BusyOctober

I haven't been a "little champion" of this season, but that's how to wrap up a show finale in a pretty package. All the main characters get what they want and most loose ends tied up. No cliff hangers, happy endings and CUT! I do hope Myrtle gets a percentage or a royalty (TM Shark Tank) for her family recipe & know-how. Without her, Denise's 19th century Sephora wouldn't get off the ground.

Kristina's "I'm so proud of you" convo with Max was wrong on many levels as several of you have posted. I think the most egregious error in her speech was when she pointed out that she was so proud-happy-surprised that Max was able to express his emotions. WTF? Max has been very forthcoming expressing his emotions all along. Almost every scene he's had, he has expressed: Anger Rage Disdain Impulsiveness Impatience Disappointment Envy Disgust See? It's a virtual rainbow of emoting 24-7-365! Kristina just needs to hover her Mom-o-Copter a little closer so she can witness what the rest of us do.

When I saw AM's opening dress, I thought, the poor woman should really try a pair of pants for a change. MAybe it would balance out her proportions instead of the tents they keep draping over her. The cupcake and tablecloth dresses are doing her NO favors. Then she came out in pants for the runway show...that wasn't any better. Dimitry - another ice skating dress Helen - her dress was seriously FUG. It could have been something "OK" if the frilly shit was placed better?? The brocade-y fabric was pretty enough. As for her runway look - I thought I was seeing Wallis Simpson back from whatever Nazi loving circle of hell she's been in. Not attractive! (the crown was pretty bad too). Michelle - I do not get her stuff. Ill-fitting = couture?? Her affectations are so annoying. It must be exhausting to be around her more than the 43 min we are subjected to once a week. Chris- I always liked his personality and his designs. I'll miss some of his commentary, but I think he's successful on his own without this show. I didn't think his dress was so bad.

Does Snowflake Academy offer a hotel management program along with their 4 star culinary program? If so, I think I had a glimpse of Max & Kristina's future... A 2025 Trip Advisor review: "The Braverman Hotel is a quaint little inn on the cliffs overlooking the Bay. It's run by a socially awkward mama's boy and his "Mother" (funny thing - we never actually saw Mrs. Braverman, but my wife swears she saw her rocking in a chair one night). The proprietor has a tendency to creep around and can't make eye contact. He developed an unnatural attraction to a blonde female guest while we were there, but she disappeared before we could chat with her. The room was OK but there was a weird vibe in the bathroom...odd red stains on the tile. Affordable, great view, but don't take any showers.

It's been bugging me since the start of the season but I finally figured out why Adam and KeriAnn irk me. Adam reminds me of Josh Harris from Deadliest Catch. He is also a tool and spouts nonsense a lot. KeriAnn is Tracy Flick from "Election". Her superiority, the smugness and "watch me sparkle!" smiles make me want punch her in the throat sometimes. Phew! Am I glad my brain finally made those connections! Now maybe I will be able to focus on the food part of this competition. Woo Hoo! Bye Aaron. Take your stupid hat and sob story with you. You are not the first "untrained" chef to work in a kitchen. You are not the first child of divorce to have a rough path to overcome. And you're certainly not the first person to struggle financially. Get over yourself.

I thought Jess' new BF Ian looked a bit like Nick...hoodie, scruffy beard. Just me? Love Winston and I want to see more of him succeeding at whatever...job, girls etc. I loved Damon Wayans Jr. on Happy Endings but I just can't warm up to Coach. How does CeCe think her boobs are too big? She looks perfectly proportioned to me. In some scenes I think Jess' boobs look bigger! Loved Schmidt's reaction to her reduction news however.

I live in Mass & I'm a history buff so I was geeking out as soon as I heard the name William Bradford. Sally Field is not only related to a passenger on the Mayflower, but she's a direct descendant of the leader and first Governor! I like Sally Field a lot, but she should have been more excited about this info in my opinion. Just saying "oh cool I always liked Thanksgiving" is not the reaction I'd expect. Chopra's story about his ancestor's ashes and his thoughts for his unborn grandchildren had me all choked up. I don't consider myself spiritual but that was beautiful. Like so many others in Boston/.NYC/Chicago, some of my relatives were greatly affected by the famine in Ireland. I don't know if if any of my family were in "workhouses", but what a horrifying institution. I also thought it ironic that someone like Sting who fights for human rights would have a GG Grandmother sentenced to one of the most soul stealing places in history. Overall, this was one of my favorite episodes. But I have to ask why they did the DNA testing for these guests but omitted it from the Jewish guests' show last week? Even when it's expected the DNA is 90% European or Middle Eastern or whatever, they still have done it for other guests. I wanted to see what ancient migration patterns (if any) showed up for Carole King et al.

