awkward1penguin

It seems to me that a large issue with Nadiya's nun's flavors wasn't necessarily the flavor combination, but moreso the balance. Both Paul and Mary noted that the bubblegum and peppermint were "overwhelming", which seems to me that it was an issue of adding too much flavoring. While Nadiya seems to have had the most ups and downs so far, I'm always excited to see what she comes up with. I'm always somewhat excited by what she brings to the table, whether it's a stunning aesthetic (the overflowing cups) or a fresh flavor perspective (cod and clementine). I think the only other contestant this season who has done so in a similar way is Tamal, who is perhaps a little more consistent and careful, but hasn't wowed the judges as much. I'm a tossup between wanting Ian or Flora to go next. They really are both pleasant (especially after having watched Top Chef, Masterchef and Hell's Kitchen in the past), so I can't bring myself to actively root against anyone. Flora has perhaps slightly more inventive flavors, which don't seem to work out as well as other contestants' have. I've been most impressed by her visuals, though that might be something that's been holding her technique back. I do appreciate Ian's resourcefulness when it comes to making molds, growing herbs, and game foraging, even if it can come across a little smug at times. Since he is a stay at home dad, I think he just likes having these personal projects to work on. To me, when Ian does something well, it's a highlight (the cake with the trees; the crown), and when he underwhelms, it's really disappointing. This is my first season of this show. My British friends introduced it to me, and I'm just stunned by how different it is from American shows. There's so much focus on the actual baking/cooking - the technique, the process, the contestants' inner thoughts, the judging. They don't skip over anyone's finished product, which I really appreciate. There's almost no drama, and the editors/producers don't try to milk the contestants' backgrounds for sob stories or inspirational messages. It's such a breath of fresh air.

Whoops, I had one of your posts saved to respond to (from the TAR forum), but it accidentally got inserted here. My bad!

I don't think they would make him purely evil, from the way he's been shown so far. He's perhaps the most ambiguous character (with Luscious/Anika being more on the "evil" side, and Jamal/Hakeem/Cookie on the "good" side). Many of his actions are in a grey area - getting the thugs to attack Jamal at his studio was definitely awful, but I truly believe that he didn't want his brother to be actually hurt. And he's been portrayed in a somewhat sympathetic way - we see how he's distanced from his family in several ways (music; being old enough to remember his mother; ambition and education). I think many viewers see that he's not *trying* to distance himself - in fact, he deeply wants to be accepted. My heart has gone out to him the most (and I'm gay, so I can relate to Jamal!) But his thirst for power, as well as bipolar disorder and complicated family relations make him a very morally ambiguous character. You make a really good point about how he and Rhonda had to handle his bipolar disorder on their own. I hope that the show delves deeper into the family history: what exactly has gone on in the past 17 years? How did Andre and Rhonda get to this point? In Rhonda's thread, there's some evidence that she has an intriguing story as well, so when they expand on these characters', we'll better understand where they are today. Unfortunately, I don't think we'll get to that point until Season 2, but who knows what'll happen, with the lightning pace of this show!

They've stood out in my eyes in one aspect: Tyler's abs. Now, I'm usually an ass guy, but when Tyler took off his shirt in the shower in Episode 1, I might've drooled just a bit. He and Laura also just seem like overall decent, competent, low-drama people. They might not be the most stand-out team, but they are unlikely to bring too much drama. (And bring the abs!)

I just wanted to note that Probst in fact does note Kim as a great winner - a top 10 one at that. In this Parade article (http://parade.com/377297/joshwigler/jeff-probst-names-his-top-ten-survivor-winners-of-all-time/), he lists Kim as one of the most dominating winners there's been. (He also makes a weird comment about her looks, but let's just ignore that...) I think it's just that Parvati is more popular - like you said, she gives good sound bytes. She's also been on 3 seasons, and was on 3 very memorable seasons - as opposed to Kim's One World snoozefest.

It's going to take me forever to tell them apart...even though one of them is obviously shorter than the other.

No love for Shirin Oskooi yet? http://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/cast/215010/ Some quotes from my preseason favorite:

I'm indifferent about most of the show, but I did enjoy Maggie Q. The part with her and Perry at the very end was interesting - stark difference between the professional and personal self. I'll probably watch it again because I like Maggie Q. They've got to inject more life into the rest of the cast though - viewers have no reason to like anyone.

I'm not agreeing with the judges at all. In the past few episodes, I've thought so many of the 4 chair turns should've been 1 or 2 at most, and I've been very impressed with many of the 1-2 chairs. Troy Ritchie was very good - while not the most interesting, he was on point with pitch, had good energy, and did a reasonably original interpretation. I thought he was way better than John Martin, who I don't remember impressing me at all.

I'd pay maybe $10-15 for the mug - it is an elegant design, and I hate getting marks on my desk! Personally not into building sets, but they did have impressive numbers behind the product. I actually agreed with the women when they said they didn't want to pander to girls - I feel like people (both kids and parents) are more averse to gender-specific marketing, and many feminists appreciate a gender-neutral approach. Agreeing with the other posters in that I wasn't moved by the fiance story. But I think there was some editing there - it looks like there was more to the story, and they had to cut out some for time.

