BusyOctober

Looks like Alyssa's stylist escaped the asylum. That first look was beyond fug...the gigantic lattice black bib was all kinds of hideous. It was too wide an hit Alyssa's body in a weird way. Then her runway hair was another tragedy. I agree w/ some of the posters re. her speech pattern... Alyssa's enunciation has always been a little off to my ears. I was surprised Anya was not in the bottom. I wasn't really loving any of the designs to be honest. But a corset has never been something I'd consider wearing. I agreed with Georgina about Irina's obsession with micro mini length of her garments. I can't imagine wearing such short dresses! I'd be worried every second my ass was showing or people could see my lady bits! Dmitry had a lot of shade thrown at him in the workroom, and while I didn't like his final design, I was happy the judges fell over themselves praising it. Preview alert

Those Optima (??) Tax Relief ads are worse than nails on a chalkboard. People admitting they didn't pay taxes for YEARS are all indignant that the IRS wants to put liens on their property or garnish their wages. Um??? Maybe you should've paid your taxes for the past 8 years? Or contacted the IRS to see if something could be worked out? Or called a lawyer or finance person to see what your options were? The IRS & taxes are here to stay. If we don't pay taxes, we don't have roads, public schools, civil services, armed forces, housing authorities, welfare offices, veterans assistance.... NO ONE likes paying taxes, but the majority of us do it because that's the way our government rolls. I'm supposed to feel happy , or vindicated on your behalf because you managed to cheat the system (that the rest of us paid into) for several years? No, dude. I'm not impressed by your "win" over the big bad IRS. I had a coworker a few years ago whose ex-spouse got her into a sh** load of debt and back taxes issues. She knew they had money problems but didn't know the extent of it. She made an appointment with the local IRS office to have a meeting to see what she could do. They worked with her and while they didn't 'forgive' all of what she owed, it was reduced considerably. She made payments for a couple of years, and resolved it. She never bitched about the "evil" IRS, at least to me. She was thankful they worked with her.

Regarding Venus’ murderous ex-husband and his precious X Box.... if I were the cops and prison officials, I would have made the deal. “Give us the location of her body, and we will install an X Box in the prison.” Then once the body was recovered, as that dirt bag shuffled back to his cell and the door clanged shut, I’d learn through the bars and say, “You held up your end of the deal, and so did we...the X Box has been delivered. And YOU are banned from playing it, or watching others play it, or even saying ‘X Box’ for the remainder of your sentence, you moronic murdering son of a bitch. Instead, you get to wear your Aloha clown shorts as your prison scrubs so everyone can be reminded of what a truly stupid person you are.” But I wonder if the prisons with gaming systems controll which games they can play? I would hope inmates convicted of violent crimes are not honing their first person shooter skills! And they don’t let them play online do they? Contact with other prisoners or relatives via the Internet doesn’t seem right either.

Brett is just so...unpalatable. In every aspect. His food doesn't look great. His ability to speak intelligibly is lacking. His appearance is unappealing. And mainly, his self assessment of his value to this show is woefully missing the mark. He looks and sounds like every tertiary character on "Law & Order"...the thug-y ex-cellmate of the accused or the dim-witted boxer who sparred once with the dead guy or the roid rage-y bouncer at the nightclub where the under aged girl was last seen or the muscle for hire bodyguard for the shady Wall Street dude who took out 4 insurance policies on his now dead wife. Brett just gives off a tangible vibe of unlikeability.

Exactly! I'm pretty sure the contestants know which city they will be competing in, so why wouldn't you brush up on the local cuisine? Search out popular local chefs & restaurants... At least Google some regional "classics"? It's like going on "Survivor" without knowing something about how to start a fire.

