iVillage - TV Cocktail

Lost and Found

2008-05-16T04:56:39Z

*After last week’s debacles, I cannot believe we have two more episodes (1 tonight and 1 big two hour event two weeks from now). Who’s excited for a big season end cliffhanger? ME!!!

Erase and Rewind

The episode begins much like the show began. Some people on a plane. This plane, however, is a cargo plane. And this one contains the Oceanic 6. Before they land, they get a warning of the situation from an airline representative. She tells them that in addition to their families, press will be at their landing site.

Even though we all know…let’s recap our Oceanic 6: we have Sun, Aaron, Kate, Hurley, Sayid and Jack. Apparently, they all have a story that they decided upon. When the back of the plane opens a crowd of people gather around. Each of them greets some of their crying family members. Sun’s parents are there. Hurley’s mom and dad are there. Jack’s mom is there. Sayid gets pulled aside by Hurley and gets a big hug from Hurley’s mom. Kate is alone with Aaron. Sad…

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On the island, the Losties discuss what the dropped phone means. Should they follow it or should they call? Faraday calls and they hear the commandos. No one knows where the troopers are going and they notice that Sayid and Desmond aren’t on the chopper. FIGURE IT OUT PEOPLE…NO GOOD CAN COME OF THIS!!!

Kate and Jack go off to investigate. Juliet tries to stop them because Jack is still recovering. But, with all this knowing the outcome, who cares? Jack will live. Writers…stop giving me superfluous dialogue. Get to some revealing!

Faraday tells Charlotte about The Orchid being code for the secondary protocol. He looks into his notebook and says they have to get off the island…NOW. The way it looks, this note has something to do with Faraday’s experiment. You know, Desmond is his constant. So he knows something…

Find and Recover

Kate and Jack track the signal. He starts bleeding, but keeps going. They hear footsteps and its Miles, Sawyer and Aaron. Sawyer tells them that Claire is missing. Then Sawyer talks about the military group trying to kill everyone on the island. Are they really? They just want Ben…scare him out of hiding. That’s all they need to do.

Jack and Sawyer argue about the next steps. Jack wants to follow the chopper in case Sayid and Desmond are on it. He put them in the situation, and now he must follow through. Sawyer gives Kate the baby, and he goes with Jack. He refuses to let him go alone. Awww…I’m so sad. I think Sawyer survives…he’s just not an Oceanic 6 member. He’ll have some alternate reality existence.

In the future, the airline’s rep goes over a slide show of where the Losties were stranded. Seems like a lot of song and dance. And then she continues some story about the landing on a small island, and they took a raft over to a larger island. This was after 108 days.

The press asks each of them questions. They all lie. Jack describes the crash into the water completely different…even crediting the life jacket/seat cushions. Sun says Jin died in the crash. Hurley avoids the “looking healthy” question. Kate answers about giving birth to Aaron and being a fugitive. Sayid says there are definitely no survivors.

After the press conference, Sayid gets pulled aside by the airline rep. Apparently a woman came to see him not on the family list he provided. And of course, it’s Nadia. He goes to see her. They are finally reunited. But we know what happens to her…so that sucks.

In the ocean, Sayid takes the boat to the island. The Losties run over to see Sayid. He tells them the situation…ya know…their pending death by the chopper folks. And Juliet delivers the news that Jack and Kate ran after the helicopter. Sayid is less than thrilled. It’s really interesting because we know Jack survives. But each of the Oceanic 6 seems to be split apart on the island. The reckoning day must happen elsewhere…or on the freighter. Or they end up back on the island for some stupid reason.

Use and Destroy

Hurley, Ben and Locke are hiking up the hill to the Orchid. Hmmm…same place as the commandos. Here they can move the island…they haven’t done it before because it’s a measure of last resort. Ben starts uncovering some rocks. Revealed is a trunk. In it are saltines (15 years old), a mirror and some other random supplies. Ben holds up a mirror and says he’s communicating. Locke wants to know what was communicated and to whom. But Ben is as cryptic as ever. Richard?!? I think its Richard and the Others. He hinted at that…but a while back he said they have left him. Ben is a manipulator so anything goes at this point.

Instead of waiting for Sayid to return, Faraday offers to take the first group to the freighter. He waves bye to Charlotte. It seems wrong. But Sun is on the boat with Aaron…so it’s not like Faraday is going to kill them. Jin is with her as well as other random beach folk. Our Oceanic 6 is divided...yet they end up saved. 2 seasons left…tons can happen.

Kate gets to the beach. She tells Sayid she will help him find Jack and Sawyer. He needs her help…it will take him too long otherwise. The two of them run off and leave the rest of the Losties to follow Faraday’s lead.

On the boat, Jin tells Sun that he told her he promised to get her off the island. It’s cute…yet bittersweet because we know they don’t end up together. Or maybe they do. Maybe we’ll get beyond Jack’s suicide attempt episode…that won’t be the last scene in the future. They will go back…maybe…I’m just spitballing here.

In the future, Sun goes to see her father. He is having an argument with his employees about his bank accounts being hit. She tells her dad to stop acting like he cares about her pregnancy. He never liked Jin. He gets angry, and Sun reveals she used her Oceanic money to buy the shareholders majority. Now she is his boss. And her child will lead a wonderful life in the FAMILY business.

And two people killed Jin…and her father is one of them. Who is the other? Is he really, really going to die? I want it to be some Oceanic fake death. I don’t want Claire to really be dead. Or even Boone or Shannon…or Charlie. I love my characters!!!

Hide and Seek

In California, Hurley drives his clunky car up to his family home. The door is cracked open and he calls for his parents. A coconut is on the floor…hmm…he hears whispering. Is Hurley going crazy or just a TV? He opens up a door and there is a surprise party for him. A birthday luau. Interesting theme for a guy who just returned from a deserted island. Ah…who doesn’t like irony? And the guest list is great. Sayid and Nadia. Kate and Aaron. Cheech Marin with a bad dye job as Hurley’s dad. This episode gets better and better.

