aradia22

I finally finished up She Had to Say Yes. What the hell, 1933? This may be the worst "romance" I've ever seen. So rape-y.

I found this painfully stupid. Can no one write a decent script anymore? Looks like Sam Grey's up to his old tricks again! *wink wink* I was frankly rather bored. I mean they tried with the creepy mask and the jump scares and the throwing of gasoline and self immolation and explosion and still... I was bored. Sorry, show. They also didn't give up a compelling male/female partnership to latch on to as so many of these shows do. Sure, she dislikes him. Rather irrationally with Maggie and Peri from Desperate Housewives both wearing the most irritated expressions in the beginning of the episode. But their banter falls flat and if that was flirting... whew, they stink at it. It's really nowhere near as dark but it kind of reminds me of how I felt watching the pilot of the American version of Those Who Kill. That was more creepy and exploitative but underneath that it had the same blandness and people making weird snap judgments in the course of an investigation because the writer already knows the answer.

For any Allegro fans out there... http://www.timeout.com/newyork/blog/six-off-broadway-musicals-to-see-this-fall The description for Found didn't grab my attention but the cast does. Oh, and can someone please explain to me how to... or really just tell me what's on the schedule for Great Performances and Live From Lincoln Center. I swear they couldn't make it harder to figure out.

Ah!!! Lady Day is closing October 5! Will I miss another Broadway show? Still kicking myself for Violet and Heathers. I've never been the biggest Billie Holliday fan. I'm more of a Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae, Lena Horne kind of girl but still... it's Audra. Roundup of Broadway.com stories I found interesting. http://www.broadway.com/buzz/177693/christian-borle-brian-darcy-james-more-set-for-workshop-of-broadway-aimed-something-rotten/ The plot of this makes no sense to me. But that cast though... http://www.broadway.com/buzz/177679/new-musical-waterfall-inspired-by-thai-novel-eyes-broadway-with-bie-sukrit-wisetkaew-as-its-star/ I have yet to get into Maltby and Shire though I'm sure I'll be obsessed once I do. I'm always happy to see more diversity on Broadway though so this immediately grabbed my attention. When are we going to get Allegiance? http://www.broadway.com/buzz/177701/santino-fontana-more-stage-favorites-join-musical-comedy-crazy-ex-girlfriend-pilot/ On the one hand... Santino Fontana. Also, Aline Brosh McKenna wrote Laws of Attraction which is one of my guilty pleasure rom-coms (fantastic cast) and 27 Dresses which is tolerable if a bit insane in parts. On the other hand... she also wrote The Devil Wears Prada as well as other movies of questionable quality and I don't have Showtime so I know I say I watch everything musical on TV but I probably won't be watching this. http://www.broadway.com/buzz/177417/thank-heaven-howard-mcgillin-corey-cott-will-join-vanessa-hudgens-in-broadway-bound-gigi/ They're going to put old age makeup on Howard McGillin, right? He's totally not old enough for the Maurice Chevalier part. Right? RIGHT!?! Still can't feel positive about a Vanessa Hudgens led Gigi. http://www.broadway.com/buzz/177703/more-imelda-carlos-celdrans-livin-la-vida-imelda-chairs-and-a-long-table-tapped-for-off-broadway/ Chairs and a Long Table sounds interesting. Kind of in the way that plays often sound interesting but I'm never going to plop down $60+ to see them.

Taylor, if that's true, it's ridiculous. I agree that Bobbi Kristina doesn't look much like her mom and the times we've heard her sing have been underwhelming. I don't think Yaya looks just like Whitney but she's closer. Off the top of my head I can't think of a good Whitney look alike. If they were serious about it, it would have to be an unknown.

I thought the same thing. He brought some energy but as the performances went on I was beyond caring. I'm too lazy to look it up but he's got a new movie coming out with Josh Gad and my guess is that it's somehow under the ABC/Disney corporate umbrella. Also, one of the guys from LMFAO was a judge so in comparison Kevin Hart's not that bad.

