticking with my idea. I quite enjoyed seeing the ringleaders face consequences. The actor who played Brandon Page nailed the smug arrogance of someone who thought he was untouchable. I was unclear on if Mark had a choice in letting the FBI have the case or not, but it was the right move, however it happened.

Someone already spoiled me on major plot points, so I decided that, though I'm only on episode two (and I've seen an actual penis degloving, but a vacuum cleaner and not a lamppost was involved. I know it sounds made up, or like an urban legend, but it really happened). It's gutting, but reminds me of why I quit the once-best RN job I ever had and what I loved and hated about healthcare. The show doesn't ease you in and the profession sure doesn't either.

I'm about to start that. I enjoyed the first in the series a lot.