EDIE FALCO as Jackie in Nurse Jackie Episode 4.08, airing June 3, 2012 on SHOWTIME:
SYNOPSIS: Nurse Jackie Episode 8 - June 3, 2012:'Chaud & Froid' Season 4.8.
Jackie's coworkers are punished for covering up her addiction.
SYNOPSIS: Nurse Jackie Episode 8 - June 3, 2012:
Episode Detail: 'Chaud & Froid' - Nurse Jackie -
When Cruz learns about Jackie's rehab, he takes revenge on coworkers who have been covering up her drug problems. Meanwhile, Eddie is deposed by Kevin's lawyer; a dumped Lenny decides to take off for Europe; and Coop accompanies O'Hara to her ob-gyn appointment.
Showtime has released the full playlist of season 4 NURSE JACKIE webisodes, The Break Room on YouTube:
The next episodes of NURSE JACKIE will be airing after the Memorial Day holiday on June 3rd. Be there or be square.
After the jump: Have a look at this interview with the creators on last week's "Day of the Iguana": Bonus: added shots from episode 4.08, more.
Photo credit: Showtime
Photo credit: Showtime
AFTER THE JUMP: Recap Episode 4.07:
While we're on the subject of behind-the-scenes features, have a look at this interview with the creators on last week's "Day of the Iguana": http://youtu.be/YhxuGejnMTc
EDIE FALCO as Nurse Jackie and JAKE CANNAVALLE as 'Charlie Cruz' in Nurse Jackie, season 4.
Did you guess that Jake Cannavale (Jackie's rehab friend, 'Charlie) was Bobby Cannavale's (Jackie's boss, 'Cruz') real-life son? It was starting to to look very probably and in episode 4.07 it's now a known fact by Jackie, by Cruz and by Charlie.
"What happens now?' is the question. Jackie continues to struggle to stay sober. Her involvement with Charlie was at first positive for her--now what's to become of this huge can of worms that has been tipped out completely?
I'm curious too if Cannvale as Cruz is hired just for the season or has signed on beyond this, if there in fact is a NURSE JACKIE season 5 (hope so!)
A side benefit to Charlie and Cruz being who they are on the show is that we immediately understand what it must be like for Charlie to be Cruz's kid. Impossible. Maddening. And, visa-versa!
GAME OF THRONES - PETER DINKLAGE as 'Tyrion Lannister' in the Battle of Blackwater, episode 2.09 (#19), airing Sunday, May27 on HBO (Credit: HBO)
Game Of Thrones Season 2: Episode #19 Preview VIDEO:
Game Of Thrones Season 2: Episode 19 - 'Battle Tease' VIDEO:
Stephen Dillane as Stannis Baratheon in Episode 2.09 of Game Of Thrones, Sunday May 27, 2012 on HBO (Credit: HBO, inc.):
GAME OF THRONES (HBO) 'BLACKWATER' (THE BATTLE OF BLACKWATER BAY) SYNOPSIS:
Episode #19: “Blackwater” Debut: SUNDAY, MAY 27 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
Tyrion and the Lannisters fight for their lives as Stannis’ fleet assaults King’s Landing. Written by George R.R. Martin; directed by Neil Marshall.
The executive producers of GAME OF THRONES are David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Carolyn Strauss, Frank Doelger; co-executive producers, George R.R. Martin, Vanessa Taylor, Alan Taylor, Guymon Casady, Vince Gerardis; produced by Bernadette Caulfield.
Game Of Thrones Season 2: Episode 19 - 'War Of The Kings' Trailer VIDEO:
After the jump:
GAME OF THRONES Episode 18 RECAP ('A Man Without Honour') (VIDEO):, Game Of Thrones Season 2: Inside The Episode #18 (VIDEO)::
GAME OF THRONES Preview Episode #18 - Tom Wlaschiha as 'Jaqen'
(Above) GAME OF THRONES Preview Episode #18 - KIT HARRINGTON (HBO)
SPOILER! Jon Snow is going to hear "You know nothing, Jon Snow,' for a good, long time.
There is some very cool stuff in this new (ancient) world north of the Wall and much that's incredibly dangerous, of course.
Sunday on GAME OF THRONES: Game Of Thrones Season 2: Episode #18 Preview VIDEO:
GAME OF THRONES Episode #18: Things are coming to a full-on boil at Harrenhal - Arya (MAISIE WILLIAMS) must make a move.
(CREDIT:HBO)
GAME OF THRONES Episode #18: “The Prince of Winterfell”: At Winterfell, Theon receives a visitor and holds down the fort. Arya calls in her final debt with Jaqen (Tom Wlaschiha) in a way that displeases him. Robb is betrayed. Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and Varys (Conleth Hill) find common ground. Dany ignores Jorah's (Iain Glen) advice. Stannis (Stephen Dillane) and Davos (Liam Cunningham) approach their destination, and Davos is offered a reward. Written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss; directed by Alan Taylor.
Debut: SUNDAY, MAY 20 (9:00-10:00 p.m.)
GAME OF THRONES: SEASON 2 FINALE SYNOPSIS Episode 2.10 - Valar Morghulis - Press Release:
Episode #20: “Valar Morghulis” (season finale)
As Theon (Alfie Allen) stirs his men to action, Luwin (Donald Sumpter) offers some final advice. Brienne (Gwendolyn Christie) silences Jaime; Arya (Maisie Williams) receives a gift from Jaqen (Tom Wlaschiha); Dany (Emilia Clarke) goes to a strange place; and Jon (Kit Harington) proves himself to Qhorin (Simon Armstrong).
Debut: SUNDAY, JUNE 3 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss; directed by Alan Taylor.
EDIE FALCO as NURSE JACKIE and BOBBY CANNAVALE as Cruz in NURSE JACKIE Episode 4.06 Sunday at 9 et/pt on SHOWTIME
Despite Jackie's (EDIE FALCO) managing to resist temptation even when it is thrust right into her hands, she still has to contend with problems continuing to dog her that go beyond staying sober. Pictured above is one of them: Dr. Cruz (BOBBY CANNAVALE) suspects something is not quite right about Jackie but no one has given him anything on her. Undeterred, he's embarked on a 'witch hunt' of sorts, determined to get to the bottom of Jackie's secret. Here, Jackie employs what she admitted to Zooey is a talent she is 'great at': Lying.
Even Jackie must suspect that with a guy like Cruz hounding her, it's only a matter of time before she and perhaps even those that have been covering for her go down.
Jackie dreams about sex (with Cruz) and drugs but no rock and roll, although Kevin rocks her to her core when he sues for full custody of their daughters. At the hospital, Cruz detects holes in Jackie's employment history, and she's surprised when she catches him exhibiting a kindly bedside manner to a trauma patient. Later, Lenny and Zoey get engaged, but Zoey still has questions about their relationship; Jackie, O'Hara and Akalitus treat a transgender teen.
Edie Falco and Eve Best in Nurse Jackie on Showtime
Nurse Jackie : Where's My Ring?
Zoey loses her engagement ring.
Nurse Jackie : Uncle Coop
Coop insists on being involved with O'Hara's child.
NURSE JACKIE: Episode 4.05 RECAP:
Jackie managed to withstand an-on-the-job-shoulder injury using only an ice-wrap instead of the painkillers that pre-sober "Jacks' would have reached for. She did weaken in her resolvewith Kevin however and he took full-advantage of it. He's now gotten the goods on Jackie's prior pill-taking by cowing Eddie the pharmacist then, feigning consenting to a lunch date with Jackie, instead has her served with divorce papers indicating he is suing for full custody of the girls. This new development leaves Jackie shattered and again, temptation rears it's head. Instead, Jackie stuffs her face with pie.
MERRIT WEVER as "Zooey" and EDIE FALCO as "Jackie" in Episode 5.05 of NURSE JACKIE on Showtime - Sunday 9 pm/et/pt:
Nurse Jackie: Episode 4.05 Synopsis: 'One-Armed Jacks': After realizing after she's whipped up pancakes in cute animal shapes that her girls are not even home to eat --they are at Kevin's--Jackie admits to O'Hara that she's really struggling living alone. Jackie calls Kevin, leaving him a message to meet her for lunch despite O'Hara's strong objections. While treating a gruesome trauma involving severed limbs, Jackie pops her shoulder out and must visit Eddie in the pharmacy so she can get it iced and wrapped up. Later, as Jackie waits for Kevin to show up for their lunch date, she is instead 'served'--divorce papers. Zooey, who had been soliciting a roommate, is invited by Jackie to live with her. That night they have pancakes for dinner.
RECAP Episode 4.04: Grace reveals to Jackie that she knows about Jackie's still in rehab propelling Jackie to Kevin's where in the presence of a nearly-nude woman, Jackie confesses the truth to Kevin. Suspiciously, he seems completely unfazed.
In dire need of some support, Jackie calls up Charlie to meet at an AA meeting. She find him drunk at the meeting and whisks him away. We learn that 'Charlie' is new hospital admin, Mike Cruz's son.
After meeting a charismatic, near death patient, Jackie is sorely tempted by "Jules'" offer to use heavy painkillers, going so far as to toss them in a Dumpster then reach in amongst the refuse, falling in, swearing and giving up on giving into temptation. Unbeknownst to Jackie, Kevin storms the pharmacy and demands from Eddie the names and exactly how much medications ("A lot.") Jackie used; he takes copious notes. Something tells me that we and Jackie are going to hear that list recited in a more formal setting...
Poor Jackie. This continues to be a very rough road to recovery.
TRUE BLOOD Season 3 Episode 9 "Everything is Broken" ERIC NORTHMAN (Alexander Skarsgård) is interrogated by the The Vampire Authorty (VIDEO) (HBO):
Russell will eat us after he eats our children... True Blood - 3x09 - 'Everything Is Broken' - Official HBO Recap:
Russell makes headlines in the latest episode. Watch the Recap.
Since we know that TRUE BLOOD Season 5 will have an emphasis that goes heavy on the previously barely-knownVampire Authority(we mostly knew of them through the now-truly dead "Nan Flanagan") and that will include the return of Russell Edgington, I thought it would be fun to revisit the episode that featured them both most heavily: True Blood - 3x09 - 'Everything Is Broken'.
True Blood Moments: Eric's panic (S3E09): The V-Squad is about to bust in...
Eric, Pam and Ginger with the V-Patrol busting down their door:
TRUE BLOOD - EPISODE 3.09 - 'Everything Is Broken' was not the best eppy of True Blood ever. But there were still some truly solid scenes. I've got a lots of screencaps as well as some great VIDEO scenes from the episode. Enjoy!
This episode did feel sort of choppy. It lacked cohesion as well as the thrills and chills of the previous 2 eppys. Yet Nan Flanagan (Jessica Tuck) was a hoot. We got lots of Pam candy not to mention Pam crying. Crying! Over the prospect of her maker, Eric being punished by death when the Vampire Authority rendered it's opinion about his (mis)deeds. So sweet the way he held her head on his chest like the child (of his) she is. We also had Nan revealing her true colours, not mainstreaming.
JESSICA TUCK AS Vampire Authority rep., Nan Flanagan, storms Fangtasia and interrogates Eric & Co.. And she brought friends.
Good ole Jason proved that wooden bullets actually work! Almost made up for the Crystal storyline which has really been dragging. Vampire Bill going to the land of the Fae was pretty cool. Surprised the heck out of Claudine. She handled it well while he bungled it completely.The fact is, Bill will steal Sookie's light if she stays with him--any dead guy will.
Nan Flanagan goes to Fangtasia for answers about the Magister's whereabouts. Bill gets to the bottom of Sookie's real identity. Jason finds an unlikely ally in his feud with Felton and Calvin. Arlene has a pessimistic view of her husband. ' (AUGUST 15TH 2010)
Claudine not at all trusting or believing Bill's proclamation that he loves Sookie and 'would never harm her.'
True Blood Season 3 Episode 9 - Eric: 'Everything ends, even the immortals.' VIDEO (HD)
'If I can't go on, its your time to be a maker.' Eric to Pam:
JASON KILLS FRANKLIN/SAVES TARA HD (VIDEO):
TRUE BLOOD Season 3 Episode 9 : Jason Has A Wooden Bullet And A Great Aim!
In a scene that has since become a fan fave involving Jason and Tara and Franklin and the wooden bullet which Jason procured some months back during his Fellowship of the Sun detour.
Russell Has Spine (VIDEO):
Denis O'hare as deranged King Russell providing us with our weekly dose of crazy camptasticness in TRUE BLOOD - EPISODE 3.09 - 'Everything Is Broken':
Sookie and Bill: 'I'm a faery!?!' True Blood 3.09 Screencaps (HBO):
Some news I'd missed from TvGuide Magazine after the jump: A tie breaking opportunity for the two vamps will come soon, when Sookie learns a secret about herself. It’s the answer to “What are you?,” the question Bill asked Sookie the first day they met.
“It complicates issues,” says showrunner Alan Ball, adding that the discovery will have a major impact on all her romantic relationships. “It makes Sookie question a lot. She has moments where she’s like, ‘I’ve had it with vampires.’” Does that mean Alcide has a chance? Yep! “When you’re fighting for your life, and everything you’ve taken for granted is revealed as something else than what you thought, and there’s an insanely hot person next to you, there is definitely going to be energy,” says Ball, of the growing affection between the two. Adds Paquin, “They find comfort in each other. Plus, he’s big and he’s strong and he’s warm.” As season 3 winds down, expect more twists than a backcountry dirt road. The biggest may come from Sookie when she discovers just how dark passion can be. “Sookie started off the show as a virgin,” Ball says. “But we’ll see a whole new side of her. Had she seen that side back then, she, herself, would have been shocked.” And that’s not the only thing that will shake Sookie up. “Toward the end of the season, she’s not really concerned about “Who am I going to pick?’ She’s more concerned about evading forces that want her for reasons I can’t disclose,” says Ball.
Isaac Hempstead Wright as Prince of Winterfell, Bran Stark in GAME OF THRONES Episode 15 (HBO):
Game of Thrones Season 2: Recap #15 VIDEO:
Despite the massive going's on in GAME OF THRONES Episode 15 "The Ghost of Harrenhal," the single moment that resonated with me most was the subtle yet deadly serious conversation at Renly's deathbed between Petyr 'Littlefinger' Baelish (Aiden Gillen) and Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer). In the wake of Renly's murder, Littlefinger has urged the Tyrells to beat a hasty retreat before Stannis is upon them. Margaery is in agreement with him and in the course of their conversation, Littlefinger asks Margaery if she wishes to become 'a queen.' 'No' she says as she gazes upon Renly in death, 'I want to be THE queen.'
All of a sudden this seemingly demure barely-a-woman has tipped her hand about her end game. No doubt Littlefinger had already suspected as much as the Tyrell's are a matriarchy (see Inside the Episode #15 video) with the men seemingly rather pliable and the women calling the shots behind the scenes. Instead of a poor, young widowed bride, Margarey presents herself here as a self-possessed and introspective woman who is in no way out ot the game.
