By Elaine B

It’s been an odd couple of weeks for fans of Dexter. First there was that incredible killing scene two weeks ago and Miguel’s confirmation that he felt “fantastic!” after. Did anyone beside me wonder if the scene could have been even more shocking? With that sort of intense bond between Dexter and his fledgling, had Dexter and Miguel wound up on the floor of the killing room lip locked in a scene as erotic as anything Russell Davies could have imagined for Queer as Folk, would it have been so far-fetched? Yes, that moment was as erotically charged as anything seen on more explicit shows, and intentionally so.

So it might not be such a huge surprise that in a case in which life becomes a reflection of fiction, a wannabe Dexter created every crime producer’s nightmare. Mark Twitchell, a twisted script writer and would-be filmmaker in Edmonton, Canada, turned a garage into a killing room and tried to lure victims there via online dating postings. Needless to say, hearing that he may have killed someone, this did not set well with Melissa Rosenberg, Dexter’s executive producer, who heard about the killing while being interviewed about her script for Twilight. [Read more →]

Categories: Drama by Elaine
No Comments »

Tags: Dexter copycat killer, Edmonton, Mark Twitchell

Posted by SH

Back when Fringe started, J.J. Abrams promised each episode would be reasonably self-contained, so that it would be easy for newcomers to jump in. That meant the overall conspiracy plot would be peppered in periodically, but wouldn’t overwhelm any particular episode. The latest episode is the exception that so far proves the rule.

We start with a high-pressure business presentation at Massive Dynamic. It goes well for the guy, a stuffed shirt named Mark Young, until after the deal is done and everyone clears the room. He’s alone, except for the strange-looking butterfly flitting around. It’s a nice curiosity until its razor-like wings give him a big gash. Then more come flooding out, cutting him up like Thanksgiving turkey. Young’s only escape is out the high-rise window and onto a car window below.

This is bad for Olivia, who was finally just about to do something non-Pattern related when Broyles beckons her to New York. The case is going nowhere until Olivia gets an e-mail from her favorite ghost, John. He directs her to an underground storage area where she finds a box of frogs. But not just any frogs. Walter is able to find a toxin on their skin that causes intense fear that leads to hallucination. So, there weren’t really any butterflies cutting up Young’s skin, and using the old mind-over-matter idea, his skin started to open up on his own. [Read more →]

Categories: Sci-Fi & Fantasy by sharrison76
No Comments »

Tags: Fringe, J.J. Abrams, Recap

Posted by Ryan

A tornado is hitting the trailer park in Camden County, and the “Finders Keepers” rule is in effect — you basically get to keep whatever piece of debris you find. (This is how Earl got the blue door on his El Camino.) The storm sets off a chain of events in which a flying Bible, a flying gun that shoots blanks and a flying boat are all taken for spiritual signs. As Earl, Randy, Joy, Crab Man, Patty and Catalina end up taking shelter from the tornado in the cellar of a church, they all start to realize the events are just random coincidence, not signs from God or karma. But in the church parking lot, they find a man with his two sons — and the boat, the gun, the Bible and the blue door of Earl’s El Camino all originally belong to him.

[Read more →]

Categories: Comedy by Cubicle QB
No Comments »

Tags: Comedy, Dan Coscino, My Name Is Earl, NBC

Posted by: haro1d

No time for massive introductions, folks, so away we go w/last night’s OTH synopsis:

Sam’s friend “Jack Daniels” stays overnight in her bed. Brooke catches him going out the window in the morning (and Sam has complete bedhead). Brooke tries to yell at her, but she’s flummoxed when she catches herself saying, “When I was 15″ … because, of course, Brooke at 15 was probably much worse. Sam maintains that Jack just needed a place to crash, and that they’re just friends. (When we see them talking later, it seems Sam is telling the truth.)

