Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Calling All Big Brother Watchers

Well as you have all heard, our favortire summer staple, Big Brother, is coming back for a winter run. That's right....Big Brother Winterized!!! The ninth season of Big Brother is slated to return on Feb 12th. And with that in mind, we are putting out feelers for recappers and screencappers for the website. We are looking for anyone who would like to help in the following areas:

recappers: live feed recappers and show recappers (you dont have to do both)

screencappers: someone with the live feeds who can capture some screen shots for our cappers to add to their articles.

videocappers: someone with the live feeds who doesn't mind recording and capturing anything of interest (fights, sex, competitions, stratigizing) that happens in the house on the live feeds.

news reporter: someone who doesn't mind searching out and finding the absolute latest up to the minute news report on anything Big Brother.

I am usually the head live feed recapper and unfortunately the timing for the upcoming season could not be worse for me, so any help you can give would be much appreciated.

If so head over to the link below and let us know what you would be willing to help with.

Thanks

bbfanatik


click here to leave a message on how you can help: http://bbbut.proboards7.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=staffarea&thread=1196873609

Survivor All Stars - Part Two?

Although it still isn't confirming that Survivor's next edition will be the show's second all-stars installment, CBS has announced that Survivor's next season -- which the network is currently terming Survivor 16 -- will premiere on Thursday, February 7 at 8PM ET/PT.


According to a CBS spokesperson contacted by Reality TV World, additional details about Survivor's sixteenth edition -- including its formal title -- will not be announced until the December 16 finale of the show's currently-airing Survivor: China edition. While rumors that CBS might be planning another all-stars installment have circulated for years, more formal reports that Survivor's Spring 2008 edition would be another all-stars season began to surface earlier this year.

According to a May report in In Touch Weekly, a second all-stars edition would only feature castaways from the seven Survivor installments that have filmed since 2004's Survivor: All-Stars edition occurred (Survivor: Vanuatu; Survivor: Palau; Survivor: Guatemala; Survivor: Panama; Survivor: Cook Islands; Survivor: Fiji; and Survivor: China). "No winners will be back," an "insider" reportedly told In Touch at the time. The May In Touch report came two months after long-time Survivor host Jeff Probst -- who will be returning to helm the sixteenth season -- had told reporters that although he "personally didn't want to do" and "didn't enjoy" the show's initial All-Stars edition, he felt Survivor was "due" for another all-stars installment. "We're going into our sixteenth season, [a second all-stars] wouldn't be a bad idea... The only thing I can say is that I've come around to understanding that even though the All-Stars we did was a pain-in-the-ass from a production point of view, it was one of our best seasons," Probst reiterated to reporters during a September conference call to discuss Survivor: China. "And it was our best season because we had our best people back. I get that." According to Probst, one of his biggest all-stars gripes was the swelled heads some of Survivor's first All-Stars edition participants developed during their second go-around on the show. "I wouldn't be looking forward to necessarily doing another 20 all-stars," Probst explained at the time, "because I know the minute you call them an 'all-star,' suddenly the contract has four-page rider on it that they need their green M&Ms removed."

Last week, James Clement, the tenth castaway eliminated from Survivor: China, was not made available for post-show media interviews following his ouster on Thursday night's broadcast. No reason was given for his unavailability, however the move appeared to all but confirm Clement's participation in Survivor's currently-filming second all-stars edition. In 2003, former Survivor: Pearl Islands castaway Rupert Boneham was not available for media interviews after his elimination from Survivor's seventh edition because he was participating in the filming of Survivor: All-Stars. According to online reports, Survivor's second all-stars edition is currently in its final days of filming in Palau, the South Pacific island chain that previously served as the location of the show's tenth installment.

Prior to Survivor: Palau's Spring 2005 premiere, Probst had gushed about the region's crystal clear waters. "We're in the most beautiful water that we've ever had in terms of visibility," said Probst. "The visibility was so good that we decided to pull out a lot of challenges we'd been sitting on and you know anytime you create stuff underwater, it just adds such a physical component." Ironically, Palau was reportedly Survivor producer Mark Burnett's first choice for Survivor: All-Stars, however due to scheduling problems, Survivor's first all-stars edition ended up filming on the same Panamanian islands that Survivor: Pearl Islands, the show's previous edition, had filmed on.


Tuesday, December 04, 2007

The Winter of Big Brother????



It has been confirmed that Big Brother will begin on Feb 21st.......


Indeed, the biggest strike shift at CBS is the scheduling of "Big Brother" three nights a week. The Eye had been mulling the idea for the past month (Daily Variety, Nov. 7).
Ninth installment of the summer staple will make its bow Feb. 12, at 9 p.m. (serving as a lead-in for "Jericho").
Julie Chen-hosted reality skein will also air Wednesday and Sunday nights at 8.
While the Tuesday edition of
"Brother" displaces scripted series "The Unit," the Wednesday and Sunday episodes take the place of reality shows -- "Kid Nation" and "The Amazing Race" -- that will have wrapped their respective runs by February.
Winter air pattern for "Brother" is also very similar to the skein's summer sked, in which episodes run on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday nights. Eye is still planning a summer edition of "Brother."


(I haven't completely rested from the loss of sleep over this past summer and now we have to start it all over again......Oh man.......bbfanatik)

Monday, December 03, 2007

Amazing Race - Blonde BlowOut

Departing the Pit Stop in first place at 6:45am, siblings Azaria & Hendekea ripped open their clue to discover they needed to fly over 3,000 miles to Vilnius, Lithuania. When they landed, they had to drive one of the marked cars to St. Ann's Church to find their next clue. Arriving at the very empty Ouagadougou Airport, Azaria & Hendekea, along with dating couple Nate & Jen, walked to a nearby Internet café for information on the earliest flight out of Burkina Faso to Vilnius. They learned that the earliest flight to Paris, where they could connect to a flight to Vilnius, departed at 10:45pm with plenty of seats available on Air France. With many Teams present in the small Internet café, father and daughter Ron & Christina opted to take a taxi into town to the Air France ticket office hoping to find it open even though the Internet café worker said it would be closed. Their gamble paid off as they walked into the office and tried to book tickets. But Ron's overbearing behavior once again surfaced, much to Christina's chagrin.
Questions and comments Christina tried to direct at the ticket agent resulted in criticism from her father on how to do it better. Later, Ron remarked, "Christina is somewhat naïve. I basically want to teach my daughter how to deal with various kinds of people. In the end, the pair booked tickets on a flight to Vilnius landing at 2:10pm. Both Azaria & Hendekea and Nick & Don separately learned that the earliest flight to Vilnius arrived at 1:25pm. The two Teams got into taxis heading for the Air France office to purchase tickets on this flight, as the curious Nate & Jen and Shana & Jennifer followed along.

Nick & Don entered the Air France office as Ron & Christina exited, unaware they had booked a later flight. Just as Nick & Don sat down to begin purchasing the 1:25pm flight with an agent who didn't speak English very well, Azaria & Hendekea arrived and used a different agent who spoke better English, allowing them to snag the tickets ahead of Nick & Don. When Nick's agent brought up the 1:25 flight on her computer, it was now completely booked. The best the agent could offer the disappointed Nick was a 5:35pm arrival. In a strange and confusing turn, after Nick & Don left for the airport, Nate & Jen used the exact same agent and successfully booked tickets on the 1:25pm flight along with Shana & Jennifer, who used the other ticket agent. Back at the airport, Nick & Don walked into the now open Air France office and managed to upgrade their tickets from the 5:35pm arrival to a 1:35pm arrival via Frankfurt. They would be on the same flight as TK & Rachel and Kynt & Vyxsin. A stunned Nick learned from Nate & Jen that they booked the 1:25pm after he and Don left the Air France office prompting Nick to say, "That lady made me so mad."