Game Of Thrones - Episode 15 - Inside the Episode VIDEO:
BELOW: CLICK ON THE THUMBNAILS TO SEE WHAT 5 OF THE STARK CHIDREN HAVE BEEN DOING:
After the jump: Game Of Thrones Season 2: Anatomy Of A Scene - Theon Being Baptized VIDEO:
GAME OF THRONES - Episode 15 – 'The Ghost of Harrenhal' – RECAP:
We open the episode in King Renly’s tent as Renly talks war strategy & alliances with Catelyn Stark. Things sound somewhat promising but because of Melisandre's demon spawn birthing scene last week, everyone probably guessed that Renly's number was about to be up. Sure enough, but a few minutes into the episode Renly is driven through with the shadow demon's sword, falling into Brienne's arms and dying. Guards are upon her immediately but she quickly dispatches them. Then, with Catelyn's urging, she and Cat beat a hasty retreat. Later is a heart-rending scene between Brienne and Catelyn, where a still very distraught Brienne pledges her loyalty to Catelyn Stark. Perfectly played by both Gwendoline Christie as Brienne and Michelle Fairley as Catelyn.
Back in Renly’s camp, the Tyrells have discovered the fate of poor Renly. Loras seems much more upset than Margaery expressing his desire for revenge by killing Stannis himself. Margaery advises caution, as does Littlefinger. She though, is thinking only about the end game, and Littlefinger appears to be on the same page. Says he, 'You wish to be a queen?' Says she, 'No.'...pause...'I wish to be THE queen.'
Stannis has arrived in Renly’s camp and all of his bannermen except the Tyrells who have fled, have joined him. Davos needs to speak with Stannis of a 'hard truth' in the forthcoming battle strategy. Stannis tells him they next sail to Blackwater Bay and, despite Davos's protestations, Davos will command the fleet. Davos advises Stannis to leave Melisandre behind because, he tells him, he will lose his men to the Red Woman if they are victorious as she will be credited her for the victory. Stannis glumly acquiesces without argument.
In King’s Landing, Tyrion meets with Cersei about Renly’s death. Tyrion warns that they will be Stannis's next target. Cersei blithely responds that Joffrey has begun making siege plans, but she plays coy about what those plans are. Undaunted, Tyrion goes to Lancel to get the inside scoop. After verbally kicking around Cersei's boy-toy, Tyrion learns that the Queen Regent has ordered alchemists s make wildfire. Tyrion journeys to the Alchemist’s Guild seeing firsthand the potential in “the substance.” He orders Hallyne to continue making it under Tyrion's direction now.
On the Iron Islands, Theon is preparing to set sail on his ship, the Sea Bitch. His motley crew doesn’t respect him. He meets Dagmer Cleftjaw for the first time; Dagmer suggests instead of raiding some fishing villages, they attack the under-defended Torrhen’s Square. Theon tells him they could take it, but couldn’t hold it once Winterfell sends forces to reclaim it. The two men exchange knowing glances and Theon now sees a path to victory and the much-desired respect from his men.
In Winterfell, Bran is taking yet another 'town hall' meeting,' continuing to listen to the complaints of minor lords. To his irritation, little brother Rickon noisily mashes walnuts by his side. Breaking the staid process, Rodrik bursts in declaring Torrhen Square is under attack. Despite most of them off at battle with Robb, Rodrick tells Bran he could round up 200 fighting men. Bran orders him to do so and to reclaim Torrhen Square. Later, he talks with Osha about his dreams. He talks of the three-eyed crow and then tells Osha about his dream of the sea crashing over the walls Winterfell.
In the far North, the Night’s Watch has arrived at the Fist of the First Men. As they set up camp, Qhorin Halfhand arrives with a force from the Shadow Tower. Qhorin and Jeor Mormont, the Old Bear, talk strategy; the Halfhand wants to take a small force of men to eliminate Mance’s scouts and Jon Snow wants to go with him. Commander Mormont resists at first, but relents after an internal dialogue where he seems to remember his end-game with Snow. It doesn't hurt that Sam cheerfully offers to pick up Jon’s steward duties.
Across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys is a guest of Xaro Xhoan Daxos, the prince who vouched for her and her troupe at the gates of Qarth. Dany has finally figured out how how to feed her dragons or rather how they can now feed themselves (they like their meat singed). Xaro hosts a meet and greet for Dany including the shiver-inducing warlock, Pyat Pree. He shows Dany a bit of magic and invites her to the House of the Undying. Clad in a bizarre wooden mask, Quaithe makes an appearance, delivering cryptic warnings to Jorah of impending danger. Later that night, Xaro demonstrates his immense wealth and then proposes marriage to Dany. He also delivers the news that King Robert is dead. Dany consults with 'adviser and friend,' Jorah. She considers accepting Xaro’s proposal and setting sail to Westeros immediately. Jorah advises her that they wait, that their allies are in Westeros and they need just one ship, not three, to get them there.
Tom Wlaschiha as Jaqen H’ghar
At Harrenhal, Arya attends to Lord Tywin as he meets with his lords. They are discussing what to do about Robb, as he continues to make mincemeat of them at every battle. Tywin recognizes Arya as a northerner. He asks of her what they say of Robb in the north. She tells him the tales of Robb riding a direwolf into battle, or even turning into a direwolf, and that he can’t be killed. “Do you think he can’t be killed?,” he intones. Arya meets his eyes steadily: “No. Anyone can be killed.” Tywin tells her to fetch some water as the already long meeting will continue much longer. On her way, she runs into the enigmatic Jaqen H’ghar dressed as a Lannister soldier. He tells her she owes the Red God three lives, that she must give a man three names and a man will do the rest. Arya gives him his first name, the torturer nicknamed The Tickler. Later, a scream and a thud comes from the courtyard. The Tickler lies on the ground, his head twisted 180 degrees around, facing up. Arya looks up at the battlements and sees Jaqen. He acknowledges her by holding one finger up to his face.
Also at Harrenhall, 'Gendry' (Joe Dempsie)
My thoughts on 'The Ghost of Harrenhal':
Maybe because I'm new to the book series, currently at the beginning of 'A Storm of Swords', I'm not getting bent about the changes being made in the adaption from the A Song of Ice and Fire book series to the HBO telling of the story. The author of the books, George R.R. Martin is an advisor on the adaption process and it seems most choices are done in service to the process that must be gone through in order to come out the other side, so to speak.
I don't care who Arya chose as her first kill. It needed to be someone that she hated's name. She more or less just plucked out of the air as Jaquen sprang the three deaths for three lives offer on her and she answered quickly. In my mind, the Tickler was as good as any. Book readers fussing over 'what will they do when' in book 3 need to focus on the now (adaption of book 2). If you love the book version so very much, go back and reread it to assuage your feelings of being cheated.
Speaking of 'Arya', Maisie Williams is a fantastic Arya. She's acting at the level of the best adult actors on the show. When I read the books now I picture her and that's about as good as it gets.
Though he didn't impress me all that much in season 1, Isaac Hempstead Wright as 'Bran' is increasingly growing on me. He never overplays and his restrained performance serves the story quite well.
Tom Wlaschiha as Jaqen H'ghar is mysterious, strange and very alluring. He's an instant favourite of mine.
Finally, the scene in the aftermath of Renly's murder between Stephen Dillane as Stannis and Liam Cunningham as Davos was churning with tumult just beneath it's muted surface. Kudos to both actors.
Lena Headey as Cersei and Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in GAME OF THRONES - Episode #16:
Game Of Thrones Season 2: Episode #16 Preview
GAME OF THRONES NEXT WEEK: Episode #16: “The Old Gods and the New”: Debut: SUNDAY, MAY 6 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT)
Theon (Alfie Allen) completes his master stroke. In King’s Landing, the Lannisters send Myrcella (Aimee Richardson) from harm’s way in the nick of time. Arya (Maisie Williams) comes face to face with a surprise visitor; Dany (Emilia Clarke) vows to take what is hers; Robb (Richard Madden) and Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) receive crucial news; Qhorin (Simon Armstrong) gives Jon (Kit Harington) a chance to prove himself.
Written by Vanessa Taylor; directed by David Nutter.
AFTER THE JUMP: Game Of Thrones Season 2: Inside The Episode #15
Grace learns that her mother has been in rehab, forcing Jackie to race to Kevin's before she spills the beans to him. Later, Cruz docks Jackie's pay over some purloined items; and Jackie sets up an AA rendezvous with Charlie, who turns up in bad shape. Rosie Perez appears as 'Jules,' a woman with a condition that is the most bizarre that I've ever seen on Nurse Jackie. (You really do need to see it.) Jules and Jackie click in a profound way with potentially disastrous consequences.
Unsurprisingly Jackie left rehab early,'AMA,' because she desperately believes that troubled older daughter, 'Grace' needs her mom close at hand. In fact, Grace makes it very clear that the writing is on the wall--she wants to live with her dad.
Surprisingly, Jackie managed to stay in the recovery program for over two weeks, even making a connection with a fellow patient with whom she seems to have forged a very real relationship.
Though it probably was a poor judgment call on her part, she did return to the hospital, which in my estimation is both a boon and bane to her sobriety. In her favour, Jackie has a support system in place at work which she doesn't have at home and it's a medical setting. But the fact that the very substances which she abuses are right under her nose at work certainly sets her sobriety up for failure.
It seemed almost inevitable that she'd succumb to temptation and almost immediately, her fragile state is shaken when Kelly Slater gives her a bag of Fentynal patches. In a wrenching scene, Jackie agonizes over the temptation to use only to instead turn the patches over to Cruz and rat Kelly out. Kelly beats a hasty retreat from All Saints.
Will she have the strength to stay on the wagon when temptation next rears it's head or will Jackie's leaving rehab be the beginning of the end of her struggle to stay sober? Perhaps we'll find out more in this week's episode.
"Eureka" When the MC heads north on a "charity" club run, they find more than just bike trouble when they cross state lines. And with Samcro out of Charming, Gemma's left in a compromising position with The League.
SONS OF ANARCHY SEASON 2 TRAILER
Reeling from the combined pressure of an ATF crackdown and an unprovoked murder, the Sons face a far more deadly threat from a cold-blooded enemy who will stop at nothing to drive them out of Charing - for good. As Jax and Clay square off over questiond of leadership and loyalty, lines are drawn and shaos reigns as the club threatens to destroy itself - from the inside out.
SONS OF ANARCHY- Season 2 Episode 2 SYNOPSIS- "Small Tears":
Jax’s decision without the club’s approval doesn’t sit well with Clay, especially when it brings dangerous repercussions upon the MC. Luann runs into trouble at her porn studio.
God. I just realized that "Small Tears," the title of episode 2 of Sons of Anarchy, is small tears of flesh-- damage done by the gang rape of Gemma. I'd been thinking (or perhaps I was not thinking) that it was small tears as in crying and I couldn't quite get my head around it. Now I do. Perhaps it is also a metaphor for the tears in her psyche and soul.
KATEY SAGAL has some insightful comments about Gemma's difficult recovery from a traumatic event on 'Sons of Anarchy's' first episode of Season 2.
UPDATE: BE SURE TO READ MY CURRENT COVERAGE OF SONS OF ANARCHY on my sister blog
"I think she knows everything." - Katey Sagal on Gemma Teller Morrow, her character on FX's Sons of Anarchy.
Within the insular world of the Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club, which rules the small California town of Charming, Gemma is a force of nature, not to be underestimated.
She's married to club president Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman), who co-founded the Sons with Gemma's late first husband, John Teller. The rest of the men in the club respect her role as not just Clay's wife but as a no-nonsense leader and someone who's been there from the start.
"They’re a little bit Peter Pan-ish, all of the [men in the club]," Sagal said in a recent phone interview. "They all need a strong mom. I think she kind of is the matriarch of all of them in a weird way. In the mythology of the club, she’s been there since the beginning. So she has probably seen these guys when they first got there. So they look to her as some sort of, I don’t want to say a moral compass, but she’s got a strong point of view."
As Season 2 began, tensions were rising between Clay and Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam), Gemma's son and a powerful force as well, within the club. A white-supremacist gang had come to Charming with the stated intent of shutting down the club's illicit gun sales.
"..Gemma sees all of it. "...this is where I think she’s sort of different than possibly an organized-crime wife. They seem to have more of the see no evil [approach] -- they just don’t look. I think that Gemma is very involved in what’s going on," Sagal says.
Gemma's central role within the club had unexpected and disturbing consequences in the Season 2 premiere of the show.
About this seasons overarching theme she says,
"It’s about the undoing of lots of characters. Everybody kind of comes up against themselves, that's really what you see. (They’re forced to make choices in terms of loyalty to the club and whether or not it’s going to be for the good of all.)
A: "Yeah, this whole job has been a lot of those [situations] where I’ve walked through things and thought, “Well I’ve never done that.” Then you kind of do it and it just makes you better at what you do. So I have felt -- I have embraced the challenge. It couldn’t be a more loving, safe atmosphere where we work because everybody’s very vulnerable and it’s risky and there’s a lot of physical stuff. It’s just a really good environment for that. The way we did that first episode was very choreographed and timed. It was respectful. We just got through it, you know what I mean?"
Q: The rape of Gemma is clearly a pivotal moment for the club, I think, and for obviously for your character. ... you('ve) talked about how difficult a process that was for you -- that it was weeks of difficulty...
A: "Well you know, it’s always sort of the job of the actor to make real make-belief circumstance. In this particular case, it required me to visit some pretty dark places but just seemed to hang around with me after I left work. You know, it’s hard sometimes to just detach yourself from what you’re doing. Most times it’s not; most times it’s okay, but in this particular case … The timeline of our show is very [compact]. Most of the events take place within a week. So it’s not like from episode to episode there’s weeks of time [passing for the characters]. Those first five [episodes cover about a three week period and then] she starts to finally pull herself together a little bit. But those first two or three episodes take place [for Gemma] over a course of two or three days. Then coupled with -- there’s a lot of shame that comes from that experience. I think that Gemma is a woman who always sort of leads with her sexuality; she’s confident, she’s strong. This takes it to another place. In my imagination this may have been something that happened to Gemma as a kid. She may have been one of those kinds of kids. I sort of threw that in the mix that -- this is reminiscent of a bad time as well."
Q:... Gemma is...such a powerful personality.... her power is, to some degree, in her sexuality and in her strength. It seems like both of those are kind of under attack; she’s wavering in every way.
Game Of Thrones Season 2: Episode #15 Preview (HBO):
Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) in GAME OF THRONES Episode 2.05 (#15) HBO:
GAME OF THRONES - Inside Episode 14:
Take a look inside Episode #14 of "Game Of Thrones."
Game of Thrones Episode #15: "The Ghost of Harrenhal" Season 2, Episode 5 Synopsis (TVGuide):
The Baratheon rivalry ends, drawing different reactions from Catelyn and Littlefinger; Tyrion finds Joffrey's defense plan at King's Landing lacking, but also learns of a mysterious secret weapon; Theon continues to prove himself to his father by sailing to the Stony Shore; Arya gets a promise from Jaqen H'ghar; the Night's Watch regroup at an ancient fortress called the Fist of the First Men.