Am I the only one who feels it's kind of pointless for Simon to be back if he's not going to tell the truth? Yes, I know they need to hype up this season's contestants but come off it with the crazy hyperbole and praise for mediocre acts just because they happen to get through. Hopefully with the teams set he'll at least be willing to drop truth bombs on the competitors.

Hopes and speculation from the promo... I hope Zig's bare chested confession of like is for Zoe and not Maya because enough already. Zoe's "no one will know it's us" sounds pretty ominous. Is she going back to her mean girl ways? It would be kind of nice to have a cheerleader again. So it seems like they're committing to Becky/Drew. From a weak start, Drew has become one of my favorites because of Luke's performance but I'm not a big fan of this couple. I do not care about Miles' little sister and Winston. Could the rubber room kids make Maya actually interesting again/will they force a romantic relationship with Grace? Please no. I doubt they'll be visiting prison/the detention center a lot but I like that Becky's brother isn't completely off the show. I feel like Miles will still be kind of pointless but I actually don't mind pairing him up with Tristan. As long as Miles/Maya is dead. Which it won't be. But... I give up. Oy, at Clare's "you got me pregnant." I wish she would have chosen to phrase it another way as though her pregnancy wasn't something that Drew just did to her body without her participation or consent. She's such an irritating character sometimes. She's ready to charge out and make things happen for herself except when something goes wrong and she wants to absolve herself of blame and so she acts like she has no agency and bad things have just happened to her without her contributing anything to them happening. Clare's the worst sometimes. As for the new additions to the cast... was dramatic hair a requirement? Also, I'm glad Eli's still around because I swear I heard he wasn't even supposed to be in the past season. I doubt it but I hope he'll have more to do than be involved in Clare's baby drama.

I was super bored today. Three episodes in and I'm already thinking of quitting. They need to step up the choreography and put together more interesting clips if there's going to be so much filler. I've given up on the judges contributing anything and I don't need gimmicks but I need the dancing to be at least somewhat impressive.

Sara, I didn't dislike him that intensely. It's more like you said... he didn't really impress me. I think he's handsome and he's perfect for that kind of young second male lead part. But his voice didn't wow me and his accent was a bit off. I like tenors who almost sing like baritones or are baritones who can access a higher register and bring that rich, full sound to their performances. Actually I feel that was about everyone from sopranos down to basses. I like a nice rounded, resonant sound. That kind of sound that seems to enter my own chest and makes goosebumps rise on my arms.

How are the rest of you feeling about all the categories heading into judges houses? Do you agree/disagree with my choices?

No! Stop trying to make me imagine it!

Going into Judges Houses this is who I'm rooting for. Boys: Paul, Jordan, Jake (Though I really don't care that much.) Girls: Emily, Lauren, Lola (Knowing Cheryl and the show, Chloe's going to get in there or take a wildcard spot.) Overs: Ben, Lizzy, Stevi (My guess is that Lizzy will be dropped and maybe even Ben and I'll have to deal with Helen and Jay.) Groups: New Boy Band, New Girl Group, Only the Young (Though really if they wanted a fair fight, Overload would be in here and two of them would be allowed to compete as soloists.)