With all the Teams at the airport again, the Air France office became crowded as Teams tried to secure the best seats on the flight. Wanting privacy for her transaction, Shana ordered Jennifer to ask a stunned Hendekea to leave the office. Outside, Nate & Jen, TK & Rachel and Azaria & Hendekea all marveled at Shana & Jennifer's behavior. Jen noted, "We can see people's true colors." Inside the office, Jennifer lamented to an unsympathetic Shana that they officially burned any remaining bridges with the other Teams. After bringing up their disagreement over the U-turn in the last leg and Shana's insistence on clearing the office, Jennifer implored Shana to "think it out a little bit." In response, an angry Shana sniped, "I'm way more methodical than you," to which Jennifer retorted, "You're really flattering yourself."

Landing in Vilnius, Lithuania at 1:25pm, Nate & Jen hopped into their car first. Azaria & Hendekea and Shana & Jennifer had difficulties finding the parking lot, allowing Nick & Don and TK & Rachel from the 1:35pm flight to pass by them. Landing in last place at 2:10pm, father and daughter Ron & Christina, not wanting to waste a precious second, wisely paid a taxi to lead them. Christina's smart move gave them an advantage as Nate & Jen and Shana & Jennifer wandered aimlessly through the city. Arriving at St. Ann's Church in first place, Nick & Don ripped open the clue to find a Roadblock. In it, one Team member had to choose a local Lithuanian woman working outdoors, who would give them a package and tell them where to take it. Then, traveling on foot through the confusing streets of the Old Quarter, Team members had to deliver the package to the correct person, who would then hand them their second package and one of four final destinations.

As Nick ran off with instructions to find Weinius in the Vilnius University Courtyard, Kynt and Hendekea opted to deliver packages for their Teams. Nick kept his lead over his competitors as he located Weinius, who instructed Nick to find a hair salon to deliver his second package. Nick's lead soon began to shrink as began asking local after local for directions, but no one could tell him where the salon was located. Eventually, Kynt jumped into first place by delivering his second package to the Gabi Café for his clue. After running back to Vyxsin, Kynt opened the clue to discover they had to drive to the town of Rumsiskes and find Lietuvos Liaudies Buities Muziejus, a Lithuanian outdoor ethnographic museum. With Nick still searching in vain for the hair salon, TK employed the services of a young local man, who directed him through the city to earn the next clue. Ron asked for help at a hotel to complete the task in third. Even Hendekea, who had to find the hair salon as well, stumbled upon a local woman who led her to the correct location. A stunned Don watched five Teams pass them as the sixth, a very lost Shana & Jennifer, finally arrived at the church with a golden opportunity to catch up. As Shana ran off with her package, Nick finally found someone to direct him to the salon. However, Shana's urgency in running, coupled with directional help from locals, allowed her to pass Nick as he bled time finding his way back to the church. The two Teams left the church moments apart knowing that one of them would likely be eliminated. A worried Shana said, "Please, please God, let us stay in this game.

Arriving at Lietuvos Liaudies Buities Muziejus in first place, dating Goths Kynt & Vyxsin opened the clue to discover they had to scour the village for a vacationing Travelocity Roaming Gnome hidden among 100 of his closest Lithuanian gnome friends. With their gnome in hand, the Goths continued along the path to find the next clue, a Detour, having to choose between Count Down and Step Up. In Count Down, Teams made their way through the traditional Mid-Summer's Festival to a marked section of picket fence. Once there, they had to count every picket that makes up the fence and then reveal their calculation to a villager. If they were correct, they would receive their next clue. In Step Up, Teams had to stilt-walk along a marked course to the finish line. If a person fell off before reaching the end, that person had to go back to the beginning and start again. When they reached the end, they would receive their next clue. Running into the festival to try stilt-walking, the Goths marveled at the brightly colored costumes of the dancers and the fun, frightening masks of revelers, as everyone danced to music from accordion players. Later, Kynt remarked, "Vyxsin and I love to play dress up and we were surrounded by kindred souls that made us feel 'normal'."

As the dating Goths struggled to maintain their balance on the traditional wooden stilts, dating couple TK & Rachel and father and daughter Ron & Christina ran into the boisterous festivities determined to take the lead. With all six racers falling down, some closer to the finish line than others, Kynt & Vyxsin opted to cut their losses and switch to counting pickets. After TK successfully stilt-walked the entire distance, he cheered Rachel on. Kynt & Vyxsin started counting pickets and discovered that the loud music and boisterous revelers made concentrating on the number in their heads rather difficult. Reaching 400, the dating Goths disagreed on which picket represented the landmark and returned to the beginning, just as Rachel took her very last step on the stilts to finish the task. Opening their clue, the dating couple discovered they had to make their way on foot to the next Pit Stop at Aukstaitija Windmill.

While TK & Rachel searched for the windmill, Kynt & Vyxsin reached the magic number of 717 pickets and ran off in hopes of overtaking the dating couple. After a close footrace, TK & Rachel claimed first place, a far cry from their near elimination in the previous leg. Phil awarded the ecstatic couple a 10-day trip for two from Travelocity to Japan. The injury-plagued Ron, who was suffering from a hernia, slowly inched along the path to the finish line, where Christina stood waiting, having already traversed the course on stilts. She received a scare when she watched her father take a nasty tumble, forcing him to start over, but her encouraging words kept Ron moving forward as the pair claimed third place for the second leg in a row. Afterwards, Christina said, "I'm so proud of my dad. He's my Superman."

With Azaria & Hendekea finishing in fourth, the frustration of counting got to Nate & Jen as they managed to fowl up each other's concentration each time. This led to another fight between the bickering couple, which reached the pinnacle when Nate called Jen a "bitch". While stunned that he called her that, Jen had enough presence of mind to agree they needed to switch to stilts. This wise choice resulted in a much quicker finish en route to fifth place for the couple.

The partygoers at the festival may have been in a celebratory mood, but grandfather and grandson Nick & Don and friends Shana & Jennifer arrived at the festival with their game faces on as they battled to stay in the Race. With both Teams opting to count pickets, concentration amid the chaos around them would make all the difference. Shana & Jennifer appeared more motivated than ever before, but soon the friends' communication broke down as Shana accused Jennifer of not adopting a strategy to complete the task. Shana sniped, "You're so on a Team of your own, it's ridiculous." Meanwhile, Nick miscounted for his Team, but, as the blondes continued to argue instead of count, he went back and corrected his mistake to reach 717 pickets, earning the clue. Shana eventually let Jennifer count by herself saying, "You just go ahead and count it and if it's wrong, it's all on you." Jennifer did miscount on her attempt, sealing their fate as Nick & Don slipped into sixth place. Arriving on the mat in last place, friends Shana & Jennifer received the bad news from Phil that they had been eliminated from the Race. A tearful Jennifer remarked, "This Race means so much to me. I'm just so disappointed and so hurt that we got eliminated." Shana added, "We come from a comfortable life. We get manicures and pedicures and facials and you come here and all of that goes out the window. I'm just amazed about what we've accomplished."

