Wednesday the 25th

SYTTheyAreHalfwayThere

• I totally thought the group number was by Sonia. It was wacky. I watched twice, but mostly bc I was having a lot of trouble figuring out who everyone was - and then trying to think who I was forgetting. (Noelle? Ryan? Things don't look so promising for you because I apparently find you forgettable. You're like the Bashful of the 7 Dwarfs - I thought of you last when naming everyone.)
  
  
• And in the ridiculously long talk to the judges segment, I did a Sudoku puzzle, filled the dishwasher, and made a mix CD for my Thanksgiving drive. So thanks for that waste of time, show.
  
  
• The look on Karen's face pretty much telegraphs "Yeah, I'm going home, let's get this over with so I can stay stoic during my clip package."
  
  
• Join me in shipping Kathryn and Legacy? They're beautiful dancers, and both sweetly ridiculous in their emotional displays.
  
  
• Woooowwwww. Adam Shankman called Nathan out on his clip package! AWEsome, and true, and something I don't think ANYONE on the show has ever had the nerve to admit these clips are reality-TV staging.
  
  
• I am irritated that Ellenore and Ryan are in the bottom, but not concerned. We will not lose my Ellenore. We will NOT.
  
  
• Professional dancer - Paloma Herrera. DAMN she was en pointe a lot. (But still kind of put me in a ballet coma.)
  
  
• Karen - Honey, by now you have had enough time to choreograph a reasonable solo. That wasn't it.
  
  
• Victor - He is incredibly athletic, but that was... well... not masculine. Y'know? And the backward stage crawl is an odd recurring theme this season. Clearly, Legacy has a very specific one nailed (his "crabwalk" on his hands), but Nathan also used a very similar crawl in his solo last week.
  
  
• Mollee - Dollee Dinkle at the hip hop school and your cheerleading coach must be proud. I had to watch that last spin a few times to find out if the twist on her foot to land herself on the ground was intentional. Maybe?
  
  
• Nathan - I actually thought he was more noticable in the group number tonight. He didn't seem to do anything in this solo, except the wacky little sit spin. Maybe Adam's personal attack on his shallow jet-skiing hobby got to him, because he looked more upset than impassioned.
  
  
• Ellenore - I love this girl. Hope this had enough content for the judges - her solo still seems to showcase her quirkiness rather than her dancing, but that's also what makes her so much fun to watch.
  
  
• Ryan - That was kinda silly and the shirt was UG-ly. Pretty typical latin male ballroom dancer solo, but not one of the better ones they've had on the show.
  
  
• Prediction - hasn't changed. Karen and Victor are outta here. Even though an argument could be made to axe Ryan, the show is probably pretty enamored with the idea of putting a married couple in the top 10 for the first time. And the show will still have an incredible contemporary dancer with Jacob.
  
  
• Shakira - it was OK. I'm glad it had dancing, but I was thinking it's hard to watch "stand in a formation and dance" choreography on a show that has more intense and exciting group numbers. But I suppose that wouldn't work from a vocal performance standpoint, bc you don't want attention taken away from the singer. I wouldn't put up with it. :-)
  
  
• I think Karen lost steam after week 2 or 3, and I wonder if that's when things started going south with her husband bc she just didn't have the same self-assurance.
  
  
• Oh no. Don't pan to the Mom. That made me sad. Pobrecitos. Victor seemed like a really nice kid and he was extremely powerful, but he looked like a contemporary dancer in everything he did.

Thursday the 24th

SYTIt's Already Next Tuesday?

• Brief recaps tonight - kinda late, kiddos, but I want to get my first impressions up.
  
  
• Ryan and Ellenore - Lindy Hop. For the first time, I thought he looked a lot more comfortable than she did. Some great stuff, especially the "lemon twist" lifts where he swung her around, stepped over her, she did the splits, and they did it again. (Coffee grinders with front flares. Thank you, Adam Shankman.) He seemed sharp, but she was just a bit - tentative? Off her game? I don't know - it just wasn't all there.
  
