venezia54

Heather has a huge ego and is a controlling bully at times. I saw her true colors the year they all went "roughing it" in Montana, and she was so mean and dismissive to.... I forget. Was it Kristen? Or Aviva? Whoever was uncomfortable about rappelling down a mountain, and Heather acted like every gym bully I've ever known, telling her to suck it up and bragging about how fit she is. Dorinda is absolutely right. She is sanctimonious and acts like her shit don't stink. Sometimes her acceptance of apology DOES sound condescending. Her over-reaction to man-in-the-bedgate was absurd and clearly because she needed to hog some camera time. She's actually crying because a man is sound asleep in a bed in the next room? Seriously? This is a grown woman? Lulu was right. It really wasn't a big deal and she wasn't in danger. She can be genuine and likeable but I think underneath it all, she is not as sweet or as "evolved" as she pretends to be. I'll take the theatrics of the other women over her passive-aggressive b.s. any day, though I realize am I am in the minority here!

Suffering from indigestivo. I HATED this epi. First, I'm not a horror lover. Most horror bores me or just seems laughably ridiculous--and this epi went there. What happened to my beautiful, moving and intellectually demanding show? The one thing that has always made this show a masterpiece is it that the horror and violence always had a point and were artfully done, and it had layers upon layers of symbolism and meaning, and it was Fuller's vision--not Thomas Harris's. "Hannibal" was a shitty book, and when the show tries to be faithful to it, we get crap. Phallic-eel swallowing and inseminating pigs--really? Cartoon characters where the formerly sympathetic and real Alana is now a cross between Jessica Rabbit and Cruella DeVille? And apparently, somebody shot way too much b-roll of skin-suturing, since they use it in every goddamned episode now. "Hannibal" used to make sense within its own surreal universe, and its attention to detail was exquisite. Now, it feels like Fuller is equating being as gross and violent as possible with "cutting edge." It feels like he's saying, "Hey, let's just get this over with so I can go work on 'American Gods'' (which he started developing in 2014). HOWEVER, the last ten minutes brought me back. We were privileged to see one of the greatest actors in the world doing what he does best. Mikkelsen managed to transform Hannibal from an unforgivable monster to a tragic hero, just with a look in his eyes. When Will said "I'll miss my dogs--I won't miss you" and they cut to Mads, I started to cry. Anthony Hopkins couldn't even accomplish what MM has. He goes from last week's unredeemable monster sawing Will's head open, to a lonely, broken creature we want to protect. Brilliant acting by Mads, and also by Hugh Dancy. I am relieved this whole Verger clusterfuck is over. Since we are getting into "Red Dragon" territory, which was a MUCH better book, I am hopeful the show it will go back to being its usual masterpiece self in the little time it has left.

I presumed it was around dawn, and where he was walking is the historic center and around the Uffizi/Ponte Vecchio--not many cars or traffic that early, so I didn't find it unrealistic. In both Venice and Florence, I've drunkenly teetered home and not seen a soul at 6 a.m., except for other drunken teeter-ers.

Hannibal is not Il Mostro. Yes, it is based on the real killer, but it's a different killer. Don't want to spoil it, so I won't say any more! Whether it's "too soon" or not, I don't know, but the real Il Mostro is in both the book and movie "Hannibal", so Fuller is getting that directly from Thos. Harris.

