Gummo

Every reality show seems to succumb to this sooner or later. They start off casting/recruiting "real" people and the mixing and mingling of people from different walks of life is intriguing and entertaining. But after a while, their seasons are filled with model and actor wanna-bes, internet "sensations" and now social medial "influencers." Their differences, if any, are superficial because they're all living the same life, all have the same ambitions and are all way too media savvy. The only thing you can say about BB is that the 24/7 nature of the feeds breaks down even the most media savvy after a few weeks and you get the kind of scandals BB is prone to. But it sounds like they're much more quick on the stars button this summer, too (I have literally watched the feeds once this summer - you guys are so much more fun!).

So let's try this one: Maybe when she grows up, she'll be into WAY older men and then she can be Memphis's Tennessee.

Well, that ruins my joke. Damn you, Dani, you just ruin EVERYTHING.

Yeah, "Tennessee" is obviously more of a girl's name. They should have given him a manly man's name, like ... Iron City!

Joyless. Exactly. It's like they're all just going thru the motions.

Oh, they're watching the feeds, too?

This. The "new style" of 'don't go against the HOH, isolate the nominees, vote in a housewide bloc, and wait' may win you the game but it's utterly anti-television in that it's dull, predictable and, to borrow Dani's words, distasteful and disrespectful. Alliances are made, plots are laid, but it's all talk, no one actually DOES anything. Maybe they should play two-thirds of the game completely off-air and not start the broadcast and the feeds until there are only 6 constestants left? Because the 'new style' BB may be a great education in how to form & sustain a cult, but that's not the silly, trashy summer fun I tune in for.

"Um, Nicole? Next time, just throw it in the pool, okay?"

Even later to the party, but I just finished eppy 8 and WOO HOO WHAT FUN! There were a couple of minor missteps in the first couple of episodes but overall I loved this (half) season! I'm probably going to jump all over the place so strap in: I'm way in the minority on this, but I LOVED episode 4, everything about it - the B&W film noir cinematography, the role and gender switches, the backstory, the frame story with Trixie and Maze - it was actually one of my favorites. And I'm convinced that Lilith's immortality is a maguffin that will come back in a big way at some point. As to eppy 8, it was so obvious that Pete was the bad guy that when Ella was first prowling around his empty house, I was yelling Get on with it! at the TV. A new character that nice just had to be up to no good. Good thing Dad showed up or that way-too-evenly matched fight could have gone on literally forever. As others have said, enjoyed seeing all the different pairings this season. Liked Amenadiel calling his brother Detective Morningstar. Their relationship has really come a long way, though seeing Amenadiel's snobbish attitude about 'mere mortals' return in relation to his own son was kind of sad. I thought he'd gotten beyond that. Poor Maze. It's been obvious for some time that she has a soul, it's sad she can't see it. No soulless demon could feel as deeply as she does, could fight and sacrifice for her friends the way she has, could yearn the way she does. Seems like Michael doesn't play off other's fears so much as their insecurities. Poor Dan. He really got thrown into the deep end of the celestial pool, didn't he? But he was able to put his quite-understandable freakout on hold when he found out Chloe was in trouble. As someone said earlier, he's got a lot of "revelations" still to come -- about Charlotte, about his one-time partner Maze, about the whole set-up really. I've rambled on for what seems like pages and I feel like I've forgotten half of what I wanted to say. So i'll just recap thusly: I Loved this season and can't wait for part 2! ETA: The big deal over Lucy saying "I love you" seemed a bit overwrought since he already told Chloe last season that Eve was never his first love, that "it was always you, Detective." Pretty damn clear to me.

The sad thing is, if Kevin doesn't veto himself, he'll probably get away with it. They are that obsessed with getting rid of a powerless Kaysar.

Rachel Reilly has a way of growing on you, like a benevolent fungus. I hated everything about her when she first appeared, thought she was the fakest of the fake, and simply exhausting. But first off, she's a PLAYER! She plays her ass off, whatever the game, and never gives up, and she's damn good at it. Second, as others have said, yes, she's ridiculous but she's also self-aware and capable of laughing at herself (her sister on TAR showed us what an unself-aware Rachel would be like - *shudder*). Third, everything about her that seems so put-on, isn't -- all that over-the-top craziness really is Rachel Reilly and she happily owns it. Watch her long enough and at some point you find yourself smiling at behavior that would have previously pissed you off and you'll discover, OH MY GOD I'VE BECOME A RACHEL FAN! It can make you question your whole sense of self, let me tell you! As to the topic at hand: Yawn. Mrs. Gummo, who's the real BB fan in the house, has watched exactly 1/2 of the last 3 episodes, that's how exciting it is. As for the feeds, I'd rather read you guys!