I will have to rewatch because when I heard they were butchering a whole cow, I assumed the chefs would kick ass and serve up perfectly cooked steaks or short ribs or even an over the top hamburger. WTF happened??? Tartare?? Beef mousse?? Sad-ass sausage?? Was there a rule that they couldn’t grill a steak? Or that they must turn a beautiful cut of beef into something vile and as visually unappealing as possible? “Liquified tongue” is a phrase that should never ever ever be said aloud again.

As much as I dislike Michelle, I'll give her props for an amazing, pretty dress. The "silhouette" wasn't anything new, but it just looked high-end, complete and fashionable. I also think (aside from Seth Aaron), this group really did a great job of transforming the materials. I wasn't paying close attention to what materials they each grabbed in the first half, so when the finished designs "walked", I had no idea what the original materials were for some of the designs. And everyone (aside from Seth Aaron and Julie a little bit) did transform what they had. Since I wasn't paying attention...did Anya actually sew hers or was it all just glued together?

I liked Ben's stuff! His shop is one of the places I'd go to get inspiration for decor and gifts. Then I would go to Michael's/Hobby Lobby/AC Moore and make my own because his price points are way too high for me. Decoupaging already existing quotes or images onto a glass dish is NOT difficult. I've done decoupage for years...on melamine trays, glass dishes, wicker baskets, old frames, mason jars, wooden mirrors...it's not hard, and it sure shouldn't cost $68 for a 4 x 6 tchotchke. In the late 90's, before kids and marriage, I made & sold my stuff at a few consignment shops or local craft fairs. My largest piece was an old mirror from a 1920's vanity and I sold it for $35! I still made money on everything I sold, but I was working out of my apartment so I didn't have "overhead costs". I still do some "crafting" for fundraisers at my kids' school, but I've never done coasters. I may try it now because I have a friend who is a landscaper and always has small pieces of granite and slate at his yard. The wrapping paper was very pretty, and I can see wall paper being a hit too. High end looking, unique wall coverings are back in vogue again, so he's "on trend". I hope Ben and his core staff do well. His merchandise is very pretty and current, and he has a cool style.

If Cam & Mitchell were real people, I guess I'd be happy for the rest of the universe that they found each other. It frees up two unsuspecting people from being damaged by their incessant neediness and immaturity and pettiness and egomania and shallowness. I'm confused by Gloria's "uncle" story. Gloria is Columbian. The Alamo was a battle between Mexico & the US. Did General Santa Anna recruit Columbians (and maybe other South Americans) to fight? Or Gloria has a Mexican branch in her family tree, and some ancestors settled in Columbia at some point? Who has Davy Crockett AND Santa Anna costumes (perfectly tailored for a 5 year old) just hanging around the closet? Did Manny break up with the little blonde Canadian mime he was living with in his parent's house? Where'd she go if he's making out with librarians now? Did we know Dylan had (twin??) step-daughters before? Did Alex and Luke see the warning signs of this sinking ship and swim for shore? Those two actors have been MIA for a couple of weeks.

So glad this is back! As much as I love the 2 or 3 shorter drunk history lessons in the regular format, having one story for the entire episode was awesome. Rich Fulcher is hysterical. He would probably get on my nerves big time if I ever met him at a party...a little goes a long way. But in this show, he is gold. I really enjoy all his dramatic, emphatic statements and then the way he casually drops a throw away "what-evs" kind of line. When he was describing how the "Monster" ran away after killing Frankenstein's GF,..."and he was NEVER! EVER! Seen AGAIN!!" <<pause>> "until he was". I was dying!

It's been a toss up in the past whether "winners" have been able to collect their prize/position in a GR establishment. Some past winners have done it, but every season I see a bunch of line cooks who have no business being on a made for TV reality show, let alone in a sanitary, operational, public restaurant kitchen. If I saw Brett "Magilla Gorilla" in the back of the house (or God forbid, FOH!!!), I would get up and leave. Same for Brett. They just look clueless and dirty and sweaty. Not to mention most of their taste buds have been annihilated by smoking. The thought of someone's hands smelling of tobacco, and has nicotine stained fingers and teeth preparing my food just makes me want to hurl. Now, realistically, I know I have eaten in fine dining restaurants and local diners who have smokers and sweaty goons in the kitchen. However, what I haven't seen with my own eyes, can't hurt me!