Original Air Date: Apr 29, 2012
Guest Cast Stephen Dillane: Stannis Baratheon Tom Wlaschiha: Jaqen H'ghar Gethin Anthony: Renly Baratheon
RECAP GAME OF THRONES 'Garden Of Bones' Episode 2.04 (#14) HBO:
Arya is taken to Harrenhal, along with Gendry, Hot Pie and the other prisoners. At Harrenhal, the Mountain makes his first season 2 appearance while we meet The Tickler for the first time. Arya first begins reciting her “nightly prayer”--repeating the names of those she intends to kill: “Joffrey, Cersei, Ilyn Payne, the Hound.” Her experience in the camp has added a name to that list, though: Polliver, one of the Lannister guards who abused her fellow prisoners. Gendry is chosen to be the Tickler’s next victim but Lord Tywin Lannister arrives just in time. He scolds the Mountain and his men for not putting his captives to work. He orders them to find work for the prisoners and immediately recognizing Arya for the girl that she is, takes Arya as his cupbearer. Gendry is enlisted as a smith.
Meanwhile, the 'Young Wolf', King of the North Robb Stark, wins a great victory against the Lannister forces. However, he gets a reality check from 'Talisa,' a pseudonym apparently, for Jeyne Westerling (Oona Chaplin). Talisa saves a Lannister soldier’s life by amputating his leg, while Robb holds him down. Later she challenges Robb on his plan after he wins the war, to which Robb replies, he doesn’t know.
Richard Madden as King Robb Stark and Oona Chaplin as Talisa'
Back in King’s Landing, King Joffrey is punishing Sansa for her brother’s victory. Thankfully, Tyrion arrives and puts a stop to it.
Later, Joff's uncle Tyrion sends him prostitutes as a present after his sellsword Bronn, suggests that maybe Joff might benefit getting un'clogged' (ew). We quickly see that Joffrey isn't interested in getting off sexually, rather he orders Ros to beat the other prostitute at crossbow-point to send a message to his uncle. While we don’t see Tyrion receive Joff’s message, we do see him discover Lancel Lannister's secret (he's bedding Queen Regent Cersei) and use it turn him into an informer.
Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea, 'Dragon Mother' Daenerys has arrived at the gates of Qarth, “the greatest city that ever was or will be.” Her stubbornness pays off as her threat—“turn us away and we will burn you first”—impresses, and after some deliberation outside of the city gates, Dany’s khalasar is finally allowed entrance to the city after Xaro Xhoan Daxos invokes ‘sumai’, agreeing to stand for her.
Littlefinger arrives at Renly’s camp with a message for Catelyn: Tyrion wishes to trade Jaime Lannister for Sansa and Arya. As a gesture of goodwill, Littlefinger delivers Ned’s bones to Catelyn.
The next day, Stannis arrives on the scene to treat with Renly, both men wanting to take the throne in King’s Landing. Stannis, the “charmless” elder, believes the crown is his by divine right. Younger brother Renly has many friends and has gathered a much larger force but he can’t know his brother’s secret weapon—the “child” his high priestess Melisandre will be bearing him later that night. Stannis delivers the ultimatum, Renly has until dawn to surrender and bend the knee. That night, Stannis sends Davos and Melisandre to the shore. There, in a cave beneath Renly’s camp, Melisandre disrobes, lies on the ground and gives birth to a shadow demon.
Melisandre gives birth to a shadow demon spawn (HBO):
For more on Game of Thrones, go to http://itsh.bo/HpR8b1. Connect with Game of Thrones on Facebook & Twitter: http://www.facebook.com/gameofthrones http://www.twitter.com/gameofthrones - #gameofthrones
AFTER THE JUMP: GAME OF THRONES Episode 2.04 EXTRAS:
NURSE JACKIE - Season 4 EPISODE 3 - "The Wall" - Edie Falco (SHO)
NURSE JACKIE - Season 4 EPISODE 3 - "The Wall" - Lenny Jacobson, Peter Facinelli, Edie Falco, Stephen Wallem and Eve Best:
(David M. Russell/Showtime)
As I've said before, NURSE JACKIE's season 4 debut episodes are really good.
Jackie and many other main characters are facing circumstances that would have seem unimaginable or ludicrous at least, just a season ago. But here we are with "Jackie' in rehab, OHara pregnant (and happy about it!). Akalitus has been demoted to working the floor at the hospital. Kevin is living separately from Jackie who (hypocritically) threw him out upon hearing his admission/confession that he'd had a fling. Jackie herself was flinging around with hospital pharmacy dispenser,'Eddie,' who like almost everyone else at the hospital, did not know that Jackie was married with kids. To say that Eddie is distraught over the turn of events regarding Jackie (and his job) is a great understatement.
There's new cast addition Bobby Cannavale who plays a sincere-sounding, but not really fully-comprehending, 'Dr. Cruz.,' Cruz represents the hospital chain that bought up 'All Saint's'.
Cannavale's IRL son Jake, has been getting as much face time thus far this season as his dad as 'Charlie', Jackie's compadre in rehab. I think you'll really like their story arc.
Going back to my original thought that the Nurse Jackie characters are facing unpredicted or hugely disruptive situations in season 4: Jackie now has alienated those closest to her, including Ohara and Grace, Jackie's eldest, long-troubled daughter. With no one to bare her in-recovery, detoxing soul to, Jackie's clicking with fellow drug addict, 'Jake' may make the differences in recovery for either one or even both of them.
Jake Cannavale as "Charlie Cruz':
NURSE JACKIE Episode 4.03 Synopsis: 'The Wall' - Despite her counselor's warnings, Jackie leaves rehab and returns to a much-changed All Saints, where working sober for the first time leaves her feeling easily rattled. Meanwhile, Zoey second-guesses her relationship with Lenny; Eddie reveals to Jackie that Kevin knows about their affair; and Grace presents Jackie with a list of demands.
Laura Silverman as 'Laura' NURSE JACKIE Episode 4.03
NEXT WEEK (4.29.12): Episode Detail: 'Slow Growing Monsters' - Nurse Jackie Grace learns that her mother has been in rehab, forcing Jackie to race her daughter to Kevin's before she spills the beans. Later, Cruz docks Jackie's pay over some purloined items; and Jackie sets up an AA rendezvous with Charlie, who turns up in bad shape.
Nurse Jackie co-creators/showrunners Linda Wallem and Liz Brixius are leaving the Showtime comedy after four seasons, Deadline reports.
A new showrunner has not yet been named, but Showtime is already in discussions with a candidate to work alongside star/executive producer Edie Falco and executive producer Richie Jackson, according to the site... Nurse Jackie kicked off its fourth season earlier this month and enjoyed a ratings bump, averaging 653,000 viewers.
AFTER THE JUMP: MORE SCENES FROM NURSE JACKIE EPISODE 4.03:
Scroll down for full SHOWTIME FREE Preview Weekend Schedule!:
SHAMELESS: Episode 2.01 Synopsis - "Summertime':
- In the Season 2 premiere, despite her breakup with Steve, Fiona tends bar at a local hotspot with Veronica, hangs out with a successful young business executive, and enjoys her youth; Debbie runs a daycare with Carl; Ian takes over at the Kash and Grab when Kash leaves town; Lip runs a Little League book and helps Kev out with their annual ice cream/pot truck; despite Eddie's disappearance, Sheila takes small steps to finally leave the house; Frank loses a bet and surrenders Liam as collateral.
I've included all the new 2012 SHAMELESS character mashups VIDEOS:
Watch 'em here on the blog or you can click thru to the Shameless channel on YouTube or see my Shameless Season 2 player (below):
One thing we can be pretty certain about when trying to discern if the newest sneak peek shots are from Shameless season 1 or season 2 is by what the characters are wearing, specifically winter vs. summer-in-Chicago attire. Season 2 = summer clothes is how it goes. In Fiona's case tho', since she wears next to nothing for clubbing and at other times to better showcase Emmy Rossum's hotness, it is not a sure-fire way to judge. With 'Debbie' and 'Carl's' cases they are noticeably older and those scenes seem new anyway as they are defo summertime in Chicago, not winter.
Shameless: Fiona Gallagher Mashup
Get a glimpse of some of Fiona's most shameless moments.
Shameless: Lip Gallagher Mashup
Get a glimpse of some of Lip's most shameless moments.
Shameless: Frank Gallagher Mashup
Frank Gallagher is father, teacher and captain of the Gallagher ship. Get a glimpse of some of his most shameless moments.
True Blood's Season 4 finale was very uneven--much like most of the season:
It's easier to rattle off the 'misses' than the hits so that's where I'll start.
Misses (in no particular order):
1. Alcide's (Joe Manganiello) 'Let's use our brains instead of hearts' chat with Sookie (Anna Paquin). What a way to approach asking a lady out! Having dumped his adulterous, V-addict wife, Debbie Pelt and disapproving of Sookie's choices in men (vampires) he suggests that Sookie start using her head and give him--a werewolf a shot.
This was probably among the longest bits of convo that Joe Manganiello as 'Alcide Herveaux' has had and though others have criticized the actor for being 'wooden,' I did not see it. Until now. Not only did Alcide seal the deal that he will NEVER 'have' Sookie but he pretty much guaranteed that the Alcide storyline is going to evaporate in season 5. Hopefully, Alcide's ending won't be as as brutally abrupt as Jason's stint with the dentally-impaired denizens of Hotshot because let's be honest, he is one fine male specimen. Sookie is going to be man-free for a time--and then--who knows, but at most, a short stint with the wolf-man is all there will be. Too bad.
2. OMG, Marnie (Fiona Shaw) no! Not again with the 'I've been a freak all my life and people are mean, POOR ME.' This has got to be at least the third full-blown pity poor me speech they've given Shaw as the mousy palm reader turned revenge-seeking uber-wiccan. Was her crappy life supposed to justify her behaviour? It would have been better to simply go with her being driven mad. Instead Marnie simply became a harpy. Waste of Shaw's abilities--at least as the season wound down.
3. WTF?! with the long, lingering suckling sounds then wider shot of both Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) and Bill (Stephen Moyer) feeding on Sookie's wrists?! All three are snug on the sofa with Sookie, as Jason would put it, using Sookie as their own private soda fountain. Just ugh and OMG how freakin' cheesy is the fact that both men were in matching robes? No wonder she dumped them! She knows that a big bromance is brewing between them! Did you see some of the eye-fucking going on between Eric and Bill in the last couple of episodes? I'd love a nice Eric & Bill adventure if only to stir up both sides cheering for Sookie to pick one. The scene though was just icky on all kinds of levels though I think it was meant to be slightly campy and amusing (before Sookie got all traditional and decided she just could. not. love. both of them at the same time).
4. Jason (Ryan Kwanten) and Hoyt's 3-minute "I'm doing Jesssica' scene: a total waste of three minutes intended simply to give Jim Parrack as Hoyt some season finale face time. I like the actor but this was totally superfluous.
The rest was typical Jason and the one line of any significance was repeated by Jason to Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) after their tryst--no need for Hoyt to have been in this episode--at all.
5. Speaking of a waste of time. Kevin Alejandro got plenty of face time. He did not need to engage in the interminable back and forth with the possessed-by-Marnie, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis). It went on forever...could have trimmed that by at least a minute with less candle-lighting and chest slashing. RIP 'Jesus', BTW. Kevin Alejandro did a very credible job this season and became a character that the audience grew fond of. That's the point of course, when you know that you will off him before season's end.
6. Luna (Janina Gavankar) & Sam (Sam Trammell). How long did it take them to say a whole lot of nothing and then goodnight? And haven't they been all about nothing? Does anyone care about them? Anyone? I like Sam--who doesn't?--but there is zero chemistry with this pairing and speaking of zero chemistry let's take on the Jason and Jessica storyline that is brewing:
7. Jessica and Jason (above). We get it: they are both really into sex. What else do they have in common? Immature, selfish behavior, punctuated by occasional bravery and selflessness. I'm willing to give this pairing some time in season 5 but what I'm not willing to do is watch the mind-numbingly awful attempts at keeping the actor who play's Jessica, Deborah Ann Woll's, boobies under cover. And by 'boobies' I mean nipples. We get cleavage, we get side boob and maybe even underboob but in the two times we've seen Jason and Jessica make love when her breasts are in camera range she clutches them in an obvious attempt at modesty. Did no one tell her that there is simply no room for modesty on True Blood? The same goofy camera angles and weird use of sheets was employed by Rutina Wesley as well in the two seasons she had a boyfriend. It's very distracting on a show that otherwise is pretty liberal in it's nudity (it is after all, NOT television, but HBO).
There were some great moments in the True Blood season 4 finale but not enough--by a long shot--to make a great episode:
Maxine Fortenberry's (Dale Raoul) quips about Sam's shifty bro Tommy's deviousness and thievery which segued into comforting Sam were a nice touch.
Nan Flanagan's (Jessica Tuck) comeuppance at the hands of Eric and Bill was spot on-- though I will miss her.
Pam's (Kristen Bauer van Straten) tirade-to-tears about Sookie's 'fairy vagina' and stupid name only to have Ginger (Tara Buck) uh, gingerly slip an arm around her in comfort was really quite a sight (you just know Pam is going to glamour that memory out of Ginger given the first chance). Scroll down after the jump for the video of the scene.
The return of dead-since season-one Gran (Lois Smith)! It was totally awesome to see her in all her glorious badassery when she literally tore Marnie's spirit out of Lafayette. (The resultant tedious and trite convo between Marnie and Antonia (Paola Turbay) took some momentum out of the scene, however. )
Debbie Pelt's (Brit Morgan) reappearance was no surprise to the 'bookies. With a few change-ups this was how she died in the Sookie Stackhouse series. In the book series however, Sookie took her out alone. 'Book' Tara is a minor character and was in no way involved.
What True Blood Tara did was pretty cool though--but ultimately pretty stupid. She got half of the side of her skull blown away. I think this was done to telegraph to any doubting audience members that yes, at last, the never-written-well character of Tara Thorton is finally over.*
But will Rutina Wesley be back? She, as you can read below, is unsure but 'trusts' Alan Ball and she reminds us, this is True Blood (so anything can happen). Other than short otherworldly-type visits I'm thinking the majority of the audience want Tara gone. We've long since realized that the True Blood writers are incapable of giving the perfectly capable Wesley a storyline she can sink her teeth into. RIP then, Tara and Jesus. I'm assuming though, that the bad guys won't be resting in peace.
Season 4 Finale Grade: B-. Out of the four True Blood seasons so far, I rank Season 1 and Season 2 in that order and Seasons 3 and 4 about on par with one another. Both suffered from sloppy, self-indulgent writing and extremely bad editing. Please, in the name of good screenwriting Alan Ball, please ditch Raelle Tucker. If you have any doubt about this women's rationalle whist writing True Blood, listen to her explain Jessica's sexuality in the 'Inside The Episode' HBO clip (embedded in this post). Tucker explains that she wanted "Jessica' to flaunt her sexuality unashamedly (like a man could). We, the audience however, see Jessica in flagrante, seemingly ashamed of her own body (the breast-clutching). Huge disconnect there. Tip of iceberg in Tucker's writing skills-issues. Don't even get me started on her apparent non-acquaintance with healthy sexuality.
From the 9.12.11 exclusive interview with Rutina Wesley (Tara Thornton):
Q: In your mind, is Tara dead?
A: Well I mean half my head is missing.
I’m just gonna keep saying that. You know, it’s True Blood. I feel like anything is possible. If anything, it is the golden hour though. If she is able to be saved, it’s like she’s got 20 seconds. It’s not a lot of time. I’m curious to see what they’re going to do with all of it. I hope I’m back. But again half my head is missing [laughs] ...
