S04.E02: In The Garden Of Eva

[yeswedo]

The celebrity players are Eva Longoria; Amaury Nolasco; Diana Maria Riva; Camilla Luddington; Nick Swardson; and Kevin Pollak.

[Actionmage]

It was such a fun group tonight! While  Where Ya Goin'? had stretches of 'wha?Why?' , it was entertaining and very enjoyable.

 

More after I give my doggies some attention; they are so needy ( but so adorable!)

 

As fabulous as DIana Maria Riva's shoes were, I was disappointed that she wore them. The disappointment was lessened after she was willing to take 'em off for Smash The Buzzer. Eva can pull off a lot of movement in wedges, so I wasn't as worried about  Ms. Longoria, but then she did as Valerie Bertinelli and a few others did- slip really close to their podium.

 

Bless Amaury Nolasco for being one of us! As others have stated, the Telenovela gang were working so hard for their civilian and it was fun to watch them. Granted, Messrs. Pollack and Swardson and Ms. Luddington were working hard for their civilian too. 

 

I loved that Elaine, the Pollack/Swardson/Luddington  civilian and Bostonian, did not pass one of the names that was thrown at her!  That doesn't happen too often here, does it?

 

I loved the new game, Block This Way. It was simple enough to play from your couch, but also took thoughtfulness to ensure you weren't going to sproing everyone else's work. I liked that the players were encouraged to go up to the cubes' area and listen to the clue there. I was less a fan of the not-so-helpful help. I understand the pressure will hit you when you have a clock ticking, but either you trust your instincts or you don't. Everyone's on the show, or most, because they know their pop culture trivia. The sproing-ing when time runs out makes sense, but I jumped as much as the actual players!

 

I felt that I Love A Charade was reasonably similar, as opposed to the sometimes lop-sided subject pairings we've seen before.

 

Still glad this show is back!

Edited January 13, 2016 by Actionmage

[peeayebee]

Pretty good game. I don't watch Telenovela, so the other two celebs on Eva's team were new to me, but they were good. I was esp impressed with everyone on I Love A Charade.

 

They weren't as good as previous teams on Where Ya Goin'?

 

So Eva and Kevin used a different technique on the final game: taking turns. That works too.

[Black Knight]

I noticed that Eva and Kevin were physically cuing each other - like squeezing the other's arm - to signal if the other should do the clue. That was smart; I wonder why they're the first to think of that.

 

Great episode. I do think it helps the atmosphere when a lot of the celebrities know each other already, because they're so much more comfortable around each other and it really does start feeling like a game night at someone's house. They also all tried hard for their civilians, which I always appreciate, and I don't think there was a weak player in the bunch. Some were better players than others, but no one was weak. (Although nobody seemed to have a great sense for Where Ya Goin'?)

 

I don't recall seeing the tower of blocks game before and I enjoyed it. I was bummed that time ended before we could see how Eva planned on getting her block up there.

 

I Love a Charade was crazy. 14 correct by both teams, wow. And the Telenovela team was soooo close to getting that #15.

[BobH]

Good episode, Not sure about the new game, Block This Way, but I'm willing to give it another chance. All the other games were ones I like.

 

Very good play on the final round. Alternate clue giving, with the second person hanging back and trying to think of a good extra clue if it doesn't get answered right away. Almost made it look too easy.

 

Camilla Luddington was probably my favourite player of the episode. I would not complain if we never see Nick Swardson again.

[BW Manilowe]

Pretty good game. I don't watch Telenovela, so the other two celebs on Eva's team were new to me, but they were good. I was esp impressed with everyone on I Love A Charade.

They weren't as good as previous teams on Where Ya Goin'?

So Eva and Kevin used a different technique on the final game: taking turns. That works too.

If you watched The West Wing, Diana Maria Riva (who was on Team Telenovela & Co-Stars in that) was Edie, 1 of Congressman Matt Santos' main campaign aides & I think Josh's Deputy, in S7 (maybe also part of S6, I can't remember). After that, she was in Sorkin's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, & some other non-Sorkin stuff I can't remember.

[peeayebee]

I didn't watch The West Wing, but I saw the first few eps of before I gave up on it. I don't remember her.

 

I don't recall seeing the tower of blocks game before and I enjoyed it. I was bummed that time ended before we could see how Eva planned on getting her block up there.

There was a riser behind the blocks, I believe, though I don't know if it was high enuf for Eva. The show must have planned for that. 

 

I really enjoyed Eva. She was a lot of fun.

[sugarbaker design]

Granted, Messrs. Pollack and Swardson and Ms. Luddington were working hard for their civilian too.

 

 

Couldn't disagree more, Swardson was only there to mug for the camera.  What a desperately unfunny man.  Never heard of him before this episode and never want to see him again.

 

The final was amazing!  Two intelligent celebrities who worked well as a team and a civilian who knew names of actors, singers and athletes!  That almost never happens.