Survivor China - "Don't Bite The Apple"

Survivor: China's eleventh episode picked up immediately where the tenth episode left off -- with host Jeff Probst informing the seven remaining castaways that there was still "more business to attend to" after they had voted Michael "Frosti" Zernow out of the game during the show's ninth Tribal Council session. Jeff dismissed Frosti's fellow jury members -- Jean-Robert Bellande and Jaime Dugan -- and said the castaways would be competing in their next Reward Challenge at Tribal Council. The group was relieved since they were presumably expecting another elimination. Jeff explained the rules, as he would ask a series of questions based on Chinese culture. Each time the castaway got one right, they'd score a point. First castaway to five would win Reward, where they would travel by private jet to the ancient Shaolin Temple, one of the origins of martial arts. They'll enjoy a martial arts demonstration, a hot meal and an overnight stay. In addition, the winner would get to choose two people to take with them.

The Reward Challenge then commenced. Everybody answered at least three of the first four questions correctly, however James; Todd Herzog, a 22-year-old flight attendant from Pleasant Grove, UT; and Peih-Gee Law, a 29-year-old jeweler from Marina Del Rey, CA, were the only ones to answer all four correctly. Peih-Gee was the only one who knew that receiving a red envelope in Chinese culture met cash was your gift, and she claimed Reward. Erik Huffman, a 26-year-old musician from Nashville, TN, was Peih-Gee's first choice to accompany her to the Temple, not surprising since the two are the only original Zhan Hu tribe members remaining. Pei-Gee then chose Denise Martin, a 40-year-old school lunch lady from Douglas, MA, to also go with her for Reward.

The next morning the merged Hae Da Fung camp was quiet as all the castaways slept, except James, who as usual was up and about doing chores. The boat then arrived to pick-up Peih-Gee, Erik and Denise. Denise said she had "such love" for Peih-Gee, but was also "concerned" and "very, very nervous" that she was leaving her allies back at camp, worried they'd strategize behind her back. Once the three left, Todd; James; Amanda Kimmel, a 23-year-old hiking guide and Miss Montana USA 2005 from Los Angeles, CA; and Courtney Yates, a 26-year-old waitress from New York, NY, were the only ones left at camp. Todd called it a "nine-day advance sneak preview," meaning he expected the four to the Final 4. "When Denise, Peih-Gee and Erik left for their Reward, we were all like, 'Ooh! This is nice to have just the four of us. It could be this way. We could keep it this way,' said Todd. "There was no arguing." James agreed, and said he'd like to see present company "frolic all the way to four." "The four of us right now are in the proverbial garden of Eden. The Lord said don't bite the apple. If Eve would have listened, they would still be frolicking naked in heaven. I just want us to frolic naked as long as we can!" said James. "So don't be tempted by Peih-Gee and Erik. Don't bite the apple! Leave it alone!"

While Todd and James were seemingly comfortable with the Final 4, Amanda had her doubts. "Right now I'm kind of just going along with everyone," said Amanda. "In all reality, I don't feel comfortable going to the Final 3 with any of them. This is the time in the game that a change needs to be made. This is my chance to make something else happen the way I want it to happen."

Peih-Gee, Erik and Denise were enjoying their Reward -- however realizing her neck was on the chopping block -- Peih-Gee thought it might make sense to try and strategize as well. She suggested that if they could convince James to vote with them, they'd have four votes and be able to "pick off Todd." Denise knew what Peih-Gee was trying to do and just went along with it as to not ruffle any feathers. "Peih-Gee and Erik are definitely on the outsides. But you don't want to make enemies," said Denise. "So I mean we're just going to have to wait and see what happens at this point."

The three then arrived at the Shaolin Temple, and Denise revealed she had been taken karate for the last eight years and was close to becoming a black belt. The three received a kung-fu demonstration and learned some moves from some kids before Denise was asked to give her own demonstration. She shyly obliged, and Erik was "impressed." That night they ate dinner and slept on floor mats, which looked moderately comfortable.

The next morning there was some awful weather pounding the Hae Da Fung camp, and Amanda, Courtney, James and Todd huddled in a cave to protect themselves. "This rain storm is hell when you are sitting in a muddy hole in a swimsuit you have been wearing for a month, crammed, hunched over like this, looking out, praying for the clouds to go away," said a sullen looking Todd. "I am done with the rain... Done!" The boat came back carrying Peih-Gee, Erik and Denise, and Amanda was the only one who left the cave to great them. Peih-Gee then made the mistake of venturing into the cave and gushing about the trip to the Shaolin Temple. "The cave is the best thing I have right now," said Courtney. "The cave is my happy place. What I don't like is when everyone and their damn mother decide they like the cave too! Peih-Gee comes sidling up in there and I'm like, 'I'm going to kill you.' And then you want to start talking? No get out of here! No talking in the cave!"

Denise then pulled Todd aside and asked if everything was "still cool," and he assured her "of course." Denise then revealed Peih-Gee and Erik were trying to "work" on her to become the third member of their Final 3 alliance, suggesting they blind-side Todd at the next Tribal Council. Needless to say, Todd wasn't too pleased with the plan but Denise assured him there was nothing to it. Erik then tried to gauge James to see if he'd be willing to align himself with the two former Zhan Hu members. James was pretty noncommittal about the idea and told Erik to ask what the "powers of be" say -- referring to the former Fei Long tribe's five-person majority. "There is an original group of five and a group of two," said James. "Erik is not that smart. Why would I go from the nice happy five to the evil two? I am not going to eat that apple. They can tempt me as much as they want but I'm just not having it.... He should know that I'm really not going to flip on nobody at this point."

The next day, Amanda and Courtney decided to go for a walk together, and Amanda laid-out her plan to shift the power in the game by blind-siding James so he doesn't use one of his two Hidden Immunity Idols. "I have a really good idea. We get rid of James tonight," whispered Amanda to Courtney, who was skeptical at first. Amanda was persistent. "The thing is -- to get James out -- he can't expect it and he doesn't expect it right now... We're pretty much giving James a Top 3 spot right now! He deserves to win the $1 million! I'd give him $1 million! He's done the most around camp, he's been crazy-good in challenges..." Courtney looked absolutely amazed that somebody had a strategic idea who wasn't named Todd, but agreed to go along with Amanda's plan. "I have come up with a plan to get rid of James," said Amanda. "He is in control right now because he has the Immunity Idols. So he definitely has to be blind-sided tonight... James keeps telling everyone, 'Stay away from the apple. Don't eat the apple. This is our Final 4, that's it.' I'm not only ready to bit the apple, I'm ready to make the whole friggin pie! All we have to do is make sure he doesn't win Immunity today."

Hae Da Fung then gathered for Survivor: China's next Immunity Challenge and Jeff explained the rules. Each castaway would throw three Chinese stars at a series of targets, with each having a different point value: a one-point target, two-point target, three-point target and a five-point target. The three people with the highest point total at the end would move onto a sudden death round, in which they'd have one opportunity to score. The person who scores the highest in their final throw wins.
Peih-Gee went first and scored zero points, Todd scored three and Denise scored two. Erik -- who threw left-handed -- Courtney, James and Amanda all scored six points and went to the sudden death round, where the target was moved 10-feet back. Courtney didn't compensate for the new distance and threw her star right into the ground. Amanda got two points, Erik bested her with three points, and James' star bounced off the target. Erik won Immunity.

