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It's all a blur to me. I saw TAR16 and TAR17 advertised. I know TAR17 has Nat & Kat and poor Claire getting smashed by the watermelon, but I'm drawing a blank on TAR16. Is that the one with Caite? (checking Wikipedia) Yes, it is. Missable season with her in there, though Jet & Cord were mostly cool.

Well, that was fun. Even though it was a non-elimination, there was still a lot of suspense in this leg. You know who I feel bad for? Chip & Kim, Linda & Karen, and Brandon & Nicole. All three TAR5 teams knew how to plow with an ox. Tonight, the teams didn't seem interested in guidance. Not like anybody was as bad as Christie, who did nothing but bitch at Colin as his mind broke into itty bitty pieces, but I would've hoped a team would've seen the episode. Oh, well. Then again, can you imagine somebody like Adam having that big of a breakdown? It would not be pretty. I'm still rooting for the Surfers, but I'm duly impressed by the Dentists' "thumb" victory. They fell behind with the flights, trailed two teams going into the Switchback, but they managed to pull ahead for the win. I'm still waiting for Jim to explode, but I'm happy with him failing to blink. On the flip side . . . shut up, Brooke. Seriously, she's Flo with muscles. I mean, she did power through the Detour, but she won't stop complaining. We get it . . . the Philippines doesn't smell like the States. You're being an Ugly American, and that's never a good look. And Robbie's squeamishness with animals continues, which is fun to watch. Seeing them in the front was fun, mostly because it never happens. If Amy & Maya take a lead, I'd expect the show to be cancelled then and there, because everything would have officially happened. As it stands now, their getting second place is just as big of a fluke. Seriously, I'm liking this season. Sure, Colin's tirade wasn't broadcast entirely (I would've wanted an oral history at minimum), and nobody channeled his rage, but you have a Final 4 that's more or less amicable with each other with few hard feelings, yet remaining highly competitive.

. . . and that should make the ox task more fun than it already is.

Here's an interview with Gail on S6. Also, I can't believe I forgot to mention Ragdoll, everyone's favorite perverted psychopath.

Ubiquitous . . . yes, there was a drummer in the bathroom with Randy, which made it funnier.

Clip from the upcoming special, which airs this Sunday. Also, the [adult swim] YouTube channel has been promoting the Christmas DVD, as seen here and here.

Episodes airing at 11 p.m.? That's not right. I know MTV has run stuff that late, but I got The Daily Show to watch at 11, along with Larry Wilmore's new show.

We Heart Diem has been slated for 9 p.m. this coming Tuesday on MTV, with repeats at 9:30 and midnight. I don't know why it's not at 10, especially since I have something to watch at that time (Agents of SHIELD) and something else to DVR (Supernatural). I'll record and watch it a little later. ETA: I don't normally watch MTV. Has the network been running promos for the special at all?

With DC Comics' relaunching of Secret Six, I want to see if there are any fans of the previous incarnations of the team. While the concept of six people working under mysterious circumstances was originally made in the late Sixties (as you can see on Wikipedia), most people focus on the sextet that debuted in Villains United. Under Gail Simone's watch, the team wound up with a successful miniseries, as well as a critically-acclaimed ongoing series, before Flashpoint wiped out that continuity. For any fans of Gail, this is a real treat. Two characters (Big Shot and Porcelain) are new, two were created by Gail in her Batgirl series (Strix and the "new" Ventriloquist), and Black Alice made her first appearance in Gail's original run on Birds of Prey. Oh, and Catman is there as well; a character that was taken off the scrap heap and excelled on Secret Six. Bad news: no Deadshot means no kinda/sorta bromance between the two antiheroes. What was your fave incarnation of the team? As much as I liked Parademon in Villains United, I got a soft spot for Bane. . . especially his fatherly vibe with Scandal Savage and his attempts at courtship. Aside from the alternate "Six" that populated the title for a while, I don't think there was a wasted character . . . from Cheshire to Mad Hatter to even the likes of Killer Shark.

For anybody who hasn't heard: Ryan Reynolds will be starring in a Deadpool movie. Here's hoping it won't be a clunker like Green Lantern was. I'm steering clear of the various miniseries, focusing on the main title's "Axis" tie-in. I think "Zenpool" isn't as entertaining to watch as the alignment-flipped X-Men.

RococoChanel . . . do you remember Kris & Jon from TAR6? I think that's the closest we have to a "perfect" couple. Phil didn't even bring up any faults in his end-of-season spiel. I get where you're coming from, but I'm on the Surfers' side. Bethany has more faith in God and her husband than I will have in anything, ever. I should hate her for that, but I can't get over her. Anybody else feel that the face POV in the massage Detour was unfortunate? I feel bad for Amy & Maya in that respect, because the camera angle seemed a little naughty.

Anybody else figure that the next leg is non-elimination? That probably goes without saying, but the other option -- extended leg -- is also feasible. And how funny would it be if Misti & Jim couldn't figure out their ox, and they wound up finishing last, just like Colin & Christie twenty seasons ago?

That was weird. And off-putting. Or maybe I'm being a fuddy-duddy like Kyle and Stan. Next week's finale should be interesting, or it could be a car accident waiting to happen.

Good episode, even if Barry came off as a hyperactive puppy. That's supposed to be Cisco's job. Anybody else a little disappointed that Digger (*snicker*) wasn't Australian? Maybe it's compensation for Ra's Al Ghul apparently being Aussie. Anybody else boo when Laurel came on screen? I don't want to be out of practice. She didn't outright stink, so that's something new. Seriously, the crossover was better than it should have been. Here's hoping the Batman/Superman team was watching the episodes and taking notes.

