Rahul

Erm, I beg to differ. Domaine and Ari (and her anthropomorphic stomach Shirley) are still around. Thankfully Louisa is gone and she was probably the most annoying of the lot. I've always liked Alex Guarnaschelli on Chopped so I'm glad she's finally doing a season of Worst Cooks. There's only so much Tyler Florence and Bobby Flay one can take.

Riverdale was a preposterous mess and I'm glad they didn't ever entangle Sabrina. I checked out a few seasons ago and never looked back.

I cannot stand The Rise. Their Duels routine to "Doncha wish your girlfriend was hot like me" was not cute or sexy. I found it totally cringeworthy. I don't ever want to see them on my screen again, and I've had all I can tolerate of their leader! </rant over> This show must have suffered a massive budget cut--they're staging everything in this warehouse instead of a proper studio auditorium, no more fancy 360 degree cameras or touchscreen tablets for the judges to do their voting on. Hell, they even took away the judges' table!

What?! This is heartbreaking. Wasn't expecting this at all. I was hoping Netflix would only strengthen it's relationship with Roberto Aguierre-Sacasa when it came to supernatural content and pickup The Brides which ABC passed on.

Speculative but I believe Domaine was born a man and is a transwoman who chose her own name.

I strongly agree. Oh, the irony. I didn't miss the RHONY one bit in the few weeks that it was off. This show should be refreshed or put out of its misery. There's not one likable one in the bunch anymore and no entertainment to be derived from this mess.

I think that's misinformation. Every article I've come across from the media has reported it as a cancelation for this current season due to the impact of COVID-19, with the possibility of return next year at FOX's discretion. An article featuring Mary Murphy yesterday stated the same: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/columnists/story/2020-06-26/column-there-is-no-dancing-around-covid-restraints

True...I just found the women this cycle to be extra grating. I'm quite surprised because I rather enjoyed the last "celebrity" edition, with the noted exception of Dave Coulier.

It was so obvious who would make the next round because they only showed the full callback for several acts. The rest were all unceremoniously chopped into a 30 second package interspersed with Derek and his endless antics intended to garner more screen time for himself. I do not need to see so much of the judges during the performances! Also, many acts didn't even have their original music played but rather something the editors chose to overlay onto their condensed montages. Derek has been grating on my last nerve, and we're not even into the duels yet. He's either bouncing up and down in his seat, jumping out of it to dance, or contorting his face and making audible noises throughout the routine to pull the camera's focus. Enough dude! Just shut up and give your critiques. Also, the sound mixing has been awful this year. It jumps in volume whenever the judges make a comment. Sadly everything about this show has declined in its fourth year, including the talent pool.

Oh. My. God. I know this show pulls from central casting, but how does this show manage to find the most insufferable women in America? They really have been scraping from the bottom of the barrel. I was so annoyed by these contestants, especially the Armenian who wouldn't shut up and the nurse practitioner with the face mask. I don't know if I'll be able to make it through this season.

I'd be on board for a show like that as well. NBC had a showcase for classical and traditional international dance forms in 2009 called Superstars of Dance. I enjoyed seeing Kathak and Bharatanatyam represented on mainstream American TV, but the judges were clueless on how to critique dance styles they were unfamiliar with aside from trifling remarks like "loved the energy! Cool hand gestures!" I'm still miffed India didn't take home the gold in the solo competition because the judges didn't understand the intricacies of the footwork and technique involved in Indian classical dance.

SYTYCD Season 17 Cancelled at Fox Due to 'COVID-19 Restrictions'

I just watched Qualifiers 3 and 4 back to back...can't really distinguish between the two in my comments. These narcissistic judges prompting the contestants to fawn over them is tiring and nauseating. There is definitely a favoritism shown to groups who play the game and stroke the judges' egos. The mediocre group from Japan went through, but the vastly superior breakdancing crew was a firm no. What a shame. Two routines really stood out to me. The teenage contemporary trio (boy and one blonde, one brunette) made the hair on my arm stand up from the very beginning, and I'm usually either bored or annoyed with contemporary. They really have something. I also really enjoyed Geometrie Variable; their piece was memorable, unique and surprisingly moving for a tutting routine.

Awww haha. Kevin could have never!

