More episode reaction posts
Glee:
Oh, I'd hoped for so much more from this episode than the confusing mess it turned out to be. I was really hoping that the second season would be more like the first half of season one, where there was some attempt at a coherent ongoing narrative and characters who did things that made sense (at least in-universe), rather than the second half of the first season where sometimes it seemed like each week was like watching an entirely different show populated by people with the same names.
It's not like there weren't things I liked: 'Me Against The Music', for example. "Leave Brittany alone." John Stamos. But there was so much that was either crap or poorly thought-out, like '...Baby One More Time' (Lea Michele did not sound even remotely comfortable singing in that key), and the all-pervasiveness of Mr Schuester displaying his absolute worst characteristics (snippy, judgemental, smug, cocksure). The idea that he and Emma once had a mild flirtation and that somehow entitles him to pursue her regardless of whether she's currently seeing anyone else is remarkably gross, even by his own standards. And all of his icky showboating ruined 'Toxic', which was on a knife-edge as it was.
Still, at least we got some Terri Schuester out of it. And the possibility of Brittany singing a Ke$ha song next week, which I know was a throwaway joke rather than a promise, but even so, it should definitely happen.
The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race For Nothin'!''>Jill & Thomas: I'll be honest - they made very little impression on me in this opening leg. But they won, which is nice for them. And they got the first ever (only ever?) Express Pass, which will enable them to skip a task at some point later in the race if they so choose. Because what this show really needs is to give nice, unthreatening, somewhat bland young couples a better chance of winning.
Nat & Kat: The deck is being heavily stacked in favour of an all-female team winning this year. I don't know if it'll be these ladies, assuming it happens at all, but they seem skilled and calm, which bodes well. They're not the most exciting racers I've ever seen, but then, sometimes people take a couple of episodes to bed in. Also, considering some of the people they're up against, it probably is hard to get a word in edgeways sometimes.
Connor & Jonathan: I suspect they will be this year's Cowboys, in that their generally pleasant attitudes will make the audience fall in love with them and as a result people will insist that they're much stronger racers than they actually are. I have no beef with them for now, though, and they're faster than they look, which is a handy situation to be in on this show.
Brook & Claire: LOVE THEM. Obviously "watermelon in the face" is already an internet sensation (how do you like THEM apples, Michael and Kevin?) but even outside of that, I love them. I adore Brook's unrelenting sense of urgency - I get the impression she's outside the door screaming "Claire, come on!" even when her partner is using the toilet during a mandatory rest period - and the scary air of relentless positivity they both share. The fact that Claire seemed slightly dazed by Brook's company even before the watermelon hit her in the face was also fun.
Katie & Rachel: Don't feel like we've seen a lot of them yet, but the knives are out for them because they had the GALL to be moderately amused when they saw other people struggling with their tasks. Despite the fact that the tasks were, by and large, amusing, which is why they were on television in the first place. DAMN YOU BITCHES WITH YOUR ON-TARGET SENSES OF HUMOUR! Again, I have no issues with them as yet, but I'm not sure I've got much of a handle on their actual personalities.
Gary & Mallory: I have no idea who Gary is, but Mallory is wonderful. Sometimes the "dense beauty queen" reality show stereotype can be really grating, but somehow she makes it work. I think it's because she genuinely seems to be thrilled to be on the show and travelling the world - after all, they say it broadens the mind, and I think we can all agree Mallory's mind could do with some broadening. At least she realises she's not always the sharpest tool in the shed, and sometimes that's half the battle.
Michael & Kevin: I'm finding it hard to care about them as "internet sensations" since I've never heard of them, and I'm on the internet a lot. As racers they're not too bad, though - the usual parent/child dynamics have all appeared fairly early on, but I think they could be one of those quiet(ish) teams that doesn't attract much attention but gets the job done.
Chad & Stephanie: I remember he was a tool. That's pretty much it. Oh, and they got lost looking for the pitstop, didn't they? When it was apparently easy for everyone else to find. That bodes well. I was kind of hoping they'd end up getting eliminated, just for the lulz.
Andie & Jenna: Their story made my heart sink, but fortunately as people they don't seem too be buying into it too much. It is kind of hard to watch them interact with each other, though, because they really have no knowledge of each other, and I'm just not sure this show is the best getting-to-know-you place there is.
Nick & Vicki: "Are you a battlement?" 'Nuff said.
Ron & Tony: And the twofer team is the first to go. They seemed like cool people, but I can't really argue against it, because when you're that bad at mapreading, you have no business being on this show. And also, sure, English roads are confusing if you're not used to them, but at least the locals speak your language. I shudder to think what might have happened to them if they got lost in Kazakhstan.
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Brook & Claire: A well-earned first place finish for a team who ran a very clean leg. Brook's relentless optimism is still scary, but I can see how she holds down her day job. Her run of polite, professional patter as she installed the man's arial in Accra was both sweet and hilarious. Also, Claire occasionally got a word in edgeways. I liked it when she was hungry.