Back at camp, James was confident that since Erik won Immunity, Peih-Gee would be the next castaway booted from the competition. What James didn't know was that Amanda's plan was continuing to develop, as she told Todd it was a good time to take control away from James. Todd was still concerned about leaving Peih-Gee and Erik around, so Amanda said they could get rid of one of them at the next Tribal Council once James -- and his muscles and two Hidden Immunity Idols -- were out. "I guess if there was a time to do it, it would be now," agreed Todd. The two decided to "play up" around camp like their still ousting Peih-Gee as to not give James any idea what's going on so he wouldn't even be tempted to use one of the Hidden Immunity Idols. Todd realized the problem was that Peih-Gee and Erik were most likely going to vote for him -- so if James did use the idol -- the person with the next highest vote total would be booted, meaning Todd would be sent packing. Courtney and Denise were then brought on board.
Meanwhile Peih-Gee and Erik were enjoying what they assumed would be their last day together when Peih-Gee saw James' Hidden Immunity Idols hidden in the ceiling of the structure that they all sleep under. While Peih-Gee said she was "resigned" to go home, she figured she'd do some last minute lobbying with what she believed was some new information. Peih-Gee confronted Amanda and asked if she knew James had the two Hidden Immunity Idols. When Amanda just stood there and stared, Peih-Gee asked if Amanda even knew the Hidden Immunity Idols existed. "Yes," answered Amanda. "I'm not stupid Peih-Gee." Now feeling stupid herself, Peih-Gee had to explain how she only just came to learn about the idols and thought it might be a prudent plan to eliminate James next. "Peih-Gee... Just slow down, okay?" Amanda told her. "You just need to not do anything and just trust me. Act like you are going home... and just keep it like that." Peih-Gee wasn't stupid either and understood Amanda's underlying message that James was going to be blind-sided, sharing the news with Erik. James then had one final chat with Amanda before Tribal Council, making sure it was Peih-Gee who was being voted for. She said yes. "I've been the main guy trying to hold this thing together, and that's what I'm going to try and do," said James. "Tonight is pivotal. We get past tonight, I'm good... I will have the idols there. They will be in my possession, just in case. If I get a sense that somebody is going to do something they're not supposed to do, I will play the idols. I have to."

Survivor: China's tenth Tribal Council commenced, and Frosti, Jean-Robert and Jaime entered as the first three members of the jury. Peih-Gee told Jeff that since Zhan Hu's numbers are dwindling, it's been like "battling against a brick wall" in trying to make some headway in the competition. James knew that Peih-Gee was "doing what she's doing" and admired her for it, but still liked his odds better because he assumed he had the majority on his side. Peih-Gee then taunted James with Erik's Individual Immunity necklace and reminded him that she won the previous Immunity Challenge, which is why Frosti was booted. Everybody then took a shot of explaining what Survivor trust is. "Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer," said Todd. "I don't trust anybody at all," said Denise. "You never know if it's going to be you." "It's possible [to trust somebody] if you have the same strategy, if you have the same goal," said James. "That's the only time you can really trust somebody. If you know that they really need you -- and you really need them -- they all bond together. If not, you really can't trust anybody." Jeff asked if anybody wasn't "overly concerned" it could be them going home, and Erik was the only one who raised his hand, meaning James must of at least had a twinge of doubt that he was absolutely safe. Peih-Gee once again claimed she fully expected it was her time to go, and the seven remaining castaways cats their votes.

Before Jeff revealed the results, he gave James one last chance to play one of the idols. When James decided not to use one of the idols, Todd's expression turned from nervous to elated. As Jeff read the votes and it became clear James was going to be booted, he looked embarrassed. James voted for Peih-Gee -- who voted for Todd -- but the other five votes all went against James, who was eliminated from the competition with two Hidden Immunity Idols still in his possession. The jury laughed as James exited the Tribal Council area.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

America's Next Top Model Cycle 9 - Go Sees Chinese Style

Top Model 9's ninth episode began with Heather opining about her "terrible" performance during the CoverGirl commercial photo shoot, which she feels led to her being in the bottom two at the previous judging panel. Heather needed to have her lines fed to her during the commercial shoot and thought for sure she'd be booted for it, however the Top Model judges instead decided to send home Lisa Jackson. "I don't think that Lisa should have gone home," said Chantal, a 19-year-old student from Austin, TX. "At the CoverGirl commercial, if I would have had my lines fed to me, I don't think that it would have been acceptable." Jenah, an 18-year-old student from Farmington, CT, also expressed concern about her place in the competition, worried that it was becoming more of a "personality contest." The five remaining runway wannabes then received some Tyra Mail and were absolutely ecstatic to learn it was time to go on their "go sees," where they meet with various clients who may (or may not) decide to book them.

The girls traveled to PT Modeling Shanghai, where they were met by managing director Susan Yang and Chinese model Shan Ji Ya. Susan said each of the girls had six hours to "go see" up to five clients, who would evaluate them on beauty and personality. The girls had to be back at PT by 6PM or be disqualified from the challenge. The challenge commenced, as the girls embarked into Shanghai equipped with directions to the clients' offices, a map and a translator. As soon as the girls started to travel around the city, it started to downpour, making the challenge more difficult. Heather was immediately concerned she'd make a bad first impression on the clients due to her poor social skills, but then immediately got lost trying to find her first client. Chantal found her client but was not wearing the right type of underwear for the shear dress she was modeling. Bianca, an 18-year-old college student from Queens, NY, was complimented for being friendly and having character. Heather was still lost, and the Chinese map she was using wasn't much of a help. "I know Tyra Banks is going to be pissed," said Heather, two-and-a-half hours into the challenge and still unable to find her first client. "I know she's going to be pissed."

Jenah seemed aware that what she described as her "whatever" attitude was hurting her from scoring personality points with the designers. Her runway walk was also characterized as "terrible" by one client, who thought Jenah walked "too much like a model." Heather finally found her first client, who "loved" Heather's look but thought she failed to make eye contact and was awkward on the runway. Bianca and Saleisha, a 21-year-old receptionist from Los Angeles, CA, then found themselves in the same client's office. The next client Bianca was going to see was in the same building, information Saleisha knew but decided not to share with Bianca because "it's a competition." When Bianca returned to her translator -- who informed her she had been in the right spot all along -- Bianca was obviously not pleased. "You bitch!" she commented about Saleisha. "The place is in the same building right up the stairs... and she couldn't tell me that?"

Not surprisingly, Heather got lost trying to find her second client as the hour grew later and later. Deciding it might be best to just head back to PT as to not be late, Heather then failed to locate her cab. While Saleisha and Bianca were both able to make it back to PT by 6PM, Shanghai traffic delayed Jenah and Chantal. Before arriving 15 minutes late, Jenah saw Heather trying to find PT and told Saleisha and Bianca. "Heather is just stumbling around on the sidewalk," said Jenah. Chantal arrived 20 minutes late, and also said she saw Heather lost on the street. Heather was eventually able to find her cab and return to PT, however it was 40 minutes late and she had only seen one client in the six-hour time slot. "I was really disappointed with myself because I didn't make it back in time. This was one of those challenges that really mattered," said Heather. "There was no excuse why I didn't have enough time."

Susan then informed the girls that Jenah, Chantal and Heather were all disqualified. She was going to talk to the clients that Bianca and Saleisha went to see and reveal the winner later that night. On the way back to their Shanghai hotel, Heather personally tortured herself for being late, and the other girls told her to lighten up and realize how far she's made it in the competition. That night the girls went out for dinner and were met by Susan, who informed them that the winner of the "go see" challenge would appear in an ad campaign for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She wasn't kidding, as a massive barge floating in the harbor lit-up and revealed Bianca's face, meaning she had won the challenge. "I'm excited! I freaked out!" said Bianca, who was also hoping to have a good photo shoot. "I want to bring fear over the other girls... I just want to win, and that's that." With Heather realizing she needed an "amazing" photo shoot to make-up for her poor performance in the last two challenges, the girls traveled to their next photo shoot and were met by Top Model art director Jay Manuel and judge Nigel Barker. For their photo, the girls would have to stand-out in a busy crowd complete with brightly colored Chinese dragons in the background. Nigel would be serving as the photographer.