I don’t know what their plans are for next season. I know that Alan has said there are “big plans,” but I don’t know what that really means, and things can always change. I’m not for sure, but I trust him completely. At the end of the day, it’s hard to see how I’m coming back, seeing as half of my head was just blown off. I don’t know. They may figure something out. I mean it’s True Blood. There’s always flashbacks. There’s phantasms.
*Based so far, on The Big C, Episode 1, 'Losing Patients':
1. It's LOL funny in part due to the appearance of someone entirely unexpected...
2. It's REAL. If you've lived any life at all you know how valuable it is and how scary it is to contemplate losing it. The BIG C conveys this quite clearly with an awareness of the adage that the best medicine is laughter...supplemented by medical marijuana, if needed.
3. In 30-minute increments I'm quite convinced that this little show is going to continue to encourage me to think about my life and what I do with it because comedy or not--truth is, we are all on the clock. It's what we do with the time we have. Cliche? Maybe, but there's nothing cliche about how The Big C reminds me of important stuff we tend to shove aside in favour of 'stuff' we have to deal with RIGHT NOW. In truth, all we know for certain is there is nothing else but right now.
Happy viewing!
HEY!:
Weeds/The Big C Poster Art Giveaway:
Of course, I'm giving away posters! Drop me an email: foreverafangirl@gmail.com. Be sure to put 'Weeds' in the subject line and if I pick your name out of a hat on July 13, you win the poster art for both Weeds and The Big C!
While Nancy's jail time has certainly made her tougher, Cathy's cancer is in for a fierce fight! Following the WEEDS premiere, catch a fresh season of The Big C. Here's a brand new season 2 trailer: http://youtu.be/PKRp5FBhxuk.
I can't even believe how fast the season 4 premiere of True Blood has come! (pause) Kidding!
True Blood Fans have endured the sucking, waiting since August 2010 for a fresh full-length episode of True Blood to savour. But here we are, teetering on the very brink of the Sunday, June 26 9pm E HBO offering of a brand new episode and (if you signed up for HBOGo) the second episode shortly thereafter! It should pack one helluva one-two punch in the space of 24-hours or so and with any luck, the sky-high ratings will shake up 'talks' between the most brilliant Alan Ball and the 'one true premium cable network,'HBO, so that our man remains on board with the show for season 5.
I'll have more on that later--in the next couple of days--but if you have not read it before be aware this could be Alan Ball'slast season at the helm of True Blood! (again, quote attribution from the source--Ball himself) a bit later. I have both a spousal birthday and other deadlines that must be attended to ASAP!
OK. Here we go with the fishing contest in the pool full of Spoiler-ish/ True Spoilers material that Source: TVGuide has unleashed upon us! 'EDIT's are MINE!
"True Blood has brought witches, werewolves and vampires to life over the last three seasons, but everything you think you know about the supernatural beings will be upended this season.
"Everything you thought you can count on, you can't," executive producer Alan Ball says. "Vampires are not stronger than certain humans, shapeshifters can do things other than shift and there are ghosts."
Here are 10 things we TVGuide knows do know about what's coming up, straight from the cast of True Blood:
1. It's all about the witches (EDIT: Duh!): A band of witches tap into a new form of power, causing Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) to lose his memory. At the head of the coven is Marnie (Fiona Shaw), a (formerly mild-mannered, now possessed by a 1700's) vengeful witch coming into her powers and out for revenge. Unfortunately Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) will be dragged into the increasing vampire vs. witch tension. "Lafayette loves his boyfriend, [Jesus, a practicing brujo], so he's trying to deal with [magic] in stride, but it keeps sucking him in and he doesn't know what's going on," Ellis says.
"He discovers who he is in the middle of all this stuff."
SPOILER: You knew already that Lafayette is a witch, right? There have been no clues or anything. (snicker)
2. Sookie, independent woman: After discovering that Bill (Stephen Moyer) was working for (his) Queen Sophie-Anne, to gain information on her, Sookie is "learning to stand on her own," Anna Paquinsays. "At the end of last season, she was at a point where she was willing to walk away from everyone and everything, particularly those troublesome boys. It's not that she doesn't want or need anyone, she just isn't dependant anymore." That's OK for Bill, though. "Bachelorhood kind of turns out all right for Bill," Moyer says. "He's decided to enjoy it while he can."
3. Vampires in trouble: Eric's unfortunate run-in with the witches will send his lieutenant, Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten), into a downward spiral, which is bad timing in the current vampire climate. "The post-Russell Edginton world is hard for Pam," Bauer says. "It's a political environment this year, so she's supposed to be doing what the other vampires are doing — holding babies and shaking hands — but she's incapable. So we see her cause some trouble."
Pam in a downward spiral? Our vicious, beautiful, font-of-sarcastic quips Pam?! Progeny of Eric Northman, Pam? I have not been privileged as the Almighty (j/k)TVGuide to get the first three episodes of season 3 to watch but if Pammy wasn't 'downward spiralling last season when she thought Eric Dead for Sure (I suggest this as the final title in the SookieStackhouse series) and after she'd been horribly tortured by the Magister, I don't believe she's gonna 'spiral downward' in the human sense. She may act out. And when vampires act out...look out!
4. Tara returns as a new woman (EDIT/ Sorry: snooze): After getting out of Dodge in the season finale, Tara (Rutina Wesley) will return to Bon Temps hoping to turn over a new leaf, but will immediately find herself in a mess of trouble. "She gets swept back into the world of vampires so quickly," Rutina says. "She doesn't want it, but she has no choice." Fortunately, there may be hope for her yet. "If there was to be love for Tara, I think she's ready for it because I think she's learned to love herself and has opened up in a way."
Holy double-entendre, Batman! As my favourite source, "Spoiler TV" put it, (a character) is 'turning gay.' True Blood could step on a landmine with this one but I'm going to assume, given the open-mindedness in portrayal on the show of the sexual preference spectrum that this will not feel forced or cliche.
My one concern as far as I can care about the character of Tara and TBH, I don't really (but I do care about the True Blood narrative) is that in three seasons she has shown no hint at all in being attracted to women. Also, she's not particularly at an age (late 20's) where one discovers this. On top of all that she's been written as having a not-so-secret crush on Sookie's brother, Jason for most of her life. Maybe 'turning gay' is the right term but oh, they'd best be careful in making this seem, as they like to say, 'organic.'
5. Shifty shapeshifters: The days of Sam (Sam Trammell) turning into a dog or bird are child's play compared to what he'll do this season. "My character explains the full-range of capabilities that shapeshifters have, and a lot of people that she's talking to at the time don't even know some of that," says Janina Gavankar, who'll be a love interest, 'Luna,' for Sam this season. "There's a really dark side to shapeshifters as well and that's something we'll explore this year. There's potential wrongdoings that can happen."
6. Jessica, domesticated? Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and Hoyt (Jim Parrack) will make a go of living together, but a human and a vampire cohabitating isn't going to be easy. "Jessica is a vampire and I'm not quite sure that domestic life is really what she's in for or what she desires," Woll says. "She's still gotta figure that out because they moved into this very quickly." Helping her navigate this life is Pam, who acts as a "big bad" older sister, says Bauer. "Pam is a very different kind of mentor for Jess than Bill is," Woll adds. "The things you might not want to tell your dad, you may tell your cool aunt."
7. Jason's growing up: Once the older slacker brother of Sookie, Jason (Ryan Kwanten) has now stepped into a role of responsibility that will get him into even more trouble. "This is the season of the biggest growth for Jason, where the young boy turns into a man," Kwanten says. "He's forced to try and raise a tribe of people and eventually fight for his life."
8. PD's into V: The end of last season teased impending trouble for Andy (Chris Bauer) when it comes to V, otherwise known as vampire blood, an addictive drug that can ruin your life (See: Jason Stakchouse, Debbie Pelt and the rest of the werewolves from Season 3). "It's like old demons, new problems," Bauer says of Season 4 for Andy.
"At first V does a lot of good. He had that cast on forever, but after a couple of drops, all of a sudden he's ready to box. He's a guy who we know has issues with substance, and he keeps saying he's done, but he's not done."
I love Chris Bauer so I'm hoping that the 'V' that he gets into (he's a semi-recovering alcoholic) gives him many juicy scenes in S4! (Get the pun? Wasn't even on purpose!)
Arlene and Terry tackle parenthood: As if Arlene (Carrie Preston) could ever be the voice of reason, she's especially on edge this season. "I wouldn't be playing Arlene correctly if I wasn't playing her fully, fully stressed out," Preston says. "When you're talking about a child or potential child, and you're talking about it having a father that was a serial killer, in Arlene's mind, she's absolutely justified in freaking out. Luckily, Arlene has found Terry [Todd Lowe], who will put up with all her insecurities." On a possibility related note, Preston adds, "Arlene is going to come face-to-face with something that we haven't even seen on the show yet." (EDIT/ Common-sense?)
10. Debbie's back, baby: Alcide's psychopathic, V-addicted ex-girlfriend, Debbie Pelt (Brit Morgan), will return this season with a new prerogative. "You're going to get to see a different side of Debbie," Morgan says, adding that Debbie will attempt to make amends with Sookie and find some normalcy. But the werewolf in her isn't gone. "You're going to get to see cool things with some of the wolves that you didn't get to see last season," she says."
True Blood Season 3: Cliffhanger - Eric (HBO) Take a look at a clip of Eric from the Season 3 finale.
True Blood Season 3: Cliffhanger - Jessica (HBO) Take a look at a clip of Jessica from the end of
Season 3.
True Blood Season 3: Cliffhanger - Lafayette (HBO) Take a look at a clip of Lafayette from the
Season 3 finale.
True Blood Season 3: Cliffhanger - Sookie (HBO)
True Blood Season 3: Cliffhanger - Bill (HBO) Take a look at a clip of Bill from the Season 3 finale.
The new season of True Blood premieres on June 26th only on HBO.
Here are a couple of screenshots which I maintain positively show Bill (Stephen Moyer) using his vampire super-speed to leave Queen Sophie- Anne (Evan Rachel Wood) behind instead of waging a battle--which he would surely lose--with her. I don't know, obv., if Bill locks her in and burns down the place or runs away or what...but he leaves (and his home in the new season is completely refinished or rebuilt). My guess is that the 'fight' between Vampire Bill and Queen Sophie-Anne is very short.
Check out the sceencaps from this scene and from the other characters cliffhangers!:
Seems a foregone conclusion--Bill is going to leave the Queen behind--and destroy the mansion!
More True Blood Season 3 Cliffhangers Are After the jump!:
Will You Be As Shocked By the Big Reveal As Jackie Is?:
Whether it is the delicate topic of mental illness (United States of Tara), drug-dealing moms (Weeds), sex addiction (Californication), drug addiction (Nurse Jackie) or living with incurable cancer (The Big C), the Showtime network never seems to flinch in taking on these topics while simultaneously injecting biting humour into their half-hour comedy offerings.
There's nothing inherently funny in any of the overarching themes in these series but having made their way onto the premium network, many have gone on to earn high accolades and great success.
Next on Episode 12: Jackie dodges a urine test; Kevin makes a stunning confession.
Nurse Jackie's third season-ender, 'Deaf, Blind Tumor Pee-Test' is tonight (Monday June 20) and for me, the success of this particular episode is mixed.
Season 3 of Nurse Jackie had a different tone to it than the previous two seasons. It had to, as at the end of season 2, Jackie's secret was out to both her husband and her best friend, who joined together in attempting--and failing at-- a hastily-called intervention.
The last 12 episodes of Nurse Jackie have been about her dealing with aftermath of that intervention and though there were plenty of laughs surrounding the supporting characters, there was also quite a bit of 'gallows humour' involving those closest to Jackie (the Emmy & Golden Globe-winning and currently Tony-nominated, Edie Falco).
I commend the Nurse Jackie writers for making Jackie face the consequences as viewers of better television dramas (which this is), even comedy dramas, can be quite demanding in 'keeping it real.' It was time.
They could have gone a few different ways after Jackie's dark secret was discovered. As it happened, Jackie flipped off both her spouse, Kevin (played by Dominic Fumusa--above) and her best friend, Dr. Eleanor O'Hara, played exquisitely by Eve Best (below). I'm really hoping to see some awards-time recognition for Best's performance as she was pitch-perfect.
With Jackie still in denial about her pain-killer drug addiction, life went on but she remained on a very rocky path. Jackie tried lying about quitting only to run out of her stash and start showing obvious withdrawal symptoms. When you are surrounded by medical caregivers that is tough to hide. But as her former paramour 'Eddie' (played by Paul Schulze) told Jackie, her ability to prevaricate is beyond any he's witnessed in his lifetime (paraphrase). Most of the time she had almost everyone fooled, especially those that were in denial themselves that a high-functioning nurse like Jackie could have such a huge monkey on her back.
After Jackie's smarmy drug-dealer was (fittingly) run over by a Mack truck before her eyes as he prepared to cross the street to meet her, Jackie was forced to go cold-turkey. The sudden withdrawal left her wide open for being found out so, in real pain and desperation she stole some morphine patches that were being sent over to Oncology. The missing patches were quickly noted and an investigation by HR was underway.
All of the additional stress kept the heat on at home. Both the kids, who were unaware on a conscious level of their mother's problem, reacted to what must have been an atmosphere of a powder keg about to blow by acting out. Younger daughter 'Fiona', tried to set a fire in school and the eldest, 'Grace' (so very sadly) secretly pulled out handfuls of her own hair. Finally, Fiona asked to be medicated. Spouse Kevin'appeared to do a stitch-by-stitch coming apart at the seams until the final episode--the season 3 finale tonight, in which there is the 'big reveal.'
In the Season 3 finale tonight Jackie will find herself in a truly unique situation.
Synopsis Nurse Jackie Season 3 Finale:
Jackie dodges Akalitus's request for a urine sample and forgets to order a cake for Coop's wedding; Kevin makes a stunning confession that leads to a marital split; Coop's bride stands him up at the altar.
Given the very short half-hour slot that it had to fit in, I would have preferred to see both episodes 11 and 12 back-to-back as the big reveal felt a bit rushed to me. It is going to be very interesting to find out just how she handles things now that Dr. O'Hara has begun supplying 'Jacks' with pain-killer dosages that are meant to be reduced until Jackie is drug-free. That is the plan, anyway. Will it actually come to fruition in combination with the consequences of the big reveal?
You are just gonna have to tune in to season 4 to find out.
Hey Nurse Jackie fans! Just a reminder, Nurse Jackie is back tonight, June 6!:
'Nurse Jackie': Eve Best as Dr. O'Hara, Peter Facinelli as 'Dr. Cooper ('Coop')
Episode 10 of Nurse Jackie (the next episode), 'F**k The Lemurs,' will air on Showtime on Monday, June 6./EDIT. Sorry, sorry, sorry. I pulled up my wall calendar, skipping June altogether and messed up the date (tho' not day). It is now correct/end EDIT
It's a bit tense waiting 2 weeks as last we saw of Jackie she was reeling from her drug supplier's sudden death (by Mack truck), forcing her to go cold turkey, only to leave us hanging as she took a evening stroll down the middle of Madison Avenue.
I thought it was one of the most powerful episodes of Nurse Jackie, ever. No matter how rough things have gotten since we've come to know Jackie Peyton, she found a reserve of 'salvation' to tide her over hidden somewhere. Before, Jackie appeared to have a rock solid foundation despite her painkiller addiction. Obviously, she had us fooled (though deep down, the audience knew better), because right now she is coming apart at the seams and it is scary to watch.