For his present, Hurley’s dad fixed the car while Hurley was gone. When they get into the car…the mileage on the car is the “cursed numbers.” Hurley realizes it and runs away…as fast as he can. Which is a slow waddle…why can’t Cheech run? Bad lungs from all that smoke?

On the island, Hurley, Locke and Ben go through the jungle. Hurley wants to know how he’ll get off the island. Locke says it’s too late for that. All of the guys lean down…they have come upon the Orchid. Ben admits that Charles Widmore knows about the Orchid. And the guys notice that the commandos are already staking claim on the territory.

Secrets and Lies

Guess who makes it to the freighter? Faraday’s boat. Desmond looks worried that Sayid isn’t there. Sun, Jin and the random Losties get on the freighter. Faraday goes back for the next group. Sun and Jin are shocked to see Michael. He fixed the engines so the ship can now move. The driver of the freighter cannot get them to 305 bearings. Desmond runs for assistance.

Sawyer notices that Jack is bleeding. He cannot believe Jack is walking around without his appendix. The helicopter is there with Frank. He seems excited that Jack got the message. Now he can take a group to the freighter. When the commandos get back…it’s all downhill from there. They are here to get Ben anyway necessary. Sawyer asks what will happen to the people with Ben. And Frank says nothing good. Then Sawyer tells Jack that Hurley’s with Ben. Crap. Seriously…could the Oceanic 6 spread out even more?

In the future, Jack gives his father’s eulogy. Sayid, Nadia, Kate, Aaron and Hurley are at the church to support Jack. Jack just gives a simple goodbye. After the memorial service, he speaks to Kate. Then a woman comes over to talk to Jack. She’s Australian. She explains that the reason Jack’s dad went to Australia was to see his daughter. This woman had a daughter with Dr. Shepherd long ago. And then she reveals that Claire is their love child. AKA Jack’s sister. Something we all knew…but now Jack knows. So it’s crazy. And before the woman leaves she goes over to Aaron to see him. The woman’s grandson is right there. WTF. Poor lady…she should know. I hope one day she does.

Aiding and Abetting

Michael tells Sun and Jin how he got back to New York. And Sun accuses him of working for Ben. He explains to her that he is trying to make up for what he did. Then Desmond runs out asking for Michael. All the main characters run after Desmond. They go into a room to find tons of explosives. Hmmm…wait…what did the commandos take with them? Is that much weaponry really necessary?

Kate tracks Jack and Sawyer for Sayid. She thinks the tracks are fresh. They doubled behind them. Kate lifts her gun. Out of the brush…of course, it’s Richard. Richard…and his Others crew. Everyone has guns pointed. So Kate and Sayid surrender their guns. I would love for someone to tell me Richard’s deal. He stalked Locke as a child. He doesn’t age. He knows more than he lets on. I love him…he’s one of the most intriguing mysteries.

At the Orchid, Ben explains what Locke needs to do in the Orchid. Ben then goes towards the commandos…”surrendering himself.” Now Locke can get to the Orchid station because the commandos will have what they need.

The final episode is set up for us. Sun is on the freighter that contains tons of explosives. Kate and Sayid are trapped by the Others. Jack and Sawyer are going into the jungle for Hurley. Locke and Hurley are waiting for the opportunity for shutting down the Orchid station. The commandos have knocked out Ben. And there are still unanswered questions.

Grey's Anatomy Neverland Ranch

2008-05-16T04:46:27Z

Crazy in Love

Meredith wants to quit therapy. Provoking her, the therapist calls her a quitter. So Meredith fires her. Typical Mer. Why can’t she be strong enough to accept her faults? She’s so hard on everyone. It’s a little frustrating. Week after week our title character mentally and emotionally destroys herself.

In big Seattle Grace News, Walter Tappley, the “god” of surgery, has come for a visit. He even trained the Chief. The Chief’s excitement is palpable, and he runs to Hahn to have Tappley scrub in with her. Man, the guy even has Hahn’s knickers all bunched up.

Meanwhile, Derek gets positive about the clinical trial. Meredith seems jaded, and Derek offers her to opt out of this surgery. The woman getting the surgery, Greta, wants to wait for her new love, Andre, before she goes through with this. Derek and Meredith agree to give him a few hours to show up.

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In the hall, Derek and Meredith discuss the surgery. Greta’s sister runs to them. She thinks Andre is imaginary. Apparently, Greta met him on a cruise, but no one can account for his existence. He appeared the same time as her symptoms. Hmmm…that sucks. But sometimes I wish the unreliable guys I met were imaginary…sorry, bad joke.

Izzie runs into Rebecca (Ava) in the hospital. For some reason, Rebecca wants to see Sloane. Izzie then breaks the news to her: the pregnancy test says the baby isn’t there. Rebecca says the test is wrong…she really is pregnant. Izzie should check again.

Callie comes rounding the corner with Cristina and pulls Meredith aside. She hopes Mer can talk some sense into Cristina. I agree Cristina’s “funk” is getting out of hand. Yes, Burke sucks, but Cristina is a fighter. Where’s her fight? Where’s her fire?

In other news, Tappley is not here for a visit; he needs heart surgery. None of his colleagues will operate. Hahn asks why would they operate if no one else will….Tappley has the easiest answer ever. He started the Chief’s career…so the Chief owes him one.

Pump it Up

In the Chief’s office, Hahn refuses to perform the surgery on Tappley. The Chief pushes her. Instead she pushes back, and she puts her foot down. Hahn is a powerful gal. I miss the Burke dynamic…Hahn adds an interesting angle to the show.

Rose confronts Derek about their sexual experience. He apparently is avoiding her. Men who don’t call after sex? What is that? I love Derek, but I’m with Rose here.

The Chief complains about Hahn refusing to operate with Sloane and Derek. Then he asks their opinion on his sexual situation with his wife. Again, they want to stay out of it. Who wouldn’t? He leaves them and gets George to write an e-mail to Adele. Poor George. He’s the Chief’s whipping boy.

