Eolivet

Probably not the publicity Dan Stevens was hoping for, prior to his second attempt to get his Hollywood career launched: http://www.crazydaysandnights.net/2014/08/blind-items-revealed_99.html

Frankie was particularly disingenuous, because he was the HoH and thus, couldn't vote. So, Donny and Derrick would've sacrificed their own games for him to win $5,000...why?

Donny's nomination speech was sort of funny because of the image it conjured: "many people's hands have been bloodied by nominating you, so mine are less so." It's "blood on my hands" meets "Murder on the Orient Express." I think instead of "Expect the unexpected," these houseguests should have to unscramble "What, will these hands ne'er be clean?"

After years of these challenges relying solely on memory, why on earth would they show the houseguests a video first? And then not even have a tiebreaker question planned? Maybe they were tired of the memory challenges essentially being a crapshoot, but I can't help but feel the five-way tie could have been avoided with better production.

So, I was watching this period drama about a group of men with power, and a woman who lived there under their protection. She was vilified and abused for the unthinkable crime of taking safety when safety was offered to her, and not being appropriately thankful and deferential. Almost as if she had her own mind. The men decided they needed to teach this woman a lesson -- that she needed to learn her place, and know she could be cast out at any moment if it suited them. She would be ruined. Or...wait... Sorry, that period was last night, when women have full agency over their bodies, minds and decisions. For a moment, I forgot we were still in 2014.

"Cody and I are a little more than friends, let's put it that way." Best unintentional double entendre in the history of Big Brother.

Lady MacBeth called. She wants the blood on her hands back.

Scott deserved to win the moment he threw Jessica out of the kitchen without insulting her personally or making any allusion to her gender. It was cute how he kept aping Chef Ramsay's mannerisms at the pass. Surprised the show is coming back so soon, but then again, Fox needs all the programming it can get prior to the World Series.

Slightly disappointed Frankie's letter didn't come with free concert tickets. Could he have rushed through "Love, Ari" any faster? Then again, is this the longest a houseguest has kept a secret about their identity (both Derrick and Frankie)? I feel like usually they talk a big game, and then cave on night 3. Another (minor) point in favor of this cast, I suppose.

Like when he told Andi "I think Melanie's getting stupider?" Or yelled at Saundra "I know what I'm doing, you dumb [expletive]!" Chef Ramsay would have to cross his fingers he had all male line cooks. Jason never said boo to them. Brilliant observation. It made me think that I feel like Ramsay/his producers are now playing Hell's Kitchen -- and last season of MasterChef -- like Survivor. Bringing a goat to the finals is a tried and true strategy.

Reality TV 101: There is no way they showed Scott's adorable children just so they can cry while confetti rains down on Jason's misogynist head. Scott has this in the bag. It does make me wonder if it would've been Joy vs. Scott in the finals were it not for last week.

After years and years of Big Brother contestants using "backdoor" as a synonym for "replacement nominee" (despite the HoH's intent in the nomination), I can't actually believe someone on Big Brother used the term properly! The execution of a successful backdoor nomination alone practically qualifies this year's Big Brother contestants for MENSA.

Ugh, don't summon Amanda by talking about her like that -- she's like Beetlejuice. Or Rachel. Or Jessie.

The one thing last night's episode proved is that for all the complaints that reality TV is scripted, that most certainly was not. You cannot script that. That was almost as disturbing (on a different level) to watch as the Brandon Hantz meltdown on Survivor. Someone so completely losing control of themselves to the point where you begin to feel uncomfortable watching. That is real reality TV. I do think it's Scott vs. Melanie, and then I think it's a toss-up. I have to wonder if there's a reason we keep seeing "the softer side of Scott." (Also, it was a no-brainer he'd pick Jason for the reward. Scott is married. There was no other choice.)

Ha! And yeah, it seemed more like croquet on a Plinko (of "Price is Right" fame) board to me.

How awkward is it going to be if Derrick goes to the dual HoH room and is greeted by giant photos of him in his police officer's uniform?

I have to disagree. Any judgments about Devin are going to have his race factored in, simply because we can't turn off our eyes. Devin is big, and Devin is black. Big black men = scary. It is the epitome of the angry black man stereotype. As another poster commented, Devin is pushy. Devin is loud and rude and argumentative. But has the show ever shown him getting physical with anyone? Has the show ever shown him threatening anyone? I don't believe so, but because of his size -- and yes, his race -- he is seen as scary. Look at that Hantz brother (Willie?) who actually chest-bumped someone and was ejected -- who actually was physical with someone. Nobody called him scary. Devin raises his voice a few too many times, and suddenly, people claim fear of him? That's crap, I'm sorry.

Maybe it's residual PTSD (of sorts) from last season, but I cringed when Christine (?) called Devin "scary." No. Just...no. He's strong-willed and slightly socially awkward -- but no more so than steroid-fueled Jessie. And I don't remember anyone ever calling that guy "scary." Devin is many things, but I do not believe he is the "angry black man" stereotype.

I wish they had cut Jason. He's not going to win. Rochelle is right, he is abrasive. He's competent, but when it gets down to black jackets, competent isn't enough. I don't remember him being close to the top in individual challenges. He's a perfectly fine line cook, but he's not a winner. Plus, this is his second time around. I'd say he's been redeemed enough.