  
• Kathryn and Legacy - Jazz. It was very cool, but I didn't get "he really wants her" from this. Legacy just had serious face on, not quivering lust. Kathryn was fantastic. I applaud Sonia for working plenty of b-boy moves into her piece for Legacy to do, but don't think it advanced her stated theme. (And I totally want them both in the final 4. With Russell or Jakob and Ellenore.)
  
  
• Victor and Karen - Tango. Meh. It wasn't great. She also seems off her game tonight, and Victor danced well, but his face just reads so - fake. Like a kid wearing an expression that he thinks is a serious face.
  
  
• Mollee and Nathan - Hip Hop. They did this well - like 2 white kids who are really good at hip hop. Nathan's overacting was kind of annoying, but I think that's mostly because I find his immaturity kind of annoying.
  
  
• Russell and Noelle - Samba. I thought this was very good - and Noelle was terrific. I was relieved to see Russell handle this one, since I was frightened by his fox trot last week.
  
  
• Ashleigh and Jakob - Lyrical Jazz. It was OK - based on the preview, I was hoping it would be softer. Then it was a lot of "Jakob can leap! Jakob has great extension!" and Ashleigh - kinda looks the same to me as she did in her other routines. Not in a bad way, but like some musicians always kind of sound the same. Anyway, I don't dislike her the way I did in the beginning but I still don't find myself rooting for her.
  
  
• Ellenore and Ryan - Broadway. Fabulous. They were both great, but I really couldn't take my eyes off her most of the time. This showcased Ellenore really well, and showed off her quirkiness and grace.
  
  
• Legacy and Kathryn - Viennese Waltz. This one choked me up. And here's where. There's a moment where Legacy's arms are out, waiting for Kathryn to show him where to go next, and she looks back at him with the most patient, encouraging face. The choreography was brilliant - "Let's give him a character who doesn't know how to dance so we can write off any mistakes he made! "- but Legacy went beyond that to look like someone who CAN do this just ACTING like someone who can't. By far, my favorite Generaux/Mousseau piece ever.
  
  
• Karen and Victor - Hip Hop. They sure looked intent. But it wasn't all that good. Their sync was weird. I think this late change in partner was tough for these two.
  
  
• Nathan and Mollee - Can Can. This was kind of a hot mess, and I put most of the blame on Tyce. He said it was originally a partner dance, but the partner work was ridiuclously minimal. The whole routine looked like it had no idea where it was going.
  
  
• Noelle and Russell - Contemporary. They danced well, and it's great to see Russell handle a contemporary piece. Tyce is annoying the shit out of me - I can't put my finger on it, but it just seemed - to lack cohesion. I guess. I don't know, mostly I want to smack him.
  
  
• Ashleigh and Jakob - Cha Cha. Good for her, because she killed in her style. And was better than Jakob. Damn her for making me like her. Jakob did well, but did NOT look like a ballroom dancer to me.
  
  
• Prediction: Victor and Karen, Mollee and Nathan, Ashleigh and Jakob. Because I am not alone in my Ashleigh irritation, even though she did great work tonight. If I had watched in time to vote - it would have been for Kathryn and Legacy.

Wednesday the 18th

SYTYCD! Results!

• Huh. My Fox affiliate appears to be airing tonight's episode in "extra narrow vision". Or my DVR somehow magically squished this, which wouldn't surprise me much. In any case, this sucks for watching DANCE. F%$@.
  
  
• So now we've gone from focusing on the word "favorite" in "America's favorite dancer" to the word "dancer". Will we talk about the deep meaning in "America's" next time? Or add another word to this phrase? Cut the results show down to a half hour and stop babbling, jidges.
  
  
• Not so surprised that Mollee and Nathan are in the bottom 3, but a little surprised it's Russell and Noelle who were safe as opposed to Channing and Victor. Although I am thinking it's likely Russell has quite a fan base, since he's awesome.
  
  
• Pre-solo prediction: Adios Kevin and Mollee. Note - yay, the screen is fixed! Back to normal view!
  
  
• Nakul - I love that he's performing with his group, and want to see MORE of the choreographers. His knee spins were SO SMOOTH. I wasn't expecting the facial expressions to be so broad - I wonder why he doesn't stress that more when he's working with the contestants?
  