As the girls went through hair, makeup and wardrobe, Nigel approached all of them and told them not to feel added pressure since he's a judge as well as the shoot's photographer. "I feel like fainting Nigel, you're right in-front of me! Oh my goodness," said Jenah right to Nigel's face. "Your sarcasm is rich," commented Nigel, visibly not pleased with Jenah's sense of humor. The other girls thought it was "unprofessional" of Jenah, and Bianca added she seemed "cocky and sarcastic." Saleisha and Bianca both had good shoots, however the same couldn't be said for Jenah, who Nigel thought looked "bored" and wished she'd moved around more. Jay thought Jenah "did not deliver" and lost the energy she seemed to normally have. Chantal also had somewhat of a rocky shoot, as she giggled after every positive comment from Nigel or Jay. Nigel also thought several of Chantal's frames were "looking a bit showgirl" and Jay thought she was "forcing the pose." For her photo shoot, Heather decided she was just going to "wing it" and try not to put too much thought into it. Nigel implored Heather to try a "multitude" of different poses. "Today Heather did not trust herself," said Jay. "The fact is, Heather second-guessed herself. When you saw that greatness as Nigel was shooting it, she'd pull away from it." Heather thought it wasn't her "best shoot" but didn't want to be booted since she was "not ready to stop learning." Jenah was also a "little worried" and chalked it up to having a bad week.

The five remaining aspiring runway walkers then had their ninth individual evaluations, where they would be judged by Tyra; runway expert J. "Ms. J" Alexander; Nigel; former model Twiggy; and Susan. Chantal, Jenah and Heather were all criticized for being late in returning from their "go sees," and Tyra said it should teach them all a valuable lesson in time management. Twiggy "loved" Jenah's shot and thought it was a "really good fashion picture." Nigel agreed -- but there was a "big however." "Your sense of humor... you've got to be careful with it," said Nigel. "You're kind of sarcastic, it comes off as arrogant. Be careful, because you're stepping on a very fine line right now." Tyra said she also noticed Jenah had an "I don't need this, I'm better than this and I'm bored" attitude. She warned her that all that comes across when meeting others. When it was Heather's evaluation, Susan commented how she has an "awkward" runway walk. Ms. J. needed to see it on the spot, so Heather demonstrated her strut. Ms. J said it could be a "little stronger," but nothing a "Top Model ass-wooping" couldn't fix. Twiggy thought Heather's photo was "brilliant" and "so sexy" and didn't know that was in Heather. Susan thought Heather had a "great look" for China because she's mysterious.
Once all the individual evaluations were complete, the judges began to deliberate which girl would be the ninth one eliminated. Nigel thought everyone would appreciate Heather's look, but was quick to add the problem is she "can't communicate very well" and has a "disconnect" with the camera. "She doesn't move for the camera," said Nigel. "It's almost as if the camera just sees this beautiful thing and zones in on it." All the judges were unsure what to make of Jenah, since they knew she was just trying to be funny but were also concerned -- as Twiggy put it -- that it may "upset clients and photographers." "She's not a bad girl, she's a good girl," said Nigel. "Her personality is getting in the way of herself." Tyra then revealed Saleisha, Bianca and Chantal were safe, and would be traveling to Beijing for their next assignment.

Tyra then complimented both Heather and Jenah for taking the "strongest photos" of the five remaining girls before calling them out for not being the "strongest communicators." She said Heather is "fantastic" in-front of the camera -- but if she can't make it to a "go see" -- it will be "nearly impossible" for her to book a job. "Where does Heather stand in this industry?" wondered Tyra. "As beautiful as you are standing in-front of me, that's obviously not enough." Tyra said Jenah takes "amazing photos" but has an attitude that "turns off" the judges. However Jenah would be going to Beijing as Heather was booted from the competition. "You came so far and you have to be so proud of yourself," said Tyra to Heather. "Those clients that you saw don't know Heather -- but the people who have gotten to know and love you watching America's Next Top Model and being a part of your journey -- maybe there's some clients out there that see a little bit more."


until next week when we are down to the final 4.......

bbfanatik

Kid Nation - It's Play Time


This weeks show begins with a recap of last week when a new council was chosen in the form of Greg, Blake, Michael and DK.

Day 31 begins with Taylor and her crew playing with their chickens. Unbeknownst to them, Laurel is over talking to the council about cooking chickens tonight and not just one or two but 10. Of course Taylor and her crew find out and while the boys are collecting the chickens to kill, Taylor and all come over to stop them. A fight ensues and Taylor begins her pursuit of letting them out of the cages the guys put them in. It is decided that Taylor and her crew will choose which chickens will be killed and cooked. Taylor allows them to kill the ugly ones. What? Are there really pretty chickens?

Day 32 begins with a math lesson on PI and true false questions on the solar system. It's journal time for the town council. And of course this weeks journal suggestion is all about learning and school. Conveniently the old pioneers left study books for the new pioneers to learn from. At the mess hall the council reveals to the rest of the kids that one reason Bonanza City failed was a lack of education. The town council then tells them that each district will get together and study the books. Seems like Taylor is the only one that has a problem with it, or at least the only one to voice her disdain for it. All the other kids are open to the idea of learning some history especially when it is determined that this weeks Showdown may be about the information in the books.

It's study time in the different bunkhouses. First up is the blue district with Alex reading to the others. Unfortunately he reads to fast for the other.s Green district decides to act out the book in the way of a play. Seems Sophia has found a way for them to retain what they are learning. Over at the yellow district, Taylor and Laila decide to skip the study session and hide out in the chicken coup. The town council confronts them and both girls say they came here to get away from studying. The council reminds Taylor that she promised to work harder of she got her letter from home that they threatened to keep. Laila gives in when the council threatens to withhold the reward from them. Finally the council walks away after telling Taylor if she does not study she is out of the reward.

It's Showdown time and after gathering together, our host asks who studied and who didn't. Taylor is revealed to be the only one to not study and DK tells the host that Taylor will be the only one not sharing in the reward. It is revealed that today's Showdown is a pop quiz on the history books they were given. A question will be asked and three answers written on balloons will pop up. They must pop the two balloons that are the wrong answers. First team to 3 will be the upper class.....and so on. To get the reward they must conserve ammo because if the ammo left over totals up to enough to fill a jar, they will win reward.
Green district ends up with the win on the first round.
For the second round, the blue team gets the right answer first.
Round three brings blue another win.
Yellow district wins round four.
Green wins round five. This makes green and blue tied at two points each.
Green wins round six and ultimately wins the game and becomes the upper class.
Red district finally gets a point.
Blue finally gets the third point and will be merchant class.
Red district gets another one and takes the lead over the yellow district but of course yellow comes back and forces a tie. Last question goes to yellow and they become the cooks with the red district being the laborers. Now it's time to see how much ammo is left and if they have filled the jar. Green district filled almost half the jar. Blue did equally as well. Yellow got it almost to the top...very little room left. Time for the red district. And even though the red district wasted a lot of ammo, there was enough left over to over fill the jar. Their reward choices are: 1. a library filled with books and, 2. Video games...you know the big machine kinds found in arcades. Now it's time for the council to make the decision of what to take. The council is split on the choices. Blake and Greg want the video games and DK and Mike want the books. The council decides to choose the arcade after they let it be known that Taylor will not be able to play with any of the games. Of course that won't stop Taylor, she plans to go play in the arcade and says if anyone tries to take her out she will kick them. The council reminds Taylor that she is not allowed in the arcade but tell her if she picks up her work, she may be allowed in

Most of the kids take off to have some fun playing video games. Sophia decides to build a library in the middle of town. It looks like a teepee. She buys all the books in the general store and stocks her library. The red district proceeds to collect water to fill the water tank. But they soon find out it will be a long and hard task and the are bummed that the rest of the kids are having fun in the arcade. So Mike and Jared quit working to have fun in the arcade. DK comes after them, but they both ignore him. We see Hunter from the green district helping out with the cleaning dishes instead of in the arcade. Will this be the week he wins a gold star.