Izzie tells Alex about Rebecca’s non-pregnancy. Alex flips out on her. He wants her to mind her own business. Poor Izzie. She only wants to help her friend. He’s making a huge mistake. I have never liked Rebecca (Ava)…I think she sucks. And she’s apparently crazy…

Meredith goes back to her therapist for her chart. She gets turned away and barges in…on Hahn’s therapy session. So everyone here is a bit crazy. High stress job, I would be too.

Bailey throws out assignments to her residents. Then she gets paged from the hospital nursery about Tuck. The Chief sends George to handle it…he needs Bailey here. George…intern/errand boy extraordinaire.

Cristina gets assigned to Tappley’s case…and she has Lexi do a central line. Why isn’t she in there sucking up? Lexi protests, but Cristina has spoken. WTF!?! I don’t understand how Cristina can lose her fire. Yes, her situation sucks. BUT SUCK IT UP!!!

Meredith wants to get Greta into surgery in three hours. Derek says six. Meredith wants the woman to get rid of the fantasy sooner while Derek wants her to hold on to the fantasy longer. What’s wrong with letting her have some extra moments of happiness? I love how the patients on the show are metaphors for the characters.

Flying High

George gives Tuck to Bailey. He’s hitting other kids in the nursery. Bailey really is every working mom’s hero. She now must deal with a child while she deals with her rotations. SUPERHERO!

Lexi asks for George’s help with the central line. George refuses because he wants to be near Tappley. Lucky for him, he’ll be doing the central line on Tappley. Oh no, Cristina is sitting at the nurses’ station…there to taunt and be mean. She makes fun of George still being an intern. He wouldn’t be an intern if Burke were here. George rises above the passive/aggressive BS. Good for him.

In a WTF moment, Derek tries to get advice from Sloane. Sloane, really? Advice on love? But we have a new Mark Sloane on our hands. He’s trying to be less of a whore…since he was called one by Bailey. He thinks Derek should give it a real go with Rose. Hmmm…I kinda do too. No matter how much he loves Meredith, she needs to love herself first.

George does the central line for Tappley. Tappley compliments him, and George is on cloud 9. His luck lately sucks…good for him. I hope better things come his way. The Chief walks in to have George do something else…George leaves.

Tappley tries to leave since the Chief can’t get Hahn to do the surgery. But the Chief insists he’ll convince her. His mentor should stay; he’ll die either way.

Cristina says she doesn’t want 5 minutes with Tappley; she wants an actual mentor. Meredith listens, and Lexi comes to talk. Meredith passes. Then Cristina goes off on Lexi. Telling Lexi that Meredith hates her. Lexi walks away…crushed. I used to love Cristina…now her byotch-y attitude sucks. I wish she’d just be who she was. I don’t like who she’s become.

In the caf, Callie tries to sleep with Sloane. Sloane says she has to date him for that. Then Hahn joins them for lunch, and then they joke around that the girls are lovers. Sloane can’t take the fantasy of a threesome so he storms off. And the girls just continue laughing. Such an easy taunt, am I right?

Derek and Meredith talk to their patient. Greta insists that Andre exists. Meredith pushes her for scientific explanations. Derek tries to wrangle Mer in. Then he insists they can wait until three for the surgery. No matter what Meredith thinks. Greta’s sister has Greta explain that her meeting with Andre is almost exactly like the story of Cinderella. Greta holds strong to her story.

Sloane examines Rebecca’s breasts. She wants them to match her face. She’s not happy with them. Sloane won’t operate if she’s pregnant…and she says he owes her. Hmm…Rebecca sucks. GO AWAY!

Meredith confronts her therapist in the bathroom. Literally while her therapist is in the stall. She wants her chart. Lexi then confronts Meredith in the bathroom. She says she loves Meredith whether she wants her love or not.

Her therapist comes out of the restroom and books an appointment for Meredith right away. And a weak little Meredith cedes.

Playing with Fire

Hahn gets angry about the position she has been put in. She agrees to the surgery, but she insists the Chief’s name is on the line…not hers. After she leaves the room, Tappley admits he found someone else to do the surgery. Instead, he wanted a friend with him. In case it didn’t’ turn out well. He thinks the Chief wo8ld be the best surrogate family…since Tappley doesn’t have one.

Sloane talks to Izzie about Rebecca. They think she has acute stress disorder. Well, something is wrong with her people.

George gets rid of his duties e-mailing Adele a sexy message. The Chief is happy to have the responsibility back after George reads the least sexy e-mail ever. Poor Georgie. He’s just bad at romance. That’s all.

Callie tries to get Sloane into the on-call room. He says all they do will talk. And then Sloane starts talking sexually about Hahn. Callie gets uncomfortable and leaves.

Hahn and the Chief are in the OR. She’s nervous about doing it, but she goes for it. Oh humor. The Chief teases her saying “don’t screw it up.”

Meredith complains to her therapist about Derek protecting Greta. Her therapist says Meredith is careless with her life. She’s suicidal. The therapist hits too close to come, and Meredith insists on getting her chart back. The therapist is “really” fired…seriously.

Enlightenment

Hahn, Bailey and the Chief, in surgery, watch as Tappley flatlines. Hahn starts to complain about this effecting her reputation…but then she fixes the problem. And she doesn’t even realize it. Ha. Oh adrenaline.

In Greta’s room, Derek, Meredith and Greta’s sister wait for Andre. Of course, the time passes and Andre doesn’t show. Derek and Greta sit there, and she finally breaks down to cry. She questions, “My head did this? He was never there?” And Derek shakes his head no. Then she realizes her fantasy was fake. And Derek seems really touched by her realization. This, of course, mirrors his own awakening. Sucks…I personally love fantasy.

Bailey and Tucker start fighting over Tuck. And George comes into the room and grabs the baby. Bailey and Tucker continue screaming back and forth. Both of them fight the blame. Tucker accuses Bailey and she accuses him. It’s nasty. Break ups suck.