  
• Karen. She used more of the stage this time, and certainly created a character - but I think she needed a "big move", and this lacked that.
  
  
• Kevin. It's good, and I love gliding - but same thought as last week. He doesn't strike me as the best at any of his hip hop moves, and to be a stand-out hip hop performer on this show you have to look like you can do something no one else can figure out how to do. I guess the back bend falls are different, but... not different enough.
  
  
• Channing. And Victor. I have the same comment about both - technically fantastic. On the verge of having a distinct personality, but not quite. (His rise to the toe-stand was pretty cool, though.)
  
  
• Mollee. The most fun so far, and reminded us that she has gymnastic talent, which I don't think has been showcased yet. The music and costuming were a little "Dance Squad!", but she's young.
  
  
• Nathan. OK, THAT was the best one. Quirky and strong, and did not disappoint. I really do want to see him dance more, I just want to see him dance with someone other than Mollee.
  
  
• New predictions. Still Kevin, and... Karen joins him, bc the judges will think her appearing in the bottom twice in a row means America is not all that into her. (My preference? Would be Kevin and Channing. Mollee bought a little cred with me after her solo.)
  
  
• Musical guest. Orianthe, "According to You". I've been listening to this song bc it was free on iTunes, and it's cute. And I'm impressed with her guitar playing, but live her voice was a bit flat. ALSO, and MORE IMPORTANTLY. WHY doesn't this show feature dancing with every musical guest? For pete's sake, DANCING WITH THE STARS does this. Show, do you want to be LESS than Dancing with the Stars? DO YOU?? Yeesh.
  
  
• Huh. So the judges agreed with me about Channing - I think this girl had more potential, but something about being on the show really watered her down and she never felt at ease.
  
  
• HAHAHA they called Victor out on the pirouettes. And I would not watch a show to find "America's Favorite Pirouetter". It would make me dizzy. Anyway, bye bye Kevin. Not sure how you stuck around this long, but you seem like a well-meaning young man.

Tuesday the 17th

SYTYCD!

• I was feeling rather ambivalent about coming home to make dinner and then realized 2 awesome (and unrelated) things: I had everything I needed to make burritos, and it's SYTYCD night. Aw yeah.
  
  
• Intro dances: Nathan impressed. And did you catch the Legacy-Russell bro hug on their way offstage? I'm going to ship them.
  
  
• Judge opening: ENOUGH with the Botox jokes. It was funny the VERY first time, and even then? Not as funny as they seem to think. Notice how Cat escaped posting her picture. That's why she is the consummate host - it ain't about her, she's there to facilitate. Give Cat an Emmy!
  
  
• Ashleigh and Jakob: Hip hop. OK, you just KNOW Jakob and his buddies were dancing to "Bye Bye Bye" in their talent show. Awesome. So the screens were used to good advantage here in this number - the text message was a little silly, but established the scene well. And - I liked Ashleigh in this one. There, I said it. I liked her. I even paid more attention to what she was doing than Jakob. While I usually find her over-emoting annoying, it worked in this piece. I don't know that either of them was great at hip hop, but they weren't distracting. And the lift - flip was fantastic. The quibbles I had were more with some of the choreography looking goofy (specifically, coming out of the threading section with the leg pumping and downturned heads - kinda hip-hop-sad-Charlie-Brown dancing), but not the dancers. This was good.
  
  
• Kevin and Karen: Broadway. All right, these kid pix are making me soft. I'm going to end up liking everyone tonight. But - still don't care much for Kevin's dancing. He looked so stiff, poor thing. And the rehearsal clip package did them NO FAVORS bc it basically showed all the things they couldn't nail. Karen is still really good, and was very cute (as opposed to sexy), but the whole piece just seemed - tentative.
  
  
• Noelle and Russell: Foxtrot (oh dear). Hey, I forgot they pulled this before. That doesn't seem quite fair. But I actually LIKED him the first time, so maybe... hmm. He looks more awkward this time, and their opening seemed realllllyyy off. It didn't look like he lacked confidence, he just took a long time to find a groove, and always looked like - a novice. She looked good. I loved her little kicks as she slid down his back after the lift. I give them credit for selling this, but I think it fell short.
  