Lucas meets with Julian to discuss the movie, on which he has agreed to follow through. (The subject of Peyton comes up, and we see that Peyton is in the hospital.) Julian sends Lucas to meet with a producer for Lucas to approve, but taunts him with the possibility that Peyton might fall in love with Julian while he’s away. Spilling out some sugar on the table and writing “J + P” in it to further the insult, Julian smirks at Lucas and sends him on his way. As Lucas gets up, he blows the sugar all over Julian.
[Read more →]

Categories: Drama by haro1d
No Comments »

Tags: Brooke Davis, Dan Scott, Gigi, Haley, Jack Daniels, James Van Der Beek, Jamie, Julian, Lucas, Millie, Mouth, Nathan, One Tree Hill, OTH, Quentin, Sam, The CW

Posted by Mike

Synopsis: Over the years, Ted has seen a lot of weird stuff in his apartment: Lily painting acrobats, a gun-wielding Robin engaged in a standoff with two armed robbers and, of course, the goat. But he’s never seen anything quite like Robin’s blind date Mitch, who — when Robin steps out to take a call on her cell phone — strips naked and sits on the couch, waiting for her to return. It’s a technique he calls “The Naked Man,” and it’s to be used as a last resort on a first date when it becomes evident that there won’t be a second date. Surprise and pity are the key elements of The Naked Man — it’s “shock and … awww.” Since Mitch, by his own admission, is broke, sweats when he eats, and plays in, like, five fantasy football leagues (which is all he talks about), he uses The Naked Man a lot. And he claims that it works two out of every three times. Well, one of his previous two attempts must have failed, because Robin winds up sleeping with him.

While Marshall is concerned that the only thing between Robin and sex is clothes, Barney is enthralled by the idea of The Naked Man. It’s an innovation like the forward pass, the slam dunk or the haircutting technique where they hold it between their fingers and cut right above it. He decides to try out the technique right away, and he tries to convince Ted to do likewise on his date with Vicki, a girl he met on an elevator — and, more importantly, the first girl he’s asked out since Stella. Ted is reluctant, until he discovers that Vicki is abrasive and shallow, and that there’s no future in the relationship.

[Read more →]

Categories: Comedy by Mike
No Comments »

Tags: Add new tag, Barney Stinson, CBS, himym, How I Met Your Mother, Recap

By Elaine B

The episode opened with the crew still divided over whether Potsie (Benjamin Potts) and Giles Lane should have boarded the Japanese whaler. But no one could argue that their actions created exactly the international incident Capt. Watson hoped for. “We live in a media culture and things don’t happen unless they appear on television,” he said. Meanwhile, volunteer Paul Brown has a more cynical outlook. “The media is very important even if I don’t like them,” he told the cameras. The irony of that seemed to have been lost on him.

The media feeding frenzy forced the Australian government to contact the Japanese government and negotiate for the release of Giles and Potsie. The Aussies decide to act as the go-between, picking up the hostages and transferring them to the Steve Irwin. They arrange coordinates for the rendezvous and the Steve Irwin heads off in that direction. After being awake for 36 hours, Capt. Watson heads off to his bunk for some much needed sleep. But as the Steve Irwin starts off for the meeting place, they spot the Japanese whaler. It’s almost dark but they decide to risk an attack and send out a small boat, the Delta. The Delta crew immediately veers off in the wrong direction. The helicopter can’t reach them on the radio or satellite phone, and with darkness falling has to turn back to the boat or risk being lost. [Read more →]

Categories: Reality TV by Elaine
No Comments »

Tags: Animal Planet, Capt. Paul Watson, Whale Wars

By Elaine B

All three seasons have featured the theme of Dexter seeking validation for his acts. First there was the acceptance by his stepfather dominating Season 1, along with the tragic attempt to reach out to a young killer and help him find his own code, ending with that marvelous moment when Dexter imagines how the people of Miami would cheer if they knew that he had brought down the Ice Truck Killer. In Season 2 there are the times his face light up when his future mother-in-law and occasional news commentators say that the city should give the Bay Harbor Butcher a medal for doing what the police could not.