Edited January 13, 2016 by sugarbaker design

[ae2]

Maybe it was a consequence of not being very familiar with any of the celebrities this week, but I felt it was a rather annoying conglomeration that didn't play very well until the final game.

 

To my surprise, that was one of the best final game celebrity pairings. In stark contrast to last week's where they couldn't stop talking over one another and failed to give good clues. This civilian wasn't very quick, but was knowledgeable. And when she needed help, e.g. with Joe Montana, the celebs gave hints about the name and not just the person. 

[Racj82]

If you watched The West Wing, Diana Maria Riva (who was on Team Telenovela & Co-Stars in that) was Edie, 1 of Congressman Matt Santos' main campaign aides & I think Josh's Deputy, in S7 (maybe also part of S6, I can't remember). After that, she was in Sorkin's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, & some other non-Sorkin stuff I can't remember.

and the guy from telenovela was on prison break and Southland.

[Primetimer]

Some new players, one new game, and one old hack.

Read the story

[Cekrypton1]

That shirt La Longoria was wearing was so dowdy, even racist Brooke from 90210 would have been like, "nope."

[Actionmage]

Swardson was only there to mug for the camera.

 

Yeah, he did, but he also seemed to be at least show-chummy with Amaury as the show went into breaks. Nick was very handsy, and Amaury didn't seem too upset by it, so it read to me as two competitive guys talking about the games. 

 

I don't disagree with the folks who think he was obnoxious, but there are worse muggers that I've seen on this show who were only there to mug and not work for their civilian. The ne plus ultra that is (allegedly) drunk Martin Short, twice.

[iMonrey]

Wow, both teams really sucked at Where Ya Goin' but more than impressed in I Love a Charade. I didn't think Team Telenovela stood a chance after how well the other team did but they really rose to the challenge. So close! I'm kind of glad the Boston lady won though - she really did have a fun accent! I don't think she could pronounce Amaury Nolasco's name for the life of her, though. 

 

I liked  Block This Way. I much prefer it to Clue-Boom, a similar "beat the clock" type of game. 

 

Yeah, Nick Swardson was definitely the weak link of the night. And I had no idea Camilla Luddington was British! Stupid me. I think people are going to get sick of Kevin Pollack's impression of Christopher Walken pretty quick (if they haven't already). 

 

I wonder when this was filmed. Jane and Eva both spoke of their respective sitcoms as though they hadn't aired yet. Sad that both were dead in the water before they ever made it to air (especially Telenovela) but way to put a brave face on things. I actually enjoy Telenovela but it's getting sucky ratings. 

Edited January 13, 2016 by iMonrey

[Scott]

 I'm kind of glad the Boston lady won though - she really did have a fun accent!

 

For the final name in the final game, I really thought she had mistakenly said "Mike Harmon", then I realized she was just saying "Maahk".  

[peeayebee]

I think people are going to get sick of Kevin Pollack's impression of Christopher Walken pretty quick (if they haven't already). 

I did long ago. He has, or used to have, an internet talk show, The Kevin Pollak Show, which had great guests. The interviews were terrific. HOWEVER! I could barely tolerate Pollak. It's strange that I didn't like him, but he did get good interviews out of people.

[Violet Penner]

Why is Jane so insistent that the "driver" ask "where ya goin?" each time? Who cares? We get the point.

[Black Knight]

Well, it is the game, and it does keep the idea going. Otherwise, why stop there - get rid of the wheel next, then the screen, and now you just have people sitting there. I mean, you could make the same argument about Jeopardy, that there's no reason to answer in the form of a question anymore. The teams don't get penalized if the driver forgets now and again, but something intangible gets lost, I think. Silly conventions are often part of what make party games fun.

[Lovecat]

For the final name in the final game, I really thought she had mistakenly said "Mike Harmon", then I realized she was just saying "Maahk".

I loved that the lady with a Bahston accent as broad as a bahhn won with "Maahk Haahmon"!

[Rinaldo]

Why is Jane so insistent that the "driver" ask "where ya goin?" each time? Who cares? 

I do, for one. As Black Knight said, party games all have their silly rules, without which the fun wouldn't be the same. In fact I think she should have been more insistent with Amaury, or at least sharply pointed out afterwards that he said "where we goin'?" every single time. If he was so eager to be on the show, he shouldn't mess around with it like that.

[iMonrey]

I like the fact that they have to hold up a steering wheel and pretend to drive, too, because it makes it harder for them to focus. Especially if you're the type of person who can't chew gum and walk at the same time like me. When you're doing something manually with your hands you can't devote your full attention of figuring out where you're supposed to be goin'. 

[slowpoked]

I liked this episode very much. All celebs were fairly competent. I didn't know who Camila Luddington is but was surprised at how good of a player she is. I would have chosen her over Kevin Pollak, although Pollak is certainly not a bad choice. Plus I'm a sucker for that accent. 