As to the reviewer's comment about the Uffizi. I was there last year, and DID sit in from of La Primavera for quite a while, though of course, I was surrounded by people. So no, it wasn't like in the show (what is?). If anyone knows the gallery, you will recognize Hannibal's Florentine palace (the long hall with all the phone-booth boxes of torture instruments) as the corridor outside the Uffizi's Botticelli room. So, there I was--seeing a hoof coming through the Dimmond flesh heart thingy, and I thought--oh yay, my beloved Ravenstag is back! (I'm one of the few people who loves that stag). But then it turned into that...THING. Antlers emerging from lumpen flesh and scurrying like something out of a Guillermo Del Toro movie or the creepy-ass Cousin It chick from "The Ring". This show is too beautiful to be truly scary in the horror sense (although psychologically, it's sure terrifying). The only times I've truly been scared were both with Mads: when he discovered Beverly and went for the lights like a serpent striking; and when he hurled himself against the door of the pantry (I read it took six guys to stand behind the door, Mads put so much force into it). And now, that THING is the third. It was just SO wrong. For the first time ever, I had nightmares after an episode. I thought this epi had weaknesses. I think Vincenzo Natali is a little too in love with the show's beauty. I don't care if it is pretentious and arty as long as there is a point to the pretentiousness. I feel like they're starting to overdo the atmospherics a bit much. You need a bit of reality (as real as this show gets, anyway) to give meaning to the surrealism and dreamscapes. It can't all be atmospherics and blood drops falling in slo-mo. Less is more. A good ten minutes of the show was re-hashing the bloodbath in "Mizumono". If Fuller isn't trying to pander to new viewers--why go there? I also thought Will's surgery versus Abigail's embalming went on way too long. (It was an obvious nod to the montage which contrasted Will and Hannibal dressing for Will's trial). And I know this was Will's episode, but it felt too one-sided. Without Hannibal to contast Will, it's all Will, all the time, and worst of all, there is no naked Hannibal to be seen anywhere. I'm a little concerned now that Hannibal is "out", that his character will lose his subtlety, and he'll just become a monster. But I doubt Mads would let that happen. But my real beef is with the NBC censors for blurring the naked breasts and asses on the world's most magnificent (and widely seen) paintings. It makes me ashamed to be an American (oh but of course, rivers of blood and gore is okay). And I swear, they are padding the show with more ads. It seems like we have five minutes of show, then ten minutes of ads. And yes, having promos over the most visually beautiful show on TV is sacrilege. But clearly, NBC doesn't give a fuck about this show. So keep it up NBC. Because I want you to cancel this show so it can go to Cable or Amazon, where it belongs.

Also, if the Devil is forgiven by man, that means there is good in humanity after all. He has not seduced Will into pure evil. But I think this show is more complex than that, so I like your interpretation better. Also, I don't necessarily think Will's forgiveness IS a game. I think he truly feels it. That won't stop him from trying to catch Hannibal, any more than Hannibal's love for Will will stop him from gutting him. That's why their relationship is so effed up.

Did I hear Helen say, "Thanks to my mom for BIRTHING me?" And is her birth mom Wednesday Addams, since she looks just like her? "Birthing" also seemed to be the theme with the cloak thing that was "unresolved" (whatever the hell that means, Increasingly Irrelevant Isaac). It made the model look as if she were emerging from a pod. As to the long skirt--I grew up in the '70s, and midi-skirts with boots were dowdyTHEN, but at least we knew to give them color or tailoring. That long skirt of Helen's was Amish-prisonwear drab. But a lot of people liked it, so it must be a generational thing. I did love the Chanel meets Wednesday look, but the rest--myeh. Sonja: I loved the gold coat and the jumpsuit, but the red lace dress--which we've seen before--looked like it was made out of Dollar Store Valentines Day doilies. Unless you're going to use very expensive, hand-tatted lace, dyed lace just looks so cheap, and less is more.I also didn't get all the raves over the black pantsuit and bolero jacket (or was that Helen's?)--very blah. I think Sonja has some interesting looks, but next to my beloved Dima, the other two look like they're just playing at being fashion designers. I was thrilled he won, but agree that the collection wasn't his best. His dresses were boxy and matronly, and the sequined dress was nothing special. But I loved the black coat and the first look--the black and white pants and top, and the black and white fringe dress. And even the weed design was meticulously crafted. You can see that he's the real thing. So run and go free, my Dima, far, far away from the PR franchise--and be the great designer we know you are!

