[S19.E06: Nominations #2; Den of Temptation #2]

The only reason I have little to no sympathy for Josh is because blowing up at someone, then coming back later to beg for forgiveness seems to be his pattern -- and it's very self-serving, passive aggressive behavior. You don't get to unload all over someone, then expect THEM to comfort YOU (as he did with Megan). I have no respect for that kind of behavior, it's emotional manipulation of the worst kind (whether it's conscious or not).

And I don't like that Josh always has to have the last word. Was Cody rude with his "not one word" shit? Of course he was. But Josh should have just turned around and walked out at that point. Whatever I think of Cody, he isn't obligated to listen to Josh if he doesn't want to and Josh trying to force his apology/confession/whatever on Cody was almost as shitty as Cody's verbal takedown of Josh.

They're both really objectionable characters, just in different ways.

[S19.E06: Nominations #2; Den of Temptation #2]

Okay, confession time -- I like Paul, I find him entertaining and amusing. and a good game player. And it's not his fault if there are producer shenanigans afoot to keep him around.

And people flock to Paul the same way they did to Boston Rob because of that uncategorizable X-factor -- call it charisma. I mean, by the end of the veto comp, he literally had THE WHOLE HOUSE WORKING FOR HIM, convinced that it was a "team" effort. And he had enough social game savvy to change his original plan when others objected, pick two people outside his alliance as pawns, and somehow convinced them both to go along with it.

I don't care what you think of the guy, that's some superior mindfuckery right there.

So glad to see Cody's cojones caught in a vice, I disliked him on first sight. An arrogant, humorless psychopath, he came into this house thinking he could run this game like a military campaign and everyone would fall in line behind him because of the sheer power of his non-existent personality.

Well, guess what, Cody, BB isn't a war, it's junior high school and you're not one of the cool kids anymore. 

[S19.E02: Season Premiere (Part 2)]

2 hours ago, watch2much said:

After Megan trying to talk to him, he goes in DR and says he hates people who beg.  What is she supposed to do?  If she does nothing, does he say he doesn't like people willing to fight for their spot?  

Exactly! He decided to treat her like shit and nothing was going to change his mind. There was nothing she could have said to him that he wouldn't have twisted around. Also, he was so rude to her and for no reason whatsoever, except to exercise his power, i.e., wave his dick around.

[S19.E02: Season Premiere (Part 2)]

Not sure Cody deserves all the in-depth analysis, to me he just appears to be a standard-issue dudebro asshole.  And look, he's putting together his own little Mean Girls alliance, how special!

I had hoped, after the negative fan reactions a coupla summers ago, that the producers had figure out that viewers aren't entertained by psychos. Guess not, eh, Josh?

And I must be nuts, Nicole doesn't bother me at all.

[S01.E08: Come to Jesus]

It was clear to me by episode 3 that this series was not going to follow the usual 21st century conventions of slam-bang-pow storytelling, and that's one of the things that drew me in.

If I had to compare it to anything, I would compare it to classic novels, from Don Quixote to the works of Dickens -- thick, rich tomes you were supposed to take your time with, where the main plot was often interrupted by songs, poetry, stories told by or to the characters, long descriptive passages, and other digressions.

In other words, I'm loving this friggin' series and I hope it meanders on for quite a few seasons.

[S10.E06: Extremis]

Typical for the Moffatt/Capaldi era - dark, slow, dreary, humorless, and with a Hallmark-card level of emotional 'insight' presented as deep revelations about the human psyche.

Look, I know Capaldi is a fine actor, but his doctor has been the worst of the new era, and it's all in the writing -- first he was rude & pointlessly mean, then he was unrelentingly grim, then Moffatt tried to turn an annoying and poorly written companion into the star of the show, and now ... this, whatever this is.

The best Doctor Who episodes feel effortless. All I could think while watching this one was, they're trying so damn hard and every bit of struggle shows on the screen. Poor Bill, she's come in on the tail end of a once-great character.

This doctor makes me root for his defeat -- he's just a big ol' bummer.  There's no joy in him. I miss River -- she never took herself or the doctor too seriously, and never let him take himself too seriously.

Ugh, I can't wait for the new team to take over. This show cries out for new blood.

[...I'm going to get pilloried for this, aren't I? Fair enough.]

[S10.E24: The Long Distance Dissonance]

I'm not down on this series (as many of you seem to be), but yes, this was a note-perfect episode. 