I'm surprised there isn't already a topic for this awesome British dramedy. I thought there may be some renewed interest seeing as how Amazon picked it up after Pop decided not to air season 2 in the US. I just finished watching the first season and I was very pleased with not only the casting and acting, but the writing as well. For me this show strikes the perfect balance between dark and the comedically absurd. The dialogue is so sharp and witty at times (especially delivered by PR head honcho Caroline) that I find myself frequently rewinding to rewatch a scene.

An American PR executive living in London schemes to keep her selfish clients out of trouble. Starring Anna Paquin, Sophie Okonedo, Lydia Wilson

I noticed Tom was uncomfortable around that group of lauded Italian chefs as well which is usual for him, as he is typically very self-assured as head chef of the series. He might be a tad intimidated by all the Michelin stars around him as he has none. Moreover, Padma who is unabashedly Indian, has been conversing in fluent and inflected Italian while Tom has yet to utter one convincing sentence in the language of his ancestors. She really has been showing him up, and I cannot help but get a kick out of it as an Indian-American. At least two different Italian chefs were very vocally critical of Bryan's dishes. One chef called his primi "completely devoid of any love or passion" (compounded by the dreaded thud sound effect), while another stated his secondi had good technique but no soul. A third chef criticized Bryan's pesto and said it was out of place in the dish while others nodded in agreement.

This was such a great episode for so many reasons! First and foremost, there was food and travel porn in Parma, Italy. Second, the ladies came out on top without breaking a sweat. Third, there were many memorable quirky moments throughout the episode. Finally, the arrogant, insufferable, plantation-extolling misogynist Kevin was told to PYKAG! I was worried when Melissa's raft broke, but she was able to bounce back with such seeming ease and grace even though it would take 45 minutes to redo. It was really incredible. I'm also absolute awe at the works of art Melissa's dishes all turn out to be. She is immensely artistic with such an eye for plating. This competition is certainly hers to lose. My homegirl Stephanie made a fresh pasta dish that made Padma's face flash with ecstasy while she murmured a very enthusiastic "Mmmmm." I'm a staunch and lifelong vegetarian who has never sampled any porcine products, but the appearance of that plate along with Padma's reaction made me very curious about trying Stephanie's primi, along with that stuffed cabbage everyone was raving about. I wouldn't mind any of the remaining contestants winning but I would be overjoyed if Stephanie took the title. She's gone from a contestant I really liked during her initial season to an absolute favorite of all time. I don't remember when I was this invested in a contestant winning TC, perhaps because I really love Stephanie as a person and feel we'd hit it off as great friends. Stephanie is so humble and self-deprecating, and shows genuine shock whenever she places in the top which I find incredibly endearing. She is coming into her own as a kickass chef amongst these other immense talents. Seeing Stephanie's ascending trajectory as well as her sheer delight exploring Italy for the first time has been immensely rewarding to watch. Moreover, Stephanie never fails to deliver one laugh out loud moment each episode. This week it was while they were shopping for ingredients at La Prosciutteria and bewildered by the Italian text. Stephanie comes upon a display case which she walks up closer to inspect and then realizes,"It's cat food. Crushed it!" LOL There were other humorous moments sprinkled throughout the episode, namely centered around Kevin. I cannot believe he chose to clobber his dish with a heaping spoon of parmigiano, and pre-grated at that. If Kevin had glanced around room, he would have noticed the horrified faces as he was about to embark upon his hamfisted error. I don't know if finishing a dish like that is a distinctly American practice, but it certainly seemed to be a cardinal sin in that dining room. A chef of Kevin's caliber should have realized this. Tom could barely contain his laughter at the this gaffe! Kevin was similarly clueless during Judge's Table when he doubled down on his declaration that the pork was cooked to his liking, even when Padma kept widening her eyes and raising her eyebrows (though nary a wrinkle on her forehead).

I've said it before and I'll say it again--Bethenny would never have stood for the way Dorinda is bullying Tinsley. B would have likely called Dorinda out and told her in no uncertain terms to quit it. Ramona, Sonja and Luann have all been complicit in the behavior as none of them have stood up to Dorinda in the moment. At best they reveal in their talk heads or amongst themselves they're uncomfortable with the way Dorinda has been behaving. Not only did Dorinda make that vile turkey baster comment, but she then proceeded to dance in her chair to celebrate what in her mind must have been such a display of wit and humor. So sophomoric. Dorinda's behavior has been absolutely repugnant this season.