Katie & Rachel: That the all-female teams seem to be doing quite well on the early legs just fills me with dread that they'll all be gone by leg 10. They seem to be another team who are surprisingly well-matched to this game - obviously they're athletic, but they also seem to be decisive and level-headed. So far, anyway.
Michael & Kevin: Kevin is occasionally being a bit of a dick to his dad, so I hope we're not going to see too much of that, because I think his dad is doing fine so far. (Next week's preview notwithstanding.) They're not my favourite team, but I don't dislike anyone that much yet and these guys still seem fine for the most part.
Chad & Stephanie: Better form than last week, and he seems to have dialled down the toolishness, which can only be an asset. Better to be an asset than to be an ass, I always think.
Jill & Thomas: Still, one of these dating couples needs to be eliminated soon so I can stop failing at telling them apart. Didn't particularly like Thomas harassing Jill at the roadblock when she was being VERY ATTENTIVE TO HER CUSTOMER SERVICE, but I suppose it is a race, after all.
Connor & Jonathan: Boys, I want to like you, I really do, but if you're going to insist on SINGING INSTRUCTIONS TO YOUR TAXI DRIVER, we are going to fall out very quickly indeed. Mind you, Connor seriously hustled that roadblock and was one of the few people to think of selling the sunglasses for more than three cedi, so I guess that Ivy League education wasn't wasted.
Nat & Kat: Nat's (I think?) difficulties with the roadblock were disappointing, but perhaps she's just not a natural salesperson - I'm terrible at it, so I have some sympathy. Also, this is The Amazing Race, not The Apprentice, so it's unlikely to be a skill they'll have to bring out too often. They recovered well, which is the main thing, and it was awesome/terrifying when their taxi took that death-defying shortcut. Shame they're not as interesting as their drivers seem to be.
Nick & Vicki: He got a raw deal on the roadblock, and they still seem to be circling the drain to me, but at least this was an improvement on last week's performance. Baby steps, right?
Gary & Mallory: Oof, so close to elimination. And yet not eliminated, so that's good. Mallory's terror on the mat as she awaited the pronouncement of her fate was adorable. I'm not ready to lose her just yet. She's too precious for this world.
Andie & Jenna: Aww. I mean, I liked them, and I was impressed at Jenna's skills during the roadblock, but like last week, I can't be too upset about their elimination. They just didn't seem terribly invested in the race aspect of it, and even when they knew their place in the competition was at risk, could barely be bothered to break into a run. They'd never have lasted. And now they can do their mother-daughter bonding at the Elimination Station, which is a much more sensible location for it. Enjoy, ladies!
Oh, I'd hoped for so much more from this episode than the confusing mess it turned out to be. I was really hoping that the second season would be more like the first half of season one, where there was some attempt at a coherent ongoing narrative and characters who did things that made sense (at least in-universe), rather than the second half of the first season where sometimes it seemed like each week was like watching an entirely different show populated by people with the same names.
It's not like there weren't things I liked: 'Me Against The Music', for example. "Leave Brittany alone." John Stamos. But there was so much that was either crap or poorly thought-out, like '...Baby One More Time' (Lea Michele did not sound even remotely comfortable singing in that key), and the all-pervasiveness of Mr Schuester displaying his absolute worst characteristics (snippy, judgemental, smug, cocksure). The idea that he and Emma once had a mild flirtation and that somehow entitles him to pursue her regardless of whether she's currently seeing anyone else is remarkably gross, even by his own standards. And all of his icky showboating ruined 'Toxic', which was on a knife-edge as it was.
Still, at least we got some Terri Schuester out of it. And the possibility of Brittany singing a Ke$ha song next week, which I know was a throwaway joke rather than a promise, but even so, it should definitely happen.
The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race For Nothin'!''>Jill & Thomas: I'll be honest - they made very little impression on me in this opening leg. But they won, which is nice for them. And they got the first ever (only ever?) Express Pass, which will enable them to skip a task at some point later in the race if they so choose. Because what this show really needs is to give nice, unthreatening, somewhat bland young couples a better chance of winning.
Nat & Kat: The deck is being heavily stacked in favour of an all-female team winning this year. I don't know if it'll be these ladies, assuming it happens at all, but they seem skilled and calm, which bodes well. They're not the most exciting racers I've ever seen, but then, sometimes people take a couple of episodes to bed in. Also, considering some of the people they're up against, it probably is hard to get a word in edgeways sometimes.
Connor & Jonathan: I suspect they will be this year's Cowboys, in that their generally pleasant attitudes will make the audience fall in love with them and as a result people will insist that they're much stronger racers than they actually are. I have no beef with them for now, though, and they're faster than they look, which is a handy situation to be in on this show.
Brook & Claire: LOVE THEM. Obviously "watermelon in the face" is already an internet sensation (how do you like THEM apples, Michael and Kevin?) but even outside of that, I love them. I adore Brook's unrelenting sense of urgency - I get the impression she's outside the door screaming "Claire, come on!" even when her partner is using the toilet during a mandatory rest period - and the scary air of relentless positivity they both share. The fact that Claire seemed slightly dazed by Brook's company even before the watermelon hit her in the face was also fun.