Not much to add, except: for the train-loving Sheldon Cooper to climb onto an airplane, he must have been traumatized!

[S10.E04: Knock Knock]

Like way too many Moffatt-headed episodes, great set-up with an absolutely stupid payoff.

Tolkien wrote an essay in which he explained the difference between good fantasy and bad fantasy (applies equally well to sf):  In good fantasy, the 'rules' of the fantasy universe are laid down clearly at the beginning and can't be violated; that way, the ending can't be a 'cheat.' In bad fantasy, anything can happen anytime with the explanation 'because it's fantasy', so you end up with no dramatic tension at all because the story can be wrapped up anytime with a wave of the hand.

This was bad fantasy. 40 minutes of fun, spooky build-up, one great twist (he's her son, not her father!), and then a wave of the hand, and poof! everything's okay. Unlike earlier, well-written Who where the explanation was built into the story all along, this was just a deus ex machina shoved at us at the last second -- Mommy controls the bugs because ... she's mommy, that's why! 

Moffatt can't leave this series soon enough for me.

[S34: Debbie Wanner]

Quote

Did you see the way she flipped Sarah off at Tribal Council when she admitted to being the one who flipped? 

To quote the young Alvy Singer from Annie Hall:  "What. An. Asshole."

[S34.E10: A Line Drawn In Concrete]

So Sarah finally got an episode to herself, and did not disappoint!

Smart move at the right time. Goodbye, CAPTAIN Debbie.

I remember Sarah as pretty much a nothingburger in her first season, nice to see her stir the pot a little bit.

Still enjoying the hell outta this season!

[S29.E01: We're Coming for You, Phil!]

Strange, strange premiere:

This has always been an 8 pm family show. What's with the 10 pm time slot? Is CBS just dumping it in a bad slot deliberately as a ploy to justify cancellation?

And what's with all the military/fire/police officers? They have to comprise 2/3rds of the contestants. This show used to recruit from everywhere and everybody.  This may be the least diverse cast they've ever had. The stranger gimmick would have been more interesting if everyone didn't do the same frickin' job.

This:

Quote

I remember when it was a marvel of cinematography. Like watching a movie every week. But boy howdy, has their budget been slashed! The editing looked like it had been done on Windows 10 -- really amateur wipes and dissolves and all those still photos, it was like watching the local news. This was the creme-de-la-creme of reality TV, and it just looks cheap now.

So true and so sad. 

There are pluses, though:

Teams driving themselves on the first leg! How long has it been!? And the results were hysterical, with some teams so lost they ended up missing being able to even attempt the detour. Now that's some classic Race right there!

So far, loving Team Nerds Physical & Mental (ie, Becca & Floyd). They're racing well and having a great time.

Also Seth/Olive. And team Odd Couple (snowboarder and military guy). And some others whose names I don't know yet.

Can't stand Butcher Beardie, for some reason. Just a feeling that he's got a real chip on his shoulder. Also, though I don't like Austin much, I feel so sorry for her. Vanck is worse than useless, he's a hindrance. "Make a 135 degree turn"?? I would have ordered him out of the car right then and done the rest of the leg myself.

Some attractive buff bodies to look at, I guess. But this is really starting to feel a little like Amazing Race Mania -- not the real Race but an amazing simulation!*

 

(*Ya gotta be pretty damn old to get this reference!)

[S34.E05: Dirty Deed]

ETA:

Normally I'd agree about too many gimmicks (idols, exile, returnees), BUT....

Since these are all previous players, including some multi-season players, ya gotta keep'em off balance. Between'em all, they've played every classic Survivor strategy. This way, they have to think on their feet, improvise, scramble.

I like it. You can SEE the wheels turning.

* * *

I cannot imagine having to live out there with Debbie 24/7.

[S34.E05: Dirty Deed]

Y'know how certain card-counting prodigies are banned from the casinos? Well, after this, Sandra should be banned from playing Survivor again -- she's just so far ahead of these people, it's ridiculous:

1. She wants to get rid of J.T

2. She notices an exploitable fissure and acts.  How?

3. She eats two teaspoonfuls of sugar. (Talk about an efficient use of force.)

4. J.T. goes home.

5. The topper: Sandra admits it was her who made Michaela's life miserable the previous hours/days by eating the sugar and not owning up to it, and Michaela just ... laughs.

Originally I thought Sandra was going to go home early. Now I think she's on her way to three-time winner.