Glad this is over. The mind blowing dumbness, the baby voices, the vocal fry, the entitled bitchiness frayed my last nerve. The daughters were legal adults but I can understand why some viewers may have thought they were teens. The older one acted like a “Clueless” and “Mean Girl” 17 year old. Her bitchy way of speaking to everyone is atrocious. Nasty attitude with anyone she deems “lower” than she is??? What was that whole Lyft scene (after the car chase) supposed to be...”meet cute” rom-com trope? The younger one spoke like a 3 year old and had the IQ to match. Talking about killing zombies??? If this is an accurate portrayal of the daughters, then Debra is to blame for more than her own stupidity. And Debra’s meet up with Denice in the hospital hallway... Debra acted like she was meeting someone at a conference or in line waiting to get a drink. She was all, “la-la...so nice to meet you! Come and meet my mentally fragile, traumatized and wounded daughter! She’ll really want to meet you! You know, cuz she’s the one who stabbed your estranged brother in the eyeball...you guys probably have a lot in common!” THEN Debra goes to John’s RV and is <<baby breathlessly ah-mazed>> by how John was living. She picks up the wedding picture is STILL wistful about how happy John looked on their wedding day!! She is still convinced she and John had some good times!!! I can’t even with the scenes at Debra mom’s house....GAHHHH! More mealy mouthed jibbering about “love” being an excuse for behaving recklessly & marrying (for the FIFTH time). More mousy asking for and receiving “forgiveness”...the idiot mother forgave her SIL for murdering her daughter, for chrissake. After watching this, I have decided that people like Debra are why living things had to evolve with involuntary reflexes. Some people are too stupid to breathe.

I have to learn not to get soooo excited for the return of shows I enjoy. I was really happy Victoria was back, and then....meh. I assume this episode was to setup the rest of the season and the radical changes coming to England & Europe. But I was disappointed by so much. Hating the half-sister. I don't know anything about the real person, but I can only hope she won't be with us all season. Please let Victoria banish her or get her married off and out of the country. I will give the writers and actor props for making Feodora almost a carbon copy of Victoria's sycophant and annoying mother. Skerrett and Francotelli were mild nuisances in the past, but now I actively dislike them both. I can't warm up to Skerrett or muster up any interest in the character. Maybe its b/c of the actor's role on Outlander. I also agree with the poster above - I don't think a lady employed in the Palace, in 1840's would be repeatedly making out with her BF either while on the clock at work or during a daytime public walk downtown. The new people will take time for me to get to know. I am interested to find out how a grocer's daughter married a duke and rose to the inner circle of Victoria's Ladies in Waiting. I see some not so subtle foreshadowing dropped on us re. conflict with her dickhead husband and the new 7 foot tall footman. I will have to research the Charterists and their fight for the vote. Off to Wikipedia!