In the last episode I saw, Beau Garrett, the poor-woman's Samantha, was given her OWN SHEET in a scene where she had to try to extricate herself from a post-coital threesome. She was in the middle of her two lovers, and had to gingerly lift the sheet so as not to wake them (in a scene we've seen 502,000 times in every rom-com ever made since they loosened the Hays Code). When she awkwardly slips out of the king-sized bed--instead of taking the whole sheet with her, or exposing a quick flash of nudity, the producers gave her a sheet of her OWN to wrap around herself. (So if I'm a threesome, we each get our 1500 thread count Egyptian cotton sheet? Count me in!) The thing that annoys me most about this show (and "Sex in the City" which I rarely watched) is that it presumes that single women living in LA or NYC are all fabulously wealthy with great shoes. How much does Abby's repurposed Scandinavian wood decor (that door I would kill for!) really cost, in her all-glass house avec swimming pool? Jeneane's kitchen alone is bigger than most of the apartments in NY and LA. So okay, it's Hollywood. And I can forgive that for the fantasy factor. But what pisses me off about this show is that it tries so hard to be topical, but it's really just the same old moralistic, conventional tripe we've see before. ("Breaking Bad" this ain't!) It seems to be caught in an early 90s "Sex and the City" time warp, and I LOATHED that show too. God forbid, Abby should have a relationship with the hotter, more mature younger man because women don't do that, not unless they're craven cougars. God forbid Samantha should actually explore a polyamorous relationship, and all the hijinks that might ensue, but no--they shut that down right away. And god forbid that Jeaneane be anything less than a bitter, out-of-control shrew who can't handle herself professionally, because isn't that what women do? Men can handle themselves on the job when their personal lives are a mess. But women---never! At first I watched the show as a guilty pleasure. But the more I think about it, the more annoyed I'm getting!

Of all the colors Justin could have picked for a boring button-down shirt, he picks GRAY? Dude, even the J Crew catalog offers men's shirts in burgundy, cobalt blue, and deep purple. A little print, a nice plaid even--or how about giving the guy a cool tie? When his model came out, I thought, "Oh, Justin forgot to dress his model. When is he going to get him into the runway look?" It was almost aggressively unimaginative, like he set out to make the most generic, boring off-the-rack look he could think of. As for menswear, they all need to look at how European men dress. Euro men aren't boring dressers like Americans are. They don't think using a little color is some big affront to their masculinity. They all need to look at a few episodes of "Hannibal" and study gorgeous Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen's wardrobe, with those incredible couture suits in crazy plaids and fabulous fabrics and colors. Granted, they are over the top and only elegant Mads can pull them off, but the point is--menswear CAN use colors and patterns. My beloved Dimitri didn't get that memo either, although I died when I heard him say "No hokey pokey!" The rest, you've all covered, but I really don't get how Justin got a pass. Nice guy, but he just keeps putting out one unmemorable look after another. Fabio's look was boxy and awful, but at least he attempted to do something different.

As others have noted, Jason is scary scary scary! I said last week that I thought we would find out he's a serial killer, and I was sorta kidding. But now, I really am afraid. Drunk, his true colors came out. The way he mocked Cassia and cruelly mimicked her, I flashed on someone who has a real hatred of women. Clearly, from his stepmother's remarks, he hasn't had much luck with them. And that he lives the bachelor life with Pops...shudder! I'm afraid we'll find bodies buried under the slimy pool. Run Cassia run!

How could I forget Jason's oh so sad matron look? It looked like something I'd buy off-rack at Marshall's to wear to the office in the 80s. Except that even I wouldn't have worn it, not even then. And I didn't realize the recap also said Fabio's look was Barbie, and I agreed--Pepto Prom Barbie.

Saints preserve us--what a shitshow! EVERY single look was tried, overworked, and godawful. Sanji's was well-constructed, but it reminded me of a Barbie Doll dress I had circa 1972. You know, for the Hooker Barbie edition. And Michelle's look--I was screaming at the TV. It's like the lace drank too many Lemon Drops, threw up all over itself, then stumbled out in to the street where it was run over by a truck. Hideous colors, and it looked tattered and bunched up and tired on the first wearing. I actually liked Gunnar's top (and Gunnar himsef, who is a sweetie this season), and it at least attempted to be interesting. Fabio's most certainly did not. Again, I hark back to my Barbie doll dresses. Only this one was the homemade one my mom from a Sears Roebuck pattern 'cause we couldn't afford the storebought kind. And the styling? Okay, so sometimes, just to bug him, I put a honkin' ugly pearl necklace on my cat's head, but I wouldn't do it to a human. Even my beloved Dimitri's look was slouchy and poorly made, but so glad he was safe, because his are the only clothes I would actually wear, and plus, I love that he is the male version of Natasha on the old Rocky and Bullwinkle show (okay, so I'm dating myself). His TH last week: "Fabio's look eez preeety. But eez dress, not coat. The challenge is to make coat." If I didn't know he was Russian, I'd swear that accent was fake. He even looks like Natasha--skinny, black hair, pale skin. All he needs is a cigaret holder. Michelle reminds me of someone I know professionally who is very perky and fake to your face, but aggressively insecure and competitive behind your back. And although she had no right to say it, Helen was absolutely right about Jay's "club girl" look. When he said, "This is exactly like what a girl would wear to a brunch." Right. I'm going to go to TGI Friday's to sip mimosas with a skirt up my va-jajay and a bare back. I'd freeze to death. It's cold in TGIF's. The only good thing about it is it made me notice Jay, whom I never can remember.