Fleur East: Good stage presence but this was a really weak vocal. It was like someone going up for karaoke. Really sloppy. Helen Fulthorpe: Watched it again. Super underwhelming. If you're not underwhelmed, close your eyes. See? Exactly. You know from yesterday that I like Ben and Lizzy and find Jay's voice irritating. Apparently we're not getting a 6 chair audition for Stevi but I'm fine with letting him through as the fun contestant. The Overs seemed like a better category in the first auditions. Not sure why Simon wants them. It might have helped if Monica (24) was in the category. Of the overs, I think Ben and Lizzy are the two who can sing, Stevi is fun, and the others are just pale imitations of better singers. Blonde Electric: Weren't they eliminated? I'd taken Hayden over them. This was very karaoke. The Brooks: When the first one started by himself he was a little flat. I like them together though they're a little whiny. I can't see them surviving much longer without more stage presence. They're not a very exciting act and how often do duos that aren't male-female succeed? New Boy Band: The first one to step up had a few issues. A little... croaky and flat. He has some annoying pop vocal habits. The second one to step up reminds me a little of Jaymi from Union J. I really like him. He sounds like he's had training. He's singing properly. The third one wasn't bad either. The fourth one was sweet. He managed to sing in that higher register without going whiny and irritating. The fifth one verged on the whiny/irritating but he held back and once he opens up you can tell that he can sing as well. The sixth one isn't bad. Some annoying pop tendencies but like the fifth one, he can clearly sing. BUT WHY ARE THERE SO MANY OF THEM? It's a boy band. Not a (insert appropriate name of sport) team. The seventh one... WHY ARE THERE SEVEN? ...is really good. He could have made it on his own. THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS BOY BAND. Surely 2 and 7 could have just gone on as solo artists. It's not like the Boys category is super strong. Whatever, they'll probably have more luck making it to lives as a group. Concept: They sounded ok but after listening to the new boy band first I was missing the rich warmth of some of their voices. I don't see Concept getting past judges houses unless they bring it in their next audition. Pow Pow Girls: I liked them. There were one or two throwing off the blend a little but it would have been easy to clean up their vocals with some coaching. Overload: They're cute. Was 9 to 5 on a list of songs for them to sing? Also, WHY was 9 to 5 on a list of songs for them to sing? They're a much better unit than the new boy band the judges created. Maybe they ditched them to get rid of the competition. Only the Young: They're cute. Again, really not sure why they made them sing 9 to 5. I think there's some talent there but not really remarkable voices. They seem nice and bubbly for the tweens. The best thing about them is their energy. New Girl Group: Fine. Not great. The two that had solos don't have really distinct voices. I've come to like Little Mix a lot and I've learned to pick out their voices. Well, except Jade. I'm never totally sure when she's singing. In the sing off, the new girl group was stronger the second time. I can see why they beat out the Pow Pow Girls. The Pow Pow Girls have higher voices and while I love my sopranos, for a group you want people who can hold that alto line. Even all of them together couldn't produce the full, rich sound that makes so many girl groups sound good. I think I'd have kept the Pow Pow Girls or Overload over Blonde Electric, Concept, or The Brooks. Overload definitely deserved to stay. Then again, they probably need cannon fodder because unless there's some massive catastrophe, the new boy band is 100% getting through to lives.

Update on the other two teams. Whew. So Ben did make it through. He was just in the Overs. Over 25s: Fleur East, Helen Fulthorpe, Ben Haenow, Jay James, Lizzy Pattinson, Stevi Ritchie Groups: Blonde Electric, Concept, New Boy Band, New Girl Group, Only the Young, The Brooks

I could go into who has the right to have their feelings hurt but really, I'm just glad they're gone so I don't have to worry about them. I've had it with the flighty all female teams that stick around for way too long and I wish they'd stop casting them. They won't but I can still dream, right?

They're going to be amusing or annoying. Right now I find them quite cute but they seem to be the types who are ready to be personalities and crack jokes. That kind of thing only works if the jokes are funny. That has nothing to do with them being gay. I feel the same way about the wrestlers. The constant "I love yous" are sweet right now but if they do it the whole time they're on the show it will start to grate. Basically, they have the potential to be a Meghan and Joey kind of team but unlike a lot of other people, I was already used to Joey from youtube when I watched the show so I found him more amusing than annoying. Time will tell with this team but they seem relatively competent for now so I'm willing to root for them.

All female team of scientists going for their Ph.D's? Of course I'm going to root for them unless they're absolutely horrible. I get that a lot of where people landed this episode had to do with just running around and conveniently having good cab drivers etc. so I hope they start making their way to the front of the pack soon and stay there. It would also be nice to see more mental challenges this season where they can shine.