Michelle is a witch. I don't think she is a great designer. She is rude and snide and her nasally voice is nails on a chalkboard. When she rips apart the other contestants she isn't even clever or witty or snarky. It's just mean spirited. Her dress was hideous. I liked Seth Aaron's and the other white eyelet dress (can't remember the designer...still too many of them on the runway). Sunny had a great dress, but deserved to be auf'd for disobeying the challenge. If he had put a little blue edge on one of his many yellow tulle layers, or spiral some blue ribbon into one of the yellow folds, he could've been in top 3. Anthony Ryan's was better than last week, but he should have put sneakers on his model over those 1970's cork wedge sandals. The red/navy Aussie outfit was definitely "matronly", and not spring-y at all. Yet another beach sarong from Anya...blind runway, my ass. EVERYONE in the studio knows her non-sewn, fluttery "dresses" when they see them. Aliens in other galaxies know it's Anya' s outfit. Single cell amoeba floating in the ocean know an Anya outfit. Irina's model must have been sooo embarrassed to wear that Frederick's of Hollywood/Disney Princess mash up. Georgina was right; I bet she and Isaac did see that poor model's crotch ...they may have even seen her uterus. Sean Kelly's dress looked like muslin with a bunch of Stevie Nicks cast off earrings tacked on to it. And that plunging neckline was just too deep. I didn't like the dress with the red and gold lame (Dutch guy's??). And as much as I like Dmitri, I regretfully agree with Anna's "ice skater costume" assessment. Speaking of their mentor...when Project Runway goes back to Bravo, I hope they forget to give Anna the new address. She is a pill. Not a single word of real feedback. No constructive criticism. She gives one comment, delivered in the most flat, deadpan, emotionless voice. She is worse than that Zanna person who showed up in previous PR iterations. At least Zanna had energy and presented some sign of personality.

I didn't miss this show over its hiatus. I hate every character except Phil. I can tolerate Jay when he has scenes with Phil. The rest of them just represent Dante's inner circles of Hell. Pam is in the center. The only thing that I laughed at was Dylan opening the garage door (even though I knew it was coming once he said their house was a converted garage). Can we fly this whole show to Cam's family farm and take out behind the barn to put it out of our its misery?

Just...wow. It is very hard to believe she did so well in her business. If I were a potential client, that voice and look of "DUUUUHHH!" would end any purchase I was considering.

I think its the baby voice that irks me the most. Debra is a 40-something business woman with 5 marriages, 3 kids and grandchildren. She's lived through the murder of her own sister by a controlling abuser. She may have had a mostly privileged life, but she can't be THAT sheltered or innocent. Her baby whispery voice and the wide eyes & perpetual flummoxed, "Bambi on ice for the first time" facial expressions when confronted with basic info just pushes me over the edge. Her daughters have more street smarts, but they have the same baby chipmunk caught in a trap manner of squeaking speaking. All that said, I can sort of understand how Debra met with John after the restraining order was requested. She was trying to make it all go a way. Too bad her lawyer didn't fully understand the width & breadth of dimness he was dealing with when he took Debra's case. If he had known she was so clueless, he might have spent time reviewing what the RO meant, how to behave once the judge granted it, and why it would be important to STAY THE FUCK AWAY from John. Of course, he'd have to use picture books and those therapy puppets used w/ small children to work through trauma. Maybe use a "Stranger Danger" video or an episode of Sesame Street to help someone with Debra's pre-school cognitive ability understand.

OMG! I thought the same thing. "Underwhelming" is kind praise for the results we saw. I hung a collection of my grandmother's blue & white Spode china on my navy blue dining room wall in my first apartment...in 1998. The Chip & Joanna Gaines "farm house" stencils of garden tools are also dated IMO. "Thistle" might as well named the space "Magnolia". It looked like all 3 spaces had the same tables, but I could be mistaken. I liked it better when the chefs had to conceptualize and shop for their decor and fixtures. Give them an extra day to get that done and have "professionals" on hand for the painting, wiring, moving the furniture. If the judges are going to weigh the ambiance and 'feel' of the restaurant into the results, then let the chefs have time to make it as close to their concept as possible. And that includes giving them servers who have at least once been inside a real, sit-down restaurant with real flatware, plates and a menu that isn't hanging above the cash register. BTW- wouldn't getting the table #'s and a ticket system be the first thing to teach wait staff over how many centimeters apart from each other the water and wine glasses should be? I feel like Top Chef has slipped into Food Network territory with the manufactured drah-ma. The unfinished restaurant space, the untrained staff foisted upon them and the short turnaround time is akin to the antics the Food Network idiots pull on those fill in the blank holiday baking championship shows. Professional bakers are told to make their best, most elegant, fit for a queen croquembouche. Then half way through the allotted time, some Food Network "celebrity" tells them they must incorporate a "twist" ingredient..."Pepperoni Pizza flavored gummy candy!!!" That's why the Great British Bake Off is so popular and beloved. Great hosts, honest judging and real contestants work together to make the best "bake" within strict but realistic parameters.