Every twist, I keep trying to think like a producer, examining the last season: "Well, Aaryn kept winning HoH, so we'll make it so the HoH isn't safe. Well, Aaryn and Amanda couldn't be voted out because they were in a majority alliance, even though America nominated them a million times, so we'll give America even more power." Of course, the real way to "fix" Big Brother is, y'know, don't cast racists -- but why would they do that, when they can turn the game upside down to solve a problem of their own creation? (Also, CBS' "Two Night Premiere" font was the same as Boston's local Red Sox station, NESN. I kept expecting it to say "Two Night Premiere...and Extra Innings Extra")

This was the impression I got from watching the episode. I haven't watched Kitchen Nightmares in years, because similar to another poster, it was making me want to stop eating in any restaurant ever, but the "return" episode was on OnDemand, so I just watched it. Having never eaten there, my guess would be the objection is more to the exhorbitant prices (and bad/slow service) than the average/mediocre food. If the undercooked pizza was $10, then oh well -- what do you expect for $10? But for $22, people expect (rightfully so) a higher standard of quality. I think Amy is 75% wrong about the grand "Yelper conspiracy," but I also think people get particularly angry when they feel they are being ripped off. If the majority of the reviews had been more along the lines of "This place is not worth it for the quality of food you get" rather than "HORRIBLE food! AWFUL! Worst food EVER!", I wonder if Amy would've been quite so upset. I saw a Kitchen Nightmares episode where Gordon Ramsay got physically ill after eating the food. I don't think that would've happened here. And yes, Samy and Amy (which I was pronouncing as "Same-y and Amy" before I saw the episode) have made-for-reality-TV personalities, but I've seen more outrageous behavior from Brandon Hantz on Survivor and about seven people from the last season of Big Brother. I don't think Ramsay could've saved this restaurant, because Samy and Amy were too resistant to change, but I'm guessing once the hype dies down, they'll go back to being an overpriced restaurant that serves mediocre food. Which is not exactly a dream kitchen, but it's also not a kitchen nightmare.

I realize this is probably expecting too much from Hell's Kitchen, but after reading her bio, I'd describe her as "a Southern California food critic, whose reviews have appeared both in print and online." Or if you absolutely must reference Yelp -- like it's a corporate sponsor or something -- how about "a veteran Yelp reviewer who is well respected in the food blogger space." I have no idea which Hell's Kitchen intern took a look at Anita Lau's bio and came up with "3,500 reviews on Yelp" -- which completely devalues her other accomplishments, as well as conjures images of Aaron Sorkin's muumu-wearing chain smoker. Unless that was the goal, but I don't think Hell's Kitchen is that diabolical. Just lazy.

The shooting of the shopping trip and the cooking of the dishes was really confusing. How did Scott seem to dictate the red team's proteins? Why did Melanie force the blue team to buy the cornish hen, but then didn't cook it herself? Why did that L.A. Times critic piggyback on someone else's price almost every time? How does writing 3,500 reviews on Yelp make someone qualified to judge food any more than tweeting 3,500 times about Justin Bieber makes someone qualified to judge music? Rochelle is looking more and more like she'll get the "Close but no cigar" final 3 prize, with its bonus offer of Chef Ramsay paying for her culinary school. I don't believe they would be showing her getting sick/having some kind of odd ailment/weakness/crisis of confidence every week if she's the winner.

Love this idea, too. (Also, once his title was revealed, wouldn't Kingsley have started calling him "Your Highness?" Oopsie.) I think Americans are confused enough by British titles that mixing up an actual titled Lord in there would confuse them further. Watching American TV critics consistenly failing to get Downton Abbey titles right tells me this is beyond the American viewer's paygrade. Count me as another who liked it, but thought it was actually mismarketed. "We told 10 American women they were meeting Prince Harry...and they bought it!" (or something similar). Instead of the moments of gullibility, promote with the moments of skepticism -- make the Prince Harry ruse into a game (not a trick), and emphasize the contestants who don't believe the ruse. Rose and AnnaLisa's episodes were my favorites, because I felt there were actual stakes involved -- like "Are they actually going to tell the others? What will they think?!" Step back the producer manipulation -- there's plenty of drama to be mined in believers vs. skeptics.

I agree. I think he genuinely liked Kim -- he took many opportunities to incidentally touch her leg, or put his arm around her and when they were making out in the hot tub, he turned as red as his fake hair. So, I liked this ending -- I remember hearing that a lot of the contestants who auditioned didn't realize they were going on a dating show. I feel like Kim sort of rolled with the punches: "Oh, he's Prince Harry? OK. Oh, he's not? That's fine, too." Matt had anti-chemistry with Kelley, but a part of me was hoping she'd be kept until the final 2 to produce as large a meltdown as possible. I think Kim had a great time, spent some time with a nice guy and got to live in a fancy estate for several weeks. Not too shabby a vacation. I did like that, unlike the fakery of "The Bachelor," they didn't really try and pretend those two were getting married at the end. I suppose they could've called it "Win a Potential Relationship with Prince Harry," but that wouldn't have had the same ring to it. Oh, and "You still have a British accent, though?" made the episode. Highly entertaining summer reality. Like Kim, I'm just left laughing.