Izzie does an ultrasound on Rebecca. She shows her that a fetus isn’t there. Rebecca refuses to believe it. Alex comes in super angry to see what happened. Izzie leaves after showing Alex. He goes to explain the situation to Rebecca, but she cries apologizing for losing the baby. Not listening to Alex saying she was never pregnant.

Meredith and Derek push the virus in Greta’s tumor at the same time. A nurse comes into the room as Greta starts having problems. Guess what? Andre has arrived. He’s real. True love and fantasy can exist!!! I feel this is a big WTF moment.

False Sense of Security

George runs into Tappley’s room. Tappley compliments George and tells him that he should keep at it. Despite being held back, George is a good doctor and everything is a learning process.

Depressed, heinous Cristina sits on the floor in her funk. Lexi runs by…but she, being the nice girl, asks Cristina if there is anything wrong. Cristina gives Lexi a lecture about having a smoldering fire for surgery. And Lexi counters by saying she saw Tappley’s surgery and that can’t be taken from her. And all Cristina did today was some charts.

George, with Tuck, goes to see the Chief. The Chief got a flirty response from Adele without even knowing it. And there is multi-tasking George. I hated him for a while…and now I love him again. What a fickle world I live in.

Derek and Meredith talk about Greta not waking up to her sister and Andre. Meredith tells Andre how she didn’t think he was coming. He starts crying. He asks if she’ll ever wake up…and Derek shakes his head “no.” So sad…he thought the fairy tale could continue. Darn you Meredith…you and your disbelief.

Sloane leaves work to find Hahn and Callie in the elevator. Hahn says Sloane couldn’t handle her and Callie in a threesome. Then Hahn kisses Callie and walks away with a bounce in her step. Callie obviously felt something from it…because Sloane tells her “on call room…now.” And Callie slowly goes there…with a beleaguered look.

As Rose leaves, Derek runs after her. She doesn’t want to get her heartbroken. And Derek says he has done complicated he just wants easy. No fairytale…just happiness.

Meredith goes to see her therapist at the end of the day. She is crying…well sniffling…and she admits that her mother tried to kill herself. That happened when Meredith was a kid. Meredith admits that she’s broken…and she tells her therapist to fix her…she’s no quitter.

Crazy…one two hour episode left. What do you think can happen? Meredith and Derek together? Bailey and Tucker get back together? Cristina will snap out of it...this isn’t a question…she must.

Shout at me folks.

Tips to Hook Up with Masi Oka

2008-05-15T19:27:11Z

What do you think Masi Oka is like in real life? I see him as this quietly funny guy, who can totally let loose with friends.

Who knows if I'm correct, but since I've decided to find him a lady, I figured I should get to know the guy, right?

You see, awhile back I saw Masi on Ellen and she totally made a fake classified ad for him. Well that was back in September 2007, so I figured I should update it for all the ladies out there. It'd be a mitzvah of sorts.

First of all, the good news is that Masi told me he "could still use a classified." That means he's single! (Who's swooning?)

Now, before we get to what Masi's looking for in a woman (suspense!), here's why you should want to date him.

1. He's totally modest. He still has the same car he had before he got famous. It's his way of staying humble.

2. He cares about the environment. Masi's old car (see #1) is starting to break down, and since he needs a car that actually functions, he "might be getting a hybrid very soon."

3. He's chill. "I'm not into big, flashy kinds of stuff," Masi said.

4. He's really great at yelling "Yatta!" in a really goofy, yet cute, way (Heroes fans know what I'm talking about). Plus, Masi said that this season "they want him to be more goofy again. It's a hard balance to make him grow but still be fun." And if anyone can do that, Hiro Nakamura can.

Now that that's been established, here's all you have to do to score a date with Masi Oka. You must be "someone who's grounded and smart and has a great sense of humor."

If only I didn't have such a huge crush on Milo, I'd totally apply.

I Have a Crush on Milo Ventimiglia

2008-05-15T18:53:10Z

I never really had a thing for Milo Ventimiglia. I definitely liked watching him as Jess on Gilmore Girls and I love when he flies on Heroes, but it ended at that.

Well, all that quickly changed the moment I saw him in person on the NBC red carpet. I kid you not, I saw Milo from afar and I started to get butterflies. I immediately blurted out to the reporters around me, "I think I have a crush on Peter Petrelli." (Peter, of course, is the character Milo plays on Heroes.)

Luckily I was able to keep my composure during our interview, but that didn't stop me from running home to my boyfriend to tell him I love Milo. Plus, I even think I may take down my Robert Downey, Jr. computer background and replace it with Milo.

Anywayyyyy, being a massive Gilmore Girls fan (I totally bought my mom a GG card for Mother's Day), I had to ask Milo if he cares that so many people still refer to him as Jess.

"You know what, that's all part of my upbringing. There's been a lot of work that I've done and I don't deny the fact that Jess was my first real thrust into the public eye. But I appreciate it. I enjoy that people are fans of that. And I'll tell you what. That was an amazing show. A great show."

]]> Alexis Bledel), and said he recently ran into Jared Padalecki (Dean of Gilmore and Sam of Supernatural) at the airport.

As cute as Milo is, he's also incredibly humble. First of all, he doesn't think he's "made it" yet, saying "I'm at the top of the bottom." You gotta remember, the kid went from one hit TV show to another—something that doesn't happen too often, even to the biggest stars. And yet, he doesn't let any of it get to his head:

"To be quite honest I never expected to be a part of something like this. I never did. It's kind of frightening and exciting at the same time. I've always been one of those actors that's been under the radar and to kind of be grazing over it is interesting. At the same time it makes me feel a duty to do my job and do it well and hopefully not disappoint people."

Now I'm even more in love.

American Idol Results: Riding Out a Dream

2008-05-15T03:38:50Z

Out of more than 100 thousand wannabes, Syesha Mercado held tight to her dream and rode it all the way to a third place finish. She deserves every bit of glory.