They seem like a pretty competent team so far. Adam does have a nice body and I'm not going to object to eye candy. It took him taking his shirt off for me to see it but I think he's got a big of McConaughey about him. I also hope they don't make too much of a big deal of how she wants to be an inspiration. This is TAR, not Miss America, though it would be more warranted than Connor and Dave last season going on and on about the cancer and particularly the achilles tendon. Really, I just like seeing a competent female racer in a couples team. Obviously the shovel would have been difficult but I hope we get to see her tackle a bunch of challenges. I'm tired of seeing female team members who let their husbands do all of the physical challenges and then spend the whole of their challenges complaining.

I thought I would hate them and that they would be loud and obnoxious. But I ended up being won over by the end of the episode. Here's how I see it. If the producers dislike them or want us to dislike them as part of this season's narrative then we'll see too much of them... enough to be annoying. If the producers like them or want us to like them we'll just see the best soundbites and they'll come across as funny and charming next to teams without as much personality.

I'm not getting anything from them right now. They seem kind of thin. I wonder how they'll hold up if there are a lot of strength challenges.

I agree. It's going to take me a while to remember who is the mother and who is the daughter. They're both very pretty. I think they have the possibility of being a fun team with good energy but I also get the sense that they could be very negative. Race fatigue could hit them hard. But I'm hoping they're the bubbly, friendly kind of flight attendants and not the ones who have clearly been working for too long.

I didn't see them as that cocky. They didn't say anything outrageous that I couldn't see as something prompted by production. They seem like good racers (even if I am a little miffed about him using the compass in his watch) so I'm hoping they won't be another Max and Katie. If they're going to stick around for a while, I'm hoping they just happen to look a little creepy but are actually nice or at least competent and quiet.

Is it me or did they find a particularly photogenic bunch this year? I felt a whole lot lighter starting off this season. I think the All Stars season (especially with so many people who had competed recently) was a mistake. I don't hate any of these people yet. Last season I was spoiled and just waiting for the people I liked to get eliminated and the people I hated to win. I'm liking the diversity this season. I hope we don't lose all those teams early. There was already a little bit of people losing time because they missed/couldn't find markers but no real catastrophes. I enjoyed either Tim or Tee Jay saying "Hi, Mr. Phil!" as they ran past on their way to the clue box. Doesn't he usually film those things when the teams aren't there? Oh, well. Still cute. I also think it's cute that they keep saying that they love each other but it's going to get old after a while. As old as it gets whenever someone has a catchphrase or they just keep saying "oh my God" because they're not clever enough to come up with another remark about the scenery or the situation. The female surfer is just awesome. Not inspirational for having only one arm or whatnot but just doing really solid as a competitor. I was super confused when either Tim or Tee Jay started digging. I wondered if the video has skipped or they'd edited things really weirdly. How is the dentist allowed to use the compass in his watch? It's too soon for me to love or hate anyone but I feel like the firefighters will be annoying. The easiest way to get me to dislike a team is for them to be loud and obnoxious. See: Afghanimals What the hell? Why were the wrestlers sinking in their boat? I don't hate the dentists yet. We haven't seen enough of them. Could they be another reincarnation of Max and Katie (and teams like them) from season 22? Sure. But right now they seem much more supportive and since he won, I don't mind her bragging about his MCAT (though it would mean more if we got the actual number because I don't know where they went to school). At the moment I tentatively like Tim and Tee Jay, the wrestlers, the soul surfers, and mom and daughter. I'm just going to root for the all-female scientist team no matter what unless they prove to be annoying or hateful. The "actual location" thing was hilarious. I feel bad because they were so clearly exhausted but come on. Just dig a little to the left or right and you'd find it. And from the other... unearthings, you could see that they didn't bury the chests that deep.

They're the most annoying team to me right now. I don't dislike them that intensely but given how little we know of everyone, I like them the least. They have the potential to be loud and obnoxious. If they keep bringing up the bombings, like every other repetitive storyline, it will get irritating. And they didn't race very well. It's only episode 1 so I could definitely come around.