... y'know, there's a lot to be said for unvoiced thoughts.....

Well, this season just gets better with every episode. Everything about this episode was clever and fun. There is a beauty to good black and white cinematography that is unique and can't be duplicated any other way. The saturation of Hollywood-style tuff guy slang and the obvious driving rear projection were loving tributes to the cheap but inventive film noir 'B' movies turned out by Hollywood by the truckload in the late 40s and early 50s. A great way to give us some back story on Maze's mother, even if Lucifer's story was heaviliy fictionalized -- or was it? -- and it's always great to see Trixie, smarter than all the adults around her. The revelation that Trixie was working for Maze, and Maze's subsequent tracking down of her mother -- and their awful reunion -- made this more than just a gimmick episode. I'm taking the season slowly and soaking it all in, and loving it!

I have to call shenanigans on this episode's murder. I can accept a lot, but the murderer's boyfriend was a foot taller and 50 pounds heavier than she was - how the hell was she able to wear his spacesuit without tripping every step and falling all over herself. That took me out of the episode. On the plus side -- I said it about season 4 and I'll say it again -- I love the return of smart, tough Chloe. If this was season 3, not only would Fox have insisted that they stretch out the Michael subplot for the whole damn season, they would have had Chloe spend the whole season giggling and wondering if "new" Lucifer was going to ask her to the prom.

Geez, I'm always in the minority on Lauren German. I thought the more subdued hair color and makeup looked much better and more natural. Overall, a great start to the season. Going to watch more today and feeling good about the Netflix era continuing at a high level of quality.

Well, that couldn't'a gone worse. Another bro win. Yawn.

I think the "after-school special" segments would've been there no matter how much drama was going on, as BB desperately wants to prove it has redeemed itself after years of racism and bullying. I expect to see more of these in the weeks to come. Kevin & Keesha are both worthless cannon fodder who'll never get anywhere near the prize so it would be great to get rid of both of them, right now. Kevin's whining was NOT endearing - Hey, Kev, instead of saying "I've got to get it together" over & over again, you just DO IT? Oh, right, whining is so much easier. I really don't wanna spend what's left of the summer watching a bunch of bro lunkheads steamroller over everyone else just because the rest of the cast is too scared to do anything. But that's how we're starting out. So far? Dull, dull, dull. Someone needs to bring the funny or the interest (preferably both),

How come every time there's a new episode I come away thinking, okay, NOW I have a new favorite! They just keep topping themselves. Laszlo being unable to tell the difference between his own wife of 200 years and any long-haired brunette with a Europeany accent was hysterical.

Didn't we meet Sam in the first season, in the familiar room of Simon the Devious's Manhattan club? He was peeing in a basin on the floor, IIRC. And, yeah, I think Nandor turned Benny just to get rid of him. In 2 seasons, this show hasn't had 1 bad episode. That's pretty amazing.

Oh geez, I hope they don't turn Tray into "the Magic Negro" whose role in life is solving all the uptight white folks' problems. You're better than that, show!

Very smart. He's played a good game. It's just that his obvious and inevitable march toward the win hasn't made for very good TV.

If this is the best gameplay ever by the best players ever, it's time to put this game to sleep. A bunch of mewling newbies could give a better show of themselves than Nick and Denise and Sarah. And Ben is just obnoxious all the way thru. I gave the whole tokens idea a chance but all they've done is clutter up an already cluttered game. I'm just dreaming of Natalie getting back in and smoking her way thru comps all the way to the end. No way the jury doesn't hand the crown to the Queen of Extinction. I guess if Tony wins, he deserves it, but only because he's dragged along a bunch of useless lamprey eels sucking at his heels. If I sound a bit bitter, it's because I am. This season had so much promise.

And then Brie and Cheddar can have a bunch of little cheeseballs!

We always knew Dale was a dick but he outdid himself here.

Pretty sure he mentioned Betty Rubble, too.