This week, 56 million votes came in to deem David Cook and David Archuleta the two best singers of the competition. Neither of them had to endure the scare of Ryan making them "step aside" on any results night. They've always made it to the safe couch.

Week after week, Syesha was singled out amongst her fellow singers - constantly with a lower percentile of votes. After contestant 11 left, Syesha was either in the bottom two or three -- ALL BUT ONE time. And that's not a reflection of her talent and ability to knock a song outta the park.

Last Friday, Syesha sang the National Anthem at a Tampa Bay Devil Rays game. That's her hometown... where everybody knows her name. They honored her and praised her accomplishments. Each of the top three were wrought with emotion to see how the communities they grew up in support them, vote for them and follow their progress. It moved them to tears.

]]> One of Syesha's idols gave a theatrical musical performance on tonight's show. Season three winner Fantasia Barrino (sporting flashy red hair) had so much happening on stage with her.

As each second passed, I didn't know where to look next. Fantasia brought a ton of raw energy and emotion to her former stomping grounds. She just finished The Color Purple on Broadway and will be in the movie production of the musical. This is right up Syesha's alley. She has a lot of excitement to look forward to.

Syesha sang Fantasia's "I Believe" during Idol Gives Back week and got a lashing from the judges that it basically wasn't worthy enough. They were going to say that no matter what anyway. Syesha sounded incredible.

What do you think about Syesha's version of "I Believe"? How does it compare to Fantasia's, the original version? And does it really need to?

Paula was honest with Syesha. Last night she told her she didn't know if her performances were enough to get her into the finals. Simon thought she blew her chances to prove she's a contemporary recording artist.

Let's face it. The two Davids are just tough to beat. They each have an enormous fan base. And someone has to go.

Most of you already picked a David vs. David finale. Now it's time to tell why your favorite should be be the next American Idol? When you do that, let us in on who you are. What type of viewer are you and if you vote, what's your style? Voting counts! Remember, you could sway the odds and this might be a really close call.

Top Chef Recap

2008-05-15T02:24:13Z

Quickfire Challenge

We start this week off with a familiar face. The chefs are introduced to everyone's favorite (especially the girls) chef from season two - Sam Talbot! We all know he should have won.

The chefs are given the task to make a "sexy salad" in 45 minutes, a rather long amount of time to make a salad if you ask me. This, of course, only means that the chefs better create some amazing salad, or they're in for it!

Sam was not a fan of Richard's salad, Stephanie's unfinished fall flavored salad or Lisa's grilled squid salad, despite the high end ingredients. It's interesting how some of the best chefs this season were all in the bottom three. Dale and Antonia both did well with their unique salads, but Spike took the win with his beef and pineapple salad.
]]> Elimination Challenge

After the chefs chow down on healthy salads, they are brought a big tray of unhealthy, greasy burgers and fries. The chefs are told these represent the usual lunch orders of the Chicago police department. They are asked to make a healthy gourmet box lunch using whole grains, lean meat, fruits and veggies. The Quickfire winner, Spike, gets an advantage. He is given ten extra minutes to shop and gets to choose one ingredient from each group that no one else can use.

At Whole Foods, Spike chooses chicken, tomatoes, bread and lettuce as his four ingredients, which pretty much screws up all the other chefs. This ought to force some creativity out of them.

Most chefs complain about Spike's choices, but Andrew is not worried. He has a slight advantage studying nutrition for two years. This better pay off.

The chefs are told to make their dish - they are given two hours - and bring them boxed up to the police. Once they get there they give the police basic instructions on how to microwave it.

While cooking, about 30 minutes until time is up, Lisa discovers her brown rice is on high and not on a lower heat like she wanted. Her rice is basically burnt on the outside, but not fully cooked on the inside. Lisa blames everyone else for the mishap (sabotage!) while everyone thinks it was just a mistake on her part.

Judges' Table

After some well received food at the police academy, the chefs headed to judges' table for judgment. Dale and Stephanie are called in as the winners for their dishes. Both dishes are praised, however Dale took the win with his a bison lettuce wrap which the judges thought was very flavorful.

After a well deserved congratulations, Dale sent in Andrew, Lisa and Spike as the losers. The judges did not think Andrew's maki roll was very filling or a good choice for police officers. The judges also did not like Spike's chicken salad and did not approve of his choice to screw up the other chefs. The judges did not think any of Lisa's food was cooked - obviously she whined about her rice; however her shrimp was undercooked as well.

Before the chefs were let go, Lisa made a point to mention that Andrew's dish did not include a grain. Andrew was a little more than upset at her and told her there is no honor in throwing people under the bus.

All honor aside however, Andrew was sent home for his botched box lunch.

Until next time, Happy Eating!

A Gossip Girl Romance Turned Real

2008-05-14T18:56:14Z

As our girl Tracy posted in Daily Blabber this morning, Blake Lively and Penn Badgely, who play boyfriend and girlfriend on Gossip Girl, have officially been outed for dating in real life too.

People Magazine snapped exclusive pics of ~~Serena and Dan~~ Blake and Penn making out on a romantic trip to Mexico, and now that the cat's out of the bag, their TV dad is weighing in on the romance.

Matthew Settle, who plays Dan's dad Rufus on the show, first told People, "In real life, Penn rolls with the punches better than anybody ... I don't think he needs any advice."

He also thinks that us fans out there are going to go crazy over the duo. (How right is he?!) "I think people are going to love them as a couple... They're a very hot couple. They look good together. And I think they're good for each other, so why not?"

Real Housewives Hit Up... NYC

2008-05-14T18:28:25Z

Does that picture make you laugh? Or is it just me?

Anyway, the Real Housewives of NYC were out in full force at the NBC red carpet. You could tell they've been trained well, because when anyone asked them for scoop, they chimed in with the Bravo line, "Watch what happens!"

First things first, I wanted to know how Alex felt about what went down at the reunion show, when the other housewives were totally attacking her.

Her reaction?

"You know what, it is a reality show. It's not brain surgery. It's meant to be entertaining. It is meant to provide people with a little bit of an escape when they turn on the tube at the end of a long day. And if us doing what we do can provide that, then really what's the harm?"