It is a testament to Edie Falco's nuanced performance that the show has brought the audience to the edge with Jackie and now we too, are looking down at the great abyss. Eve Best has turned in a performance worthy of Emmy nomination too, in her role of Jackie's best friend and as head of the ER, her boss.
Preview Nurse Jackie: Episode 10, 'Eff the Lemurs' -
Grace asks her psychologist to be put on medication; Jackie is placed on probation over the drugs she stole from Oncology; Coop reserves the chapel for a wedding.
Eve Best as Dr. O'Hara in a scene from Episode 9 of Nurse Jackie (Showtime):
By now you've watched Episode 8 of Nurse Jackie and know that drug-peddler-addictions counselor and epileptic 'Bill,' got mowed down by a truck as Jackie watched from just across the street. She had come to his high rise "with a doorman and gargoyles," he'd described it, because she had gotten 'desperate', which is also how dear, departed scumbag Bill calculatingly phrased it to the near-jonesing Jackie. The scene is very cleverly done (and gruesome!) and it foreshadows I think, the very last scene in the next episode (9), 'Have You Met Miss Jones?'
Synopsis: Nurse Jackie Episode 9: 'Have You Met Miss Jones?'
Out of pills and jonesing for a high, Jackie is confronted about the missing drugs from Oncology; Coop decides to start a family of his own and finds an old girlfriend on Facebook; Zoey reconsiders her relationship to Lenny after he's put on a heart monitor.
"Desperate for a high, Jackie is confronted about the stolen drugs.'
Nurse Jackie: Everyone Makes Mistakes
Lenny accidentally gets a 'epipen' needle stuck in his finger.
Nurse Jackie: Dudeville
Coop shows a picture of his "future" wife to Eddie.
'Kevin finds Jackie's stash so she steals from Oncology.'
Kind of misleading episode description which I'm gonna revise (Slightly spoiler-ish):
Jackie steals drugs from Oncology because she's running out of ways to get her fix. The drug dealing epileptic is charging her $200 a day which obviously there's no way she can continue to shell out.
Kevin does indeed find drugs while searching for daughter Grace's saints cards that she'd dropped down between and under the seat of the car. He accidentally stumbles across Jackie's stash from their car trip 'months ago,' as Jackie frames it when confronted by him. I didn't connect her stealing some heavy painkilling patches from Oncology with his discovery because she did not know about it, yet.
I found it really hard to emphasize with Jackie in this episode as she gets ever-more desperate and willing to take from others to feed her habit. She's flagrantly lying to cover her a** without regard for the needs or feelings of anyone but herself. Yes, she's done so in the past but with her dirty secret discovered by those closest to her, she's desperate and seemingly veering all over the place.
This is a very 'un-pretty' Jackie, one that is on a collision course with disaster which though we've known from the beginning, we didn't know when it was coming.
Dominic Fumusa as Jackie's spouse Kevin is particularly convincing when he confronts Jackie with the stash he's found. He was just beginning to feel OK again about their life, he tells her. Jackie assures him that everything is OK--the pills are from long ago--that part is true--but things are far from OK as we see when she embraces him only to reveal a morphine patch on her upper arm.
I continue to be intrigued by the course of Jackie's addiction. I don't think we had any idea of how much she was taking until recently. Now, if you look at the screen shots you can see that Kevin finds only 3 pills hidden in the dental floss container which Jackie anticipated needing for an overnight trip. Now, as we saw in the last episode, Jackie is downing 5 pills per day, which is both sad and scary. As usual, Edie Falco does a sublime job of portraying Jackie and her many layers beyond being a drug-addict--an example of which you can see in the sneak peek (below--after the jump) where she seems to show genuine caring for of all people, 'Coop,' when she pulls him out of his funk by enticing him with an interesting patient.
Kelly continues to win over the All Saints staff including Akalitus; Kevin finds one of Jackie's stashes in a dental floss dispenser; a Native American patient soothes Coop's depression about his parents' split; Jackie pockets drugs meant for Oncology.
I'm both a tiny bit late and a wee bit early with my weekly Nurse Jackie post:
I drove cross-country. I'm on a coast!-- with spouse--no kids OR dogs! I'm in Maryland (instead of my home near Chicago).
I'm with spouse, my one sib. and his wife, and we are helping out my Dad with his house/ house stuff. My mom died in January and my dad will move back to the midwest when he can--but first--the house!
What did you think of Nurse Jackie episode 3.05 "Rat Falls?"
It was my favourite episode of season 3 so far because it was stuffed full of meaning and great moments and scenes.
For one, I've been wondering how Eddie and Jackie were going to proceed, post 'intervention' now that Eddie is pretty much Jackie's husband's best friend as well as her co-worker. The answer is, with caution.
Father Frank: John Wells Executive Producer John Wells discusses the season one finale of Shameless.
One of the crucial aspects of a TV show isn't just how you react to it while you are watching, but what you think of each episode upon its conclusion. I found Showtime's new series, Shameless, which just finished a 12-episode first season, very conducive to some lively discussion afterward. My spouse and I watched the show at home in real (Chicago) time, taking our dogs for their nightly walk as soon as it was over. Our neighbourhood, though only 25 or 30 miles from the Gallagher's, may as well be 3000 miles away. Even so, this fictional family, first introduced on British television (with a British cast) has issues that most any family can relate to on some level. Nothing about the Gallagher's seems truly foreign, as loyalty and love of family are something (hopefully) everyone knows and understands. And so love of family and sacrifice for them amidst rather dire circumstances, despite all the far-out situations in Shameless, is the show's core theme, some aspect of which my spouse and I came 'round to discussing frequently.
Another commonality that non-TV families have with the Gallaghers is what we like to call 'dysfunction.' Essentially, a 'dysfunctional family' is one whose behaviour deviates from normal families--whatever they are.
Some folks say there is no such thing as a 'normal family' and the older I get, the more I think the saying, 'We are all dysfunctional in our own way,' is on the money. It's really about how we cope with the dysfunction, don't you think?
Episode 12 of Shameless, 'Father Frank, Full of Grace' was about coping with the fallout of some highly dysfunctional circumstances that impacted every family member as well as those involved with the Gallaghers (rock-steady neighbours 'Vi' (Shanola Hampton) and 'Kev' (Steve Howey) excepted--they literally played supporting roles in this episode).
In the video I've included (above) showrunner John Wells discusses two of the main dysfunctional aspects of the Gallaghers in this episode.
The foundation of the show, perpetually drunk father 'Frank Gallagher' (William H. Macy) has lived with 'accidental' girlfriend, 'Sheila' (Joan Cusak) for most of the season. Her situation includes having debilitating agoraphobia and anxiety, an almost ex-husband (Joel Murray) living in her basement, and a very sexually active older-teen daughter who is dating the eldest Gallagher son, 'Lip' (Jeremy Allen White).
Daughter 'Karen' (Laura Slade Wiggins), and her father, who she once referred to as 'f*ck-face,' causing me to forget his character's real name, have a very strained relationship due to 1. her furious sexual activity and 2. his outrage about her behaviour coupled with his lack of a filter when he shares his opinion about it. Most commonly, Karen's dad calls her a slut. He's managed, by this episode, to have called her a slut in front of a roomful of people as they were supposedly 'making up,' sending her into a tailspin of self-destruction while seeking revenge against him.
Shameless EPISODE 10: 'Nana Gallagher Had An Affair' Promo:
Monica's return wreaks havoc on the Gallaghers; Fiona moves out.
From Shameless EPISODE 10: 'Nana Gallagher Had An Affair' - Parental Rights'
Previously on Shameless: 'EPISODE 9: But At Last Came A Knock':
Frank has some settlement money coming his way. The only catch — he needs his ex-wife's signature on the documents. Debbie goes on a mission to find out if Steve is cheating on Fiona, only to discover Steve may not be who he says he is at all. Kev and Veronica receive a visit from Ethel's baby son Jonah... and the DCFS. Lip needs money to take Karen on a date so he turns to Steve for help. Meanwhile, Eddie reaches out to Karen and invites her to a Purity Ball.
Things don't end well when Frank's ex-wife Monica shows up, announcing her plan to take Liam. Kash catches Ian and Mickey going at it. An enraged Fiona moves out of the house and in with Steve.
Best line from Shameless - EPISODE 9: 'But At Last Came A Knock':
Lip to Ian: “You know how Dad’s a total fucking asshole? Turns out he’s the good one.”
Wow. Shameless - Episode 9 was one head-spinning moment after another.
Firstly, I never thought we'd see mother Gallagher 'Monica', so quickly. I figured they'd stretch that part of the plot out maybe even until season 2 because 'missing mom' has been such a large, looming spectral presence in the Gallagher home. But no, Mrs. Frank Gallagher did show up in full force with a Peterbilt-driving gf and she was ready not only to reunite with the family but to take home a souvenir afterward. That would be baby Liam, a mixed-race baby, obviously not Frank's biologically (though I realize that legally it could get very complicated as Monica and Frank were living as husband and wife, Frank's name is probably on the birth certificate, etc.).
As mind-blowing as it was for Frank (William H. Macy) to come face-to face with his ex, it was about 6 times as awful for the Gallagher children.
Though they were all shocked (with the exception of the previously-mentioned 2 y.o. Liam) their reactions immediately following Monica's proclamation that she wished to be a 'mother again' to the young ones and to actually take custody of Liam varied widely, with Fiona-- not unexpectedly-- reacting with outrage.
Realizing that there was nothing she could do to fight back at that moment and overcome with a flood of emotions that she probably kept dammed up for the previous 2 years, Fiona announced to Monica that the kids were Monica's now--then out into the Chicago winter she walked. Emmy Rossum's pronouncement to her onscreen mother (Chloe Webb China Beach, Sid & Nancy, performance art), was just devastating. Less a tirade than it was a howl of psychic pain. Emmy Rossum played it very, very real. It's my opinion that Rossum's 'Fiona' is the heart of this fine new series, though she is surrounded by stellar talents all 'round.
When Fiona's heart broke into a million pieces right before our eyes and the eyes of her sibs, bf, & parents, it was like watching her crumble emotionally. It was hugely touching.
The title of next week's show gives us a hint that Lumen (Julia Stiles) will again be a source of chaos in Dexter's World--one in which order and precision are usually of the highest paramount. As we observed in Dexter episode 5x05, life with Lumen combined with the aftershocks of wife Rita's murder has thrown Dexter way off his game. Again, the voice of Harry became a shout when Dexter, in his race to kill one of Lumen's thought-to-be rapists/torturers before she tried to, almost killed the wrong guy. Dexter only "heard" Harry shouting at him to "Think!" as he was about to plunge his blade into the drugged man's chest. The guy on Dex's table was despicable enough to be killed but as a serial rapist he did not meet Harry's code and had proof on his ankle that he couldn't have hurt Lumen.
The side-story with Debra and the hunt for the Santa Muerte killers is most appealing for the screen time Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) and her R-rated quips are getting. Deb and Dex are both quite damaged in their own ways. Deb gets flack for her "potty mouth" but it provides a coating of armor rather than leaving her fully exposed, as it puts enough people off so that they keep their interactions with her to a minimum or stop trying to interact with her altogether.
Due to her eff-buddy and partner in crime-solving, Det. Quinn's going against Laguerta's order to stop trying to tie Dexter to Trinity and /or Rita's murder, Debra is currently working with a rookie cop on the Santa Muerte case and the rookie is getting an earful of Debra's general demeanor--all business--no bullshit, puppy dogs or rainbows.
The Laguerta-Batista union appears evermore fragile. If you recall their reason for marrying, it was to avoid the unpleasant potential consequences of a police department romance, not because they were a "perfect fit" or the love of one another's life and so the marriage could have gone either way. As is becoming more and more clear, this marriage is going straight down the shitter. How ill-fitting the Laguerta-Batista marriage is was illustrated with this week's push me-pull you cluster**** ending up being mortifyingly embarrassing for Laguerta and resulting in yet another black mark in Batista's IAB book of bad deeds.
Finally, Masuka(!) assisted Debra in deciphering a "tattoo" that the surviving neck-slashing victim had recalled seeing on the Santa Muerte killer's hand. A trip to Michael Angelo's tattoo business, where it turns out Masuka is a regular customer (who knew?--but is anyone surprised?) of female proprietor Michael, didn't seem to help much until a sharp-eyed catch Debra made later after the encounter. Comic relief abounded in an interaction Deb had with "Michael" which double-underscored Debra's sexual-partner preferences.
I'm loving Julia Stiles as Lumen. I think it has been established very quickly that she has both a will of steel yet as a recent kidnap/rape/ torture victim is psychically as fragile as porcelain doll. I'm excited to see how this will play out as Season 5 progresses. Just look to the airport pat-down screening scene in episode 5 as Lumen was "raped" again both by the screener and by every single man that passed by during the interaction. There was a palpable feeling of claustrophobia and a need to flee. Until it was over, no one (including Lumen) knew if she'd make it through the entire process. Well played, Ms.Stiles.
A Vast, Empty Space Dexter and Debra finish packing up the house.
Dexter Season 5, Episode 6
"Everything Is Illumenated"
Trying to get his life back on track, Dexter hunts a new target, but is distracted and drawn into a precarious situation while helping his troubled acquaintance. Batista discovers an interesting lead in the Santa Muerte murder cases. Quinn learns some new information about Dexter from a questionable source.
"I would have expected more from you, Morgan."
The Taxpayer's Dime
Debra plans a stakeout based on a lead in the Santa Muerte case.
So what did y'all think of Dexter, Episode 5x03 last night?
I'd been looking forward to it for all the people that were getting impatient to see Dexter back in his kill a/k/a comfort zone again. And back he was, though it turns out he didn't get anywhere near the comfort he was craving. Despite the voice of Harry giving him how-to prompts, Dexter was not at all on his game. He missed details that "old Dexter" would have never overlooked, he took crazy chances when he didn't need to and almost got caught and then, DID get caught. Anticipating all the gratification that comes with a successful kill (finally), after Dex plunged the knife into Boyd, the-dead-animal-clean-up guy, there was none. Worse, seconds after killing Boyd Dex realized he'd been sloppy and this improvised, inside-Boyd's-home kill brought with it a mistake that shattered Rule 1 of The Code: Never get caught.
Peering through a vent cover, seeing everything, was "Rachel" looking like she's had no access to soap & water for a month and that she'd been bound about the same amount of time. Dexter grabbed her and in doing so we saw further indications of torture which backed up Boyd's assertion that his victims were "in pain" when he offed them. Boyd put them there.
In survival mode, reacting, Dexter knocked her out and in doing so to this pathetic shell of a woman, the monster within him became without. Dex was in survival mode, not in the cerebral way we are used to but scattered, improvised.
Though we know actress Julia Stiles, cast as "Rachel," is in the show for a long arc, in the moment it was a huge question mark for me whether Dexter would continue to break the code and kill her--though she very likely is in no way a serial killer too and therefore a not a candidate for a Dexter kill.
This episode was quite an adrenalin rush between Dexter's attempt at a return to form, and Deb's chasing down the "St. Muerte" killer in a Venezuelan neighbourhood, and strangely, least compelling (so far) Deb's partner's determination to prove Dexter murdered Rita. Quinn's secret phone calls to the FBI guy working the still-open Trinity case were not very terribly exciting because in the context of the series--so far--he just does not seem a threat that Dexter cannot find away to "manage."