  
• Victor and Channing: Jazz. I am confused by Channing bc she SEEMS like she should be more fun (her kid pix were charming) and yet... she comes off as dull. Competent, but not much fun. (This season's Kayla?) The music was rather distracting for this one - not bc I didn't like it, I did - but it was so much more staccato than their movements were. And I found the staging at the end very strange - she runs all the way back to the cage while he stays front and center? I give it a meh.
  
  
• Kathryn and Legay: Paso Doble. I could almost be over the Paso Doble, bc it can be so cliche and dull. But when it is good, it is VERY good. (e.g. Sabra's donut drop down Neil's body.) HOLD THE PHONE. I am all for shirtless Legacy (six-pack - WOW), but is THAT how a Naval Admiral would dress? I think not. He handled the chest-puffing parts well, but everything in close hold looked awkward. And the lift at the end was kind of a mess. She was fine. I think this was their weakest performance to date. I still love them, but this showed they are certainly still vincible.
  
  
• Ryan and Ellenore: Contemporary. Ryan's bunny costume pix? Most humbling so far. Heehee. Travis Wall? Sooo gooood. Picking the right music? Key. This piece? My favorite tonight. Next sentence? Just as short. They were both fantastic.
  
  
• Mollee and Nathan: Pop Jazz. OK, first kid pix that made me like them a little less. Nathan was a brat, and Mollee was a creepy pageant kid. I still think this pairing did neither of them any favors. As for the dance, it felt like it could have been really good, except they got out of sync so many times. They both had the right intensity, they just didn't have their timing down.
  
  
• Why was I more hung up on actual dancing while the judges' were more hung up on selling personality this week? My vote: Ryan and Ellenore. My bottom 3 prediction: Kevin and Karen, Noelle and Russell, Victor and Channing.

Wednesday the 11th

SYTYCD!

• OOOoooohhh, I forgot there would be a group dance number! YAY! And this one was fun and spotlighted my boy Legacy and my girl Ellenore well. Although the boys were distractingly out of sync at the beginning.
  
• Adam Shankman, thank you for admitting that America can't "get it wrong" because the show is set up for the most popular (and not the most talented) to win. Can we stop saying that now, and instead say that the voters are a bunch of cretins and/or hicks when that is what they mean?
  
• Ellenore and Ryan. Not an undeserved fate. (I still lurv her, though.) Peter and Pauline. Also not undeserved. (And they're likely to go home, bc the judges never really seemed that into either of them.) Karen and Kevin. Also predictable, bc they went early and were forgettable, and the judges were so vehement about how Mollee and Nathan would need "protecting" by the voters that they GOT that protection. (Oh, and I would rather see Kevin go home than Peter, but that's not likely.)
  
• Professional dancers! I love that they have added this to the results show. And HOLY FUCK the Alvin Ailey dancers were AMAZING. It is startling to watch the contestants on this show and think they're really good, and then see actual professionals and realize how much further dance can go. I loved how sinewy the male dancer's arms were in the opening, and how still the first female dancer's upper body was when she did the backwards tip-toe run across the stage. And the pose the last female dancer froze in at the end? Just beautiful.
  
  
  SOLOS
  
• Ellenore. I love how quirky she is, and still graceful.
  
• Ryan. This showcased his talents well - his retractions were great.
  
• Pauline. Meh. How come so many of the "dance for your life" solos looks so unrehearsed when so many of these dancers turn in great audition performances?
  
• Peter. Boy can tap. And I do like goofy guys with swagger. But I think he may have needed to imbue this with more of a character, instead of just guy tapping.
  
• Karen. I can't recall ever seeing anyone use less of the floor. Eh.
  
• Kevin. He just doesn't reach me. He does stuff well, but doesn't do anything in a way that makes me think I haven't seen it done better by someone else.
  
• Sticking to my prediction. Pauline & Peter.
  
• The decision: It feels like Nigel is pimping the Season 5 dancers to sell the rest of the tickets to their tour. And damnit, for a minute I thought Peter might make it. RATS.