Okay, well that didn't really answer my question, so I pried some more. Her answer this time?

"If someone came up to you and said you are a fire truck, would you suddenly believe that you were one?"

Oooooh, well in that case...

Moving on, Ramona had on so much makeup. It must have taken 50 hours to put in. Scary. Jill said her stepson is out of the hospital, and, "We're about to have a baby in the family. I don't want to say who, and it's not mine." (Any guesses?)

Lastly, I told Bethenny she should be a standup comic. I also told her it seems like she's only on the show to promote herself since she is so not a typical housewife (heck, she's not even a housewife). Bethenny totally agreed. She's not acting—she's the same in person as she is on the show. "You went to lunch with me," she said (about a lunch the two of us had a little over a year ago). "You know exactly what I'm like."

And that is why Bethenny is my favorite fake housewife. Who's yours?

Molly Shannon Returns to TV

2008-05-14T17:19:11Z

Funny lady Molly Shannon will be gracing our TV screens once again, when her new comedy Kath & Kim premieres Tuesdays this fall on NBC.

Kath & Kim is based on the Australian version of the show about a dysfunctional mother and daughter who move back in together. Molly will be playing mom Kath to daughter Kim, played by Selma Blair.

The first thing I wanted to know: How the heck is Molly playing Selma's mom? Plus, you'd think most actresses are too vain to do that. But not Molly.

"The two women in the Australian series are the same age. People don't know that. They play mother and daughter, but they're from a comedy troupe and they're the same age... So I don't mind. I'm like if the part's good, I don't care about that. I feel like comedy kind of frees you from that."

For those of you who loved Molly's comedy on Saturday Night Live, you won't be disappointed, as she'll definitely have fun getting into character:

"She [Kath] wears jumpsuits and thinks she's sexy and wears leotards. French manicures with diamonds. All about the nails. She's a hairdresser so she has two different hairstyles. Always changing her hair. Different tones of color in her hair. Maybe two different cuts together... She thinks she's stylish."
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"I have little kids so I took a lot of time off and I just wanted to be with my little kids and not work so hard. I'm sure it will be hard. It's finding that balance. I don't like to just kill myself... I don't like all work, it makes me really unhappy... Those girls who are on single hour-long dramas—you will not see me on one of those... To me I don't like acting that much. I don't want to be acting that much... I'd rather be in my own life."

Hey, who could blame her?

Kathy Griffin Dishes on Britney and Miley

2008-05-14T16:36:56Z

Everyone knows you can't talk to Kathy Griffin of Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, without hearing her bash celebrities. But, that's why we love Kathy.

While chatting with Kathy on the red carpet, I asked her about her day with Adnan Ghalib, you know... the paparazzo that Britney Spears was/is dating.

"I was in the Britney scene because we were in the same car that he used to take her around in... or does. I don't know if they're still together. He says they are but I don't know if they are."

See, no mean jokes! That is until Kathy mentioned what she'd talk about if she had to do standup tonight:

"Miley being a slut."

As for the upcoming season of D-List which returns on June 12, Kathy will "start my own line because every reality person has to start their own clothing lines. And mine's a f--king disaster. I cannot give it away."

There will also be a ton of celebrity guests on the show, featuring everyone from Rosie O'Donnell (in her "craftroom where she does the blogs from") to Olivia Newton John ("who is like the Pope").

American Idol Recap: Back Home

2008-05-14T04:53:09Z

Tripling the chances... There were three phone lines open for each of the three contestants. They sang three songs each. The contestants picked a song, the producers picked one for them and so did the judges.

The three contestants got a chance to go back home to be adored upon. That's when they were first told which songs the judges chose for them to sing on this very important moment in the competition. Let's see how well the judges have tapped into the core of each singers' strengths.

This is a picture of David Cook in Kansas City throwing out the first pitch at a Royals game. He also sang, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh inning stretch. Simon picked a Roberta Flack song for Cook, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". That song might have seemed like a stretch for the rocker, but he made beautiful music. Simon called it one of his best performances and told him what makes him brilliant is his risk taking. "Round one goes to Cook and Cowell," the judge boasted. Randy didn't agree. He would have picked a song that rocked for the "resident rocker."

Here's pretty girl Syesha Mercado at a rally and "Vote for Syesha" parade in Tampa. "If I Aint Got You" is what Randy asked her to sing. He thinks music like this Alicia Key's song is the kind of record she can make and be successful. Randy was pleased with Syesha's version, "I am so happy you are peaking at the right time." Simon said he wished Randy would have chosen something for her "where you weren't going to just sound like the original." Randy pointed out to Simon when he listens back he'll hear that she changed quite a bit of the notes.

Ryan asked Syesha if she's been holding back. She answered that she's feeling more comfortable to be herself. I say, holding back? Please, this girl has been outstanding vocally every week.

David Archuleta sang the National Anthem at a Utah Jazz basketball game when he went home. Paula had the pleasure of thinking up which song she thought would best "exploit the beautiful timbre in his voice." She was beaming after he sang Billy Joel's "And So It Goes" and said she really felt he was a storyteller in that performance. Randy called out that he's "in it to win it." And Simon thought it was really good, but a bit predictable.

There are two more rounds to go. Next, the contestants chose their own song followed by the producers' picks. There were some interesting ones in there.

]]> hmmmm no daddy around to coach me - this could be my only opportunity to have fun. I'm going for it!

Breaking free, you gotta love it! It wasn't really him, but... he was out there bobbing around (eyes actually open) and he was more alive than ever. It was good for him. Randy said while seeing him sing about his boo, he just "couldn't believe" him. Simon was glad he didn't do a ballad, but compared this performance to a "chihuahua trying to be a tiger." Paula called it "perfect" and right in the right tone of his voice. She told him he should be singing songs like this. "You are so used to singing ballads, but this is another part of who you are."

