tljgator

Wow...this is gonna be a crazy elimination whichever way it goes. Damn.

This couldn't have been more clear to me after watching, lol -- he seemed fairly disinterested in the normal folks, who were lovely and definitely more thoughtful & articulate than the vast majority of celebs we usually get. I was disappointed to get such small snippets of story for each, though they clearly did the full spiel for them, as they got the full family trees at the end, per usual. It'd be nice if they put the full stories for each up online. Also hopeful that interest in this gets them to bring back the Genealogy Roadshow they did for a hot second a while back. *fingers crossed*

I wondered that, too! I mean, you'd think they'd clean stuff up with haste to avoid any potential horrible outcome (and lawsuits, lol)...

There were two different spills -- first, Charly spilled (and didn't seem to clean it up at all), then Laura slipped in what he spilled and some of the very hot, heavy contents of what she was carrying spilled. Then Dan fell in the aftermath. All of that seems like it could've been a lot worse than it turned out.

I assumed (and since I highly doubt I'm more knowledgeable than you or others, keep the old adage about what assumptions do for us in mind, lol) they were convection ovens, which cook much faster than traditional ovens by circulating air. (The "air fryers" we all use these days are essentially convection ovens, renamed and resized. I can cook a boneless, skinless chicken breast to perfection in 10 minutes in the air fryer v. 30 minutes in the conventional oven.) I still thought it was weird they didn't have use of regular ovens -- don't know if it was a matter of them not having the oven space for that many folks to roast whole chickens, if they chose them because they were faster and they either had time limitations or wanted similar times for the groups, or what, but some of those poor chickens looked mighty smushed into the space they had. I'm betting all of them cooking two birds at once was causing issue, too. Thought it was a great start to the season. Like others, I was thrilled with the first elimination, and I thought Kristin handled things well.

On this side of the pond, you could've gotten a "shave and haircut" (**two bits**) and received a little change. 😉 This week's episode made me cringe/worry for several different reasons -- obviously, the horse was worrisome all-around, particularly the impaling; at first, the new vet's reactions worried me on the heels of last week's non-animal friendly Mrs. Harbottle & his initial comments about treating pets like people, but he evened out; I knew this show wasn't apt to be realistic in its presentation of racial interactions, but I was a little worried the soldiers from other towns would be unkind to our Black farming friends, but I was glad they volunteered to fix the fence.

When my guilty pleasure viewing (Expedition Unknown) intersects with my prestige TV viewing, lol...yes, I immediately (and randomly) thought of this during the episode, too.

I wonder if one of these yahoos will explain how the memory of poor Robin Williams got co-opted into their "religious" dogma? *shakes head* I will say, compared to other similar docs, the interviews with folks who are clearly still in the cult, coupled with all the actual footage, makes for an interesting POV for this one.

I'm starting to think it's from an audition video and they're faking us out. *hrmph*

Step #1 for me is often sorting out the American equivalent to whatever the assignment is, lol...then I have a better idea of difficulty. I presumed there must be similar commercial options when Paul said they needed to look like store-bought. Based on the Vulture review, it seems we had Moon Pies (and I'd add Mallomars for the other design choice -- though the bakers made theirs pretty, lol) and Vienna Fingers for the custards. Another enjoyable episode. This season is bringing that warm, happy feeling that I want from this show.

The only thing that might have outdone the beaver jokes would be someone doing an "Are You Being Served" homage to Mrs. Slocum's pussy (IYKYK). Really solid start to the season -- liked all the contestants, liked the challenges, liked the new co-host. Hopeful for a return to form (even if I'll always miss Mary)!

Whoever Starves Least, Wins: Behind the making of Alone, the most genuinely perilous show on television. (At Vulture, so there might be a firewall.)

Yep (back-to-back). Midwest....in which the levels of fugliness were astonishing, lol.

I've been watching the Renovation Resort Showdown -- essentially Battle on the Beach, but on a lake instead, with the Canadian dude from the vacation rental show -- and I'm shocked (or maybe not, given how low-rent this show is, lol) by how much better the design & quality of the work is on that one than this one. Been enjoying it for the most part...even husband (just him, not the wife) from the resort makeover show who I really dislike here and on his own show is tolerable to me, lol. (p.s. no screaming Ty or Alison!)

They just ran a commercial during the current season of Alone that they'll start airing this Tasmania version on History on August 10...now we can all join in on snarking about the season! Huzzah -- more in a few weeks!