[S02.E09: Homewrecker]

Another good episode - after a disastrously slow start to the season, things have really hit a good groove. But I too find the whole mother story without any merit. It's a waste of a good actress.

I do find it interesting, in these times of resurgent vicious sexism, that the male embodiment of all that is evil is treated as a lovable scamp, while the mother goddess is portrayed as the ultimate evil. Pop art can't help but reflect the times in which it's made.

[S33.E07: I Will Destroy You]

I'm quite enjoying this season. I actually know who's who, there's no psychos, and Production's twists have been **gasp** entertaining.

Sure, there's hidden idols  and a stupid and arbitrary "theme" for the season BUT there's no redemption, and no exile island..

And no returnees.

That said, that's two blindsides in a row that radically change the direction of the game. And that's just before the merge. Not sure the timing was right, but it made for some fun viewing. And yes, kudos to Jay for owning his move when Michaela tried to stare him down. As if that would have made a difference at that point! I do lean towards voting her out, though -- she was just too good at everything; who knows when you'd get another chance!

[S02.E05: Weaponizer]

Nope. I don't accept that Uriel is necessarily dead.

He's the pattern-seer. He sees an infinite number of moves ahead. NOTHING has ever surprised him.

So perhaps he anticipated Lucifer's snapping and attempting to murder him with Azrael's blade? And substituted a fake?

And is playing a long, long game?

[S33.E03: Your Job Is Recon]

Didn't Ken and David have a conversation in the very first episode during which Ken talked about his intense social anxiety and how he even lived completely off the grid for a while? He seems very introverted, a loner, someone who would be very uncomfortable with the macho posturing of typical blowhard alpha males. So I don't see any conflict at all between his looks and his ability and his being on the outs of his tribe. After all, Survivor is still first & foremost a social game.

But yes, I like him. And his talk at tribal about the beauty & poetry of language cemented that. Like my dyslexic wife, I'm guessing his early problems with speaking made him love language all the more, esp. since it didn't come easy to him.

The Paul blindside was glorious, esp. since I thought the editors were doing their usual tease. More like this, please!

And yeah, they can stop with the stupid outdated generational generalizations anytime. It adds nothing to the show.

ETA: David is playing way too hard way too early. He's flailing. If he survives a while, it's only because he's a threat to no one.

[S10.E01: The Conjugal Conjecture]

Well, I'm totally out of step here, I loved it, and laughed harder than I have at a new episode in many seasons.

I thought it was really funny that it turns out that Penny is the SMART child of the two.  The "new teeth" line was really funny. The whole idea that her airhead brother was a drug user/dealer, while dark, was really amusing too.

Wyatt desperately trying to put a happy face on everything and turning to beer when that didn't work? Seemed perfectly in character to me. Ditto he and Penny bonding over their bad habits.

Sheldon claims to be an enlightened man who's left his religious upbringing behind, but oh boy, does it come out with a vengeance when his mother's sexuality is concerned! He's had her to himself for a long time (or so he thinks); the idea of sharing her terrifies him. But yes, the writers did cross the line from funny to just nasty with Sheldon's dialogue.

I was glad that the show finally acknowledged what the fans have been saying since Penny & Leonard's engagement - that their ongoing "threesome" with Sheldon just gets stranger & more unbelievable -- so I was very happy when Bernadette ended the ceremony with something like "and the other weird husband that comes with the apartment." Also, after their very pretty vows, when she said, "anybody got anything snarky to say about that? No? Good!"  (These quotes are from memory.)

Yeah, they could have put off the Howard storyline until next episode. And made this one longer. But it was a good start to what is hopefully the final season.

[S18.E40: Live Eviction 14]

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I will defend Paul for a moment and say it looked like he was waiting for direction to open the champagne, not that he wanted to make sure the camera was on him.  That was just my interpretation of how it looked.

Mine too, though James & Nicole looked really confused.

More than usual, I mean.

Quote

Except this isn't the case - when he had his back to the wall he was funny Paul and make them all laugh Paul. The moment the scales would tip the other way, it's right back to shit-talking Paul, "never cared!" Paul, "You're a fucking c**t!" Paul.

Ohhh. I don't watch the feeds so I get my info second-hand, from this board and others. Sounds like I had it exactly backwards. A sore loser is one thing, but a sore winner....

[S18.E40: Live Eviction 14]

Well, that was fun, in a twisted, unpleasant way.