Dexter has a huge problem. A victim he has saved is a witness to one of his kills...
...which here she confirms with a look back at Dexter who explains why her cannot let her go.
After four years of watching Dexter, one sort of gets used to his kills and the justifications he uses for them. But now he is faced with a seemingly impossible set of circumstances. "Rachel" is a victim, an innocent and yet she's a bigger threat than Quinn in the risk of exposing Dexter's most unflattering personality trait to the world. Just from the preview & sneak peeks (watch 'em on this page) we see how heartless Dexter is compelled to behave. He's not the "loveable" serial killer but a selfish so-and- so.
"I brought you some aspirin," he tells her, "you probably have a headache from the tranquilizer" (he shot her up with).
This episode will air on October 17th, 2010. Showtime, @9pm
Next week: Dexter - Episode 5.05 "Beauty and the Beast'
'Safe Place" Dexter tends to a woman he found at his last victim's home.
SHOWTIME | Season 5 Ep. 4 | Added: October 12, 2010
'A Reliable Parent'
Harrison's Nanny quits after Dexter pulls an all-nighter dealing with the aftermath of his home visitation to Boyd's.
SHOWTIME | Season 5 Ep. 4 | Added: October 12, 2010
Dexter finds himself in a strange situation when, instead of taking a life, he has to save one. Deb has a scary confrontation with a key suspect in the Santa Muerte murder cases. Quinn continues following up on the strange similarities between 'Kyle Butler' and Dexter Morgan.
In two weeks: Dexter - Episode 5.06 - Everything Is Illumenated - Synopsis
Striving to bring some normalcy back into his shattered life, Dexter figures the answer lies in finding a new serial killer to bring down, but his quest gets thrown off course when his troubled new acquaintance requires his help.Meanwhile, Batista uncovers a revealing new lead in the Santa Muerta homicides, and Quinn gets a tip about Dexter, but is not sure he can trust his source.
After mulling it over for a couple of weeks I chose to read some of the reviews that have been offered up since True Blood - Season 3 ended. Beyond the Ken Tucker review ‘True Blood’ season finale review: ‘Evil Is Going On,’ and on, and on… , which he published right after the show aired and which I linked to, I hadn't read any reviews or "recaps" until the last few days.
(*By best I mean more review-like in the old school sense of not being emotionally involved but rather assessing the episode in a non-partisan manner, providing some insights. Maybe I'm getting confused about "recaps" & "reviews" but if so, there seems to be a lot of overlap no matter where I read about the show.)
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True Blood fans and critics can be extremelyoutspoken about the show and IMO, that is a testament to how great it is. Many fans had reactions to the last half of season 3 through the finale that range from bitterly disappointed to angry to perplexed to worried to feeling betrayed, let down...it goes on...and on...and on.
For the critics, the majority of whom seem to have climbed on the the True Blood train because they were told to, it was easy to savage the show. In some ways it feels like they were champing at the bit from the get-go to really lay into True Blood and spit as much vitriol at it as they could. And they sure did.
What some critics as well as the folks unfamiliar with Seasons 1 and 2 (sometimes the same individuals) fail to get is that True Blood is a picture in the making. It is unfinished and therefore in some ways feels incomplete.
I believe creator Alan Ball was concerned enough about the possible reaction from both critics and fans alike that his "just wait until season 4 video" was construed especially that reason. I sat through one "bad" season each of both The Sopranos and Ball's previous premium cable show, Six Feet Under ( went for 6 yrs. total). I think I loved the series ending of Six Feet Under more than any other television show ending ever. Point is, both shows went on to produce more seasons and they were mostly good-to-great seasons.
Another complicating factor for assessing how "good" True Blood is and which is constantly hashed over, happens when one watches the HBO premium television show True Blood through the lens of having read the Sookie Stackhouse book series a/k/a "The Southern Gothic Mysteries" by Charlaine Harris (which so 'ya know, I did during season one of True Blood and since. I keep them separate just as both Harris and Ball have asked the audience(s) to do. Not hard for me as I have a short memory for most books I read years ago).
The books are written from Sookie's POV only but the show, which features Sookie as the central character, ventures further into other character's hearts and minds. This is Alan Ball's vision not Charlaine Harris'. Which is how it should be. Harris sold the rights to her Sookie Stackhouse series to HBO/Alan Ball to develop into a television series. She has and will continue to express her vision for Sookie through her books. The farther we get into Alan Ball's head (so to speak) the crazier this show may become (may) because AB is a boundary-pusher. He is unafraid to try things that may fail instead of playing it safe and never venturing far enough as many shows do, to be able to reach an unforgettable place.
OK. I think I can rest my case about why I'm unconcerned about how AB chose to end True Blood Season 3 and I'm totally jazzed about season 4. Can't wait to start hearing more about it!.
[caption id="attachment_9739" align="alignleft" width="400" caption="She a very attractive lady to be sure. Love her accent. I hope she's always kind to Sookie as ....."book.""][/caption]
Here's someone who will be featured in S4.Recurring or featured I'm not clear on, yet.
[caption id="attachment_9738" align="alignright" width="352" caption="Lara Pulver ethereal quality/looks make her a perfect Claudine"][/caption]
Here are some of my favourite moments from Season 3. EDIT/ If you have some faves, I' d love to hear about them. Mine are going to take a while to finish.
(All of these copyright HBO shots can be seen full size at the top of this post.)
Here Sookie torments the charred Russell Edgington who has been quite cruel to her and those she loves (Tara via Franklin, Bill). Even more, Sookie has heard Russell's demonic laugh when something goes terribly wrong for someone else including Sookie herself. Have the fans who are up in arms because Sookie laughed maniacally as she poured Talbot's gooey remains down the disposal considered that she was dishing back to him what he put forth? Not good enough? OK. How about the equally likely possibility that Sookie has ingested so much vampire blood after nearly being drained twice in a matter of what, a week? that she's not exactly herself? Or, since we are on Bon Temps time which moves very slowly she's been through enough in roughly 8 weeks (3 seasons) to drive the most sane person to do things that they otherwise would not do? OK. One more and I admit this one I hadn't fully formed an opinion on until I saw the idea floated elsewhere (see link above) POSSIBLE SPOILER. You gotta know that faeries are not all sweetness and light. Take a look at the near-identical expression on Claudine's (Lara Pulver) face when she knocks the attacking Bill on his ass.
[caption id="attachment_9683" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Claudine fending off Bill's advances--with a smile on her face"][/caption]
[caption id="attachment_9684" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Minus the orange light - not so different than Claudine--the look of glee in the eyes while striking back."][/caption]
(CLICK through for captions)
*HBO owns all images/copyrights* http://thetruebloodblog.com / The True Blood Blog -
IMO, the best sequence in the finale where Sookie awakens, pissed off from near-death due to draining--again--due to Bill's duplicity. Thoroughly disgusted, she agrees to watch the silver-bound and burned-by-the-daylight Russell while the "creepy, cold" vampires Pam, Eric & Bill rest. Russell tries to cajole Sookie into freeing him but she tires of him and his BS and turns quite mean herself. Later, help arrives in the 6'5" form of Alcide Herveaux (Joe Manganiello--enjoy because this has to hold you until summer 2011) who admits to Sookie that he's thought a lot about her--even in his dreams--since they last parted.
FOR AIRDATE SEPTEMBER 12TH 2010: In the third season finale, Eric's overwhelming thirst for revenge against Russell presents a moral dilemma. Meanwhile, a frustrated Sookie gives serious consideration to a life without vampires.
Property of HBO. No copyright infringement intended.
I'm away on a short trip to the back woods of Canada and I notice that there is just a ton of new video for True Blood. Instead of yammering about it, I'm just going to post them and tomorrow weed out some juicy details that flash by so fast you miss 'em. Check back!/
EDIT/ Now that I've seen most of them I'm sad to say--there isn't too much new. Yet. You find out who Bill was going all fang-y on in a previous True Blood finale video ...and there's a bit more of Sookie rescinding her invitation into her home to Bill.
True Blood Season 3 Finale Promo Bill Sookie Queen clip
My second favourite scene of True Blood Episode 11, "Fresh Blood."
In the alone time Jessica and Hoyt share at Bill's house after she saves him from Tommy in his pit bull form by ripping open her vein and feeding him, Hoyt listens as Jessica explains the realities of her true nature. Although momentarily taken aback by her confessing that she accidentally drained and killed a trucker, Hoyt accepts that Jessica simply cannot stomach Tru Blood and can only feed on humans. Without hesitation but with slight trepidation Hoyt offers his own blood to Jessica.
This was my favourite scene from True Blood's episode 11, "Fresh Blood."
Sookie's curiosity and worry about Eric saying his final goodbyes to her compels her to go to Fangtasia where inspired by Pam to "use her" (Sookie) in trying to defeat Russell Edgington, Eric chains Sookie in his dungeon whilst he fetches Russell in order to offer Edgington the opportunity he cannot turn down--to be able to "walk in the light."
Bill senses Sookie's distress and storms into Fangtasia, finding Pam alone. He demands to see Sookie, Pam tries to stall him, mostly by belittling his affections for Sookie, calling him an "infatuated tween." Bill loses patience after reminding Pam that he is older and stronger and will defeat her if she attempts to thwart him any longer. A fight ensues. Meanwhile in the dungeon, Sookie "hears" the voice of a woman of a foreign language. She's taken aback that Yvetta has come to rescue her. Spurned by Eric, Yvetta is about to take her leave of Fangtasia. With Sookie unshackled, the two women rush upstairs as the sounds of fierce struggling continue.
Sookie and Yvetta discover Pam astride Bill, squirting what turns out to be silver water in his eyes which blinds him temporarily. Sookie, who had the foresight to grab one of the dungeon's selection of silver chains before ascending the stairs comes up behind and casts the thick chain around Pam's neck and pulls tightly, effectively defeating her.
Later, Ginger is shown freeing Pam from the additional chain(s) that Yvetta secured Pam with--chains bound very tightly and that dug deeply into Pam's cold flesh.
After telephoning Eric to apprise him of what occurred, briefly interrupting his tête-à-tête with Russell, Pam is finally fully unbound by the feckless, over-glamoured Ginger. She inquires of Pam if there's anything she can get her to make her feel better. Pam responds with "a drink" as she grabs hold of Ginger and sinks her fangs into the screaming waitress.
SHOWTIME | Season 6 Ep. 3 | Added: August 24, 2010
Silas accepts an offer he can't refuse from an odd hotel guest.
"Let's just focus on the less." --Creepy middle-aged hotel guy to Silas, who is a bellboy.
Season 6 Ep.
Episode 3: A Yippity Sippity
In an effort to make money and stay 'under the radar', Nancy, Andy, and Silas acquire scab laborer jobs at an upscale Seattle hotel. Meanwhile, Shane is left to care for baby Stevie. Back at Ren Mar, Doug finds unexpected guests.
Sneak Peek "Trimmings"
Weeds: Season 6, Episode 3 'You Get What You Pay For' Linda Hamilton begin a story arc as a plains-spoken "personal use" weed vendor. This is a scene with Hamilton & world-class charmer Nancy.
Jenji Kohan talks about kicking off season six, the Botwin family dynamic and Andy's love for Nancy.
Season Six Weeds is off to a good start; Again Nancy and kin are fleeing--this time because youngest son Shane took a croquet mallet to "Pilar's" noggin' shortly after he'd been shot by one of her guys aiming at Nancy and after Pilar, a politically powerful, ruthless Mexican beotch who just happened to have a history with Nancy's new spouse mused how easy it would bet to take out both Shane and Silas "in an accident." Nancy barely got in a retort before Shane swung, killing Pilar by the pool with a croquet mallet (lol).
Weeds airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on Showtime.
Previously on Season 6 Weeds:
Season 6, Episode 2: 'Felling and Swamping'
After hours of aimless driving, Nancy, ignoring Shane's suggestion of hiding out in Pittsburgh, hatches a plan for the family to cross into Canada. Andy is tasked with acquiring fake IDs. Silas must decide if he's willing to live on the lam. Elsewhere, Esteban must answer to authorities regarding Pilar's murder and Nancy's whereabouts.
Season 6, Episode 1: 'Thwack' Faced with the aftermath of Shane having murdered Pilar, Nancy grabs Shane and Silas and they flee the scene. Andy is then met with the decision to split town with his family or stay and fight for Audra's affection.
One huge spoiler photo via Rolling Stone Issue #1112
There may be caps from the finale here, too. Don't know yet.
True Blood 3x10 'I Smell A Rat' Screen Caps 'Jessica's Choice" & Sookie's In Eric's Dungeon
I Smell A Rat' Episode 10 *HBO owns all images/copyrights* http://thetruebloodblog.com / TheTrue Blood Blog
Tommy, in pit bull form, has tried to kill Hoyt in the Merlotte's parking lot. Jessica finds Hoyt, rips a hole in her wrist and feeds him the healing vamp blood. Sookie is dismayed to find out that Eric has betrayed her after he locks her in his dungeon.
Bill Releases Jessica - Bill & Jessica train/confide (video)
Both Stephen Moyer as Vampire Bill and Deborah Ann Woll (jessica) did wonderful, nunaced scenes that were so believable, especially within the context of their relatiosnship (Bill was made by the Magister To 'make' Jessica at the end of season 1).
Both Stephen Moyer as Vampire Bill and Deborah Ann Woll (jessica) did wonderful, nunaced scenes that were so believable, especially within the context of their relatiosnship (Bill was made by the Magister To 'Make' Jessica at the end of season 1).
As promised, there was a great deal of blood and sex in episode 8. There were more name-brand deaths in episode 3x08 as well: Talbot the vampire king Russell's husband, was staked by Eric, and Gus, the last of the 'Fuck You [Were] Crew,' was drained by Jessica after he broke into Sookie's house.Bill took out a nameless Crew wolf, too.
Finally, we got a (30-second) love scene with Sookie & Bill having makeup sex or breakup-to-makeup sex, I guess more accurately.
Eric, in the most chaste love scene I think ever on True Blood, got it on w/Talbot or so Talbot's facial expressions would have one believe, almost right until Eric's ultimate vampire "fuck you"--staking him.
After escaping Russell's clutches via Bill's denigrating the King of Mississippi as either a "coward or just lazy," Jessica dined on the last of the "Fuck You Crew," 'Gus.' She ate with great passion.
''Franklin's brains won't wash off the guest linens, I had to bury werewolves under the gazebo, and that Sookie bitch staked Lorena. I've had enough excitement, thank you.''. --Talbot to Russell upon Russell's return home from marrying Sophie-Anne and beheading the Magister.
SPOILER!!!
Franklin's brains, for better or worse, will have grown back by next week.
True Blood - Episode 3x09 'Everything is Broken' Franklin Mott (James Frain) & Tara Thornton (Rutina Wesley).
True Blood Recap--late season 2 through episode 6, season 3. Great refresher!
I'm not sure if you've yet had a chance to visit site of the unquestionably Ultimate Truebies at The Vault but I make sure I do at least a couple times each week. I also subscribe to their YouTube videos which I'm thankful to them for putting up for me--an Ultimate Truebie without the mad skillz to do so.