THIS. And I love how Theresa says "do you have a mother figure who could be your mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, cousin, friend, hairdresser, psychiatrist, or favorite waitress?" which pretty much covers all the bases, in terms of typical Jonathan Edwards fraudulent fishing. Sorry mods, I don't mean to get OT here! Mo and Dani. In Venice, I dated a young Egyptian Muslim named Mohammed, whom I also nicknamed Mo. (Well, "dated" is not really accurate. More like "booty-called for rec sex" because he was GORGEOUS but no way in HELL was I going to put up with his sexist-pig ways, and no way in hell was his community going to accept an American woman 20 years older than him). Anyway, I have a soft spot for the show's Mo. I don't know about Tunis, but in Egypt, you don't get married for love. You have arranged marriages between families and more of a dowry system. So that he equates marriage with making a match for money--that's not that unusual in that culture. So if Dani misled him about how much money she had, that's on her. ( I noticed the fancy bedroom set too, though it was probably bought at Rent-A-Center and is about to be repo-ed). I'm not defending him entirely. He does talk to her as if she's chattel. (A piece of whining, puling, quivering, blubbering annoying as fuck chattel, but chattel nonetheless.) Still, I can't help but feel sorry for his "stuck" ass. Justin and Eveline--so bored with them, I was wishing Teresa Caputo would come back in and rudely interrupt with one of her class-A-Felony-fraud prognostications. My description of that date? THE HORROR, THE HORROR! As someone else posted, hot air balloons are terrifying AND boring. And those things are LOUD. They not only involve terrifying heights, but near-proximity gas flames. And I noticed that--what is his name again (Justin, Jason--something with a "J"; I'm too bored to care)--didn't even bring a bottle of champagne. Doesn't he know you're supposed to bring a bottle of Veuve, so you can get toasted while re-arranging the deck chairs on the Hindenberg? Does no one have money on this show? What with the all you can eat buffets, and a birthday present of a hot air balloon conspicuously sans champagne or picnic basket, I feel like the whole crew is on an austerity budget. I guess they don't have the budget of shows like"The Bachelor". or "Real Housewives" I mean--not even a single final rose on that balloon date? I happen to know you can get them at 7-11 for $3.99 Chelsea and Yamir--She is automatically disqualified in my book for her tendency toward "terminally rising inflection" also known as "upspeak", you know, when every statement sounds like a question? And like, she's a self-centered, stringy-haired, overly entitled, annoying hipster-type? I know, right? Ugh. The one person who really won my heart though? Cassia. I don't think she is as spoiled as everyone thinks. I think she's out of her element and miserable. And who can blame her? Jason reminds me of guys that you find out later are serial killers: flat affect, cold and detached, a complete cluelessness as to how to even imitate being human. I don't think he's a sociopath. He's not smart enough to be one. I think he completely lacks social skills and emotional intelligence, and worse, the insight to even see he lacks it. RUN CASSIA RUN!

Agree. He doesn't ping my gaydar, but he does my bi-dar! He is really quite beautiful himself.

As someone pointed out, he seems to like women and he doesn't ping my gaydar, but I thought that as well. He would have to be discreet about his orientation coming from anti-gay Russia. Or, being the no-b.s. kind of guy he is, maybe he didn't want to play along with this bogus challenge and decided to keep his private life, private, which I respect him all the more for. How do you tell the "journey" of your love life in a frickin' piece of clothing? It just seems like a producer-driven challenge to get everyone to spill their guts and create drama for the cameras (I'm looking at you, Gunnar). I respect him all the more for not stooping to such theatrics. And really, it doesn't matter if he's gay or straight, other than I have a crush on him and was curious about his background.