Archuleta switched from that song to the opposite end of the spectrum with what the producers picked for him, "Longer" by Dan Fogelberg. The 17-year-old went from teen to senior citizen. This performance was very much like what we are used too. It was a bit boring, but spot on. Simon thought the song was "gooey" and the lyrics were horrible, but he sang it well, "I think you've done enough to get into the finals next week."

Syesha Mercado had a prop for the song she wanted to sing Peggy Lee's, "Fever". She picked it because she liked the vibe of the song and wanted to use the chair. It was a sexy performance and she was amazing. That said, none of the judges could understand why Syesha the powerhouse picked this song to show off her skills. "I think you will probably regret that decision tomorrow. You had the chance to prove you are a contemporary recording artist with your own choice of song. Instead you did quite a lame cabaret performance," Simon blatantly said.

The producers picked up her tempo with Gia Farrell's "Hit Me Up" from the Happy Feet soundtrack. Randy said he could see her doing a song like that, but it was "just alright" for him. Paula said as much as she liked it she didn't think it was the type of song that defines her and, "I don't know if it's good enough to get into the finals of American Idol." Simon added, "it's fun, it's young, but it didn't give you that defining moment."

I know most think the writing is on the wall, but I am not counting Syesha out. She's more versatile than Archuleta and maybe even Cook. And think about how long she has survived when the odds against her were stacked.

David Cook is really the contestant to beat. For himself, he chose "Dare You to Move" by Switchfoot because "lyrically it wrapped up this whole experience... appropriate song for the for the appropriate moment." The judges felt like it wasn't good enough according to the standards he has set. Randy thought it was a great song choice, but performance-wise it wasn't your best." He even called it a little pitchy. Wow, have you heard "pitchy" for Cook as a critique this whole season? Another first was Paula, not gushing all over him, "the challenge is to get the audience to feel like they got the beginning middle and the end." That's because the contestants have to condense a normal length (three and a half minute) song all into a minute thirty. She added, "I feel like you just got to the beginning when you hit the end and I wanted more." Simon agreed, "not much more I can add to that. It's pretty much what I expected."

Aerosmith's "Don't Want to Miss a Thing" was what the producers wanted him to sing. Randy thought this one was predictable. Paula interrupted that, "excuse me! This is where the song's beginning, middle and end is... David see you in the finals." Simon topped that with "David Cook wins the night!"

I think Cook's going to win it all next week. I'm still on the fence about this week though.

Who is going to go back home?

Hell's Kitchen Recap

2008-05-14T01:12:22Z

Chef Ramsay starts the morning off with some homemade food for the chefts. He produces three dishes: chicken parmesan, sausage ravioli and beef stew. He tells the chefs there is one ingredient missing in each and asks what the missing ingredient is. The trick is - there was no meat in any dish, it was all soy. None of the chefs are able to spot the difference, angering Ramsay.

After the taste test, the chefs are lined up to do another taste test, expect this one is blind (and soundproof). The chefs are asked to taste a variety of foods while wearing a blindfold and headphones. The women seem to do much better than the men. It is kind of surprising that Bobby (an executive chef) can't identify a truffle when he tastes one. The last two up are rivals Ben and Matt (he is on the red team now remember?). Who said Hell's Kitchen can't do poetic justice?
]]> The last challenge is a bit different. Ramsay provides one dish he made with ten ingredients and has each side go back and forth identifying an ingredient. In the end Matt proves himself for the red team and gives them the win. The red team wins a spa day (Matt needs a good facial) while the men have to clean the dorms.

After a few chocolate facials and pedicures (my sympathy goes out to that poor, poor lady who had to touch Matt's feet), the chefs start dinner service. Both sides seem to do O.K. right out the gate. Jen yells a little too loud which causes Chef Ramsay to tell her to pipe down in so many words. Jen takes the criticisms a little harsh loses momentum.

On the blue side, Ben produces a piece of chicken not to Ramsay's liking. When the chef asks Ben what his problem is he backpedals and makes excuses. If it is one thing Ramsay doesn't like its excuses.

Back on the red side Ramsay tells Ben's rival Matt that his risotto is the best of the night. Matt is very proud of himself and starts thanking his friends and family for his accomplishments. You would think the guy won an Emmy.

Flip back and Ben has problems with his tickets and meat station. He forgets to set up his lamb (for a ticket that was an hour and a half late) and takes too long on his beef. And to top it all off, a beef wellington Ben prepares rare comes back because it was requested to be cooked well done. This throws Ramsay over the edge and he decides to shut down service. It's like we are back to the beginning of the season.

The losing team is obviously the blue team and each chef on the team is asked to nominate someone to be eliminated. After a little bit of thinking, Ben decides it might work to grab Petrozza and gang up to eliminate Louross. Petrozza doesn't fall for it though and he decides to vote from the heart.

In front of Ramsay, each team member votes for one another. The last vote is left up to Petrozza, who (shockingly) nominates himself. Ramsay respects Petrozza's choice and decides to eliminate Ben.

After Ben says goodbye Ramsay tells the red team one of their member needs to go to the blue team and to let him know who that will be in the morning. If Matt has any say, he ain't going nowhere.

Until next time, Happy Eating!

Tina Fey's Momtourage

2008-05-13T20:38:20Z

When I last spoke with Tina Fey about Baby Mama, everyone wanted to know how she's able to juggle all her jobs while also being a mom.

Well, I got a chance to chat with Tina again at last night's NBC red carpet, so this time I asked her about a time when all that juggling just didn't do the trick.

First Tina explained that she can't do it alone, and she has a great momtourage to back her up:

"I gotta be very honest and say I have a really great nanny and then I also have my nanny's daughter who also works for us. It takes four adults a lot of times to cover taking care of one little kid."

Then the fabulous 30 Rock star shared a little story of when she just couldn't get the job done:

"The other night I had this whole thing where I was like, 'We're going to have family night and we're going to make pizza.' We went to make the pizza and my husband turned on the TV in the middle of it and I got really mad because I was planning to show my daughter an educational DVD after the pizza. And then she just wanted to watch SpongeBob and she didn't want to make the pizza anymore. So he turned it off and she cried and I cried. It took us like ten minutes to rally and get pizza night back on track."