So it’s no surprise that the theme comes back this season, stronger than ever, as Dexter finds what might have been a true friend, the sidekick he has always wanted to have. In the beginning, it looked like it could actually go well. Miguel knew what Dexter had done, he accepted. But letting him in? Well, Dex knew what Harry would think and Harry was right. Dexter wasn’t created, he was likely born with the craving to kill, but he was also molded, in a very twisted way that may have him one day damning Harry for what he did. It was done by a man, who like Miguel, had a need for shortcuts and an instrument he thought could be used to that end. The Code took years to teach and you cannot start teaching it to an adult.

But he does, and in one of the most heart-stopping moments in a series filled with them, he lets Miguel inside a kill room, and hands him the knife. Justice, he tells the victim when he asks who they are. It is no mere coincidence that Miguel is dressed in black with just a hint of white at the collar, as if he is some dark priest. Indeed he is - Dexter’s darker side. And after Miguel plunges the knife in, Dex asks, “How do you feel?” And Miguel answers, “Fantastic” in such a perfect tone that we know what Dexter does not, not yet at least - he had unleashed a killer.  [Read more →]

Categories: Drama by Elaine
No Comments »

Tags: Dexter, Jimmy Smits, Showtime

Posted by Mike, Ryan and johnnysweeptheleg

Synopsis: How can things get any worse for Michael Scott? Holly has been forced to transfer back to New Hampshire, and now Toby Flenderson has been hired back to replace her. Despite his protests to David Wallace, Michael is faced with the reality that Toby isn’t going anywhere — unless Michael can frame him for sexual harassment or violence in the workplace. After trying and failing at both, Michael goes to Plan B, which is to buy a $500 bag of salad, which he believes is marijuana, and plant it in Toby’s desk drawer. When the cops come, Michael begins having second thoughts about what he’s done and is ready to take the fall. By the end of the episode, he is able to sit next to Toby on camera … though he continues to insult him the entire time.

[Read more →]

Categories: Comedy by Mike
No Comments »

Tags: Dwight Shrute, Frame Toby, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, Michael Scott, NBC, Rainn Wilson, Steve Carell, The Office

by Zhillbear

Finally! One of those Survivor episodes you’ll remember beyond this season. A year from now, you’ll still have the conversation:

“Remember the one where Bob gave Randy his fake idol?”
“Aw, yeah — that was classic!”
“It wasn’t really necessary, since Randy was going to be kicked off anyway.”
“True, that. But still — classic!”

With Charlie voted out last week, the power on Nobag (that’s the name of the merged tribe, remember? It cracks me up every time) has shifted to Kenny and Crystal, and Randy and Corinne know their chances are pretty slim.

Bob tells Sugar that he didn’t find the hidden immunity idol while he was on Exile, and Sugar acts surprised. Bob then shows Sugar the fake idol he’s proud of making, and asks her to tell no one about it. Sugar wonders if Bob’s an evil genius by showing it to her. I wonder that, too — perhaps he knows where the power really is.

Corinne and Randy talk, and, in case we didn’t already know, say how they hate everyone on the show. [Read more →]

Categories: Reality TV by Zhillbear
No Comments »

Tags: Bob, CBS, Crystal, fake idol, gabon, Randy, Recap, Sugar, Survivor, troll

by Ruth Anne Boulet

So, based on cycle’s past, the first girl shown doing an ‘up-close-and-personal’ headshot first is the winner. That would mean that Samantha is winning this cycle. I think it’s a decoy this year.

The challenge for this episode is the same — it’s a commercial shoot for Cover Girl. Mr. Jay brings out Whitney to help explain the challenge and the Cover Girl product. It freshens your breath and makes you beautiful!

This time, the girls have to have their lines memorized, and they have to kiss a boy. Sam is worried about the boy having herpes. Um, Sam, you can’t get herpes from kissing a boy. McKey looks like a bobblehead and Analeigh completely loses the lines. Having a wobbly-bobbly head is fixable. Not being able to memorize lines isn’t as easy to recover from. Mr. Jay ends up feeding her the lines & she does well. [Read more →]

Categories: Reality TV by windupdoll
1 Comment »

Tags: America's Next Top Model, ANTM, Miss J, Mr. Jay, Nigel Barker, Tyra Banks, WindUpDoll