Zach goes looking for Taylor and finds her in the chicken coup. Taylor says if she is treated with respect, then she will give respect and work harder. Zach asks her to help them with the dishes that are piling up. Finally Taylor relents and gets to work washing dishes. It was good to see little miss beauty queen roll up her sleeves and get to work, all the while hearing the other kids laughing and having fun in the arcade. Her work does not go un-noticed. Hunter comes back from getting water to find that Taylor has almost finished washing all the dishes by herself. Greg and Blaine come by later that evening and tell her since she has worked so hard all day, they will let her in the arcade. Greg picks her up and carries her over.

Day 34 Sophia wakes up to find the town deserted. Seems everyone is over at the arcade playing hockey, poker, and video games. Sophia is pissed that she is having to cook breakfast for 37 kids all by herself. She goes over to the arcade to confront Blaine and the yellow district for not cooking breakfast. Blaine tells her he will get breakfast cooked when he finishes his game of pool that he is gambling on. Looks like DK is fed up with the arcade too since everyone wants to just play play play and no work is being done.

It's town hall meeting time again. Seems like only a handful of people don't approve of the arcade due to the lack of work being done. DK says he would not care if a padlock was to be put on it. It is suggested that the council put some kind of restrictions on the use of the arcade. The council decides to padlock the arcade.......until all the work of the town is done. Blaine chooses Sophia as the new town sheriff to enforce that the work is being done in town before they can enjoy the arcade.

It's time for the Gold Star giveaway. This weeks winner is Hunter who is undisputed the hardest worker in the town. Hunter tells the town that the money will help since his dad lost his job a year ago. He is given the key to the only phone in the town and is allowed to call home. His dad answers and when Hunter tells him about the gold star and the money, Dad is excited for him. Dad tells him that he will have to increase Hunters rent at home.....all a joke of course.

At the end of the show, Jared decides to sneak into the arcade since the padlock has not been put on. Seems like he is having withdrawals and decides to get in a quick game on the dance mat. He sneaks out before being caught.

Our last clip is of Taylor and Laila with the holding chickens and Laila gets a whiff of someones breath....ether Taylors or the chicken and she thinks it smells gross.

Next week looks like it will be a good one. When the town council has to leave the town for a little while, they leave Sheriff Sophia is in charge which does not sit well with the others.

until then..................

bbfanatik

Dancing W/Stars - And The Winner Is...........

So tonight's the night when we find out who will be the winner of this seasons Dancing With The Stars. I am just not into this years finale. Why you ask. Well after last nights dismal night of dance, if you can call it that, I just don't think any of the remaining three deserve to be crowned champ. I guess I am still bitter than Sabrina, arguably the best dancer in all 5 seasons, was cut way too early. Just another reason the voting system needs to be changed. On to tonight's recap.

The show begins as all the other Tuesday night elimination shows with a recap of the previous nights dances. Then it's on to our special musical guest, who just so happens to want to do Dancing with the Stars in the future, Celine Dion. Her first song of the night is her ever popular, My Heart Will Go On from The Titantic. Love this song, but I have to tell you a story about this song. I was on an Alaskan Cruise this past summer and the piano player started playing this song and everyone in the area just kinda cringed and said "No, no....stop, don't play that song". It was quite funny. Everyone was looking at each other with that look of what's going on here, and then we all cracked up laughing. I mean if there is one thing you don't want to hear on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean (and an extremely cold one at that) is the song to Titanic.
Back to the show. Anyhow, during her singing of this song, we are treated to what I love the most and wish there was more of, professionals dancing. Alec, Edyta, Tony, Karina, Mark, and Cheryl were the featured performers and man oh man what an awesome dance. I watched it three times. Note to producers---need more professional numbers!!

Apparently the show must be chock full of stuff, because there is not time to rest once Celine is done. We go straight to the elimination of the third place couple.....Marie and Jonathon. You know as much as I like Marie and thought she did a great job learning the dance, she needed to go. She put her heart and soul and gave 200% but she just was not the best. But then again the best is not in the finales now is she!
For tonight, instead of just swaying back and forth together for their final dance, they actually get to reprise one of their dances. And they choose the tango. I was surprised they danced the tango because Marie was actually dressed in her costume from their pasa doble. Maybe if they had made the final two their last dance would have been the pasa....who knows.

As usual all the previously eliminated stars are back for one last round of dancing, in the order of elimination, but what is different is instead of a quick 20 second dance, they get to actually do a full routine. First up is Josie and although she is pretty and graceful, I can still see why she was eliminated the first week. She does not have the framing and her footwork is terrible.

After some behind the scenes bloopers are shown, we get Anna and Albert Reed doing the cha cha. You know which one I am talking. The dance where he gyrated, pulsated and every other ated that Len could think of. And he still gyrated and pulsated and whatever else!

Our next eliminated couple is Wayne Newton and Cheryl Burke....damn she is still hot! They can't dance tonight because Wayne's doctors have said he needs the rest if he is going to be joining the others on the Live Dancing Tour. So it's an interview only for Wayne.

Floyd and Karina also do not get to dance tonight because Floyd's trainers don't want him hurting something before his big fight next week. Can you imagine him dancing and hurting a foot or something and not being able to fight. Talk about big bucks lost. On another note, what little I did get to see of Karina, her new nose looks nice. Makes her look like a nicer person, not like the ugly wicked witch of the west!

Mark Cuban and Kim are back with their foxtrot to the classic old country song, Trailers for Sale or Rent. I love song. Just a good ole comfort song. One that will get your toes a tapping and your fingers a snapping. And Mark made the song even more enjoyable with his exuberance during the dance. Although he was not the best dancer, he sure made me smile every time he got on the dance floor!

Sabina and Mark are back performing their first dance, the cha cha and arguable their best dance. I love the song Don't Cha from the PussyCat dolls and they rocked it again. Unfortunately Mark suffered and injury during the routine. In case you did not know, he dislocated his shoulder and may have done damage to his rotator cuff during the dance. I did not realize it the first time I watched them dance. But if you go back and watch again, early into the dance when he spins around and drops to the floor, you can see him grab his shoulder and from then on to the end of the dance you can see the change in the use of his left arm. But ever the professional he continued on with a huge smile on his face, covering what had to be excruciating pain. And he did it for Sabrina and her fans! Bravo Mark....class act!!! I wish you a speedy recovery.