Tuesday the 10th

Aw yeah. SYTYCD!

• Intros. Kat Deeley's slicked back hair? Awesome. I kinda miss when she used to dress crazy more often. Bring back the crazy, Kat! Dancing: Channing, I still think there might be something there and I look forward to seeing her athletic side come out with a different partner. Victor, I'm going to take last week's comments back: enough with the spinning. And I doubt the girl weighs enough to donate blood, but Pauline's choice of outfit was VERY unflattering.
  
• Karen and Kevin: Disco. I will not separate this from other disco bc it's just MORE DISCO AND ENOUGH ALREADY. So she's divorcing her husband? That's a bummer - they were really cute. Anyhoo, the dancing. Y'all, I just don't think Kevin is very good. I thought he looked clunky. Karen was good (and I need another adjective for "good" - something better than "adequate" but not hyperbolic like "terrific"), and the death drops (yeah, that's probably the technical term) were very impressive - but this performance was not stellar. And I forgot the whole part about her leading until Mary Murphy brought it up again.
  
• Ashleigh and Jakob: Jazz. She's the epitome of a... book nerd? Is that... a thing? Jakob is Jeanine's best friend??? Aw, I like him more now. And... they had me at "Relax". The styling for this one was fantastic. And I really don't have anything negative to say about Ashleigh this time, except that Jakob is still clearly better and makes her look like she's not doing much. Her back is mighty flexible. Overall, quite good.
  
• Peter and Pauline: Quickstep. (Oh dear - I'm nervous for them.) He choreographs folks with special needs? And I already thought he was adorable. Pauline eats a lot? Um, see my intro comment. So the dance. I'm... still nervous. They looked like people who are really good dancers attempting to do a totally unfamiliar dance for the first time for fun at their friend's dance class. Or something.
  
• Kathryn and Legacy: Broadway. Wow, I hadn't realized she was such a pretty girl - her photos from her volunteer trip really showed what a natural beauty she is. I think they were terrific AGAIN. I love how athletic he is, and how spunky she is. I agree that she could have added some irritation to the sass. More fire would've raised this to the next level (e.g. Katey and Twitch in "The Door").
  
• Victor and Channing: Contemporary. Doesn't it seem like she could've mustered up a little more enthusiasm about lawnmower racing? So the dance was pretty, but... looked like every contemporary piece ever. With more throwing themselves to the floor. And Stacey Tookey, if you do another toxic relationship piece next week, make it something really wild (he's an alien life form that has inhabited her body - y'know, like "Fringe") or your stories will grow tiresome.
  
• Ellenore and Ryan: Hip Hop. Lil C!!! Have we actually seen him choreograph anything yet?? And... I was distracted bc Kherington and Twitch already did a hip hop bank robber dance. So, Lil C? Enthusiasm - waned. Neither Ryan nor Ellenore seemed very comfortable here. He hit it like a white boy trying to hit it, and she was rather lackluster. Plus they weren't very in sync.
  
• Nathan and Mollee: Salsa. I... miss Janette. Sigh. These 2 were OK, and I will give her credit for finally looking sexier. I think she had to spend so much time concentrating on being sexy that she didn't dance all that well. They just didn't look all that competent here. Hold the phone! Nigel's slo-mo recap shows they started out on the wrong feet? That's baaadddd. That should NOT happen.
  
• Noelle and Russell: Afro Jazz. Sounds like fun.... And it was, but I would not have known he was a frog without the intro piece. Although Russell had a few squats and frog leaps that were really awesome. Noelle held her own, but did look a little goofy.
  
• WHO WILL MAKE ME PICK UP THE PHONE? Kathryn and Legacy. Not their strongest piece, but I didn't absolutely love any dance so I might as well call for my favorite dancer so far - Legacy.
  
• BOTTOM 3 PREDICTION: Karen and Kevin (bc admit it, you've already forgotten their number, haven't you?); Peter and Pauline (also early in the show, and not memorable as being all that good); Victor and Channing (don't think they connected to the audience).

Wednesday/Thursday the 4th/5th

• Man vs. Food. Detroit Rock City. I would not have liked either hot dog place. Raw onions? Blech.
  