I know it's a tv show and not a reality program, but somethings really push the credibility limit. 1) the hair do's - Clara & Denise have extremely intricate hair styles. How would a lower class working girl get her hair all twisted and braided and curled into a perfect coif every day? They show the girls with their hair down or in loose braids for bedtime. Did women get up at 3am to start their hair regimen? Katherine (and the very wealthy) had ladie's maids to style them and fuss over the hair, but Clara and Denise live in a tiny apartment, share a bathroom with God knows how many others and need to work by candle/gas light by themselves to get ready. Silly, but details like this bug me. It'd make more sense if they had neat buns or chignons. 2) All of Denise's ideas are great, sure. But how does a store with a staff of less than 30 (I'm guessing- we never see more than 15 or so tertiary characters milling about) make all these fantabulous "shopper fantasies" come to life in 24 hours? And the idea of a ghost experience was cool but how was walking them through the whole store beneficial? They kept them in place longer but they didn't really position items for sale along the way (except for the magazine). Plant related items from the story along the way, incorporate them into the tour ("These watches are just like the one Mr. X used at the depot!" "Here is a replica of Miss Jane's evening gown!" Then at the end of the tour there's a boutique with all the items with a cash register. Can't escape the experience without passing through the Gift Shop! But, the Paradise is happening long before the "Disney-fication" marketing strategy became standard.

Waaay too much gore for me in this one. I thought Elam's bear mauling wounds were bad enough, but this episode amped up the gross factor to OMGOMGOMG Stop it! Stop it!!!" From what I remember reading years ago, Five Points was a Hell hole of violence. I think Mickey may regret calling in his cousin & his merry men. I understand Ruth was supposed to look exhausted and gaunt because of Ezra's death, but was it common for women in mourning to powder their face with lead or talc? She looked cartoonish with her super white these past 2 shows. Maybe someone from the make up dept just recently watched "Powder"?

I never liked the Mark Cyr character or Jason Ritter as an actor. I wouldn't be upset if his character is the dead man walking. Mr Cyr gets a job at Snowflake Academy. He has lunch prepared by the untrained, barely supervised child labor "cue-linary" students. He gets salmonella and passes out in the bathroom. Kristina can't dial 911 because she is using the phone to yell at Amber for disappointing Max re. Alcatraz.

How many episodes are left? I hope next week's previews with Amber's pregnancy emergency is another red herring like Crosby's motorcycle accident. As dramatic and heart wrenching as it may be, I do not want to see Amber or her baby be the death we are all expecting.

No. But I hear he can be an ass as well.

I'm confused about Jenna's mom's grave. I understand after the death & burial her dad never told the very young Jenna which cemetery she was in. But if Jenna wanted to find out this information as an adult, couldn't she have done it? Unless her dad had his wife's body purposely buried out of state and used a fake name, wouldn't she be able to track down death certificates, nearby funeral homes, cemeteries etc? I'm not thhrowing shade at Jenna, but I'm honestly curious if burial records are somehow untraceable in some states. When my mom was looking into her dad's side of the family for a genealogy project, she was able to go to various city halls and get burial details right down to date of interment & plot number for great uncles and cousins, etc. Mr. Deena probably was as unfocused before he met Deena. He doesn't seem like he has much initiative and is just waiting for something to land in is lap. I don't mean a reality show either. I know some guys his age that are still "finding themselves" at the ages of 28-32. They want an income for a nice car or house or to pay the bar tab, but never move off their duffs to make it happen. As someone up thread mentioned, Deena's money making "fame" time clock is running out, so if he doesn't want to "live in a sh**hole", he'd better start looking for a job he likes enough to earn good money.

Aside from all the other focus on Max-not-Nora stuff, anyone notice the lack of a stroller for the little one? Was Amber planning on carrying a 2-3 yr old the entire boat ride and during the tour of Alcatraz? Yes the toddler is walking, but she sure as Hell doesn't have the stamina for that kind of outing. And while on the topic of baby gear...Amber is this far along and hasn't thought once about how her death trap of a vehicle won't accommodate a car seat? Or that said vehicle is completely unreliable (per Amber). How is she going to get to/from day care or doctor appointments ( I purposefully omit "work" because, you know...Braverman World). Not that I missed Sydney, but where were Julia's kids the night office BF came over? It looked like Joel was wandering around his Sad Dad Pad alone, so maybe the kids were off in the black hole Nora and Camille usually occupy? Natalie is the most condescending I'm-so-above-you girlfriend in the world. Drives me nuts how she pontificates to her boyfriend about he should act or feel according to her opinion. She acts as if she some wise sage, bestowing her wisdom upon her ignorant underlings. Sparkle down, Sunshine. You're a twenty year old sophomore, not a font of knowledge. Never been to a gun club or shooting range, but would one of those places allow a customer to place cans of food on their range? After the cans are shot and the food is splattered all over the field, who's job is it to clean that shit up before it smells and attracts vermin? But again, Braverman World, so it's for someone else to care about I guess.