Russell goes to Louisiana to take the next step in his quest for power. Sookie worries what Lorena has in store for Bill. Jason and Lafayette face obstacles in their respective romances. Jessica starts practicing what Pam's been preaching.
No copyright infringement intended. Property of HBO.
This episode was jammed-packed and moved at a lightening pace but for a few moments like the Sam and Bill erotic scene ( which turned out to be a dream, sadly. I still have hope!)
Terry makes a list for Arlene - TrueBlood-Online.com
I thought this was a really sweet scene. It was not part of the big tableau but it was a chance to get to know Terry Bellefleur, shell-shocked Gulf War vet and short order Merlotte's cook, better. He's always made a kind of sense that you'd have to be him to truly "get," yet his insights can be hugely spot on. In this scene he's painfully aware that Arlene is avoiding him. Terry assumes it's because she's worried about how he'll behave with her kids (long-term is the implied context). We the audience know that when both of them were under Maryann's spell (with the rest of Bon Temps) they had unprotected sex--and lot of it. Now Arlene is pregnant but has not told Terry.
Sookie says "Sookeh" like Bill does - TrueBlood-Online.com
OMG, I could listen to Sookie say "Sookeh" the way Bill does a bunch of times. In fact I just did. Anna Paquin rocks.
Bill is an unwillingly "guest" of the Vampire King of Mississippi, Russell Edgington, who wants Bill in his corner against Queen Sophie-Anne in a bid to grab her queendom. Bill professes ignorance of everything except Sookie pretty much and despite the genteel atmosphere* that Edgington and husband Talbot maintain, under the surface just a tiny bit lies something very ugly. And "it" pops to the surface when the prickly Edgington is not in complete control of everyone. See the caps below.
Talbot went on at great length about each course of their meal. He described it thusly: "warm blood bisque infused with rose petals," "blood gelato" (see photo) and chilled, carbonated blood, "cruelty-free and willingly donated ...Note the citrusy finish. This one ate only tangerines for weeks," said Talbot with pride.
NEW Promo Stills - Bill and Sam Homoerotica (full scene):
The most astonishing thing that the screen caps reveal besides Alexander Skarsgård's...everything is the way his character, Erik is looking at Sookie. She is livid with him, storming into the club convinced that Eric had Bill taken. She was very impolite --yet instead of the mildly amused, condescending look he usually has when he is forced to listen to non-vampires drone on--Erik is looking at Sookie with love--the whole time! That is how Skarsgård played it. Anna (Paquin "Sookie"), OTH was quite upset or angry enough to match her words, though never looked turned on or affectionate towards Eric. She was very aware that he was looking at her as he was (and of course, he helpfully spelled it out- "I want what is Bill's...")
TheVaultTrueBlood — June 14, 2010 — Video property of HBO. No copyright infringement intended. "Bad Blood" S3xE2 - Sam's erotic dream"
Eric’s Nude Scene / Desperate to find Bill — and getting no help from the law — Sookie rushes to Eric’s club Fangtasia, where she finds him getting … uh, very well acquainted with his nightclub’s new dancer. Although Eric isn’t behind Bill’s disappearance, Sookie’s trip wasn’t a total waste — thanks to a good look at Eric’s behind! Bill Appears in Sam’s Dream / Getting rid of maenad Maryann required a huge sacrifice on Sam’s part — getting stabbed in the chest by Eggs. Luckily, Bill was on hand to save him with his magical vampire blood. The catch? The bar owner feels a new sexual attraction to Bill, who showed up sexy, shirtless and looking for a shower buddy in Sam’s dream. Jason Loses His Mojo// When policeman Andy takes the rap for Eggs’s death, he advises the dopiest Stackhouse to go back to his old ways -– namely, bedding women all over town. When Jason stumbles into a tryst with some traveling NYU students, though, he finds that he keeps flashing back to Eggs’s death, and envisions his partners with bullet holes in their foreheads. When Jason tells them this, the co-eds think he’s a psycho and flee. Tara Tries to Kill Herself !/ After the love of her life was killed in Merlotte’s parking lot, Tara is under the close watch of her cousin Lafayette until he has to take care of his shady vampire business, calling on her mom to take care of her. Never up for Mom of the Year, Lettie Mae allows Tara to slip into the bathroom where she does her best to swallow handfuls of pills. Bill Faces the Wolves/ He escaped his V-fiend kidnappers by causing a car wreck and fed on an old woman, who told him he was in Mississippi. Cue the howling! As Bill made his way through the woods, he faced a pack of hungry — or angry? — wolves. In the final scene, Bill attacks.
Sam & Bill As Lovers? Bill and Sam - TrueBlood-Online.com
HBO — Jun 02, 2010 — Season 3 Ep. 0 — Lafayette tells it straight up about what happened in the previous seasons of True Blood. The new season premieres Sunday, June 13 at 9pm only on HBO. For more information, log onto HBO.com.
The Season 1 & 2 Recap Screen Caps will be up in about 30 mins. EDIT/LOL. It took me 5 hours. Enjoy. All Images are property /copyright HBO. I'm putting them up because HBO's True Blood has put out some great-looking promos---for all three seasons of True Blood.
Enjoy fan-art worthy caps of Eric/Alex, Bill/ Stephen, Anna/Sookie , Samx2, Tara/Rutina, Lafayette/Nelsan and Mr. 12 pack, Jason/Ryan. Jessica's looks good here in a few shots but she is getting deflowered by Hoyt and it's pretty fangy. Let's all thank both Alan Ball and Charlaine Harris for True Blood. If you want to see more screen caps for all episodes of Season 1 &2 and of promos for Season 3, just click the "Screen Caps and Videos" tabs.
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Season 2 Recap
HBO — June 08, 2010 — Only 5 days until the season premiere of True Blood. For more information, log onto HBO.com.
True Blood ( 6.08.10) – Only 5 More Days S 3 Promos 1- 3 (HBO) Screen Caps w/ Captions *SPOILERS
nerimon — May 25, 2010 — "Everyone's talking about it, few people seem to understand it - but I do, so I thought I'd help you out!
I make music which you can hear for free, check it out: www.alexdaymusic.com."
This is brilliant. Darlton needed this guy for the past 6 years as their proxy for every interview they ever gave.
HBO — May 26, 2010 — Sookie Stackhouse and her True Blood co-stars recall the fang-tastic events from Season Two of the hit HBO series. For more information, log onto HBO.com.
If it is possible to be any more excited about the premiere of True Blood Season 3 then this video just did so for me. The actors look so fangtastic! They are in costume it seems for the group poster. Great stuff!
The most significant move is for “Survivor: Nicaragua,” which will
now air on Wednesday. “Survivor” has been a force on Thursday nights for
pretty much a decade, and this move either suggests that the network
wants to dominate Wednesdays now or that they’re starting to think they
can find a better anchor.
Meanwhile, in his final EW column, which is always so insightful (“To
those of you who think I suck as a host or as a blogger… kiss it”),
Jeff Probst reveals that Russell’s responses to Probst’s questions
finally made Probst change his mind about Russell. And more
interestingly, writes that “Less than 2,000 votes separated” Russell and
Rupert” for the $100,000 fan favorite prize.
I understand why people voted for Russell, even if I think that’s
dumb, but Rupert? What the hell did he do this season? Parvati, or
Courtney, or Jerri, or Rob—so many others would have been better
choices.
I would have given it to Parvati. I think her flirty manipulativeness turned enough women voters off that she'd not have a chance with "America."
Sandra, Russell, and Parvati’s Exit Interview – Survivor Heroes vs Villains (S20E13)
Russell said:
Did you know you lost Samoa when you played Heroes vs Villains?
“Yeah. I knew I lost because you can read what they tell you and how
things are going. It’s common sense to know that you did not win.”
“I do what I want to do and I don’t care.”
“I got beat by a bitter jury. They voted for the person they least
hated.”
“Lebron James never won a championship. They consider him the best.”
Would like to play Rob again?
“No. He didn’t even make the jury twice. Why would I want to play him
again? I knocked him out once.”
Would you ever come back again?
“I don’t know. I’d have to think about that. The one guy I do want to
play against is Richard Hatch.”
Sandra said:
“That’s the first time he said that he knew he lost Samoa. If you’re a
strategic player, how do you go 10 days later and play the same stupid
game?”
“I am the best. I have 2 titles and 2 checks. If that’s not the best,
I don’t know what is.”
“Weakness is actually a strategy and I love it. Colby being weak got
him to the end.”
“Russell needs to thank Parvati and Jerri and Danielle for keeping
his butt in the game.”
Parvati said:
Why did you keep his butt in the game?
“He was my only line of defense. Everyone was trying to vote me out. No
one would talk to me. If Russell got voted out, I would have been the
next to go.”
Would it have been better if Jerri was there instead of Sandra?
“Jerri would have won. I would have had a better shot against Jerri, but
it was a bitter jury. They just didn’t want to give me a million
again.”
Listen to the whole interview. (Quality of the audio is due to the
phone call, not the equipment used to record it. Sorry.)
Sandra Diaz-Twine did exactly what she promised and won Survivor
Heroes vs. Villains, becoming the show’s first-ever two-time winner by
using a strategy very similar to the one that worked for her in the
Pearl Islands. The most surprising part of a surprising finale was how
unsurprised the final three seemed during the live vote reveal; it’s
almost as if they knew the outcome in advance.
I'm pretty certain that the last observation in the paragraph above: "it’s
almost as if they knew the outcome in advance," was a teeny bit of sarcasm. The reality is that the boot list got published at the very beginning of the season. I think this exposes a flaw in SURVIVOR's long gap between the filming and the airing of each season. (The time-gap issue won't get better with the now-standard back-to-back in the same locale shooting of the show.) Logically, the more time the contestants (and others) have to talk about who they did and did not vote for, the more of a chance that the boot list is going to get out and that it will be accurate.
The boot list for SURVIVOR: Heroes vs. Villains was leaked all over the Internet. When the show aired once tribe members started dropping in the exact order of the boot sheet, with each new boot it became clear who exactly would be in the final three.
I'm just a blogger with no inside info whatsoever and I stumbled across it by the second week of the season--and I wasn't even looking for it! I knew how far my favourite player was going to go from the get-go which was hard as there was no hope for her. I could not believe that Jerri, who was edited to seem unsure and wussy, was going to go as far as she did but when Parvati gave Jerri a HII at tribal that picture started to come together. Finally, Parvati's astounding repeated wins in the personal immunity challenges explained a lot as well as Jerri's blossoming as the season progressed. With my favourite gone and the dwindling tribe getting more screen time I started to appreciate Jerri a lot more personally and for her spirited game play. It seemed the editing at first tried to paint her in a bad light due to her musty, ten-years-ago Australian Outback "black widow" performance.
Jerri was the only one to admit being marooned with Russell scared her. I thought her bravely honest when she did so. Russell was scary to me, safely on this side of the screen. In person Russell was full of cutthroat trash-talk but the thought that he might stab me in the eye while I was sleeping and call it an accident would have prevented me from shutting one eye each night.
Parvati Shallow would have been a great winner, but had to settle for
second place—and the distinction of the person who’s played the game
longer than anyone else, 114 days. Her three individual immunity
challenge wins also tie her for second, though Colby Donaldson retains
that title, despite his lackluster performance this season (he
attributed that during the reunion to a lack of excitement about being
back for a third time).
"...And Russell Hantz got zero votes, though he did win $100,000 thanks
to dumb viewers."
EDIT/ Russell won $200,000 for Player of the (20th) Season plus 100K for second runner-up. Also, he won the exact same amount for the game he played 10 days prior to starting this one--for a pre-tax total of $400K. I look at it this way."Player of the Season" is much like Time magazine's "Person of the Year." That person has been Hitler and it's been American Presidents. It's not how GOOD they are but how influential overall. Rupert had very little effect on this season of survivor. Russell? Hell yeah.
If, after watching the live reunion, Russell’s fans are
still convinced that Russell deserves to win, they are as delusional as
he is. Rob Mariano explained it perfectly: “the problem with Russell is
that he doesn’t play the game to win … he plays a good game to get to
the end.” I completely agree: Russell has some incredible game, and over
28 episodes, made some great moves. But he’s also so pig-headed and
arrogant and stubborn that he refuses to understand how the game works.
Jeff Probst, thankfully, really questioned Russell during the reunion
about whether or not he ever considers jury votes while making moves
and behaving like an ass. “I don’t care about that,” Russell said, and
continued to say the same thing he’s been saying since he lost in Samoa.
Probst didn’t let up—“you haven’t answered what I’ve asked”—and Sandra,
hilariously, said, “he doesn’t understand.” He doesn’t.
I’m glad Sandra won. I wasn’t rooting for her because she’s an underdog, nor because of her story about her husband serving in Afghanistan. I still think she played the smartest game this season, despite the fact that she didn’t win that many challenges, and she always came up short when implementing her strategies. It takes a lot to hold on despite being on the outs with virtually everyone–from the beginning, when Rob’s gang got voted off one by one, and later, after the merge, when the Heroes were unable to understand what she was planning. She’s literally a survivor.
And you’re saying she didn’t do anything this season? It’s a matter of having the heat off you, the same way Colby lasted this long in the season despite being far from his peak in Australia. With him, it was disappointing watching him flounder in tasks and in morale, since it’s a far cry from the guy we saw kick ass down under. In Sandra’s case, that’s the way she’s always played.
Considering the competition–let’s forget what actually happened before, okay?–Russell never really stood a chance at winning this season. It wasn’t a vindictive jury: it was a jury that knew what the game is about. In Tom’s words, it’s one-thirds strategy, one-thirds physical, and one-thirds luck. Russell perfected one aspect but Sandra perfected others, and the jury put a bigger premium on that. Now, that’s respect for the game.
Us: Do you truly believe you’re a worthy champion? Your physical game alone was kind of pathetic.
Sandra Diaz-Twine: Yes I deserved it! To me, being the weak player physically actually helped me. Colby dominated on his first season, and the second time he played in All-Stars, the players were scared of him and and they got rid of him right away. People always want to take out the strongest ones.
Us: But don’t you think it’s a lot easier to play the game when there’s not a target on your back, a la Parvati?
SDT: Remember that I won in the Pearl Islands! On the first day, Randy came to me and said that Parvati was going home first because she had already won [Fans vs. Favorites]. So I went to Parvati right away and told her, ‘I’m going to do my best to save you, because if you go home for that reason, I know I’m next.’ I had to work.
Us: Was it really Parvati leading Russell out there, or vice-versa?
SDT: She was the shot caller. He was the goat, and she had a rope around his neck and wherever she took him to feed, that’s where he ate his grass.
xdanceintherainx — August 16, 2009 — I do not own True Blood or HBO, this is being uploaded for watching purposes, not infringement purposes.
xdanceintherainx — August 16, 2009 — I do not own True Blood or HBO, this is being uploaded for watching purposes, not infringement purposes.
Eric & Sookie Find An Exit (True Blood) (2 x 08 - Timebomb)
Anna Paquin is Nylon Magazine's September cover girl. If you check out the online article you'll see what a lovely job they did with the photos of Anna.
I really wish since she is so often quoted, that reporters would stop asking her about the nudity on True Blood. It's such an American hang-up as Anna politely explains below.
I commented on this when her very tame initial encounter with Dream!Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) was aired and YouTube flipped out--not even allowing a shot of Skarsgård nude in profile with his leg covering "everything" and the tiniest bit of rump but no cheek showing. Down went the fan's videos almost as quickly as they were put up.