Is this the season of the wink? Seriously, why did we have to go back-to-back with episodes now? I'm miffed because it screws up my personal TV and posting schedule. There were no real blindsides, no tiebreakers, and an aborted Reward Challenge. What did we learn? Jon loves his wine, he misses his father, and Alec can't spell. Then again, I would've expected Keith to biff "Alec." Good for him for knowing how to spell. Beating Drew was a win for Alec. That's an awfully low bar to set. I guess it's good for a dumbass not to flame out like his dumber-ass brother. Still feeling nervous for Natalie. I mean, props for her putting up with Jon's wine snobbery, but then he had to go win immunity. To me, she's the only person worth winning the game. Jon & Jaclyn are too combustible, Missy is too doting a mother, Baylor is a bit of a brat, and Keith is a non-entity that would probably get one vote on Day 39 at most.

What TheRabbi said. I probably could've had a month's notice, and I still don't think I could afford it. If anybody has plans for the NYC area, even if it winds up being small, I'll be game to go. It's too kickass a season not to celebrate, you know?

ETA: Interesting Princess team-up with Flame and Bubblegum, especially with the latter's constant meddling. I don't think PB is necessarily evil or bad, but she's too curious and controlling . . . especially to somebody who wants to see the world as black/white such as Phoebe.

Curious . . . did anybody else pick up Bitter Sweets? It made for a quick read, with Princess Bubblegum and Peppermint Butler taking the lead. Pep But steals a lot of scenes. Also, it turns out Danielle Corsetto (of Girls With Slingshots) will be writing the fifth OGN, which is listed for next summer, but Amazon says it'll be out in March.

Just wanted to see if anybody caught the sneak preview of the final season. It was a good taste of things to come, with a Bobby Bottleservice movie and a new show with C-Czar and Cute Liz, Toilet Dad. Oh, and CT from The Challenge pops up, which surprised the heck out of me. Sadly, no nieces named Denise showed up. At least not tonight.

From the Department of I Don't Know Where Else To Put This: I saw CT on the third season sneak preview of Kroll Show tonight. Short story: he more or less plays himself (smoking and all) in a movie produced by one of Nick Kroll's creations, Bobby Bottleservice. I checked the credits . . . that was our boy. And with our luck, the sneak preview isn't slated to air. My suggestion: check the web site. It should pop up there soon. ETA: CT pops up in this teaser clip. Check 0:16 (in the driver's seat with the headphone) and 2:02. Apparently, he's going to be taking part in Gigolo House, one of the many shows within Kroll Show.

"How many of you are there?" That was funny. You think the Koenings (sic?) are like the Nurse Joys and Officer Jennys of the Marvel Universe? Nice way to lead into the fall finale. SHIELD thinks they have the upper hand, but the forces of Hydra get the drop on them. Oh, and Mack turns into a Kree security system, and he seemingly pays for it with his life. Poor guy.

This week: Barry gets a dose of Rageahol! Nice appearance from the main members of Team Arrow (sorry, Roy). I liked how Diggle looked/felt out of place. And more Barrlicity for the proverbial win. One thing Felicity doesn't have in common with Chloe . . . impressive Chloevage. I can't blame Cisco for burning that image into his brain, though. As jerky and as dime-store Batman that Ollie might have been, he had his points about Barry. And thanks to going after Rainbow Raider/Roy G. Bivolo alone (sorry, Cisco, gotta go with canon name here), Flash not only burned her bridge with Iris, he also has the CCPD gunning for him. Oliver's heart is in the right place, even if the rest of him isn't. While I'm thinking about it . . . is a woman a "baby mama" if she doesn't tell the daddy about the rugrat? Yeah, this totally felt like a TV version of Batman/Superman, and it worked. Kudos to both casts for making it work. And I liked how Felicity inferred that she didn't have any women to talk to about geek stuff. . . talking to Laurel must be as effective as conversing with a brick wall. Nice stinger. Interesting visual Ronnie now has. You think he might get into puffy sleeves soon? Is this it for the show for this year? Or will there be a new episode next week?

Here's a commercial for the next episode. It's stuff we saw before last week, and something extra with Misti & Jim. Winners' edit? Who knows . . . between that, Maya constantly loving the race, and the good karma that has followed the Surfers, I can believe any of the remaining teams could win.

Given how the Skeletons crew will be based in Chicago, I thought I'd start a topic for the original Chitown seven: Aneesa, Kyle, Keri, Theo, Chris, Cara and Tonya. Also: Tonya's kidney stones, and a genuine moment in the cast's reaction to the September 11 attacks. Oh, and 9/11 turned out to be Aneesa's birthday. I'm betting none of her friends can get out of remembering that. I know it's been over thirteen years since it filmed, but what do you take away from this season? For me, there was Tonya's inability to fit in, Aneesa's awful taste in women, the abortive Kyle/Keri showmance, Kyle's massive head and ego, Keri's cute chipmunk teeth, and Cara's ability to sleep with anything with a dick and a pulse. How bad was it? When she got with one of Kyle's friends, BMP played David Broom's scatting and singing "Come On Be My Baby Tonight" . . . and he was perhaps the biggest male slut in RW history. Yes, he also qualified as a Chicago native, but it was such an "Oh, my Gawd" moment in itself. Other than the aforementioned stuff, I'm drawing a blank on this season. All I can remember about Theo was his hard luck in his two Challenge stints. For Chris, it was how he was as dreamy to audiences as Danny was two seasons prior. And I can't remember the song about Tonya's kidney stones, which is probably for the best.

Is anybody else watching the videos on YouTube? There are some good ones of teams recovering from the massage treatment, and one where the greeter (who starred in TAR Asia) reassures the Cyclists and welcomes them to the "family."