When Alyssa was in the construction site explaining the challenge, I thought "Finally! Someone who likes her did her hair and makeup!" Her hair looked good down and the denim shirt/top looked good too. I don't remember if they showed the rest of that outfit up close. However, all hope was lost when she emerged from behind the scrim in that God awful upside down cupcake liner monstrosity. It made her look GINORMOUS! .And Isaac wants to talk about boob fat? Look to your left, honey. The cut of that squared neckline was sooo unflattering on Alyssa. If the arm hole cut was just moved over 2 inches to her shoulders or if the strap were wider, maybe it would have diminished some of the atrociousness of that dress. I've seen nicer maternity dresses at Target for chrissake. Maybe Kate designed Alyssa's runway dress? It has her crap-sthetic all over it. Kate and her designs remind me of Amy Adams in "Enchanted". Enough with the white princess dresses. What's her fixation on coffee filter/cupcake liner boob cups? If she hasn't done it already, she's scaring off any potential BF with her BSC obsession with wedding dresses. And aside from my 3 yr old daughter and her friends, I don't recall seeing a tiara worn in the daytime...on city streets...by an adult. Michelle & Gunnar's voices have made me do something I've never done before...turn on close captioning. I mute the TV anytime I see one of them pop up. Although I was too slow on the draw during M's critique so I did hear her "spor-TEE" affectation. UGH Yay for Justin! His dress was definitely the best one IMO. I hope he continues to be a strong contender. Snooky & J-Woww...wow. Who'd of thunk their 15 minutes of fame would extend this far into 2014? For "fashion mavens", they both looked like they rolled out of a low end Atlantic City bar.

Re. allergy accommodations - Twenty years ago I went to an expensive upscale restaurant owned by a famous Boston chef. I was with a group of MIT PhD's and Board members. One of the women in our group had a severe sulfate allergy, so she asked the waiter if she could get a steak without any of seasoning salt/spice rub described in the menu. Waiter said no problem. When the food came out, it was obvious this lady's steak had the seasoning rub all over her steak. Rather then send it back or make a scene, she ate the vegetables (served on a different plate), some bread and ate the rest of her husband's salad (no dressing). The waiter noticed she didn't touch the steak and she said it wasn't a problem, they'd take it home for the husband or kids. The waiter must have told Chef Superiority Complex because he came storming over and yelled "Who has a problem with how I prepare my menu?!? Do you understand how expensive this cut is??? Or is this your first experience in fine dining?" The husband tried to explain the allergy and this chef slammed his fist down & FLIPPED the table over, yelling that if we didn't appreciate his food we could "all get the F*** OUT!" The dining room was silent and we picked up our things (covered in wine, food etc.) and walked out. We all sent dry cleaning bills to the restaurant and they were all paid, however I have never ventured foot into any of this Jackhole's properties again.

There probably was, but this group is so lazy! Unless it got accidentally got scarfed up into one of their mouths during the feeding frenzy, none of these slackers were going to spend an extra ounce of energy to look for it. I'd love to hear what some of the "old timers" (Seasons 1-4 for example) have to say about this group's lack of initiative to find food or shelter. This season not only lucked out getting food given to them frequently, but the weather gods have been very kind as well. So far only one bad rainy night! Remember the almost constant soaking some tribes got from Day 1 - Philippines maybe?? People were losing toe nails and skin was sloughing off because it was so wet!

I agree that missing your kids or your family etc is certainly valid. Hell, I've cried every night on a 3 day business trip when I called to say goodnight to my daughter. My issue is when the contestant cries over "his/her" sacrifice, as if those emotions only impact that individual. Everyone there "gave up" something to be there. It is a voluntary contract they sign, along with all the other people participating. Let's face it, they are all doing it for selfish reasons - fame, recognition in their field, cash for themselves or family, etc. Nothing wrong with that, and good luck in your endeavors. But don't whine or bluster about how winning or "being here" means soooo much more to YOU because of what you chose to leave (family, kids, job) for a short term chance to achieve a bigger goal you chose to pursue. Just read the Aaron was arrested Tuesday for domestic violence against his girlfriend. Wonder if that's his parents' divorce's fault too.