 

Did Eva Longoria play before already? I might have forgotten. I loved how game she was, kicking off her heels, and how competent she is, especially at that final round. I thought she would be kind of a diva, to be honest. Her and Kevin had really great teamwork together, and for once, both have avoided using "she's beautiful", "he's a good actor", etc. in the final round. And they had a good sense of who's taking over and who's taking the backseat in the final round. I mean, heck, they were able to get Joe Montana out of the civilian!

[sinkwriter]

 

and the guy from telenovela was on prison break and Southland

 

Aw... Sucre. I can still hear him calling Wentworth Miller "papi." 

 

 

I loved that the lady with a Bahston accent as broad as a bahhn won with "Maahk Haahmon"!

 

That was really kind of marvelous. I giggled a little. But hey, she won! Whoo! Good for her.

[April Bloodgate]

"I regret to inform you that if you don't enjoy that sound coming out of Eva Longoria, this episode will be a real test of your patience."

I couldn't agree more, Tara. She was so obnoxious. 

[Kel Varnsen]

I loved that the lady with a Bahston accent as broad as a bahhn won with "Maahk Haahmon"!

 

I wondered if they threw that name in just in case the Boston lady made it to the finals

I loved that Elaine, the Pollack/Swardson/Luddington  civilian and Bostonian, did not pass one of the names that was thrown at her!  That doesn't happen too often here, does it?

I kind of wished she had passed on Joe Montana. I mean you are allowed to as part of the rules, and with the time factor passing is a smart strategy. Plus I know Jane always mentions that there are a limited number of names, but I don't think we have ever seen anyone pass so much that they go back to the start. 

 

On the plus side I haven't watched Grey's Anatomy in a few years and I totally didn't realize how hot Camila Luddington was. 

[needschocolate]

I almost deleted the episode after the first game because the people on Team Telanovela were so obnoxiously bad winners.  Especially when Amaury Nolasco pushed Nick Swardson back down on the couch - he could have hurt one someone (It looked like Swardson landed pretty close to Luddington, and she is just a wisp of a thing).  But they toned it down and the interactions between Swardson and Nolasco implied they were buddies and am glad I hung in there. Besides, halfway through the show, I wanted someone to push Swardson out of the studio, er, living room - and that feeling never went away.  
 

Couldn't disagree more, Swardson was only there to mug for the camera.  What a desperately unfunny man.  Never heard of him before this episode and never want to see him again.

 
I have no idea who Swardson is, but I imagine the one only reason he is a "celebrity" is because one of his relatives is somebody pretty high up in the entertainment industry....okay, looked him up on IMDb and he has been around for a while, but has only been in a few things I have even heard of, none that I have seen.  Judging by the comments on the IMDb message boards, he is a lousy actor.  

 

For the final name in the final game, I really thought she had mistakenly said "Mike Harmon", then I realized she was just saying "Maahk".

 

I thought she said Mike Common (my mind decided to run the words together to try to make sense of them, I suppose) - it was the only time I really noticed her accent - seemed fairly subtle the rest of the time.  

[Racj82]

I almost deleted the episode after the first game because the people on Team Telanovela were so obnoxiously bad winners.  Especially when Amaury Nolasco pushed Nick Swardson back down on the couch - he could have hurt one someone (It looked like Swardson landed pretty close to Luddington, and she is just a wisp of a thing).  But they toned it down and the interactions between Swardson and Nolasco implied they were buddies and am glad I hung in there. Besides, halfway through the show, I wanted someone to push Swardson out of the studio, er, living room - and that feeling never went away.  

 

 

I have no idea who Swardson is, but I imagine the one only reason he is a "celebrity" is because one of his relatives is somebody pretty high up in the entertainment industry....okay, looked him up on IMDb and he has been around for a while, but has only been in a few things I have even heard of, none that I have seen.  Judging by the comments on the IMDb message boards, he is a lousy actor.  

 

 

I thought she said Mike Common (my mind decided to run the words together to try to make sense of them, I suppose) - it was the only time I really noticed her accent - seemed fairly subtle the rest of the time.  

As Swardson pointed out on @midnight, he has been up for a razzie seven times. Not a great actor. But, he's in with Sandler and the crew so that gets you by for a while. He's pretty harmless though. Really didn't annoy much at all and he did seem invested in winning overall. That's all I really ask for. Joking around is one thing but sabotaging a game to mug is something else and I never felt that.

[Black Knight]

On 1/16/2016 at 10:49 AM, Kel Varnsen said:

Plus I know Jane always mentions that there are a limited number of names, but I don't think we have ever seen anyone pass so much that they go back to the start. 

Soooooo late on this! But it has happened at least once. My all-time favorite CNG (in terms of excitement) is Gillian Jacobs's turn, where she had to clue Samuel L. Jackson twice...and she did it with the same "fedora" clue each time...only the civilian was able to guess it the second time, just before time expired!

In fairness, immediately prior to the second Samuel L. Jackson, Gillian screwed up by saying the celebrity's name and so that one was an automatic DQ rather than a pass. (Which only made the end more exciting, because Gillian was jumping up and down in frustration at her screw-up and then had to pull it together.)