How in the world did Danielle manage in a foreign country? She can barely function in her own podunk town! She and her family are so culturally challenged, I just can't see her swanning around in Africa. Where did she stay? Certainly not with Mo's Muslim family--who wouldn't approve of his dating an older American woman. They speak Arabic and French in Tunisia--she can barely speak proper English! You need a certain level of sophistication to navigate a foreign country. Or at least, the ability to think on your feet. I just can't see her doing that. I wonder if it's a producer-driven fake story, and that actually, she's never been out of the States in her life. As for Mo, he's kind of endearing. I dated a Muslim Egyptian named Mohammed (also nicknamed Mo) once. (I use the term "dated" loosely. I was an older woman living in Venice and he was well, a booty call!) He was a total womanizer while in Venice, and drank freely, but then would go back to his family and be devout. It is a common, semi-condoned practice for young Egyptian men to have affairs with us loose Western floozies, get sexual experience, and then go back and marry virgins. So Mo on the show--I seriously doubt the dude is a virgin, or that he wouldn't have sex with Danielle if he were attracted to her. And I can't help but root for him, because she is such a dimwitted disaster.

Oh for godssake! I was waiting with bated breath to hear lovely Dimitri reveal his orientation--gay, straight, bi, the undead--whatever. I have a huge crush on him, and I thought--finally, we'll find out what his deal is. But nooooo. Instead of saying he was ready for the right man or woman--he very carefully stayed gender-neutral with "person". So I'm no wiser than I was before. I loved his comment to the effect of-- "The designers that don't like Nina are the ones that suck." So true. Like they don't have the stuff to deal with her criticism? And although she gets the sneery bitch edit, I have heard that she is really nice to the designers behind the scenes. Helen--This was some revolutionary look? I mean, seriously? Flimsy, boring, cheap-looking and how does it stay up on a person? One quick over-reach for my glass of Prosecco, and the whole dress would slide off me, creating a boob-a-lanche that would horrify onlookers. Dimitri--Whether you liked it or not, it was it was light years above the others in terms of construction. He really make the others look like amateurs. Memo to Ben--Gold lame does not symbolize "love". It symbolizes money and Vegas hookers. Sanjay--Faux red lace over a cobalt blue two-piece? It was like wallpaper designed by Liberace. I did agree with Ben on one thing: that everyone picking red showed a stunning lack of imagination. So many party colors to choose from--periwinkles, sapphires, emerald greens, purples, or even crimsons and dark reds. But Valentine's orange-red. Too on-the-nose, and not a flattering shade for most women.

Remember that optical illusion dress of Fade's? It was SUBLIME, like air. The way it moved was liquescent. And so effortless and understated. He reminded me a lot of Dimitri. He was my favorite by far.

I like Kini, and I do feel for him, but I think his work is awful. Yes, he's a fabulous constructionist, but his clothes are dated, heavy and over-structured. If they make tall, skinny models look huge--how are they going to look on an average woman? I thought the coat would have been interesting in a lighter fabric and a color--like crimson. Instead, it looked a hearse rolling down the runway. I like Amanda because I think she's a genuinely nice person and she has an orange tabby cat (so do I!), and I loved her street chic look, but overall--I'm underwhelmed. I thought the jewelry looked like a craft project. I also don't get the Sean love. His clothes are boooring. And Tim tells him to use more of his trademark fringe, but Nina tells him not to. Designers have trademarks--that's his. The collection is supposed to look cohesive, so what's wrong with building it around fringe? Char's stuff--strictly TJ Maax markdown rack. And what is UP with her doing those short-shorts all the time. Who wears those? As others have said, I am underwhelmed with all of them. I thought Fade was the best designer, and they sent him home long ago. But on a catty note--did anyone notice that when they repeated the last few episodes, they COMPLETELY toned down Korina's bitch edit? When they aired a second time, they were different edits. She didn't say "It's not about you" to Char or do the big stomp-off down the hall after refusing to work with her. She still came across as a brat--you can't fix that in an edit--but they really toned her down. I wonder why? Also, they showed in the reunion show that she is going to once again cry and stomp off. In the good news dept., Dimitri is going to be on the New All-Stars! Love me my Dimitri. This new "Threads" show with child designers...eh. My jury's out on that one.

He is a great villain. But he's even better as a good guy in his European films, "The Hunt" in particular. You wouldn't even think it's the same actor--he's just amazing, playing a gentle, victimized man. He's in talks to be the villain in a "Die-Hard" prequel and I hate that he's so typecast here.

When Hannibal first saw the judge all trussed up, didn't he say "mindless and heartless"? I took that to mean part of the judge's brain had been taken, and his heart.