You are right, the Cheers windows are small sidewalk level, while the bar is below ground level. I'm guessing they used an upstairs room in the Hampshire House. They have gorgeous function rooms on all 3 floors and the 1st floor "Oak Room" has street level windows facing Brimmer & Beacon St's. Nice to see "Norm" again, but do tourists still go to Cheers? I thought Kerriann would get the boot once she was shown making the "phone call of doom" to her loved one. Again we get a reality/competition show contestant weeping over the "sacrifice" she's made to be there. When she auditioned, did she not understand the show wouldn't be filmed in her backyard? And her husband and children would not be allowed to come along? Enough with the boo-hooing about "everything I left behind". You VOLUNTARILY left everything behind (unless Top Chef production crew is running a cheftestant slave trade organization & the poor woman was kidnapped).

So these idiots ate ALL of the "Feast" leftovers in the few hours between leaving the picnic area and rifling through Julie's bag? They have all been moaning about lack of food (for a measly 21 days) and when presented with a big buffet, they don't save anything for "later"? Julie should have told them she had the food, but either told them to ration it since it was the only food these human vacuums hadn't inhaled OR shared it all but held back a small personal store. Times have changed since the original days of Survivor. I'm tempted to equate this Tribe's need/expectation for immediate gratification with a generational trend happening now. There's sense of entitlement, self-importance & a lack of "work to earn" mentality. Over all there's an expectation that they are just there to look good and lay around until it's time to gather production provided food/shelter vs. using skills to SURVIVE 39 days. I heard Josh's reasoning to "Power Couple" J & J and I'm confused. He said (paraphrasing) that in the end who will the jury give the million to - a couple of successful Broadway stars or a fireman with 2 kids. 1) doesn't that clue in J & J that Josh's Final 3 = Josh, Reed & Jeremy? Josh basically gave it away that he doesn't see J &J in the final picture. 2) Josh & Reed are successful stars?

My Sicilian grandmother always told me her father's family were cardinals and high ranked buddy-buddies with the Popes for centuries. Her mother's people were wealthy land owners/nobility in the same caliber as the Medici's. She did her genealogy & got back into the 1300's for both parents. She discovered her mom's stories were pretty close to the truth, so that's cool. But her exalted dad's side? Many of the men did hold religious offices but were often accused/tried & even convicted for various crimes (embezzlement, murder). One guy- a priest- had 20+ illegitimate children scattered around Sicily. Nana wasn't so inclined to brag after these little nuggets were uncovered.

I am not familiar with the actress playing Elizabeth, but I'm not impressed with her in this. Actually, the story wasn't impressive either. In every scene, Lizzy looks more like she is one of the servants instead of the Lady of the house. In fact, "Daisy" on Downton Abbey looks "higher born" than Lizzy (yes, I know, different era -but even as a scullery maid, Daisy had more spark). Austen wrote Lizzy as a sensible and smart girl of her time, but she also had spirit and vivaciousness, even if she wasn't as physically attractive as Jane. None of that is apparent in this production.

Wow, no updated comments for last' night's "ParadisZZzzzz"? Guess I'm not the only one who's lost interest in this snooze fest. It's not even snark-worthy.

I feel like summer camp is ending! I'm going to miss all of you snarkers! Thanks for all the great recaps and for suffering through the tedious hours of feeds so others here didn't have to. Your sacrifice will be remembered. I only wish we could have seen the reactions of these idiots when they found out they were not famous or even likeable to the viewing audience. I wonder if ShadyChef and Kristin will team up to offer baking and business classes at their local community colleges? If Mike runs for any office anywhere, please stay vigilant posters! Don't let (another) embezzling, dishonest doofus enter politics! Maybe Hex, with her vast knowledge of hunting, can do some catalog modeling for Bass Pro Shop or Cabelas? I have a feeling Bella may end up wandering the streets talking to herself about microwaves and Tide. Sigh...bye everyone. I hope to see you around other forums!

I do not like Cecily. AT. ALL. She's a shit-stirrer (though not as good at it as Jenna) and a phony. What was with all her indignation that Nikki "said MY name!!!!" Is Cecily a holy entity? One shall not take Her name in vain? She repeated it 2-3 times that she was so outraged that Nikki had the audacity to speak her name. Huh? I think she's so insecure and her lack of self esteem makes her act ugly. Why doesn't she take her own advice and work or her relationship w/ Treach and stay the hell out of everyone else's business. Treach, BTW, could do better than Cecily. I wish he'd return her back under the bridge where he found her. If this show does another season, maybe the Producers can dial back the number of couples they invite? We never hear from Dick's <wink wink> "girlfriend". The Jersey Shore couple could have stayed at Trump Tower in AC for all the attention they're getting.