Katie & Rachel: Don't feel like we've seen a lot of them yet, but the knives are out for them because they had the GALL to be moderately amused when they saw other people struggling with their tasks. Despite the fact that the tasks were, by and large, amusing, which is why they were on television in the first place. DAMN YOU BITCHES WITH YOUR ON-TARGET SENSES OF HUMOUR! Again, I have no issues with them as yet, but I'm not sure I've got much of a handle on their actual personalities.
Gary & Mallory: I have no idea who Gary is, but Mallory is wonderful. Sometimes the "dense beauty queen" reality show stereotype can be really grating, but somehow she makes it work. I think it's because she genuinely seems to be thrilled to be on the show and travelling the world - after all, they say it broadens the mind, and I think we can all agree Mallory's mind could do with some broadening. At least she realises she's not always the sharpest tool in the shed, and sometimes that's half the battle.
Michael & Kevin: I'm finding it hard to care about them as "internet sensations" since I've never heard of them, and I'm on the internet a lot. As racers they're not too bad, though - the usual parent/child dynamics have all appeared fairly early on, but I think they could be one of those quiet(ish) teams that doesn't attract much attention but gets the job done.
Chad & Stephanie: I remember he was a tool. That's pretty much it. Oh, and they got lost looking for the pitstop, didn't they? When it was apparently easy for everyone else to find. That bodes well. I was kind of hoping they'd end up getting eliminated, just for the lulz.
Andie & Jenna: Their story made my heart sink, but fortunately as people they don't seem too be buying into it too much. It is kind of hard to watch them interact with each other, though, because they really have no knowledge of each other, and I'm just not sure this show is the best getting-to-know-you place there is.
Nick & Vicki: "Are you a battlement?" 'Nuff said.
Ron & Tony: And the twofer team is the first to go. They seemed like cool people, but I can't really argue against it, because when you're that bad at mapreading, you have no business being on this show. And also, sure, English roads are confusing if you're not used to them, but at least the locals speak your language. I shudder to think what might have happened to them if they got lost in Kazakhstan.
*******************
Brook & Claire: A well-earned first place finish for a team who ran a very clean leg. Brook's relentless optimism is still scary, but I can see how she holds down her day job. Her run of polite, professional patter as she installed the man's arial in Accra was both sweet and hilarious. Also, Claire occasionally got a word in edgeways. I liked it when she was hungry.
Katie & Rachel: That the all-female teams seem to be doing quite well on the early legs just fills me with dread that they'll all be gone by leg 10. They seem to be another team who are surprisingly well-matched to this game - obviously they're athletic, but they also seem to be decisive and level-headed. So far, anyway.
Michael & Kevin: Kevin is occasionally being a bit of a dick to his dad, so I hope we're not going to see too much of that, because I think his dad is doing fine so far. (Next week's preview notwithstanding.) They're not my favourite team, but I don't dislike anyone that much yet and these guys still seem fine for the most part.
Chad & Stephanie: Better form than last week, and he seems to have dialled down the toolishness, which can only be an asset. Better to be an asset than to be an ass, I always think.
Jill & Thomas: Still, one of these dating couples needs to be eliminated soon so I can stop failing at telling them apart. Didn't particularly like Thomas harassing Jill at the roadblock when she was being VERY ATTENTIVE TO HER CUSTOMER SERVICE, but I suppose it is a race, after all.
Connor & Jonathan: Boys, I want to like you, I really do, but if you're going to insist on SINGING INSTRUCTIONS TO YOUR TAXI DRIVER, we are going to fall out very quickly indeed. Mind you, Connor seriously hustled that roadblock and was one of the few people to think of selling the sunglasses for more than three cedi, so I guess that Ivy League education wasn't wasted.
Nat & Kat: Nat's (I think?) difficulties with the roadblock were disappointing, but perhaps she's just not a natural salesperson - I'm terrible at it, so I have some sympathy. Also, this is The Amazing Race, not The Apprentice, so it's unlikely to be a skill they'll have to bring out too often. They recovered well, which is the main thing, and it was awesome/terrifying when their taxi took that death-defying shortcut. Shame they're not as interesting as their drivers seem to be.
Nick & Vicki: He got a raw deal on the roadblock, and they still seem to be circling the drain to me, but at least this was an improvement on last week's performance. Baby steps, right?
Gary & Mallory: Oof, so close to elimination. And yet not eliminated, so that's good. Mallory's terror on the mat as she awaited the pronouncement of her fate was adorable. I'm not ready to lose her just yet. She's too precious for this world.
Andie & Jenna: Aww. I mean, I liked them, and I was impressed at Jenna's skills during the roadblock, but like last week, I can't be too upset about their elimination. They just didn't seem terribly invested in the race aspect of it, and even when they knew their place in the competition was at risk, could barely be bothered to break into a run. They'd never have lasted. And now they can do their mother-daughter bonding at the Elimination Station, which is a much more sensible location for it. Enjoy, ladies!