Just to play online psychologist for a second:  I'm convinced Paulie is a deeply repressed self-hating gay man who projects that feeling outward towards women because they can never truly satisfy him, emotionally or physically. He gets more teary and more physical with his bromances than we've ever seen him get with Z. His treatment of women in general is sneering and condescending. Even when he's trying to be pleasant, there's a sour, ready-to-erupt quality in him that must be exhausting in person.

And did I mention, he's just generally vile?

As for the rest: yes, Paul has said some AWFUL things to people when his back's been against the wall; he's also played hard, both socially and in comps, and escaped elimination about a thousand times. All in all, I won't be heartbroken if he wins. I won't even be heartbroken if Nicole whines her way to a win. But much as I like James .... no.  Just no.

[S18.E39: Fast Forward, Eviction 13]

I thought all of the comic covers were pretty insulting, except for Zakiyah's and Victor's.

Victor's drawing practically had production staff drool all over it, it was so over-the-top adulatory.

[S18.E39: Fast Forward, Eviction 13]

Quote

She also seemed to be going slower across the line as well. Maybe due to her lower body weight?

I was wondering if that was a conscious choice, because if it was, it was really smart -- launch yourself with as little momentum as possible so you have as much time as possible to memorize the placards.

[S18.E39: Fast Forward, Eviction 13]

Meh. Can't hate any of these players, they're not interesting enough to hate.

Of course Victor had to go. No suspense there. The guy wins everything.

I have to give Corey & Nicole reluctant props. For most of the summer, I thought they weren't playing at all. Maybe they were or maybe they weren't, but laying low worked out beautifully for them. When they couldn't hide anymore, they started winning comps. And now they're in the final four - can't argue with any strategy that gets you that far (even an inadvertent one - though, can you really call it strategy if it's inadvertent?).

James is such a dim bulb. It's a scary couple where Natalie is the brains of the outfit.

And then there's Paul, who's set himself up nicely for a possible win. Paul is actually smart, and quite funny, if only he didn't work at being his "Paul" character so damn hard every friggin' waking moment. It's just not necessary.

Season can't end soon enough for me, either. There's REAL shows starting soon.

[S18.E37: Live Eviction 12]

Just to be a contrarian for a moment:

I don't hate Nicole (though I do find her voice insanely annoying). I don't think she's a horrible person.

I don't think Corey's an idiot, either. (I did for most of this game, but I've been reconsidering the last couple of weeks.)

It looks now like their "strategy" of laying low and fucking the summer away while the rest of the houseguests picked each other off was actually quite smart. They're reached final 5, after all. And all of a sudden, Corey's actually working to win. And he seems to be succeeding.

These days, I'm one of those folks who thinks there's no such thing as not 'deserving' to get to the end of one of these game shows. Whether you were dragged as a goat, or whether you won everything in sight, or whether you were everybody's best friend, there's no such thing as "not deserving" it, just as there's no "wrong" way to win (I would have had to amend that if Russell Hantz had ever won anything on Survivor, however; I just can't see rewarding sadistic psychopathy).

And from what we saw, even the jury are starting to look at Nicole's gameplay with a new respect. Did she lie & betray people? Of course, that's built into the game. The question is, did she make those moves at the right time? It now appears so.

So I don't think there's anyone in the final 5 who doesn't 'deserve' to be there, and it's going to be an interesting scramble to see who breaks the final four agreement first.

[S18.E37: Live Eviction 12]

Ho hum. No surprises there.

If James and Natalie try to have a relationship outside the house, they need to learn how to fight constructively. That was some nasty passive-aggressive shit on both sides. Neither covered themselves in glory. 

But this coming week should be interesting, at least - James just went from powerless to the most powerful person in the house. Let's see what he does with it.

This is going to sound awfully petty, but remembering how Jordan used to nag Jeff about getting married every time they were on TV, I couldn't help thinking that she got pregnant deliberately to finally corner him into it.  A very old-fashioned tactic that obviously still works. This time, anyway.

ETA:

Quote

She will find some other loser to latch onto.  She's pretty enough.

Pretty enough? Zakiyah is friggin' stunning, the kind of woman who, if she's walking down the street, will cause guys to drive into telephone poles while they watch her. And yet she seems to have no self-esteem whatsoever and hooks up with guys who treat her like crap. Hopefully there's some serious therapy in her future - she deserves better.