See, even the stars aren't perfect!

TV Recap: Gossip Girl

2008-05-13T15:00:33Z

Time for an intervention

Serena’s missing. She didn’t come home last night and neither Georgina nor Dan can get a hold of her. Vanessa is helping out Rufus and his band. We’re about to see the rocker play a real show. Nate arrives, and there’s hope they’ll actually go on a real date before he gets a call and says he’ll be right there.

Across town, Dan goes to find Serena and asks Chuck if he’s seen her. Chuck also gets a mysterious call and is on his way. Dan is left out of the loop. Chuck and Nate meet up in the elevator at Blair’s. The awkwardness of the three of them uniting to help their friend is slightly amusing.

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Blair takes the boys to Serena, and she’s a mess. She’s puking and needs a bath. Blair tried to find her all night. Apparently Serena took off after last week’s confession that she killed someone. As Blair fills them in, Dan shows up after finding out from Lily that Chuck was going to Blair’s. He wants to see her and they won’t let him upstairs. Serena comes down on her own and instead of telling Dan the truth she lies and says she slept with someone else last night. Why on earth would that be a better thing to say to him? Dan says: “I’m done.”

Deroda calls Lily and tells her she should be worried. It’s like the old days. Lily takes off to do something she’s “done too many times before.” She rifles through Serena’s drawers and finds the tape. She watches enough to know what’s going on and then stops it before it gets too x-rated.

Serena starts to unload the truth on everyone. She says she was upset after she slept with Nate when he was dating Blair and went to meet up with Georgina. G had this guy there and they were supposed to sleep together (and be videotaped), but S suggests they do a few lines first. The guy (Pete) goes first and starts convulsing. G won’t let Serena call the police because there are drugs everywhere, but she calls 911 from his phone before they leave. She watches from across the street and sees him get hauled out in a body bag. After that she got on a train and left for boarding school. That’s why she was gone. Everyone is ready to jump Georgina when they find out about the blackmailing but Serena tells them not to do anything. She’s still mortified that Dan will find out. Despite that, I don’t think they’ll let her get away with it.

Lily confronts Serena about the video and the drugs and all the stuff that happened this morning. She threatens to send her to reformatory school. Blair pulls her aside and tells her Serena is battling an old secret and needs her help. Lily tells Bart she needs to bail on their rehearsal dinner to help her daughter.

Dan brings Sarah to Rufus’s gig. Of course, he’s gone to her for comfort after this whole mess blew up. A girl recognizes her as Georgina, but she plays it off. V confronts Sarah/Georgina and gives her a chance to tell all. No go. When Dan runs into Vanessa she tells him that she got a call from Nate saying not to trust “Sarah,” she’s lying about her name and who knows what else. Instead of waiting for V, Dan takes off, finds G and she cries and tells him some BS story about an abusive ex-boyfriend. Ugh. He eats it right out of her hand.

Lily arranges for Serena to go talk to Pete’s parents about what happened. She braves the situation and still doesn’t feel any better, but we find out Pete was an addict for 10 years and no one is blaming her for that night. Lily backs her up, and takes back what she said earlier. Serena wants to go see Dan now and explain things.

Blair finds out where G is and she and Chuck unite and head off to “get the b*tch.” Can’t wait for this showdown. Everyone starts arriving at the show. Lisa Loeb makes a guest appearance as the host of the event Rufus is playing at. Whoa. Talk about a throwback to the past. She plays her classic hit “Stay.” Rufus then rocks it out and Lily walks in. He starts looking at her while he’s singing and she bails. He’s clearly singing about her. He catches up with her outside and they lock lips. Better now than after the wedding!

G gives Dan some pathetic line about how she’s been falling him since they met. He tells her he wants to go somewhere quiet to talk. Clearly he’s going to make a play for her. I gave Dan too much credit; I thought he was way smarter than this. Obviously not. His hurt over the Serena situation is clouding his judgment. Someone is about to find these two making out… or more. Georgina calls Serena from Dan’s phone and tells her to be worried. She hangs up and makes her play, and Dan is not looking back. Oh no. Where is everybody when you need them?!?

Next week: Tune in for the season finale. Is Dan going to betray Serena and get played by G? Will the gang put Georgina in her place? Will Serena come clean with Dan and make up? Will Bart and Lily call off the wedding? What are your predictions?

I Told Tim Gunn My Shoes Are From Old Navy

2008-05-13T14:47:06Z

Yesterday I spent my afternoon at the NBC Universal Experience. It was AMAZING. I did over 25 interviews for you folks, with everyone from Christian Slater to Molly Shannon to Donald Trump, and oh yeah, the cast of Heroes, plus many others!

Stay tuned for more scoop on my convos with the stars throughout the week.

But, in the meantime, I have to explain the headline of this entry.

You see, I have an obsession with Old Navy shoes. I knew I'd be standing for hours at the NBC red carpet, so without thinking twice, I threw on my Old Navy flats. No heels for the red carpet! What I didn't realize was that I would be interviewing Tim Gunn of Project Runway and Tim Gunn's Guide to Style.

Well, when my buddy at TV Guide asked Tim what the "it" accessory is for summer, he started to say:

"Summer is a time to be relaxed, to not take yourself too seriously. Have a wonderful ballet flat that you love. It could be metallic. It could be some crazy wonderful stripe. It could be embellished with something..." and then he looked down at our shoes and noticed we were both wearing flats.

And he said our shoes were cute!!!

So what did I do? No, I didn't just say thank you. I told him they were Old Navy shoes. Not many people would admit the brand of their shoes to a fashion guru unless it was Prada or Gucci or something crazy expensive. But, Tim Gunn, bless his heart, said, "You don't have to spend a lot of money for fashion!"

So today, here I am back in the office, sporting another pair of my Old Navy flats, with great pride. Because, hey, Tim Gunn approved!