October 4, 2009

Since I didn't really write anything throughout the week, we'll call this one my Sunday Night TV Week in Review.

Hell's Kitchen
I've had a tough time getting into it this season, and I think it's because I can't stand Whoopi...oops, I mean Tennile. All she does is holler in fale-dramatic monotone at the camera in her interviews. It's cringe-inducing. I expect Ariel and Kevin to be in the final two.

Top Chef
I'm really enjoying the Las Vegas themed season, and the chefs are all very charismatic and likeable. My favourites this season are Kevin, Brian, and Jen, who I think I have a little bit of a crush on...and who I'm picking to win the whole thing.
Saturday Night Live
I thought Ryan Reynolds was a pretty funny host, and the guest spots were pretty entertainin. Scarlett Johanssen in the Porcelain Fountain commercial was pretty funny, as was Elijah Wood in the Andy Samberg Digital Short. But nothing compared to the unexpected Lady Gaga-Madonna catfight (yes, it was really them) in the Deep House Dish sketch. And I must admit, I did enjoy the Celebrity Family Feud sketch. Jason Sudekis' Richard Dawson impression was surprisingly accurate, but leave it to SNL to leave nothing sacred and poke fun at the MacKenzie Phillips/John Phillips relationship. It was awkward and hilarious all at once. I was quite surprised with how much I enjoyed Lady Gaga's performances...it certainly is a spectacle when she performs live.
Survivor
Everyone is talking about how Russell is this season's big villain, but he's nothing compared to how ignorant and crass Ben was. I'm glad he's gone, and that he got his verbal comeuppance at Tribal Council from Jaison. I always provide a link to Jeff Probst's blog at EW.com, as well as Dalton Ross and Josh Wolk's video series Survivor Talk, but make sure you watch this week's episode of Survivor Talk where they interview Ben. If you couldn't believe how he acted on the show, you won't even believe the things he said to Dalton and Jeff.

Amazing Race
First of all, at the beginning of the episode, I was already pining for last week's awesome "Eat The Wasabiiiii" sound effect, but alas, we had to move on in Vietnam. I liked the idea of a moving pit stop, as the boat moved down the river to an unknown location.

Marcy reminded me of an older version of Liz Lemon, Tina Fey's character on 30 Rock. It's a shame I won't have any more episodes to see if that was a fair comparison, as she and her archery-lovin' boyfriend got the boot this week after they tried to randomly assemble Vietnamese letters into a word without asking for help (?????).

Did Brian and Ericka really refer to themselves as "Team Zebra" as they linked their hands together? Really? That's the card you want to play? What's next, when they have to go into the rainforest, we're going to hear how Brian will excel at the challenge because he has "Jungle Fever"? Come on...

Ok, we're only two weeks into this season, and this team of Lance and Keri is turning out to be spectacular. First, this 'wicked smahht' Boston lawyer and his fiancé just assume that they're in Ho Chi Minh City when they leave the detour, when everyone else correctly interpreted the clue that they had to travel there. Then, when the retrieved the bullet clue from the water dragon, they were the only ones who didn't figure out that the clue was inside. Wicked Smahhht my ass!
When they were travelling with the animal on the dolly, and he let go of his red balloon, I love how he just left it in the middle of the road he was crossing while he went back to get another balloon. Stay classy Lance...this is why foreigners hate Americans. And how insincere was his 'apology' to her in the cab. This was the exact wording after he was told he keeps yelling at her, "Well, if that's the case, then I guess I'm sorry."

And I'm not sure what was more disconcerting: watching him tear apart a VCR with his bare hands, or listening to her keep yelling "Use the Hammaaaahh" is that Boston accent. Once again, they finished near the end, second last, and he still gave an "Oh yeah, baby" (but no throat slash), and a lame analogy about how he's a lion and lions stalk their prey from behind. Keep dropping behind, Mr. Lion...and watch the gazelles and Team Zebra run off into the sunset.

Until next week...