In addition to side eyeing the JCP and Southwest sponsors, I was wondering if/when the lady from 23 & Me would reappear. The quick “Hiiiyyee! I invented this company to help people find their Ancestry (oops! wrong company) DNA makeup! Spit in this tube, mmkay? Cool, I’m out, bitches, byyyeee!” was something that could’ve been left on the editing room floor. So pointless to have only 2 designers mention their results. And because those results take 6-8 weeks to be returned, I am guessing everyone in the workroom had to do a second, on camera spit since their samples had to be sent in weeks earlier. I applaud Alyssa in sacking her previous “stylist”. She looked pretty good in both outfits, and her hair and makeup were good too. Debra Hot Mess Messing however? Not so much. FUGLY from head to toe.

How would those two alcoholics ever be able to maintain custody of those kids after THAT??? I didn't finish the episode, but I assume Shil gave his patented "I'm a mandated reporter!" speech, and I hope the grandparents gained custody of the little girl. For Godsake, even a temporary foster care placement would be better than having that poor child live with chaos and uncertainty and danger 24/7. I don't have too much faith in Shil's therapy or his Friends of Phil recovery spas, so a 30-day stay in Malibu or whatever beach is going to straighten those losers out. They need separate lock down facilities and months/years of continued supervision & support. Which leads me to ask; who is following up and keeping tabs on how these people make out after the show? I'm pretty sure once the cameras stop rolling, Shil's wallet snaps shut, so how do severely damaged addicts get the real help they need once their "gift" from Phil runs out? I think the reason we never see follow up shows is because there are very few if any success stories to report on past guests. Without the will do get better, and constant support, therapy and contact with qualified professionals, addiction is very tough to hand wave and make better with a 3 week stay in a 5 star hotel like facility.

This season is losing me. I find Brianna boring as hell. The character is not interesting and the actress is abysmal. I wish she’d go back through the stones and never come back. For the product of two passionate and charismatic parents, Brianna is a dud. I’d rather hear more from Lizzie or Ian’s dog than suffer through more wooden and flatly delivered dialogue from Brianna. If she keeps the baby (& I’m assuming she will, because... drah-ma) knowing it cannot be Roger’s, and Roger manages to resurface, I don’t see him being open minded to the scenario. He is very conservative in his views, so even though the baby is a result of a rape, I don’t know if Roger could raise another man’s child. Especially when he discovers who the baby-daddy is. But Frank was able to overcome that, so maybe Roger can.

I never watch Racheal Rae , but Samin and her cookbook were being featured before Christmas so I tried to watch. That shrewish harpy Would. Not. SHUT UP! RR introduced Samin then steamrolled over the entire segment. Poor Samin couldn’t get a word in. Every time RR asked a question, she answered it herself. She mentioned the SFAH cookbook, then went off on a tangent about how SHE wrote an amazing review of it. Then RR had the nerve to tell Samin they were running out of time, so I don’t think she got to finish whatever dish she was cooking. I changed the channel before the end of the segment because I just couldn’t take it anymore. How does RR keep a show on the air if she behaves that way???