• RW/RR Challenge. Remember when I used to like Jonny Bananas? Yeah, I can't explain that, either. Moron. And at times Kellyanne SEEMS like she could be likable, but she thought Veronica was... cool? NO. Plus she dates... Wes. Weird.
  


• Survivor. Lil' Russell was more irritating than ever - taking credit for things that really don't have anything to do with him - like photosynthesis - but I do think it made sense for him to just play the immunity idol and be out with it. Unlike Erik - hahahahahaha! Oh, Erik. Pretty - but pretty dumb. As soon as Russell played his idol and stated his reason why, I think he should've been RIGHT behind him. Having both immunity idols played WOULD have been a kick-ass Survivor moment.
  


• The Office. I'm bored. And she hit him open palm? Lame.
  


• Project Runway. Also boring. And predictable outcome. At least Gordana and Christopher went out on very nice pieces.
  
• 30 Rock. NOT boring. STILL funny. YAY!

Tuesday the 3rd

SYTYCD! D! D!

Opening: Props to Victor for making the standard pirouette interesting.

New Set: Bugs me. Too many lights - it makes me dizzy. And I miss the stairs.

Noelle and Russell: So the style is... tennis? Huh. It could've worked, actually, had Russell been paired with someone who could dance hip hop. OR play tennis. Noelle did not impress. Somewhere during Adam's judging Kat murmured something about "the comfort factor", and I think that was Freudian. Because it would have been fun to watch Comfort dance this one.

Jakob and Ashleigh: Viennese Waltz. I actually didn't mind her so much, and I was surprised that I didn't feel Jakob nailed it. Other than his split jete, the whole thing seemed too literal - too ACTUAL first wedding dance, rather than two professionals. I am looking forward to hearing Adam continue to dissect the choreography - it will be a welcome change from the choreo-butt-kissing that has been going on every other season.

Bianca and Victor: Broadway. She had me smiling within the first 15 seconds - girlfriend OWNED this one. And Victor? He tried. I wish they had had time to find him some sort of coach to lead him in a montage sequence so he could learn to be loose and less careful.

Nathan and Mollee: Bollywood. It was OK, but I was thinking to myself that I wish they hadn't put the 2 youngest dancers together bc I don't think they're going to GROW. It would have been more fun to see Mollee have to work with Ryan (ALL man), and for Nathan to dance with Karen (ALL woman). I will say the lift sequence at the end was pretty, and Nathan's pirouettes WERE awesome. (It's the night of entertaining pirouettes!)

Channing and Phillip: Samba. It felt very careful. They looked kinda terrified, and I think it's bc neither one of them trusted he was strong enough. And Nigel's comment about how the color of her dress suited her well? Reminded me of the time my friend came to school distraught bc she had hit a dog on the way there, and I said, "Well, at least you look great today - that's a really pretty skirt..." and she replied through her messy tears, "Yeah, I'm dressed to kill!"

Kevin and Karen: Hip Hop. I don't think anything actually HAPPENED in this one. It was dull. She outshone him again, but I think that's because there just wasn't a lot for Kevin to do.

Kathryn and Legacy: Contemporary. VERY nice. This was the best pairing of the night, and they both did a tremendous job. I am ready to ship them. I am thrilled to see Legacy can reach beyond hip hop, and that Kathryn is more than just a high-pitched squeak.

Peter and Pauline: Jazz. OMG I heart you Wade Robson. Dancing Starry Night on its own would have been enough, but making them characters FROM the painting? I am re-watching the intro, that's how awesome this idea is. And DAMN that f'ing backdrop, which was clever in principle but made them too hard to see. I think Peter was better, bc he had more drag in his feet and his movement, so it was more creepy. Pauline was pretty good, but she didn't mesh all that well with the piece.

Ellenore and Ryan: Argentine Tango. Oooh... Leonardo the choreographer is back... so hot. Ellenore dancing with the dress caught on her heel was indeed very impressive BUT... this felt too slow.

PREDICTION: Noelle, Pauline, Phillip, Victor.

RESULT: I have gone 3 for 4. Based on the critique, I'm not surprised they put Bianca in the bottom, but I don't think she belongs there.