Jane Seymore and Tony are back with their controversial Waltz. You know the one that may or may not have had a lift. They still can not for sure say if her foot was off the floor. It looks like it may have been but then again it looks like her heel was still touching, if only slightly. However, this time there was question on if there was a lift, as Tony made sure he lifted her high off the floor. And when the dance was over he made sure Carrie Ann knew he lifted her by pointing our how far off the ground she came. Although done in humor, I think the underlying message here to Carrie Ann is "in your face bitch, this is a lift".

Cameron and Edyta are back with their Superman themed pasa doble and it was just as good as the first time they did it. Samantha reminds him that he said if he made it to the finales he would take his shirt off......so guess what. When the dance was over, he took his shirt off and gave it to Samantha. Right then and there, every woman in that building had to melt just a little. I know I did....lol. Ever the gentleman, Mark Cuban gave Cameron his jacket to put on over his bare chest......damn it Mark!

Our last eliminated couple to dance tonight is Jennie and Derek with their mambo. I think to see how far Jennie developed as not only a dancer but a performer as well, proved why she could have been in the finales. Jennie, be proud of how far you came!

Our musical guest, Celine Dion is back with her new song...sorry I forgot the name. Instead of dancers this time, we get a video montage of the entire season. That was nice.

Next is the introduction of the final two couples: Helio and Julianne and Mel and Maks. And what an introduction. It was done like they were Rocky Balboa and the Russian Guy from Rocky IV.

Time for the final dances by both. Mel and Maks are up with a redo of their mambo. And to tell you the truth, it doesn't really matter what they do, they will for sure get a perfect score. Why? Because the judges are going to score this final dance the same for both that way it will be the American audience that actually determines who wins. They do this every year. The dance was changed just a bit. They were allowed to add lifts if they so choose to.

Helio and Julianne reprise their quickstep. But they choose not to make any changes. Why change a dance they already received a perfect score for. Of course as I predicted, they too received a perfect score. So like I said, it is in the hands of the viewer vote from Monday night.

One last commercial before the announcement of the winners. And actually to my surprise, Helio and Julianne are declared the winners. I was sure Mel and Maks would walk away with the trophy since Sabrina (the best dancer) and Marie (the biggest fan base) were gone. But alas I was wrong. Am I upset at the outcome.....nah! As you all know, I don't like Mel. Love Maks....but don't care for Mel. What are my feelings for Julianne and Helio. Helio is quite charming with his smile....that much I loved. And Julianne....well she had me last year rooting for her and Apollo all the way, but this year she seemed a little cockier and full of herself. So all in all, I had no vested interest in who won after Sabrina, Cameron, Mark and Marie were out. That's the four I was pulling for.


Until next season.......

bbfanatik

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Dancing W/Stars - The Finale - Part One


Well this is it. We are down to our final dances of the season. The finale always brings out the best in the celebrities. The much anticipated free-style, where lifts are allowed and the judges pick are the dances of choice tonight. So without further hesitation:

Mel and Maks are up with a cha cha cha. This was the first dance she did when this show started and the judges want to see how far she has come. For me the dance was "eh". Just sort of so so. I was expecting something over the top and spectacular, but it was ho-hum. As usual the judges and I seem to differ on opinion. Of course Bruno only scores Mel B on how much of her boobs are showing. And for this dance, they were showing. She gets 2 9's and or course a 10 from Bruno because she was showing the ta-tas big time tonight.

Marie and Jonathon are back with a Samba. Remember this is the dance that Marie fainted on, so no doubt the judges want her to do it again since they were not able to critic her the first time. Overall a good solid dance. Again, nothing spectacular. Just a good dance. Of course we all know by now, the judges do not want Marie to win, so of course they were going to be critical of her dancing. She got 3 8's. Probably deserved because her Samba seemed a little slow at times.

Helio and Julianne are last with a jive. Although it was a fun dance with a 50's theme, there again was nothing spectacular. Helio made lots of footwork mistakes. I didn't see it until the judges pointed them out and I went back and rewatches his dance and sure enough there were lots of footwork mistakes. I hope this is not par for the course. 8, 8 and 9 for their score.

And now it's time for the much anticipted freestyle where anything goes. This to me is always the best dance because the stars are not bound by rules. Lifts are allowed and if done correctly can be pretty spectacular.

First up in the frestyle is Mel and Maks with a hip hop routine to music from Timbaland. I expected so much more from these two. What with Mel's dance background being a pop star, I fully expected them to bring it. But they didn't. I was underwhelmed. It was not even close to spectacular. Of course what really bothered me is at the end when Maks was on the floor and could not get up because of a hurt back and Mel walked off and left him there to get up on his own. How selfish Mel. I thought you two were partners. I don't remember him ever leaving you laying on the floor. Tisk Tisk......They got 3 9's for their dance.

Next up is Marie and Jonathon with what has to be the most bizzare dance ever on any dancing show. She did some ragdoll type dance to "Start Me Up", where she is suppsed to be a ragdoll and Jonathon has to wind her up to get her dancing. Problem is, she never danced. She moved around the floor like a limp dishrag. The only thing that was maybe good was Marie's performance. She played a ragdoll to a tee. But this is a dance show and there was no dancing. The judges agreed with me, because none of them knew what to say. 8, 7, 7 were her scores. Probably a little high.

Helio and Julianne are last up and I expected something fun and lively. And that's what we got. It was upbeat, fast and very fun. Only problem was Julianne did most of the dancing and by most I mean 80% of it. Helio was basically just there for support on lifts and to turn her around. This dance did not showcase what Helio has learned at all....only thing showcased on Helio was his smile. They did some difficult lifts and unfortunatley even though they succeeded in doing the lifts, they were not clean and polished. 9, 9, 10 were their scores.

So after tonights dances the leader board is like this:

Mel & Maks 55
Helio & Julianne 54
Marie & Jonathon 46

So the fans will decide who gets to dance one more dance tonight and then the judges will decide who takes home the coveted mirror ball trophy. Will Marie's fans be able to vote her through after a disasterious freestyle, or will Helio race to the final two after a mediocre jive, or could Mel B be one of the final two, even though her freestyle lacked spice. Guess we will have to wait until tonight to see.
until then.......bbfanatik

Monday, November 26, 2007

Amazing Race - "I just feel like everyone should get their time and they've already had their time two times before this"

Departing the Pit Stop in first place at 7:58am, siblings Azaria & Hendekea opened their clue to learn they had to walk along a marked path to nearby village and find Dakissaga, the tribal chief, who would give them their clue along with a customary gift of generosity. After running along the dirt path to the village, the siblings met Dakissaga, a man dressed in the blue finery of a tribal chief, who warmly welcomed them and extended his hand to introduce their gift: a live chicken. The pair took one of the clucking creatures from the pen and opened their next clue, instructing them to take a taxi 100 miles to the town of Bouda Pelegtanga. As a sign of respect to the tribal chief, Teams also had to keep their newly acquired gift with them at all times to successfully complete the leg.

Still holding a slight lead, siblings Azaria & Hendekea arrived in the small town of Bouda Pelegtanga amid the great expanse of the African Savannah, where a stunned Azaria watched in disbelief as his sister went off in search of a bathroom. This timeout allowed dating couples Nate & Jen and TK & Rachel to run past the siblings to the cluebox, where they found a Detour with the choice of Shake Your Pan or Shake Your Booty. In Shake Your Pan, Teams had to choose a gold mining pit and, using the local panning method, mine at least one ounce of gold. In Shake Your Booty, Teams must learn a local traditional dance and perform it for a panel of local celebrities, but they also had to include their own creative dance moves. If the judges were impressed, they would receive their clue. However, if the judges weren't impressed, the Team would incur a ten-minute penalty.