I can't believe that a premium cable channel's choice of content is a big deal.
Americans are fine with the worst kind of violence and degradation on television but as Anna notes a bit of nipple is a crazy big deal. And that just makes no sense at all.
Nylon Sept Cover Girl Anna Paquin - Photo credit : Chris Weeks Getty Images
Up all night with Anna Paquin and her alter ego, True Blood's Sookie Stackhouse.
Anna Paquin has an Oscar, a cool accent, and maybe the best role on television – bombshell mind reader Sookie Stackhouse on True Blood.
We sat down with her, Stephen Moyer (aka Vampire Bill) and their Maker,
HBO producing legend Alan Ball, to discuss their bloody TV phenomenon.
Anna Paquin, on her Nude Scenes:
“I
don’t think a naked body is particularly shocking or interesting… It’s
not the culture I was raised in. I was not brought up in the United
States. I don’t share the [attitude] that you can have graphic
violence, but – God forbid – you see someone’s nipples.”
Stephen Moyer, on Vampire Sex:
“The
thing about vampirism is that it taps into a female point of view – you
have an old-fashioned gentleman with manners who is a fucking killer…
it’s an interesting duality, because in our present society it would be
an odd thing for a woman to say, ‘I want my man to be physical with
me.’ How, as a modern man, can you fucking work that? It’s one thing
to be polite and gentle… But when do you know it’s OK to crawl out of
the mud and rape her [as Bill does in one scene]?... It’s difficult
stuff for a bloke, but a vampire gets away with it…. I think that’s the
attraction of the show – it’s looking back at a romantic time when men
were men, but they were still charming.”
--INTERVIEW excerpt BY LUKE CRISELL
Anna Paquin hosts the Nylon party. She's shown here with fiance Stephen Moyer (Vampire Bill on True Blood)
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains - Life at Ponderosa: Amanda Pt. 1
Air Date: 04/29/10
Clip 5:27
Amanda is voted off and becomes the fourth jury member at Ponderosa
Amanda grills Coach about his 'romance' with Jerri
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains - Life at Ponderosa: Amanda Pt. 2
Air Date: 04/29/10
Clip 1:45
The jury members hatch a wardrobe plan for Tribal Council
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains - Life at Ponderosa: Amanda Pt. 3
Air Date: 04/29/10
Clip 1:56
Season 20, Episode 11
CBS Press Release.
IN THE WAKE OF A GAME-CHANGING TRIBAL COUNCIL, EVERYONE STRUGGLES TO
FIND THEIR PLACE IN THE NEWLY MERGED TRIBE, AND SOME PANICKED PLAYERS
CONSIDER MAKING NEW ALLIES, ON “SURVIVOR: HEROES VS. VILLAINS,”
THURSDAY, APRIL 29
“Jumping Ship” – With two swing votes hanging in the balance, no one
can be sure of their safety heading into Tribal Council, and even the
most formidable villain in the game makes a potential miscalculation, on
SURVIVOR: HEROES VS. VILLAINS, Thursday, April 29 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT)
on the CBS Television Network.
Here's the set up. After winning the reward challenge, Danielle,
Amanda, and Colby were treated to a night at Robert Louis Stevenson's
house and a screening of Treasure Island. Amanda was on high
alert, searching for the clue to the next hidden immunity idol. But it
was Danielle who spotted the clue in the bowl of popcorn that Colby was
too busy shoving down his throat to notice. Danielle took the clue out
and placed it on the floor. One problem: Amanda could tell something was
up so went over by Danielle to scope things out. She saw the clue,
picked it up, and this is where the real fun began. Danielle and Amanda
started wrestling each other for the clue with the former telling the
latter that she was a ''psychopath'' and the latter telling the former
that ''it's not yours!'' All the while, Colby just sat there explaining,
''I didn't even see what happened. I was watching Treasure Island.''
Way to be into the game, Colby.
But here's where things went from crazy awesome to just plain
crazy. When Danielle went to Colby for back-up on how it was her clue
and she should get it back, Colby astoundingly, inexplicably agreed,
responding, ''It's your clue, Danielle. It's your clue. You found it,''
and encouraging his alliancemate Amanda to return it. And then she
astoundingly, inexplicably did! Now to properly establish how insanely
dumb this move was, let's go to the Survivor rulebook for a
minute. Once you have a hidden immunity idol, no one is allowed to take
it from you. They can't just grab it and pull a finders keepers, losers
weepers on you. But this wasn't the idol. It was a clue to the
whereabouts of the idol. And the clue was not even in Danielle's
possession. It was sitting on the floor.
...Parvati is ballsy, right? Wow. She is knowingly double-crossing the one guy everybody else fears. You know what that tells me? She’s not afraid. Parvati is extremely confident. She smelled Amanda’s bullsh*t and she doesn’t fear Russell’s. Could Parvati win this game again? Maybe.
A HERO TAKES A GAMBLE AND PLACES HIS TRUST IN ONE OF THE GAME’S MOST NOTORIOUS VILLAINS, ON “SURVIVOR: HEROES VS. VILLAINS,” THURSDAY, APRIL 22
April 22nd, 2010 | Posted in ep10 - Survivor Heroes vs Villains
Reunited on the merged tribe, two old friends rekindle an alliance but trust doesn’t come easily for this powerful pair, and one castaway makes an unprecedented play, setting the stage for one of the most surprising Tribal Councils in Survivor history, on SURVIVOR: HEROES VS. VILLAINS, Thursday, April 22 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT)
FIRST INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGE
Once again Colby drops out of another challenge. I think he has been one of the biggest surprises and many would probably say one of the biggest disappointments of this season. But the truth is it just shows you how unpredictable this game can be and how big of a factor luck can play in how long you last. The challenges this season have not played to Colby’s strengths so he has struggled. The alliance he chose didn’t last, so he has struggled. Because he has struggled, his attitude has waned from wanting to quit to fightin to stay alive. Survivor is not an easy game to play.
This challenge certainly favored women as we witnessed with Danielle, Parvati and Candice battling in the end. I do not understand why Candice stepped out of the challenge. Even after questioning her at the challenge it still makes no sense. Immunity is everything in this game. She had a very good chance of winning. ...I really think Candice is in a good position to go deep in the game right now but her logic ...really baffles me.
Not only did she give up personal immunity for herself, but in stepping down she gave immunity to someone from the Villain tribe which gave the Heroes one less person to vote for at Tribal Council. Add in the two immunity idols that Parvati had and the Heroes really had no chance at Tribal.
"After the shock wore off, a bit of confusion set in. As spectacular as Parvati’s move was, we were clearly deceived as the show returned to old-school editing and didn’t allow us to see something critical to the game play that contributed to the outcome. (There was a clue that was coming when we saw most of the votes being cast, setting us up for a tie.) "
This annoyed the crap out of me. I realize that if the audience had been in on all of the frantic shifting and shuffling among the Yin-Yang Tribe (which BTW, does not mean good & bad, as the tribe explained--Coach would've known this--but instead Yin & Yang mean the dual principles of nature) that went on prior to Tribal Council, the shock value may have been diminished markedly. Simply based on Danielle's catbird smile throughout the Parvati Tribal Double Immunity Idol Power Play, Danielle knew what was up (though I'm not sure if she fully understood or if her line of thinking went, " If m'lady wishes it so, it must be a good thing," but I digress.
A big part of the fun of watching the game is the mysterious elements--trying to see through poker faces, guessing an outcome before it occurs. But there was no mystery at all at Tribal--just the question of 'who' Parvati had chosen to save based on what went on off-camera. Sure, it's fun to see shocked faces (Jerri's was priceless when Parv literally pulled Jerri's arse out of the frying pan) but it's more fun to have some clue(s) to stitch together to make a semi-informed guess. Because the "old-school editing" ran so rampant we were denied that pleasure. Phooey on gutless editing.
The big mystery is why Parvati played both idols but used neither on herself — especially after Amanda told her to, and especially after she set herself up to be an even bigger target by quitting the immunity challenge, thereby indicating that she felt secure.
And why did Parvati use one on Jerri, who seemed like the least-likely target, at least from the Villains’ perspective? Parvati’s decision obviously worked to her advantage and what she did was obviously a smart, game-changing move, but without some kind of information, her actions would have been ridiculously dumb. Two idols and you don’t use one on yourself even when you’ve been told you’re the biggest target ever?
The most likely possibility is that Parvati learned from Amanda (or someone else?) that Jerri and Sandra were their targets, not her. Or if you like your conspiracy theories with a side of idol, Parvati was tipped off by the producers. I’m pretty sure we’ll see that it was the former next week or later in the season; perhaps there’s a secret alliance we don’t know about.
“Russell looked me right in the eye and swore on his kid’s life that he was with us. And anybody that would do that — right away, I don’t trust them.” Rupert Boneham
Next time on Survivor 20 Episode 11 :
04.23.2010
IN THE WAKE OF A GAME-CHANGING TRIBAL COUNCIL,
EVERYONE STRUGGLES TO FIND THEIR PLACE IN THE NEWLY MERGED TRIBE,
AND SOME PANICKED PLAYERS CONSIDER MAKING NEW ALLIES,
ON "SURVIVOR: HEROES VS. VILLAINS," THURSDAY, APRIL 29
"Jumping Ship" - With two swing votes hanging in the balance, no
one can be sure of their safety heading into Tribal Council, and even
the most formidable villain in the game makes a potential
miscalculation, on SURVIVOR: HEROES VS. VILLAINS, Thursday, April 29
(8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
Boston Rob is gone. Russell is in charge. Or is he? Who really is in charge over at the Villains camp? Is it Russell? Is it Parvati? Is it Parvati and Danielle? Or is it truly a power trio of Russell, Parvati, and Danielle? Expect a battle for true leadership to emerge at some point because Parvati takes a back seat to nobody. Either way you slice it, the Villains are in trouble...more after the jump
CBS — April 08, 2010 — Coach becomes the first member of the jury when he is voted out and sent to Ponderosa where he feasts
CBS—April 08, 2010
—
Coach explores Ponderosa and connects with the elements ( more Ponderosa videos after the jump
Coach taking Rupert out in Survivor: Heoes vs.Villains (S20)
I was not surprised that the Villains continue to eat themselves alive. According to Coach in one of the Ponderosa interviews, they have not
eaten fish once in the 18 days he was with the Villains.
They (except probably Sandra who like Parvati has had her game on since Day 1--waiting to spring into action--which she did in this episode) have blindly followed Russell. Russell however, has no problem letting them all rot, if necessary. IMO, Russell may be a 'great strategist' but his ego will be his downfall. The true power left on Team Villains is Parvati. I think it is safe to say she'll make to the merge and then be more overt about the game she has "on" as in "Game on!" People won't know what hit them until tribal is over and they are eating peanut butter-dipped Snickers in the van to Ponderosa.
CBS cameras keep tabs on the Ejectees, taping bits of conversations from Ponderosa. I'll try to get them up whenever it is feasible as the number of Castaways becoming Ejectees rises.
Jeff Probst says Parvati "spies." Does Probst mean Parvati goes around and listens in to conversations --as in spying on people? And she's never caught?!
I haven't seen all her seasons so I'm confused with that statement. I think she and her Black Widows Alliance put me off one of her one seasons and I quit it.
Basically, Sandra, Courtney, Danielle, and Parvati voted together,
which would suggest that Russell is even less in control than he thought
he was before. Had Russell voted for Coach, we’d still have all the
evidence we need that Russell is not in control, despite the voices in
his head that tell him that he is responsible for the tribe’s votes, the
game, small children’s happiness and/or fear, and the earth’s rotation.
Whatever happened with the vote, Sandra is either in control or
played Russell or both. Sandra endeared herself to me long ago, but I
practically shrieked when she said, “Russell’s so stupid he ate that
crap up,” adding that “he doesn’t know how to play this game.” Amen,
amen. Russell said things like, “I have the power in this game. I send
home who I want to send home,” but instead of getting all flame-faced
over that like I do, Sandra used that to her advantage.
Realizing that Russell hates being played more than anything else,
Sandra lied to him and convinced him that Coach was going to go after
him—which wasn’t too far from the truth, since Coach wanted to have the
testicles to vote against Russell last week but did not. That set
Russell on the path to dumping Coach, and thus when Danielle approached
him to suggest that it might make sense to vote off Courtney before she
breaks apart, splinters, and gets into everyone’s eyes, Russell became
enraged. “I don’t want to f**king talk to you,” he said. But he changed
his mind a little while later, though Danielle also changed her’s, too.
What? Obviously, the editors left something out in order to deceive us.
At Tribal Council, Jeff starts off with the Villains on their previous two boots, Tyson and Rob. He then throws Courtney under the bus by saying that she is obviously their weakest player. Courtney gets upset with Jeff and defends herself. She adds that she had nothing to do with booting off either Rob or Tyson. Coach thinks everyone is laughing at them right now. Courtney attacks Coach for his wanting to win the food reward more than immunity. Coach and she bicker over this. Parvati then acknowledges that it doesn’t matter, they would still be losing even with Tyson and Rob. She adds that The Merge is on everybody’s mind right now. Russell says his vote tonight will make the tribe more stronger and more trusting. Rrrrright!
It’s time to vote. We see Courtney and Coach trade votes. Jeff gathers the ballots and starts counting them. It’s tied 3-3 when he reads the last vote. Coach is out, 4-3. Russell, Parvati and Sandra sent the Dragonslayer packing. Jerri and Danielle are now the new outsiders. Jeff tells Coach he will be the first Jury member. He then tells the rest that, “The problem with trust is you don’t know it’s gone till it’s too late.” LOL!
SPOILERS: We are first shown a series of the dumbest moves in Survivor history. Then, we see JT plotting with the Heroes to give Russell their hidden immunity idol to protect him from the big, bad women Villains. Seriously, this is like “WHEEL OF FISH” stupid!!!
Read the entire article at:
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978161356
When going through a mud pit obstacle immunity challenge the Heroes
Tribe made it look so easy it was as if they were on a whole different
plane of competition. Courtney sucked enough and hurt herself just a
little adding in a wrinkle that made Danielle want her out of the game.
So for those following all of this without a score card, at the end of
the immunity challenge the tribes stood here:
* Heroes – 4 straight challenge wins and team immunity intact
* Russell Hantz wants coach gone because Coach tried to think and he
wants to make the Heroes think there is an all-girl-alliance.
* Danielle wants Courtney gone
* Coach wants Russell gone but will vote out Courtney
* Sandra proves to be useless at everything but telling lies
* Parvati wants Coach to go home
*Jeri wants Russell to go home
* The villains tell each other so many lies they don’t even know what
their alliance is
* Russell looks like an even more animated Hobbit on crack fighting with
Danielle and pissing her off
* The villains without Boston Rob are a total mess
As the villains got ready to go to tribal council nobody could seem
to make up their mind who was to be voted for. Jeff Probst pointed out
at tribal council that with Boston Rob who was dominating the challenges
gone and someone like – oh say – Courtney who is basically useless
unless you need someone to bitch and like bag of bones, that the tribe
shot themselves in the foot and set themselves up to fail. He was
correct in doing so because as they seemed to almost catch on they
proved nothing more than they are collectively as dumb as a bag of
hammers.