I really didn't get why the only options seemed to be a) eat the maggot meat & possibly get ass worms, or b) tap out? Like, getting more food didn't seem to enter in the thought process. Not sure that bodes well for long-term survival.

Guess I was the only one who wondered if all the future stuff was a dream since Ted wakes up on the plane as it's landing just as that flash-forward wraps up? (If it's not a dream, why are we back in current time after seeing all the future things? Just weird.)... Anyway, I thought it was enjoyable enough, even if much of it was rushed or misplaced. They worked hard to please most everyone (except shippers of many varieties, lol) and it made me more smiley and happily nostalgic than mad, so I'll take it.

Really enjoyed the first part of the season-opener. I usually know a least a little of the history behind the episodes, but this one was new to me and I loved getting to learn and see something new (Kushite kings! Sudanese pyramids! Battles with Egypt! Ridiculous Harvard archeologists botching up history!) Totally agreed with Josh about those dives into the pyramid being the most dangerous combination of what's horrible about cave diving and unstable ruins...for once, I really was worried for their safety (even if it they purposely played it up for added drama), though he obviously makes it out. Season Preview: It looks like he actually finds real relics at various locations this year (not just random coins or beer cans)!

I thought Sara made a very smart and calculated choice (without it seeming so at the time...until she said in the Stew Room she was pretty sure she was safe) -- a contestant has rarely been booted for making really tasty food, even if it didn't exactly meet the parameters of the challenge, when the judges have at least some nits to pick with the other dishes. Once they said hers tasted the best, you knew her ouster was off the table. She knew this wasn't in her wheelhouse; she made the best tasting thing she could figure out a way to shoehorn into the challenge guidelines, at least on its face, and went with it -- hoping to stay squarely in the "safe but not outstanding" middle slot. I'm glad of it since I like her, lol. Yep -- I thought it was a great little moment of joy & silliness. And I'm with you, Pandora, I know I couldn't even come close to managing that, lol! Did anybody else think the judging panel looked kinda disappointed that they showed up in the fancy place, all dressed up, for the "make it to the final" episode and then got a less than spectacular spread of food?

Between this and Abbott Elementary, I feel like Buffalo Wild Wings is really having a moment.

I feel like no one is accounting for man-scaping in the hairy ass debate.

I liked how much literally every other contestant, including his own partner, absolutely HATE Jeff and openly discuss what garbage he is as a person on every level. So, there's that. Making them find items was interesting & the doubles in the bundles are clearly meant to see if folks will share/trade/etc. Naturally, Jeff ruined that. If it's that cold, I have the same complaint as I did in other XLs in which folks had already tapped out from bugs & then they brought nets, cold & they brought pelts, etc. If it's that damn cold, either give them all pelts or place enough of them in obvious locations that most can find them. I get not wanting to build elaborate shelters if you're nomadic, but build something. Damn. Amber isn't my favorite, but she knows better than that, as does Wes. At least there are a good number of people I like and several that don't bother me either way. Did I mention them hating Jeff? Waz: "So, no. I don't want your fucking knife, Jeff." 😘

Coming back in the Fall and...renewed for a third season!

*Spoiler tagged since we don't have a book thread.

Yes and no...it's a bit more of a haves & have nots thing going on, especially the grand tradition of those with material less thinking it must be all sunshine and rainbows in the world of the haves, then getting to London and finding out it's dirty and sad and underhanded, just in different ways than that may be so in the country. Similarly, Estella is emotionally abused by the coercive, damaged Mrs. Havisham in the book, but in ways not nearly so dark as this adaptation (MMV). My main issue isn't taking liberties with book to film adaptations, btw, just that what was done here felt like a modern checklist of things that are dark and sinister but still vaguely sexy and luring in the minds of a certain type of TPTB and had to be added. (I was a little less surprised after reading that the same creatives are also behind Peaky Blinders, which I loved, but isn't the aesthetic I necessarily wanted here.) There are many similar linkages in the book (think of them as things that should make for good TV cliff-hanger type things because this "book" was originally released as a series of individual chapters to lure readers to buy the weekly -- it's at least in part why it's kinda sad that they can't make this a better mini-series)...some that match this telling, and some quite different. Most are intentional, rather than coincidental -- Magwich uses his lawyer to fund Pip (he's the benefactor in the book) in thanks for his help on the marsh, etc. *Since we don't have a separate thread to compare the series and book, I presume this is okay here.*