These time travel episodes make me kinda twitchy. My OCD-ish brain needs a better explanation of how it works! I’m not going to read the books, so I will just need to make up my own rules. Just like I made up my own reasoning for why Every. Damn. Person. they ever ran into shows up, no matter what country Jamie & Claire (& now Brianne & Roger) are in... when they go through the stones, they pick up some ancient telepathic form of Facebook Friend request...it attracts people from their past(s) to seek them out, either consciously or unconsciously, no matter how many years have past or how tangential their previous interactions were. Not sure if it should be called “Craigh na Dun’s List” or “Druid Do U Know Me” or “Six Scottish Degrees of Separation”. So looks like Brianne has her mom’s impulsive attitude, but she didn’t get the same ability to avoid being raped. Claire was threatened with sexual assault numerous times, in numerous settings. Yet poor Brianne gets raped on the same night she gets married and loses her virginity. Gotta say, I am overall the Harlequin Romance style sex scenes. I get it, they are incredibly attractive people who share a love like no one else’s. Yawn. Put your clothes back on and keep the plot moving. Once we discovered George Washington would be in the audience , I really wanted the play to be “Hamilton”.

These people were annoying beyond belief. They had no business being in retail, especially in a biz that is supposed to be synonymous with FUN! JOY! TOYS! SANTA! Marcus mentioned the husband's "passion" or "heart" or something similar. I saw zippo passion or heart or energy or drive in that guy. Just because he cried about his sad childhood doesn't mean he is fit to run a business. The store before Marcus showed up looked like a busted Dollar Store. How they made any money is a miracle. Honestly, it didn't look like a big "WOW!" after Marcus spent his money there. If I'm going to Santa Claus, IN and the whole town is dedicated to Santa & Christmas all year long, then I'd expect to see an ass-kicking, full throttle toy store. The meager decorations hanging from the exposed ceiling weren't even as festive as what my local grocery store does for the holidays. And that "Santa's Workshop" space???? WTF? I assumed it would be some kind of creative space for kids to have hands on experience with featured toys (you know, to encourage SALES?), or to do arts & crafts. Or maybe people dressed as elves "making" toys...or at least cutting out paper snowflakes for goodness sake. And where the Hell was Santa in all this?? Shouldn't he be walking around "Ho-ho-ho-ing" and taking pictures? That space looked like a wasted idea. Better to have used it for storage than a half assed room full of cartoon murals. It could be monetized - take one free picture with Rudolph or an Elf or Santa with a purchase, then upsell "digital" packages. Sell an experience where the kids & their parents can make/paint a small wooden train or doll for a couple of bucks. Get Sweet Pete's Candy in there & sell a candy cane making class, and a candy counter w/ a few "exclusive" Santa Claus Candies for sale. Good grief...the possibilities are endless if Marcus followed his own mantra of "People- Process- Product". This is cruel to say, but both of the parents looked very "low functioning" (even though the wife showed more business savvy than the husband). I know their daughter had learning disabilities, and the son seems like he may be on the spectrum as well. The parents may have wanted a business to do better for their kids. I think the kids would be served better by having one or both parents more available to them vs. stressing over inventory or video surveillance cameras. I just don't see this couple being very successful without Marcus' constant attention. If the husband couldn't muster the brain cells and energy to slap a ".COM" sticker over the old website sign, then I don't see him being the dynamo needed to run a store. Good thing Marcus bought the .com domain so he can still do something when Santa's Toys collapses under mismanagement.

Right?? As if he lies were itty bitty little fibs, like “I only had 2 beers” or “no, your meatloaf is way better than my mom’s!”, and not about HUGE components of his life, such as: His nursing/ medical degrees? His military experience? His addiction? His homelessness? His criminal record? Or what about the way he spoke to or about your daughter (“joked” she needed to be shot) and your nephew (taunting him about his dad killing his mom)? None of these neon red flags were enough to make you go, “hmm...wait just a minute...something seems a little ‘off’ with this guy”??? Good Lord, his obsessive compulsion with making me a freakin’ smoothie Every. Damn. Morning. would be enough to make me toss his ass out. I said it other episode threads- the real Debra and her family were John’s victims and no one should have to live through those horrible experiences. But...when you find out the guy is a thief, a criminal, an addict, a stalker, a colossal liar, and lawyers and cops are afraid of him, yet you still go back to him and try to find the good where none is to be found, it is difficult to be 100% on your side and empathetic.