Kier looks just like her mother when she smiles. It's uncanny. Sonja is looking very rough this season, and that's me being kind. Dale gushing over Sonja was very surprising, given the way Sonja has acted towards Tinsley over the years. Only Ramona could mangle a two-letter, monosyllabic exclamation like "ew." I would expect nothing less from her. Admittedly, Dorinda has brought me much laughter over the years with her antics but she's proven herself to be a miserable twat. She really is the ugliest kind of person one can be. I hope she takes a long, truthful look in the mirror soon because she will alienate everyone around her. I'm glad Tinsley got away from this group of women who have been shitting on her nonstop. Go seek your fairytale ending in another city where malicious, older women aren't trying to drag you down into their own misery.

Isn't Brandi the impetus for the squabbling the whole back half of the season? Doesn't really make sense Bravo would retcon that now, unless Brandi made racially insensitive remarks to Garcelle.

With the exception of Dave Coulier's presence, I've rather enjoyed this season. Usually the celebrity version annoys the hell out of me. There was even a laugh out loud moment for me this week; Bridget said the Fish Shack de Brigit is out at sea and the coast guard isn't even going to try and get her, because she's gone. Cut to a rudimentary video game animation of a ship being struck by lightening, incinerated to black ash and then sinking.

Not surprised to learn that refined carbs are at the top of Rinna's mind.

I'm grateful to have a summer dance staple back on TV, especially since the future of So You Think You Can Dance this season (and beyond) looks perilous. However, I don't really care for the produced video packages that are supposed to tug at our heartstrings and manipulate us as viewers. I find these largely a waste of time. And yes, I know I have a heart because I've been crying seeing videos of extreme and unnecessary police brutality surface over the past couple of weeks. My favorite act so far has been the Dutch group Oxygen. I found their routine haunting, memorable and flawlessly executed. I was surprised the judges were so effusive with praise for little Savannah. She certainly was athletic and acrobatic, but that was more of a gymnastics floor routine than a dance number. Moreover, she had this silly ear to ear grin plastered on her face which bothered me to no end, but that's probably of an issue with bad coaching from her choreographer. It made the whole routine feel very dance recital-y. Dancers should be able to emote beyond smiling, but I understand it may difficult for someone so young in age to do. What I like least about this show is the judges. JLo and Derek are so obviously full of themselves. Lopez is an executive producer on this show, so the fact that we're subjected to her flaunting her massive diamond engagement ring and referencing her Super Bowl performance is entirely on her, as she's shoehorning it into the show. Derek also cannot help but but his massive ego on display with all the mugging and behind-the-scenes antics he engages in for screen time. When he ran after the Williams brothers after they were told they would not be continuing on, I thought Derek may have felt bad and wanted to have a word of encouragement or consolation but no--he just wanted another opportunity to pimp himself on camera and social media. I really hope someone from their camp at NBC is lurking here and reading this. WE DO NOT TUNE IN FOR YOUR SELF-ABSORBED 'CELEBRITY' PERSONALITIES. /gets off soapbox

It was a bit hard for me to enjoy the beauty of Tuscany because I was on pins and needles waiting for the other shoe to drop regarding my home girl Stephanie. I've really grown to love her so much over the course of this season, so seeing her in Italy was a wonderful vicarious experience. Poor Gregory. Not only did he have to endure a hike with his bad back but there seemed to be some heavy lifting involved this week as well. This week was such a mindf*ck. From the feedback we got about their EC dishes, it seemed Kevin's dish was the worst of all--ingredients that fought with one another and no truffle flavor at all, despite him claiming to have used the white truffle 3 to 4 different ways. I feel like the only reason Kevin is still in the competition is because Tom absolutely refuses to let him go (which pisses me off). I also thought Bryan was the clear winner from the commentary, since Melissa made a faux pas with the salami. I'm a fan of all the remainder contenders except for Kevin, who just rubs me the wrong way. I was initially touched with his story about over coming cancer, but aside from that I think he's revealed himself to be a condescending, entitled prick. I have to firmly disagree with this. Both Padma and guest Chef Tomei said of the three bottom EC dishes, they would prefer to eat Stephanie's dish again, despite the awful radicchio puree. (Why girl?! Why!) That being said, I'm relieved Gregory could finally relax considering his spasming back one the prospect of winning was gone. Really unfortunate circumstances but he was a pleasure to watch again this season.