With Jen being a recent dancer for the LA Clippers basketball team, the choice of Shake Your Booty was an easy one. After watching a local tribesman in full decorative costume demonstrate the dance, Nate & Jen briefly practiced the steps as a crowd and the three celebrity judges waited in anticipation of the performance. While traditional music and drums were played by a band, the dating couple shook, rattled, and rolled to the beat hoping to impress the stern looking judges. After a shaky finish, the pair stood hoping for a positive outcome, but instead the judges deemed that their dance was not creative enough. The Team incurred a 10-minute penalty. The very competitive Jen, embarrassed from losing a dance challenge, became concerned that they may have blown their chance at finally winning a leg.

With dating couple TK & Rachel changing their mind to mine for gold instead, siblings Azaria & Hendekea stepped up to the stage next for their performance. Having had the opportunity to watch Nate & Jen, the siblings put a few creative turns as they completed the steps. While the judges deliberated, the siblings sweated it out nervously, but their anxiety turned to exhilaration when the judges handed them their clue. Opening it, the pair learned they had to walk through the village and find the Pelegtanga Market. Once there, they would find a new twist in the Race, the U-turn, found at the end of a Detour. Teams could use the power of the U-turn to slow down another, Team forcing them to backtrack and perform the other side of the Detour they did not previously complete. Teams can only use this power once in the Race, so they need to decide the best time to use it.

Disappointed at having lost their lead, Nate & Jen finished up their penalty and ran off in pursuit of the siblings and the elusive first place. At the Pelegtanga Market, Azaria & Hendekea opted not to use the U-turn and opened their next clue, instructing them to travel by taxi to the outskirts of Ouagadougou and find the Tampouy Goat Market. Still in a close second place, Nate & Jen also chose not to use the U-turn with Jen explaining, "We're gonna win this Race like frickin' men." As father and daughter Ron & Christina waited 10-minutes after incurring a penalty, dating Goths Kynt & Vyxsin put on a master dance class that delighted the crowd and the judges equally. Later, in their taxi to the goat market, Kynt noted, "Here in Africa, to them we look kind of like aliens that dropped from the sky or something and yet, they've been so warm and smiley and kind."

The decision to switch to mining proved disastrous for dating couple TK & Rachel. While Nick & Don sunk their hands in the mud and sifted for gold with little trouble, the dating couple just couldn't find the shiny nuggets they needed. After arriving at the Detour cluebox in second place, the pair now fell to sixth place with friends Shana & Jennifer closing the gap after learning the dance moves. Once TK realized that he hadn't been digging far enough down in the mud, the gold began to emerge from the ooze and the couple collected their fortune along with the clue. At the same time, Shana & Jennifer shook their moneymakers for the panel of judges and earned their clue. With both Teams unsure where they stood in the competition, the race to the U-turn was on. Shana & Jennifer had intentions of using the U-turn while TK & Rachel hoped to avoid becoming the victims. Stepping onto the U-turn mat, Shana insisted to a very hesitant Jennifer they had no choice but to use it. From a distance, a nervous TK thought Shana & Jennifer might be U-turning him and Rachel, but instead the friends chose to U-turn Lorena & Jason, who hadn't even arrived at Bouda Pelegtanga, because Shana insisted she saw the couple behind them.

The decision to U-turn caused friction between the friends and raised the eyebrow of TK. Defending her choice to Jennifer, Shana said, "It's not about being nice. You want to be out of the game because we were nice? Right now, nobody's our friend. They're our competition." On their decision, TK commented, "I think it was a bad move on the blondes' part strategically. I think the blondes now may have a target on their backs."

Arriving at the Tampouy goat market in a virtual dead heat, Azaria & Hendekea and Nate & Jen opened up their clue to find a Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one Team member had to load a bicycle with an unwieldy amount of supplies including a potentially uncooperative goat. Then they had to ride the bike like traditional local delivery people to the marketplace, where each Team must find a different specified vendor and deliver their supplies.After Azaria and Jen loaded up their bikes, the pair rode off, still neck and neck in a battle for first place. Unable to speak French, both Racers struggled in the crowded marketplace to find the correct vendor to deliver their goods. Azaria narrowly edged out Jen in the delivery, but she ran alongside him back to their waiting partners. With a potential victory hanging in the balance, both Teams instructed their taxis to take them to the Hotel de Ville, the city hall home to the mayor's office and the Pit Stop.

Last place Lorena & Jason arrived at Bouda Pelegtanga and opted to dance for their clue. With Lorena leading the moves and instructing Jason every step of the way, the pair successfully performed for the judges. Believing they had gained some ground on the other Teams, they were shocked to see their faces on the U-turn sign, but instead of giving up, the couple ran to the mining and began to sift through the mud. As Lorena & Jason panned for gold, Rachel and Shana began loading their bikes well behind the other Teams. The two women struggled to fasten the bulky items, while Jennifer worried about the ramifications of their U-turn decision. Jennifer commented, "Strategically, I think this was a grave mistake that we made." With Shana and Rachel still loading up, Lorena & Jason mined the one ounce of gold they needed and ran to the taxi as Jason said, "Let's go catch 'em."

Pulling up to the Hotel de Ville together, Azaria & Hendekea and Nate & Jen ran from their taxis to the mat where Phil waited. Hendekea reached Phil first, but her partner ran in a different direction, allowing Nate & Jen to close the gap. In a photo finish, Azaria hit the mat mere moments before the dating couple to secure a third win in four chances. As Phil awarded the siblings a pair of Yamaha motor scooters, a fuming Jen stood silent. When Phil prompted her, she commented, "I just feel like everyone should get their time and they've already had their time two times before this."

While Christina and Nick delivered their goods to secure third and fourth place for their Teams, Vyxsin encountered some unexpected problems en route to a fifth place finish. During the Roadblock, she noted the extreme conditions around the market, including mountains of garbage and swarms of flies on fish juxtaposed against the smiling helpful children who led her to the vendor. Afterwards in the taxi, she broke down in tears over the experience, crying, "These people are just so wonderful and to grow up and just live and this is it for you, you know?"

With Lorena & Jason bearing down on the goat market, Shana and Rachel began to make their delivery, but the language barrier proved difficult for the women. Unable to communicate, the pair wasted valuable time while Lorena & Jason kept the hope alive. Rachel found her vendor first, but quickly became lost trying to return to TK after making a wrong turn. This allowed Shana to complete her delivery and return to Jennifer for a sixth place finish.

The desolate streets of the market confused Rachel as Lorena & Jason continued to keep their fingers crossed in the taxi. Jason promised, "If we don't get eliminated, we are going to screw over the blondes." However, that remained a promise unfulfilled as a flustered Rachel finally found TK and the relieved couple finished the leg in seventh place.After completing the Roadblock, Jason comforted a crying Lorena in the taxi, saying, "We'll make a million dollars another way, okay? Money doesn't make you wealthy." On the mat after being eliminated by Phil, Lorena commented, "Marriage is definitely something that's important to me, but now coming to the Race and seeing other things that are much more valuable, I don't have to do it now. I can take it slower. I don't have to be in a rush all the time." Jason added, "I love Lorena no matter what happens. I just think there's some kind of confinement within a marriage that I think you just can't have when you're free. When two people are both free I think you can experience a deeper love because, I feel like we're in it because we want to stay in it."