Kind of an underwhelming night overall, unfortunately. 1. Kristen: Foolish Games: A+. Emotional, connected, and vocally solid. I wish she can go through. 2. Josh: Love Runs Out: A-. I hate OneRepublic, but he put a good Josh spin on that song 3. Kristen: Gunpowder and Lead: B+. Rousing, riveting, and with attitude. 4. Josh: All of Me: B. I hated the syrupy arrangement, but his voice is good as usual. 5. Kat: Chandelier: B-. Cool staging, solid enough vocals. 6. Jake: Heaven: C+. Generally vocally solid, but boring. And of course, it'll sell well on iTunes and be hugely popular. 7. Christina: Hide and Seek: C-. My biggest issue is that the vocoder stuff is just not innovative - it's what Imogen Heap did in the original version! 8. Jake: Good Ol' Boys: C-. I was bored. 9. Kat: Let It Go: D+. A song that didn't need to be sung on any reality show. She sounded a bit shaky on some parts and just didn't impress overall. 10. Christina: Some Nights: D. Out of tune, and unnecessary belted in too many parts. No epic disasters, but many disappointments for me. Then again, I haven't liked Jake and Christina at all throughout the season, so my bias is showing again.

I've only been watching the show for the past few episodes, but I wanted to ring in on the marketability of these contestants: Alex: his arrangements and voice are the most relevant for the radio. Young people are leaning more towards "indie" sounding artists and songs right now (as contradictory as that might sound). While he won't be smashing the charts, he can have a very reliable next few years with the right songs, image, and marketing. Jena: I can see the Demi Lovato-esque comparisons. She could fit that niche, but honestly, I think that that market is a little saturated right now. Arianna Grande has already hit it big, and I don't see the Demi/Miley/Selena artists fading out any time soon. Caleb: as pretty much everyone has said, his sound is dated. He might have local or niche success, but I can't see much more than that. Jessica: It is difficult for female country singers to make it big, but it's definitely possible. She has a fantastic voice, but I think it's her image and personality that don't fit into the current country scene. If she can ramp up the energy and emote a bit more in her performance, she can make it. See: Kacey Musgraves, who's worked her ass off from nothing 8 years ago to winning the Best Country Album at the Grammy's, over Taylor Swift.

1. Kat: A+. I loved her energy and the drama of the performance. Now this is what I want from "taking a risk" 2. Kristen: A. One of the most important things for country singers is storytelling, and Kristen did that here. You could see and feel the emotion from beginning to end. 3. Josh: A-. Solid singing as always. I was reminded by the Bon Iver cover 4. Sisaundra: B+. Great energy, great singing as always. 5. Delvin: B. Also solid singing, but that song... 6. Christina: C+. Good for her for arranging the cover, but I just didn't get it. Arrangements shouldn't just be for the sake of "doing something different" - there needs to be a purpose, and I don't think she reimagined the song into anything interesting. 7. Audra: C. She's getting pretty bland. I never remember anything that she does, even though she sings well every time. 8. Jake: C-. Flat in a lot of parts, and hasn't improved the performance aspect much. It's pretty obvious that I'm biased, but I'm not too invested this season. Hope Kristen and Josh stay. I'm expecting at least one of Jake and Audra in the bottom, along with Delvin.

Tess was way, way flat on "Dark Side", and TJ was unmemorable. Dani greatly improved her performance from last night with "Turning Tables", though i was off-put by her constant smiling. I wanted either Tess or Dani, though it doesn't really matter that much, since either one probably won't last next week. Shakira *sounded* like she was lip-synching, but it didn't look like it. Not sure what to think.

photo fox, you wrote Tess twice and forgot Christina =P Mainly because I want a way to sort my opinions on this show, I'm going to give grades to each performance. 1. Josh: A+. Flawless dynamic, breath, and pitch control. He knew how to structure the performance. Actually sounded like it would be on the radio. Hats off (or not?) to him. 2. Sissaundra: A. Loved hearing her softer side - she showed a lot of control in the beginning. 3. Kristen: A. Heartfelt, professional, and strong vocals. Overall a great showing. 4. Delvin: A-. A classic performance. Solid, although slightly unmemorable. (Big, big gap here) 5. Christina: B+ (I completely forgot about her, even after remarking on photo fox forgetting her! Oops.) Loved the changes to the song and she kept up her momentum. Still not a big fan of hers though. 6. Kat: B. I enjoyed it, and she was vocally capable. It wasn't the most interesting performance, vocally, so I'm glad she had some fun on the stage. 7. Tess: B. I remember liking her performance, but I also knew that I wouldn't remember it well afterwards. It's 20 minutes after she performed, and I don't remember anything. 8. Audra: C+. A capable and solid vocal performance, but it was completely unmemorable. 9. T.J.: C. Completely middle of the road, though I enjoyed the changes they made to suit his style. 10. Dani: C-. I loved, loved her last performance, so I was so disappointed by this one. She had one great note, but it wasn't enough to make up for how flat 3/4 of her performance was. And the song choice just didn't work...it's supposed to be a duet. 11. Jake: D. Boring. He has a great voice, but his pitch wasn't on point today, and he doesn't have great stage presence. 12. Bria: D. Phony guitar stage prop distracted me the whole time. I was just waiting for her to play a chord...just one chord! And I agreed with the Adam in that the song was just in the wrong key for her. It was unmemorable and does not show off her talent at all. So no huge flops, thankfully, but not too much to be impressed by. I might have to jump on the Josh train, since he's just had so many consistently great performances. And if Dani makes it through, I hope she can work on her pitch and perform a bit more naturally.