OK, NEXT PREDICTION: Adios, Noelle and Phillip.

Noelle: Every contemporary girl solo ever, but the low split was nice, and she did seem to dance it like she meant it.

Victor: OK, I know I said it was a theme this evening, but that was a few too many pirouettes. He certainly does have an impressive amount of strength in his movement, though.

Bianca: I think she could have done more with Tootsee Roll - bc it's Tootsee Roll, for God's sake! Anyway, it was cute.

Phillip: Liked his intro, and it was a good tap solo. He'll continue to find work in tap, so good on ya, buddy, thanks for coming.

RESULT: Wait, what?? Bianca's going home? That's crap.

And Phillip? What a rotten week that kid's having. I am now impressed with his ability to show up and keep smiling, and really do wish him a great tap career. Poor thing.

Cat Deeley? Best host on any reality competition award. I have never seen anyone fight tears and be so beautiful and classy and sincere. She is my reality TV best friend.

Monday the 2nd

Commute:

• Finished off this weekend's Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me, and the This American Life episode on infidelity. I hadn't listened to any This American Life podcasts for a while - and flat out deleted a few of the Planet Money themed ones. I enjoy them separately. In this instance, I do not want the peanut butter all over my chocolate.

Nighttime:

• HIMYM. It was OK. Still not all that enthused about Barney/Robin - I am almost longing for a Ted storyline.


• Modern Family, the football episode. I love Cameron. His cannonball at the end was fantastic.


• Big Bang Theory. Also about football, and I especially loved this one because my friend Ravi, despite being a very cool hipster, could totally hang with the nerds on this show. And like Sheldon? Is from Texas, and magically understands football. It is a fascinating phenomenon.


• The Soup, Something About Smackdowns. If it weren't for this show, I might have to watch even more crappy reality TV. So I'm glad this summarizes.
  
• And it's taken a while, but I have hit a show I don't really want to admit to watching. Little People, Big World. I don't watch it often - in fact, I may not have seen any last season - bc I feel like I'm watching a train wreck. The dad isn't very likable, the mom is passive-aggressive, and I feel guilty not liking all the kids bc - they're just kids.
  
• So I changed the channel to watch The Colbert Report, just in time to see Dan Jansen. He has aged WELL. If the Colbert Nation does sponsor U.S. Speed Skating, I will have to start paying some of my Colbert Nation taxes. Is this actually happening, because... awesome!

Sunday the 1st

• Modern Family. Finally got around to watching this in an effort to clean out the DVR. Turns out it is FANTASTIC. I laughed out loud at every episode, and got teary-eyed at most. The "Circle of Life" moment in the premiere episode was just perfect - check iTunes to see if you can still download this for free. Well worth it. Start watching so it sticks around a while.


• The State, Season 2. Netflix is hella behind sending me the rest of Dexter Season 3, and so I've ended up with too many episodes of The State to watch back to back. It's still funny, but not needed in large doses.


• Sports. Somehow, I got caught up watching Niners/Colts (loss - DAMN), Packers/Vikings (wanted to see the response to Favre's return - will be curious to read his biography years later and find out what actually happened with his retirement/return), and the World Series. I was rooting for the Phillies, bc rooting for the Yankees isn't all that much fun, but had to give up to Johnny Damon for stealing two bases (and shame on you, Phillies, for letting that happen).
  
• TAR. One of the best episodes of the season - the Globetrotters dance - and a real bummer of an ending. While I didn't much care for the Poker Players, that was a horrible way to have to leave the race. I wonder how hard hitting the bell was? Can you solve that with physics, or just brute strength?


• Mad Men. This season really took off in the last 3-4 episodes. I was struck by how dark and moody the lighting was when Don went upstairs to absorb the fact that Betty was willing to say she didn't love him. Of course, knowing he'd just been having another affair makes it pretty difficult to feel very sympathetic about this. I am also glad the show addressed the Kennnedy assassination - I'd heard internet rumors that they weren't planning to - because I find it even more engaging to watch characters I already know react to a historic event, rather than watching a movie specifically designed to address that event.